In April 2019, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Longchen Nyingtig empowerments given by HE Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, at Shechen Monastery, Boudha Nepal. I thought in these current times it would be of benefit to publish my translation of a short purification/Vajrasattva text that was handed out during the empowerments, for those who do not read or understand Tibetan, as well as explain the life-force mandala images that were handed out too. For more on the root volumes of the Longchen Nyingtig, see here.
The colophon of this short text states it is from the Great Terma (Terchen) of Karma Lingpa. Karma Lingpa (ka rma ling pa) (1326–1386) was the tertön (revealer) of the Bardo Thodol, the so-called Tibetan Book of the Dead.Tradition holds that he was a reincarnation of Chokro Lü Gyeltsen, a disciple of Padmasambhava.
When he was fifteen years old, he discovered several terma texts on top of Mount Gampodar, including a collection of teachings entitled “Profound Dharma of Self-Liberation through the Intention of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones“(zab-chos zhi khro dgongs pa rang grol, also known as kar-gling zhi-khro), which includes the two texts of bar-do thos-grol, the ”Tibetan Book of the Dead”.
The English translation of this prayer can also be downloaded as a pdf file here. I have not seen any prior English translation of it and used the text that was given to me during the empowerment.
Short Confession Prayer by Karma Lingpa
Not recognising the guru as Buddha
Not realising their instructions as nectar
Underestimating the guru
I confess and repent!
Not recognising one’s mind as Buddha,
Not realising thoughts are the Dharmakaya,
Extracting these from one’s mind,
I confess and repent!
Not recognising one’s body as the deity form,
Not realising the body is the complete mandala;
Positing one’s body as vulgar
I confess and repent!
Not recognising the master as the spiritual friend
Not realising that samaya is a lamp
Competitive jealousy of friends,
I confess and repent!
Not recognising wealth and riches as illusions
Not realising such hoards will be spent
Greed and miserliness for riches
I confess and repent!
Not recognising that dwellings are on loan
Not realising what is built becomes ruins
Clinging to ownership of dwellings
I confess and repent!
Not recognising that wandering about is samsara
Not realising actions arise from karmic obscurations
Lost in going and staying
I confess and repent!
Not recognising that death is definite
Not realising that human life will be exhausted
Postponing practice of Dharma
I confess and repent!
OM, degeneration of vajra body samaya
I confess and repent!
AH, degeneration of lotus speech samaya
I confess and repent!
HUM, the degeneration of perfect mind samaya
I confess and repent!
HRI, the degeneration of the victor’s body, speech and mind samaya
I confess and repent!
OM AH HUM HRI
Then repeat the 100 syllable mantra of Vajrasattva as much as possible.
This from the Terchen of Karma Lingpa is to be done until samsara is completely emptied. May it be virtuous. Sarva Mangalam. May the blessings of Dharma increase.
Translated by Adele Tomlin on the Dakini Day morning of 29th April 2019 while staying in Swayambunath, Nepal.
May it be of benefit!
The translation (with Tibetan script and phonetics can be downloaded here as a .pdf). For an explanation of the meaning of the Vajrasattava 100 syllable mantra by Jetsun Taranatha (in his Kalacakra commentary, One Hundred Blazing Lights) see here.
The Longchen Nyinthig Life-Force Chakra
Also handed out at the Longchen Nyingthig empowerments was this image revealed by Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa called the sogkhor). Sogkhor means ‘life force chakra’. It is for keeping around one’s neck or home for protection and benefit at the time of death. However, the person should also practise the ‘three roots of the longchen nyingthig’ every day too. A downloadable, printable version of it is uploaded here.
For more on the three roots (lama, yidam and dakini) of the Longchen Nyinthig see here.
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