Monday, January 11, 2016

The Red Bird


The Song of the Red Bird

On the 21st day of the first autumn month, a glowing red bird sang to me:

Ah Ho! Listen my child:
Many holy sublime individuals
Have advanced into unmanifest basic space,
Leaving behind their orphan disciples of this degenerate era:
Nothing lasts forever.

The medicinal ha-lo flowers have withered,
Leaving behind the green grassy plains,
In the bitter cold of the winter months,
Nothing lasts forever.

The king, a mighty human sovereign,
Has passed beyond this life,
Leaving behind his orphaned royal children.
Nothing lasts forever. 

Flocks of garudas have flown away,
Leaving behind their helpless little chicks,
Nothing lasts forever.

Many majestic wild animals have departed,
Leaving behind the [lowly] weasel.
Nothing lasts forever.

All supreme practitioners have departed,
Leaving behind false lamas mired in the eight worldly concerns.
Nothing lasts forever. 

The king’s treasury is spent,
Leaving behind his subjects who have some wealth.
Nothing lasts forever.

The sumptuous fruits have all vanished,
Leaving behind the stockpiles of field mice.
Nothing lasts forever.

The green grasses of summer have dried up,
Leaving behind gray grass corpses.
Nothing lasts forever.

Most lamas and tulkus, attached to cyclic existence,
Conduct funeral ceremonies [to receive payments],
And although they’re adept at pointless hoarding,
Nothing lasts forever.

Prominent leaders, violent and greedy,
Create stringent laws,
Yet when they meet the burden of their ripened karma,
Nothing lasts forever.

Wealthy people with riches and possessions
Who pass their time in the delight of gain and profit
Live as in a dream or magical illusions.
Nothing lasts forever.

When you’ve gained a pure human body,
Don’t put your hopes in the activities of your mouth and hands—
Rely upon the profound instructions of liberation
Directly within your own mind.

Don’t anticipate the liberation you desire
When your mouth and eyes are wandering.
Don’t expect wordy education with no basis in realization 
To be useful to you in your next life.

Don’t expect the liberation you want
To stem from knowledge without meditation.

Having come, having come from the basic space of the nature of reality,
Going there, going there, to there I fly!

Then it flew off.


◊ This is an excerpt from: A Clear Mirror by Traktung Dudjom Lingpa, translated by Chonyi Drolma, Rangjung Yeshe Publications 2011

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Tuesday, January 05, 2016

Chatral Sangye Dorje 1913-2015


With sadness, we report the death of the great patriarch of the Nyingmapa: the incomparable Chatral Rinpoche. According to early statements, he ceased breathing on December 30th or 31st, and remained in meditative equipoise until January 5, 2016.

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Friday, January 01, 2016

Happy New Year from the Tibetan Buddhists


Rinpoche, this shade does nothing for you, we know. Also the size needs to be bigger. Way bigger. Anyway, thank you for inhabiting the world, reminding us of reality through your many sacrifices. E Ma Ho.


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Saturday, October 10, 2015

Prayer for Tarthang Tulku


With the deepest possible respect and admiration, we here publish a prayer for the great Kyabje Tarthang Rinpoche, on the occasion of his eightieth birthday. We do not know the author of this prayer; we are told the author is anonymous for a specific reason. The reason is, this prayer captures shared thoughts of the peerless founder of Nyingma in the West, a living manifestation of the Diamond Guru: Tarthang Tulku, in whom the confidence of all lineages reposes. May it be auspicious.

Most Precious One, Dharma Lord, and Guide,
Worlds rejoice on this the day of your birth.
Giving voice to our heartfelt love,
We utter in gratitude this prayer:

May this earth in which your mighty deeds have planted the firm roots of Dharma, live veins of precious gold penetrating the unyielding rock, ever support your lotus feet.

May the waters of the elixir of immortality flow bountifully into your heart, whose ocean-like great love sends waves of blessing to living beings, overflowing the high ramparts of self-cherishing.

May the fires of vigor and vitality course through your body, so that the blazing flame of your wisdom continues to illuminate the darkness of this time.

May winds of joyful ease effortlessly sustain your consummate deeds, which lighten the suffering of so many through the profound gift of Dharma.

May space itself ever resound with your praise -- you, whose virtuous actions pervade the farthest reaches of the sky.

Inspired by the majesty of your vision,
Cherished by your infinite love,
Protected by your wisdom,
Humbled by your trust in us:

We invoke the power of earth, air, fire, water, and space, calling upon the great Awakened Ones to protect your life, health, and vitality.



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