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The Sage's Harmonious Song of Truth
A
Prayer for the Flourishing of the Non-Sectarian Teachings of the Buddha Embodiment of the four kayas,
omniscient Lord Buddha ‘Kinsman of the Sun,’ Amitayus, Amitabha, supreme and
noble Avalokiteshvara, Manjughosha, Vajrapani the Lord
of Secrets, and Tara who wears a wrathful frown, The victorious buddhas and all
their bodhisattva heirs, Seven Great Patriarchs,[1] Six Ornaments[2] and Two Supreme Ones,[3] Eighty Mahasiddhas and Sixteen
Arhats[4]— All of you who seek only to benefit
the teachings and beings, All you great beings without
exception, turn your attention towards us! The supreme sage Shakyamuni spent
countless aeons Completing the two accumulations
of merit and wisdom, To attain perfect wisdom, love
and capacity. Through the power of this truth, Long may the complete teachings
of the Buddha continue to flourish! Khenpo Shantarakshita, Guru Padmasambhava
and the Dharma King Trisong Deutsen, Were the first to open up the
land of snowy mountains to the light of Buddha’s teachings. Through the power of their aspirations
and those of all the translators, panditas, vidyadharas and disciples, Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! In the treasure-palace that is
the Buddha’s extensive teachings, The profound class of sadhanas
are like great Dharma treasures, And the profound and vast teachings
of Nyingtik sparkle with brilliant light. Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! Within the vast expanse of primordial
purity and the essence of luminosity, All the phenomena of samsara
and nirvana are perfectly complete—this pinnacle vehicle Is the method for reaching the
primordial stronghold of Samantabhadra. Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! The two major lineages—profound
view and vast conduct— Are both complete within the
treasury of instructions mastered by Atisha, The tradition of practical instructions
passed on by Dromtön Gyalwé Jungné. Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! The Words of the Buddha gathered
in the three scriptural collections were Wonderfully arranged into instructions
for beings of the three levels of spiritual capacity, As the golden rosary of Kadampa
teachings, with their four deities and three sets of texts.[5] Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! The jewel treasury of the Kagyü
teachings is a source of inspiration and blessings, Coming from the translator Marpa,
Milarepa Shepé Dorje and the rest, A marvellous system of instruction
from an unrivalled succession of masters. Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! All the phenomena of samsara
and nirvana are the radiance of the natural mind, And mind itself, free from complexity,
is realized as the essence of the dharmakaya. This is the great seal, Mahamudra,
pervading all that appears and exists throughout samsara and nirvana. Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! Learned masters who guard the
Buddha’s teachings through explanation, debate and composition, On the key instructions of hundreds
of texts for the outer and inner sciences, sutra and mantra, This is the Sakyapa tradition
of the great compassionate teachers from the divine family of Khön. Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! The extremely profound and crucial
points of the practice of Lamdré, the path and its fruit, With its four criteria of validity,[6] have been passed on in a whispered aural lineage, The tradition of special instructions
coming from Virupa, the powerful lord of yogins. Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! Teachings of the victorious Lobzang
Drakpa, skilfully combining the profound and the clear, By perfectly uniting the profound
view of the Middle Way And the two-phase approach of
the great and secret Vajra vehicle. Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! This is the supreme and noble
tradition for practising, Without mistake, the essence
and gradual stages of the path, Which incorporates all three
pitakas and all four classes of tantra, Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! The combined traditions of Butön
and Jonang, the transmission of instruction and realization, For the outer, inner and alternative
cycles of the Kalachakra Tantra, Including unique explanations,
not to be found in any other sutra or tantra. Long may these teachings of the
Buddha flourish in the Land of Snows! In short, may all the teachings
of the Buddha in the Land of Snows Flourish long into the future—
the ten great pillars of the study lineage,[7] And the chariots of the practice
lineage, such as Shijé (‘Pacifying’) and the rest, All of them rich with their essential
instructions combining sutra and mantra. May the lives of the masters
who uphold these teachings be secure and harmonious! May the sangha preserve these
teachings through their study, meditation and activity![8] May the world be filled with
faithful individuals intent on following these teachings! And long may the non-sectarian
teachings of the Buddha continue to flourish! Throughout all the worlds, may
war, conflict, famine and evil thoughts or actions Be eradicated entirely, so that
even their names are no longer heard! May the minds of beings be infused
with love! May signs of virtue increase throughout the environment and beings! And may an ocean of happiness
and wellbeing pervade throughout the whole of space! From this moment on, may I follow
the complete path of the teachings, Arouse the vast motivation of
bodhichitta, and exert myself In study, reflection and meditation
upon the profound view, So that I swiftly reach the ground
of temporary and ultimate happiness! For the sake of all sentient
beings, who are as infinite as space, May I engage in the activity
of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, Without ever feeling discouraged
or falling prey to laziness, Always remaining joyful, with
confidence and enthusiasm! May my body, my possessions and
all my merits, Contribute towards the happiness
of beings—my very own mothers, And may whatever sufferings they
are forced to undergo, All ripen directly upon me! May all who see me, hear my voice,
think of me or put their trust in me, Experience the most glorious
happiness and virtue! And may even those who insult,
punish, strike or disparage me, Gain the good fortune to set
out upon the path to awakening! In short, for as long as space
endures, And for as long as there is suffering
among beings, May I too remain, to bring them
benefit and happiness, In all ways, directly and also
indirectly! The enlightened activity
of the transcendent and victorious Buddha—our teacher who embodies immeasurable compassion, and has seen the nature
and the multiplicity of all illusory phenomena—radiates everywhere, as far as space itself. His complete teachings of
the Hinayana, Mahayana and Secret Mantra have become the most beloved treasures of Tibetan practitioners. The various traditions
have developed their own specific names and terminology, according to how they have been preserved and spread by various great
masters and holders of the teachings who made powerful aspirations for the preservation of the Buddhadharma. This is a prayer
for these precious non-sectarian teachings of the Buddha to remain without declining in the Land of Snows, and spread widely
even in this final age, as a glorious expression of the merit of beings. For a while now, I myself have thought that there
should be an aspiration prayer such as this, and then I was also requested to compose one by Bardrok Chuzang Trinley Gyatso,
the incarnation of Phadampa Sangye, and by several others with faithful aspirations. In particular, I received a request from
Dzarong Zhadeu Trulshik Ngawang Chökyi Lodrö Rinpoche, the great upholder of the Vinaya, who maintains and furthers the transmission
of vows for the Lower Vinaya (Medül) lineage coming from Lachen Gongpa Rabsel, and who clarifies the Ngagyur Nyingma teachings
and enthusiastically takes the non-sectarian buddhist teachings to heart. So, as someone who has developed faith through learning
something of the Dharma taught by the Buddha, and who has devotion and pure perception towards all the non-sectarian teachings
of the victorious one, I, the buddhist monk Tenzin Gyatso, who diligently pursues study, reflection and meditation, wrote
this prayer 2543 years after the Buddha’s parinirvana, in the Tibetan year 2126, on the thirteenth day of the first
month of the Earth Hare year in the seventeenth calendrical cycle (28th February 1999), at Thekchen Chöling Monastery, Dharamsala
in the Kangra district of the state of Himachal Pradesh in the noble land of India. May the buddhas and bodhisattvas
grant their blessings so that this prayer may be fulfilled! And may virtue and goodness increase! | Translated
by Adam. Many thanks to Matthew Pistono for his helpful suggestions. [1] Mahakashyapa, Ananda, Shanavasika, Upagupta, Dhitika, Krishna
and Mahasudarshana. [2] Nagarjuna and Aryadeva (the ornaments of Madhyamika), Asanga and
Vasubandhu (the ornaments of Abhidharma) and Dharmakirti and Dignaga (the ornaments of Pramana). [3] Gunaprabha and Shakyaprabha. [4] The Sixteen Arhats, or literally Elders (Sthaviras), were Angaja,
Ajita, Vanavasin, Kalika, Vajriputra, Shribhadra, Kanakavatsa, Kanakbharadvaja, Bakula, Rahula, Chudapanthaka, Pinadola Bharadvaja,
Panthaka, Nagasena, Gopaka and Abheda. [5] The four deities are Shakyamuni, Avalokiteshvara, Tara and Achala.
The three sets of texts are the three pitakas: vinaya, sutra and abhidharma. [6] Valid scripture (lung tshad ma), valid commentaries (bstan
bcos tshad ma), valid teachers (bla ma tshad ma) and valid experience (nyams myong tshad ma). [7] Thönmi Sambhota, Bairotsana, Kawa Peltsek, Chokru Lu’i Gyaltsen,
Shyang Yeshe De, Dromtön Gyalwa Jungné, Rinchen Zangpo, Ngok Lotsawa Loden Sherab, Sakya Pandita and Gö Khukpa Lhetse. [8] These are the three ‘wheels’ or spheres of dharmic
activity: the study sphere of listening and reflection, the renunciation sphere of meditation and the action sphere of spiritual
work. |
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