Section D: Pranidhanas D-1 Mahamudra Pranidhana By Rangjung Dorje, the Third Karmapa 1. Namo Guru. May the Buddhas and their lineage-bearers of the ten directions and three times, All Gurus and Mandalas of Yidam Deities, Look on me with tenderness, and bestow their blessing, So that my pranidhanas be accomplished, precisely as I wish and intend them. 2. May the rivers of goodness, free from the sediment of the three mandalas, That spring from the snow mountain of the pure intentions and deeds Of myself and all limitless beings, Flow into the ocean of the four kayas of the Buddha. 3. For as long as that has not been accomplished, for however long that may be, Throughout all my lifetimes, as they follow one upon another, May I not even hear word of unwholesomeness and suffering, But enjoy vast wholesomeness and happiness. 4. In all my lifetimes, may I practise the supreme Dharma, Having the necessary leisure and circumstances, faith, energy and prajna To serve and learn from good spiritual friends and obtain the quintessential instructions, With no hindrance to their true accomplishment. 5. By listening to scripture and reasoning, may I be liberated from the cloud of ignorance; By reflecting on the oral instructions, may I overcome the darkness of doubt; By the light arising from meditation, may I see the true state, as it is. Thus, may the light of the three prajnas of listening, reflecting and meditating blaze.
D-2 Section D: Pranidhanas 6. May I always meet and never stray from the unerring Dharma: The two-fold reality, the Ground, free from false positions regarding the infinite and the finite, The perfect path of the two accumulations, free from positions of false assertions and false denials, The attainment of the two benefits, free from false positions regarding samsara and nirvana. 7. In the Ground of the purification process, the Chitta itself, which is clarity and emptiness both-at-once, That which purifies is the Great Vajra Yoga of Mahamudra; What is to be removed by the process of purification, are the contingent stains of confusion. May the fruit of the purification process, the stainless Dharmakaya, be revealed. 8. Certainty in the view is to abandon positions that are false assertions and false denials regarding the Ground. The key point of the meditation is to guard this undistractedly. The perfect conduct is to exercise proficiency in all aspects of meditation. May I have certainty in view, meditation and conduct. 9. All phenomena are emanations of Chitta. The Chitta is not Chitta, its essence is empty. Empty, but unimpeded, it displays all and everything. Having discerned it well, may I cut right to the root. 10. The self-display that never existed is mistaken for objects. By the force of non-recognition, avidya, self-awareness is mistaken for the self. By the force of grasping at these two one roams endlessly in the vast empty space of samsara. May non-recognition, avidya, the source of confusion, be eradicated.
Section D: Pranidhanas D-3 11. It does not exist, even Buddhas do not see it. It does not not-exist, since it is the Ground for the whole of samsara and Nirvana. It is not a self-contradiction, but the Middle Way of both-at-once. May I realize the Dharmata of the Chitta, free from false positions. 12. Saying it is this does not capture it, Saying it is not this does not negate it. The Dharmata beyond the thinking mind is the Non-Compounded. May I gain certainty in Ultimate Reality, the faultless true position. 13. Not realizing this, we flounder around in the ocean of samsara; Realizing this is none other than Buddha/Awakening. Everything is this; there is nothing that is not this. May I recognise the mystery of the Dharmata, Ground of all being (Alaya). 14. The display is Chitta, emptiness is Chitta; Realization is Chitta, confusion is also Chitta; Arising is Chitta, cessation is also Chitta; May I sever all false assertions and denials in regard to the Chitta. 15. Not sullied by contrived effort in meditation, Not disturbed by the commotion of common affairs, Knowing how to rest without artifice, in naturalness, just as it occurs, May I master and guard the quintessential Chitta practice. 16. The waves of coarse and subtle thoughts are calm in themselves; The unwavering river of Chitta rests in itself. Free from the sediment of sinking and dullness, May the ocean of Shamata become unwavering and stable.
D-4 Section D: Pranidhanas 17. Looking again and again at the Chitta that cannot be looked at, The quintessential point which cannot be seen, just as it is, is Vipashyana. This severs all doubts about whether this is it or not. May the self-essence unerringly recognise itself for itself. 18. Looking at objects, there are no objects, one is seeing the Chitta. Looking at the Chitta, there is no Chitta, its essence is empty. Looking at both, grasping at duality collapses on the spot. May I realize the true state of the Prabhasvarachitta. 19. Freedom from mental contrivance is Mahamudra; Freedom from false positions is the Great Madhyamaka; This is what is known as the Union of All, the Great Perfection. May I gain certainty in the one quintessential point, knowing which, one knows all. 20. Continuous Great Bliss, without attachment; Signless Prabhasvara, not obscured by veils; Spontaneously existent Non-thought, beyond the conceptualising mind; Unsought, may such experience become continuous. 21. Grasping after good experience is liberated in itself, The confusion of negative thoughts is liberated in the spaciousness of their true nature. Ordinary mind is not to give up or adopt anything, nor to get rid of or attain anything. May I realize nishprapancha, the simplicity of the Dharmata. 22. The nature of beings has always been Awakened/Buddha. Not realizing this they flounder endlessly in samsara. May unbearable compassion for beings, Endlessly suffering like this, arise in me.
Section D: Pranidhanas D-5 23. Without suppressing the vibrant power of unbearable compassion, Simultaneously, within that tender love, the empty essence dawns nakedly. May I never stray from this unerring perfect path of both-at-once, And practise it continuously throughout day and night. 24. Through the power of meditation, may vision and supernormal knowledge arise And I ripen beings, purify Buddha worlds, and fulfil all pranidhanas that accomplish the Buddha dharmas. May the three, fulfilment, ripening and purification, Be brought to perfection, which is Awakening/Buddha. 25. By the compassion of the Buddhas and their lineage-bearers, the Bodhisattvas, throughout the ten directions of space, By the power of all the pure goodness there is, May the pranidhanas of myself and all beings Be accomplished exactly as we wish and intend. The first draft of this translation from the Tibetan was begun in 1972 by Lama Shenpen Hookham under the guidance of Bokar Rinpoche. This draft was made by Lama Shenpen Hookham in September 2001 on the eve of Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso's visit to Great Britain. May all the faults in this translation be corrected by his teaching on this auspicious occasion. Shenpen Hookham 2014 Sarva Mangalam
D-6 Section D: Pranidhanas The Samantabhadracharya Pranidhana Salutations to the Ever-Youthful Manjushri The Preliminary Sevenfold Puja I make reverent salutations with body, speech and mind, To all the Great Lions, the Buddhas. I make obeisance to them all without exception, In the past, present and future, In every realm of existence, In all the ten directions. By the power of the Samantabhadracharya Pranidhana, I make reverent salutations thinking the Buddhas are before me. As I emanate bodies as countless as atoms in the Buddha realms, Prostrating before each one of them, Thinking that each and every atom throughout the Dharmadhatu, Endless as the reaches of the sky, is filled with Buddhas, Limitless in number as atoms, Surrounded by their Bodhisattvas. [Each of my limitless bodies] praises all the Sugatas With exhaustless oceans of praise, And the sounds of all the perfect components of song, Expressing in full all the immeasurable qualities of the Buddhas. I offer in veneration to all the Buddhas, Flowers, garlands, melodious music, Fragrant oils and canopies of jeweis, Lights and aromatic incense, All of the most exquisite kind. Again and again I offer in veneration to all the Buddhas, The best and finest garments, perfumes and incense in abundance, Piled as high as Mount Meru and tastefully arranged. Furthermore, in my mind I make the most supreme And vast of offerings to all the Buddhas. Thus through the power of faith in the Bhadracharya, I venerate and make offerings to all the Buddhas.
Section D: Pranidhanas D-7 I repent each and every one of all the unwholesome actions I have committed with my body, speech, and likewise mind, Under the influence of attachment, hostility and misguidedness. I rejoice in all the punya of all the Buddhas of the ten directions And of the Buddha s lineage-bearers, the Bodhisattvas, Of Pratyekabuddhas, and of Arhats, trained and training, As well as of all other beings. Before each of the Lamps of the World in the ten directions, Who have proceeded through all the stages up to Buddhahood, I entreat these Lord Protectors To turn the Wheel of the Unsurpassable Dharma. With hands folded in reverence I entreat those Buddhas wishing to show the passing into Nirvana, To remain for a further duration of kalpas as numerous as atoms, For the benefit and happiness of beings. Whatever trace of punya I have accumulated By my obeisance, offering, repentance, rejoicing in virtue, And entreaty for the turning of the Dharma Wheel and for Buddhas to remain in the world, I dedicate it to the Supreme Enlightenment of beings.
D-8 Section D: Pranidhanas The Main Body of the Pranidhana The Four Pure Wishes May offerings be made in reverence to the Buddhas of the past And those of the present in the worlds of the ten directions. May those Buddhas-to-be proceeding towards Enlightenment Quickly consummate all their wishes on the Path and become Buddhas. May all the realms that there are in the ten directions Become extensive and perfectly pure, And each whole realm become utterly filled with Buddhas, Each taking his place beneath his mighty Bodhi tree And surrounded by his lineage-bearers, the Bodhisattvas. May all beings in the ten directions Be freed from suffering and enjoy uninterrupted happiness forever. May favourable conditions arise for all the wishes of beings That accord with the Dharma to be fulfilled, And for them to realize their aspiration towards Buddhahood. The Pranidhana for Holding Fast to the Bodhichitta Forever Without Forgetting It May I remember the Bodhicharya that I am practising now, Wherever I am born in all my future life-times. Throughout all my lifetimes as I pass from death to rebirth, May I each time renew again my vow to live the life of renunciation. Following the manner of training of all the Buddhas, May I perfectly complete the Bhadracharya. May my shila be free from the stain [of the kleshas], Completely pure [of any selfish aspiration], Unbroken [by misconduct] And faultless [free from the trimandala].
Section D: Pranidhanas D-9 May I expound the Dharma to all beings in their own language, Such as the languages of gods, nagas and demons, And in as many human and non-human languages as there are. Thus may I practise the six paramitas with perfect virya, And never forget the Bodhichitta. May all unwholesome actions and obscurations without exception be eradicated. The Pranidhana for When I am Free from Veils Having become free from the maras of karma and kleshas, As I continue to be born in the world as whatever kind of being, May I be like the lotus to which water cannot cling, Acting like the sun and moon who remain steadfast And unimpeded in their course through the sky. The Pranidhana for Establishing Beings in Happiness and the Causes of It Throughout the vastness of all the reaims Extending in every direction, May I relieve the suffering of the beings in the lower realms, Establishing them in happiness And acting for their benefit. The Pranidhana of the Armour the Vow to Perform the Bodhicharya Forever Having perfectly completed the Bodhicharya, May I harmonise with the charya of different kinds of beings; Teaching them perfectly the Bhadracharya And maintaining that charya through all future kalpas. The Pranidhana for Meeting Karmicallly Attuned Companions May I always join those performing the same charya as myself, And may we act so that our charya of body, speech and mind, And our pranidhanas, be in unison.
D-10 Section D: Pranidhanas The Pranidhana for Serving the Dharma Teacher May I always meet and never expel from my mind Those companions who wish to help me, The genuine teachers of the Bhadracharya. The Pranidhana of Offering to the Buddhas Face to Face May I always see all the Buddhas face to face, The Lord Protectors, surrounded by their hosts of Bodhisattvas. May I venerate and make profuse offerings to them all, Tirelessly, in person, for all future kalpas. The Pranidhana for the Upholding of the Dharma May I uphold the Supreme Dharma of all the Buddhas And cause the Bodhicharya to appear everywhere. Having mastered the Bhadracharya, May I continue to perform it for all future kalpas. The Pranidhana for the Exhaustless Store of Treasures In all my existences in samsara, May I obtain an exhaustless supply of Punya and Jnana, And may Upaya, Prajna and Samadhi, Vimoksha and all good qualities Become an eternal and exhaustless treasury. The Pranidhana to Enter Fully into the Samantabhadracharya May I be able to see in a single atom Buddha realms numerous as atoms, And then in each of these Buddha realms, Buddhas in number beyond conception, And each Buddha seated in the midst of his vast assembly of Bodhisattvas. Seeing all these may I be able to perform in their presence the Bodhicharya.
Section D: Pranidhanas D-11 Since every atom is filled like this, The space of a mere hair-tip is filled with as many Buddhas As there are in all the past, present and future. I pray I may be able to perform the Bodhicharya Before these endless Buddhas in their endless Buddha realms for endless kalpas. May I always be able to hear the teaching of the Buddhas, In the pure voice of all the Buddhas that in a single utterance Encompasses perfectly every form of expression and language, Perfectly attuned to the mentality of every kind of being. As the Wheel of the Dharma is set in motion By the Buddhas of the past, present and future, May I have the strength of intelligence To perfectly understand their inexhaustible teachings. May I enter all future kalpas; May I enter them all in a single instant; May I make all the kalpas of the three times Enter a fraction of a second, And perform within them the Bodhicharya. May I see in a single instant all the Great Lions, the Buddhas, Dwelling in the past, present and future. May I always be able to enter the sphere of their charya, By the magical power of illusory Vimokshas. May I make all the Buddha realms of the three times Appear arranged within a single atom; And display all the Buddha realms arranged like this, Within every atom everywhere in every direction. May I manifest before all the Lord Protectors The Lamps of the World who have yet to come, On their progress to Enlightenment, As they turn the Wheel of the Dharma And as they show the way to the ultimate peace of Nirvana.
D-12 Section D: Pranidhanas The Pranidhana for Powers By the power of miracles, swift and all-embracing, By the power of the universal gateway [the Mahayana], By the power of the all-good qualities of the Bhadracharya, By the power of all-pervading love, By the power of punya from all wholesome states and actions, By the power of unobstructed Jnana, By the power of Prajna, Upaya and Samadhi, May I complete all the powers of Enlightenment. The Pranidhana for Opposing Powers May I be able to purify completely the forces of bad karma, Crush the forces of the kleshas, And render the forces of Mara completely powerless. Thus may I perfect and complete the power of the Bhadracharya. The Pranidhana for Buddha Activity May I purify endless oceans of worlds, Liberate endless oceans of beings, Reveal endless oceans of Dharmas, Meditate on endless oceans of Jnana, Purify endless oceans of charya, Complete endless oceans of pranidhanas, Make offerings to endless oceans of Buddhas, Tirelessly continuing this charya for endless oceans of kalpas. The Pranidhana Matching the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Having reached Buddhahood by means of practising the Bhadracharya, May I bring to perfect fulfilment Each and every one of the multitude of pranidhanas Of the Bodhicharya made by the Buddhas of the three times. I dedicate all these kushalamula To the end that I might match the skill of the charya Of the one known by the name Samantabhadra,
Section D: Pranidhanas D-13 The most powerful of all the Buddha s lineage-bearers, the Bodhisattvas. Having the purity of his body, speech and mind, The purity of his charya and the complete purity of his pure realms, May I also match exactly the goodness and skill of his dedication. May I make the same pranidhana as Manjushri, In order to carry out the totally good charya, Perfecting and completing all his deeds, Tirelessly for all future kalpas. The Concluding Pranidhana, Leading into the Dedication Pranidhana May my charya be beyond measure, And its qualities beyond reckoning. May this steadfast measureless charya Sweep away every trace of confusion. Establishing the Extent of the Pranidhana Just as space extends without limit Beings, karma and kleshas extend without limit. Therefore, may this my pranidhana extend without limit, For as long as beings, karma and kleshas last. The Benefits and Dedication of the Pranidhana If someone were to offer up to all the Buddhas Limitless Buddha realms adorned with precious jewels, Filling the ten directions, Even if they contained the most precious possessions of gods and humans And were offered continuously for kalpas as countless as atoms, The punya deriving therefrom would be exceeded by a person Who only once gives rise to faith And rejoices in Supreme Bodhi Through hearing this King of pranidhanas.
D-14 Section D: Pranidhanas Whoever recites this pranidhana Will avoid rebirth in the lower realms, Will avoid meeting bad friends, Will quickly see Amitabha, Will always find all they need, always be happy, Will achieve their purpose in this very life And quickly become like Samantabhadra. By reciting the Bhadracharya pranidhana, A person who has committed any of the five most heinous crimes Due to their ignorance in the past, Will be quickly purified. In future lives they will be born with jnana, Perfect body, family and complexion. The multitude of maras and heretics will have no power over them, And they will be venerated by beings of all three realms. Finally they will quickly arrive under the mighty Bodhi tree, Remaining steadfast for the benefit of beings, Gaining Enlightenment, turning the Wheel of the Dharma, And subduing Mara and his armies. The Buddhas know the full effect, When the karmic result ripens, Of someone taking hold of this text Of the Samantabhadracharya Pranidhana, Showing it to another or reading it. There is no need to doubt those who have Supreme Enlightenment. I dedicate this punya so that I may train To follow the example of the precise knowledge and courage of Manjushri, And of Samantabhadra And all [the Bodhisattvas who train] like them. In the manner of dedication Praised by all the Buddhas of the three times, I dedicate completely all my kushalamula [from making this pranidhana], To the Bhadracharya.
Section D: Pranidhanas D-15 By means of this punya I pray that when I die, All my veils will be purified and cleared away, That I will see Amitabha face to face, And go to Sukhavati. Once I have arrived there, may the fruits of this pranidhana All without exception be actualised. With my heart overflowing [with the meaning and purpose of this pranidhana] May I benefit beings for as long as samsara lasts. There, in the all-good and blissful realm of the Buddha Mandala, May I take birth from an exquisitely beautiful lotus flower, Then on beholding Amitabha, the Buddha of Limitless Light, face to face, May I receive from him the vyakarana. Having received the vyakarana, By the power of the Bodhichitta, May I emanate countless times in the worlds of the ten directions, Benefiting beings in countless ways, Endlessly, for as long as samsara lasts. The Dedication of the Mere Recitation of the Samantabhadracharya Pranidhana By whatever small portion of kushalamula accumulated From the mere reciting of this pranidhana of the Bhadracharya, May all the pure and virtuous pranidhanas of beings be immediately fulfilled. By means of the supreme and limitless punya Arising from this complete dedication of the Bhadracharya, May all beings floundering in the great river of suffering Be safely delivered to Amitabha s Paradise. By this, the supreme and principal King of pranidhanas For the benefit of limitless beings, The authoritative textual source of pranidhanas, Beautifully laid out by Samantabhadra, May all the lower realms of suffering be emptied. The first draft of this translation from the Tibetan was begun in 1972 by Lama Shenpen Hookham under the guidance of Bokar Rinpoche. This edition was published in January 2004. Shenpen Hookham 2014