Bodhisattva Vow, Zangcho Monlam – The Seven Branches

Bodhisattva Vow
There are two main traditions of bodhisattva vow: the tradition of Profound View, coming from Nagarjuna, and the tradition of Vast Conduct, coming from Asanga. In Asanga’s tradition the vows of bodhichitta in aspiration and bodhichitta in action are taken separately, whereas in Nagarjuna’s tradition they are taken together.

The Bodhisattva vow consists of the preliminary practices, main part and conclusion. The preliminaries can consist of gathering the accumulations by means of the seven branch offering, training the mind and giving away the three possessions. The main part consists of taking the vows of bodhichitta in aspiration and action, either separately or together. The conclusion consists of rejoicing oneself and encouraging others to rejoice as well.

    “The seven branch practice incorporates all the key points for gathering the accumulations.” Chökyi Drakpa

The seven branch practice (or the seven aspects of devotional practice) are:

    prostration, the antidote to pride;
    offering, the antidote to avarice;
    confession, the antidote to aggression;
    rejoicing, the antidote to jealousy;
    requesting to turn the wheel of Dharma, the antidote to ignorance;
    requesting not to pass into parinirvana, the antidote to wrong views;
    dedication of merit, the antidote to doubts.

(Taking refuge is sometimes added as an eighth part.)

The seven branches from the Zangchö Mönlam:

1. Prostration
JI NYÉ SU DAK CHOK CHÜI JIKTEN NA
To all the buddhas, the lions of the human race,
DÜ SUM SHEKPA MI YI SENGÉ KUN
In all directions of the universe, through past and present and future:
DAK GI MA LÜ DÉ DAK TAMCHÉ LA
To every single one of you, I bow in homage;
LÜ DANG NGAK YI DANGWÉ CHAK GYI’O
Devotion fills my body, speech and mind.
ZANGPO CHÖPÉ MÖNLAM TOB DAK GI
Through the power of this prayer, aspiring to Good Action,
GYALWA TAMCHÉ YI KYI NGÖN SUM DU

All the victorious ones appear, vivid here before my mind
SHYING GI DUL NYÉ LÜ RAP TÜPA YI
And I multiply my body as many times as atoms in the universe,
GYALWA KUN LA RAP TU CHAK TSAL LO
Each one bowing in prostration to all the buddhas.

2. Offering
DUL CHIK TENG NA DUL NYÉ SANGYÉ NAM
In every atom preside as many buddhas as there are atoms,
SANGYÉ SÉ KYI Ü NA SHYUKPA DAK
And around them, all their bodhisattva heirs:
DÉ TAR CHÖ KYI YING NAM MA LÜ PA
And so I imagine them filling
TAMCHÉ GYALWA DAK GI GANGWAR MÖ
Completely the entire space of reality.
DÉ DAK NGAKPA MI ZÉ GYAMTSO NAM
Saluting them with an endless ocean of praise,
YANG KYI YENLAK GYAMTSÖI DRA KUN GYI
With the sounds of an ocean of different melodies
GYALWA KUN GYI YÖNTEN RAB JÖ CHING

I sing of the buddhas’ noble qualities,
DÉWAR SHEKPA TAMCHÉ DAK GI TÖ
And praise all those who have gone to perfect bliss.
MÉTOK DAMPA TRENGWA DAMPA DANG
To every buddha, I make offerings:
SILNYEN NAM DANG CHUKPA DUK CHOK DANG
Of the loveliest flowers, of beautiful garlands,
MARMÉ CHOK DANG DUK PÖ DAMPA YI
Of music and perfumed ointments, the best of parasols,
GYALWA DÉ DAK LA NI CHÖPAR GYI
The brightest lamps and finest incense.
NA ZA DAMPA NAM DANG DRI CHOK DANG
To every buddha, I make offerings:

CHÉMA PUR MA RI RAB NYAMPA DANG
Exquisite garments and the most fragrant scents,
KÖPA KHYÉPAR PAKPÉ CHOK KUN GYI
Powdered incense, heaped as high as Mount Meru,
GYALWA DÉ DAK LA NI CHÖPAR GYI
Arranged in perfect symmetry.
CHÖPA GANG NAM LAMÉ GYA CHÉWA
Then, offerings vast and unsurpassable
DÉ DAK GYALWA TAMCHÉ LA YANG MÖ
I imagine I give to all the buddhas, and moved
ZANGPO CHÖ LA DÉPÉ TOB DAK GI
By the power of my faith in Samantabhadra’s Good Actions—
GYALWA KUN LA CHAK TSAL CHÖPAR GYI
I prostrate and make offering to all you victorious ones.

3. Confession
DÖCHAK SHYÉDANG TIMUK WANG GI NI
Whatever negative acts I have committed,
LÜ DANG NGAK DANG DÉ SHYIN YI KYI KYANG
While driven by desire, hatred and ignorance,
DIKPA DAK GI GYIPA CHI CHIPA
With my body, my speech and also with my mind,
DÉ DAK TAMCHÉ DAK GI SOSOR SHAK
Before you, I acknowledge and purify each and every one.

4. Rejoicing
CHOK CHÜI GYALWA KUN DANG SANGYÉ SÉ
With a heart full of delight, I rejoice at all the merits
RANG GYAL NAM DANG LOB DANG MI LOB DANG
Of buddhas and bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas,
DROWA KUN GYI SONAM GANG LA YANG
Those in training and the arhats beyond training,
DÉ DAK KUN GYI JÉ SU DAK YI RANG
And every living being, throughout the entire universe.

5. Imploring the Buddhas to Turn the Wheel of Dharma
GANG NAM CHOK CHÜI JIKTEN DRÖNMA NAM
You who are like beacons of light shining through the worlds,
CHANG CHUB RIMPAR SANGYÉ MA CHAK NYÉ
Who passed through the stages of enlightenment, to attain buddhahood, freedom from all attachment,
GÖNPO DÉ DAK DAK GI TAMCHÉ LA
I urge you: all of you protectors,
KHORLO LANA MÉPAR KORWAR KUL
Turn the unsurpassable wheel of Dharma.

6. Requesting the Buddhas not to Enter Nirvana
NYA NGEN DA TÖN GANG SHYÉ DÉ DAK LA
Joining my palms together, I pray
DROWA KUN LA PEN SHYING DÉWÉ CHIR
To you who intend to pass into nirvana—
KALPA SHYING GI DUL NYÉ SHYUKPAR YANG
Remain, for aeons as many as the atoms in this world,
DAK GI TALMO RAB JAR SOLWAR GYI
And bring well-being and happiness to all living beings.

7. Dedication
CHAK TSALWA DANG CHÖ CHING SHAKPA DANG
What little virtue I have gathered through my homage,
JÉ SU YI RANG KUL SHYING SOLWA YI
Through offering, confession, and rejoicing,
GÉWA CHUNG ZÉ DAK GI CHI SAKPA
Through exhortation and prayer—all of it
TAMCHÉ DAK GI CHANGCHUB CHIR NGO’O
I dedicate to the enlightenment of beings!

Source

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