An Aspirational Prayer of Thought Transformation
by Kachen Yeshe Gyaltsen
Homage to Vajradhara!
To the root and lineage gurus, the essence of compassion,
To the meditational deities, the Three Jewels, and their attendants, I pay homage!
Bless me to quickly generate in my continuum
The supreme precious mind that cherishes others!
Although, by the power of my previous accumulations I have acquired this life of leisure,
Until now I have been distracted by affairs of this life and have wasted my time.
Now, in order to accomplish the eternal aim,
Bless me so the rest of my life may be meaningful!
Although I have entered the doctrine of the unequalled Teacher
My mental continuum is polluted by the stains of the misdeeds and downfalls.
Henceforth, my continuum incited by the mind of renunciation,
May I perfectly complete the collection of moral discipline!
Although I have heard many instructions of vast and profound Mahayana dharma,
By acting only for my own ends, like an animal, they slip away!
Guru, look with compassion on me, who has no embarrassment!
Bless me to cultivate love and compassion!
The path followed by all of the conquerors of the past,
The chief heart practice of every holy son of the Conqueror,
Love, compassion, the precious bodhi-mind—
Bless me to quickly generate these in my continuum!
In the same way as was done by the Muni in previous lives,
May I take joy in experiencing, by myself alone,
All migrating beings’ negativities and sufferings without exception, and
May all of my happiness and virtue, without exception, be given to those migrators.
Just as, in the past, when born as Maitrakanyaka
He took onto his continuum the suffering of all migrators,
May all of the suffering, without exception, of all sentient beings
Ripen upon my self-cherishing!
Just as when he was born as the strongman among the hell-beings, and
Generated the mind to cut all migrators’ gateways to birth in bad migrations,
May, through the ripening on me of all migrators’ negative actions and sufferings without exception,
The bad migrations be emptied.
Like in his exalted life story of when he was born as Sage Kshantivadin,
Although others may say unpleasant things to me or strike me,
May I be able to, with love, benefit them especially,
In the very same was as a dying mother to her beloved child.
In whatever way he acted toward the five yaksha brothers
When born as Maitribala,
Just like that may I too place all evil-doers without exception
On the path of temporary and permanent benefit and bliss!
Just as he pacified with holy Dharma the hordes of evil flesh-eating demons
When born as the bodhisattva Chandra,
May I, by myself alone, be able to tame
All foolish, evil-doing migrators, without exception!
Just as he satiated countless migrators
With the flesh of his body when born as King Punyabala,
May my body, in every way,
Become the sustenance of all migrating beings!
Just as the Mahasattva, when he was principal among turtles ,
Saved the merchants from the ocean,
May I be the supporting-bridge which rescues
Every migrator, without exception, from the great ocean of samsara!
Just as when born as the principal among rabbits, through his skill in means
He brought countless migrators to spiritual maturation,
May all who see, hear, remember or touch me, without exception
Be established on the path of maturation and liberation!
In the same way as he made five hundred prayers
For the sake of liberating all protectorless migrators in this degenerate time when born as Samudrarajas,
In that way may I, too,
Completely perfect all prayers, without exception!
Whichever of the three practices, completion, maturation, and cultivation,
For the sake of accomplishing the supreme field of Sukhavati,
He performed when born as the Wheel-Turning King Aranemi,
In that way may my practice also be perfected!
After the activities of all of the powerful bodhisattvas,
Unconquered Maitreya and Hero Manjushri,
Samantabhadra and Akasagarbha, and so forth –
May I, too, exclusively follow!
Through the power of the immeasurable potency of the compassion
Of all the sugatas, possessed of the dharmakaya, and their sons,
As well as the power of the infallible dependent-arising,
May all the objects of my prayer be accomplished!
Colophon: With the hope to benefit many who make practice the essence, and also for the purpose of my own daily recitation, this was composed by Gelong Yeshe Gyaltsen at Lhatse-Ogmin Ling.
Translators’ Colophon: This text was translated by the fools Gelong Gyalten Lekden and Getsul Jampa Khedrub at Sera Je Monastery, Bylakuppe, in December 2016. May any merit from this meager translation be dedicated to the long and healthy lives of all of our dear gurus.