IXth Karmapa Foundational Practices Excerpts From the Chariot for Travelling the Supreme Path(1)

7/30/2019 IXth Karmapa Foundational Practices Excerpts From the Chariot for Travelling the Supreme Path(1)

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Foundational Practices

EXCERPTS FROM

THE CHARIOT FOR TRAVELLING THE SUPREME PATH

the IXth Karmapa


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INTRODUCTION

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The Bodhisattva Vow is repeated after each session of

prostrations, along with other prayers which your lama can

explain. A total of 111,111 prostrations are offered, and

111,111 refuge prayers are repeated aloud: one hundred

thousand comprise the main practice and the 11,111

complete it. Since you will probably do prostrations faster thanrefuge prayers, some time needs to be spent completing the

refuge prayers after the practice of prostrations is completed.

You will need to have someone show you how to do a

prostration. It is better also to do only a few a hundred a

day, for instance until your body becomes accustomed to

the movement. Then you can work up at your own rate. Most

people use a mat for their knees and body to fall on, and pads

to help the hands slide. If you are doing them on a woodenfloor, make sure there are no splinters. People often forget

that, while doing these prostrations, you are in fact standing

before your lama and all the sources of refuge. It is important

to be fully clothed, though loose-fitting garments will be more

comfortable. You may need something to drink during a

session, but you should not eat or talk until a session is

completed. Incidentally, in all practices, one time around a

rosary of 108 beads is counted as 100.After completing the above practice, you commence the

meditation of Vajrasattva. The practice consists of meditating

while repeating in a low but audible voice the long mantra of

Vajrasattva a total of 111,111 times and the short mantra a

number of times (some teachers require six hundred thousand

repetitions of the short mantra). Only the mantras that you do

in a meditation session should be counted in this practice. You

may find it difficult to sit for long periods of time, and youshould exercise care. In all these practices, you should not talk

or eat during the meditation session itself.

For mandala offerings, you will need a metal base,

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preferably made of copper, silver, or gold. A mandala offering

consists of placing rice at various points on the metal base

while you repeat prayers and practise visualizations. The

thirty-seven point mandala involves placing rice at thirty-

seven points on the base, and the seven-point mandala at

seven. The mandala base and your rosary are held in your left

hand, and your right hand places and removes the rice. It isthe shorter mandala offering which begins, uSa shi pu

chu . . .", that is said 111,111 times, and the longer mandala

is done once after every hundred or five hundred of the

shorter. The rice should always be washed and dried before

offering, and changed for new rice as frequently as possible.

You should also be physically clean when you do this practice.

The final practice is Lamai Naljor, or 'Meeting the Lama's

Mind'. The prayer beginning, "Lama rin po che is repeatedaloud 111,111 times, but there are additional prayers and

meditations you should learn from your lama. Many teachers

recommend that you do this practice in retreat if possible.

For various reasons it is more practical for some people to

complete these practices over a long period of time by doing

some every day. Other people are able to devote their full

time and energy to them. Either way, you will find that these

foundational practices provide you with an excellent basis forfurther meditation.

Ken McLeod

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TRANSLATOR'S NOTE

The boundless and compassionate buddha-activity of Kalu

Rinpoche and Dezhung Rinpoche has led many people in

North America to begin the foundational practices, or

sngon.'gro (pronounced Ngon-dro). I sincerely hope that many

people will be helped by this English translation of the

prayers for these practices. I have tried to translate as closely

as possible to the Tibetan, but it has been impossible to

provide comprehensible English in some cases. All additions

will be found in square brackets. I have sought to clear up as

many points as possible by consulting both Kalu Rinpoche

and Dezhung Rinpoche. My great thanks are offered to these

two wonderful teachers, who patiently answered my many

questions. I am very grateful to my husband Ken, who

contributed the introductions and notes, and to Thomas

Quinn, Richard Barron, and Joseph Duane for their

contributions to this work.

May many beings benefit from these practices.

Ingrid McLeod

Vancouver, B.C.

February 1976

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THE CHARIOT FOR TRAVELLING

THE SUPREME PATH

by Wongchu Dorje

[This introduction is directed to people who would be doing

these practices together in a retreat)

To the glorious, accomplished, and mighty Vajradhara,

the lord who pervades all lineages, the lama Karmapa, To

the origin of all mandalas, the yidam Vajrayogini,1

who expresses the splendour of existence and peace, And

to the transmuter of power, the creator of all buddha-

activity, the protector Berchen2 and his consort, This one-

pointed meditator bows in faith; pray protect me

with your constant compassion.


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Great is the flow of the river of blessings Which rise from the

tradition of the precious practice lineage.

Having relied on many spiritual friends, I who have applied

this tradition In order to

engender bodhicitta,

[Have written] this Perfect Chariot for Travelling the

Supreme Path By arranging clearly all these vajra teachings.May all those who have the fortune to enter this path Be not

distracted, but persevere.

In order to carry these foundational teachings with you all

the time, the following points should be observed. When you

are roused by the sound of the drum which marks a

meditation period, arise in a manner that accords with your

outer precepts, whether they be the rules and discipline of afull monk, novice monk, or lay student. Join the assembly with

the inner engenderment of both aspiring and persevering

bodhicitta, and pay obeisance to the receptacles of the Three

Jewels with faith. Sit, abiding by the instructions and

commitments of your vajra-teacher of the secret way. Place

yourself in position with your body in the five-pointed posture

for meditative stability. Settle evenly, determined to practise

the Dharma and to die unmoved by the power of the eightworldly dharmas3. When you are reciting these verses, do not

let your attention wander, and keep the sound and the

meaning of the words inseparable.

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THE GENERAL FOUNDATIONS

FOUR CONTEMPLATIONS TO TURN THE MIND TODHARMA4

The Precious Human Existence

First, I consider this jewel [of a human form] With its

blessings and opportunities, Obtained with difficulty,

destroyed with ease; I must make it purposeful!

Death and Impermanence

Secondly, the external world and all therein are

impermanent;

Particularly, the life of each being, which is like a water

bubble.

The time of my death is uncertain; my body will become

a corpse at death. Since Dharma is beneficial then, I must

practise diligently.

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Karma, Cause and Effect

Thirdly, at death my own power is dispersed and karma

takes its course; To overcome this, I have to cease doing

evil and practise

virtue.

Bearing this in mind, I must examine my way of life daily.

The Shortcomings of Samsaric Existence

Fourthly, because I am continually tormented by the

three sufferings, Homes, friends, joys, and possessions in

the cycle of

existence

Are like a condemned man's feast before his being led to his

execution;I must sever my attachments and strive vigorously for

enlightenment.

After these contemplations, the course of your experience

becomes receptive. You will tread the path to freedom

whatever happens. Now recite the instructions for 'Going for

Refuge and Engendering Bodhicitta*.

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THE SPECIAL FOUNDATIONS

GOING FOR REFUGE AND

ENGENDERING BODHICITTA

Going for Refuge

Before me, in the centre of a lake, stands a wish-fulfilling tree

With one root, one trunk, and five branches. At the centre fork

is a lion throne with a lotus and a sun and moon disc.

Upon which sits my root lama as Vajradhara,

Surrounded by the Kagyu lamas.

In front of these are the yidams, to their right the buddhas,

Behind is the sacred Dharma, to their left the sangha, And

below the throne are all the protectors of the Dharma, Each

surrounded by a sea of attendants of his own kind. On the

verdant grass around the edge of the lake Stand all my

grandmothers, whose numbers are as limitless as space.

With one-pointed minds, we all go for refuge and engender

bodhicitta.

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I and all sentient beings, limitless as the sky* go for refuge

to all the glorious, holy lamas of the line and the kind root

lama, who is the embodiment of the form, speech, mind,

qualities, and activity of all the tathagatas of the ten

directions and the three times; who is the source of the

eighty-four thousand collections of the Dharma, and the lord

of all the noble sangha.

The Refuge Prayer

We go for refuge to all the glorious, holy lamas. We go for

refuge to all the yidams and deities assembled

in the mandala. We go for refuge to all the transcendent

accomplished

conquerors, the buddhas. We go for refuge to all the holy

Dharma. We go for refuge to all the noble sangha. We go for

refuge to all the noble dakas and dakinis,

protectors and guardians of the Dharma, who each

possess the eye of awareness.

PAL DEN LAMA DAM PA NAM LA CHAP SU CHI 0 YIDAM CHIL

KOR JI LHA TSO NAM LA CHAP SU CHI 0

SONG JAY CHOM DEN DAY NAM LA CHAP SU CHI 0 DAM PE CHU

NAM LA CHAP SU CHI 0 PAW PE GEN DUN NAM LA CHAP SU

CHI 0 PA WO KAN DRO CHU CHONG SUNG MAY TSO

YE SHAY JI SHEN DONG DEN PA NAM LA

CHAP SU CHI 05

This prayer is repeated 111,111 times.

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The Bodhisattva Vow And

Engendering Bodhicitta

Until I reach the heart of enlightenment, Igo to all the buddhas for refuge. Likewise, I

go to the Dharma for refuge, And to the

assembly of bodhisattvas.

Repeat three times.

Just as the sugatas of former times engendered bodhicitta

And engaged themselves progressively in the

bodhisattva's training, So now do I, for the benefit of

beings, give rise

to bodhicitta And apply myself, in stages, to

such training.

Repeat three times.

Prayers of Rejoicing

This day my life is fruitful;

Having obtained a human existence,

Today I am born into the family of the enlightened.

Now I have become a buddha's son.

Henceforth, I shall do only

That activity which accords with this line,

So that no stain shall come to this faultless noble family.

Today, before the eyes of all the sources of refuge,

I have invited all beings to a banquet of the happiness

Of enlightenment and the approach to it.

Rejoice, you gods, titans, and others!

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Prayer for Bodhicitta

Bodhicitta is precious.

May those who have not engendered this attitude now

engender it.May those who have engendered it not destroy it. May it ever

grow and flourish.

May I, never lacking in bodhicitta,

Engage in bodhi conduct

And, being completely sustained by all the buddhas, Come to

abandon all evil action.

May all bodhisattvas fulfil their aspirations to benefit beings.May the intentions of the lords

Bring happiness to all sentient beings.

May all sentient beings be filled with bliss

And all the realms of evil existences be forever emptied.

May every prayer of all the bodhisattvas on every level

of enlightenment

Come to be fulfilled.

The Four Immeasurables: Love,

Compassion, Joy and Impartiality 6

May all sentient beings find happiness and the cause of

happiness.

May they be free from sorrow and the cause of sorrow. May

they not be bereft of the supreme bliss which is free fromsorrow.

May they rest in great impartiality, free from attachment and

aversion to those near and far.

Repeat three times.

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Finally, the sources of refuge melt into light and merge with

me.

Prayer for Dedicating Merit

Through the virtue of this practice,May I quickly realize mahamudra:

And establish each and every being

In this same enlightened state.


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VAJRASATTVA

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MEDITATION ON VAJRASATTVA [DORJESEMBA]

This meditation cleans away unwholesomeness and

limitations?

On a lotus and moon seat on the crown of my head Sits my

lama as Vajrasattva, white in colour and wearing ornaments.

He has one face and two hands, the right holding a vajra And

the left a bell, and he sits with legs folded.

A Prayer to Vajrasattva

My lama, [who appears asl Vajrasattva, pray clean away

and purify the mass of unskilful actions, limitations,

negligence, and transgressions of myself and all sentient

beings who are as limitless as space!

After this prayer, a hum upon a moon [appears] in

Vajrasattva's heart. The hum is encircled by the one-hundred

syllable mantra of Vajrasattva. From these syllables, elixir

continually flows. This elixir falls from his form and enters my

body through an aperture in the crown of my head. As my

body is filled with the elixir, all unskilful action, limitations,

negligence, and transgressions are washed away.


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The One-hundred Syllable Mantra of Vajrasattva

OM BENZRA SATO SAMAYA

MANUPALAYA

BENZRA SATO TAYNO PATITRA DRIDHO MAY

BHAWA SUTO KAYO MAY BHAWA SUPO KAYO MAY BHAWA

ANU RAKTO MAY BHAWA SARWA SIDDHI MAY TRAYATSA SARWA

KARMA SU TSA MAY TSITAM SHRIYA

KURU HUM HA HA HA HA HO

BHAGAWAN

SARWA TATHAGATA BENZRA MA MAY MUNTSA BENZRI BHAWA

MAHA SAMAYA SATO AH8

This mantra is repeated 111,111 times.

The Six-syllable Mantra of Vajrasattva OM

BENZRA SATO HUM

Then, joining your hands together at your heart, pray as

follows:

Oh lord, because of my delusion and ignorance I

have violated and broken my commitments. Lama,

protector, pray grant me refuge! Oh lord, holder of

the vajra, Quintessence of great compassion, Lord of

beings, to you I go for refuge!

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I confess and repent each violation and breach of the

commitments concerning form, speech, and mind, and the

root and branch commitments. I pray for your blessings to

purify me and wash away the entire mass of unskilful actions,

limitations, negligence, and transgressions.

Vajrasattva calls to me,Melts into light, and is absorbed indivisibly into me.

The Prayer for Dedicating Merit

Through virtue of this practice,

May I quickly realize Vajrasattva

And establish each and every sentient beingIn this same enlightened state.


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MANDALA OFFERING

The mandala offering perfects the accumulations of merit

and awareness.

All the Jewels9 are gathered before me in the sky.

In the centre are the lamas;

To the front, right, rear, and left

Are the yidams, buddhas, Dharma, and sangha

respectively, All with attendants of their own kind. Filling the

space among them is a sea of protectors. Before me sits this

supreme, perfect gathering.

The Thirty-Seven Point Mandate Offering1

As you clean the mandala and remove all dust from it, think

that all the unwholesomeness and limitations of yourself and

others, gathered by holding [external objects to be real] and

believing [mind to be an existent entity], are being washed

away.

Repeat the one-hundred syllable mantra of Vajrasattva: OM

BENZRA SATO. .. etc.


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Place some grain at each of the appropriate points while

you visualize each point and recite its name.

OM BENZRA BHUMI AH HUM

The completely pure basis is a foundation of mighty gold. OM

BENZRA REKAY AH HUM

A wall of iron mountains forms a complete circle, at the centre

of which stands the king of the mountains, the perfect Meru.

To the east, Lu Pakpo; to the south, Dzambuling; To the west,

Balongshu; to the north, Draminyen; Lu and Lu Pak, Ngayap

and Ngayapshen, Yoden and Lamchodro, Draminyen and

Draminyenjida.

The mountain of jewels, The wish-

fulfilling tree, The cow that grants

wishes, And the grain that needs

no toil.

Precious wheel, precious jewel, and precious queen, Precious

minister of state, and precious elephant, Precious steed, and

precious general. A vase of riches.

A maiden of laughter, a maiden with garlands, A maiden of

song, a maiden of dance, A maiden with flowers, a maiden

with incense, A maiden with radiant light, and a maiden with

perfumed water.

The sun and the moon.

The precious umbrella,

And the banner which is totally victorious in every quarter.

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In the middle, all openly arranged, is the perfect collection of

the glorious wealth of gods and men, nothing lacking,

Overflowing, surpassing in amount the drops of water in the

ocean.

All this I offer to you, the lamas, yidams, buddhas,

bodhisattvas, dakas, dakinis, and the host of protectors.Please accept my offering with regard for all beings' welfare,

And then bestow your blessing.

This foundation I sprinkle with fragrant water and flowers, And

adorn with the perfect mountain, the four continents,

the sun, and the moon. May my offering of this

imagined buddha's realm Establish all beings in a

realm of total purity.

To you, the buddhas and bodhisattvas abiding

In the ten directions and the three times,

And the lamas, masters of vajrayana,

And you, the yidams and surrounding attendant deities,

And all the sugatas of the three times,

To you, all supreme ones, I humbly offer

The four continents and the perfect mountain;I offer a billion sets of continents,

And a trillion, and a quadrillion, all included in one mandala!

I pray that you accept this offering with concern and love, And

then bestow your blessing.

OM MANDALA PUDZA MAYGA SAMUDRA SAPARANA

SAMAYE AH HUM

As I have offered this excellent and pleasing mandala, May

obstacles not arise on the path to enlightenment.

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May I realize the intentions of the enlightened ones of

the three times, And neither being deluded in samsara nor

resting in

nirvana,

May I release all beings limitless as the sky!

The Seven-Point Mandala Offering

This foundation I sprinkle with fragrant water and flowers, And

adorn with the perfect mountain, the four continents,

the sun, and the moon. May my offering of this

imagined buddha's realm Establish all beings in a

realm of total purity.

SA SHI PU CHU JU SHING MAY TOK TRAM RI RAP LING

SHI NYI DAY JEN PA DI SONG JAY SHING DU MIK TAY

PUL WA YI DRO KUN NAM DA SHING LA CHU PAR

SHO


To you, the multitude of lamas who have perfectly

realized the three kayas, I have offered the outer, inner,

secret, and ultimate

offerings.

Please accept now my body, possessions, and all

phenomena, And bestow upon me perfect mastery. I pray,

grant me the accomplishment of a mahamudra. I dedicate to

perfect enlightenment All virtue, however little, that I have

gathered Through homage, offering, confession, Rejoicing,

entreaty, and supplication.

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I have offered all the limitless riches belonging to myself and

others,11

All beings are completely filled with the accumulations; The

assembled field melts into light and I become of like value.

Prayer for the Dedication of Merit

Through the virtue of this practice,

May I quickly realize mahamudra

And establish each and every sentient being

In this same enlightened state.


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VAJRADHARA

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MEETING THE LAMA'S MIND

Practise this meditation one-pointedly, without hesitation or

doubt that this is the greatest of all practices, particularly

since the Dakpo Kagyu expertise is faith and respect

On the crown of my head, on a lotus and sun andmoon seat, Is my root lama as

Vajradhara.

He is richly adorned, and his hands, holding a vajra and bell,

Are crossed in the mudra of union.

An ocean of Jewels and the transmission lamas seated

on vajra-thrones12 Are clustered in

tiers above him.

OM

Oh pervading lord,13 whose nature is that of all phenomena,

Non-abiding, neither coming nor going, like space, Not

identified by signs of arriving or departing; Who appears

wherever imagined, like the moon's [reflection] in water;


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Oh glorious heruka, subduer of antagonistic forces, Oh lamas,

yidams, dakinis, and attendants, Right now, as my faith brings

forth this prayer, Please, through the force of your non-

conceptual compassion, appear to me!

To you, the epitome of the buddhas of the three times, Whoproceeds from the supreme citadel of the realm of totality,

To you, who clearly shows mind-itself as dharmakaya, To you,

my glorious and sublime lama, I pay homage.

In praise I present all offerings

Of my body, possessions, and imagined things.

I confess all past unskilful actions;

Henceforth, I will commit no evil.I rejoice in the virtue of all beings,

And dedicate [all merit] as cause for supreme

enlightenment; I entreat the buddhas to be present

And not to dissociate themselves from misery; I urge

them to turn the Dharma wheel of the insurpassable

perfect vehicle.

[Oh my lama,] bestow upon me the blessing of true realization,The realization of all the victors and their sons: The

perfection of impartial love and compassion And

ultimate, co-emergent awareness. Inspire the

realization of the apparent body as nirmanakaya,

Inspire the realization of life's energy as sambhogakaya,

Inspire the realization of mind itself as dharmakaya, And grant

your blessing that the three inseparable kayas14 appear!

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The Prayer to the Lamas of the Mahamudra Transmission

To glorious Vajradhara, who permeates all things, To Lodru

Rinchen, the mighty one of the tenth stage, To Saraha,

foremost of masters in the Holy Land, I pray: bestow upon me

co-emergent awareness.

To noble Ludrub, who sees the significance of phenomenon-in-

itself,15

To splendid Shawari, who has attained mahamudra, To lord

Metripa, who sees the essential meaning, I pray: bestow

upon me co-emergent awareness.

To Lodrakpa, lord over oceans of tantra, To noble Mila,

foremost of masters in the Land of Snow, To gloriousGampopa, who was prophesied by the Victor, I pray: bestow


To Dusum Chenpa, lord of buddha-activity,

To Drogon Raychen, master of extraordinary powers,

To Pom Trakpa, the victor's son who has mastered

development and perfection, With humblest

reverence, I pray: bestow upon me


To glorious Karmapa [Karma Pakshi], who tames those

difficult to tame, To the master Orjenpa, who attained the

two siddhis, To Rong Jungwa, who is master of the world's

doctrine, I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.

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To Yung Tonpa, the sovereign of vajrayana,

To Rolpai Dorje, the jewel of the world,

To the master Kasho Wongpo, who realized the

existentiality [of mind], With humblest reverence, I pray:

bestow upon me


To the Dharma Lord, Dayshin Shekpa, who crowns the

emperor [of China],16To Ratnabhadra, skilled and learned, To

Tongwa Donden, the splendour of samsara and nirvana, With

humblest reverence, I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent

awareness.

To Jampal Zangpo, who is truly Vajradhara, To Paljor Dondrub,

the embodiment of compassion, To Chudrak Jamtso, the

source of inspirational blessings, With humblest reverence, I

pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.

To the saintly lama without equal, the lord of Dharma, Who is

renowned as Tashi Paljor, And to Chudrak Palzang, whoemanates at will, With humblest reverence, I pray: bestow


To the lord Shamar Chupendzin, who is Amitahba,

And to Wongchu Dorje, lord of all mandalas,17

The Karmapa who is a perfect king, lord over the six

families of beings, With humblest reverence, I pray: bestow

upon me


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To [Chuchi Wongchu], the bearer of the blessings and

signs of Amitabha, And to Chuying Dorje, who becomes the

immutable

[fusion of means and wisdom] By enthroning44Warn" [the

symbol of bliss] Upon 44Ay", the lion throne of mahamudra

[the symbolof emptiness],

With humblest reverence, I pray: bestow upon me co-

emergent awareness.

To Yeshey Nyingpo, the perfect nirmanakaya,

The vajra mind embracing [emptiness and bliss] in a

lattice of miraculous appearances, Who is Garji Wongchu,

lord of the tantra as result,Vajradhara,

I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.

To Yeshey Dorje, the essence of all kings,

Who is the form of co-emergent awareness, the union

of bliss and emptiness, Who revels in the dance

of the invincible vajra, I pray: bestow upon me co-

emergent awareness.

To [Palchen Chuchi Dondrub], the one in whom the two aims

are fulfilled through perfect realization,

Whose expertise and understanding arise from full

examination

Of both the vast and the deep aspects of the Dharma, I pray:

bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.

To the all-knowing lama, Jongchub Dorje,

The pervading lord, the original protector who, from the

realm of totality, Displays the dance of the four inseparable

vajras,18 I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.

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To Vajradhara, embraced by the beauty of utter emptiness,

Who binds mutable bliss to the path of retention, The Yogin

Tenpai Nyinjay, I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent

awareness.

To the intrepid Dutsok Dulwai Dorje, Who, truly seeing thatwhich is the indestructible pith, Became master in the

perfection of unchanging awareness, I pray: bestow upon me


To the glorious Mipam Chudrub Jamtso,

Who is the play of compassion, teaching the Dharma

Appropriate to the interests, capabilities, and

temperaments of his students, I pray: bestow uponme co-emergent awareness.

To the lord of all families, Payma Nyinjay,

Who, [realizing] the sameness of samsara and nirvana,

[dwells in] uncomposed bliss And makes perfectly evident

[to others] what is ultimate,

the dharmakaya in its immediacy,19 I pray: bestow


To the sun of all beings, Tekchok Dorje, Whose perfected

awareness and intention are of sky-like clarity,

Whose radiance of boundless compassion permeates all, I


To the buddha Yonten Jamtso, lord and teacher,

Vajradhara of the five kayas,

To whom the meaning of mahamudra, that bliss and

emptiness are inseparable, is truly apparent, I


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To Kachab Dorje, whose compassion is measureless,

Vajradhara, the pervading lord, free in original vastness, The

Karmapa whose form the buddhas of three times compose,


To Pay ma Wongchok, whose depth [of scholarship] and clarity

[of exposition] are unequalled,

Whose emanations in the vastness of Maitreya's heart pervade

all realms,

The emissary of Padma [Sambhava], the protector of beings

and of the Victor's teachings,


To the unequalled and sublime Jamgon Chentsay Ozer, Who

[abides] in the fullness of the realm of totality,

non-referential awareness and emptiness, The

protector of the teachings of the meditative

tradition, an emanation of Vairocana, I pray:


To Norbu Dondrub, lord of realization, Who

understands the existentiality of ultimate

dharmakaya,

Whose aggregated form melted into a rainbow's realm, I pray:


To the kind one who points out the naked essence ofmahamudra, Existentiality as foundation, path,

and result; To my root lama, who is truly all buddhas,


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To the yidams and assembled dieties who confer the

two attainments, And the gathering of Dharma protectors,

lords of all

activity,

And the amassed ocean of deities committed to serve, I pray:


By the blessings of such prayer, May I realize mahamudra as

basic condition: The basis of all, yet free from such [concepts]

as existing or not existing

And from positing, negating, accepting, or rejecting anything

in samsara or nirvana.

May mahamudra as path become apparent: The path which

completely surpasses destination, traveller, or path,Which neither rejects the obscured, obscurations, or the

obscuring,

Nor conceptualizes the realized, realizer, or the realizing.

May mahamudra as result become apparent:

Result which is the inseparability of basis and result,

with neither rejection nor attainment, With no

conceptualization of goal, attainer, or attaining, Not existing,yet the nature of all that is.

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A Prayer to the Kagyu Lineage

To great Vajradhara, Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, Mila, and the lord

of Dharma, Gampopa, Omniscient Karmapa, who knows the

three times, To those upholding the "four great" and ueight

small" traditions,

The lamas of Trikung, Talung, Tsalpa, the gloriousDrukpa, and others, Those of the Dakpo Kagyu, the

unequalled lords of beings, Masters of the deep path of

mahamudra, I pray! I follow the tradition of the Kagyu lamas!

Bless me with liberation!

Disenchantment and revulsion, it is taught, are the

legs of meditation; Bestow the blessing which dispels the

yearning for wealthand prestige To this meditator, who severs

ties in this life, And longs not for wealth and

sustenance.

Respectful devotion, it is taught, is the head of meditation;

Bestow the blessing of uncontrrted reverence and devotion To

this meditator, who unceasingly prays To his lama who opens

the doors to the treasury of instruction.

Unwavering attention, it is taught, is the main body of

meditation;

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Bestow the blessing that meditation be free of

intellectualization To this meditator, for whom, resting in

uncontrived

thatness,

The essence of any thought which arises is fresh.

The essence of conceptual thought, it is taught, isdharmakaya;

Bestow the blessing of the realization of the indivisibility

of samsara and nirvana To this meditator, for whom

whatever arises, though

being no thing, Appears as an

uninterrupted play.

My mothers, all sentient beings as limitless as space,pray to my lama, the precious buddha. My mothers, all

sentient beings as limitless as space,

pray to my lama, the all-pervading dharmakaya. My

mothers, all sentient beings as limitless as space,

pray to my lama, the blissful sambhogakaya. My mothers,

all sentient beings as limitless as space,

pray to my lama, the compassionate nirmanakaya.

KARMAPA CHENO Repeat a number of times.

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The Six-fold Prayer to One's Lama

To my precious lama, I make this prayer: Grant me the

blessing of dispensing with ego-clinging. Grant me the

blessing of a personality free from wanting things.

Grant me the blessing of the cessation of materialistic

thoughts.

Grant me the blessing of the realization that mind-

itself is unborn. Grant me the blessing of

intrinsically dispelling

bewilderment.

Grant me the blessing of the realization of phenomenal

existence as dharmakaya.

LAMA RIN PO CHE LA SOL WA DEP DA DZIN LO

YITONG WAR JIN JI LOP GU MAY JU LA CHAY WAR JIN

JI LOP CHU MIN NAM TO GAK PAR JIN JI LOP RONG

SEM CHAY MAY TOK PAR JIN JI LOP TRUL WA RONG

SAR SHI WAR JIN JI LOP NONG SI CHU KUR TOK PAR

JIN JI LOP


Splendid, sublime lamas, please confer upon me The four

initiations which make me spiritually mature! Bless me with

the rapid fruition of the four tantras!20 Please grant me with

the attainment of the four kinds of activity!

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The moment I make this supplication,

The radiance of all the attendants dissolves into the form

of the lord, Who is the embodiment

of all Jewels. Clearly apparent is my

lama's form.

White light shines from his forehead; As it is absorbed into

mine, all limitations of body are removed.

I receive the vase initiation, empowering meditation

on the stage of development, And have the

fortune to attain nirmanakaya.

Red light shines from his throat;As it is absorbed into mine, all limitations of speech are

removed.

I receive the secret initiation, empowering meditation

on channels and winds, And have the fortune to

attain sambhogakaya.

Blue light shines from his heart;

As it is absorbed into mine, all limitations of mind are removed.

I receive the wisdom-awareness initiation, empowering the

integration of aspects [of enlightenment] in meditation,22 And

have the fortune to realize dharmakaya.

White, red, and blue lights shine from his three sources; As

they are absorbed into my three corresponding points,

all stains of the three gates23 are removed. Through the

fourth initiation, I am empowered to meditate

on mahamudra, And have the fortune to realize

svabhavikakaya.

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My lama dissolves into light; as he is absorbed into me, My

body, speech and mind become inseparable from The lama's

three vajras, and become of like value. With three points in

mind,24 liberation is spontaneous.

Prayer for the Dedication of Merit

Through the virtue of this practice,

May I quickly realize mahamudra And

establish each and every being In this

same enlightened state.

Documents

IXth Karmapa Foundational Practices Excerpts From the Chariot for Travelling the Supreme Path(1)