Benefits of the Practice

Amongst the numerous benefits of this practice it particularly helps, both mentally and physically, those suffering from so-called “incurable” diseases such as AIDS and cancer. It helps us to confront and deal with the negative emotions, such as anger, depression, fear and denial, which arise when we are challenged by such diseases or when we are confronted with problems in our daily life.

This practice also enables us to purify astrological mistakes that happen, for example, when we perform marriage or cremation ceremonies or cut down trees on astrologically inauspicious days. It gives us the opportunity to stop our energy flowing, at the cause of astrological influences, into the wrong path.

In fact, through the recitation of Black Manjushri mantras we protect ourselves from inauspicious and malevolent astrological elements, caused by conjunctions, transits, oppositions, eclipses, comets and other celestial phenomena that could result in sicknesses, accidents, loss of property, social problems and discouraging life experiences.

Completing this practice also stops the harm of black magic and protects us from the interferences of spirits such as nagas who cause plagues, leprosy, possessions and contagious viral epidemics.

Black Manjushri protects us from the four maras that hinder our spiritual practice and success, and halts the negative actions of all malefic beings and geg spirits that obstruct the attainment of long-life. This practice stops the superstitious and fearful projections we create, for example when we walk alone in the dark, as well as those relating to digging the earth, cutting trees and moving rocks where nagas abide.

How to Do this Practice

This practice is most effective when completed daily before sunrise. We should sit facing the east in the cross-legged lotus posture. Following a vegetarian diet, avoiding strong alcohol drinks, garlic, onions and sesame all strengthen this practice. However, if it is not possible for us to follow these indications we should do the practice whenever possible and however we feel comfortable

Taking Refuge

Namo Gurubye
Namo Buddhaya
Namo Dharmaya
Namo Sanghaya
Namo Triratnaya (3x)

The Seven Limitless Meditations

1. SEMCHEN TAMCHE DEWA DANG DEWAI GYU DANG DENPAR GYUR CHIK
2. SEMCHEN TAMCHE DUNGAL DANG DUNGAL GYI GYU DANG DRELWAR GYUR CHIK
3. SEMCHEN TAMCHE DUNGAL MEPAI DEWA DANG MIN DRELWAR GYUR CHIK
4. SEMCHEN TAMCHE NYERING CHAK DANG NYI DANG DRELWEI TANG NYOM LA NE PAR GYUR CHIK
5. SEMCHEN TAMCHE LU SEM GYI DU NGAL SO SHING TRAI YUN LU SEM DE WA DANG DEN PAR GYUR CHIK
6. SEMCHEN TAMCHE NGALSO TOPCHING CHINANG NOGCHU KORYUK DANGSHING TSANGMAR NE GYUR CHIK
7. SEMCHEN TAMCHE DANG ZAMBULING GI KYE DRO TADAG CHYI NANG GHI SHIDE DHAN DHUEKUN DENPAR GYUR CHIK

1. Limitless Love – May all beings have happiness and its causes.
2. Limitless Compassion – May all beings be free from suffering and its causes.
3. Limitless Joy – May all beings never be separated from the great happiness that is beyond all misery.
4. Limitless Equanimity – May all beings always dwell in equanimity, unaffected by attraction to dear ones and aversion to others.
5. Limitless Health – May all beings recover from the sicknesses of mind and body pollution and enjoy relative and absolute health now and forever.
6. Limitless Ecological Regeneration – May all beings relax in a pure and healthy outer and inner environment now and forever.
7. Limitless Peace – May all beings enjoy inner and world peace now and forever.

Nine Round Breathing Meditation to Purify Our Subtle Wind Energy

Sitting in the vajra posture we begin by visualizing that our gross physical body, composed of flesh, organs and bones, gradually melts into light until we are left with only a holographic image that sparkles like a rainbow. At this point we make a vajra fist with our left hand and place it under our right armpit. With our right hand we make a vajra fist and extending the right middle finger, placing the index finger on top of it, we gently block the left nostril.

1. Visualizing clearly our three inner channels, we inhale through our right nostril imagining that the pure essences of the five elements, positive and healing energies and all the holy beings’ blessings enter our right channel in the form of white light. This white light absorbs into the subtle wind energy at our heart. We now block the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril in three short breaths, imagining that all our sicknesses, polluted elemental winds, inner demons and interferences, relating to the left side of the body, are expelled in the aspect of polluted black smoke.
2. This exercise should now be repeated on the opposite side to purify the left channel and expel all negativities relating to the right side of the body.
3. Placing our hands in the meditation mudra and breathing evenly through both nostrils, we should visualize that all the positive and healing energy of the holy beings enter both the right and left channels and absorb into the subtle wind energy at the heart. In three short breaths, through both nostrils, we breathe out all negativities, physical and mental sicknesses, interferences, demons and polluted winds from both sides of the body.

Meditation on Emptiness

OM BENZA AMRITA KUNDALI HANA HANA HUNG PHEY
OM SWABHAWA SHUDDHA SARWA DHARMA SOBHAWA SHUDDHO HAM

All things are naturally pure, the nature of space, including me.

Self Generation as Black Manjushri

Everything becomes the same nature as emptiness.
Out of emptiness from the black letter PAM arises a black lotus.
In the center of this black lotus from the letter AH appears a moon, and above this moon from a green letter YAM arises a green wind mandala.
In the center of the wind mandala from a red letter RAM appears a red triangular fire mandala.
The lotus, wind and fire mandalas contain the essences of the five elements.
These essences absorb into space.
In the center of the moon appears my mind in the aspect of a black letter HUNG.
Lights radiate out from the letter HUNG and then return fulfilling the two purposes of attaining enlightenment and helping others to overcome suffering.
In an instant from the black letter HUNG I arise as Black Manjushri.
I am in a very wrathful aspect with one face and two arms.
My right leg is bent and my left leg is outstretched.
In my right hand with a wrathful mudra I hold the wisdom sword that eliminates all interferences, and in my left hand I hold the emanation scripture of the Kadampas and the Prajnaparamita sutra at my heart.
Half my red hair is knotted at my crown, the other half falls on my shoulders.
I have a big belly and tiger skin loincloth.
I wear various wrathful bone ornaments such as a crown of five skulls and a necklace of fifty freshly cut heads.
My three eyes are red and round and in the nature of YAM, RAM and BAM.
I am surrounded by fiercely blazing flames of wisdom.
My root guru is above my crown in the form of Amoghasiddhi, who embodies the entire lineage.
At my crown is a white OM the nature of the enlightened body, at my throat is red AH the nature of the enlightened speech and at my heart is blue HUNG the nature of the enlightened mind.

Essence Mantra

At my heart is a sun cushion with a black letter HUNG at its center, around this two mantra garlands circle in a clockwise direction.

OM AH RA PA TSA NA DHI HUNG (21x or as many times as possible)

At this point we should meditate on emptiness of phenomenon, self and others, based on the method we are familiar with such as the Heart Sutra or dependent origination.

Special Essence Mantra

OM EH RA PA TSA NA DHI HUNG (21x)

After we have repeated for as many times as possible the essence mantra and meditated on emptiness we can repeat the special essence mantra that helps to stabilize and give extra power to our practice.

Action Mantra

OM PRASO / CHUSO / DURTASO / DURMISO / NYING GOLA CHO / KALA DZA / KAM SHAM TRAM BHE PHET SOHA (21x)

(To complete a traditional Black Manjushri retreat we have to recite 700,000 essence mantras and 10,000 action mantras).

The Seven Tantric Self-Healing Exercises of Black Manjushri

We should keep in mind when beginning this part of the practice that the more mantras we manage to recite the more effective the exercises will be. We should also remember that to make the following seven exercises work well we should complete them with the Mahayana attitudes of compassion and wisdom.

1. PURIFICATION OF OBSTACLES AND INTERFERENCES

Flame-like lights radiate out from our hearts, burning up all our emotional problems, mind pollution, interferences and karmic obstacles that cause sickness and interferences to ourselves, other beings and the environment.

OM PRASO / CHUSO / DURTASO / DURMISO / NYING GOLA CHO / KALA DZA / KAM SHAM TRAM BHE PHET SOHA (21x)

2. PROTECTION FROM SICKNESS

After repeating the essence and action mantras as many times as possible, we should join our thumb to the top joint of the ring finger on each hand and then blow on the tip of the ring finger. Then we should rub the tips of these fingers on the soles of our feet and in the armpits.

If we find in these places a black substance then we should put it on the nine entrances to the auric body listed beneath whilst repeating the action mantra. If we do not find a black substance we should imagine one. We now envisage a suit of vajra armor under our skin that protects us from any contagious diseases or pollution entering our body.

1. Soles of the two feet
2. Anus
3. Urethra
4. Navel
5. Mouth
6. Nose
7. Two Eyes
8. Two Ears
9. Fontanella

OM AH RA PA TSA NA DHI HUNG

OM PRASO / CHUSO / DURTASO / DURMISO / NYING GOLA CHO / KALA DZA / KAM SHAM TRAM BHE PHET SOHA (21x)

3. CALMING DISTURBING PEOPLE AND SPIRITS

With our hands joined together, above the crown of the head, in the prostration mudra we click our tongue against the top palate of our mouth and clap our hands together three times. Then we recite the action mantra.

OM PRASO / CHUSO / DURTASO / DURMISO / NYING GOLA CHO / KALA DZA / KAM SHAM TRAM BHE PHET SOHA (21x)

4. SUPPRESSING INTERFERENCES

Visualizing our self in the aspect of Black Manjushri, we have to sit with our knees brought up to our chest with our arms wrapped around them, we then place the big toe of our right foot over the big toe of our left foot. Keeping this posture we should press down and trap all interferences under our feet causing them to become weaker and powerless.

OM PRASO / CHUSO / DURTASO / DURMISO / NYING GOLA CHO / KALA DZA / KAM SHAM TRAM BHE PHET SOHA (21x)

5. HEALING NECTARS

With a container of water placed in front of us, visualizing our self in the aspect of Black Manjushri, we imagine nectar radiating from the letter HUNG at our heart. This nectar flows with our breath and the special qualities are transferred to the water when we blow on it.

The water transforms into nectar. Finally, Black Manjushri dissolves into the water, making it so powerful that those who drink it are purified of their obscurations and sicknesses caused by negative karma and physical health problems improve.

OM PRASO / CHUSO / DURTASO / DURMISO / NYING GOLA CHO / KALA DZA / KAM SHAM TRAM BHE PHET SOHA (21x)

6. HEALING ARTHRITIS

Drink the healing water and recite the action mantra before blowing on our mala. Then massage, outwardly towards the extremities, the affected limbs and joints. When tiny wounds appear on the extremities it is a sign that we are healed. To heal this condition we should also try to avoid eating meat and consuming strong alcoholic drinks.

OM PRASO / CHUSO / DURTASO / DURMISO / NYING GOLA CHO / KALA DZA / KAM SHAM TRAM BHE PHET SOHA (21x)

7. HEALING NIGHTMARES

Either when awakening from a bad dream or nightmare, or if possible during the dream, we should visualize our self as Black Manjushri who emanates wisdom fires that burn up the dream enemy or negative feelings.

OM PRASO / CHUSO / DURTASO / DURMISO / NYING GOLA CHO / KALA DZA / KAM SHAM TRAM BHE PHET SOHA (21x)

Dedication

GYE WA DI NYUR DU DAG
JAMPHEL NAGPO DRUP GYUR NE
DROWA CHIK CHANG MALU PA
DE YI SA LA GOPAR SHOK

By this virtue may I quickly attain
the enlightened experience of Black Manjushri
and lead all sentient beings without exception to that ground.

SHIDE SEM CHOG RINPOCHE
MA KIEPA NAM KYE GYUR CHIK
KIEPA NYAMPA MEPA YANG
GONG NE GONG TU PEL WAR SHOK

May the precious, healthy and happy mind of peace,
which is not yet born, arise and grow.
Which is born have no decline and increase forever more.

Verse of Auspiciousness

NYIMO DELEK TSEN DELEK
NYIME GUNG YANG DELEK SHIN
NYINTSEN TAKTU DELEK PE
KON CHOK SUM GYI JIN GYI LOB
KON CHOK SUM KYI NGOE DROP TSOL
KON CHOK SUM GYI TRA SHI SHOK

At dawn or dusk, at night or midday,
May the three jewels grant us their blessings,
May they help us to achieve all realizations,
And sprinkle the path of our lives with various signs of auspiciousness.

O Je Tsongkhapa, master of the three worlds,
Who surpasses all others in compassion,
The eye through whom all beings
Can receive ultimate vision,
Peerless Refuge of liberation seekers,
To you, a supreme and incomparable Lama,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

In the very presence of the Victorious One
You entered the ways of enlightenment;
Here in this Land of Snow Mountains
You were renowned as Lobsang Drakpa;
Now in Tushita Pure Land you abide,
Famed as Wisdom Essence;
To you, mightiest of Bodhisattvas,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

By the force of ripening merits
You read the teachings and, without study,
Understood texts even in the language of mystics.
To you of naturally perfect excellence
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

From the time your sun-like body
Slipped radiantly from your mother’s cloud,
You ever shunned the dancing lights
Of the world and its vain fortunes;
To you I offer my spiritual aspirations.

From very youth you held no distaste
Toward the austerities of Buddhadharma
But secured yourself in perfect discipline.
To you who for countless lifetimes knew
The power of familiarity with meditation,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Having unrelentingly examined in depth
The words and meanings of Buddha’s teachings,
Constantly and with spontaneity you practised
The guidelines discovered therein.
To you, a treasury of vast knowledge,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Not satisfied with strings of empty words,
With subtle reason you fathomed that point
Not perceived by the millions of scholars;
To you who beheld reality itself
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Were all logicians to analyse
Your teachings a hundred times,
Not even a fraction’s fraction
Of your words would prove wrong.
To you of flawless mind
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Who but you has seen as they are
All the concepts contained
In the texts of the ancient masters?
To you in whom all teachings
Arose as practical advice
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

When the dust clothing the earth
Is inscribed by your lotus feet
Which always rests on the crowns of sages,
That dust becomes an object
Well worthy of worship by men; to you
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Although a fully omniscient one
Were to challenge your ethical temper,
Not a hint of a flaw
Could ever be discovered:
To you, a perfect renunciate,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Like an ocean of wish-fulfilling gems
Is the immeasurable depth of your love,
Beyond even the bounds of clairvoyance.
To you, a mine of benevolence,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

What load of benefit to beings
Is not carried by your mind so mighty:
For did you not reach the zenith
Of deeds sending endless waves?
To you of miraculous compassion
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

If each breath you release
Acts only as medicine to beings,
Why try to describe the effect
Of your stores of merit and wisdom?
To you, friend of the three worlds,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom,
Daily appeared directly to you
And rained ambrosial streams of teachings,
The synthesis of the minds of Buddhas,
Past, present and future;
To you I offer my spiritual aspirations.

“In the lotus garden of the Muni’s teachings
You are likened to a sun amongst Buddhas;”
With these very words Maitreya Buddha
Praised you when in a vision he appeared;
To you I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Beholding the sublime forms of countless Buddhas,
You directly received the transforming powers
Of Saraha, Luipa and the other mahasiddhas;
To you, a supreme and perfected being,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Having in a dream been given the blessings of
Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Buddhapalita and Chandrakirti,
Experience of the Very Dharma, profound emptiness,
Arose within you; to you, who has abandoned
Even the imprints of confusion,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

With the subtle meditation in samadhi centred
Upon reality itself, clear like the sky,
You moved not for a moment
Even in post-meditation
From viewing mind as illusory;
To you I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Having mastered the oceans of tantras,
Pinnacle of all Buddhas teachings,
You indeed are a perfect Lama
Inseparable from All-pervading Vajradhara;
To you I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Master who practised exactly as taught
The essential profundities of tantra’s two stages,
The ultimate paths, as never before
Shown by another in this land,
And then accomplished their purpose,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

By perfecting the coarse and subtle deity-yogas,
You eliminated the habitual thought patterns
That conceive existence as profane.
To you whose mind never stirs
From the blissful flow of mystic mandalas,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Coasting in the central nadi on a current of air,
You perceived the quintessence of emptiness,
The clear light itself, mahamudra,
Experiencing the summit of great bliss;
To you, the one of vajra mind,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Due to the force of your infinite prayers,
Countless disciples spontaneously were drawn
To the path that pleases all Buddhas;
To you, Refuge of all the world,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

In an era when nothing but the empty name
of “Doctrine” was upheld by teachers and trainees,
You brought into the light the three higher trainings
To you, the Great Reviver,
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

When you determined consciously to pass away,
Hosts of Dakas and Dakinis beyond imagination,
Making offerings filled the skies.
To you I offer my spiritual aspirations.

Mind focused on the clear light of Dharmakaya,
Your body transformed into a luminous sphere and,
In the bardo, illusory body yoga fulfilled Sambhogakaya.
To you who gained supreme siddhi
I offer my spiritual aspirations.

From this moment onward in all future lives,
May I sit before your lotus feet
And, hearing your teachings,
Practise only as delights you.

May I be blessed to abandon both
Viewing this life as something to crave
And yearning for happiness for myself alone.
And may I never abandon the bodhimind,
The wish to attain Buddhahood for all.

With clear wisdom focusing on the subtle,
May I fathom the perfect words of Buddha
And ascend the path of knowledge.
Thus may I arise to dispel the darkness
Of the ignorance pervading beings’ minds.

May I have power to discover
The import of the many tantras
And to practise single-pointedly
The profound significance of their two stages,
Unhindered by inner or outer obstacles.

In brief, may I receive grace to understand
All the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni,
Especially those of the peerless Vajrayana,
Just as do the Awakened Ones.
Thus may I bring light to the world.

By the virtue of this aspiration,
May I in all future lives never be
Parted from you, a perfect Lama,
And may I dwell with the taste of the teachings
That arose from the depths of your experience.

Because of whatever goodness
I have done or will do,
May you gaze upon me with pleasure,
And may I always unwaveringly practise
Precisely in accord with your advice.

By the power of the mighty deeds
Of Lama Je Tsongkhapa, the tantric Guru,
Until enlightenment may I never fall
From the good path praised by all Buddhas.

Extracted from the Life and Teachings of Tsong Khapa (Edited by Prof. R. Thurman)

Though he’s the father, producer of all conquerors,
As a conqueror’s son, he produced the thought of upholding
The conqueror’s Dharma in infinite worlds. Through this truth
May the conqueror Losang’s teachings flourish!

When of yore before [Buddha] Indraketu
He made his vow, the conqueror and his offspring
Praised his powerful courage. Through this truth
May the conqueror Losang’s teachings flourish!

That the lineage of pure view and conduct might spread,
He offered a white crystal rosary to the Sage,
Who gave him a conch and prophesied. Through this truth
May the conqueror Losang’s teachings flourish!

His pure view free of eternity or destruction;
His pure meditation cleansed of dark fading and fog;
His pure conduct practiced according to conquerors’ orders:
May the conqueror Losang’s teachings flourish!

Learned, since he extensively sought out learning;
Reverend, rightly applying it to himself;
Good, dedicating all for beings and doctrine:
May the conqueror Losang’s teachings flourish!

Through being sure that all scriptures, definitive and
Interpretative, were, without contradiction,
Advice for one person’s practice, he stopped all misconduct:
May the conqueror Losang’s teachings flourish!

Listening to explanations of the three pitakas,
Realized teachings, practice of the three trainings –
His skilled and accomplished life story is amazing.
May the conqueror Losang’s teachings flourish!

Outwardly calmed and subdued by the hearer’s conduct,
Inwardly trusting in the two stages’ practice,
He allied without clash the good paths of sutra and tantra:
May the conqueror Losang’s teachings flourish!

Combining voidness, explained as the causal vehicle,
With great bliss, achieved by method, the effect vehicle,
Heart essence of eighty thousand Dharma bundles –
May the conqueror Losang’s teachings flourish!

By the power of the ocean of oath-bound doctrine protectors,
Like the main guardians of the three beings’ paths –
The quick-acting lord, Vaishravana, Karma-yama –
May the conqueror Losang’s teachings flourish!

In short, by the lasting of glorious gurus’ lives,
By the earth being full of good, learned, reverend holders
Of the teaching, and by the increase of power of its patrons,
May the conqueror Losang’s teachings flourish!

Footnote: Extracted from the Life and Teachings of Tsong Khapa (Edited by Prof. R. Thurman)

Homage to the Youthful One with budding breasts,
Who has one face and two arms, sits in the vajra posture,
Is bold with grace and calm, has a full moon as backrest
And is filled with great bliss.

Homage to the Ultimately Generous One whose right hand,
Showing the mudra Supreme Giving
Easily releases boundless karmas of peace, increase, power and wrath
As well as the eight siddhis and even supreme Buddhahood.

Homage to the Spiritual Mother who gives birth to Buddhas
Past, present and future; whose left hand
Supporting a blue lotus, grants protection
From lions, elephants, fires and all eight terrors.

Homage to the Refuge of the World, who has eyes
In hands and feet gazing at the four doors of freedom
And who leads all living creatures
Toward the isle of blissful liberation.

Homage to she whose face unites
The beauty of a million autumn moons,
Whose wide eyes gaze with compassion
Whose Joyous mouth smiles equally on all.

Homage to she with head adorned by Amitayus, boundless Life,
The mere thought of whom grants life and wisdom,
Whose hand, in the contemplative mudra,
Hold a vase filled with ambrosia of immortality.

Homage to the All-Beautified One whose crown
Steals the light of sun and moon,
Whose sapphire hair is half knotted on top
And half falling freely over her shoulders.

Homage to the Majestic One of precious ornament blazing,
Whose crown, earrings, necklaces, arm-bands,
Bracelets, anklets and belt so elegantly arranged
Surpass the ornaments of men and gods.

Homage to she of celestial raiment,
Whose shoulder-sash and skirt
Hug her body like rainbows
Hug the crystal mountains.

Homage to the goddess before whose lotus feet
Vishnu, Indra, Shiva, Brahma, the antigods, spirits,
Men, semi-humans and all the world
Submit themselves in devotion.

Merely by reciting your mantra,
Those who make offerings at your lotus feet
Gain immortality, wisdom and merit
And attain all desired siddhis; to you I bow down.

The knowledge, compassion and perfect actions of all Buddhas
Appear in the form of the beautiful goddess
I take refuge in you and offer you my prayers;
Pray eliminate all my obstacles and fulfill all my aims.

Quickly release your perfect action of peace,
Calming all interferences to my practices for enlightenment;
Interferences such as the eight terrors,
Sickness, demons and other harmful agents, inner and outer.

Quickly release your perfect action of increase which multiplies
All good qualities, such as life, merit, unapprehending compassion,
The stainless wisdoms of learning, contemplation and meditation,
And the three higher trainings.

Quickly release your perfect action of power,
Which causes gods, men and spirits
To humbly bow before you
And which fulfils all wishes of the mind.

Quickly release your perfect action of wrath,
Which with punishments befitting the evils done
Destroys demons, interferences and hindrances
Hateful opposing Buddhadharma and its holders.

Pray, bestow quick and easy attainment of siddhis
Such as the magic sword, mystic eye-medicine, fast-walking,
The food pill and the precious vase,
And even mahamudra, the highest siddhi.

In brief, from now until enlightenment
I respectfully make offerings at your lotus feet
I need seek no other refuge
Out of compassion gaze upon me and quickly grant protection.

By the meritorious energy of this practice
May the transcended, perfect Tara
Look upon me forever with pleasure
And never leave me, even for a moment.

May all sentient beings after death take rebirth
Before Amitayus in Sukavati, Land of Pure Joy,
May they live in the ways of the great Bodhisattvas
And come to equal Avalokiteshvara, Lord of Compassion.

May I realise the oceans of Sutras and Tantras
To be able to pass them on to others;
And until samsara be emptied may I strive
To uphold the victory banner of practicing exactly as taught.

Mantra: OM TAREE TU-TAREE TUREE MAMA AYU-PUNYE-JANA PUTIM KURU SOHA

The Colophon: This praise of exalted White Tara, supreme mother of all Buddhas, was written by the monk Gyalwa Gendun Drub while he was residing in the Hermitage of Great Awakening at the Tegchen Potreng.

I offer this boundless prayer with the purest of minds
To free countless beings from cycles of existence.
By the power of the unfailing Three Jewels
And of great rishis possessed of the force of truth,
May these sincere words bear fruit.

Life after life, may I never be born into realms
Of great suffering or unfavorable circumstance
But gain always a precious human form
Blessed with every conducive provision.

From the moment of birth may I never
Be lured by the pleasures of existence,
But, guided by renunciation intent on freedom,
Be resolute in seeking the pure life.

May there be no hindrance to becoming a monk,
From friends, family or possessions,
And for every conducive circumstance,
By mere thought may it appear.

Once a monk, may I be untainted as long as I live,
By breech of vow or natural fault,
As promised in the presence of my preceptor.

I pray that on such pure foundation,
And for every mother sentient being,
I devote myself with hardship for countless aeons
To every aspect, profound and vast of the Mahayana.

May I be cared for by true spiritual friends,
Filled with knowledge and insight,
Senses stilled, minds controlled, loving, compassionate,
And with courage untiring in working for others.

As Sada Prarudita devoted himself to Dharma Arya,
May I sincerely please my spiritual master
With body, life and wealth,
Never disappointing him for an instant.

I pray that the Perfection of Wisdom, forever profound,
A bringer of peace, unbound by identification,
Be taught to me as taught to Sada Prarudita,
Unsullied by the muddy waters of false views.

May I never fall under the sway
Of false teachers and misleading friends,
Their flawed views of existence and nonexistence
Well outside the Buddha’s intention.

With sail hoisted of the sincerest of minds,
Driven by winds of unflagging effort,
On this well-built ship of study, thought, and meditation,
May I bring living beings from samsara’s ocean.

As much as I excel in learning,
As much as I give to others,
As pure as my morality grows,
As much as I become wise,
By as much may I be empty of pride.

I pray that I listen insatiably
To countless teachings at the feet of a master,
Single-handedly with logic unflawed,
Prizing open scriptures’ meanings.

Having examined day and night
With four-fold logic all that I have heard,
May I banish every doubt
With the discerning understanding
That arises from such contemplation.

With conviction of Dharmas profound
Gained from understanding born of contemplation,
I pray that I retreat to solitude
With a perseverance severing life’s attachments
To devote myself to proper practice.

When the Buddha’s thoughts dawn upon me
Through study, thought, and meditation,
I pray that things of this life forever bonded to samsara
And thoughts of my happiness alone
Never arise in my mind.

Unattached to my possessions
I pray that I destroy parsimony,
Gathering disciples around me
By giving first of material wealth
To satisfy them with Dharma.

With a mind renounced may I never transgress
Even the smallest precept, though it may cost my life,
Flying forever, therefore, the flag of freedom.

When I see, hear or think of those
Who struck, beat or maligned me,
May I be without anger, speak of their virtues,
And meditate upon patience.

I pray I will apply myself to enthusiasm,
Achieving virtues unachieved, improving those attained,
Banishing utterly three-fold debilitating laziness.

I pray to abandon the meditative absorption
That lacks the power of insight to quell samsara,
That is divorced from the moist compassion to quash nirvana’s passivity,
And that mostly throws one back to cycles of existence,
But develop instead the meditative absorption
That unites compassion and insight.

I pray that I banish false views of emptiness,
Mentally fabricated and partially known,
Born from fear of the most profound truth, cherished as supreme,
And that I realize all phenomena to be forever empty.

May I bring to faultless morality
Those so-called practitioners with their wayward ethics,
Shamelessly empty of pure practice,
Rashly pursuing paths shunned by the wise.

May I bring to the path praised by Buddhas
Those lost and fallen onto wrong paths,
Swayed by deluded teachers and misleading friends.

I pray that my lion-like roar
Of teaching, argument, and composition
Flattens the pride of fox-like false orators,
And, gathering well-trained disciples about me,
I fly the banner of the teachings forever.

In whatever life I may drink the nectar of Buddha’s teachings,
I pray to be born into a good family
And be of handsome build, wealthy, powerful, and wise,
Blessed with long life and sound health.

May I develop the unique love of a mother
For those who malign me
And harbor ill designs upon my life,
My body, or my possessions.

By growing within myself
The pure and extraordinary bodhi-mind
Whose nature is to cherish others more than self,
May I soon give them unsurpassable Enlightenment.

Whoever hears, sees or calls these verses to mind,
May they be undaunted in fulfilling
The powerful prayers of the Bodhisattvas.

By the power of these vast prayers
Made with the purest intention,
May I attain the perfection of prayer
And fulfill the hopes of every living being.

When the immense compassion of all Buddhas is distilled, it takes on a very special form of a Bodhisattva. This Bodhisattva has a gentle and serene disposition on his face.

He is white in colour and has four arms representing the Four Immeasurables of loving kindness, joy, equanimity and compassion. Just like limbs of the body, he has become one with the realisation of these qualities and uses them to benefit sentient beings.

He has two hands folded in prayer while holding a brilliant sky-blue wish-fulfilling jewel at his heart. In this way, he holds closest to his heart Bodhicitta or altruistic love for all sentient beings.

The other arm on his right holds aloft gently a set of crystal prayer beads and the other left hand holds a pristine lotus. This shows his promise to manifest continuously in a multitude of ways to benefit us like the steady momentum of counting prayer beads.

Despite appearing skilfully in ordinary guise in various realms of existence to benefit suffering beings, he is not just unstained but thrives in such surroundings like a pristine lotus that grows out of muddy waters.

This unstained bodhisattva is attired royally with six jeweled ornaments which consist of the crown, earrings, bracelets, necklace, bejeweled belt and anklets. Like the jeweled ornaments he wears to beautify himself outwardly, he has perfected the inner 6 perfections or paramitas, inspiring practitioners to practice generosity, morality, patience, endeavour, meditation and wisdom to become truly beautiful from the inside out.

This Bodhisattva is the 4-armed Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig in Tibetan. With prayers, offerings and meditations, one can be inspired by Avalokiteshvara to practice real inner transformation of our negative qualities into selfless motivation to serve others.

His spiritual energy in the form of sound that helps to transform the mind (Mantra):

OM MANI PADME HUNG

The Buddhas of Wisdom, Compassion and Skilful Means (Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, Vajrapani) incarnated in this divine child.

By his genius, his example of perfect balance of study and practice, his utter humility and boundless energy, he restored the holy Buddhadharma to its original purity and caused it to spread like a wildfire all over Tibet, Mongolia, China and India.

Already practising the most profound tantric methods as a five-year-old, having been given his ordination vows by H.H. the 4th Karmapa, Je Tsongkhapa went on to study at the feet of no less than forty-five Gurus of all existing traditions.

After an eight-year retreat, eating only one seed of a tree per day and offering 3.5 million prostrations and 1.5 million mandalas, many deities appeard to him directly and he remained in constant communion with Lord Manjushri for the rest of his life.

Vajrayogini advised him to use the colour yellow for his teaching hat and the lineage that originated with him, the Gelugpa school, has often been called “Yellow-Hat School’ for that reason.

Lord Tsongkhapa founded the three main monasteries of Gaden, Drepung and Sera whose many attained Masters uphold his enlightened tradition and share it with the world. He is the author of many texts unsurpassed to this day in depth and clarity, most famously his work “The Stages on the Path to Enlightenment”.

Hailed as the second Buddha by contemporary Buddhist masters of his time, Lama Tsongkhapa comes from the mystical land of snows, Tibet. He is an incomparable pure monk, scholar and great teacher to thousands then and millions now.

This simple monk has become a limitless treasure trove of love, wisdom and compassion. He is an ideal spiritual inspiration for everyone throughout the ages.

Some look upon him for simple career advancement and some for a guide on a spiritual path. It simply doesn’t matter, as Lama Tsongkhapa grants wealth, business and career to the practical minded. He thus allows us to look deeper into spirituality with minds freer off mundane matters.

Having Lama Tsongkhapa’s image has the immense benefit of harmonizing the energy wherever his image is placed. A direct result of having him in your home would be stabilizing wealth and happiness. Essentials of food, money, shelter and clothing will cease to be a problem.

Lama Tsongkhapa’s image is well known to have a calming effect on aggressive minds and those with destructive emotions. Making offerings to him and doing his meditations and practice allow us to cultivate the inner qualities of wisdom, compassion and inner strength.

This practice’s other benefits are destroying all problems and obstacles. This is displayed with the flaming sword of wisdom on a lotus on his right. The Book of Dharma on the left lotus indicates by taking refuge in him, one can attain the higher wisdom of achieving true inner peace, tranquility and ultimately, Enlightenment.

Je Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga meditation (Gaden Lhagyama) is open to all, easy and pleasant to do, yet infinitely profound. Healing of depression, restlessness and sickness, protection from negative energies, enhancement of intelligence and clarity, deep joy and peace are experienced by those who practice it.

His spiritual energy in the form of sound that helps to transform the mind (Mantra), called Migtsema:

MIG-MEY TZE-WEY TER-CHEN CHENREZIG
DRI-MEY KHYEN-PI WANG-PO JAMPAL YANG
DU-PUNG MA-LU JOM-DZEY SANG-WEY DAG
GANG-CHEN KE-PEY TSUG-GYEN TSONGKHAPA
LO-SANG TRAG-PEY SHAB-LA SOL-WA DEB