India Series

• Aspiration to Be Reborn at the Vajra Seat (Bodhgayā), Akaniṣṭha on Earth by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

In this prayer, composed at Bodhgayā, Jamyang Khyentse praises the features of the place Tibetans call the Vajra Seat (rdo je gdan), by comparing it to a celestial realm, and aspires to be reborn there in future.

• Verses of Happiness and Well-Being upon Entering the City of Vaiśālī from the Words of the Buddha

These verses, taken from the sūtra On Entering the City of Vaiśālī (Toh 312), are commonly recited on their own for the sake of auspiciousness and thus feature as a stand-alone text that is included in both the Kangyur (Toh 816) and Tengyur (Toh 4406). The version translated here appears in the collected writings of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (1893–1959).

• A Song of Perfect Joy: In Praise of the Sacred Sites of Rājgṛha, Vulture Peak and Nālandā by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

Verses in praise of three sacred sites: Rājgṛha (rgyal po'i khab), the ancient capital of Magadha; Vulture Peak (bya rgod spungs ri), where Buddha taught the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras; and Nālandā (nālendra), site of the famous monastic university.

• In Praise of Devāvatāra, Site of Buddha's Descent from Heaven by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

A panegyric on Devāvatāra or Sāṃkāśya, the place where Buddha supposedly returned to earth after spending a rainy season teaching Abhidharma to his mother and others in the deva realm.

• In Praise of Kuśinagara by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

A short poetic text in praise of Kuśinagara, the scene of Buddha Śākyamuni's final act, passing beyond this world and into parinirvāṇa.

• In Praise of Vārāṇasī, the Supreme Place by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

Although entitled a praise of Vārāṇasī, this short poetic work concerns Sarnath or Ṛṣipatana, located approximately 10 kilometres from that ancient city. It was in the deer park of Sarnath that Buddha Śākyamuni first taught, setting in motion the Wheel of Dharma.

• In Praise of the Great Indian City of Kolkata by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

In this verse text, probably composed in 1958, Jamyang Khyentse playfully marvels at modernity and expresses a sense of wonder upon encountering the vast Indian city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and all its unfamiliar attractions for the first time. The real highlight of the city as he sees it, however, is the chance to view the Buddha's relics, which were housed at the Indian Museum.

• Jamyang Lodrö Gyatso’s Prayer of Unwavering Faith Upon Journeying to the Noble Land of India for a Second Time by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

Jamyang Khyentse composed these verses of praise, prayer and aspiration when travelling to India for a second time, in or around January 1958.

• The Conquerors' Delight: In Praise of Śrāvastī by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

A short poetic text in praise of Śrāvastī (mnyan yod), where Buddha Śākyamuni spent many rainy seasons and where, it is said, he defeated rival teachers in a contest of miraculous ability. Jamyang Khyentse composed the work during a visit to the town in 1956.

• The White Lotus Garland of Immortality: In Praise of the Supreme Vajra Place, Tso Pema (Lotus Lake) by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

Tso Pema (mtsho padma) or 'Lotus Lake' in Rewalsar, Northern India is identified with a lake in the ancient kingdom of Zahor, which was created, it is said, when the king and his ministers attempted to burn Guru Padmasambhava and his consort Mandāravā alive. The master transformed his funeral pyre into a lake, where he appeared, unharmed and seated upon a lotus.

• Melodious Sound: In Praise of Vulture Peak Mountain by Rongtön Sheja Künrig

A short laudation of Vulture Peak Mountain (bya rgod phung po'i ri bo; Gṛdhrakūta), located in modern Bihar state in India, and renowned as the site at which Buddha taught the Prajñāpāramitā.

• Gathering Auspiciousness: A Prayer of Aspiration Made in the Presence of the Sacred Mahābodhi Temple and its Imagery, Magadha, Land of the Āryas by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

Jamyang Khyentse composed this prayer of aspiration at the request of his student Yakzewa Gyurme Drakpa at the Mahābodhi temple in Bodhgaya in January 1958.

• Nepal Series

• Pilgrimage Series

• Sikkim Series

• Tibet Series