Wisdom of the infinite buddhas all gathered into one,
Treasury of the wheels of inexhaustible adornments,
Foremost friend to all beings, teacher to all three worlds,
You who are inseparable from Manjughosha, to you I bow!
 
Here I shall set down a brief method for accomplishing Noble Manjughosha, consisting of preparation, main part and conclusion.

The first part, the preparation, includes the refuge and bodhichitta and the seven branch practice.
 
1. Taking Refuge and Arousing Bodhichitta

Namo! I take refuge in Manjughosha,
Embodiment of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
So that all beings may attain enlightenment,
I shall exert myself in the practice of Manjushri!
  
2. The Seven Branch Practice
 
Plentiful gifts, both actual and imagined,
As an inexhaustible treasury, I offer.
Emanating bodies as numerous as atoms in the universe,
I offer homage, as devotion fills my body, speech and mind.
All wrongs, whether naturally harmful or transgressions,
I confess, my mind overflowing with regret and remorse.
Genuine wisdom that is beyond all concepts,
And ordinary merit too—in all forms of virtue, I rejoice!
In accordance with the capacities of beings,
Turn the wheel of Dharma, I implore you!
Great saints intent on passing into nirvana:
Stay until the very ends of existence, I pray!
All the virtue this represents, all that has been amassed,
I dedicate towards unsurpassed enlightenment.

The Main Practice

In the space before me, amidst an expanse of rainbow light,
Upon seats of lotus and moon-disc, there instantly appears
The supreme and noble Manjughosha,
With one face, two hands and a smiling expression.
He wields a sword in his right hand, and clasps a lotus with his left.
His two legs are crossed, and he in sambhogakaya form,
His body bedecked with the silk and jewel adornments.
Empty yet appearing, with a mandala of light,
He is encircled completely
By buddhas, bodhisattvas and accomplished adepts.
In his heart’s centre, upon a lunar disc, is a syllable Dhih,
Radiating light, which dissolves into me.
Through this, may I gain all supreme and ordinary siddhis,
May the darkness of the two veils be dispelled entirely,
May the eight treasures of perfect eloquence,
Which are born of universal knowledge, be released,
And may I spontaneously fulfill my own and others’ aims.
 
om a ra pa tsa na dhih

After reciting the mantra, continue the practice with:

Conclusion
 
This has four parts.
 
1. Offering and Praise
 
The whole of appearance and existence,
Filled with clouds of offerings through samadhi
To you, Noble Manjushri, I offer—
Through this, may I perfect the accumulation of merit!
 
om arya manjushri argham padam pushpe dhupe aloke gandhe naivedye shabda pratitccha svaha
 
Embodiment of all the enlightened activity
Of all the buddhas and their bodhisattva heirs
Brave warrior Manjushri, to you
With the utmost faith and devotion, I offer homage and praise!
 
2. Prayer
 
From now on, throughout all my lives,
May you always care for and protect me,
And grant me the wisdom of a lord of speech
Unhindered in explanation, debate and composition.
 
3. Dissolution

From the very beginning, as a reflection of dependent origination,
Arisen, illusory body of wisdom,
Beyond all conceptual elaboration. Manjushri, you
Dissolve into the expanse of unaltered suchness.
 
4. Dedication of Merit

May whatever sources of virtue there may be
Arising through this practice
All be dedicated so that beings everywhere
May attain the supreme status
Of the warrior Manjushri.

Aboard the great ship of the three marvellous wisdoms
May all beings set sail, and propelled by the golden oars of aspiration
May they cross over the ocean of existence
To reach the primordial kingdom.
 
It had been my intention for some time to compose this sadhana of Manjushri entitled Light from Wisdom’s Sun, but then, in response to the requests of Dechen Drimé[1], I, Thupten Lungrik Mawé Nyima[2], composed this. May it be the cause for all beings arriving at the level of the warrior Manjushri.

| Translated by Adam Pearcey 2009. With many thanks to Alak Zenkar Rinpoche for kindly granting the reading transmission and correcting errors in the text.

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[1] Dechen Drimé was Alak Zenkar Rinpoche’s disciplinary tutor.
[2] Rinpoche composed the text when he was fifteen years old, c. 1958.