Amitayus: The Simple Way To Do The Long Life Meditation of
Amitayus: The Simple Way To Do The Long Life Meditation of
Amitayus
Long Life Amitayus Meditation So all these negative karmas, diseases, and so on in the form of dirty liquid, scorpions, etc., all fall into the mouth of the Lord of Death. When they enter his mouth, they becomes nectar. He then closes his mouth, which is sealed with a golden double vajra so that it becomes impossible to open. Then the Lord of Death returns to his own place, very far away, from where it is impossible to return, and the earth closes up. Feel that your body has become like crystal. Everything has been purified. All the obscurations and negative karmas have completely gone. Your body is in the nature of light. Calm and clear. Concentrate on this with strong conviction. This is a particular meditation technique for long life.
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FPMT Education Department P. O. Box 888 Taos, New Mexico 87571 USA Tel: 1 (505) 758-7766 Fax: 1 (505) 758-7765 Email: [email protected] www.fpmt.org/shop
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Practice requirements
No empowerment is required to do this practice.
This text has been translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Thubten Gyurme (Bill Kane), endlessly typed by Ven. Paul at Land of Medicine Buddha, July 1994. Some practice additions had also been made to the original text by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The practice has been lightly edited for publication by Ven. Constance Miller, FPMT Education Department, in August 2002 for the students and centers of the FPMT. All errors are the fault of the editor. Revised in December 2004 by Kendall Magnussen, FPMT Education Services based on new information provided by Ven. Holly Ansett in July 2004.
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The Preliminaries
Going for Refuge and Generating the Enlightenment Mind
I go for refuge until I am enlightened To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly. By my practice of giving and other perfections, May I become a buddha to benefit all sentient beings. (3x) Sang gy chh dang tshog kyi chhog nam la Jang chhub bar du dag ni kyab su chhi Dag gi jin sog gyi pa di dag gi Dro la phn chhir sang gy drub par shog (3x)
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How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings had happiness and the causes of happiness. May they have happiness and its causes. I myself will cause them to have happiness and its causes. Please, guru-buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May they be free from suffering and its causes. I myself will cause them to be free from suffering and its causes. Please, guru-buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were never separated from the happiness of higher rebirth and liberation. May they never be separated from these. I myself will cause them never to be separated from these. Please, guru-deity, bless me to be able to do this.
Offering Prayer
May human and divine offerings, Actually arranged and mentally created, Clouds of finest Samantabhadra offerings, Fill the entire space.
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Multiplying Mantras
To increase by 100,000 times the merit created, recite these special mantras at the end of the session:
CHOM DN D DE ZHIN SHEG PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG PAR DZOG PI SANG GY NAM PAR NANG DZ KYI GYL PO LA CHHAG TSHL LO (1x or 3x) JANG CHHUB SEM PA SEM PA CHHEN PO KN TU ZANG PO LA CHHAG TSHL LO (1x or 3x) TADYATHA [OM] PNCHA GRIYA AVA BODHANI SVAHA OM DHURU DHURU JAYA MUKHE SVAHA (7x)
Generating Bodhichitta
The purpose of long life is to free all sentient beings from suffering and lead them into peerless happiness and full enlightenment, therefore I must achieve enlightenment. May I achieve enlightenment quickly and more quickly in order to liberate the sentient beings from all their sufferings and obscurations. In order to offer service to sentient beings and to the teachings of the Buddha, I am going to practice the long life meditation of Amitayus. Also I am going to do this practice for the long lives of my virtuous friends and the holy beings who are benefiting sentient beings; for the long lives of the Sangha, who preserve the Dharma; for the long lives of the benefactors who sponsor the Sangha and the teachings of the Buddha; for the long lives of the Dharma practitioners, students, and so forth; for the long lives of all those who live in the moralities, those who are ordained, lay, and Christian monks and nuns those of other religions, and so forth; for the long lives of those who create more benefit for sentient beings and who cause less harm; for the long lives of all those who have life obstacles such as cancer, AIDS, and so forth; for the long life of anyone for whom it is more beneficial for them to live than to die; and also in order to purify all sentient beings.
To actualize all our prayers as well as to multiply the benefits by 100,000: CHOM DN D DE ZHIN SHEG PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG PAR DZOG PI SANG GY NGO WA DANG MN LAM [THAM CH RAB TU] DU P GYL PO LA CHHAG TSHL LO (1x or 3x)
Due to the power of the blessings of the eminent buddhas and bodhisattvas, the power of infallible dependent arising, and the power of my pure special attitude, may all my pure prayers succeed immediately.
Long Life Amitayus Meditation to the Dharma; and may all their actions become most pleasing to the holy mind of the virtuous friends. Also, may all the individual students be healthy and have long lives, and may all their wishes succeed immediately according to the Dharma.
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Seven-limb Prayer
Reverently, I prostrate with my body, speech, and mind; I present clouds of every type of offering, actual and imagined; I declare all my negative actions accumulated since beginningless time And rejoice in the merit of all holy and ordinary beings. Please, remain until the end of cyclic existence And turn the wheel of Dharma for living beings. I dedicate my own merits and those of all others to the great enlightenment.
Now recite the mantras to multiply the merits on the following page:
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Due to the merits of the three times created by myself, the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings all these virtues we have created we dedicate as causes enabling us to uphold the holy Dharma of scriptures and insights, and to fulfill without exception the prayers and deeds of all the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the three times. By the force of this merit in all our lives May we never be parted from Mahayanas four spheres And may we reach the end of our journey along the paths Of renunciation, bodhichitta, the pure view, and the two stages. Due to the past, present, and future merits of myself, the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, which are empty from their own side, may I, who am empty from my own side, achieve Guru Amitayus enlightenment, which is empty from its own side; and lead each and every living being, who are empty from their own side, into that enlightened state, by myself alone. Due to the past, present, and future merits of myself, the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may I, my family members, students, and all sentient beings be able to meet the complete teaching of the Complete Pure Victorious One (Lama Tsongkhapa), which includes pure morality, the brave heart that performs the extensive bodhisattvas deeds, and the yoga of the two stages which is supreme bliss and voidness. May we meet with these teachings without even a seconds delay. Due to the past, present, and future merits of myself, the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may all the general works of the FPMT and the invidicual meditation centers that are benefitting others succeed immediately and receive immediately all the necessary conditions for that. May the become wish-fulfilling gems for all sentient beings to pacify their problems and achieve happiness. May the students of this organization, who have sacrificed their lives to serve other sentient beings and theachings of the Buddha with much hardship, have long and healthy lives; may all thei wishes succeed immediately according
Below Amitayus are my gurus, all holy beings, and the Sangha. In front of them are my parents and enemies; to the left, students and attendants; to the right, relatives and friends; and behind, all strangers. Surrounding them all are the benefactors who sponsor the Sangha and the teachings of the Buddha, Dharma practitioners, students, and all those who live in morality, those ordained, lay, Christian monks and nuns and those of other religions as well. (If there is one specific person for whose long life you want to pray, they are directly under Amitayus.) Inside the implement vase of Amitayus there is a moon disc. Above this is a red HRIH surrounded by the heart mantra and the long mantra.
While reciting the mantra, do the following visualizations:
Long Life Amitayus Meditation Due to all the merit accumulated in the three times by myself and others, May those beings who merely see, hear, remember, touch, or talk to me Be freed in that very second from all their sufferings And abide in happiness forever. May the lives of the glorious gurus be long. May all beings equaling the extent of space have happiness. May I and others without exception accumulate merit and purify negativities, And may we be blessed to quickly attain buddhahood.
Then, recite one of the following two verses related to guru devotion:
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the four elements and of the life and fortune of all sentient beings, all the perfections of the three realms, and the blessings of the holy body, speech, and mind of all the victorious ones and bodhisattvas are drawn back in the form of beams of nectar. These are absorbed into the mantra garlands.
As you continue to recite the mantra, visualize the following:
From the vase in the lap of Amitayus, white nectar of immortality overflows and enters into my central channel through my crown. My entire body is filled with nectar, all the stains are purified, and I achieve the realization of immortal life. All the holy bodies of all the virtuous friends are filled with long lifenectar. Their holy bodies become like a crystal glass filled with milk.
Think that their holy lives are stabilized to live long. (The stains of the gurus to be purified are sentient beings superstitions.) Perform the same visualization for all the other holy beings, the Sangha, and those who you wish to have long life.
Long Mantra
NAMO RATNA TRA YAYA / OM NAMO BHAGAVATE / APARIMITA AYUR JANA / SUPINISH CHITATAYE / JORA JAYA / TATHAGATAYA / ARHATE SAMYAK SAM BUDDHAYA / TAD YA THA / OM PUNYE PUNYE / MAHA PUNYE / APARIMITA PUNYE / AYU PUNYE / MAHA PUNYE / AYUR JANA / SARVA RUPA SIDDHI / AYUR JANA / KE CHE BHRUM / OM BHRUM / AH BHRUM / SVA BHRUM / HA BHRUM / CHE BHRUM / OM SARVA SAMSKARA / PARI SHUDDHA DHARMATE / GAGANA SAMUDGATE / SVABHAVA VISHUDDHE / MAHA NAYA PARIVARA YE SVAHA
Due to all the merits of the three times accumulated by myself, the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may we not arise heresy even for a second in the actions of the glorious guru. May we regard whatever actions are done as pure. [With this devotion] may we receive the blessings of the guru in our hearts.
or:
Due to all the merits of the three times accumulated by myself, the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, please bless me to see that every supreme and mundane attainment follows solely upon pure devotion to you, my savior. Seeing this may I give up my body and even my life, and please bless me to practice what will only please you.
Then continue to dedicate with:
Heart Mantra
OM AMARANI JIVAN TIYE SVAHA
My entire body is filled with immortal nectar. All diseases, spirit harms, negative karmas, and obscurations are purified. By the nectar absorbing into my body and mind, I achieve the realization of immortality. In the same way, all sentient beings that I visualized previously are also
Due to the merits of the three times created by myself, the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may I, my family members, all the students and benefactors of the organization, and all sentient beings be able to meet perfectly qualified Mahayana virtuous friends in all our future lives. From our side may we always see them as enlightened and always perform only actions most pleasing to their holy minds. May we always fulfill their holy wishes instantly.
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Long Life Amitayus Meditation purified. Also, the life force, merits, wisdom, and qualities of scriptural understanding and realization are fully developed within me and in the minds of all sentient beings. My mind becomes completely pure like crystal.
Dedication Prayers
Due to the merit of doing this meditation and reciting the mantra, may I be able to become, without even a minutes delay, the perfect guide, the Infinite Life Buddha Amitayus, and bring every sentient being to the fully enlightened state of Amitayus. Due to these merits, whenever death happens, may I and all sentient beings be able to clearly see the Buddha Amitayus and quickly achieve undying realization. When seeing signs of untimely death, In that second may I see Protector Amitayus, And, by that, conquering the power of the Lord of Death, May I quickly attain the state of an immortal wisdom holder! May the supreme jewel bodhichitta That has not arisen, arise and grow; And may that which has arisen not diminish But increase more and more. Whatever suffering sentient beings experience, May it ripen on me. Whatever merit and its resulting happiness I have accumulated, May others experience it.
Meditate on making charity of your own body, speech, mind, possessions, and merits of the three times, together with all their resulting happiness including enlightnement, to every hell being, preta being, animal being, and so forth to all sentient beings.
Because of these merits may my actions never cause Even the slightest harm to any sentient being. Instead, may they bring only the greatest of benefit. Whatever suffering or happy life I experience, May it be only of the greatest benefit to others, Causing them to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.
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Long Life Amitayus Meditation At that time, the basis of accomplishing the two attainments Is keeping pure vows and samaya. As I have become firmly convinced of this, Please bless me to protect these vows and pledges like my life. Then, having realized the importance of the two stages, The essence of the Vajrayana, By practicing with great energy, never giving up the four sessions, Please bless me to realize the teachings of the holy guru. Like that, may the gurus who show the noble path And the spiritual friends who practice it have long lives. Please bless me to pacify completely All outer and inner hindrances. In all my lives, never separated from perfect gurus, May I enjoy the magnificent Dharma. By completing the qualities of the stages and paths, May I quickly attain the state of Vajradhara.
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Finding firm and definite conviction in this, Please bless me always to be careful To abandon even the slightest negativities And accomplish all virtuous deeds. Seeking samsaric pleasures is the door to all suffering: They are uncertain and cannot be relied upon. Recognizing these shortcomings, Please bless me to generate the strong wish for the bliss of liberation. Led by this pure thought, Mindfulness, alertness, and great caution arise. The root of the teachings is keeping the pratimoksha vows: Please bless me to accomplish this essential practice. Just as I have fallen into the sea of samsara, So have all mother migratory beings. Please bless me to see this, train in supreme bodhichitta, And bear the responsibility of freeing migratory beings. Even if I develop only bodhichitta, but I dont practice the three types of morality, I will not achieve enlightenment. With my clear recognition of this, Please bless me to practice the bodhisattva vows with great energy. Once I have pacified distractions to wrong objects And correctly analyzed the meaning of reality, Please bless me to generate quickly within my mindstream The unified path of calm abiding and special insight. Having become a pure vessel by training in the general path, Please bless me to enter The holy gateway of the fortunate ones: The supreme vajra vehicle.
Amitayus is pleased with you for directing your life towards enlightenmnet for all sentient beings. He melts into light and absorbs into the center of your two eyebrows and blesses your body, speech, and mind.
Praise
Amitayus, principle guide for this world, Destroyer of all untimely death, Refuge for all who suffer without a protector, Homage to Buddha Amitayus.