Mind Training in Eight Verses
Practice Material
No matter where, no matter who,
In no way am I better, I deem.
As for others, in my heart
I hold them humbly in high esteem.
Milarepa's Song to Lady Paldarboom
Practice Material
Ah, Lady Paldarboom
Fortunate and devoted student,
Take the sky as an example,
Practice without any sense of limit or position.
Take the sun and moon as examples,
Practice without any sense of clarity or distortion.
Longchenpa's 30 Pieces of Sincere Advice
Practice Material
You make an effort at practice and become a good and knowledgeable person.
You may even master some particular capabilities.
But whatever you attach to will tie you up.
Be unbiased and know how to let things be – that’s my sincere advice
How I Live The Practice
Practice Material
I wander in the state of no coming or going.
The zombies of appearances of the eight concerns,
The cannibal demons of compliance with social convention,
The sirens of meaningful projects to undertake,
The whole crowd of emotional reactions to anything that arises,
All become my servants and are swept away in the vast ocean of pure being.
Eight Thoughts of Great Individuals
Practice Material
As long as I dwell in the world, may not a single thought of harming others arise in my mind.
May I strive energetically for the welfare of beings, not faltering even for a moment from discouragement or fatigue.
Devotion Pierces My Heart
Practice Material
Even with a free and well-favored birth, I waste this life.
The meaningless activities of conventional life constantly distract me.
When I work at freedom, which is truly important, laziness carries me away.
Because I am turning away from a land of jewels with my hands empty,
Guru, think of me: look upon me quickly with compassion.
Grant me energy to make my life worthwhile.
Daily Bodhisattva Vow
Practice Material
This day my life is fruitful.
I have claimed my human heritage.
Today I am born into the family of the awakened.
Now I am a child of buddha.
From now on I will do only what befits this family.
I will do nothing to disgrace this noble and faultless family.
Dakini Song
Practice Material
When wanting and grasping hold sway
The dakini has you in her power.
Wanting nothing from outside, taking things as they come,
Know the dakini to be your own mind.
Aspirations for Mahamudra
Practice Material
It doesn’t exist: even buddhas do not see it.
It doesn’t not exist: it is the basis of samsara and nirvana.
No contradiction: the middle way is union.
May I know the pure being of mind, free of extremes.
All the Matter in the World
Practice Material
All the matter of the world,
living and not living,
Appear as objects to my eyes.
Let me rest in the appearance of things,
without seeing them as things.
A Shower of Energy
Practice Material
In these ways, all experience, appearance, sound, or thought,
Are signs that point me to know directly the nature of being.
They are solely expressions of my magnificent teacher.
In recollecting your great kindness, I pray to you.
Give me the energy to know directly the nature of all experience.
A Prayer Song to Mother Labkyi Drönma
Practice Material
Whatever appearances of happiness and suffering arise,
Look at their essence and they will spontaneously subside.
This is the mahamudra of making all tastes equal
A Light in the Dark: Dzogchen Pith Instructions from Ju Mipham
Practice Material
Now, as you experience this vague knowing in which there is no thought or movement, look at what knows that this is happening, look at what is mentally or emotionally inert, and rest there. Then you experience an awareness that is free from thought and movement, has no sense of inside or outside, and is utterly clear and transparent, like space. Experience and experiencing are not separate. Yet you are unshakeable about what you are, thinking, “This is all there is!”
37 Practices of a Bodhisattva: Translation of the Original Text
Practice Material
The happiness of the three worlds disappears in a moment,
Like a dewdrop on a blade of grass.
The highest level of freedom is one that never changes.
Aim for this — this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
Traditional Session Prayers
Practice Material
Traditional prayers, refuge, bodhicitta, dedication, for opening and closing daily meditation sessions
