Mipham Rinpoche Series

• Advice for Beginners | Advice

This very short yet practical set of instructions, composed in verse, was written at the request of several beginners.

• Advice to Jigme Tenpe Nyima | Advice

Mipham Rinpoche gave this text in thirty-seven verses to the Third Dodrupchen Jigme Tenpe Nyima as a sealed scroll while they were both at Dzongsar Monastery. Although the precise date is unclear, it seems likely that this was in or around 1886. The text is a mixture of personal, often cryptic advice and prophecy.

• How to Cultivate Concentration | Meditation

A short text in verse that outlines various stages in the cultivation of śamatha, or calm abiding.

• Satirical Advice for the Four Schools | Advice

Properly titled Wondrous Talk Brought About by Conversing with a Friend (Grogs dang gtam gleng ba'i rkyen las mtshar gtam), this playful text pokes fun at followers of the Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyü and Gelug (or Gendenpa) schools, in order to highlight potential pitfalls associated with each tradition, while also pointing out the absurdity of sectarian prejudice in general.

• The Four Dharma Traditions of Tibet | Advice

In these six pithy verses, composed in 1896, Mipham explains the relative strengths of each of the four main Tibetan Buddhist Schools—Nyingma (rnying ma), Kagyü (bka' brgyud), Gelug (dge lugs) and Sakya (sa skya)—and appeals to their followers to tolerate and respect one another.

• The Perfect Equality of the Dharmadhātu | Advice

This short advice in verse explains the perfect equality (mnyam pa nyid) of the dharmadhātu (chos kyi dbyings), the space-like nature of phenomena, which, Mipham says, is a crucial point to understand in both sūtra and tantra. Mipham wrote this text in 1901.

• Sukhāvatī Aspiration | Amitābha & Sukhāvatī

A short prayer incorporating the four causes of rebirth in Sukhāvatī, namely: 1) visualizing the pure realm, 2) accumulating merit and purifying obscurations, 3) generating bodhicitta, and 4) making prayers of aspiration and dedicating all sources of virtue towards rebirth in Sukhāvatī.

• Summoning the Spirit of Abundance - The Hook of Divine Substance | Wealth & Prosperity

This 72-line liturgy for the practice of yang-guk (g.yang 'gugs), or 'summoning the spirit of abundance (or prosperity)' was composed in 1896.

• Verses of the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones | Auspiciousness

This popular prayer, which Mipham wrote in 1896, is addressed to the eight sugatas, eight bodhisattvas, eight goddesses of auspiciousness, and eight guardians of the world. It is recited at the outset of any virtuous project, or indeed any activity of any kind, in order to bring about auspiciousness, success and good fortune.

• A Brief Version of the 'Chinese' Practice of Averting Periodic Obstacles | Averting Obstacles

A summary of the fuller dhāraṇī which was spoken by Mañjuśrī and is included within the Compendium of Dhāraṇīs (gzungs bsdus), this is a practice for averting obstacles linked to particular moments in time.

• Ascertaining the Two Kinds of Selflessness | Buddhist Philosophy

In this short text, Mipham Rinpoche succinctly explains what is meant by the self of the individual (pudgalātman; gang zag gi bdag) and the 'self' (or identity) of phenomena (dharmātman; chos kyi bdag), and he describes how to become certain as to the non-existence of them both. The author also highlights the importance of distinguishing between a more superficial, conceptual understanding and a genuine, non-conceptual realization of ultimate reality.

• Gateway to Learning: Four Great Logical Arguments of the Middle Way | Middle Way

This section of Gateway to Learning (mKhas 'jug) explains the so-called "Four Great Logical Arguments of the Middle Way" (dbu ma'i gtan tshigs chen po bzhi), which are: 1) investigation of the cause: the Diamond Splinters; 2) investigation of the result: refuting existent or non-existent results; 3) investigation of the essential identity: ‘neither one nor many’; and 4) investigation of all: the Great Interdependence. This translation also includes some comments from Khenpo Nüden's celebrated commentary.

• Gateway to Learning: Individual Selflessness | Buddhist Philosophy

Extracted from Gateway to Learning (mKhas 'jug), this section on the selflessness of the individual (gang zag gi bdag med) explains the absence of any permanent, unitary, independent and all-pervading self, either identical to or distinct from the five aggregates (pañcaskandhā; phung po lnga).

• Profound Instruction on the View of the Middle Way | Middle Way

Composed in 1892 and appended to The Wheel of Analytical Meditation (dpyad sgom 'khor lo ma), this instruction continues that text's analysis, extending it to all phenomena. Its central message is that the nature of all things, i.e., appearance and emptiness, can only be fully understood through meditation.

• The Sword of Wisdom for Thoroughly Ascertaining Reality | Buddhist Philosophy

One of Mipham's best known works, this treatise in 104 verses was written in just a single day in 1885. It is structured around the four principles of reasoning (rigs pa bzhi)—of causal efficiency, dependence, nature and establishing a proof—and the four reliances (rton pa bzhi), i.e., Rely not on the individual but the Dharma; Rely not on the words but the meaning; Rely not on the provisional but the definitive meaning; Rely not on ordinary consciousness but wisdom.

• The Vajra Mirror: Cutting through Doubts Concerning Self-Awareness | Buddhist Philosophy

This short verse-text sets out to clarify the term "self-awareness" (rang rig; svasaṃvedana), especially as it is used in Dzogchen, and challenges those who reject the notion. Mipham points out that self-awareness is something to be experienced firsthand, not debated or speculated about.

• Wheel of Analysis and Meditation That Thoroughly Purifies Mental Activity | Meditation

Composed in a single day in 1891, this celebrated verse text offers a practical guide to meditating analytically on the multiplicity, impermanence, suffering nature and selflessness of the aggregates, as an antidote to the mental afflictions (kleśa; nyon mongs).

• Brief Offering Prayer to Ekajaṭī | Dharma Protectors

A four-line prayer to accompany offerings to Ekajaṭī, protectress of the Dzogchen teachings.

• Brief Offering Prayer to Za Rāhula | Dharma Protectors

A four-line prayer to accompany offerings to Za Rāhula, a major protector of the Nyingma teachings.

• Brief Offering Prayer to the Oath-Bound Vajrasādhu | Dharma Protectors

A four-line prayer to accompany offerings to Vajrasādhu (Tib. Dorje Lekpa), a major protector of the Nyingma teachings.

• Offering to the Five Medicine Sisters, Guardians of the Earth | Dharma Protectors

A four-line prayer to the Five Medicine Sisters (also known as the Five Sisters of Long Life) together with a mantra, composed in 1892.

• A Lamp to Dispel Darkness | Dzogchen

Also known as the "instruction that points directly to the very essence of mind in the tradition of ‘the old realized ones’ (rtogs ldan rgan po)", this is a pithy guide to Dzogchen meditation written for 'village yogis' and other practitioners without a background in study. It includes three separate instructions, for: 1) cracking open the egg-shell of ignorance, 2) cutting the web of saṃsāric existence, and 3) remaining in space-like equalness.

• Self-Radiance of Indestructible Awareness and Emptiness: An Aspiration towards the Meaning of the Indivisible Ground, Path and Fruition of the Great Perfection Mañjuśrī | Dzogchen

Written using the language of the Great Perfection, this prayer, which Mipham wrote in 1886, is an aspiration to realize the nature of mind — indestructible awareness and emptiness — and the true meaning of Mañjuśrī.

• The Essence of Mind | Dzogchen

In this short text, Mipham Rinpoche attempts—by his own admission—to express the inexpressible. Aware of the challenge and the apparent contradiction, he nevertheless offers various descriptions of mind's ineffable essence "for the sake of those fortunate individuals who seek to penetrate the profound meaning of dharmatā."

• The Essence of Wisdom: How to Sustain the Face of Rigpa | Dzogchen

In this, one of his most popular Dzogchen instructions, Mipham Rinpoche explains how to go beyond the initial stage of the recognition (ngo shes) of the face of rigpa, or pure awareness, to the subsequent stages of perfecting the strength (rtsal rdzogs) and gaining stability (brtan pa thob).

• The Key Points of Trekchö | Dzogchen

Written in 1893/4, this brief versified instruction outlines the key points of Trekchö (khregs chod) practice through an explanation of the four ways of leaving things as they are (cog bzhag bzhi).

• The Nature of Mind | Dzogchen

This short instruction in verse was written in 1876. It explains the nature of mind, which is 'seen', or realised, in an experience that transcends the duality of seeing and seen.

• Brief Offering Prayer to Gesar | Gesar

A short eight-line prayer together with a mantra to accompany the offering of amṛta nectar and torma.

• Gesar: Great Clouds of Offerings for Prosperity | Gesar

This brief 'first-portion' offering (phud mchod) to Gesar and his retinue for the sake of prosperity, which Mipham composed in 1872, is said to bring about "the four treasures of longevity, glory, wealth and prosperity," and fulfilment of all wishes and requirements.

• Prayer to Gesar | Gesar

Mipham wrote this four-line prayer to Gesar—the "Great Lion and Foe-Subduing Jewel" (seng chen nor bu dgra 'dul)—in 1896.

• Sengchen Gesar Norbu: The Prayer and Offering to 'The Great Lion, Gesar the Jewel', that Spontaneously Accomplishes Activities | Gesar

This brief rite of offering and requesting Gesar to carry out activity was written in 1880. As with the other texts in this section of Mipham's works Gesar appears not only as powerful warrior-figure but as an enlightened emanation of Guru Padmasambhava.

• The Swift Infusion of Blessings: A Guru Yoga of the Great Embodiment of Unchanging Awareness Wisdom | Gesar

This practice of guru yoga focused on "the great lion Gesar" it said to be especially swift in bringing blessings and signs of accomplishment. Mipham wrote it in 1887.

• Prayer to Longchenpa (Adapted from the Words of Mipham Rinpoche) by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche | Prayers

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche composed this 16-line prayer to the great Dzogchen master Longchen Rabjam (1308–1363) based on the writings of Ju Mipham.

• The Melodious Song of Immortality: A Prayer for Long Life | Long Life Prayers

This general prayer for the long life of the holders of the teachings was composed by Jamgön Mipham Rinpoche in 1888. It is part of the daily liturgy at the Nyingma Monlam Chenmo, or great prayer festival, held every year in Bodhgaya.

• Brief Windhorse Invocation | Riwo Sangchö & Lungta

This brief windhorse invocation (rlung rta'i gsol bsdus) is a shorter version of The Swift Fulfilment of All Wishes ('dod dgu myur stsol); both texts were composed on the same day in 1903.

• Prayer to Gyaltsen Tsenmö Pung Gyen | Riwo Sangchö & Lungta

A short prayer to Dhvajāgrakeyūra (rgyal mtshan rtse mo'i dpung rgyan), a female deity whose dhāraṇī is particularly treasured as a method for enhancing windhorse (rlung rta).

• The Swift Fulfilment of All Wishes—Offering the Flag of Windhorse | Riwo Sangchö & Lungta

Mipham wrote this longer practice for offering the flag of windhorse (rlung rta) in 1903. It includes optional verses addressed to Gesar, Hayagrīva, Gaṇapati (tshogs bdag), and Magyal Pomra (rma rgyal spom ra), the protector of the Amnye Machen mountain range.

• In Praise of Mañjuśrī: Increasing Intelligence to the Full | Praise

This praise of Mañjuśrī for increasing the power of one's intelligence consists of fourteen four-line verses—fourteen, says Mipham, being the number of vital essences (dwangs ma) in beings and the world. The text was written in 1906.

• In Praise of Mañjuśrī: The Great Treasure of Blessings | Praise

Mipham wrote this short text of praise in 1881 during a retreat that was focused upon Mañjuśrī.

• The Treasury of Blessings—A Practice of Buddha Śākyamuni | Sādhanas

Ju Mipham composed this sādhana of Śākyamuni Buddha, or '[Śākya]muni-ritual' (thub chog), at the request of Orgyen Tendzin Norbu (1841–1900). Both the sādhana and its vast 'supporting teaching' known as The White Lotus (rgyab chos padma dkar po) are among the most popular of Mipham's works.

• A Brief Prayer for the Spontaneous Fulfilment of Aspirations | Guru Rinpoche Prayers

A simple four-line prayer to the Lotus-born Guru of Oḍḍiyāna for the elimination of all obstacles and the spontaneous fulfilment of all aspirations.

• Recollecting the Deeds of The Tenth Days | Guru Rinpoche Prayers

This short text in verse, written in 1902, outlines the twelve major deeds of Guru Padmasambhava, which are to be commemorated in the course of a year—a different deed being recalled on the tenth day of each month.

• The Prayer which is the Source of All True Realization | Guru Rinpoche Prayers

A short prayer to the eight manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava, eight vidyādharas, eight bodhisattvas, and eight maṇḍalas of Kagye (bka' brgyad). It was composed in 1897.

• Wang Dü: ‘The Great Cloud of Blessings’—The Prayer which Magnetizes All that Appears and All that Exists | Guru Rinpoche Prayers

This prayer of magnetising (dbang du bsdud pa) all appearance and existence, which Ju Mipham wrote in 1879, focuses on nine deities associated with magnetising: Padmasambhava in the form of Padmarāja or Pema Gyalpo (padma rgyal po), Vajradharma (rdo rje chos), Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara in the form of Padmapāṇi, Hayagrīva, Guhyajñāna, Vajravārāhī, Kurukullā and the King of Desire ('dod pa'i rgyal po). It was made popular in recent years by the late Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok.

• A Shower of Blessings: A Guru Yoga Practice to Accompany the Seven Line Prayer | Sādhanas

This simple and popular guru yoga focusing is based on the famous seven-line prayer (tshig bdun gsol 'debs) to Guru Padmasambhava first revealed in the thirteenth century by Chökyi Wangchuk (1212–1270).

• Excellent Vase of Splendour: The Tsok Feast Offering to Accompany the Vajra Seven Line Prayer | Tsok

The Excellent Vase of Splendour (dpal gyi bum bzang) is the tsok feast offering (tshogs mchod) to accompany the famous guru yoga based on the seven-line prayer, A Shower of Blessings (byin brlabs char 'bebs).

• Visualization and Recitation of the Six-Syllable Mantra of Avalokiteśvara | Avalokiteśvara

This simple practice of Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, includes a visualisation to accompany the recitation of the six-syllable mantra, oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ, or, optionally, the seven-syllable mantra, oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ hrīḥ.

• Prayer to Tārā, Combined with Her Mantra | Tārā

This four-line verse of homage to noble Tārā is also a prayer that incorporates the syllables of her root mantra: oṃ tāre ture tuttāre svāhā.

• Concise Tsok Feast | Tsok

This brief tsok prayer is extracted from Excellent Vase of Splendour: The Tsok Feast Offering to Accompany the Vajra Seven Line Prayer for the purpose of accumulation.