STAIRWAY TO POTALA, SHORT GURU YOGA ON AVALOKITESHVARA by 14th Dalai Lama

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." --Dalai Lama. Introduction Today, as a continuation of the research and translations I have been doing on Avalokiteśvara (see here), I offer a short post on the 'Stairway to Potala: Guru Yoga of Avalokiteśvara', recently transmitted by HH 14th Dalai Lama during a… Continue reading STAIRWAY TO POTALA, SHORT GURU YOGA ON AVALOKITESHVARA by 14th Dalai Lama

 ‘TOWARDS SUPREME ILLUMINATION’: Guru Yoga Texts by 16th Karmapa and translations by the Karmapas’ first female translator, Freda Bedi

“To attain to some understanding of Dharma, some outpouring of energy, spiritual and physical, is required on the part of the aspirant, on our own part.  You are willing to take infinite pains for example to put up a complicated piece of machinery. Or to acquire wealth, position, influence. Work for the Dharma like this.”… Continue reading  ‘TOWARDS SUPREME ILLUMINATION’: Guru Yoga Texts by 16th Karmapa and translations by the Karmapas’ first female translator, Freda Bedi

ANNOUNCEMENT: ‘Yeshe Tshogyel Guru Yoga’ text download and requirements to practice

Yesterday, I posted the first translation of a Yeshe Tshogyel Guru Yoga text by the 15th Karmapa, Khakyab Dorje. However, due to some technical issues, an earlier version of the text was uploaded. For those who have already downloaded the prior version please upload the correct version here. There have also been a few queries… Continue reading ANNOUNCEMENT: ‘Yeshe Tshogyel Guru Yoga’ text download and requirements to practice

NEW TRANSLATION: ‘Yeshe Tsogyel Guru Yoga’ by 15th Karmapa

"You are a fully qualified dakini and the mother who gives life to all triumphant buddhas. Yours is the great force of all buddhas, as the motherly loving protector of all beings of the six realms. My own qualities as Lotus-Born don’t come from me— they come from you." ---Praise of Guru Rinpoche to Yeshe… Continue reading NEW TRANSLATION: ‘Yeshe Tsogyel Guru Yoga’ by 15th Karmapa

‘Embodiment of all the Buddhas’: Twenty-three short Karmapa Guru Yoga texts by the 15th Karmapa

15th Karmapa, Khakyab Dorje For today’s full ‘blue moon’, it is a pleasure to offer the first translation of Embodiment of all the Buddhas Guru Yoga[i] by the 15th Karmapa, Khakyab Dorje, (mkha' khyab rdo rje, 1871/2-1921/2).  This Guru Yoga is in a Collection of Works by the Garland of Karmapas[ii], published in Lhasa, Tibet… Continue reading ‘Embodiment of all the Buddhas’: Twenty-three short Karmapa Guru Yoga texts by the 15th Karmapa

NEW TRANSLATION: ‘Seeing the Face of Karma Pakshi: 2nd Karmapa Guru Yoga’ by Yongey Mingyur Dorje and 15th Karmapa

"Great bliss, dharmadhātu, great binduUnstoppable, creative display of natural-appearanceVajrasattva, KarmapaWith unbroken confidence from my heart, I approach you.Primordial awareness kāya of all the BuddhasArising as a chakra of the illusory magical netMandala of the great-bliss guru.I will reveal here the instructions for approaching." "The final birth of divine son, Mutri, the terton, mahasiddha and vidyadhara,… Continue reading NEW TRANSLATION: ‘Seeing the Face of Karma Pakshi: 2nd Karmapa Guru Yoga’ by Yongey Mingyur Dorje and 15th Karmapa

NEW TRANSLATION: Guru Yoga on Second Karmapa: ‘Naturally-Present Heart Drop’, by Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro

For the full moon today, and the birthday of one of the Karmapa's main heart-sons, HE 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche, I offer this first translation of Naturally-Present Heart Drop[1] a guru yoga on the 2nd Karmapa, Karma Pakshi (1204-1286) by the 2nd Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro (1893-1959). He also composed one for the 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung… Continue reading NEW TRANSLATION: Guru Yoga on Second Karmapa: ‘Naturally-Present Heart Drop’, by Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro

‘A Hundred Blazing Lights’: Tāranātha on the meaning of ‘profound’ and ‘exceptional devotion’ in the ‘profound path of vajra-yogas’

Jetsun Tāranātha As part of the new publication of Tāranātha's root text 'Meaningful to See: Guiding Instructions on the Profound Path of the Vajra-yogas' (and the annotations within it from his longer supplementary commentary, 'A Hundred Blazing Lights' (HBL)), this  post shares his explanation of the term 'profound' (zab mo) and why it is used… Continue reading ‘A Hundred Blazing Lights’: Tāranātha on the meaning of ‘profound’ and ‘exceptional devotion’ in the ‘profound path of vajra-yogas’