Translations by Abraham Ta-Quan

Translators › Abraham Ta-Quan

English (71)


Rinchen Zangpo

Courtesy of Himalayan Art Resources

Further information:

Abraham Ta-Quan, known to Vietnamese people as Chanh Nhan, is a student of Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche and a self-trained translator who currently lives in Vietnam. Since 2013, he has served as a Vietnamese translator for many Tibetan masters, including Drikung Chetsang Rinpoche and Adzom Gyalse Rinpoche.



Texts translated into English by Abraham Ta-Quan

Apang Tertön

A very simple four-line prayer for auspiciousness written for a disciple named Kharlo.

A short supplication of Apang Tertön Chöying Dorje, invoking him as an emanation of both Guru Padmasambhava and Thangtong Gyalpo.

An invocation and supplication of Mañjuśrī together with other deities of the three kāyas and figures from the Dzogchen lineage including Apang Tertön (alias Trinlé Lingpa) himself.

A supplication to the ḍākinī, who is the Great Mother on the dharmakāya level, Vajravārāhī on the sambhogakāya, and Yeshe Tsogyal on the nirmāṇakāya.

A four-line supplication of Apang Tertön Chöying Dorje, alias Trinlé Lingpa, written by the master himself.

Chögyal Pakpa Lodrö Gyaltsen

A simple practice of Parṇaśavarī consisting of homage (from a longer praise by Chögyal Pakpa Lodrö Gyaltsen), mantra and dedication, which is particularly recommended as a means to heal and dispel contagious disease.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

A four-line supplication to Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche composed by the master himself at the request of Pegyal Lingpa (1924–1988).

This brief sādhana of Orange Mañjuśrī, which incorporates the famous Gang gi lodrö praise, was written for students in Bhutan.

Khyentse Rinpoche composed this simple sādhana of Vajrasattva by adapting a section of the Tukdrup Sheldam Nyingjang (thugs sgrub zhal gdams snying byang), the root text of the Barche Kunsel revelation of Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa.

This brief guru yoga incorporates elements of the common and uncommon preliminaries; it concludes with the four empowerments, the fourth of which represents the ultimate form of practice.

A short supplication to Guru Padmasambhava combined with an aspiration based on the so-called Four Dharmas of turning one's mind toward the Dharma, making progress on the path, clarifying confusion, and allowing confusion to dawn as wisdom.

Dodrupchen Jigme Tenpe Nyima

A simple, four-line supplication to Tārā requesting her protection from fear and suffering in this life, the next and the bardo state.

A simple two-verse prayer to Avalokiteśvara written at the request of a disciple from Washul, Amdo.

A four-line prayer to Amitābha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, aspiring to take rebirth in his blissful paradise of Sukhāvatī.

A four-line prayer to Guru Padmasambhava, Longchen Rabjam and Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa.

Drikung Kyobpa Jikten Sumgön

Four verses in praise of Buddha Akṣobhya extolling his appearance and his power to remove faults and bring about awakening.

Dudjom Lingpa

A seven-line supplication combined with an aspiration, which Dudjom Lingpa composed spontaneously at the request of Tsultrim Gyatso.

Dudjom Lingpa composed this four-line prayer to himself, which emphasizes his Dzogchen realization, at the request of a student named Dorje Namgyal.

A short, four-line supplication to Guru Padmasambhava, embodiment of all the buddhas of the past, present and future.

A simple supplication to the goddess Parṇaśavarī (or Parṇaśabarī, lo gyon ma) calling upon her to pacify and eliminate the suffering brought about by sickness and disease.

Taken from the visionary revelation known as the Net of Wisdom (ye shes drwa ba), this is a brief aspiration for rebirth in Sukhāvatī (bde ba can).

A four-line prayer of aspiration to devote one's entire life to the practice of Dzogpachenpo and attain the rainbow body of great transference ('ja' lus 'pho ba chen po).

A prayer of aspiration spoken by Vajrapāṇi and recorded by the visionary adept Dudjom Lingpa.

A brief liturgy to accompany the offering of serkyem (gser skyems), or golden libation, and torma, to the eight classes of spirits.

Taken from the visionary revelation known as the Net of Wisdom (ye shes drwa ba), this is a simple liturgy for meditating upon the Medicine Buddha (Bhaiṣajya Guru; sman bla).

A single-verse prayer for taking refuge in the guru as the embodiment of all other sources of refuge, on the outer, inner and secret levels.

A very concise and simple practice of Four-Armed Avalokiteśvara, the Great Compassionate One (Mahākāruṇika; thugs rje chen po).

Fifteenth Karmapa

Six lines of essential advice from the Fifteenth Karmapa Khakhyab Dorje to his spiritual consort, the celebrated ḍākinī Urgyen Tsomo (1897–1961).

An invocation of Guru Padmasambhava and plea to eliminate obstacles and the various forms of adversity faced by beings in general and Tibetans in particular.

A simple prayer for the elimination of obstacles and the fulfilment of positive aspirations.

A short prayer of invocation and aspiration addressed to Amitābha, the Buddha of Limitless Light, and Avalokiteśvara, the embodiment of compassion. The prayer concludes with the mantra oṃ amitābha hrīḥ.

A simple, four-line prayer to the Fifteenth Karmapa composed by the master himself at the request of one of his disciples.

A short prayer written on the back of an image of Sukhāvatī, the paradise of Amitābha.

Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

A prayer to invoke the blessings of five key figures in the Heart Essence (snying thig) tradition of the Great Perfection: Vimalamitra, Melong Dorje, Kumārarāja (Kumaradza), Longchen Rabjam and Jigme Lingpa.

This three-verse aspiration for rebirth in Amitābha's pureland of Sukhāvatī was composed on the 22nd day of the eleventh month of the Earth Dog year (January 1, 1959).

A short text in praise of the 'Lords of the Three Families' (rigs gsum mgon po), i.e., Mañjughoṣa, Avalokiteśvara and Vajrapāṇi.

A four-line supplication to Mañjuśrī invoking his power to dispel ignorance and grant courageous eloquence (pratibhāna) and intelligence.

This prayer to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Jamgön Kongtrul and Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö was written for Jamyang Sonam, prince of Yönru in Lithang.

A short, four-line supplication of White Tārā, Wish-Fulfilling Jewel, who overcomes death and bestows longevity and wisdom.

Written in Darjeeling in 1958, this supplicated is addressed to Guru Padmasambhava, Tārā (in two forms), Vajrakīla and Mahākāla.

Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

A four-line prayer to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo composed by the master himself at the behest of Wangchuk Sengé of Nangso.

A simple two-verse supplication prayer composed by the master himself, with the first verse elaborating on the literal meaning of his name.

A two-verse prayer to all the gurus and deities of the Sakya tradition, invoking their inspiration and blessings to follow the path in the present and future lives.

A short, four-line prayer to invoke the blessings of the great adept Virūpa.

A simple four-line prayer to Buddha Śākyamuni and a retinue of the sixteen elders.

Jatsön Nyingpo

A four-verse prayer to Jatsön Nyingpo for daily recitation. It was composed by the master himself.

Karma Chakme

A simple practice focusing on Buddha Akṣobhya (mi 'khrugs pa) for purifying karmic obscurations, especially those of the deceased.

Karma Chakmé composed this five-verse prayer to Parṇaśavarī (or Parṇaśabarī, lo gyon ma) on the basis of a vision of the goddess, which he experienced when performing a fire offering.

Mipham Rinpoche

A four-line prayer for summoning the spirit of abundance (g.yang) together with all that is excellent and auspicious.

A simple method of purifying impairments and breakages of samaya through the visualization and mantra recitation of Vajrasattva.

A simple sādhana of Yellow Jambhala, deity of wealth.

A simple practice of Kurukullā, the female deity associated with magnetizing activity.

A short means of accomplishment (sādhana) focused on the goddess Sitātapatrā in her two-armed form.

A simple sādhana of White Sarasvatī, the goddess of eloquence, to bring mastery of speech.

A simple guru yoga to invoke the nirmāṇakāya Garab Dorje and receive the blessings of his wisdom mind.

A four-line prayer of aspiration related to the four activities—pacifying, enriching, magnetizing and subjugating—composed in 1891.

A four-line prayer to the gurus of the lineage of the Great Perfection, from Samantabhadra down to one's own root teacher.

In a few lines of verse, Mipham explains the essence of Dzogchen Atiyoga, which is, in turn, the essence of the 84000 approaches of the Dharma.

A four-line verse that Mipham Rinpoche composed while recalling Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–1892) who had passed into parinirvāṇa two days earlier.

A succinct four-line praise of Mañjughoṣa's enlightened body, speech and mind.

This simple visualization and mantra recitation for the bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha draws on both the Sūtra of the Ten Wheels of Kṣitigarbha (Daśacakrakṣitigarbhasūtra) and the Ḍhāraṇī of the One Hundred and Eight Names of Kṣitigarbha.

This eight-line prayer to the Buddha, Eight Great Bodhisattvas and Sixteen Arhats was written at the end of the Fire Sheep year (early 1908).

Three prayers—a petition for the purification of impairments and breakages of samaya, a brief supplication to Mañjuśrī, and an appeal to the Three Roots—all composed in the Earth Pig year, i.e., 1899/1900.

Shechen Gyaltsab Gyurme Pema Namgyal

An extremely concise liturgy to accompany a gaṇacakra feast offering of sensory delights.

A four-line prayer to Guru Padmasambhava for the elimination of obstacles and the fulfilment of wishes.

A four-line prayer of aspiration in which every line begins with the word vajra (rdo rje).

A four-line supplication of Amitāyus, the Buddha of Boundless Life, requesting the bestowal of supreme and indestructible longevity.

A brief, four-line supplication of Mañjuśrī requesting his bestowal of a prodigious intellect.

A four-line prayer to Orgyen Dorje Chang—the Vajradhara of Oḍḍiyāna—as the embodiment of all sources of refuge.

A short, four-line prayer to accompany offerings to Gesar.

A very simple four-line prayer of aspiration to accompany the offering of a butter lamp (mar me).