Teacher-Union Prayer

Practice Material

Treasured teacher, I pray to you.
Grant me energy for belief in self to fall away.
Grant me energy to see through life’s illusions.

Profile portrait of an old man wearing a striped, woolen scarf and gazing into the distance.

Ever-Present Good’s Prayer of Intention

Practice Material

Through my awakened intention
When strong aversion arises
In any being in the six states,
May they let it be, without doing anything with it.
As awareness finds its own place,
May they attain the pristine awareness of clarity.

Tibetan-style thangka of a blue deity, Samantabhadra, embracing a consort, framed by a patterned halo.

The Short Vajradhara Prayer

Practice Material

The essence of thought is what is, it is taught.
To this meditator who arises as an unceasing play,
Being nothing at all, but arising as anything,
Grant me energy to know that samsara and nirvana are not separate.

Close-up of a golden statue of Vajradhara with downcast eyes, intricate crown, and turquoise and coral inlays.

The Ship of Freedom

Practice Material

May the evil, confusion, and misery in other sentient beings
Come into me; may I experience the pain.
Because I experience that pain, may all sentient beings
Never again experience any misery, evil, or confusion.

Black-and-white photograph of Kalu Rinpoche in in traditional Tibetan robes.

Recognizing Mind as the Guru

Practice Material

Because of your great compassion,
Every being is originally placed in full awakening.
Because of your powerful actions,
You engage and master everything in samsara and nirvana.

Traditional Tibetan thangka painting of a Kyergongpa seated on a lotus throne, making the teaching mudra, surrounded by a halo.

Ganges Mahamudra

Practice Material

What joy!
Samsaric ways are senseless:
they are the seeds of suffering.
Conventional ways are pointless.
Focus on what is sound and true.
Majestic outlook is beyond all fixation.
Majestic practice is no distraction.
Majestic behavior is no action or effort.
The fruition is there when you are free from hope and fear.

Tibetan thangka painting depicting Tilopa riding a mythical creature over waves, holding symbolic implements.

Opening a Path to the Sea of Awakening Mind

Practice Material

I and all beings, in their infinities,
Whether demonic, crippling or alien,
Are, in the end, the same in emptiness.
Confused is the person who takes what is empty as real.

Waves breaking against a black sand beach, under a blue sky with clouds.

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.

Street sign with two arrows pointing in opposite directions, labeled “Victory” and “Defeat,” against a blue sky.

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.

Traditional Tibetan thangka painting of Milarepa seated outdoors, wearing white robes.

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

Older man typing on a typewriter with books and papers nearby.

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.

Abstract motion-blur image of people walking, rendered in blue and white tones, creating a sense of movement and anonymity.

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.

Color photo of Kalu Rinpoche wearing red and yellow robes, smiling warmly, with a green background.

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.

Traditional Tibetan thangka depicting a seated lama in red robes teaching, surrounded by disciples and ornate details.