Holy Prayers to Invoke the Divine
When H.E. Tsem Rinpoche was still with us, many people would approach Rinpoche to ask all sorts of questions. One of the most common questions, especially from people who were new to Tibetan Buddhism, was to ask who their personal Buddha-deity was. This is not surprising because Rinpoche was well-known for his ability to accurately divine which of the hundreds of deities in the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon would be the most suitable yidam (meditational deity) for each person according to their individual needs, karma and affinity.
But Rinpoche would go further than just telling you who your yidam was. Out of great compassion, Rinpoche also prescribed mantras, prayers or sadhanas to engage in as a daily practice. However, many prayers and mantras from traditional sources are only meant to be done by people who have received the appropriate initiations from a qualified lama.
However, as some people were not ready to receive formal initiations due to the vows and commitments involved, or for people who had no access to qualified teachers, Rinpoche also composed prayers in English that anyone could recite and practice without needing vows, commitments or initiations. Each of these prayers is a request for a specific blessing or realisation of the teachings that helps practitioners gain attainments and overcome obstacles.
According to one of his official recognition papers, Rinpoche was declared to be a ‘mahasattva’ — a high-level bodhisattva. This means that everything Rinpoche did brought tremendous benefit to sentient beings. Hence, these original prayers that Rinpoche composed are especially potent with blessings, which anyone can tap into via recitation of the prayer.
Rinpoche often said that he did not like to write. But at times, he would feel compelled to compose something, and the words would come out in a smooth flow. Rinpoche also said that he thought in terms of pictures rather than words, so his words would always paint a picture or a portrait. In the case of these prayers, a portrait of the deity.
These precious prayers were originally printed into deity cards which were freely available at our Kechara outlets. This was especially helpful for people who were inviting a Buddha statue or image, so they could begin their practice immediately.
In the past, Rinpoche also compiled a collection of prayers for the average practitioner, which was named the ‘Essence of Bliss.’ The foreword that Rinpoche composed to introduce this compilation is also included here, as it provides a good context for the prayers below.
This teaching is part of the Tsem Rinpoche Wisdom Treasury – the collected works, writings and teachings of H.E. Tsem Rinpoche. To learn more about the project and how you can be a part of it, please click here.
- Foreword
- Lama Tsongkhapa
- Heruka
- Vajrayogini
- Avalokiteshvara
- Green Tara
- Black Dzambala
- White Dzambala
- Yellow Dzambala
Foreword
This Prayer or Sadhana book comes from a lineage going back to Lama Tsongkhapa and even beyond.
Sadhanas literally mean ‘self growth’ and are a formulated set of daily prayers which include meditations, mantras and auspicious prayers. They are a direct way to connect with the Buddhas’ energy and may be used by anyone who wishes to attain the aspects of a particular deity, such as wisdom or compassion. Each deity’s sadhana is appropriate for enlightenment but its respective approach is different and dependent on each individual’s inclination and heaviest delusion. These same prayers have been recited by the Holy Sangha – from the most junior to the most senior – for centuries, and have been very beneficial for anyone who has practiced them.
It is my heartfelt wish that the sincere daily practice of these sadhanas will remove all obstacles to your self realization and may your spiritual practice bring you to the ultimate bliss, Kechara Paradise.
Metta
Tsem Tulku Rinpoche
Spiritual Advisor
Kechara House
Motivation
An SMS by
Tsem Tulku Rinpoche
Great I am not, but I accept
the little that I am.
Knowledgeable I am not,
but strive to learn more.
Dharma realizations sadly none,
but what little I know I apply.
Beneficial I am not, therefore
humility is my friend.
Laziness my loyal companion compels me
to admire my patient Lama.
Effort I know not,
so I salute my protector.
Anger’s my lover, so I entreat the 8 verses,
lust instinctual so I implore the Tantras.
But this beggar Tsem Tulku does fear death
by clutching dearly to his trusty friends, the Three Jewels.
I ask you to do the same…
~ Tsem Tulku of Gaden ~
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Lama Tsongkhapa
(A prayer for blessings, prosperity and hope)
I fold my hands to the Messenger of Peace and great patron saint of Tibet, Lama Tsongkhapa.
I offer my Heart to the One who can bestow great calm of mind,
Avalokiteshvara, whom you embody, Lama Tsongkhapa.
I offer my Speech to the One who can pacify inner and outer strife,
Manjushri, whom you embody, Lama Tsongkhapa.
I offer my Body to the One who can pacify negative inner and outer spirits,
Vajrapani, whom you embody, Lama Tsongkhapa.
In you my Lord Lama Tsongkhapa, bless me to let go of anger and revenge,
bless me to control my speech which is the cause of sufferings and unhappiness,
I ask you to bless my body that it may be used solely to benefit others.
Those who say this prayer remembering your holy qualities –
That you are no other but the embodiment of the three great Bodhisattvas –
May they and myself have our obstacles and unhappiness quelled.
By reciting your holy mantra may we gain uncommon siddhis, realisations,
May our temporal obstacles be pacified and may we gain prosperity.
Mantra: Migmey Tzewey Terchen Chenresig
Drimey Kenpey Wangpo Jampeyyang
Dupung Malu Jomzey Sangwey Dak
Gangchen Kepey Tsugyen Tsongkhapa
Lobsang Drakpey Shabla Solwa Deb.
OM AH RA PA TSA NA DHI
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Heruka
(Complete emptiness with substance)
Glorious Heruka, I use my time, energy and resources to chase after ‘beautiful’ objects of my lust. As a result of my lust I find myself in debt, shame, responsibilities and overwhelmed by a waste of time. When I look back at all my acts I see nothing but wasted energies. Although seeing all these clearly, I still am controlled, propelled and forced by my attractions to form, tactile feelings and their so-called fulfillments. Great King who resides in Shangri-la Mount Kailash and the twenty four holy places in the sub-continent India, enter my mind, my winds, drops, chakras and channels and purify this lustful energy that has arisen from desire and enslaved me for countless lives. Your glorious four faces pervade the four directions. Your twelve arms represent the twelve cycles of life transformed into nirvana. Your glorious embrace of Vajrayogini, the consort of wisdom, graphically shows us your embrace of the one truth – emptiness. Your well-proportioned legs trample upon the highest devas in the samsaric world who offer themselves as your footrest. May I request you to replace them with myself. By reciting prayers and praises to you, Great Maha-Heruka, when the impending time of my death has arrived, please, although I do not deserve it, with damarus, bells, longhorns and cymbals and the chanting of celestial voices, my father Heruka who has dwelled within me yet I have not seen, please manifest outside of me and guide me to the glorious paradise spoken in your tantras called Kechara.
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Vajrayogini
(Tricosmic lady of coral hue)
Computers, internet, TVs, DVDs, dance-clubs, music, fame, stardom, money, alcohol, drinking, playing, games, traveling, working, and yet I am still depressed and bored.
I win, you win, I am wrong, you are right, I have been found out, I have not lost face, I am hidden, I am straight-forward, misunderstood, understood, taken advantage of, cheated, loved, abused and used, forced, compliant, hateful, loving, and so many more emotions I have given, taken and experienced, yet why do I still feel like I am losing?
My mind unsettled, dwelling in depression, absorbed in fear, unable to escape from my lack of self-esteem. Fear of old age, poverty. and extreme loneliness. Regret of a wasted life, I have nothing to look forward to except the cold, lonely stone-like corpse which I have called myself. Is that the purpose of my living? Is that the end, my death? I fear and tremble and avoid, yet I come back to the same fear. Have I distracted myself away from the truth, which is all that is born must die. I have looked high and low for someone who can offer me protection from trembling, shaking, and unable to sleep, insomnic with thoughts of the end which is the fears, distresses, spirits, ghosts and my self-made sufferings in this life. And I am trembling, shaking, and unable to sleep, insomnic with thoughts of the end which is near. Great female Buddha, Goddess, Mother Earth, Rainbow Lady, Buddhadakini, Yogini, adamantine Master, sage, conqueror and the only one in this most horrendous of times I can fully trust, relax and rely upon: bless me that I may practice your profound eleven yoga meditations. Protect me with the results of your generation and completion stage practices. Manifest to me during the day and in dreams at night. Be my teacher, be my guide, be my ‘lover”, be my Goddess, be my friend. Please manifest to me. May I in this life and all future lives be closest to you. May I please you my queen, as your closest servant. Protect me completely as stated in your 8 praises. May I gain all common and uncommon attainments, wealth, protection and guarantee that I will be safe after death. I devote myself to you great Maha-Yogini, the supreme Lady Buddha of coral hue.
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Avalokiteshvara
Blessed principal disciple of Shakyamuni, you hold the complete energies to eradicate unhappiness. Temporary and ultimate unhappiness, destruction, pain, disharmony arise from anger.
Knowing that, I rely upon you who can heal my heart. Bless me to forgive those who have wronged me, to let go of expectations and ill motives and have compassion for those who suffer tremendously.
Your holy single visage denotes one truth – compassion. Your multi-armed forms are a expression of skillful means arising from compassion. All my pains, sorrows, hang-ups, delusions and limitations can be removed and eliminated when I place myself under your gentle and complete care. Let me love, forgive, and accept when I chant the holy six-syllable Mantra which is the essence of your being.
Mantra: OM MANI PEME HUNG
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Green Tara
Mother Tara, if I have the good fortune to be attracted to you, your form, your sound, your Mantra, your presence – it is a clear sign that you are a deity of my previous lives.
I offer my prayers to reconnect with you again. My health, my harmony, my family, my loved ones, my wealth, my sustenance and all that is necessary is in your hands. By thinking of you with great confidence and trust, divine Lady, eradicate the eight fears, inner and outer, in this life and future lives. May I gain the great fortune to come under your compassionate care; to be nurtured and cared for until I gain bodhicitta and the realization of shunyata.
Mother Tara, I invoke upon you. Through your incredible ten-syllable Mantra fulfill my prayers.
Mantra: OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA
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Black Dzambala
Naked, low-born in appearance, unpierced ears, dwarfish, black as bees, you have appeared to subdue, purify and eradicate the most inner and outer poverty-stricken dilemmas. Your three round red eyes, bared fangs, rolled up tongue and a frown frightens away the inner cause of poverty which is miserliness, whilst simultaneously protecting one from seen and unseen thieves.
Supernatural forces with malicious intent scurry into the ten directions at the sight of your ferocious face and effulgent black form. Your right hand holds a skull-cup that contains the essence of enlightenment. Your left captures a mystical wealth mongoose vomiting the fulfillment of our needs in the form of precious gems. You trample the demon of selfishness, miserliness and self-centeredness. Your upward streaming hair is adorned with the eight nagas (wealth-giving beings). You stand proudly amidst a blazing mass of psychic fire that burns all our causes to ill-fate, bad luck, evil omens, fear, magic and poverty.
I surrender and invoke upon you through your mystical words of power.
Mantra: OM DZAMBALA DINDRAYE SOHA
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White Dzambala
Your powerful mantra reminds us that you are an emanation created from Lord Avalokita’s body. You are blessed by the 5 Buddha families. You are surrounded by your four powerful wealth-giving Dakinis. You have 3 eyes and tawny upwards streaming hair and you wear the raiments of a wrathful being. Your right hand brandishes a trident spear that expels obstacles of the three times. Your left clutches a club marked with a gem, eliminating powerful obstacles. You are also adorned with silks and jewel ornaments and ride upon a blue blazing turquoise dragon signifying dominance over all that exists. You are a hero, a fully awakened being and have the capacity to protect and guide me, eradicate even the word poverty and your mystical white body grants bounteous harvest of spiritual attainments.
I fold my hands and enthusiastically reverberate the sounds of your mantra. Keep me under your generous protection, wealth, health and may all auspiciousness arise.
Mantra: OM PADMA KRODHA ARYA DZAMBALA HRIDAYA HUM PHAT
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Yellow Dzambala
I bow down to those who show the path to the awakened ones.
I open my heart and trust and confidence to the awakened ones; the healing methods that they elucidate. I happily incorporate into my life the examples of those beings who walk in the footsteps of the awakened ones.
My business fails, my commitments never end, I can barely cover my bills and I am always under financial duress. It is for this reason I invoke upon.
O Lord of wealth, holder of the Treasure of Jewels, and Lord of the numerous wealth-holding Yakshas, great Lord and Protector of the north, Bestower of Supreme Attainments, I prostrate to you.
I and all living beings, who are under the sufferings of the fire of actions motivated by stinginess, in all rebirths we take refuge in You. With your treasures of jewels and the stream of nectar please pacify the sufferings of poverty of all beings.
Mantra: OM DZAMBALA DZALENDRAYE SOHA
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This teaching is part of the Tsem Rinpoche Wisdom Treasury – the collected works, writings and teachings of H.E. Tsem Rinpoche. To learn more about the project and how you can be a part of it, please click here.
For more interesting information:
- Tara
- What is a Blessing?
- Refuge and the Guru
- Mantras – Holy Words of Power
- How Tantric Deities Bless Us?
- A Stunning Chenrezig Thangka
- The Life Story of Lama Tsongkhapa in art
- 62-Deity Heruka Chakrasamvara Sadhana of the Luipa Tradition
- The Promise – Tsem Rinpoche’s inspiring biography now in ebook format!
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That’s wonderful Rinpoche has composed prayers in English so as everyone could recite and practice. For beginners is such a meaningful insights and perspectives without commitments and initiation. Moreover each prayers is for a specific blessing that helps practitioners to gain attainments and overcome obstacles. Easy and simple for everyone to start off.
We are fortunate that everything Rinpoche did brought tremendous benefit to all sentient beings. Whatever prayers Rinpoche has composed are especially potent with blessings.
Thank you Rinpoche and writers for this sharing.
Simple, short and powerful prayers. Very easy to understand and direct, heartfelt prayers.
Recited the prayers and mantra for blessings. Thank you Rinpoche and Kechara team.
💖💖🙇♀️✨