The Kagyu Monlam Book

A Compilation for Recitation

བཀའ་བརྒྱུད་སྨོན་ལམ་ཆེན་མོའི་ཞལ་འདོན་ཕྱོགས་སྒྲིག །

Seventeenth Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje

Translation: Kagyu Monlam Translation Team

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Print edition: Kagyu Monlam Souvenir Shop in Bodhgaya

English

Prayer Books

Kagyu Monlam

updated
2020-04-27

Every year thousands of people, ordained and lay, come to Bodh Gaya to participate in the Kagyu Monlam. With the intention of promoting peace in the world, they come to practice together for a week in the place where the Buddha achieved full awakening. Since 2004 the Gyalwang Karmapa has presided over the Monlam. He explains, “Central to the Monlam—what gives it power and plants the seeds of future results—is the recitation of aspirations and prayers…. Reciting words of the Dharma has the power to refine one’s visualization and train one’s mind.”

Though the Kagyu Monlam belongs fully to the contemporary world, its roots lie in 15th-century Tibet, where the 7th Karmapa, Chödrak Gyatso, established the tradition of great prayer gatherings. They were based on a text that he compiled, called the Twenty-Branch Monlam. With his nonsectarian vision, the present Seventeenth Karmapa has expanded this text to include prayers from all Tibetan traditions, and in particular, all Kagyu schools as well as many daily practices, such as supplications to Guru Rinpoche, the 21 Praises of Tara, and prayers for rebirth in the pure realm of Amitabha. In describing his vision for the practice, the Karmapa wrote: “I make the aspiration that when you recite this during the Monlam, each word may first arise in your heart and then emerge from your mouth. I pray that every letter and syllable become a golden image and that every word fill the entire world. Like the light of the sun, moon, and stars, may love, compassion, and wisdom shine forth.”

The ebook contains images featuring Kagyu Monlam in Bodhgaya as well as links and print edition page numbers that will be useful during the Kagyu Monlam and other prayer festivals: Watch video.

FRONT MATTER

Cover
Copyright
Using this Ebook
Contents
Preface

DAILY OBSERVANCES

The Ritual of Mahayana Sojong
The Three Daily Observances in Sanskrit
The Sutra of the Recollection of the Three Jewels
The Sutra of the Heart of Transcendent Wisdom
Three Daily Observances
The Sutra of the Recollection of the Three Jewels
The Heart Sutra

THE TWENTY-BRANCH MONLAM

Refuge and Bodhichitta
I. THE BRANCH OF BLESSING THE GROUND
II. THE BRANCH OF BLESSING THE PALACE
III. THE BRANCH OF BLESSING THE OFFERINGS
IV. THE BRANCH OF INVITATION
V. THE BRANCH OF WELCOME
VI. THE BRANCH OF ABLUTION
VII. THE BRANCH OF DRYING THEIR BODIES
VIII. THE BRANCH OF OFFERING CLOTHES AND ADORNMENTS
IX. THE BRANCH OF OFFERING ANOINTMENT
X. XI. THE BRANCHES OF PROSTRATION AND PRAISE
Praises from The Sutra of Ornamental Appearances
Praises from The Sutra Requested by Noble Rashtrapala
Praises from The Ornament of the Sutras
Prostrations to the Hundred Lives
The Praise of the Twelve Deeds
XII. THE BRANCH OF OFFERINGS
Offerings from The Dharani of the Lamp of the Three Jewels
Offerings from The Way of the Bodhisattva
XIII. THE BRANCH OF THE CONFESSION OF WRONGDOING
The Sutra in Three Sections
The Confession from The Light of Gold Sutra
XIV. THE BRANCH OF GENERATING BODHICHITTA
XV. THE BRANCH OF REJOICING
XVI. THE BRANCH OF SUPPLICATING TO TURN THE WHEEL OF DHARMA
XVII. THE BRANCH OF SUPPLICATING TO REMAIN
XVIII. THE BRANCH OF THE DEDICATION OF ROOTS OF VIRTUE
The Dedication from The Dedication of the Vajra Victory Banner
The Dedication from The Light of Gold Sutra
The Aspiration from The Ratnāvalī
XIX. THE BRANCH OF ASPIRATIONS
The King of Aspirations: The Noble Aspiration for Excellent Conduct
Maitreya’s Aspiration
The Aspiration from The Way of the Bodhisattva
The Sukhavati Prayer “I prostrate with respect”
The Great Aspiration
Dedications for the Living and Deceased
The Dharani for the Fulfillment of Aspirations
The Dharma Blaze Aspiration
The Indestructible Garland of Vajras
XX. THE BRANCH OF AUSPICIOUSNESS
Auspicious Prayers from The Vinaya Topics
The Auspiciousness of the Twelve Deeds
Verses on Joy and Goodness from The Sutra Requested by a God
The Offering of the Eight Auspicious Substances
The Offering of the Seven Articles of Royalty
The Offering of the Eight Marks of Auspiciousness
Lord Marpa’s Song of Auspiciousness
The Auspiciousness of the Great Encampment
The Aspiration “The One Who Taught the Truth…”

A COLLECTION OF PRAISES OF THE BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS

A Praise of Manjushri
Bhikshuni Lakshmi’s Praise of Noble Avalokiteshvara
Brahma’s Crown: A Praise of Maitreya
The Praise “Beautiful Ornament of the Earth”
Praise of Shri Samantabhandra with Aspirations
Praise of the Six Ornaments and Two Great Beings
Supplication of the Twenty-Five Chariots
The Short Vajradhara Lineage Prayer
A Supplication to the Lineage of the Bodhisattva Vow

AVERTING NEGATIVE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR BEINGS AND THE TEACHINGS

Praises of the Twenty-One Taras
The Seven Protections
The Crown Jewel of the Wise
Praise of White Tara
The Light of Blessing: A Praise of the Goddess Sarasvati
The Seven-Line Prayer of Guru Rinpoche
The Supplication Clearing the Path of Obstacles
The Supplication Spontaneous Fulfillment of Wishes

ASPIRATIONS AND DEDICATIONS THAT DIRECT VIRTUE TO AWAKENING

An Aspiration for the Accomplishment of True Words
Joy and Comfort for Beings
The Aspiration to the Stages of the Path
An Aspiration for the Dharma of the Shangpa Kagyu
The Thirty Aspirations
The Aspiration of the Mahamudra of Definitive Meaning
The Aspiration of Avalokita
The Twenty Aspirations of the Great Taklungthangpa
The Aspiration of Trophu Lotsawa Called “Many Jewels”
Yelpa’s Aspiration
The Aspiration “The Wish-fulfilling Jewel”
An Aspiration for the Seven Spiritual Trainings
The Barom Aspiration
Pakmodrupa’s Aspiration for the End of Sessions
The Tsalpa Aspiration
The Uncommon Dedication and Aspiration
Milarepa’s Aspiration
An Aspiration for the Well-Being of Tibet

ASPIRATIONS THAT DECSCRIBE THE PURE REALMS TO THE EAST AND WEST

An Aspiration for Birth in the Realm of Abhirati
An Aspiration for Birth in the Pure Realm of Sukhavati
Short Aspirations for rebirth in Sukhavati

NECESSARY RITUALS FOR THE GREAT MONLAM

Prostrations and Offerings to the Sixteen Arhats
Brief Offerings to the Protectors Bernakchen and Palden Lhamo
Hastening Activity: Dedicating Tormas to the Three Roots and Protectors

DHARANI SUTRAS OF THE BHAGAVAN AKSHOBHYA

The Dharani that Thoroughly Purifies all Karmic Obscurations
The Sutra of the Dharani that Thoroughly Liberates from Suffering

OFFERINGS TO THE MEDICINE BUDDHA

A Concise Ritual of Offering to the Seven Tathagatas

OFFERINGS TO THE GURUS ACCORDING TO THE SUTRA VEHICLE

A Ritual of Offerings to the Gurus

LONG LIFE PRAYERS

A Wondrous Vase of Deathless Amrita: A Long Life Prayer for H.H. the XIV Dalai Lama, the Supreme Guide of Gods and Humans
Spontaneous Fulfillment of Our Wishes: A Long Life Prayer for H.H. the XVII Karmapa, Tendzin Kunkhyap Wang gi Dorje
A Prayer for the Long Lives of the Kagyu Gurus
A Prayer for Long Lives of the Seven Masters and Disciples of the Karma Kamtsang

TEXTS TO RECITE AT TEACHINGS DURING THE GREAT MONLAM

Mandala Offerings with the Thirty-Seven Features
The Aspiration for the Teachings to Flourish “Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and four times…”

THE MARME MONLAM

The Meditation on the Great Compassionate One: Benefitting Beings Throughout Space
The Lamp Prayer

APPENDIX

Printed-book Page Numbers