Song of the Four Mindfulnesses
dbu ma'i lta khrid dran pa bzhi ldan gyi mgur dbyangs dngos grub char 'bebs
Instructions for Meditation on the View of Emptiness, Causing a Rain of Siddhis to Fall
On the seat of unchangeable unification of method and wisdom Sits the kind guru, essence of all refuges. There is a buddha fully purified and realized. Abandoning the thought of mistakes, make a request with pure appearance. Not letting your mind stray, place your mind being in the nature of devotion and respect. With unforgetting remembrance, hold your mind being in devotion and respect.
In the prison of suffering of beginningless circling, The six types of sentient beings, bereft of happiness, wander. There are the fathers and mothers who have been kind to me. Abandoning attachment and hatred, meditate on cherishing others and compassion. Not letting your mind stray, place your mind being in the nature of compassion. With unforgetting remembrance, hold your mind being in compassion.
In the unimaginable celestial mansion of great bliss Abides your own body in the pure aggregates of the divine holy body. There is a mind-seal deity of inseparable three kayas. Not letting your mind hold yourself as ordinary, train in divine pride and clear appearance. Not letting your mind stray, place your mind being in the nature of profundity and clarity. With unforgetting remembrance, hold your mind being in profundity and clarity.
The appearance and evolution in the mandala of the objects to be known Is pervaded by the sky of ultimate reality, the absolute clear light. There is the ultimate reality of inexpressible meaning. Abandoning mental fabrication, look at it in the essence of total emptiness. Not letting your mind stray, place your mind being in the nature of ultimate reality. With unforgetting remembrance, hold your mind being in the nature of ultimate reality.
At the crossroads of various appearances and the six collections (consciousnesses) Are seen very messy dual phenomena, which have no base at all. There is the scenery of deceiving illusion. Not believing it to be true, look at the very essence of emptiness only (tong pa nyi). Not letting your mind stray, place your mind being in appearance and emptiness. Without forgetting remembrance, hold your mind being in the state of appearance and emptiness.
Original Colophon:
Like that, perfect Manjugosha actually granted to Dharma king, great Tsongkhapa, special instruction on the four mindfulnesses. In order to leave imprints of the most pure view for himself and others, this melodious hymn related to the commentary of the view was written by the bhikshu of Shakya, Losang Kelsang Gyatso (the Seventh Dalai Lama).
Translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and dictated to Ven. Ailsa Cameron in Leura, Australia, in June 2015. Lightly edited by Ven. Ailsa Cameron.
