The Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra

Note the picture is of the 17th Karmapa, painted by the 10th Karmapa. This week I'm fascinated with lineage.

The Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra
Composed by
The Third Gyalwa Karmapa

Namoguru,
Gurus and yidams, deities of the mandala,
Buddhas of the three times in the ten directions and your sons and daughters,
Please consider us with kindness and understanding, and
Grant your blessing that these aspirations may be accomplished exactly as we ask.

Sprung from the snow mountain of pure intentions and actions
Of myself and all sentient beings without limit,
May the river of accumulated virtue of the threefold purity
Flow into the ocean of the four bodies of the Victorious Ones.

So long as this is not accomplished,
Through all my lifetimes, birth upon birth,
May not even the words "evil deeds" and "suffering" be heard
And may we enjoy the splendour
and goodness of oceans of happiness and virtue.

Having obtained the supreme freedoms
and conjunctions of the precious human existence,
endowed with faith, energy, and intelligence,
Having attended on a worthy spiritual friend
and received the pith of the holy instructions,
May we practice these properly, just as we have received them,
without obstacle or interruption.
In all our lives, may we practice and enjoy the holy dharma.

Hearing and studying the scriptures and
reasonings free us from the obscuration of not knowing,
Contemplating the oral instructions disperses the darkness of doubt.
In the light born of meditation what is shines forth just as it is.
May the brightness of the three prajnas grow in power.

By understanding the meaning of the ground,
which is the two truths free from the extremes of eternalism and nihilism
And by practising the supreme path of the two accumulations,
free from the extremes of exaggeration and denial,
Is attained the fruit of well-being for oneself and others,
free from the extremes of samsara and nirvana.
May all beings meet the dharma which neither errs nor misleads.

The ground of purification is the mind itself,
indivisible cognitive clarity and emptiness.
That which purifies is the great vajra yoga of mahamudra.
What is to be purified are the adventitious,
temporary contaminations of confusion,
May the fruit of purification, the stainless dharmakaya, be manifest.

Resolving doubts about the ground brings conviction in the view.
Then keeping one's awareness unwavering in accordance with the view,
is the subtle pith of meditation.
Putting all aspects of meditation into practice is the supreme action.
The view, the meditation, the action--may there be confidence in these.

All phenomena are illusory displays of mind.
Mind is no mind--the mind's nature is empty of any entity that is mind
Being empty, it is unceasing and unimpeded,
manifesting as everything whatsoever.
Examining well, may all doubts about the ground be discerned and cut.

Naturally manifesting appearances, that never truly exist, are confused into objects. Spontaneous intelligence, under the power of ignorance, is confused into a self.
By the power of this dualistic fixation, beings wander in the realms of samsaric existence.
May ignorance, the root of confusion, he discovered and cut.

It is not existent--even the Victorious Ones do not see it.
It is not nonexistent--it is the basis of all samsara and nirvana.
This is not a contradiction, but the middle path of unity.
May the ultimate nature of phenomena, limitless mind beyond extremes, he realised.

If one says, "This is it," there is nothing to show.
If one says, "This is not it," there is nothing to deny.
The true nature of phenomena,
which transcends conceptual understanding, is unconditioned.
May conviction he gained in the ultimate, perfect truth.

Not realising it, one circles in the ocean of samsara.
If it is realised, buddha is not anything other.
It is completely devoid of any "This is it," or "This is not it."
May this simple secret, this ultimate essence of phenomena,
which is the basis of everything, be realised.

Appearance is mind and emptiness is mind.
Realisation is mind and confusion is mind.
Arising is mind and cessation is mind.
May all doubts about mind be resolved.

Not adulterating meditation with conceptual striving or mentally created meditation,
Unmoved by the winds of everyday busyness,
Knowing how to rest in the uncontrived, natural spontaneous flow,
May the practice of resting in mind's true nature be skilfully sustained.

The waves of subtle and coarse thoughts calm down by themselves in their own place,
And the unmoving waters of mind rest naturally.
Free from dullness, torpor, and, murkiness,
May the ocean of shamatha be unmoving and stable.

Looking again and again at the mind which cannot be looked at,
The meaning which cannot be seen is vividly seen, just as it is.
Thus cutting doubts about how it is or is not,
May the unconfused genuine self-nature he known by self-nature itself.

Looking at objects, the mind devoid of objects is seen;
Looking at mind, its empty nature devoid of mind is seen;
Looking at both of these, dualistic clinging is self-liberated.
May the nature of mind, the clear light nature of what is, be realised.

Free from mental fabrication, it is the great seal, mahamudra.
Free from extremes, it is the great middle way, madhyamika.
The consummation of everything, it is also called the great perfection, dzogchen.
May there be confidence that by understanding one,
the essential meaning of all is realised.

Great bliss free from attachment is unceasing.
Luminosity free from fixation on characteristics is unobscured.
Nonthought transcending conceptual mind is spontaneous presence.
May the effortless enjoyment of these experiences be continuous.

Longing for good and clinging to experiences are self-liberated.
Negative thoughts and confusion purify naturally in ultimate space.
In ordinary mind there is no rejecting and accepting, loss and gain.
May simplicity, the truth of the ultimate essence of everything, be realised.

The true nature of beings is always buddha.
Not realising that, they wander in endless samsara.
For the boundless suffering of sentient beings
May unbearable compassion be conceived in our being.

When the energy of unbearable compassion is unceasing,
In expressions of loving kindness,
the truth of its essential emptiness is nakedly clear.
This unity is the supreme unerring path.
Inseparable from it, may we meditate day and night.

By the power of meditation arise the eyes and supernormal perceptions,
Sentient beings are ripened and buddha fields are perfectly purified,
The aspirations that accomplish the qualities of a buddha are fulfilled.
By bringing these three to utmost fruition-fulfilling,
ripening and purifying-may utmost buddhahood be manifest.

By the power of the compassion of the Victorious Ones of the ten directions
and their sons and daughters,
And by the power of all the pure virtue that exists,
May the pure aspirations of myself and all sentient beings
Be accomplished exactly as we wish.

Seven Point Mind Training

as taught by Choden Rinpoche, at Vajrayana Institute, January 5th & 6th, 2008

1. Preliminaries

Prayer trains our minds, with compassion planted as a seed that ultimately is harvested through all mind realisations. In the same way that water and manure can be added to crops to yield a greater harvest, compassion is the organic growth matter that inspires the deeds of the bodhisattvas. With great compassion harvest continues after Buddhahood is reached, the nectar of compassion is realised in greater peace and joy.

2. Train the Awakening Mind

a) Train the conventional awakening mind

Banish the one to blame for everything,

Meditate on the great kindness of all beings.

Practice a combination of giving and taking.

Giving and taking should be practiced alternately

And you should begin by taking from yourself.

These two should be made to ride on the breath.

Concerning the three objections, the three poisons and three virtues,

The instruction to be followed, in short

Is to be mindful of the practice in general

By taking these words to heart in all activities.

b) Train the ultimate awakening mind

When stability has been attained, hear the secret teaching:

Consider all phenomena as like dreams,

Examine the nature of unborn awareness.

The remedy itself is released in it’s own place

Place the essence of the path on the nature of the basis of all.

In the period between sessions, be a creator of illusions.

3. Transform Adverse Circumstances

When the environment and it’s inhabitants overflow with unwholesomeness,

Transform adverse circumstances into the path of enlightenment.

Apply meditation immediately at every opportunity.

The supreme method is accompanied by the four practices.

Purifying obscurations, accumulating great merit, offering practice to the spirits and offering to the dharma protectors.

4. The Integrated Practice Of A Single Lifetime

In brief, the essence of the instruction is

To train in the five powers

The five powers themselves are Great Vehicles

Precepts on the transference of consciousness

Cultivate these paths of practice.

Determination and motivation, overcoming obstacles to practice, familiarity with extending the self for others, destruction of self cherishing attitudes, devotion through cultivating the habit of prayer.

5. The Measure Of Having Trained The Mind

Integrate all of these teachings into one thought,

Primary importance should be given to the two witnesses

Constantly cultivate only a peaceful mind.

The measure of a trained mind is that it has turned away.

There are five great marks of a trained mind

The trained mind retains control even when distracted.

A great ascetic engaging in lojang, a bodhisattva can bear much hardship for the benefit of other sentient beings, with virtue and freedom from a self cherishing attitude we exhibit great joy and become the ‘bright sun’.

6. The Commitments Of Mind Training

1. Don’t go against the mind training that you have promised to observe,

2. Don’t be reckless in your practice,

3. Don’t be partial, always train in the three general points,

4. Transform your attitude but maintain your natural behaviour,

5. Don’t speak of others incomplete qualities,

6. Don’t concern yourself with the business of others,

7. Train to encounter whichever emotion is the most disturbing,

8. Give up every hope of reward,

9. Avoid poisonous food,

10. Don’t maintain misplaced loyalty,

11. Don’t make sarcastic remarks,

12. Don’t lie in ambush,

13. Don’t strike at the vital point,

14. Don’t burden an ox with the load of a dzo,

15. Don’t abuse the practice,

16. Don’t sprint to win the race,

17. Don’t turn gods into devils,

18. Don’t seek others' misery as a means to happiness.

7. The Precepts of Mind Training

1. Every yoga should be performed as one,

2. All errors are to be amended by one means,

3. There are two activities, at beginning and at end,

4. Whichever occurs, be patient with both,

5. Guard both at the cost of your life,

6. Train in the three difficulties,

7. Seek the three principle causes,

8. Don’t let the three factors weaken,

9. Never be parted from the three possessions,

10. Train consistently without partiality,

11. Value an encompassing and far reaching practice,

12. Train consistently to deal with difficult situations,

13. Don’t rely on other conditions,

14. Engage in the principal practices right now,

15. Don’t apply a wrong understanding,

16. Don’t be sporadic,

17. Practice unflinchingly,

18. Release investigation and analysis,

19. Don’t be boastful,

20. Don’t be short-tempered,

21. Don’t make a short lived attempt,

22. Don’t expect gratitude.