The Preliminary Practice of Prostrations eBook
By FPMT
()
About this ebook
Prostrations to the Thirty-five (35) Confession Buddhas with recitation of the "Bodhisattva's Confession of Moral Downfalls" from the Sutra of Three Heaps, is one of the most powerful methods available to purify harmful actions we have done in the past. By doing this practice mindfully, we can prevent unwanted sufferings from occurring in the future. In addition, this practice clears away obstacles to our practice and opens the mind to gain realizations on the path. It is said that if you do this practice first thing in the morning, all your other prayers and activities of the day will be empowered.
This recently revised version contains new extensive commentary on the practice by Lama Zopa Rinpoche (from the Lama Tsongkhapa retreat in 2004), as well as teachings on karma, options for extended practice, and instructions on how to complete a 100,000 prostration retreat.
Contents Include:
- The Practice of Prostrations to the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas
- Putting and End to Suffering: A Teaching on Karma by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
- The Benefits of Making Prostrations
- Commentary on the Practice of Prostrations to the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
- Options for Practice
- Guidelines for Completing the Preliminary Practice of 100,000 Prostrations to the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas
- Appendix: How to make Prostrations
- Helpful Resources
"There is so much hope in our lives. Our lives are so full of opportunity. It is so easy to purify, so easy to become free from samsara and achieve enlightenment. Even with just prostration, we can achieve all of this." - Lama Zopa Rinpoche
2011 Edition.
FPMT
The FPMT is an organization devoted to preserving and spreading Mahayana Buddhism worldwide by creating opportunities to listen, reflect, meditate, practice and actualize the unmistaken teachings of the Buddha and based on that experience spreading the Dharma to sentient beings. We provide integrated education through which people’s minds and hearts can be transformed into their highest potential for the benefit of others, inspired by an attitude of universal responsibility and service. We are committed to creating harmonious environments and helping all beings develop their full potential of infinite wisdom and compassion. Our organization is based on the Buddhist tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa of Tibet as taught to us by our founder, Lama Thubten Yeshe and our spiritual director, Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.
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The Preliminary Practice of Prostrations eBook - FPMT
The Practice of Prostrations to the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas
How to Meditate Before the Practice
The purpose of my life is to free the numberless sentient beings who are the source of all my past, present, and future happiness, temporary as well as ultimate happiness - including all the realizations of the path, liberation from samsara, and enlightenment - from all the oceans of samsaric suffering, including the causes: delusion and karma. In order to do this, I must achieve full enlightenment. Therefore, I need to actualize the path. Therefore, I need to purify the defilements.
If I were now born in hell, it would be so unbearable. Even one tiny fire spark on my body is hundreds of thousands of times hotter than the whole entire fire energy in this world. It is so unbearable that experiencing it for even an instant is like suffering for many eons. I have created numberless causes to be born in the hell realms by creating the ten non-virtuous actions countless times in this and beginningless past lives. I have created numberless causes to be born in the hell realms by breaking the pratimoksha vows, by breaking the bodhisattva vows, and by breaking the tantric vows countless times in this and beginningless past lives. And I have created numberless causes to be born in the hells by creating the heaviest negative karma in relationship with the holy virtuous friend, which includes harming the holy body, breaking the advice, disturbing the holy mind, having non-devotional thoughts, and rising heresy and anger, which produce the greatest obstacles to achieve realizations and create the greatest suffering.
Every single one of these negative actions has four suffering results: the ripening result (a rebirth in the lower realms), the possessed result (the type of environment I'm born into when again a human), the result similar to the cause in my experience, and the worst one, the result similar to the cause in my actions, which means that again and again I am driven to create the same negative actions in the future, and so again and again I have to experience the four suffering results. In this way, samsara has no end.
Not only that, but karma increases, so from even a small negative action can come huge suffering results. And karma is definite to be experienced, so every negative action I have created will definitely bring its result, no matter how long it takes, until it is purified. So from one negative karma, I have to experience the result over and over again for so many hundreds of life times. Understanding this, how can I stand to live life without purifying myself and getting rid of all these negative karmas, just as I would try to get rid of a deadly poison in my body?
Not only that, but I'm going to die, and death can come even today, any moment. Therefore, I must purify all my negative actions right this second. In order to do that, I am going to do these prostrations with the practice of confessing downfalls, and I'm going to do this so that I can develop myself in order to work for the happiness of all sentient beings.
Visualization
How to Meditate During the Practice
Now imagine that you emanate numberless bodies, and that as you prostrate, all these bodies prostrate along with you from all directions, covering every atom of the earth.
Now recite the increasing mantras, refuge verse, and the Confession of Downfalls to the Thirty-Five Buddhas, repeating each buddha's name over and over as many times as you can with each prostration. It is the recitation of the name of each buddha that brings the purification, so there is a big difference when you recite just a few times or many. Even if you do the recitation by listening to a recording, still recite the name yourself as much as you can. Either recite the prayer three times straight through making one prostration to each buddha each time, or do three prostrations to each buddha as you go through the prayer once. At the end, recite the names of the Medicine Buddhas. This can be followed by Vajrasattva mantra and the Po Praise to Chenrezig, according to time [see Options for Practice]. Then recite the Confession Prayer, followed by the General Confession.
Reciting the Names of the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas
First, recite the mantras for multiplying the merit of making prostrations:
OM NAMO MANJUSHRIYE / NAMAH SUSHRIYE / NAMA UTTAMA SHRIYE SVAHA (3x)
CHOM DÄN DÄ DE ZHIN SHEG PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG PAR DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ RINCHHEN GYÄLTSHÄN LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO (7x)
OM NAMO BHAGAVATE RATNA KETU RAJAYA / TATHAGATAYA / ARHATE SAMYAK SAMBUDDHAYA / TADYATHA / OM RATNE RATNE MAHA RATNE RATNA BIJA YE SVAHA (7x)
NA MO JANG CHHUB SEM PÄI TUNG WA SHAG PA
Homage to the Confession of the Bodhisattva's Downfalls!
DAG [MING] DI ZHE GYI WA / DÜ TAG TU LA MA LA KYAB SU CHHI WO
I, (say your name) throughout all times, take refuge in the Guru;
SANG GYÄ LA KYAB SU CHHI WO
I take refuge in the Buddha;
CHHÖ LA KYAB SU CHHI WO
I take refuge in the Dharma;
GE DÜN LA KYAB SU CHHI WO (3x)
I take refuge in the Sangha. (3x)
TÖN PA CHOM DÄN DÄ DE ZHIN SHEG PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG PAR DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ PÄL GYÄL WA SHA KYA THUB PA LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To the founder, bhagavan, tathagata, arhat, perfectly completed buddha, glorious conqueror Shakyamuni Buddha, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA DOR JE NYING PÖ RAB TU JOM PA LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Thoroughly Destroying with Vajra Essence, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA RIN CHHEN Ö THRÖ LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Radiant Jewel, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA LU WANG GI GYÄL PO LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata King, Lord of the Nagas, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA PA WÖI DE LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Army of Heroes, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA PÄL GYE LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Delighted Hero, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA RIN CHHEN ME LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Jewel Fire, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA RIN CHHEN DA Ö LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Jewel Moonlight, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA TONG WA DÖN YÖ LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Meaningful to See, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA RIN CHHEN DA WA LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Jewel Moon, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA DRI MA ME PA LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Stainless One, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA PÄ JIN LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Bestowed with Courage, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA TSHANG PA LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Pure One, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA TSHANG PÄ JIN LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Bestowed with Purity, I prostrate.
DE ZHIN SHEG PA CHHU LHA LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To Tathagata Water God, I prostrate.
DE