– now also as German version new available –
“The Seven Chapters of Prayer by Padmasambhava is a key text for all Buddhists at this time. It belongs to the treasure (terma tradition) of the Nyingmapa school and contains the authentic teachings of Padmasambhava concerning practice in difficult times.
Prayer is a method of connecting oneself with the lineage, with Padmasambhava and with one’s own original nature. It is a profound and central practice used by all the great yogis of Tibet.
The text is translated and presented in a format which provides the complete Tibetan text, with the parts for recitation laid out line by line with Tibetan text, pronunciation, word and line meanings. This edition follows the arrangement of Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche who was an important lineage holder of the Byangter and Khordong lineages. The translation was done in accordance with the traditional lineage explanation.”
by James Low, from the back cover
The book contains the praxis text as edited by Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche in 1981, a revised translation and a new introduction by James Low.
As James Low describes in his preface, the idea to publish this book comes from a dream and is intended to help about the quick rebirth of Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche. The book contains besides the Seven Prayers of King Trisong Deutsen, Khandro Yeshe Tshogyal, Namkhai Nyingpo, Nanam Dorje Dudjom, Lhasae Mutri Tsanpo, Requesting Meditation Instructions and the well known Sampa Lhundrub Ma also preliminary prayers, some extensive lineage praxis of the Byangter (Byang-gTer) and Mindroling (sMin-Grol-Gling) system and several additional prayers such as the Barched Lamsel Prayer and the Prayer of the Stainless Biography. The book is well suited for praxis, pages are sewn and in hard cover.
From the original foreword:
“I am happy to say that I and my colleagues have translated this practice, the gSol-’Debs Le’u-bDun-Ma, the ‘Seven-Chapter Prayer’. These prayers were discovered by sPhrul-sKu Zangs-Po Grags-Pa near Tsangs-sTod rGyang-Gi Yon-Po-Lung.
On the tenth day of the rGyal (twelth) month in the Fire-Horse year, Padma Sambhava was sitting in the great temple of bSam-Yas. King Khri-Srong lDeu-bTsan, Nam-Kha’i sNying-Po, mKha’-’Gro Ye-Shes mTsho-rGyal, sNa-Nam rDo-rJe bDud-’Joms and lHa-Sras Mu-Khri bTsan-Po, the Las-Chan Dag-Pa’i ’Khor-lNga, or fortunate pure circle of the Ma- hacharya’s closest disciples, presented him with many rich offerings and requested a prayer.
Firstly, Padma Sambhava taught them all the prayer to the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya gurus, and then the five disciples each requested a prayer to fulfil their need. To King Khri-Srong lDeu-bTsan he gave a prayer to the tantric lineage from Samantabhadra down to himself. To Ye-Shes mTsho-rGyal he taught the prayer about Zangs-mDog dPal-Ri and the verses for inviting blessing. To dGe-sLong Nam-mKha’i sNying-Po he taught the prayer to the various tantric lineages he had received and verses on how to purify visual perception, hearing and thoughts within natural understanding. To Na-Nam rDo-rJe bDud- ’Joms he gave the prayer telling of his deeds from the time when he was born in the Dhanakosa Lake until his departure to Zangs-mDog dPal-Ri. To lHa-Sras Mu-Khri Tsan-Po he taught the prayer describing the qualities of his body, speech and mind, qualities and activities. Also at Gung-Thang he later taught lHa-Sras Mu-Khri bTsan-Po thirteen prayers which are like wishfulfilling jewels for Mu-Khri bTsan-Po’s own royal descendants, and for all Tibetans.
These prayers describe how he came to Tibet, saved king Khri-Srong lDeu-bTsan’s lineage and wished to go to Zangs-mDog dPal-Ri as an antidote to the cannibal rakshasas. Padma Sambhava promises to come every morning with the rising sun and to come every tenth day of the lunar month and make himself visible to the people. The prayers give protection from war, disease, famine, difficult journeys, dangerous animals, earthquakes, troublesome yeti, robbers and authoritarian police, at the time of death, during the bardo, and from the other results of one’s karma. We have also translated the Bar-Chhad Lam-Sel prayer which saves all beings in the six realms from the difficulties that afflict them. And the volume concludes with the prayer listing all the important deeds of Padma Sambhava written by gTer-sTon Nyi-Ma ’Od-Zer.
These prayers are said and believed in by all the rNying-Ma lineages, only the lineage prayers at the beginning will be slightly different for the later period and here we have given the Byang-gTer, ’Khor-gDong and sMin-Grol Gling lineages. All the bKa’-brGyud-Pa also read these prayers and some of the Sa-sKya-Pa also read them, and when they do their Phur- Pa practice, they read the fourth chapter. The prayers are also read in some dGe-Lugs-Pa monasteries, and they are respected everywhere for their great blessing.”
C.R.Lama, 1981
For actual reason, the earthquake in Nepal, we provide here a prayer from the Le’u Dun Ma, which is traditionally recited during such natural events: sampa-lhundrubma-earthquake
This author´s books:
- Eins mit Guru Rinpoche von James Low
- Das Gebet in sieben Kapiteln: Le’u bDun Ma – Padmasambhava
- Zuhause im Spiel der Wirklichkeit von James Low
- Aus dem Handgepäck eines tibetischen Yogi von James Low
- Lichter der Weisheit von Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche und James Low
- Aus dem Handgepäck eines tibetischen Yogi von James Low
- Gesammelte Schriften von Chimed Rigdzin Rinpoche
- James Low: Hier und Jetzt Sein
- James Low: Hier und Jetzt Sein
- Freiheit finden von James Low
- Radiant Aspiration (E-Book)
