The invocation of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
Oh Buddhas and Bodhisattvas abiding in the ten directions, endowed with great
compassion, endowed with pre-knowledge, endowed with impeccable vision, endowed
with love, affording protection to sentient beings, consend through the power of
your great compassion to accept these offerings actually laid out and mentally
created.
Oh you compassionate ones possessing the wisdom of understanding, the love of
compassion, the power of acting, and of protecting in incomprehensible measure,
one is passing through this world and leaving it behind. No friends does (s)he
have, (s)he is without defenders, without protectors and kinsmen. The light of
this world has set. (s)he goes from place to place, (s)he enters darkness, (s)he
falls down a steep precipice, (s)he enters a jungle of solitude, (s)he is
pursued by karmic forces, (s)he goes into a vast silence, (s)he is borne away on
the great ocean, (s)he is wafted on the wind of karma, (s)he goes where there is
no certainty, (s)he is caught in the great conflict, (s)he is obsessed by the
great affecting spirit, (s)he is awed and terrified by the messengers of death.
Existing karma has put hir into repeated existence and no strength does (s)he
have although the time has come to go alone.
Oh you compassionate ones, defend who is defenseless, protect who is
unprotected, be his kinsman, protect hir from the suffering in the depression of
the Bardo, turn hir from the storm wind of karma, turn hir from the great awe
and terror of the Lords of Death, liberate hir from the long narrow way of the
Bardo.
Oh compassionate ones who do not allow the force of your compassion to be
weakened in assistance, who do not allow one to be in the miserable states of
existence, forget not your ancient vows, you who do not allow sentient being to
be influenced by habit, and protect from the misery of the Bardo.
Oh conquerors and your offspring abiding in the ten directions, Oh ocean
congregation of the peaceful and the wrathful, Oh gurus and devas, you dakinis
and faithful ones, Hearken now out of your great love and compassion, Obeisance
to you, oh assemblage of gurus and dakinis, Out of your great love, lead us
along the path.
When through illusion, I and others are wandering in samsara, Along the bright
light path of undistracted listening, reflecting and meditating, May the gurus
of the inspired line lead us, May the bands of mothers be our protectors, May we
be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in
the state of perfect enlightenment.
When through violent anger one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright light
path of the wisdom of reflection, May the Bhagavan, Vajra-Sattva lead us, May
the Mother Mamaki be our protector, May we be liberated from the fearful narrow
passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect enlightenment.
When through intense pride one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright light
path of the wisdom of equality, May the Bhagavan Ratna-Sambhava lead us, May the
Mother of She-who-is-the-Buddha-Eye be our protector, May we be liberated from
the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of
perfect enlightenment.
When, through great attachment one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright
light path of discriminating wisdom, May the Bhagavan Amitabha lead us May the
Mother, She-of-white-raiment be our protector May we be liberated from the
fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect
enlightenment.
When, through intense jealousy one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright
light path of perfected action, May the Bhagavan Amogha Siddhi lead us May the
Mother, the faithful Tara be our protector May we be liberated from the fearful
narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect
enlightenment.
When, through intense stupidity one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright
light path of the wisdom of reality, May the Bhagavan Vairochana lead us May the
Mother of Great Space be our protector May we be liberated from the fearful
narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect
enlightenment.
* (Note: Vairochana and Amitabha may be interchanged.)
When, through intense illusion one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright
light path of abandoning hallucinations of fear, awe, and terror, May the Bands
of the Bhagavans of the Wrathful Ones lead us May the Bands of Wrathful
Goddesses, Rich in Space, be our protectors, May we be liberated from the
fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect
enlightenment.
When, through intense conditioning one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright
light path of Simultaneously-born Wisdom, May the heroic knowledge- holding
deities lead us May the Bands of the Mothers, the Dakinis, be our protectors May
we be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed
in the state of perfect enlightenment.
May the ethereal elements not rise up as enemies; May we come to see the realm
of the white Buddha. May the watery elements not rise up as enemies; May we come
to see the realm of the Blue Buddha. May the earthy elements not rise up as
enemies; May we come to see the realm of the Yellow Buddha. May the fiery
elements not rise up as enemies; May we come to see the realm of the Red Buddha.
May the airy elements not rise up as enemies; May we come to see the realm of
the Green Buddha. May the elements of these rainbow colors not rise up as
enemies; May it come that all the realms of the Buddhas will be seen May it come
that all the sounds in the Bardo will be known as one's own sounds, May it come
that all the radiances will be known as one's own radiances, And may it come
that the Tri-Kaya be realized in the Bardo.
Here begins the Root Verses of the Six Bardos:
O now when the Birthplace Bardo is dawning in one's mind Abandoning idleness as
there is none in a devotee's life Entering into reality undistractedly
listening, reflecting and meditating, Carrying on to the path knowing the true
nature of appearances of mind, May the Tri-Kaya be realized: Once that the human
form is accomplished, May there be no time as opportunity in which to idle it
away.
O now when the dream bardo is dawning in one's mind Abandoning the inordinate
corpse-like sleeping of the sleep of stupidity, May the mind undistractedly
remain in it's natural state In understanding the actual nature of dreams
Practice in the clear light of miraculous transformation Acting not like brutes
in slothfulness May the blending of sleep and actual waking experience be of
value.
O now when the Dhyana bardo is dawning in one's mind Abandoning the whole mass
of distractions and illusions May the mind remain in the mood of timeless
undistracted Samadhi May there be accomplishment in visualization and perfection
At this time, one-pointedly with all other actions put aside May one not fall
under the power of if misleading stupefying passions.
O now when the bardo of the moment of death is dawning in one's mind Abandoning
all awe, fear and terror of all phenomena May one recognize that whatever
appears as being one's own thought forms May one know them as apparitions of the
intermediate state It is said, there comes a time when a turning point is
reached. Fear not the forms of the peaceful and wrathful who are one's own
thought forms.
O now when the bardo of rebirth is dawning in one's mind With one single wish,
join with the results of meritious acts May the door of the womb be closed and
the revulsion recollected The time has come when energy and pure love are needed
May one cast off jealousy and meditate upon the father-mother
O procrastinating one, who thinks not of the coming of death Devoting oneself to
the useless doings of this life, Improvident one is in dissipating ones
opportunity Mistaken indeed would ones purpose be now if one returns empty
handed Since Dharma is one's need, would one not devote oneself to the Dharma
even now?
Thus say the Great Adepts in devotion If the chosen teaching of the guru not be
borne in mind Would one not be acting as a traitor to oneself? It is of great
importance that these root words be heard.
Here begins "The Path of Good Wishes Which Protects from Fear in the Bardo":
When the cast of chance of one's life is exhausted The relatives of the world
avail one not When wandering alone by oneself in the bardo O you conquerors,
peaceful and wrathful, exercising the power of your compassion Let it come that
the gloom of ignorance is dispelled
When wandering alone, parted from loving friends When the shapes of one's empty
thought-forms dawn upon one here May the Buddhas, exercising the power of their
divine compassion That there be neither awe nor terror in the bardo
When the bright radiances of the five wisdoms shines upon one now May one,
neither awed or terrified recognize them to be of oneself When the apparitions
of the Peaceful and the Wrathful forms are dawning upon ones mind Let it be that
with the assurance of fearlessness that one recognizes the bardo
When experiencing miseries because of the results of one's actions Let it be
that the conquerors, the Peaceful and the Wrathful dispel the miseries When the
self-originating sound of reality reverberates like a thousand thunders Let it
be that they are transmuted into the sounds of the Mahayana.
When one is unprotected and habitual influences have been followed here Beseech
the conquerors, the Peaceful and the Wrathful for their protection When
suffering miseries because of habitual propensities Let it be the blissful
Samadhi of clear light dawning upon ones mind
When assuming supernormal rebirth in the Sidpa Bardo Let it be that the
perverting revelations of Mara do not occur within When ones mind arrives
wheresoever one wishes Let it be that one not experience the illusory fright and
awe from karma.
When the roarings of savage beasts are uttered Let it be that they are
transformed into the Six Syllables (the mantra of the jewel in the lotus) When
pursued by snow, rain, wind and darkness Let it be that one sees with the
celestial eyes of bright wisdom
Let it be that all sentient beings of the same harmonious order in the bardo
Without jealousy obtain re-birth in the Buddhalands When suffering from intense
miseries of hunger and thirst Let it be that one not experience the pangs of
hunger and thirst, heat and cold.
When beholding one's parents in union Let it be that one see them as the divine
pair, The conquerors, the Peaceful and the Wrathful, Father and Mother. With the
ability of being born anywhere for the benefit of others May one be endowed with
signs and graces
Obtaining for oneself a body, Let it be one that liberates all Without allowing
karma to follow Let it be the merits which follow and be multiplied
Wherever one is born, there and then Let it be that one meets the conquerors,
the Peaceful and the Wrathful. With the ability to walk and talk at birth, May
it come that one accomplishes the non-forgetting intellect And remember all ones
past lives.
In all the various lores, great, small and intermediate Let it be that one
masters hearing, reflecting and seeing In whatever place one is born let it be
auspicious And may all sentient beings be endowed with happiness
O you conquerors, Peaceful and Wrathful, in likeness to your bodies, The number
of your followers, duration of your life period, limits of your realms. And in
the likeness of ones divine nature Let it be that all others equal you in every
way
By the gift-waves if the innumerable Peaceful and Wrathful deities And by the
gift-waves of the wholly pure reality And by the gift-waves of the one- pointed
devotion of the mystics Let it be that whatever is wished for be fulfilled here
and now.
The Colophon:
Through perfectly pure intention In the making of this, through the roots of the
merits thereof May the protectorless sentient beings, Mothers, Be placed in the
state of the Buddha Let the radiant glory illuminate Jambudvipa (this world) Let
this treatise be auspicious And let goodness and virtue be perfected in every
way.
credited to the precious guru, PadmaSambhava
The Path of Liberation Through Hearing, Reflecting, and Seeing in the Bardo
Throughout the six realms of samsaric existence this teaching is known as
"Liberation Through Hearing and Reflecting". It is not necessary to understand
what this teaching means, but rather in simply listening to the words and
letting one's own interpretations do the rest. The title means just what it
says, particularly the use of the word "through". These teachings are the "Root
Verses of the Bardo Thodol", the transition, state of change, life flux, basis
of duality, between birth and death; a description of conditioned arising. The
deities mentioned are representative of the different aspects of consciousness
in one's own mind, and do not represent some external divine being. They form a
mandala, a recognizable pattern of archetypal conscious thought forms.
Psychologically, they are known to the individual minds of samsaric beings as
expressions of egocentricism, namely: (1)ignorance,(2)jealousy, (3)desire,
(4)pride, and (5)hatred, as well as the corresponding collective alternatives as
(1)bodhisattvic mind,(2)impartiality (justice), (3)altruistic affection,
(4)compassion, and (5)all-embracing love. The attributes 2 through 4 constitute
the first(1). This teaching is important because of the changes in
consciousness, and is not meant to be understood as an intellectual truth or
conclusion. It is applicable to uprooting the habitual tendencies of
conditioning in one's own mind, but it has no utility otherwise. This teaching
is tantric in nature, utilizing duality as a vehicle of skillful means for
expounding this dharma and penetrates to the deepest layers of collective
unconsciousness. I post it not as an effort of self-aggrandizement, but only to
offer it to you without any expectations of reward or condemnation, that all
sentient beings realize enlightenment.