APPENDIX 1
A Lam Rim Preliminary Rite
Translator’s note: The following prayer is included by the Third Dalai Lama in the opening section of Essence of Refined Gold in his explanation of how to practice guru yoga. His Holiness the present Dalai Lama gave a detailed description of the prayer in his 1976 discourse, but I have not included that in this volume as his commentary was directed at committed practitioners. However, I thought it would be useful to include the Third Dalai Lama’s text because it shows the lineage of transmission of Essence and reveals the attitudes that are to be generated as the basis for meditation. It should be observed that there are many liturgical works of this nature in Tibetan, some for beginners and others for more advanced practitioners. Often a text such as this would be expanded in accordance with the meditator’s related practices or condensed to fit time limitations. It is not uncommon to leave out or add complete sections, nor to replace certain sections with similar materials from other sources.
A LAM RIM PRELIMINARY RITE
In a quiet place pleasing to the mind, erect an altar with an image of your teacher, a statue of Buddha, a stupa, and a scripture. Upon this altar daily arrange offerings both fresh and pure. Fix a comfortable meditation seat for yourself, and either four or six times a day sit there in the seven-point posture of Vairochana, perform the following liturgy, and meditate as instructed.
Begin by blending the depths of your mind with the meaning of refuge by reciting the following formula three times—
NAMO GURU BHYAH,
to my Teachers I turn for refuge.
NAMO BUDDHA YA,
to the Buddhas I turn for refuge.
NAMO DHARMA YA,
to the Teachings I turn for refuge.
NAMO SANGHA YA,
to the Spiritual Community I turn for refuge.
Then contemplate the four immeasurable thoughts in accordance with the following verses:
May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes,
May all sentient beings be separated from suffering and its
causes.
May they never be separated from the happiness beyond
suffering,
May they abide in that equanimity beyond attraction for
the near and aversion for the far.
Now recite the verse of specifically Mahayana refuge:
To the Buddhas, Dharma, and the Supreme Community
Until bodhi I turn for refuge;
By the merits of my practicing the six perfections
May buddhahood be attained for the sake of all.
OM SVABHAVA SHODDAH SARVADHARMA SVABHAVA SHODDOH HAM [All dharmas become seen as that emptiness which is the emptiness of inherent existence.]
From the sphere of emptiness in the space before me appears a large and vast jeweled throne supported by eight lions. Seated there upon a lotus and a moon seat is the lama who is guiding me through the stages in spiritual practice. His physical form is that of Buddha Shakyamuni and he is surrounded by the lineages of gurus from whom come the teachings on the vast bodhimind activities and the profound emptiness. Outside this group are the Buddhas of the ten directions, the bodhisattvas, the sravaka arhants, the pratyekabuddhas, the dakas, the dakinis, and the dharma protectors.
Then invite the Wisdom Beings:
Though wavering not from perfect dharmadhatu,
Out of compassion you watch the countless beings.
Lama and entourage, carry out the magic work
Of all Buddhas; I request you to descend here.
Lords and protectors of all that lives,
Buddhas who crush the forces of evil,
Embodiments of every knowledge,
Bhagawans and retinues, I request you to descend here.
Visualize that they come from their natural abodes to the space before you. Then:
JAH HUM BAM HOH: The Wisdom Beings merge into the
Symbolic Beings.
Now visualize a bathhouse, offering water, towels, clothes, and ornaments, in accordance with the following verses:
A bathhouse of fragrance sweet,
A crystal floor clear and blazing,
Pillars of radiant gems alluring,
A canopy made brilliant with pearls.
Then offer the mystic water:
Just as when Buddha took birth
The gods appeared and bathed him in water,
Mystic water I now myself
Offer to this visualized assembly.
OM SARVA TATHAGATA ABHISHEKA SAMAYA SHRI YE
AH HUM
To the Form born of a million virtues,
Speech which fulfills infinite beings’ hopes,
And Mind perceiving life as it is:
To Buddha Vajradhara I offer this water.
OM SARVA TATHAGATA ABHISHEKA SAMAYA SHRI
YE AH HUM
To the lineage of bodhimind’s vast action,
To the lineage of profound emptiness,
To the blessed tantric practice lineage:
To the lamas of these three lineages I offer water.
OM SARVA TATHAGATA ABHISHEKA SAMAYA SHRI
YE AH HUM
To Buddha, the founder of the lineages,
To Dharma, which saves the mind,
To the Sangha, who help on the way:
To the Three Jewels, the protectors, I offer water.
OM SARVA TATHAGATA ABHISHEKA SAMAYA SHRI
YE AH HUM
Now, with unmatched fragrant cloth
I dry and clean their bodies.
OM HUM TRAM HRIH AH KAYA VISODHANAYE SVAHA
With the best of oils and perfumes
Found throughout the three worlds,
I annoint the bodies of the powerful ones;
Just like a smith polishes gold.
Clothing soft, fine, and light I offer
To those possessing undying vajra body.
With undivided faith I make this offering,
So that I too may attain the diamond state.
The Buddhas, being adorned with the 112 marks,
Have no need of my ornaments;
Yet supreme ornaments I offer them,
So that all beings may gain signs of perfection.
O conquerors, out of compassion for me and all others,
Use your powers to emanate magically
And remain with us and work for the world
For as long as we continue to propitiate you.
Recite these verses from Shantideva’s A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life while pursuing the requisite contemplation. Then recite the following verses, known as the seven-limbed puja, which condense the points of purification and collection of merits:
To my lama, who embodies all Buddhas,
Who in nature is Vajradhara, and
Who is the root of the Three Jewels,
Ah, to my lama I bow down.
To all-compassionate Buddha Vajradhara,
The perfect seers Tilopa and Naropa,
The glorious Dombipa and Atisha;
To the tantric practice lineage I bow down.
To Maitreya, Asanga, Vasubandhu, Vimuktisena,
Paramasena, Vinitasena, Shrikirti, Singhabadra,
Kusali the Second, and Dharmakirti of the Golden Isles—
To the lineage of bodhimind’s vast action I bow down.
To Manjushri, destroyer of grasping at “is” and “is not,”
And to Nagarjuna, Chandrakirti, Vidyakokila the Great,
Buddhapalita and the other exalted teachers;
To the lineage of the profound teachings on emptiness
I bow down.
And I bow to the glorious Atisha,
Who in the presence of Buddha was Badrapala,
In Tibet was called Dipamkara Atisha
And now, in Tushita Heaven, as Namkha Tn-rna-me,
Like a magic jewel works the good of the world.
And to the feet of the perfect friend and master,
The bodhisattva who performed the work of Buddha,
A precious source fulfilling the two needs:
To the feet of the spiritual friend Drom I bow.
To Lama Tsongkhapa, crown jewel of Tibetan sages,
Who was an incarnation of the three Bodhisattvas—
Avalokiteshvara, treasure of unapprehendable compassion,
Manjushri, lord of the stainless wisdom,
And Vajrapani, destroyer of Mara’s armies:
To Tsongkhapa, Lobzang Drakpa, I bow down.
And to the Lineage Gurus past and present
Who train us in the mystic lore,
Teach us the sutras, tantras, commentaries, and oral
traditions
And bestow initiations and blessings, I bow down.
Homage to the Guru, embodiment of the Three Jewels:
The precious Buddhas, peerless teachers,
The precious Dharma, a peerless saviour,
And the precious Sangha, a peerless guide.
To Buddha Shakyamuni, Lord of the Shakyas,
Who out of wise compassion was born a prince,
Invincible one who crushed the forces of evil:
To he whose body is a golden mountain I bow down.
O lions among men,
Buddhas past, present, and future,
To as many of you as exist in the ten directions,
I bow with body, speech, and mind.
On waves of strength of this king
Of prayers for exalted, sublime ways,
With bodies numerous as atoms of the world,
I bow to the Buddhas pervading space.
On every atom is found a Buddha
Sitting amid countless bodhisattvas.
In this infinite sphere of mystic beings,
I gaze with eyes of faith.
With oceans of every possible sound
In eulogy of the perfect Buddhas,
I give voice to their excellent qualities:
Hail those passed to bliss.
Garlands and supreme flowers I offer them;
And beautiful sounds, supreme parasols,
Butter lamps and sacred incense,
I offer to all Awakened Ones.
Excellent food, supreme fragrances,
And a mound of powders as high as Mount Meru
I arrange in mystic formation
And offer to those who have conquered themselves.
All these peerless offerings I hold up
In admiration for those gone to bliss.
In accord with exalted and sublime ways,
I prostrate and make offerings to the Buddhas.
Then perform either the long or short versions of the mandala offering:
OM VAJRA BHUMI AH HUM, I lay the powerful golden base; OM VAJRA REKHE AH HUM, circling outside, the iron fence; in the center, the King of Mountains; in the east, the continent Lupakpo; in the south, Jambuling; in the west, Balangjo; in the north, Draminyan; off the east continent are the islands Lu and Lupak; off the south are Ngayab and Ngayab Zhan; off the west are Yodan and Lamchokdro; off the north are Draminyan and Draminyankyida.
[Above this I place] the jewel mountain, the wish-yielding tree, the magical cow, the untouched harvest, the precious wheel, the precious jewel, the precious queen, the precious minister, the precious elephant, the precious horse, the precious general, the vase filled with a great treasure, and the goddesses of beauty, garlands, song, dance, flowers, incense, light, and perfume. And I place the sun, the moon, a jeweled umbrella, the banner symbolizing total victory, and at the center, the best things of gods and humans.
All this I hold up and offer to all the holy teachers—my kind Root Guru and all the gurus of the lineage—and also to Lama Tsongkhapa, who is both Buddha Shakyamuni and Buddha Vajradhara, as well as to the myriads of deities and retinues. For the sake of living beings accept it with compassion and, having enjoyed it, bestow your transforming powers.
Earth blessed with flowers, incense, and scented water
And adorned with the King of Mountains, the four
continents, and the sun and moon,
I offer to this field of Awakened Beings.
May all beings enjoy this pure sphere.
The body, speech, and mind of both myself and others,
Our possessions and masses of goodness of the past, present,
and future,
And the precious mandala of the King of Mountains and so
forth,
Together with Samantabhadra’s peerless offerings,
I mentally claim and offer as a mandala to the lamas,
Yidams, and the Three Precious Jewels;
Out of compassion please accept them
And bestow upon me your transforming powers.
IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALAKAM NIRYATA YA MI
May these clouds of offerings
Which cool the sufferings of living beings—
Offerings made with sounds gentle and entrancing—
Remain until samsara is ended.
The General Purification:
So be it!
O lamas, great Vajra Holders, and all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas who abide in the ten directions, as well as all the Venerable Sangha, gaze upon me.
I, who am called………………., circling in samsara since beginningless time until this present moment, overpowered by mental distortions such as attachment, aversion, and ignorance, have, by means of body, speech, and mind, created the ten negative karmas, have engaged in the five boundlessly evil deeds and five negative ways bordering thereon, have transgressed the pledges of individual liberation, have contradicted the trainings of a bodhisattva, have broken the tantric commitments, have dishonored the kind parents, masters, spiritual friends, and those following the pure paths, have committed actions harmful to the Three Jewels, have ignored the holy Dharma, have stolen from the Sangha, and have harmed living beings. These and many other negative deeds I have done, have sought to do, and have rejoiced in seeing others do. In short, I have created many obstacles to my own higher rebirth and spiritual freedom and have planted countless seeds for further wanderings in samsara and the miserable states of being.
All of these I now face in the presence of the gurus, the great Vajra Holders, and all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas who abide within the ten directions, as well as the venerable Sangha, the High Ones. All this negativity I lay bare, leaving none concealed, opening all; and I vow to refrain from recreating it in future time. For by facing and acknowledging it I know I am turning to that place that is in communion with happiness; whereas, by concealing and hiding from it, true happiness cannot be.
Recite this short text three times to purify your continuum of negative tendencies. Then return to the seven-limbed prayer—
Long overpowered by attachment, anger, and ignorance,
Countless negative deeds I have committed
With acts of body, speech, and mind:
Each and everyone of these I acknowledge.
In the perfections of Buddhas and bodhisattvas
And the arhants’ training and beyond,
And in the potential of every living being
I lift up my heart and rejoice.
O lights unto the ten directions,
Buddhas who have found the stage of enlightenment,
To all of you I turn in prayer:
Turn the incomparable Wheel of Dharma.
Enter not into parinirvana
But work for the good of living beings.
For as many eons as there are specks of dust
Stay with us and teach us, I pray.
By whatever small merits I may have amassed
By prostrating, making offerings,
Purifying, rejoicing, and asking the Buddhas
To remain and teach the Dharma,
All of it I dedicate now
To supreme and perfect enlightenment.
Now recite the following prayer to the lamas of the Lam Rim lineage while maintaining clear visualization of and profound conviction in them:
O precious, holy Root Guru,
Sit upon a lotus and moon at my head;
Hold me within your great compassion
And bestow siddhis of body, speech, and mind.
O peerless teacher, transcended Buddha,
O holy regent, invincible Maitreya,
And Asanga, who was prophesied by Buddha,
To Buddha and these two bodhisattvas I bow.
O Vasubandhu, crown jewel of Indian sages,
And Vimuktisena, who achieved the Middle View,
And Vimuktisenagomin, in whom I place faith:
To these three, who have opened the world’s eyes, I bow.
O Paramasena, wondrous and splendid one,
O Vinitasena, master of the profound path,
And Vairochana, treasury of vast deeds:
To these three friends of the living I pray.
O Haribhadra, propagator of the profound wisdom
teachings,
O Kusali, holder of oral traditions,
And Ratnasena, savior of the living beings:
To these three spiritual guides I bow.
O Serlingpa, who found the heart of bodhi,
O Atisha, upholder of this great vehicle,
And Dram Rinpoche, elucidator of the good path:
To these three pillars of the doctrine I bow.
O peerless teacher Shakyamuni,
O Manjushri, embodiment of all Buddha’s knowledge,
And Nagarjuna, seer of the profoundest meaning:
To these three crown ornaments of teachers I bow.
O Chandrakirti, clarifier of Nagarjuna’s thought,
O Vidyakokila, the great disciple of Chandrakirti,
And Vidyakokila the Second, a second son:
To these three lords of the lineage I bow.
O Atisha, upholder of this great vehicle,
Who sees the profundity of dependent arising,
And O Drom Rinpoche, elucidator of this good path:
To these two ornaments of the world I bow.
O Gonpawa, lord of mystics,
O Neuzupa, whose support is deep samadhi,
And Takmapa, upholder of the teachings on discipline:
To these three lights among barbarians I bow.
O Namseng, whose practice is spontaneous,
O Namkha Gyalpo, he blessed by the holy,
And Sang-gye-zang, he free of worldly passions:
To these sublime sons of Buddha I bow.
O Namkha Gyaltsen, who is blessed
And guarded by the meditational deities
And who is a supreme spiritual friend
To the beings of this dark age: to you I bow.
O Potowa, image of Buddha himself,
O Sharawa, whose intellect is beyond challenge,
And Chekhawa, teacher of the bodhimind:
To these three fulfillers of hope I bow.
O Chilpupa, lord of scriptures and insight,
O Lhalung Wangchuk, a supreme sage,
And Gonpo Rinpoche, savior of the three worlds:
To these three great ones I bow.
O Zangchenpa, who radiates with control,
O Tsonawa, lord of the scriptures on discipline,
And Mondrapa, master of abhidharma:
To these three navigators of the world I bow.
O Dholyob Zangpo, glorious lama
Who has found the vast and profound Dharma,
Who upholds the doctrine through enlightened action,
And protects the fortunate: to you I bow.
O Tsultrim Bar, lord of the siddhas,
O Shonnu Od, who relied well on many masters,
And Gyer Gonpa, whose mind is one with the Mahayana:
To these three sons of Buddha I bow.
O Sanggye Won, treasury of marvelous qualities,
O Namkha Gyalpo, he blessed by the holy,
And Sang-gye-zang, he free of worldly passions:
To these three gentle bodhisattvas I bow.
O Namkha Gyaltsen, who is blessed
And guarded by the meditational deities
And who is a supreme spiritual friend
To the beings of this dark age: to you I bow.
And to Tsongkhapa, crown jewel of Tibetan sages,
Who was an incarnation of the three bodhisattvas—
Avalokiteshvara, the treasure of unapprehendable
compassion,
Manjushri, lord of the stainless wisdom,
And Vajrapani, destroyer of Mara’s armies:
To Tsongkhapa, Lobzang Drakpa, I bow.
And O Jampal Gyatso, lord of siddhis,
O Khedrub Gelek Pal, a son among adepts and teachers,
And Baso Jey, a mine of ear-whispered lineages:
To these three peerless lamas I bow.
O Chokyi Dorje, he attained to great union,
O Gyalwa Wensapa, he who is three buddha-kayas,
And Sang-gyey Yeshey, lord of scriptures and insight:
To these three sagely adepts I bow.
O eyes through whom the vast scriptures are seen,
Supreme doors for the fortunate who would cross over to
spiritual freedom,
Illuminators whose wise means vibrate with compassion:
To the entire line of mystic friends I bow.
Then, Tsongkhapa’s Foundation of All Perfections, a petition to the Lineage Gurus for instant realization of the stages on the spiritual path:
Following a kind master, foundation of all perfections,
Is the very root and basis of the path.
Empower me to see this clearly
And to make every effort to follow him well.
Precious human life gained but once
Has great potential but is easily lost.
Empower me to remember this constantly
And to think day and night of taking its essence.
I must remember that death is quick to strike,
For spirit quivers in flesh like a bubble in water;
And after death one’s good and evil deeds
Trail after one like the shadow trails the body.
Understanding that this most certainly is true,
May I discard every level of wrong
And generate an infinite mass of goodness;
Empower me to be thus continually aware.
Sensual gluttony is a gate to suffering
And is not worthy of a lucid mind.
Empower me to realize the shortcomings of samsara
And to give birth to the great wish for blissful freedom.
And empower me that with mindfulness and alertness
Born from thoughts ultimately pure,
I may live in accord with the holy Dharma,
The ways leading to personal liberation.
Just as I myself have fallen into samsara’s waters,
So have all mother sentient beings.
Empower me to see this and really to practice
Bodhimind, that carries the weight of freeing them.
Yet without habituation with the three spiritual disciplines,
Thought training accomplishes no enlightenment.
Empower me to know this deeply and intensely to train
In the various ways of the great bodhisattvas.
And empower me to pacify distorted mental wanderings
And to decipher the ultimate meaning of life,
That I may give birth within my mindstream
To the path combining concentration and vision.
The one who trains in these common Mahayana practices
Becomes a vessel worthy of the Supreme Vehicle, Vajrayana.
Empower me that I may quickly and easily
Arrive at that portal of fortunate beings.
The foundation of what then produces the two powers
Is the guarding of the pledges and commitments of tantric
intitiation.
Bless me so that I may have uncontrived knowledge of this
And guard my disciplines as I do my very life.
And bless me so that I may gain realization of the main
practices
Of the two stages of Vajrayana, essence of the tantric path;
And, by sitting relentlessly in four daily sessions of yoga,
Actualize just what the sages have taught.
Empower me that the masters who have unfolded the
sublime path within me And the spiritual friends who
have inspired me may live long;
And that the myriads of inner and outer interferences
Be completely and utterly calmed forever.
In all future lives may I never be parted
From the perfect gurus or the pure ways of Dharma.
May I gain every experience of the paths and stages
And quickly attain the stage of Holder of Diamond
Knowledge.
Having thus made your mind into a vessel suitable for the reception of spiritual attainment, engage in meditation as instructed.
This liturgy, a preliminary to the study and practice of the Lam Rim tradition in general and to relying upon a spiritual master in particular, should be performed either four or six times a day.
The last meditation session of the day should conclude with:
The visualized assemblies return to their natural abodes.
If one’s practice of Lam Rim meditation is done in conjunction with this recitation rite, there is no doubt that realization will quickly be attained.