The Praise to Chenresig in Nyung Ne

Om I prostrate to the savior of the universe, the lama of the universe, praised by the beings of the three realms, the principal gods, maras and Brahmas.

• Om = auspiciousness.
• Chan na pemo = holding lotus in hand, another name for Ch, as is protector of the transitory world.
• 3 realms = desire, form, formless. Guru of the world who leads being of the three realms to liberation and enlightenment.
• Bstod pa po = you’re object that all samsaric being praise.
• Maras = the one in the deva realm
• Brahma = owner of the three sphere. Indra (Gyachen). Even they praise you to be saved from the fears of samsara. Because you are praised by them, you are the god of gods.

Who fulfills all wishes by others admiring the Sublime Victorious Capable One,

• Thub pa = there are non-Buddhist sages yet they give up their refuge objects and goals and also turn to you for refuge because you are victorious in the battle against the four maras. Rgyal mchog = you’re the supreme conqueror, therefore those being go for refuge to you, consider you as protector. Grub pa = bestower of everything wished for by these beings (gods, sages). They praise Ch and their wishes reach fruition.

I prostrate to the great protector of the three worlds.

• Three worlds can be interpreted different ways, also as above, on, below earth. You’re the best refuge object for all those beings, non-deceptive. Having understood there’s no other deity than you, I go for refuge and prostrate with body, speech, and mind.

Holder of the precious holy body of countless ones gone to bliss,

• Your body contains countless bodies. Even one pore has so many Buddhas, therefore you are the body of all those gone to bliss.
• Sku bzang = your body is the embodiment of all Buddhas. Your body holds all Buddhas’ bodies. Your body is adorned with 32 and 80. You are the holder of such a body.

Whose crown is adorned with the one gone to bliss, Amitabha,

• You have accumulated so much merit since the time you generated bodhicitta. You committed yourself to Guru Amitabha until you become enlightened. When you attain enlightenment, you’ll be enlightened in the form of Amitabha. You’ll have Amitabha on your crown for decoration.

Pacifying the hunger and thirst of the pretas with your right hand in supreme giving.

• From right hand in gesture of supreme generosity, nectar comes and calms the suffering of starvation and thirst of pretas.

Whose left hand is perfectly adorned with a golden lotus.

• Gold lotus = you dwell in samsara but are not stained by its pollution.

With scented red-yellow garland of top hair like lightening,

• Have soft, scented hair = you have abandoned all the roughness of disturbing attitudes, you mind is separated from this rough nature.
• His hair goes upward, is not tangled, but each one separate. Hair glitters and curls clockwise and tip of each hair stands up. People pleased just by seeing your hair.

Face beautified like the full moon,

• Your face is beautiful, like a full moon.

Supremely good and encompassing lotus eyes,

• Eyes are long, little bit closed, but looks widely upon all sentient beings.
• You accomplish the purposes of different sentient beings just by looking at them.

Fragrant and white like a conch.

• Your body is white like snow and a conch. Signifies your mind is entirely free from faults, fragrant. Anyone who perceives your body and fragrance is pleased and satisfied. Your body doesn’t disgust anyone.

Holding immaculate glittering groups of pearls,

• Holder of many bright pearl ornaments which are stainless. Different clusters of pearl ornaments on his body.

Adorned with beautiful beams like the red of dawn,

• Light rays you radiate are reddish and go in ten directions = compassion for sentient beings. You never give up your compassion. Reddish color is like color at dawn. These beams satisfy sentient beings and grant all their temporal and ultimate goals.

Beautified with hands like a lotus lake,

• On banks of lake are lotuses arranged in various beautiful ways. Similarly, you are beautified by having two sets of hands, 500 on the right and left. They are nicely arranged, like sea decorated with flowers. They not extend below knees or above ushnisha.

Youthful having the color of autumn clouds,

• Your hands are the color of autumn clouds, very soft like young branches of wish-fulfilling tree. Soft like hands of a youth. Here it talks of Ch’s hands because his body has already been described as like a conch.

Whose two shoulders are adorned with many jewels,

• Adorned by precious objects

With young smooth palms like exquisite leaves,

• All palms extremely soft like a youth’s, soft like leaves of wish-fulfilling tree. Palms marked by auspicious signs—swastika, jewels, vase. In each palm is an eye.

Left breast covered with a deerskin,

• Deerskin = possess compassion which can’t bear suffering that sentient beings undergo.
• Images of Enlightenment: …the deer becomes impatient with compassion and emerges to mediate between the fighting hunters. This provides the hunters the opportunity to kill it. Merely touching its skin with one’s feet calms the mind and makes it blissful
• Buddhist Canon of Iconometry = the wild deer (benevolent beast) is trusting and selfless. When hunt it, just pretend that two people are fighting. Seeing this, the deer comes to save them, runs in-between the two combatants until it dies itself. In this way, it is captured.

Beautified with ornaments of earrings and bracelets,

• Also necklaces, etc.

Dwelling in the highest immaculate lotus,

• Immaculate = stainless, without samsaric faults. Your mind is never apart from emptiness, natural purity. You are like a spotless moon, and sit upon a lotus and moon to show you do not have samsaric faults and are always together with emptiness. A supreme lotus is the best cushion.

Whose abdomen's surface is smooth like lotus petals,

• Surface of abdomen is very soft, as is all your skin

With exquisite golden belt adorned with jewels,

• Golden belt has half-net and full-net jewels.

Lower body clothed in a beautiful skirt,

• Shamdup = you abandoned all careless actions, lack of integrity and lack of consideration for others.
• Ras bzang = good clothes, like gods. If stretch, goes very wide. If compress, it becomes very small.

Having the highest wisdom of the Buddha, gone beyond the great ocean,

• Have developed your thought of enlightenment since you generated bodhicitta, developed realization of emptiness sustained by bodhicitta, gone through the six far-reaching attitudes, and attained two splendid things, 1) your practice, conduct, and 2) thought (development of bodhicitta; wisdom).
• Have attained the ten powers, have crossed ocean of samsara and peaceful state of nirvana.

Having the supreme state by collecting the causal merit for innumerable eons,

• Found superiority = have attained final unified state by accumulating much merit over many eons, continuously, without a break.

Source of continuous bliss and eliminator of aging and disease,

• Your compassion is always a source of joy for sentient beings. It leads sentient beings on path to liberation and enlightenment.
• Dispeller of all suffering of old age and illness.

Liberator from the three lower realms, showing holy deeds,

• Guide for sentient beings who were already born in the three lower realms and who are in the process of creating the cause to be reborn there and who are about to create the cause to be reborn there.
• Kacho = space, here not refer to nirvana. Chopa = equal to. Means you emanate forms equal to the limits of space in order to place sentient beings on path to happiness. Show different things to different sentient beings, who are as vast as space. Could have other interpretations

Supreme among embodied beings, victor in battle against hosts of negative forces,

• As you have emanated many bodies, you destroy evil beings in countless realms. Have gained victory in battle with maras, negative side.
• You show deeds to sentient beings for their sake,

Feet beautified with the sound of golden ankle rings,

• Anklets with many jeweled decorations naturally produce tinkling sound which gives mental happiness to those who hear.
• Anklets = Ch possesses 32 and 80.

Protecting beings by abiding in the four immeasurables,

• Four places of Brahma = four immeasurables. By four immeasurables, you are supreme being who is isolated from the distraction of only working to fulfill the self-purpose. In this way, lead others to enlightenment, not liberation or samsara.

Going like a swan and a powerful elephant

• Special way of walking, powerful like elephant. Shows power.
• Swan? A bird that maybe doesn’t exist in West, but does in Tibet. Water bird, orange, not long legs. Show grandeur.

Seeking teachings and completely fulfilling the collections,

• You have amassed collection of merit from time you generated bodhicitta, thereafter became enlightened and ripen the minds of many sentient beings. After enlightenment. strive continuously to work for sentient beings as before. Always seek method to give the transmissional and realizational Dharma to sentient beings.
• Verbal – hearing 3 baskets
• Realizational – 3 higher trainings.

Liberator from the ocean of milk and the ocean of water.

• Milk = nirvana
• Water = samsara. Hearers and solitary realizers are separated from ocean of water, but not ocean of milk. I praise you Ch, who guides sentient beings on right path to enlightenment. Without leading them to these two states.

Whoever, man or woman, directing their mind to Chenresig, purifies with this sublime praise and admires clearly, may all their worldly and transcendental wishes in this and all future lives be fulfilled.

• Awake early, wash, remember Ch’s body is very good. Remembering Ch includes remembering his various qualities. If praise him like this, it’s the best way to achieve supreme siddhi. Anyone who does this can succeed, no exception for anyone.
• Recite this accurately, clearly, good pronunciation.
• If king or blacksmith, anyone can have temporal good results and ultimately achieve both siddhis.
• Temporal, will lose undesirable things, have good future life, and gradually generate three principals of path, attain siddhis. Here supreme siddhi means siddhis after path of seeing, and ordinary siddhis here mean path of accumulation and path of preparation

Source

Copyright by Thubten Chodron
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