Wisdom # 2 – 1984

By His Holiness the Dalai Lama

 

Unfailing when relied upon,

Ocean of the victorious Triple Refuge

And the wisdom of all the Victorious Ones,

Whose epitome is the host of the sole father,

wrathful and peaceful Manjushri,

Possessing the nature of unlimited compassion:

We the unfortunate are without protection,

Please hear our cry of despair

And give us refuge to fulfill our purpose.

 

Lord of the Buddha’s immaculate words (Thubten)

You uphold the teachings of knowledge and Insight, (Lungtog)

Incomparable and victorious in all directions (Namgyal)

You supremely embody enlightened activity (Trinley)

When the teachings of the Buddha and the Father*

Were struck down by the decline of the times

You were the crown ornament of Dharmaholders,

Esteemed impartially by all beings.

* Je Tsongkhapa

 

While recalling your magnificent, stately body, which liberates on sight,

The euphony of your mellifluous voice,

The unshakable character of your profound mind,

My hair stands on end with faith and wonder.

 

How fortunate to have studied at the lotus feet

Of an unchallenged, excellent Spiritual Friend

Master of sutra and tantra’s manifold treasures,

The three higher trainings and the two stages.

Protector, when you enter the state of peace,

Through the dependent arising of beings’ merit and deeds,

As if released from your compassionate care,

Memory of you makes my mind wander.

 

Yet, if the essence of your vast and profound teachings

On the points of the complete path of sutra and tantra

Are applied in earnest with firm faith

Waves of blessings will certainly enter the heart.

 

Thus, by analytical and fixed meditation

On the paths of emptiness and compassion

And attaining the state of the Lama,

May the great purpose of mother sentient beings be achieved

 

Through close familiarity with compassion for eons

The Buddhas do not remain in complacent Peace

Oh, Protector, grant joy to our eyes

Quickly, in a youthful form.

 

The innumerable beings caught in the jungle of suffering and its cause

Are pathetic without a guide to lead them;

Keeping their plight close to your compassionate heart,

Quickly reveal the good form of your Supreme Emanation.

 

In short, we the faithful products of your speech

Are tormented by the effects of the five degenerations,

Please let the light of your physical form

Dawn as our sole refuge and support.

 

Further, through much listening, enthusiastic practice and so on,

The qualities of the Holy Ones are completed,

May the conditions prevail for you to perpetuate

The supreme deeds of your predecessor.

 

Oceans of oathbound protectors of Dharma,

Allied by commitments from distant time,

Please act at all times to fulfill

Al the wishes of the glorious Lama.

 

By the force of the steadfast reality of appearance and emptiness

And the power of the Triple Gem’s blessings and the fruit of truth

And the strength of our own pure intentions,

May the purpose of these prayers be fully achieved.

 

Colophon. The pervading lord of the ocean of mandalas and buddha families, the ninety-seventh successor of the second Buddha (Jamgon Tsongkhapa) Yongdzin Lingtrul Dorjechang, (whose very name I have difficulty in expressing), my esteemed Abbot, Jetzun Thupten Lungtog Namgyal Trinley Palzangpo withdrew his thoughts into the dharmadhatu for the time being, as his disciples’ connection with his actual presence through karma and prayer reached a conclusion.

The manager and staff of Ling Labrang, the Tibetan Council for Religious Affairs, the Lachi administrations of Drepung, Sera and Ganden monasteries, Tashi Lhunpo, the Upper and Lower Tantric monasteries and many others; as well as incarnate lamas, geshes, officials of the Tibetan government and members of the monastic community and laity, both privately and in groups, have made offerings and requested me to write an appeal for the swift return of the Supreme Incarnate Emanation of the Yongdzin Dorjechang.

He took primary responsibility for my care and up-bringing as my tutor from the age of six. He taught me reading and memorization of prayers and trained me from elementary logic through the complete study of the five great treatises. He also gave me bhikshu ordination, bodhichitta vows, tantric initiations and explanations of tantric texts, as well as other common branches of knowledge such as Sanskrit and poetry. Due to his skillful care and guidance of my everyday behavior and so forth, human qualities are complete in me now and I have barely joined the ranks of religious practitioners; this I attribute solely to his kindness.

Now, when I can meditate only on the aspects of his body, speech and mind in my mental stream while recalling his kindness in accordance with the confidence and trust that my Lama Dorjechang placed in me, I renew my resolve to serve the Dharma and all beings in general. In particular, at my heart I reaffirm the commitment and vow never to be lax in my thoughts or deeds to accomplish the immediate and ultimate aims of the people of the Land of Snow.

Therefore, may I quickly behold the pleasant face of his supreme emanation. May I be cared for by my Lama Dorjechang in all my lives. With powerful prayers of dedicated intention to complete the dual purpose of others and self, his respectful disciple, Shakya Bhikshu Tenzin Gyatso, makes these requests with deepest faith and devotion.

Tags: his holiness the dalai lama, kyabje ling rinpoche, poetry