Zangdok Palri Aspirations

• A Synopsis of Guru Padmasambhava’s Life by Alak Zenkar Pema Ngödrup Rolwe Dorje

An eight-line prayer to Guru Padmasambhava that incorporates the shortest possible summary of his life and an aspiration for rebirth on the Glorious Copper-Coloured Mountain.

• A Prayer of Aspiration for the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory by Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa

A four-line prayer to be reborn on the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory, or Zangdok Palri, in the company of Guru Padmasambhava and his retinue.

• Threefold Aspiration for Rebirth in Zangdok Palri by Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa

Three interrelated aspirations for rebirth in Zangdok Palri, the Copper-Colored Mountain pureland of Guru Rinpoche, from the perspectives of the cause (or ground), path, and fruition.

• A Joyful Chariot for the Fortunate: An Aspiration to Travel to the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory by Dudjom Rinpoche

Dudjom Rinpoche composed this prayer of aspiration to be reborn on the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory, or Zangdok Palri (zangs mdog dpal ri), after his firstborn daughter, Dekyong Yeshe Wangmo, had left this world. The inspiration for this prayer, it is said, was therefore her parting gift.

• A Prayer of Aspiration for the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory by Dudjom Rinpoche

A four-line prayer to be reborn on the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory, or Zangdok Palri, in the company of Guru Padmasambhava and his retinue.

• A Prayer of Aspiration for the Mountain of Glory by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

An aspiration to be reborn on the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory, or Zangdok Palri, in the company of Guru Padmasambhava and his retinue.

• The Chariot of the Vidyādharas: An Aspiration Prayer for Travelling to the Realm of Lotus Light by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

This poetic prayer relates the Lotus Light (padma 'od) pure realm of Guru Padmasambhava to the four visions of Dzogchen practice and contains the aspiration that we may all be reborn there, to advance through the four stages of a vidyādhara and swiftly reach the level of the Lake-born Guru himself.

• Wish-Fulfilling Feast of Siddhis: An Aspiration Prayer to Orgyen Rinpoche, the Precious Master of Oddiyana by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

Written in 1850, this is a prayer to the guru, who is understood to be inseparable from Guru Padmasambhava and the true nature of mind, and an aspiration to be reborn in the Lotus Light pure realm, if not already liberated during this life or when clear light dawns at the moment of death.

• Secret Path to the Mountain of Glory—A Prayer of Aspiration for the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory by Jigme Lingpa

This prayer of aspiration to be reborn in Guru Padmasambhava's heaven of Zangdok Palri (zangs mdog dpal ri), the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory, includes detailed descriptions of its wonderful features and extraordinary qualities. The text is a terma (gter ma) revelation and part of the Longchen Nyingtik cycle.

• Training in the Pure Realms of the Three Kāyas by Jigme Lingpa

Jigme Lingpa himself describes this text as "a prayer invoking and imploring Guru Rinpoche, coupled with an aspiration prayer suitable for daily recitation based on the root words of the way to attain liberation through the experiences of the bardo states." It was inspired by a sense of sorrow and renunciation when, one morning during a retreat near Samye, Jigme Lingpa glimpsed Mount Hepori in the distance and thought about the great events that had taken place there during Padmasambhava's lifetime, little or no trace of which remained.

• The Crystal Stairway: A Prayer of Aspiration to Cross Over to the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory in the South West by Khangsar Tenpé Wangchuk

This aspiration to be reborn on Zangdokpalri, the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory, is rich in its descriptions of the pureland's beautiful and inspiring features.

• The Secret Path of Wisdom: A Prayer of Aspiration for the Mountain of Glory by Mipham Rinpoche

A brief prayer to be reborn on the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory, or Zangdok Palri, in the presence of Guru Padmasambhava, and to complete the path to enlightenment in that pure realm, so as to work for others’ benefit.

• A Prayer to Padmasambhava by Ratna Lingpa

A four-line prayer to Guru Padmasambhava, which Ratna Lingpa received during a visionary journey to Zangdokpalri (zangs mdog dpal ri), the Copper-Colored Mountain of Glory.

• A Prayer of Aspiration for the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory by Yeshe Tsogyal

This aspiration for rebirth in Zangdok Palri, the Copper-Coloured Mountain, is attributed to Yeshe Tsogyal. The text has appeared in several compilations and has been ascribed to Pema Lingpa, but its precise origin remains unclear.

• Aspiration Prayers

• Dying and the Bardos

• Guru Rinpoche Prayers