Statues and Stupas Vol 1 c5

Benefits and Practices Related to
Statues and Stupas
Part 1
© FPMT Inc., 2003, 2007
Cover photo courtesy of Nick Dawson
Front cover design by Karena Domenico, Taos, New Mexico
FPMT Education Department

Portland, Oregon USA
(503) 808-1588
www.fpmt.org
materials@fpmt.org
Practice Requirements
Anyone with faith may do the practices contained in this booklet.
Photo Credits:
Photo on p 26 taken by Bob Cayton and used with permission.All
other photographs taken by Nick Dawson and used with permission.
Contents
Introduction 5
General Information About Stupas 7
The Benefits of Holy Objects 37
The Benefits of Practices Related to Stupas 73
Practices 107
Helpful Resources 161

4 Benefits and Practices Related to Statues and Stupas, Part 1
Victory Stupa in Tibet

Introduction 5
Introduction
Benefits and Practices Related to Statues and Stupas, Part 1 is the first in
a three-part series designed to bring living beings to enlightenment
quickly through the power of holy objects.
The first section, “General Information About Stupas”, provides
the background for how stupas came to exist in our world, their pur-
pose, and their symbology as a physical representation of the entire
path to awakening. It also outlines the eight primary types of stupas
and the specific events to which they relate. This information is a great
resource to facilitate understanding of what different stupas can teach
us, and may inspire others to build specific stupas to fulfill specific
purposes. A more extensive collection of pictures, photographs, archi-
tectural drawings, and measurements to support the building of stu-
pas will be provided in part 2 of this series.
The section entitled “The Benefits of Holy Objects” contains exten-
sive teachings and quotations from sutra and tantra on the benefit of
holy objects. It describes how holy objects, in particular stupas, serve
as a conduit of the blessings of all buddhas and provide a profound
and easy method for purification of negative karma. The benefits of
the four dharmakaya relic mantras, the most powerful mantras to be
placed inside holy objects, are also given and may help to explain why
there is such tangible positive energy in places that contain holy ob-
jects. It becomes clear why building holy objects is a valid means to
bring about world peace and help others in a lasting way.
The two sections, “The Benefits of Practices Related to Holy Ob-
jects” and “Practices” have been provided to inspire readers to maxi-
mize the opportunity that holy objects provide to quickly and easily
accumulate great stores of positive energy and cleanse lifetimes of
negative imprints from the mind stream. While there are limitless
practices one can do in relation to holy objects, we have provided here
only those practices most commonly referred to in both the teachings
of the Buddha and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. We have designed part 1

of this series with the wish that this text be made available to visitors
wherever there are stupas; and that it may act as a valuable practice
companion for those making pilgrimage to holy places.
“Helpful Resources” have been provided for those who may wish
to do more extensive practices related to holy objects; who may be
inspired to know more about stupas; or who may wish to build a holy
object of their own.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has given extensive input for all three books
in this series. Part 2 contains everything needed to build a stupa, in-
cluding the practice texts needed to perform the various rituals. It also
includes inspiring stories from those who have built stupas and the
results they have experienced. Part 3 contains all the information and
necessary rituals for filling and consecrating statues and stupas, no
matter what size. Rinpoche has stated that these books will spread to
every corner of the earth and inspire people to build stupas for world
peace.
General Information 7
General Information
About Stupas
What a Stupa Represents 9
Information on Stupas from the Sutras and Tantras 19
The Symbolic Meaning of Stupas 27
The Bouddhanath and Swayambhunath Stupas 33

The Stupa at Kushinagar

Kushinagar, India
This stupa marks the location where Shakyamuni Buddha passed into
parinirvana. Kushinagar is also the location of the planned 500-foot
tall statue of Maitreya Buddha.
What a Stupa Represents

Stupa is a Sanskrit word that means “to heap” or “to pile up” and refers
to the mound-like shape of the earliest stupas. The Mahaparinirvana
Sutra tells us that it was the Buddha himself who outlined the basic
design of the stupa. The story begins at Buddha’s deathbed. When he
realized that death was imminent, Buddha gave instructions about
the disposition of his body. He said that his body should be cremated
and the relics divided up and enclosed in four different monuments.
These monuments were to be erected at the following places, marking
important milestones in the Buddha’s spiritual journey:
Lumbini, the place of Buddha’s birth

Bodhgaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment under the
Bodhi tree
Sarnath, where he gave his first teaching
Kushinagar, place of Buddha’s passing into parinirvana
His intrigued disciples naturally asked what form this monument

should take. In reply, the Buddha did not say anything but instead gave
a practical demonstration. He took his outer yellow robe and folded it
in half and in half again until it formed a rough cubic square. Then
he took his begging-bowl, which of course was round, turned it upside
down, and put it on top of the robes. “Make the stupa like this,” he
said. Wherever its geographical location, the basic form of the stupa
has retained this elemental character.
In addition, the five geometric shapes found in stupas correspond
to the five elements:
• A square base or foundation corresponds to earth
• A dome corresponds to water
• The harmika,1 or spire in the shape of a stone fence, corresponds
to fire
• The pole of the umbrella, or parasol, corresponds to air or wind

• The umbrella itself corresponds to space
Types of Stupas
There are eight different types of stupas that can be built to commem-
orate different events in the life of the Buddha:
• Lotus Stupa: the birth of the Buddha
• Enlightenment Stupa: the Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment
• Auspicious Stupa with Many Doors: the Buddha’s turning the
wheel of Dharma
• Miraculous Feats Stupa: when the Buddha performed miracles
• Descent Stupa: the Buddha’s descent from Tushita heaven
• Reconciliation Stupa: when the Buddha healed the schism in the
Sangha
• Victory Stupa: prolonging the life of the Buddha
• Parinirvana Stupa: the Buddha’s passing into parinirvana
In addition to these, two other kinds of stupas that are commonly built
in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition are Kadampa stupas and Kalachakra
stupas. Kalachakra stupas are generally built to help bring about world
peace. Kadampa stupas commemorate the teachings and practices of
the Kadam tradition founded by Lama Atisha, who kept a stupa with
him at all times to purify in an instant even the slightest misdeed.
As traditionally described, all eight types of stupas have twenty-four
parts that are constructed according to precise proportions. These
parts may be enumerated somewhat differently; however, the purpose
remains the same. The chörten stupa, like a victory banner, points
the way to liberation. The naming and consecration of its parts trans-
forms them into the body of the teachings: They become empowered
symbols of the path and its realization.
Ten Traditional Purposes of Stupas

Extracted from The Thousand Buddhas Relic Stupa Book by Tenzin Zopa.
1. To remind one of a teacher
2. To act as a reliquary, which contains the relics of a teacher and
embodies the enlightened mind, and to serve as the focal point
for the continuation of the buddha-activity of a teacher
3. To magnetize enlightened energy
4. To speed a teacher’s rebirth

5. To promote longevity
6. To create peace and harmony in society
7. To magnetize wealth
8. To turn back invading armies
9. To pacify physical and mental illness, pestilence, and disease
10. To actualize enlightenment
Embodied Wisdom
In general, there are three representations of the Buddha that corre-
spond to the Buddha’s holy body, speech, and mind. Statues and so on
are representations of the holy body of enlightened beings. The texts
of Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings, coming from the different turn-
ings of the wheel of the Dharma, reveal the quality of his holy speech
(the sixty melodious qualities), and are representations of the Buddha’s
holy speech.
The third representation is that of the Buddha’s holy mind, referred
to as “embodied wisdom.” Stupas are representations of the Buddha’s
mind. As such, stupas reveal the path to enlightenment, or in other
words, how the mind can be transformed into enlightenment.
The Shape of a Stupa

The stupa’s form represents the structure of the path to enlighten-
ment, the interplay of the five elements, and many other aspects of the
knowledge developed in the Buddhist tradition. Tibetan masters, bas-
ing their works on the teachings of Nagarjuna, have identified three
essential shapes that act as receptacles of the dharmakaya: an inverted
alms bowl, a small house–type edifice, and a victory banner.
Dragpa Gyältsän (1147–1216) explains that each shape has specific
symbolic significance. The inverted alms bowl, which is placed on a lo-
tus and moon disc, symbolizes the pristine nature of the dharmakaya
unadorned with any attribute whatsoever. The small house, square and
beautiful, single or multi-storied, conveys the perfect completion of
dharmakaya qualities. The victory banner, represented by the chörten
(which is the most commonly built), symbolizes the actions that over-
come illusion, evoke the aspiration for enlightenment, and support
the fulfillment of that aspiration. The inverted alms bowl, which is
exemplified by the Ashokan stupa, is a hemisphere rising from a three-
stepped base and is topped by a harmika and a staff-like pinnacle.
Features of a “Small House” Stupa

The simple small house–style stupa requires no specialized knowledge
and can be built by lay people. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has suggested that
the small house–style stupa can also be used as a design for making
tsa-tsa houses.
1. kha gyän decorative lip

2. dre harmika
3. dre dän support for the harmika
4. kha gyün decorative lip
5. bä chen large lotus
6. bä chung small lotus
7. mang main base
8. them ka stairs
9. ge sar center level
10. sa dän dam teng bu foundation
The Twenty-Four Elements of a Stupa

1. sa dzin (sa ’dzin) foundation
2. them ka (them skas) stairs
3. dong chen (gdong chen) face
4. bä chung (bad chung) small lotuses (small border)
5. bä gam (bad gam) large lotuses (balcony)
7. ge chu (dge bcu) the ten virtues
8. bang rim (bang rim) steps
9. bum dän (’bum gdan) seat of the vase
10. go khyim (sgo khim) door of the vase
11. bum pa (’bum pa) vase
12. dre män (bre rman) foundation of the harmika
13. dre ten (bre rten) support of the harmika
14. dre (bre) harmika
15. dug deg pädma
(gdugs ’degs padma) lotus parasol
16. chhö khor chu sum
(chos ’khor bcu gsum) thirteen dharmacakras
17. mo khor (mo ’khor) mother chakra
(space in between)
18. pho khor (pho ’khor) father chakra

19. zar tshag (zar tshag) canopy
20. thugs je do zung
(thugs rje mdo gzungs) symbol of compassion
21. chhar kheb
(char khebs) rain cover
22. dawa moon
23. nyima sun
24. tog top
The Path to Enlightenment

The foundation is the very basis upon which the stupa will be built;
it should be a very harmonious and pure place free of the ten non-
virtuous actions. Above that level comes the throne where the actual
stupa will be placed. There should be eight or four lions supporting the
throne. The lion is the king of animals and symbolizes living without
fear in the wild. Upon the basis of the ethical discipline of not com-
mitting the ten non-virtuous actions one can travel the path of the
practices. The first four layers, or steps, of the stupa are the paths
in which one engages to attain realizations. The first step represents
the four mindfulnesses.2 The next is called the four perfect abandon-
ments.3 The next represents the four miraculous feats.4
The four mindfulnesses, the four miraculous feats, and so on are
attained by practicing the path. These are increasingly superior realiza-
tions; as one goes step by step through the practices, one obtains these
powers or attainments. On top of the throne is the circle of the lotus
flower, which is the highest realization of the previous set of attain-
ments: the five powers.
The dome-like round part symbolizes the vase where the actual
Buddha is situated and represents the celestial mansionof enlightened
beings.
On top of the vase is a square shape. This represents the eight
superior paths, which means the practitioner has gained the higher re-
alizations. The practitioner has now realized selflessness directly. Cer-
tain stupas (such as the Swayambhunath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal)
have eight eyes on this square that represent the five wisdoms of the
buddhas or, alternatively, the wisdom eye of the Buddha.
On top of that square stands the life channel of the stupa, which
has thirteen layers. Speaking generally of Buddhist practices, there
are three main types: the foundation or basis, the path, and the final
stage, or result. The stupa shows all three.
The basis is the foundation – on such an ethical foundation one
practices. From that level to the square on top of the dome is the path,
where one trains. The next thirteen rings are levels that represent the
result of the practices that one attains. The thirteen rings represent
the ten powers or attainments and the three close mindfulnesses5 of
the Buddha.
On the very top is an umbrella, which represents the great compas-

sion of the Buddha – that through his great compassion he helps all
sentient beings.
Above even the umbrella are the moon and the sun, and these
two represent bodhichitta – the altruistic intention to bring all beings
out of suffering and into the bliss of enlightenment. There are two
types of bodhichitta, conventional and ultimate. The moon symbol-
izes conventional bodhichitta and the sun ultimate bodhichitta. On
top of both the sun and the moon is a jewel – the final result, which is
enlightenment or buddhahood. So on the basis of such a foundation,
free of the ten non-virtues, one trains in the path and then finally at-
tains enlightenment, the resultant state of buddhahood.
This is a brief explanation of what the stupa represents. To sum-
marize, the actual stupa has th entire representation of how Buddha,
from the very basis or beginning, trained on the path and finally per-
fected himself. So it reveals the entire path traveled and the results of
the practices engaged in by Lord Buddha Shakyamuni.
The stupa is a very holy and precious object. If one builds a stupa
that has all the qualities that have been described, then in that particu-
lar place where the stupa is built, all the beings that live in that area
will receive numerous benefits. They will have a peaceful atmosphere,
much harmony and happiness, and good livelihood.
In the same way, by making offerings to the stupa – contributions,
donations, and so on – one will also receive great benefits from such
generosity. One will develop the practices in the same way that Bud-
dha perfected himself. By making offerings and giving donations to a
stupa, one receives a huge amount of virtue or merit that will help one
to train in the path and will become a cause for the quick attainment
of enlightenment.
The entire stupa represents the ultimate qualities of the Buddha’s
mind and is therefore a very precious and holy object. By making pros-
trations and offerings to it and circumambulations around it, one re-
ceives huge virtue.
Notes:
1. “The harmika, a square stone box surrounded by a fence-like enclosure of rail-
ings on the stupa’s top, also contains relics. The harmika reflects precisely the
directional orientation of the stupa’s base; relics are deposited in a box in the
harmika’s center, or as Atisha describes, in an obelisk that forms the stupa’s
spire.” From The Stupa: Sacred Symbol of Enlightenment, Crystal Mirror Series,
Vol. 12, p. 46.
2. Mindfulness of body, feelings, mind, and phenomena.
3. Abandoning of afflictions already produced; non-generation of afflictions not
yet generated; increasing of pure phenomena already generated; generation of
pure phenomena not yet generated.
4. Aspiration to the bases of magical emanations; effort toward the bases of magical
emanations; mental attention on the bases of magical emanations; and single-
pointed concentration.
5. Close mindfulness not being attached to whether or not someone is listening
respectfully; close mindfulness not having anger toward someone listening dis-
respectfully; close mindfulness maintaining equanimity regardless of whether
someone listens or not.
Colophon:
Compiled from the following sources with permission: A talk given by Khensur
Losang Thubten Rinpoche on the occasion of the launch of the Enlightenment
Stupa on Kangaroo Island; the legend on the origins of the stupa was taken from
The Buddhist Stupa: Yoga’s Sacred Architecture, Nittin Kumar, ed., Exotic India, Feb-
ruary 2003, www.exoticindia.com; “Ten Traditional Purposes of Stupas” found in
The Thousand Buddhas Relic Stupa Book by Tenzin Zopa; The Stupa: Sacred Symbol of
Enlightenment, Crystal Mirror Series, Vol. 12. Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1997.
Compiled and edited by Kendall Magnussen, FPMT Education Department, Au-

gust 2003.
Information on Stupas from

the Sutras and Tantras
The following is a brief explanation on stupas in general and, specifically, on the eight [types
of] stupas found in various sutras and tantras.
From among the [three bodies] – dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nir-

manakaya – the stupa represents the dharmakaya (truth body). Also,
from among the Buddha’s holy body, holy speech, and holy mind, the
stupa represents Buddha’s holy mind. As you find in the Commentary
of Requesting Transmission (Lung Shuwa):
The place on which stupas are built is the dharmakaya. Train
your mind in seeing stupas as a reflection of the qualities of
great compassion, power, understanding, the [seven] branches
of enlightenment, the five powers, the five forces, the basis of
miraculous deeds, and mindfulness – which are of the nature of
the dharmakaya.
The perfected purpose of self – the ultimate [body of the] dharma-

kaya – is like the full orb of the sun that is the basis for the illuminat-
ing rays of sunlight – the conventional [bodies of the] sambhogakaya
and nirmanakaya – that perfect the purposes of others. Therefore, the
great benefits of building holy objects are explained in the sutras and
tantras mainly in relation to stupas – with the purpose of demonstrat-
ing that the dharmakaya is superior.
In Transmission of Little Difficulty (Lung Trantsig) it says:

There will be eight relic stupas, a vase stupa, and stupas made
out of black stones –in total, ten [types of stupas].
In the Parinirvana Sutra, it says:

[Build a] stupa of thirteen steps together with a wheel [for a bud-
dha], a stupa with twelve steps for solitary realizers, and so on.
In Tritsa Mutsar (Sanskrit), it says:

Stupas with thirteen steps are for complete buddhas and vajra
holders, [stupas] with nine and seven are for hearers and solitary
realizers.
In the Root Sutra, it says:

There are two kinds of stupas: a holy object in a shrine room
at the very inside of a temple, and one [that is] similar to a pil-
lar. [These are what] are suitable [to build] for ordained ones [in
their honor], only, however, if they are virtuous ones (monks
and nuns). For buddhas, [it is suitable to build these in their
honor] all the time. The aspect/shape of the stupa is (should
be): four steps, a lotus, vase, pushu, the life tree, thirteen wheels,
and an umbrella (for a buddha); for solitary realizers, without
the umbrella; for hearers, add one more wheel according to the
level of their attainments; for ordinary [beings], a plain [stupa]
without any decorations.
Now, about the eight [types of] tathagatas’ stupas, in particular, it is

mentioned in the Sutra of Holding the Complete Root of Arya Virtue:
Build stupas, temples, stone pillars, statues of the tathagatas, or
something to remember the qualities of tathagatas.
Having explained it in general, the sutra continues:

Thus it is, for example, [that one should] build tathagata stupas
for [one of the following]: (1) turning the wheel of Dharma, (2)
attaining enlightenment, (3) destroying the [four] maras under
the Bodhi tree, (4) the Tathagata’s showing of miraculous pow-
ers, (5) the Tathagata’s great showing of perfectly going beyond
complete sorrow (parinirvana), (6) his descent from [Tushita]
heaven, or (7) his ascent to heaven.
By which it mentions the names of seven of the eight [types of] stupas
directly.
In addition, it is mentioned in Nagarjuna’s Praises:

The stupas of: birth at Lumbini garden, enlightenment, turning
the wheel of Dharma, defeating the tirthikas, descending from
heaven, reconciliation between two divided Sangha groups,
blessing or increasing the life span, and parinirvana – the eight
[types of] stupas …
Thus, there are different ways of counting eight [types of] stupas ac-
cording to different scriptures. However, scholars and masters such as
Tagtsang Lotsawa (Sherab Rinchen) and Gungtang Jampälyang, etc.
accept [the eight types of stupas] described below.
The Eight Types of Stupas
(1) The very moment the Bhagavan took birth in the garden of Lum-
bini, he took seven steps in each (cardinal) direction, and a lotus ap-
peared as he took each step. In order to represent that although the
Buddha had taken birth in samsara, he was undefiled by the faults
of samsara, just as a lotus is not defiled by mud even though it grows
from mud, the “piles of Lotus Stupa” (pädma chörten) is built.
(2) An Enlightenment Stupa (jangchhub chörten) is built to commemo-

rate [the Buddha’s] attaining enlightenment at Bodhgaya.
(3) The Auspicious Stupa with Many Doors (tashi gomang chörten),
which has from 16 to 108 doors, is built in order to represent the eight
emancipations and the Four Noble [Arya] Truths that were taught dur-
ing the turning of the wheel of Dharma at Varanasi.
(4) The Miraculous Feats Stupa (chhötrul chörten) [is built in honor of
when the Buddha] overpowered others by subduing the six tirthika
teachers [at Shravasti by displaying miraculous powers], without [hav-
ing generated] any [previous] intention, etc.
(5) The Descent Stupa (lha bhab chörten) with stairs [is built to commem-
orate] descending from [Tushita] heaven at Sangkha Sala (Selden).
(6) The Reconciliation Stupa (endum chörten) with eight corners [is cre-
ated] by cutting the four [main] corners of the shape [in half], in order
to represent abiding in the eight emancipations by cutting the four – the
three poisons and [wrong] view – which were the causes for the division,
when bringing [the Sangha] together after the division.
(7) The Victory Stupa (namgyäl chörten), which is round, has three or four
steps for [when the Buddha did retreat for] blessing or extending the life
span for three months [at Nalanda]. Lama Zopa Rinpoche advises building
Victory Stupas with four steps, which represent the four mindfulnesses.
(8) The Parinirvana Stupa (nyängän chörten) without any steps, repre-
sents complete victory in the battle with the Lord of Death, free from
the extremes of samsara.
Thus, the way in which the eight [types of] stupas came to exist has
reliable sources.
Colophon:
Extracted from Losel Literature Series, volume 48, Drepung Loseling Printing
Press, 2000. Translated by Geshe Thubten Sherab, Taos, New Mexico, August
2003. Scribed and edited by Kendall Magnussen, FPMT Education Services, Au-
gust 2003.
Line drawings of the eight types of stupas by Geshe Thubten Sherab, Taos, New
Mexico, 2003.
Golden Stupa
Tsurphu, Tibet
The Symbolic Meaning

of Stupas
In consecration instructions from the Kayavakchitta-supratishtanama,
the great pandit Atisha says,
Blessings! For the chörten’s foundations, the dharmadhatu is
the base upon which the lion throne as the four fearlessnesses
rests. The terrace steps proceed in stages from the ten virtues:
the first, the four foundations of mindfulness; the second, the
four genuine restraints; the third, the four bases of supernormal
powers; and the fourth, the five spiritual faculties. The base
of the vase is the five strengths; the vase is the seven limbs of
enlightenment; and the foundation and the support of the har-
mika are the eightfold noble path. All these relate to the cause
of realizations. What remains relates to the result: The heart-
wood (sog shing) is the ten knowledges; the harmika is the four
enlightened wisdoms and the four deliverances; the thirteen
wheels are the ten stages of the bodhisattva path and the three
applications of mindfulness. The parasol is the protection of
compassion, and the top is the pristine dharmadhatu.
In more detail, the various components of a stupa represent:

1. The basic platform that “holds the earth” symbolizes the ten virtues
of body, speech, and mind.
Body
• protecting life
• practicing generosity
• keeping pure morality
Speech
• telling the truth
• reconciling others
• speaking in a quiet and gentle ways
• speaking sensibly and meaningfully
Mind
• practicing contentment
• being altruistic
• having faith in right views (which are the foundation for liberation)
2. The three steps above symbolize the three refuges one holds on to:
• Buddha
• Dharma
• Sangha
3. The lion throne symbolizes superiority over the whole universe and,
in particular, the four fearlessnesses, which are a result of the four
knowledges:
• knowledge that all factors of existence are understood
• knowledge that the obstacles are correctly known and the way to
stop them can be taught to others
• knowledge that the path of renunciation, through which all the
virtuous qualities are obtained, has in fact been accomplished
• knowledge that all corruption has been brought to an end
4. The treasure vase symbolizes the the eight precious royal objects
(eight noble riches).
5. The small and the big lotuses symbolize the six transcendental virtues
(six perfections):
• generosity
• morality (ethics)
• patience
• energy (enthusiastic perseverance)
• meditation
• wisdom
6. The four corners of the throne symbolize the four immeasurables:

• immeasurable love
• immeasurable compassion
• immeasurable joy
• immeasurable equanimity
7. The first step symbolizes the four mindfulnesses:
• mindfulness of the body
• mindfulness of feelings
• mindfulness of the non-substantiality of thoughts
• mindfulness of the condition of existence (dharmas)
8. The second step symbolizes the four perfect efforts (sammapadhana):
• striving to preserve existing favorable conditions
• striving to produce such conditions not yet existing
• striving to ward off existing unfavorable conditions
• striving to make it impossible for such conditions to arise
9. The third step symbolizes the four miraculous feats (riddhipada):
• intention
• thought
• perseverance
• analysis
10. The fourth step symbolizes the five powers (indriya):
• the faculty of faith
• the faculty of energy
• the faculty of attention
• the faculty of concentration
• the faculty of knowledge
11. The unchanging base symbolizes the five forces (bala):
• the force of faith
• the force of energy
• the force of attention
• the force of concentration
• the force of knowledge
12. The vase in its particularities symbolizes the seven branches of

awakening (bodhyanga):
• total memory (of past lives)
• perfect knowledge of all dharmas
• diligence
• ecstasy
• perfect mastery of all disciplines
• concentration
• equanimity
13. The tre (“harmika” above the vase) and its reverse symbolize the
noble eightfold path:
• perfect view
• perfect understanding
• perfect speech
• perfect action
• perfect living
• perfect effort
• perfect attention
• perfect concentration
14. The tree of life (sog shing) symbolizes the ten knowledges of phe-
nomena:
• mind (the thoughts of others)
• interdependent links
• empirical knowledge
• suffering
• the origin of suffering
• the cessation of suffering
• the path leading to the cessation of suffering
• things that lead to despair
• the non-production of things
15. The thirteen rings symbolize:
• the ten powers (or alternatively, the ten bodhisattva bhumis)
• the three essential remembrances
According to the Tengyur, the ten powers are:

• knowledge of places suitable to preaching
• knowledge of the ripening of different kinds of karma
• knowledge of all of the states of meditations with higher spheres
• knowledge of all of the superior and inferior faculties
• knowledge of the different inclinations of other beings
• knowledge of the different spheres of existence
• knowledge of the ways that lead to the achievement of aims
• knowledge and recollection of former existences
• knowledge of time of death and rebirth
• knowledge of the destruction of evil forces
The three remembrances are:
• the mindfulness of the Buddha that he has no attachment for those
who listen to him respectfully
• the mindfulness of the Buddha that he has no aversion for those
who do not listen to him respectfully
• the mindfulness of the Buddha that he has neither attachment nor
hatred for those who listen to him with mixed feelings
16. The umbrella and its support symbolize the state of a Victorious One.
17. The canopy symbolizes the ornaments of all the supreme qualities.
18. The moon symbolizes the elimination of all sufferings.
19. The sun symbolizes the radiating thousand lights of compassion.
20. The jewel at the top symbolizes the fulfillment of all wishes.
I prostrate with great devotion and faith before such a wonderful stupa,
the embodiment of all the qualities of the victorious ones so that only see-
ing it brings liberation to all who respect it. For he/she who will establish
a connection with such a stupa, the life will carry its full meaning.
Colophon:
Extracted with permission from: www.stupa.org.nz, webmaster William Hursthouse.
Translation from the Kangyur by Lama Karta at Karma Migyour Ling; The Stupa: Sa-
cred Symbol of Enlightenment, Crystal Mirror Series, Vol. 12, Berkeley: Dharma Publish-
ing. Compiled by Kendall Magnussen, FPMT Education Department, August 2003.
Bouddhanath Stupa at Night

Kathmandu, Nepal
The Bouddhanath and

Swayambhunath Stupas
The Bouddhanath Stupa
The story about the Bouddha Stupa is important, and it is incredibly
inspiring. Hearing it, you will really understand the benefits of circum-
ambulating it, cleaning it, and sweeping it the whole day and night.
The stupa was built by a mother, Jadzima, who looked after her
chickens. They were an extremely poor family, I think. She wanted
to build a stupa very, very much, so she asked the king of Nepal for
permission to get the land. Normally, the king wouldn’t give such per-
mission, but somehow, maybe due to her karma, the king said, “Okay,
it can be done.” This just slipped out of his mouth.
This is why the Tibetans call it “Jarung Kashor Chörten.” Jarung is
“it can be done,” and kashor is “slipped out of the mouth.” That’s the
name of the Bouddhanath Stupa. Chörten means stupa.
The mother passed away after she completed up to the vase, the
dome-like structure. She had four sons, and they completed the rest
of the stupa. After they finished it, they all stood up in front of it and
made prayers. Everyone generated a wish. When they were praying, all
the buddhas and bodhisattvas absorbed into the stupa, which is why
the name of the stupa is also “All-Encompassing.”
It’s also called wish-fulfilling. Why? Because it is so powerful that
the wishes of anybody who makes prayers to the stupa are fulfilled.
Especially when you see the stupa for the very first time, whatever you
pray for, it will succeed. Even from the airplane; the first time you see
it, you must do your best prayer.
One Brazilian nun, a Kagyu, knew this story. When she saw the stu-
pa for the first time, she made a prayer to be able to build monasteries.
When she went back, everything happened. She made plans and was
able to build. There are other stories like this.
Anyway, when the brothers were standing in front of the stupa, the
oldest brother made a prayer, “May I become a Dharma king in Tibet,
the Snow Land.” The next brother heard his prayer and said, “May
I become a minister to help him spread the Dharma.” The next son
made the prayer, “May I be an abbot to pass on the lineage of ordina-
tions in Tibet.” And the next one made a prayer, “May I become a pow-
erful yogi when there are obstacles to spreading Dharma in Tibet.”
In the next life, then, the oldest brother became the Dharma king
Songtsen Gampo in Tibet; he was the Dharma king who had two
princesses who brought the statues of Shakyamuni Buddha – one is
now at the Jokhang and the other at the Ramoche. He did great activi-
ties to benefit all sentient beings, and I think he also helped to build
the Jokhang. The second brother became a minister in Tibet [Padma
Gungtsen]. The third brother became an abbot [Shantarakshita], and
the fourth brother became Padmasambhava.
When they were building the first monastery in central Tibet,
Samye, during the day the people would build and then at night spirits
would tear it down. One of the ministers suggested that they invite
Padmasambhava from India. When he came he manifested as a deity
called, I think, “Controlling the Three Realms.” This deity hooked
the spirits and subdued them, making them pledge to become Dhar-
ma protectors. So they stayed around him on the mountain to protect
the Dharma in Tibet.
Therefore, Mahayana Buddhism in Tibet has spread and been pre-
served for many years, and so many beings have actualized the path
and become enlightened. And because of this, Tibetan Mahayana
Buddhism has spread all over the world. Even in the West, many tens
of thousands of people every year are able to follow the path to enlight-
enment, make their lives meaningful, and find peace and happiness.
Including us: we have the chance to practice the lam-rim and are able
to do purification every day, thus becoming closer and closer to libera-
tion from samsara and enlightenment by collecting the three principal
aspects of the path to enlightenment and, on top of that, the tantric
stages to allow us to achieve enlightenment quickly.
All these opportunities that we and many others have in our every-
day life, all this benefit, has come from Bouddha Stupa.
The First Time You See Bouddha Stupa

How to pray when one sees the Bouddhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal for the very first
time, even from a distance.
It is said that whatever one prays for when first seeing the Bouddhanath
Stupa will be granted, so pray like this when first sighting the Stupa
and repeat the prayer again upon arrival at the Stupa:
I pray for the long lives of all gurus that I have connection with.
I pray that the whole organization is able to spread the complete teach-
ings of Lama Tsongkhapa – whatever is beneficial for all sentient be-
ings, whatever will benefit in the mind of all sentient beings.
I pray for all students with whom I have connection – for all sentient
beings that see, hear, remember, touch or talk about me – to be free
from all sufferings immediately and achieve ultimate happiness – en-
lightenment.
From now on until enlightenment may myself and all these sentient
beings, those who are working very hard and all others, always be able
to find and meet perfect gurus such as Manjushri, Shakyamuni Bud-
dha, Chenrezig, Lama Atisha, Lama Tsongkhapa and Maitreya Bud-
dha. May all their holy wishes be fulfilled immediately and may we
never rise heresy and disrespect.
May I be able to generate the whole path up to enlightenment, espe-

cially bodhichitta, without delay for even one second in this life and
may I be able to do extensive works for teaching sentient beings in all
my lifetimes like Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and Lama Tsongkhapa.
I pray for all those who are working hard for me and for all sentient
beings to never be born in the lower realms.
Pray like this and for other general wishes.
The Swayambhunath Stupa

Swayambhunath has its own story. The essence is this. At one time,
the Kathmandu Valley was filled with water like a lake. From the
lake appeared a crystal stupa, which was the embodiment of the Bud-
dha’s holy mind, the dharmakaya. This crystal stupa is now inside
the Swayambhu Stupa. This was predicted by Shakyamuni Buddha
himself. It is the most precious one in Kathmandu.
The whole mountain that the stupa is on is regarded as Buddha
Chakrasamvara’s mandala and palace. Ordinary people see a moun-
tain, but high yogis see a mandala. It’s a very, very holy place, the whole
mountain, and that is why people go around it at the bottom of the
mountain. It is so precious.
The Temple Complex at Swayambhunath
Colophon:
Extracted from How to Make the Most of Pilgrimages, by Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche,
published by Liberation Prison Project, October 2001. Edited by Ven. Robina
Courtin.
“The First Time You See Bouddhanath Stupa” is from advice given by Lama Zopa
Rinpoche in Bodhgaya, India, 22 February 1990.
Benefit of Holy Objects 37
The Benefits of Holy Objects

Teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Why Holy Objects Are Precious and Wish-Fulfilling 39
The Incredible Blessings and Benefits of Holy Objects 45
The Power of Stupas 55
Summary of the Benefits of Stupas 59
The Benefits of the Four Dharmakaya Relic Mantras 61
Benefits of the Precious Relic Mantras 70

The Stupa at Sarnath

Sarnath, India
This stupa marks the location of Shakyamuni Buddha’s first teaching .
Why Holy Objects Are Precious

and Wish-Fulfilling
Every time you look at holy objects – pictures of the Buddha, statues,
scriptures, stupas – they plant the seed of liberation and enlighten-
ment in your mental continuum. Every time you look at them they pu-
rify your mind. They plant the seed of enlightenment, which includes
all the causes to achieve enlightenment. How? When you look at them,
they plant a seed or positive imprint on your mental continuum so
that later when you meet the Buddhadharma, either in this life or in
future lives, you are able to understand the words and the meaning of
the teachings. From that, you are able to practice the meaning of the
Dharma you have understood, which causes you to cease the gross
and subtle defilements by actualizing the path. Then your mental con-
tinuum becomes omniscient mind. This is what is meant when we
say that seeing holy objects plants the seed of enlightenment on the
mind. Therein is contained the whole path from guru devotion and
the three principles up to the two stages of tantra and enlightenment.
Seeing holy objects makes us actualize all of this as a result. This is the
effect we get from seeing them, and this is how they cause us to achieve
enlightenment.
Every time we see holy objects it purifies so much negative karma,
so many defilements. This is because of the power of the holy object.
Holy objects have so much power. It’s like an atomic bomb – even
though such a bomb is so small, yet it can bring so much harm and
cause so much destruction. That example is negative, but what I am
saying is that the material has power, like electricity. The material of
an atomic bomb has the power to harm and destroy the world. The
material of holy objects – statues, scriptures, and stupas – has the
power to affect our mind, to leave positive imprints.
It is mentioned in the King of Concentrations Sutra, “Even if you look

with anger at a drawing of Buddha done on a stone wall, it creates the
cause to see ten million buddhas.” Even if somebody looks at a drawing
of Buddha with anger – not with a pure mind or a virtuous thought,
but with anger – because that drawing of Buddha has so much power,
it still purifies the defilements in that person’s mind. That doesn’t
mean the person will immediately be able to see ten million buddhas,
but it purifies the mind and makes it develop, becoming more and
more pure, so that later that person can see ten million buddhas.
There are five paths to achieve enlightenment and the first is the
Mahayana path of (accumulation of) merit. Within that are three lev-
els: small, middle, and great. As soon as your mind achieves the great
level of the path of merit, then wherever you are, whether you are in
a holy place or in the toilet, you see numberless buddhas around you.
Numberless buddhas are always there, but we just don’t see them be-
cause our minds are so obscured. When you reach that level, you will
actually see uncountable buddhas in nirmanakaya aspect wherever
you are. Then, when you reach the path of right seeing, you become
an arya being, and you can see numberless buddhas in sambhogakaya
aspect. This explains the quotation, “Even if you look with anger at a
drawing of Buddha done on a stone wall, it creates the cause to see ten
million buddhas.”
The benefit we get each time we see a statue of Buddha, a picture
of Buddha, or a stupa is like the limitless sky. It causes us to achieve
all the realizations from guru devotion up to enlightenment and to
achieve all the numberless qualities of the Buddha’s holy body, speech,
and mind.
Holy objects leave only positive imprints, no negative imprints.
When we watch TV or go sightseeing in the city, many of the things
we see leave negative imprints on our mind, depending on how we
look at them. But the benefit that we get from looking at holy objects
is like the limitless sky. Thus, it is very important to have as many holy
objects as possible outside the house and inside the house – maybe
not in the toilet because the bad smell might be disrespectful! But
otherwise everywhere, so that wherever you look, you always see a holy
object and you always receive these skies of benefit.
Pabongkha Dechen Nyingpo mentioned in the lam-rim teachings
that one should treat holy objects as though they were the actual liv-
ing Buddha and not as material things. Every time you look at your
altar, think that these holy objects are the actual living Buddha, but
for the time being the only karma you have is to see Buddha in these
forms, as statues or pictures. Later, when you achieve the path of accu-
mulation of merit, you will see them as the actual living Buddha. Your
view changes as your mind progresses. That is why it is said that holy
objects are manifestations, that Buddha manifests as stupas and so on.
Even though there are stories that such and such an artist made them,
without Buddha there is no way this could happen. For example, those
whose minds are very pure have the experience of statues speaking to
them. Even though the statue was made by an artist, still it speaks.
There are many great meditators and even simple people with not
much knowledge of Dharma but who have strong faith and devotion
who experience this. Even though a statue is made by somebody, it is
actually a manifestation of Buddha. It is also said in the texts that ani-
mals cannot see the Buddha and holy objects as we can, so Buddha is
manifesting in this way for us.
It is very important to understand these benefits. Then you can realize
how important it is to have holy objects and to make holy objects – not
just in your own house, but in the country or area where you live and in
the world. This is so important for sentient beings.
In the Sutra of the Mudra Generating the Power of Faith, Buddha men-
tioned, “Just merely seeing a form of the Buddha creates far greater
merit than making extensive offerings of many different types – such
as umbrellas, banners, food, robes, and so forth –to arhats equaling
the number of sand grains of the Pacific Ocean for eons equaling the
number of sand grains of the Pacific Ocean.”
That seems unbelievable. So many arhats and so many extensive
offerings and for so many eons! It is unbelievable! But actually, all that
merit is very small compared to merely seeing the form of Buddha. It
goes on to say: “There is no question then that making an offering or
prostration to the form of the Buddha creates even greater merit than
that.”
Now you have to understand, to be an arhat is not easy. First, you
have to have the realization of renunciation – seeing the whole entire
samsara – the desire, form, and formless realms – as like being in the
center of a fire, or in a prison, or in a poisonous snake’s nest. An arhat
doesn’t have the slightest interest or attraction to any samsaric pleasure
or comfort for even a second. Only when that realization is stable do

you enter the Hinayana path and start progressing through the dif-
ferent levels and paths, gradually ceasing the delusions until even the
seed of delusion is completely ceased and you achieve the state of an
arhat. So it is not easy to be an arhat. For example, even though many
of us met Buddhadharma many years ago, still most of us are unable to
have the realization of even the very first meditation of the lam-rim, of
death and impermanence or even the usefulness of the perfect human
rebirth. So you can see that to be an arhat who has completed all these
five paths is not easy. It’s very difficult. It’s an unbelievable success for
which you can feel great admiration.
Here we are talking about making extensive offerings to “arhats
equaling the number of sand grains of the Pacific Ocean for eons
equaling the number of sand grains of the Pacific Ocean.” So you
can’t even imagine how much merit you collect. There is a story about
a very poor person in India who had nothing to offer to the Sangha
except a medicinal drink. He offered that simple medicinal drink to
four monks, and due to the good karma he accumulated, in the next
life that poor person became a very powerful, rich king in a place in
India called Gashika. So you can see that the result of making even
small offerings is unimaginable.
Still, just merely seeing a statue or form of Buddha, whether one
is Buddhist or non-Buddhist, a believer or not, creates far more merit
than that; it creates numberless great merit. These holy objects are so
precious. These pictures and statues are so precious. Even if somebody
makes a very ugly drawing or like a child just draws some kind of
design and says it is Buddha, still there is something, so the positive
effect is there.
Therefore, holy objects are really unbelievably wish-fulfilling. Just
by existing, these holy objects make it so easy for sentient beings to pu-
rify their negative karma – no matter how bad or how much they have
accumulated – and so easy to collect extensive merit. They make it so
easy for sentient beings to develop the mind in the path to enlighten-
ment, so easy to get out of samsara and so easy to achieve enlighten-
ment. Holy objects are more precious and wish-fulfilling than skies
filled with gold, diamonds or even wish-granting jewels because those
material things cannot have the same positive effect on your mind that
a statue or painting of the Buddha has.
Therefore, it is very, very important to have many, many holy ob-

jects – especially for someone like me who is very lazy and unable to
practice. It is very important to have many, many holy objects around
so that in our everyday life it becomes very easy to achieve enlighten-
ment and so that we can collect unbelievable merit just by seeing or
looking at them.
Also, when you place a holy object outside, I think it’s very impor-
tant to make sure that the proportions of the drawing or statue are
nice. Make it beautiful so that it inspires other sentient beings to want
to have the same. That helps them. That’s the reason why we are build-
ing the Maitreya Buddha statue, the largest statue in the world. The
larger it is, the more people will come to see it, so the more benefit.
Usually, I keep many photos of Buddha, and these are also what
I give to other people. For me these are the best, the most precious
things. These statues and pictures of Buddha are very precious. They
are priceless. That’s also why I give them to other people.
Colophon:
Edited by Ven. Sarah Thresher from a talk given at the Mitrugpa retreat, Milarepa
Center, Vermont, August 2002. Lightly edited by Kendall Magnussen, FPMT Edu-
cation Service, July 2003.
Stupas in Tibet
The Incredible Blessings and

Benefits of Holy Objects
Holy objects bless the land and plant the seed for enlightenment. Ev-
ery time beings see holy objects, their minds are purified. Just by see-
ing a statue of Buddha, you collect numberless merits. In addition, if
you make offerings, you collect much, much more merit.
By having holy objects – even if you are not talking and keeping
silence – you are liberating hundreds of thousands of sentient beings
every day, liberating them from samsara, saving them from the lower
realms. Just by seeing holy objects one’s karma is purified. Holy objects
purify the mind and plant seeds for the path to liberation. That’s how
stupas and other holy objects liberate [sentient beings] each day. Every
day, holy objects bring sentient beings to enlightenment. Holy objects
are an antidote for war, famine, and disease.
Every day, when sentient beings see stupas and statues, this plants
the seed of enlightenment. It is said that even dreaming of a stupa
plants the seed of enlightenment. This is mainly due to the power of
the holy object. It is said in the King of Concentrations Sutra (Samadhira-
jasutra) that even if one sees a drawing of a stupa with an angry mind, it
causes one to see ten million buddhas in the future. That same quota-
tion says that the benefits that you receive on your mental continuum
from seeing even just a line drawing of the Buddha’s holy body on a
stone wall, the benefits for purifying the mind of all the defilements,
are like the limitless sky. You can then receive all the realizations. This
means that one’s mind gets purified, and this causes one to see num-
berless buddhas, actualize the path, become enlightened, and lead all
sentient beings to enlightenment. Of course, those who prostrate, bow
down, or pay respect even with one hand to a holy object are brought
to enlightenment (and will have many future good rebirths) because
each of those actions, as many times as one does them, creates incon-
ceivable merit. Because one has created inconceivable merit, even this
life is taken care of without clinging to it.
Merely seeing a stupa purifies all this. Anybody, even animals, who
sees a stupa or other holy object is purified. This becomes an incred-
ible purification of the mind. It has that effect: it purifies the mind.
This then becomes the cause for one to see numberless buddhas in
the near future. Then, when one hears the Dharma, one receives the
realizations of the path to enlightenment. Then one achieves total lib-
eration, freedom forever from all the suffering causes, and one attains
the highest enlightenment by completing the Mahayana path.
It is said that even a person who remembers a stupa is purified.
Amazing! Even dreaming of a stupa or remembering a stupa that one
has seen plants the seed of everlasting freedom, total liberation, from
all the suffering causes and of everlasting happiness, the highest en-
lightenment. When you come to know these benefits, then you know
how this stupa makes it so easy to liberate sentient beings, to bring
them to enlightenment, and to save them from the lower realms of
samsara.
A stupa is also the best thing for healing cancer or other sicknesses;
it is the best thing to use for healing. For example, if I go around this
stupa [at Rinpoche’s house in Aptos] a little bit faster for just twenty
minutes, it lowers my diabetes blood sugar level. This has happened
many times. One day I compared: I walked down the road and my
blood sugar level wasn’t lowered that much, but walking around the
stupa lowered it. You can advertise the stupa as unbelievably powerful
for healing. Here, I have been talking about [healing] diabetes, but it’s
also very good for cancer.
Enlightenment doesn’t happen by a click of the fingers; but seeing
holy objects plants the imprint to actualize the path and achieve en-
lightenment. Once you have holy objects, then every day they work for
sentient beings, naturally, all the time. For beings such as animals or
insects who merely touch a stupa with mantras inside – even if they are
touched by just the shadow of the stupa – the negative karma in their
minds of having killed their father or mother is purified.
When water or rain touches the stupa, it becomes holy water. The
rainwater that touches the stupa becomes blessed. So when it rains
and the rainwater runs from the stupa and soaks into the ground, any
insects, worms, any being living in the ground – whomever it touches –

all their negative karma gets purified. They receive a higher rebirth and
become liberated.
It is the same with the wind. When the wind blows over and touch-
es a stupa, it becomes blessed and then has the power to purify. When
the wind then touches sentient beings – whomever it touches, animals
or flies or insects or human beings – it purifies their negative karma of
having committed the ten non-virtuous actions. This results in their
not being reborn in the lower realms – the animal, hell, or hungry
ghost realms. They receive a good rebirth in the next life. It is the
same with dust. Even without that sentient being having any virtuous
thought, [that being gets purified].
It is the same with the bells that are offered to a stupa, even the
small bells that don’t make much sound. When anybody hears the
sound of a bell that has been offered to a stupa, whether it is on top
of the stupa or around the stupa, their negative karma – even the very
heavy five uninterrupted negative karmas of killing one’s father, one’s
mother, an arhat, harming a buddha, or causing disunity among the
Sangha – are purified. The five uninterrupted negative karmas are
extremely heavy negative actions such that whoever has done them
will immediately be reborn in the hell realms without any interruption
after this life. There are eight hot hells, and the very last, the heaviest
one, is where those who have committed these uninterrupted nega-
tive karmas are reborn and where they experience suffering for eons.
These negative karmas are extremely heavy. But by having the Secret
Relic mantra inside a stupa (this is one of the mantras that goes on the
life tree that goes inside the stupa), even a bell offered to the stupa be-
comes very powerful. Then anybody who has these five uninterrupted
negative karmas who hears the sound of the bell is purified. It is so
unbelievably powerful!
Not only are non-Buddhists able to generate merit by making of-
ferings to holy objects. Even by merely seeing these holy objects and
circumambulating them, their actions become the cause of enlighten-
ment. Also, for Buddhists who have little or no realization of Dharma,
by seeing these holy objects they can gain understanding. Normally,
you have to put a lot of effort into practice, but by having holy objects
around, it becomes so easy to free yourself by purifying negative karma
so that you can gradually achieve enlightenment.
Holy objects make it so easy for sentient beings; no matter how

much negative karma we collect, how many negative deeds, it is so easy
to achieve realizations and achieve enlightenment. It gives one hope
in life.
It is very important to tell ordinary people that a stupa is good
because it works to calm them down and bring peace of mind. Stupas
are extremely powerful for health and healing. Visualize healing light
coming from the stupa. The best thing to do if you are facing death
is to circumambulate a stupa. This is good for long life: it purifies
obstacles to life by purifying the negative karma that results in a short
life. It is also very good for general success, for example, if you are
having difficulties in life, are unable to find a job, or are experiencing
difficulties in business. For success, you need to purify the negative
karma for having these difficulties. You need to create much merit for
success, so go around the stupa. Visualize light coming from the stupa
and totally illuminating your body. While you circumambulate, you
can chant mantras and concentrate, or you can sit down and do this
meditation every day for one-half hour or one hour. Fantastic. Visual-
ize white light coming from the stupa, totally illuminating and purify-
ing you from sickness, delusions, spirit harm, and negative karma. You
can also chant mantras.
There should be a small booklet that explains how to use a stupa in
different ways. Issue a booklet “How to Use a Stupa.” (Practices related
to stupas can be found on p. 106). In addition, an abbreviated compilation
of benefits and practices found herein has been made into a small booklet
called “How to Use a Stupa,” which is available as a separate document from
FPMT Education Department.) Once we make such a booklet, it can be
used anywhere in our centers, in any country, anywhere there are holy
objects. Even if there is only one stupa, if it has these [four powerful]
mantras inside, you can use the stupa for different purposes. You can
use the stupa for many problems. This booklet of advice can touch on
many different problems in order to help people solve many kinds of
problems.
Even if a person does this practice [related to the stupa] with only
the motivation of this life’s happiness – not a Dharma motivation, but
for the happiness and success of just this life, which motivation is not
to benefit sentient beings so that the action therefore doesn’t become
Dharma – yet due to the power of the object, it becomes Dharma. It
becomes the cause to achieve enlightenment. You should have a book-

let or a signboard, a big huge board like the size of a window, and ex-
plain different ways a person can use the stupa. In this way, people will
come with different problems and will use the stupa by going around
it, or sitting down and meditating.
We can see very clearly what an incredible opportunity we have
in our life, which is a great cause for hope. Through holy objects, we
create the cause of happiness. With every single action [in relation to
a holy object], the resulting benefit is inconceivable, immeasurable,
because the object has inconceivable qualities like the limitless sky.
Because of that, everything you do, such as prostrations, has benefits
like the sky.
Some of the key benefits that sentient beings receive are explained
by the Buddha himself in the text on the infinite benefits of making
prayer wheels and stupas. If you read this text, it’s just mind-blowing!
It is just unbelievable! Because I saw this text, that’s why [I have asked]
others to have many stupas built at Kopan, in Solu Khumbu, Iceland,
and many other places.
The Benefits of Building Stupas

The main purpose of building stupas is to make the lives of all be-
ings, young and old, meaningful. For those beings who see the stupa
it will:
help purify their mind

help collect merit, which is the cause of all happiness and
all success
help heal their body and mind through purification specifically
due to the power of the stupa, meditating on and seeing the holy
object
help to preserve Tibetan Mahayana culture
There is a need [in the world] to develop compassion and a warm

heart. Thus, building a stupa can help to develop so much peace and
happiness for numberless sentient beings. As a result, wars, disease,
and desire will be pacified by this change of attitude. Disease arising
out of the negative mind will be stopped, and previous negative kar-
mas will be purified. Building a stupa will give so much peace and so
much peace of mind to the local people where the stupa is built and to
people from all over the world. It will purify the mind so that people
receive inner peace. Just by coming here [to this place with a stupa],
beings will receive an education in order to develop a good heart, com-
passion and loving kindness, tolerance, patience – all these most pre-
cious human qualities of the mind. And inspiration!
It will give people courage in life. People who are depressed will
gain courage by coming to this place. Instead of feeling hopeless in
their life, they will get hope. They will discover that their life is full
of hope and their minds will be inspired in compassion as well as
in wisdom. It will thereby make their lives of the greatest benefit for
themselves and others. This is about peace – for the individual beings
who come to see it, for the whole country, and for the entire world –
for all sentient beings.
I see the creation of stupas as being of incalculable benefit for
countless sentient beings, especially for their mind streams. If one
transforms or develops the mind, then all problems and suffering are
transformed or ceased, because the mind is the creator of all one’s hap-
piness and suffering.
Listening to teachings and practicing meditation are the actual
path, but for this you need a lot of merit; you need to have purified
a lot of negative karma. The immediate and most urgent thing is to
obtain a better rebirth when you die – so these holy objects can be
really beneficial. Since many do not have the karma to come to teach-
ings, the other way to liberate and save sentient beings from the lower
realms, from samsara, and even from the subtle defilements is by their
seeing holy objects and going around them. By their remembering the
holy object, this will help them to enlightenment. This is the essential
purpose of the stupa.
By means of the stupa, the prayer wheels, and the many holy objects
existing, every day, without words, we will liberate so many sentient be-
ings – without words, in silence. By actualizing and building stupas we
liberate so many sentient beings every day by planting the seed of lib-
eration and the seed of the whole path in their minds. We will create
the cause for their good rebirth every day, for all those sentient beings
who will circumambulate – tourists and everybody! The stupa gives
peace of mind, purifies negative karma, and gives beings good rebirths
and every happiness.
The conclusion for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike is that the

stupa is a way to purify defilements. A holy stupa is a way to benefit
sentient beings without words. It will liberate beings from samsara in
silence. To have such a holy object existing in a country makes it very
rich and very lucky. Many people will come to visit for pleasure as tour-
ists, but it will at the same time make their life meaningful. The most
important point is that holy objects help beings to purify their mind
and to collect extensive merit so that it is possible for them to easily
have realizations of the path. That is the main function of these holy
objects – to help us sentient beings have quick realizations of the path
to enlightenment by the power of the holy object.
Those who build and work to actualize these holy objects will bring
these beings to enlightenment. So anyone who sees it, touches it, re-
members it, even dreams of it will have the seed planted for their own
enlightenment. As well, prostrating and so on to the stupa helps bring
them to enlightenment. By having the Secret Relic mantra within the
stupa, any animals, ants, butterflies, etc. that go around the stupa even
just once are purified of their negative karma to be born in the hot
hells.
Even if we all die, as long as the holy objects that we have created
last, our work, our effort [to create holy objects], is still benefiting sen-
tient beings continuously. For all the many hundreds and thousands
of years that the stupa will last, every day it will liberate sentient beings
in silence … without words … without our talking Dharma to them.
You see, just by seeing the stupa, the minds of the sentient beings who
come here get purified. So many negative karmas get purified. Even
the insects who are killed by machines during the construction – even
they will not be reborn in the lower realms. Even those that die during
the building process will receive a good rebirth. It is mentioned by a
great Indian teacher in a text called Matasara, or something like that,
that even if you make food for the people building the temple, your
negative karma will be purified.
Even if the holy object is destroyed, still for days, months, years,
hundreds of thousands of years, so many sentient beings continue to
receive so much benefit from the positive imprints [they received from
having seen that holy object]. These positive imprints cause them to
meet the guru, to actualize the path, etc., until they achieve enlighten-
ment. The positive imprints are still working in them. Even if the holy
object does not exist any more, the effect is still working in that being.
That person will then help to bring other sentient beings to enlighten-
ment.
Anybody who comes to see a stupa or holy objects – even those who
dream about them – from that time on will not be born in the lower
realms. Just by seeing and touching a stupa, their negative karmas will
be purified, and they will immediately find refuge and stable faith
in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Then they will be able to pacify
their minds and generate loving kindness and bodhichitta. Wherever
a stupa is built will become a powerful place for healing and a cause
of success for whatever visitors to that place are seeking. Each person
can transform their mind by coming and seeing such holy objects. In
short, spending time at a stupa can become the psychology to bring
peace of mind and a good heart to all beings, both young and old.
These benefits apply to all sentient beings that come to the stupa, even
dogs that are taken for a walk around it.
To support and contribute to creating and building stupas and oth-
er holy objects is therefore of immense benefit, not only to others but
also to yourself in helping to make your life more meaningful.
You can dedicate the benefit or merit of helping with creating holy
objects to family members who have passed away. You can dedicate
the merit to all the people who are dying of cancer now, to all the
people who have AIDS. If you want to do something to help family
members who have passed away, for their good rebirth, then dedicate
your merit of supporting and giving contributions toward building
stupas and holy objects. You can also dedicate for all sentient beings
who are suffering now and so that all those who support the creation
of stupas and holy objects will also have a good rebirth. As well, you
can dedicate all these merits for world peace. There are so many ways
you can dedicate the merit every time you make a contribution or cre-
ate holy objects yourself. And you can pray for the quick realizations
of all sentient beings.
Stupas are very powerful for purification. Wherever you are in the
six realms or in the pure lands or wherever, every day stupas liberate
many sentient beings. You must remember that. Even though our lives
are not long, the time and effort you put into creating stupas and the
stupas to which you have contributed or that you have built will con-
tinuously benefit other sentient beings, liberating them from samsara
and bringing them to enlightenment. So even though our lives are

short, our effort will benefit for a long time, liberating numberless sen-
tient beings and bringing them to enlightenment. You should realize
these long-term benefits of your contributions, your efforts, and your
dedications.
Colophon:
This article was compiled from the following talks given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
Talk given at Atisha Center, Bendigo, Australia, March 2000. Material used wit
permission of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive (www.lamayeshe.org). Teachings given
at Atisha Center and in Sydney, Australia in September and October 1996 and in
March 2000; Instructions scribed by Brian Halterman in Aptos, California.
The individual extracts were originally compiled and lightly edited by Kendall Mag-
nussen, July 2003. Final editing by Ven. Constance Miller, September 2003.
Swayambhunath Stupa
Kathmandu, Nepal
The Power of Stupas

Those of you who have heard the lam-rim teachings many times will
have heard the story of Shrijata, who only began to practice Dharma
after he was eighty years old but who became an arhat in that life.
When he was eighty years old, Shrijata was living at home with his
family, but all the children made fun of him. Every day they would
tease him. One day the old man got completely fed up with their teas-
ing and thought, “Oh, it would be so peaceful to leave home and go
live in the monastery.”
So Shrijata left home and went to the nearby monastery, the abbot
of which was Shariputra, one of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s heart dis-
ciples.
When Shariputra, an arhat who excelled in wisdom, checked
whether or not the old man had the karma to become a monk, he
could not find any.
Shariputra told the old man, “Normally in a monastery you study, or
if you cannot study, you serve the other monks by cleaning and so forth.
If you become a monk, you can neither study nor work because you are
too old.” So Shariputra refused to ordain the old man as a monk.
The old man got terribly upset about this. He laid his head on the
threshold of the monastery and cried. He then went to a nearby park
and again cried and cried. At that time Guru Shakyamuni Buddha
was in India. Buddha’s holy mind sees all sentient beings all the time,
so whenever a sentient being’s karma ripens so that they are receptive
to guidance from Buddha, he immediately appears to them in what-
ever form fits their mind and guides them. This is a particular quality
of Buddha; this is how Buddha works for sentient beings. When a
sentient being’s karma is ripe to receive help, Buddha does not delay
for even one second.
Buddha immediately appeared in front of Shrijata and asked him
what was wrong. The old man explained how the abbot of the monas-
tery hadn’t accepted that he become a monk. Buddha then said, “Be-
cause I have completed the two types of merit, the merit of wisdom
and the merit of method, I can see that you have the karma to become
a monk.”
Because Buddha had completed the two types of merits, which
means he had purified the two obscurations, Buddha had omniscient
mind and could see all the subtle karmas. In other words, the old
man’s karma to become a monk was a subtle karma that only a Bud-
dha could see.
Buddha explained that an arhat could not see this subtle karma
because he had not finished the work of collecting the two types of
merits and so had not achieved omniscient mind.
Buddha explained to Shrijata that he had created the karma an
inconceivable length of time ago when he was a fly and there was
some cow dung around a stupa. One explanation is that the cow dung
was floating on some water; the fly landed on the cow dung and com-
pleted a circumambulation when the water went around the stupa.
The other explanation is that the fly followed the smell of cow dung
lying around a stupa and thus had the good fortune to complete a cir-
cumambulation. The fly had no idea that the stupa was a holy object
or that circumambulating it would become a cause of enlightenment.
The fly had no intention of doing a circumambulation. It was acting
totally out of attachment to the smell of the cow dung. Its motivation
was completely non-virtuous. Due to the power of the object, how-
ever, the circumambulation became virtuous. Buddha explained that
that small virtue of circumambulating the stupa created the cause for
Shrijata to become a monk.
When Buddha checked to see who had a karmic connection with
the old man and could look after him, it turned out to be Maudga-
lyayana, an arhat who excelled in psychic powers. Of Buddha’s two
heart disciples, Shariputra excelled in wisdom and Maudgalyayana in
psychic powers.
Buddha then offered the old man to his disciple, Maudgalyayana,
who was the abbot of another monastery.
After Shrijata became a monk, the young monks in the monastery
also teased him. Every day they would make fun of the old man. One
day he again got completely fed up with their teasing and ran away
from the monastery. He decided that he would jump into the river.
At that time Maudgalyayana went looking for the old man. When he
couldn’t find him in the monastery, he used his psychic powers to

check Shrijata’s whereabouts and discovered that the old man had
just jumped into the river. Using his psychic powers, Maudgalyayana
immediately appeared there and dragged the old man from the river.
Shrijata was shocked, because he hadn’t explained to his teacher what
he was going to do. He could not speak for a while. In complete shock,
he just stood there with his mouth open.
When Shrijata explained everything to him, Maudgalyayana said,
“The reason you ran away from the monastery and jumped into the
river is that you lack renunciation of samsara.” Maudgalyayana asked
the old man to hold onto a corner of his robes and then flew up into
the sky with him.
They flew on and on until they came to a huge mountain of bones
in the ocean. After they landed on the mountain, the old man asked
his teacher, “Whose bones are these?” Maudgalyayana replied, “Oh,
these are the bones from your past life.” The old man had previously
been born as the largest animal in the ocean, a whale. As soon as
Shrijata heard his teacher say this, he generated renunciation of sam-
sara. He realized that samsara is suffering in nature and that nothing
is definite in samsara. His hair stood up on end and he generated
renunciation of samsara.
He then entered the path and became an arya being in that life.
Even though he began to practice Dharma only after he was eighty
years old, he was able to achieve the arya path, overcome the cycle of
death and rebirth, and completely free himself from the sufferings of
samsara. An arhat achieves total liberation from all suffering and its
cause, including the seeds of delusion. He abides in that state for a
number of eons until Buddha sees that it is the right time to persuade
his mind to enter the Mahayana path. Buddha then sends light beams
from his hand and recites a certain verse to the arhat. The arhat then
enters the Mahayana path, and by actualizing the arya Mahayana path
gradually ceases the subtle defilements. When all the subtle defilements
are totally ceased, he completes the path and becomes enlightened; he
can then enlighten numberless other sentient beings.
This old man’s ability to enlighten numberless sentient beings came
about through his being enlightened, which came about through his en-
tering the Mahayana path, which came about through his becoming an
arhat after entering the path to liberation, which came about through
his becoming a monk. And he was able to become a monk because
of the very subtle karma he created as a fly. With no idea that a stupa
was a holy object that could purify the mind, with only attachment,
this fly followed the smell of cow dung around a stupa and incidentally
completed a circumambulation. Everything started from that small
good karma.
From that small merit, everything, the whole evolution of becom-
ing a monk, actualizing the whole path to achieve total liberation,
the nirvana of the sorrowless state from all the suffering causes, then
entering the pure Mahayana path, then the ten bhumis, achieving en-
lightenment, liberating other sentient beings and bringing them to
enlightenment – the whole thing came from that small merit collected
by one circumambulation by following the smell of the cow dung!
It’s the same thing when you go around a stupa. The effect for any-
body of just walking around a stupa and circumambulating, even with-
out any pure motivation, is the same: actualizing the whole five paths
to liberation, then the five paths to achieve enlightenment, and then
to be able to liberate and then to enlighten all numberless sentient
beings. That benefit is for anybody who goes around the stupa; dogs,
cats, flies, kangaroos, or whatever. Maybe kangaroos can go faster be-
cause they can jump from here to there.
Colophon:
Extracted from Teachings from the Vajrasattva Retreat, teachings by Lama Zopa
Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. Lightly edited by Kendall Magnussen,
FPMT Education Services, July 2003. Reprinted with permission.
Summary of the Benefits

of Stupas
The stupa represents Buddha’s holy mind, the dharmakaya, and each
part of the stupa shows the path to enlightenment. Building a stupa
is a very powerful way to purify negative karma and obscurations and
to accumulate extensive merit. In this way you can have realizations
of the path to enlightenment and be able to do perfect work to liber-
ate suffering beings, who equal the sky, leading them to the peerless
happiness of enlightenment, which is the ultimate goal of our life. The
benefits of stupas are:
1. If you make a thousand stupas, you will become a great “wheel-
turning holder of the wisdom teaching” (i.e., of Mahayana secret
mantra) and you will develop clairvoyance knowing all the Bud-
dhadharma.
2. After death, without being born in the evil-gone realms (hell, preta,
or animal), you will be born as a king.
3. You will become like a sun rising in the world, with perfect senses
and a beautiful body.
4. You will be able to remember past lives and see future lives.
5. You will be able to do extensive listening without forgetfulness.
6. The sutra teaching the Stainless Beam says: “All the negative karma
and obscurations, including the five uninterrupted negative karmas
(the heaviest negative karmas, such as killing one’s parents, causing
a tathagata to bleed, and so forth), are purified even by dreaming

of a stupa, seeing a stupa, hearing the sound of a stupa’s bell, and
even – for example, in the case of birds and flies – being touched
by the shadow of a stupa.”
7. You will always be protected by the tathagatas (buddhas), who will

always pay attention and guide you to achieve complete pure en-
lightenment. You will abide in the irreversible stage.
8. As it is explained by the Buddha in the sutras, it is extremely power-

ful to build a stupa for those who have passed away as it immediate-
ly changes a suffering rebirth (hell, preta, or animal) into a happy
rebirth with the opportunity to meet the Dharma.
9. Stupas can also heal those with serious diseases.
10. There is no question that stupas are the cause for you to accumu-
late extensive merit and gain success and happiness.
Therefore, dedicate for your ancestors, family members, and friends

who have passed away or who are sick and for the happiness of you and
your family in this and future lives.
Colophon:
These benefits of stupas were explained by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Chenrezig In-
stitute, Australia, in September 1994.
The Four Dharmakaya Relic

Mantras and Their Benefits
by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
How I Discovered the Four Dharmakaya Relic Mantras and

Started Building Stupas
I met one geshe who lived at Deer Park who was very skilled with Tibet-
an language and poetry. I think Choden Rinpoche and other monks
learned poetry from him. One morning, I asked him, “There are these
Four Dharmakaya Relic mantras. Are they Nyingma?” I thought they
might be Nyingma because there is a text called The White Crystal Mir-
ror, which explains how to put mantras in statues and stupas [editor’s
note: this text was translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and is included
in Benefits and Practices Related to Statues and Stupas, Part 2; Building and
Blessing Holy Objects, available from the Foundation Store, www.fpmt.
org/shop]. That text mentions the name of the mantras, but doesn’t
contain the actual mantras. That means those who rely only on this
text don’t build stupas that contain these incredible, most powerful,
most important Four Dharmakaya Relic mantras, which give all the
power to the stupa.
Geshe Dönyo was also in the room, and he said that there were two
volumes from one great Sera Je lama that mentioned these mantras. I
read that text and found where in the Kangyur these mantras existed.
Once I read about the mantras, I was completely amazed by the skies
of benefit these Four Dharmakaya Relic mantras have. Then, when I
went to Kopan, I suggested they build the eight types of stupas. This is
how all the stupa building in FPMT started.
Then recently, I was reading the benefits again, and I found out
more about the Stainless Pinnacle Deity mantra. I actually have the
Kangyur in the house, because Ven. Roger offered it to me. It helps
a lot; it helps me discover many things. There are amazing, amazing,
mindblowing things in the Kangyur! Even the Golden Light Sutra is
in there! Therefore, all those benefits I discovered in the Kangyur
actually came from Ven. Roger. If he hadn’t bought the Kangyur, we
wouldn’t have all these discoveries. So actually, the project of building
all the stupas in FPMT is Ven. Roger’s fault.
There were a few of the root and heart mantras missing from the last
printing of the Four Dharmakaya Relic mantras. We checked against
different texts based on the Kangyur and Tengyur and I have made
some corrections. It is now organized correctly and I am quite satisfied
with this version. This version can be used now to make many billions
and billions of stupas!
Also, the Four Dharmakaya Relic mantras can be put inside prayer
wheels, in tsa-tsas, in statues etc. In this way, we benefit the whole
world. We liberate so many sentient beings and bring them to enlight-
enment as quickly as possible.
The Benefits of the Four Dharmakaya Relic Mantras

The four dharmakaya relic mantras (Stainless Pinnacle Deity, Se-
cret Relic, Zung of the Exalted Completely Pure Stainless Light, and
100,000 Ornaments of Enlightenment) are a sacred relic. They are
the highest relics of Buddha, relics of the dharmakaya. Other relics,
the ones that we normally see, such as relics of the robes or parts of
Buddha’s holy body, are secondary relics. These four mantras are the
highest relic. After I learned about the unbelievable benefits of each of
these mantras, I had them written down and we printed many. These
are normally what we should put inside stupas, statues, and so on.
These very special mantras give unbelievable power. If you have put
these mantras inside a statue, the devas will come to worship that holy
object three times a day.
By putting these mantras inside a stupa, even a bell that is offered
to the stupa brings unimaginable benefit. For example, the negative
karma of all sentient beings who hear the sound of that bell is puri-
fied. They are liberated from the lower realms. Their negative karma is
purified and they receive a good rebirth. In that way, there is unbeliev-
able benefit. It makes it so easy for sentient beings to purify negative

karma and reach enlightenment.
Also, if you circumambulate a stupa that has these mantras inside
even one time, it purifies the negative karma that causes you to be re-
born in all the eight hot hells. The negative karma that causes you to be
born in all the eight hot hells – from the lightest down to the heaviest,
most unbearable suffering hell realm – is completely purified by going
around a stupa with these mantras inside just once.
The Very Essence of the Extensive Benefits of the Four Dharma-

kaya Relic Mantras
The benefits of circumambulating and so forth are extensively ex-
plained, including the benefits from the tantric side, in the sutra called
Arya Compassionate Eye Looking One and in the sutra called Compassion-
ate White Lotus, and so forth.
Stainless Pinnacle Deity Mantra (Tsugtor Drime)

As explained by the Buddha in the Kangyur, there are skies of benefits
for making even just one prostration, circumambulation, or offering
to a holy object containing the mantra of the Stainless Pinnacle Deity
(Tsugtor Drime):
It purifies completely the karmic obstacles of the five uninterrupted
negative karmas (killing one’s father or mother, killing an arhat, causing
blood to flow from a buddha, and causing a schism in the Sangha).
One will be completely liberated from the hell, hungry ghost, and ani-
mal realms and from the evil-gone realm of the yama world.
One will have a long life.
Like a snake changing its skin, when leaving the body, one will have
the fortune to go to the blissful realm (i.e., a pure land).
One will never be stained by the smell of the womb.
All one’s wishes will be completely and exactly fulfilled.
If you put this mantra inside a stupa, you will never be reborn in the
lower realms and will have a pure life until you achieve enlightenment.
You will have good rebirths up until enlightenment is achieved.

This is most amazing. We have so many human problems that we can’t
bear, so how could we bear the sufferings of the lower realms, such as
being born as an insect, much less being born a hell being, animal, or
preta? When human beings have problems, they can communicate.
They can try many ways to resolve the problems. But animals and pre-
tas cannot do this, and their suffering is so much greater. They have
unbelievable problems, so there is no question about the hell beings
whose suffering is unimaginably heavier.
So it is unbelievably precious that we can be freed forever from
these sufferings, just by putting the Stainless Pinnacle Deity’s mantra
inside stupas (100,000 copies of this mantra should be put into stu-
pas). From now on, we will have pure lives and higher rebirths up until
enlightenment is achieved.
So there are incredible benefits from building stupas and putting
these Four Dharmakaya Relic Mantras inside. It is so easy to purify all
the heavy negative karmas from beginningless rebirth. Anyone who
has the opportunity to put this mantra inside a stupa is therefore the
most fortunate being in the world. They create the cause for long life,
as well as to be reborn in a pure land. Of course, this brings a lot of
merit, but that didn’t happen without cause and effect and conditions,
meaning we created a lot of good karma in the past.
Secret Relic Mantra (Sangwa Rigsel)

Also, as explained by the Buddha in the Kangyur, if you have this
mantra inside a holy object, then all the buddhas will abide in that
holy object. Therefore, there are skies of benefits for making even just
one prostration, circumambulation, or offering to a holy object con-
taining the Secret Relic mantra (Sangwa Rigsel):
One purifies the negative karma of the ten non-virtuous actions and
so forth, and will be completely liberated from the eight hot hells, in-
cluding the unbearable hell (Avici). One also purifies the five uninter-
rupted negative karmas
One will never turn back from peerless enlightenment. (That is, one
will never go down; one’s life will always be directed toward enlighten-
ment. This is irreversible; one will never go in the opposite direction.)
One will always attain higher rebirth.

By printing the Secret Relic Mantra just once, you collect the same
amount of merit as making offerings to 100,000 x 10 million x 100
billion buddhas. This was told to Vajrapani.
Having made offerings to as many buddhas as there are in ninety-nine
sesame seed pods – that is how much merit you create and you are
always guided by that many buddhas.
This is just a drop from the unimaginable benefits of this mantra.
Zung of the Completely Pure Stainless Light (Özer Drime)

There are many Zung of the Exalted Completely Pure Stainless Light
mantras, and they are all contained within the Four Dharmakaya Rel-
ic Mantras. These mantras have unbelievable, mindblowing skies of
benefit. As explained by the Buddha in the Kangyur, there are skies
of benefit in making even just one prostration, circumambulation, or
offering to a holy object containing the Zung of the Completely Pure
Stainless Light (Özer Drime):
If one offers even a bell to a stupa containing this mantra, all the sen-
tient beings in that area, animals or humans, by hearing the sound of
that bell will be completely purified of the five uninterrupted negative
karmas.
Normally, committing the five uninterrupted negative karmas causes
one to be reborn in the lowest hot hell, which is extremely heavy suf-
fering, but having this mantra inside a stupa purifies it all. This shows
how unbelievably powerful this mantra is. Since even hearing the
sound of a bell offered to such a stupa has incredible power to purify,
there is no question that any insect or other being who sees or touches
the stupa is purified of negative karma. Even just thinking about the
stupa purifies the five uninterrupted negative karmas. That is amaz-
ing! It is so powerful! It is like a small flame that eventually grows into
a fire that burns many thousands of miles of forest or entire cities.
Even water, rain or dust that just touches the stupa is so blessed that it
purifies all the negative karmas of the insects on the ground who come
into contact with it. And the wind that touches such a stupa purifies
the negative karmas of people or animals that it contacts and brings
a good rebirth. Even if the shadow of the stupa touches people and
insects, their heavy negative karma is purified. From the Kangyur:
If this mantra is put inside a stupa then any being, including evil trans-
migratory beings, who sees the stupa, hears of the stupa, touches the
stupa, or who is touched by dust or wind that comes from this stupa,
will be free from all negative karmas. They will be born in the realms
of happy transmigratory beings1 and they won’t be reborn in the lower
realms.
Everything that touches the land the stupa is on becomes meaningful,
including the rain that touches the stupa and then flows to the ground
and touches worms. The worms’ negative karma is purified and they
will receive a higher rebirth.
If there is a stupa containing this mantra in the center of a road or
above a road and cars can pass under it or go around it, this is unbe-
lievable purification. It doesn’t only purify the negative karma of this
life, it purifies the negative karma of many past lives and plants the
seed of enlightenment.
The Destroyer Qualified Gone Beyond [Shakyamuni Buddha] ad-
vised the Bodhisattva Great Sattva: Eliminating All Obscurations,
Owner of the Secrecy, Vajra in the Hand [Vajrapani], the four guard-
ians, the deva Unforgettable2 Owner [Brahma], and the devas of Tsan-
gri, the Maha Deva, [the Hindu God Mahashora], and so forth: “You,
the capable holy beings, I hand over this heart of the king of the secret
mantra. Always keep it, put it in a jeweled samato [container]. Then
proclaim it to all places. Continually reveal it to sentient beings. If
you make sentient beings hear and see this mantra, their five uninter-
rupted negative karmas will be purified.”
100,000 Ornaments of Enlightenment (Jangchub Gyänbum)

Finally, as explained by the Buddha in the Kangyur, there are skies of
benefits for making even just one prostration, circumambulation, or
offering to a holy object containing the mantra of the 100,000 Orna-
ments of Enlightenment (Jangchub Gyänbum):
By putting even just one mantra of the Ornament of Enlightenment
inside a stupa, it brings the same merit as having built 100,000 stu-
pas – whether the stupa is gigantic like Bodhgaya or tiny like the size
of a finger. Then, if you dedicate this merit for sentient beings, for
their happiness up to full enlightenment, they receive unbelievable
benefits and you receive unbelievable merit.
One collects the merit of having made offerings to all the buddhas, to all
the Dharma, and to all the Sangha. Why? Because when you make of-
ferings to a stupa containing the 100,000 Ornaments of Enlightenment
Mantra, you are not only making offering to a stupa. It becomes an offer-
ing to all the buddhas, the Three Rare Sublime Ones – all the Buddha,
Dharma, and Sangha that exist in the ten directions, in any universe.
After a person has died, chant that person’s name during the exact
moment you put the mantra inside the stupa (before placing it inside
the stupa, the mantra should be rolled correctly and covered in yellow
cloth). Then you make offerings to the stupa – either actual offerings,
or visualized, as in the seven limb prayer. If you visualize offerings,
visualize all the flowers inside and outside, all the food offerings, all
the water offerings, all the light offerings, everything! You can use all
the offerings at my houses in California and Washington, as well as all
the offerings at all the FPMT centers.
Buddha said to Ananda: “I explained this sutra for those beings
who have very little merit and no devotion, for those who are over-
come by doubt and cannot believe in the Dharma. For those sentient
beings, I explained the 100,000 Ornaments of Enlightenment man-
tra.” That means Buddha explained this mantra for us.
Buddha also told Ananda: “In future times, if ordained ones don’t
read this sutra that contains the benefits of this mantra and don’t
make offering to this mantra, which makes it so unbelievably easy to
purify the negative karma that causes one to be reborn in the lower
realms and to accumulate the merit to achieve enlightenment and then
offer extensive benefit to sentient beings, those ordained ones will suf-
fer in the same way as householders. But if one listens to this teaching
and then makes even one stupa with this mantra inside, one makes
offering to all the 84,000 teachings of the Buddha.” This means that
this mantra is an antidote to the 84,000 delusions, and one creates in-
conceivable heaps of merit. This is the same as reading the sutra called
Tongpa Denpe Do (Sutra of the Ornamented Trunk)
When you put these four dharmakaya relic mantras inside a stupa,
even mentioning the name of a person or animal that has died and
praying for them brings them a good rebirth, such as birth in a pure
land. That person will definitely be liberated from the lower realms. It
is very powerful. You can also do the same for very sick people, mak-
ing dedications for them to be healthy. As you put the mantras inside
the stupa (or holy object), you should do the seven-limb practice and
make the dedication for that person. This is a very powerful method
for healing.
Holy objects such as these liberate sentient beings continuously
twenty-four hours a day, every day. They purify the causes of the lower
realms and bring sentient beings to the higher realms where they can
meet the Dharma and then reach liberation and enlightenment.
Creating holy objects with these special mantras inside and mak-
ing them available to others brings constant, unbelievable benefit
to sentient beings. As soon as stupas and statues of the Buddha are
made, they have the power to cause sentient beings to do actions such
as circumambulating, prostrating, offering, and so forth, which then
become virtuous actions creating the cause of enlightenment, even
if those actions are done with the eight worldly dharmas3 and non-
virtuous thoughts. These holy objects make it possible for sentient be-
ings to create the cause to meet the Dharma and actualize the path.
So even though we who are making these holy objects do not have
realizations such as bodhichitta or emptiness, nor have we reached
any of the bodhisattva bhumis, the holy objects we make still have the
power to liberate sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric suffer-
ing, to actualize all the realizations of the path – Guru devotion, the
three principles of the path, and the two stages – and then to achieve
enlightenment.
These are illustrations of the activity of the Buddha’s unbelievable
compassion toward us sentient beings and are but a few of the drops
of Buddha’s unbelievable methods to liberate sentient beings quickly
from the sufferings of samsara.
Colophon:
This teaching is a compilation of advice from three different occasions: dictated by
Lama Zopa Rinpoche to Ven. Holly Ansett, Kachoe Dechen Ling, Aptos, Novem-
ber 2002. Section of the benefits is from the Kangyur, which is the essence of all
the Buddha’s teachings. Additional benefits for the Stainless beam mantra extract-
ed from “Zung of the Completely Pure Exalted Beam Stainless Light,” translated
by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and dictated to Ven. Matthew Tenzin, Kachoe Dechen
Ling, February, 2005. Lightly edited by Holly Ansett and Kendall Magnussen, May,
2005. Additional teachings on the benefits of these mantras from a teaching given
by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kachoe Dechen Ling on November 26, 2006. Tran-
scribed by Ven> Lobsang Yangchen, checked and arranged by Ven. Holly Ansett,
and edited by Ven. Gyalten Mindrol, FPMT Education Department, May 2007.
All teachings compiled in this form by Ven. Gyalten Mindrol, FPMT Education
Department, May 2007
Benefits of the Precious

Relic Mantras
From the sutra text Stainless Crown Pinnacle Beam Always Entering
the Door, “Circumambulate the essence of a relic or one that has the
essence of a relic of the tathagatas, remembering at the same time the
two Wish-Fulfilling Precious Jewels (the precious mantras of Stainless
Crown Pinnacle and Zung of the Exalted Completely Pure Stainless
Light). By this (having done even one circumambulation along with
remembering the precious mantras):
1. You will generate virtue in relation to the tathagatas that equals

in number the grains of sand of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
River Ganges.
2. You will have great fortune.
3. The five uninterrupted negative karmas and the karmic obscura-
tions will be completely purified.
4. You will be completely liberated from the realms of the hell be-
ings and the animals as well as the evil-gone realm of the world of
Yama.
5. You will have a long life.
6. You will go to a blissful world realm (pure land). By having equal
fortune, you will leave the body of this life, like a snake shedding its
skin. (“By having equal fortune” might mean that if one does even
one circumambulation while remembering the precious mantras
inside the stupa, one has merit equal to the beings in that pure
land.)
7. From that time on, you will not be stained by the pollution of the
womb, that is, you will no longer experience suffering rebirth from
a womb.
8. All your own wishes will be completely and exactly actualized.
9. On the 8th, 14th, or 15th day of the Tibetan month, if you recite
these two mantras of the Wish-Fulfilling Precious Jewel (Stain-
less Crown Pinnacle and Stainless Beam) 108 times and circum-
ambulate a stupa containing this relic (the mantras), your mental
continuum will immediately be free from obscurations, negative
karmas, and all disturbing thoughts (attachment, hatred, stains of
ignorance, miserliness, jealousy).”
From the text Stainless Beam, “Due to the blessings of the tathagatas,
anyone of the race of boy or girl (one whose imprint of the Mahayana
teachings has ripened) who circumambulates, prostrates, or makes of-
ferings to the stupa will be irreversible from the path of highest en-
lightenment, and all their previous karmic obscurations will be puri-
fied, without any remaining.”
From the Buddha’s teaching Samatok of the Precious Relic, “Any
sentient being having done one circumambulation of or one prostra-
tion to a stupa will be completely liberated from the karma that makes
them reincarnate and experience suffering, down to the unbearable
suffering state, the lowest hell realm, which has the heaviest suffering
among the hells among all samsaric realms. That person will become
irreversible from the highest fully perfected enlightenment.”
One receives these unbelievable benefits by having these precious
mantras inside holy objects.
Colophon:
Translated from the Kangyur section on the benefits of stupas by Lama Zopa
Rinpoche in Hong Kong on March 8, 1996. Updated by Ven. Gyalten Mindrol,
FPMT Education Department, November 2007.
Benefit of the Practices 73
The Benefits of Practices

Related to Stupas
Benefits of Prostrating, Offering, and Circumambulating

the Great Stupa 75
Sutra on Circumambulating a Stupa 78
Verses on Circumambulating a Stupa 79
Commentary on the Sutra on Circumambulating a Stupa 87
The Benefits of Circumambulating Stupas 99
Making Offerings to Holy Objects 103

Mahabodhi Stupa
Bodh Gaya, India
This stupa marks the location in Bodh Gaya where Buddha Shakya-
muni attained enlightenment.
Benefits of
Prostrating, Offering, and

Circumambulating the
Great Stupa
Supreme support (receptacle) of the minds of all the buddhas of
the three times,
Place of offering for migrators along with devas;
Bestower of all supreme and common siddhis
Without difficulty when requested and prayed to,
Like the wish-granting jewel,
[Thus is] the Great Support of Offering (Stupa).
To talk about what is to be done –

The benefits of making prostration, offering, and circumambulation
Cannot be exhausted even when expressed for oceans of eons
Even (by) all the buddhas along with their sons of the ten directions;
Therefore, I shall express just a part in order to gladden.
The migrator who even just sees this [stupa] itself,

Cuts (closes) the door of rebirth in the three bad migrations;
Hears by ear, plants the seed of enlightenment;
Remembers in mind, releases from powerful disease and
Produces special concentration in the continuum.
Whoever makes vows [at this stupa] attains comprehension of the

knowledge of mahamudra;
Whoever makes offerings attains [the state of a] knowledge holder of life;
All who repair damage [to this Stupa], in this life,
Achieve the four types of activity and attain buddhahood;
All who make [a stupa] from soft clay

Will attain [the state] of chakravartin kingships thousands (of times)
Equal to the number of atoms of individual earth [that it covers].
Whoever supervises work [on the stupa] attains birth as a supreme

son of the conquerors;
Whoever fills (the stupa), [attains] the wisdom of the five sciences;
At the end, if seven steps are taken in this direction [of the stupa]
One will attain human bodies for seven rebirths
And will also recall rebirths of previous lives.
Whoever makes recitations [at this stupa] attains the quality of skill
(knowledge: mkhas);
Whoever gives the meaning of the words [teaches here], will also in
all lifetimes,
Achieve whatever words were said and be worshipped;
Also, if consecration [of this stupa] is done at propitious times
Frost, hail, and famine will be ended and epidemics pacified;
All buddha realms of the ten directions blissfully arise
[are made manifest].
Those who prayerfully arrange images of this [stupa]

As well as [those] erecting statues – all too
Are able to progress to the realms of all the buddhas
Of the three times such as Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and others
And to abide in the meaning of the knowledge of the sphere.
Whoever writes the story of this [stupa] in letters

Will attain the merit of writing in letters
Each of the pronouncements of all the buddhas.
Taking this [stupa] itself to mind at the time of death,
It is taught that one will take miraculous rebirth
In the heart of a lotus in Sukhavati.
Oh, if the measure of amazing immeasurable

Benefits of such a Great Stupa
Is not reached in expression even by the buddhas,
How can it fit into our minds?
Inferior thoughts are unnecessary

Towards the benefits which are taught in this book –
Have sincere faith!
By the power of the collection of pure white virtue accumulated thus,

Our [virtues of] body, speech, mind, and property,
May each and every mother migrating being equaling space
Achieve all their desired temporal (and ultimate) aims.
Colophon:
This was printed at Sugel Trashi Chophel Ling (su gel bkra shis chos ’phel gling).
Original text, author, and translator are unknown. Edited by Kendall Magnussen,
FPMT Education Services, July, 2003. Words in “[ ]” were added for clarification.
All mistakes are solely the responsibility of the editor.
A Short Sutra on
Circumambulating a Stupa
The sublime Shariputra, renowned for his great intelligence, asked the Bud-
dha: “Could you say what are the benefits of circumambulating a stupa?
The Buddha answered: “Here are the benefits occurring to one who
circumambulates a stupa: free of the eight unfavorable circumstances,1
he will be reborn into a noble family and will own numerous riches; free
of conflicting emotions (avarice, etc.), he will enjoy practicing generosity.
He will be handsome, attractive, will have a beautiful complexion; others
will delight in seeing him; he will have power over the world and will be-
come a king of Dharma. Then, he will obtain a fortunate rebirth and will
be enthusiastic for the Buddha’s teaching; having completed the practice
(yogas), he will perform great miracles and progressively obtain the thirty-
two pure marks and the eighty physical perfections of a buddha’s body.”
Such was his answer.
These few benefits are nothing compared to all those that could yet
be enounced about the circumambulation of a stupa. By merely seeing a
stupa, listening to the qualities of a stupa, remembering a stupa, touching
a stupa, etc., even if only being touched by the shade of a stupa or being
touched by the wind that passed over a stupa, one will obtain happiness
in this life and, ultimately, awakening.
Note:
Of being born in a hell, animal, or preta realm, a barbaric or irreligious country, a
long-life pleasure god, having imperfect faculties, being displeased with the presence of
a buddha, being born at a time when no buddha has descended.
Colophon:
Extracted from the Kangyur. Translation by Lama Karta at Karma Migyour Ling.
Extracted with permission from the Stupa Information Site put together by William
Hursthouse at www.stupa.nz.org. Lightly edited for reprinting here.
Verses on
Circumambulating a Stupa
(from the sutras)
Homage to the Three Jewels
After the Buddha, the One of Great Wisdom, had turned the Dharma
Wheel in the world, the wise one Shariputra1 humbly asked:
“What are the results that come from circumambulating a stupa? May
the Guide of the supreme universe of this great kalpa please advise me.”
The perfect Buddha, supreme amongst two-legged beings, the Enlight-

ened One, granted this reply:
“I will indicate a few of the qualities gained from circumambulating
stupas.2
“When you circumambulate a stupa you will be honored by gods, na-

gas, yakshas, gandharvas, and asuras, by garudas, kinnaras,3 and ma-
horagas.4
“Once you gain the leisure, so very rare, and circumambulate a stupa
for even a very short time, the eight adverse states5 will be no more.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: mindfulness and

clear perception; a radiant appearance and intelligence; and you will
be honored everywhere.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: a very long life – a life-
time more like that of a god – in which you will obtain great renown.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: rebirth in Jambuling

in a family of worthy line and virtuous mind.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will be pure as

the snow; you will be good, radiant, and wise, and you will lead a
happy life.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: wealth of every kind;

freedom from greed; generosity and joy in giving.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will be a true

delight, beautiful to behold, radiant, a joy to see, and endowed with
vast enjoyment of life.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will see the whole
process of perception6 as empty, and, bewilderment about the Dharma
ended, you will quickly obtain the state of bliss.7
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will be born in

an imperial line of kings with a circle of female attendants, and you
will have great strength and perseverance.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will be reborn in

the great Brahma’s lofty realm, where you will possess self-discipline,
profound understanding, and knowledge of healing rituals.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will be reborn in

Grihapati’s lofty realm, provided with all sorts of riches and a wealth
of grain and jewels.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will be reborn as

a lord of Jambuling, with a domain extending to the ends of the earth,
and you will be a Dharma king.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will be reborn as

a chakravartin8 king, possessing the seven most precious supports for
a king; accordingly, you will turn the Dharma wheel.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: After death you will
pass to the higher realms; rejoicing in the Buddha’s doctrine, you will
be a yogin9 and a miracle-worker.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will pass from
the realm of the gods to be reborn in the human realm, and will enter
the womb with clear intent.10
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will never be

harmed by the contaminants that come from the conditions of the
womb – you will be like the purest of gems.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will dwell hap-
pily in the womb, you will be born easily, and joyfully you will drink
at the breast.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will have a father
who will ensure you the finest care by many attendants, and a nurse-
maid who is always attentive.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: Your relatives will

adore you, loving you even more than your parents do, and as you
grow your pleasure will steadily increase.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: Flesh-eaters and oth-

er demonic beings will not harm you, and you will live a life of flawless
enjoyment.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: For one hundred kal-
pas your body will be perfect; you will never be crippled11 or blind.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: Your eyes will be-
come totally pure:12 oblong, sapphire-hued, and beautiful like the eyes
of the gods.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: Both body and mind
will be well balanced, your determination unswerving, and your shoul-
ders broad and dependable.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: Your body will be

powerful and perfectly shaped, completely and beautifully adorned
with wondrous characteristics.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will become In-
dra, Lord of the Thirty-three13 – the one with miraculous abilities, the
great Lord of Gods.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will become the
king of the gods of the heaven called Yama14 or Tushita or of the heav-
en Nirmanarati or Pari-nirmita-vashavartin.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will gain the
power of Brahma himself in the world of Brahma, and you will be
worshipped by many tens of millions of gods.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: For one thousand

times ten million kalpas – and one hundred times one hundred billion
more – you will be endowed with wisdom and always honored.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: For one thousand

times ten million kalpas your body will be pure and your attire pristine
as you practice the immaculate Dharma.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will gain strength
and perfect vitality, and setting laziness aside, you will obtain the su-
preme accomplishments.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will become

steadfast and dynamic, through immense ability, unstoppable, quickly
achieving the highest aims.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will attain a me-
lodious voice with a pleasing pitch and a dulcet tone. You will never be
harmed and you will be free from disease.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will quickly

reach the stage of Enlightened Teacher such as I myself, and you will
obtain rebirth as a great sage.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will soon ob-
tain the four foundations of mindfulness,15 the Four Immeasurables of
Mind,16 and the powers of the Bases of Miraculous Ability.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will achieve the
Four Noble Truths, the powers and the strengths, and the fruit of the
limbs of enlightenment.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will obtain the
six superknowledges, unstained, having cast off all the emotional fet-
ters, and you will become a wonder-working Arhat.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: Having cast off desire
and hatred and having given up all your attendants, you will gain the
enlightenment of a Pratyekabuddha.
“Circumambulating a stupa will have this result: You will be orna-

mented with the marks of the Tathagatas manifest in the world, and
you will obtain a body of golden hue.
“Circumambulation is a physical act; circumambulation is an act of

speech as well; circumambulation is an act of the mind; circumambula-
tion instills the aspiration for enlightenment.17 By circumambulation,
you achieve your aims in all the stages of bliss so hard to traverse.”
“What then are the benefits of circumambulating the stupa of the

Lord of the World?”
“Although words are far too limited to express them well, out of mercy
for sentient beings, and as requested by Shariputra, the Lord of the
World will indicate the benefits of honoring the stupa.
“The value of one hundred horses, one hundred measures of gold,

one hundred chariots drawn by mules, one hundred chariots drawn
by mares and filled with precious jewels could not even begin to equal
one sixteenth part of one step of one circumambulation.
“One hundred maidens of Kamboja wearing jeweled earrings, with

circlets of gold upon their arms and adorned with rings and neck-
laces of the finest gold; one hundred elephants, snowy white, robust
and broad-backed, adorned with gold and jewels, carrying their great
trunks curved over their heads like plowshares, could not even begin
to equal one sixteenth part of the value of one step of one circumam-
bulation.
“O wise one, the benefit of those who joyfully take one step around
the Buddha’s stupa is unmatched by the benefit of gaining one hun-
dred thousand measures of gold from the gold river of Jambu.
“O wise one, the benefit of those who joyfully offer a clay bowl to the
Buddha’s stupa is unmatched by the benefit of those with one hun-
dred thousand palaces made of gold from the gold river of Jambu.18
“O wise one, the benefit of those who joyfully heap flowers before the
Buddha’s stupa is unmatched by the benefit of having one hundred
thousand vessels made of gold from the gold river of Jambu.
“O wise one, the benefit of those who joyfully bear flower garlands
for the Buddha’s stupa is unmatched by the benefit of having twenty
million bales.
“O wise one, the benefit of those who joyfully sprinkle perfumed wa-
ter upon the Buddha’s stupa is unmatched by the benefit of having
one thousand hillocks of gold made from the gold river of Jambu.
“O wise one, the benefit of those who joyfully offer butter lamps to the
Buddha’s stupa is unmatched by the benefits of having one hundred
thousand times ten million measures of gold from the gold river of
Jambu.
“O wise one the benefit of those who joyfully offer victory banners,
pennants, and parasols to the Buddha’s stupa is unmatched by the
benefit of those who possess one hundred thousand great mountains
of gold.
“These are the teachings on the benefits of making offerings to the

immeasurable Tathagata, to the perfect Buddha who is like the ocean,
who is the consummate leader of beings.
“There is no difference between the merit of those who make offer-

ings while I am here and those who make offerings after my nirvana,
if their virtuous intentions are the same.
“Such is the inconceivable Buddha; so also the inconceivable Bud-

dhadharma; for those with faith in the inconceivable, inconceivable
are the results.”
This completes the verse on circumambulating a stupa, known in San-

skrit as the Caitya-pradakshina-gatha and in Tibetan as mChod-rten bskor-
ba’i tshigs-su bcad-pa.
Notes:
1. The original version of this text includes diacritical transliteration of Sanskrit
words, both names and terms. For this reprinting, these diacritical letters have
been changed to the closest renderings in the standard English alphabet.
2. Throughout this explanation of the benefits of circumambulating stupas, the
Buddha uses worldly examples so that ordinary people can appreciate the ben-
efits and get inspired to do the practice of circumambulation. Even if the mo-
tivation is to obtain samsaric pleasure, it will still bring them to liberation and
enlightenment.
3. Kinnaras are powerful local spirits. There are eight divisions: eight outer, eight
inner and eight secret. When you are going to start a major project, for example,
you should make offerings to them, requesting them to not harm. Also, strong
weather such as cyclones, hailstorms, violent winds are associated with miam-
ji. And especially before you do wrathful actions you would make offerings to
these powerful worldly devas. You can also make offerings to them before you
build a house, to request them to not harm. Sometimes these eight powerful
worldly gods manifest as human beings.
4. Mahoragas are non-human local landlord spirits.
5. To be born in a hell, animal, or preta realm, a barbaric or irreligious country,
a long-life pleasure god, having imperfect faculties, being displeased with the
presence of a Buddha, being born at a time when no Buddha has descended.
6. All causative phenomena.
7. The first bodhisattva bhumi, “Extremely Joyful.”
8. This is a wheel-turning king, the most powerful king on earth with whom no
other can compete.
9. Will have realizations such as guru yoga, clear light, and illusory body.
10. Without ignorance.
11. Or experience arthritis.
12. This refers to the “clairvoyance of the deva’s eye”: this is the clairvoyance to
see your own and others’ deaths, the time when the mind leaves the body. You
can also see the various rebirths of yourself and others. You explain this to the
sentient beings to be subdued in order to liberate them from the wrong view of
nihilism.
13. The Realm of the Thirty-three is at the top of the four levels of the universe,
where Mount Meru and the water meet.
14. Devoid of fighting, and will have control over Tushita, etc.
15. The four mindfulnesses of body, mind, feeling, and phenomena.
16. The four limitless thoughts of equanimity, love, compassion and joy.
17. Physical prostration means to pay homage by bowing down; mantra and prayer
are prostration of speech; and devotion is prostration of mind.
18. jambu chulung refers to Lake Matoe into which fell the fruit of the Dzambutika
tree. Nagas in the form of fishes ate some of the fruits, but the uneaten fruits
were churned in the lake for many thousands of years. Due to that, the lake be-
came jambu chuser, the “Jambu water gold.” It became the best quality of gold,
priceless. So, gold from the gold river of Jambu is referring to this, the best gold,
not to just any gold.
Colophon:
Reprinted with permission from The Stupa: Sacred Symbol of Enlightenment, Crystal
Mirror Series, Vol. 12, pp. 218–31, by Tarthang Tulku, Dharma Publishing. Com-
mentarial notes have been compiled from teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Ko-
pan Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal, December 1995. Edited by Kendall Magnus-
sen, FPMT Education Services, December 2003.
Commentary on the
Sutra on Circumambulating
the Stupa
I’m going to read the translation I made of Shakyamuni Buddha’s ex-

planation to Shariputra of the benefits of circumambulating stupas.
Shakyamuni Buddha’s heart disciples were Shariputra and Maudga-
lyayana, the two arhats. Among the disciples, Shariputra was excellent
in wisdom, so Buddha explained the extensive benefits of circumam-
bulation to him.
As you hear these benefits, you might think, “These benefits are so
mundane, so ordinary.” But Buddha was so skillful. Buddha explained
not only the benefits of gaining realizations and enlightenment, but
many other benefits – the common ordinary things that ordinary
people need or desire. Buddha explained the benefits relating to what
ordinary people would like to achieve. These practices definitely bring
those results of realizations and enlightenment, but Buddha also re-
lated to what ordinary people desire, to inspire their minds to collect
virtue with the holy objects, to do prostrations and circumambula-
tions, and make offerings. This is from sutra verses regarding circum-
ambulating stupas:
Shariputra, the one having great wisdom, requested the founder,
Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, “Whatever the ripening aspects are
from circumambulating stupas, you, the pure guide, the sublime
one in the world of the great eon, please teach me.
Shariputra requested thus.
The founder, the fully enlightened being who is supreme among

two-legged beings, advised, “I will reveal just a part of the quali-
ties of circumambulating stupas.
As a result of circumambulating stupas, devas, nagas, yakshas

(Tib. nö jin), smell-eaters, asuras, and garudas (Tib. tam drin), and
other types of non-human beings (mi mam che, do je che, differ-
ent types of spirits) will all make offerings to you.
After having achieved the freedom that is difficult to find, by

having circumambulated stupas even for just one second, you
will abandon the eight states that don’t have freedom to practice
Dharma.
These eight states are: being born as a hell being, a preta, a hungry
ghost, an animal, as a barbarian, a long-life god, a heretical being, a
fool, and in a time when no buddha exists. These are the eight states
without freedom to practice Dharma. Even circumambulating for one
second frees you from the eight states that have no freedom to practice
Dharma. Every second that you circumambulate, you achieve the eight
happy states. It is unbelievable.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will always have a
good memory.
Those who think, “I have a bad memory or I am losing my memory,”

need to do a lot of circumambulations, day and night.
You will always have a good memory and have wisdom.
You will have a beautiful color.
This means you don’t need to put on make-up all the time. You will
have natural color, you don’t need to carry all those boxes to paint, or
go shopping!
You will be wise, and you will receive offerings all the time.
You will receive chocolates, milkshakes, ice cream, coffee, biscuits, and
chai! This can also mean that you can make offerings to others.
These practices – prostrations, making offerings to the holy ob-
jects, circumambulations – fulfill your wish for happiness, all your
needs to practice Dharma, all your needs to help others, and all your
needs to serve the teachings of the Buddha. The more you do these
practices, the more all these things come naturally, without effort. The
sutra gives details, “you’ll get this, you’ll get that,” but the way to look
at this is that all these practices fulfill your wishes, up to enlighten-
ment. Not only all the things that are mentioned there, “you’ll get this,
you’ll get that,” but most importantly you will attain the realizations of
guru devotion, realizations of the graduated path of the lower capable
being, realizations of the graduated path of the middle capable being –
renunciation – and then bodhichitta, emptiness, and finally, the two
stages of tantra.
If you offer one grain of rice, a tiny flower, or a stick of incense to
the Buddha you have visualized, a statue of Buddha or a picture of
Buddha with the motivation is bodhichitta and the practice is done
with renunciation of samsara or right view, then there is no ques-
tion whether or not it is Dharma. But even if you have non-virtuous
thought – only attachment clinging to this life, happiness, long life,
to be healthy, to have power, and wealth for yourself – because of the
power of the holy object, this one grain of rice offering immediately
becomes a cause of enlightenment. It becomes the cause to achieve the
infinite, inconceivable qualities of Buddha’s holy body, holy speech,
and holy mind. Not only that, but this becomes cause for you to achieve
enlightenment. That means that this becomes the cause also for you
to achieve the realizations of the path, from guru devotion, renuncia-
tion of samsara, the graduated path of the lower capable being, middle
capable being, and higher capable being, bodhichitta, right view, and
all the bodhisattva’s path, the six paramitas and ten paramitas. This
becomes the cause of achieving the five paths and the ten bhumis,
and on the basis of the three principles of the path, the two stages of
highest tantra.
This one offering, even done with a totally negative mind, becomes
the cause to achieve the whole path from guru devotion up to en-
lightenment. Not because of your motivation, but due to the power of
the holy object, it becomes virtue, the cause of enlightenment. Then,
because karma is expandable, it becomes the cause to achieve libera-
tion from samsara and also the cause to achieve a good rebirth – a
deva or human rebirth for many hundreds of thousands of lifetimes.
From one cause, the result you experience lasts for many hundreds of
thousands of lifetimes.
However, you do not have to wait for your next life to experience the
result of the karma of making these offerings. Because holy objects are
very powerful, you start to experience the result of your actions even in
this life. All the success of this life – health, long life, prosperity, all the
needs in this life for your own practice or to help others – comes from
good karma. Therefore, this life is also taken care of – all the things
that you need. Also all the difficulties, whether health, sicknesses, or
life danger, come from negative karma. These practices purify negative
karma. Even if you don’t think about receiving any benefit in this life,
even if you don’t have that motivation, this life is taken care of by the
way, so that you don’t have to experience these obstacles. At the least,
they become smaller.
The common idea is that by doing business, you develop, but there
are many problems with that method. It is not very reliable. First of
all, for the action of business to become virtue, the motivation has to
be virtuous. You have to make a lot of effort for your motivation to
become virtuous. For business to become Dharma, the motivation has
to become Dharma. Therfore, there are many obstacles. The benefit
or profit we achieve from business is not fixed. Nothing is definite.
Sometimes there is more profit. Sometimes – even if we are able to
sell – it is not profitable.
The benefit of these practices – circumambulation, prostrations,
offerings, doing these various practices that Buddha taught, the vari-
ous means to purify the mind of the negative karma and defilements,
and the practices to collect merit – is always the same. The benefits
of circumambulation, the benefits of offerings, and so forth, all these
skies of benefit, this inconceivable merit is always the same. There is
no deflation and inflation like the value of gold or the value of the
dollar. It is always inconceivable. The benefit that every single one of
these practices has is always inconceivable. The resulting happiness is
inconceivable, and it is always the same.
Due to the power of the object, of Buddha, the benefit is always
the same. Due to the fact that things are empty of existing from their
own side, due to dependent arising, it is always the same. Why? Be-
cause Buddha’s power never decreases, Buddha’s compassion towards
sentient beings never decreases, and Buddha’s qualities never decrease.
They are always the same. Therefore, all these practices that we do,
even toward a statue or a painting of the Buddha – circumambulation,
prostration, offering – always bring infinite benefit. Always.
According to my experience, the reason why our projects have had

so much success – to serve many monasteries, to be able to serve food to
many thousands of monks, to be able to build monasteries and so forth,
all these various projects that are able to benefit more and more – is
mainly from the practice of offering. It is from the good karma accumu-
lated from these practices. This success has come from these practices.
That is according to my own experience, which is proof of how these
practices work in your life, how they are so effective, how these practices
are a reliable method. According to my experience, the result of the
little practice that I have done was being able to offer some service to the
teaching of Buddha, to sentient beings, and to the Sangha.
All this is due to the kindness of Buddha, to Buddha’s compassion.
The reason that we achieve inconceivable benefit – temporary benefit
and the highest ultimate happiness of enlightenment – each time we
make offerings to Buddha, circumambulate, or prostrate to Buddha,
is because Buddha has inconceivable qualities. It is because Buddha
developed compassion for all us sentient beings, and that compassion
inspired him to achieve all those inconceivable qualities. So even what
this organization can do or the service we are able to offer is due to Bud-
dha’s compassion.
I used the example of offering, but it is the same with every circum-
ambulation, every prostration, even to one holy object, statue, or picture
of Buddha. Those practices have all these benefits.
When we make offerings, circumambulation, or prostrations, it is
good to remember this, not just simply thinking that it becomes the
cause of enlightenment, but remembering that this means from Guru
devotion up to enlightenment. These practices become the cause to
achieve all these realizations, besides all other temporary happinesses.
There are inconceivable kinds of temporary happiness as well as the
ultimate benefit – to achieve all the realizations of the whole path to en-
lightenment. Every single offering, prostration, and circumambulation
is so important. You feel how it is so important.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, devas as well as human be-

ings will achieve long life, and you will achieve great fame.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will be born in a pure

generation, race, line, and faultless breed, in this world, the land
of Dzambu, and will have wisdom.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will be good-hearted,

of beautiful color, learned, with your mind abiding in the state
of happiness.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will become wealthy,

have much wealth.
You will not be miserly but you will be brave in giving, in making
charity.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will be attractive and

enchanting, and whoever sees you will be happy.
If you want to make anybody who sees you feel happy, then circumam-
bulate all day and night! There are some people that everybody likes;
the whole world is attracted to them. I don’t think it has so much to do
with their body. One reason is the body, but I don’t think that is the
main thing. The main thing is the cause that the person created in the
past, so that everybody is attracted to and naturally likes that person.
You have to understand that. It comes from these practices, due to the
power of holy objects. It has nothing in particular to do with the shape
of the person’s body. Their body can have an ugly shape, but somehow
people are still drawn to that. Therefore, it is not due to the shape
of the body. The karma that the person created in the past, such as
circumambulations and other practices with holy objects that are the
cause. If you analyze how these things happen, it is like that.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will be attractive and

enchanting and whoever sees you will be happy. You will always
be able to enjoy having extensive enjoyments.
This means you can have a lot of coffee, chocolate drink, or milk-
shakes, a lot of chai!
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will see all causative

phenomena as empty.
This is a very important one.

Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will see all causative

phenomena as empty. You won’t become ignorant in Dharma,
and you will quickly achieve the state of joy ...
This is the first bodhisattva bhumi, Extremely Joyful/Happy. There

are ten bhumis to achieve enlightenment.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will be born of a su-

preme being’s caste, generation, of faultless breed. You will always
be surrounded by women; your wishes will always be fulfilled.
Buddha does not tell lies. Circumambulating does have all these ben-
efits, and usually what ordinary people desire is temporary happiness,
not ultimate happiness. Since circumambulating does have these ben-
efits, Buddha emphasized the benefits that ordinary people like. As
they do circumambulations, it brings them to enlightenment, even
though their motivation is for worldy things. Then it gradually brings
the realizations of the path and brings them to enlightenment, so that
is Buddha’s skillful means.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will be born a great

Brahmin, high caste...
I think that’s because in India there’s a lot of castes. Circumambulat-

ing does have these benefits.
You will have morality, will always hear the teachings. You will
have secret mantra, having scriptural understanding and realiza-
tions of tantras.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will be born in a

great family, of a high class. You will be wealthy and have many
possessions, animals, and crops.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will be born lord of

the world in the land of Dzambu. A Dharma king in control of
all the empty land of the whole earth.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will become a wheel-

turning king having the seven precious jewels, and you will turn
the wheel according to Dharma.
Wheel-turning kings are the most powerful. There are no other kings
that can compete with a wheel-turning king. You are the most power-
ful, most wealthy. There are kings who have control over one conti-
nent, two continents, three continents, four continents, and the king
who controls the deva realm.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you can transfer your

consciousness from this world and go to an upper realm.
This means a pure land of Buddha, like Amitabha’s pure land. Vajray-
ogini’s pure land, or the Kalachakra pure land. Circumambulating
holy objects helps the practice of phowa, so that when you die you can
transfer your consciousness easily to the pure land.
Your mind will be happy to meet Buddhadharma. You will have

yoga realizations such as guru yoga, in particular, and clear light
and illusory body. You will have great psychic powers.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, after transferring your

consciousness from the deva realm, reincarnating in the human
realm, you will enter the womb without ignorance.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you won’t be defiled by

the stains of the womb. You will become like a pure wish-grant-
ing jewel that will be cleaned with three means.
You will be able to be born from the mother’s womb with very clear
memory, remembering so much of your past lives, like that.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will abide blissfully

in the mother’s womb. You will be born blissfully and drink
milk blissfully.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will be fed not only

by the father but by many surrounding servants, who will look
after you, and the mother will serve you all the time.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will be loved by your

relatives and especially loved by your parents...
Therefore, if you want to be loved by your parents, you need to circum-

ambulate stupas. Especially those who blame their parents, who are an-
gry towards their parents about not being loved, need to purify.
After birth, wealth is increased.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will not be harmed by

the flesh-eaters. You will enjoy the enjoyments without problems.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you won’t become blind or

experience arthritis.
If you have problem arthritis, it is very good to circumambulate as much

as possible.
You won’t become blind or experience arthritis for a hundred

eons.
For a hundred eons you won’t become blind and you won’t experience
arthritis.
And your body will be pure. Having circumambulated holy stu-

pas, your eye will be completely pure, clairvoyant, fine and hori-
zontal, dark.
It says “beautiful” according to Eastern interpretation.
Enchanting and you will achieve the deva’s eye clairvoyance.
Deva’s eye clairvoyance means that you are able to see where you will be
born, after death.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will have a healthy

body and stable mind and stable perseverance. You will show or
have round shoulders ...
The head will be a nice shape and you will have a nicely shaped body, not
ugly. I think it is describing a nice shape according to the worldly view.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will have perfect

power, perfect face, body, form. You will have all the limbs well
adorned with good signs.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will become the lord

enriched with power in the realm of the Thirty-Three …
You will become a great and powerful deva having great psychic
powers, in the Indra realm.
Having circumambulated a holy stupa, you will be born the king

of devas, who are devoid of fighting. You will have control over
the Tushita, those deva realms, and Truga realms.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will become the con-

troller of the world of Brahma (deva realm). Ten million devas
will make offerings to you.
Having circumambulated holy stupas, you will have wisdom for

a thousand times ten millions eons, as well as for a hundred
times ten billion eons. And you will always receive offerings.
Having circumambulated a holy stupa, for a thousand times ten

million eons you will have a clean body, clean garments and
white Dharma, virtue.
Having circumambulated a holy stupa, you will achieve perfect

power, perfect perseverance, no laziness, and will achieve very
easily realizations of the path to enlightenment.
Having circumambulated a holy stupa, you will have stable per-

severance and power, stable flexibility, you will receive no harm,
and will quickly achieve success.
Having circumambulated a holy stupa, you will have an enchant-

ing sweet tone of voice and clear, high and beautiful sound, and
you will experience no harm and no sicknesses.
People are so attracted to the sound, the voice, of various singers. There
is a cause for that, such as offering a bell. That person will become so
famous. Many millions of people will be attracted to their voice. Like

this, circumambulating a holy object or offering a bell to a holy object,
stupa, or statue of Buddha, becomes a cause of a beautiful voice.
You will experience no harm and no sicknesses.
Having circumambulated a holy stupa, you will go quickly to the

place where there are teachings of the Buddha, where most will
achieve higher rebirth. You will achieve the four mindfulnesses
and the four limitless thoughts, and you will also achieve the
power of psychic limbs ...
This is referring to realizations of the four psychic limbs, the realiza-

tion of the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment. If you are able to have
psychic power, then you are able to subdue the mind of sentient be-
ings who cannot be subdued just by teaching. By showing miraculous
powers, you can subdue their minds and bring them into Dharma.
The Buddha showed miraculous powers to liberate different sentient
beings for fifteen days, around the Tibetan New Year.
Having circumambulated a holy stupa, you will actualize the

four noble truths of the arya being and you will achieve the
limbs of enlightenment. You will achieve the six clairvoyances
and no falls (delusion).
The sixth of the clairvoyances is the clairvoyance having ceased delu-

sion, having ceased disturbing thoughts and defilements, gross and
subtle. That clairvoyance refers only to omniscient mind, having
ceased both defilements.
It is said that the other five clairvoyances are more general, and that
the Hindus also have these. There is the clairvoyance of miraculous
powers and clairvoyance of the deva’s ear. If you have that, you can
hear the teachings being given in different pure lands by buddhas and
then reveal them to other sentient beings. Then there is the clairvoy-
ance of remembering past karma, yours and others. By explaining this
past karma to others, you can explain Dharma to them as it fits their
minds. By explaining past karma, you can give them faith in karma.
You can benefit them in this way. Then there is the clairvoyance to be
able to read other people’s minds. This way, you can benefit others with
fewer mistakes. You can deal with others or teach Dharma according
to their mental state. You know what fits their minds and what doesn’t
fit their minds. Then there is the clairvoyance of the deva’s eye, know-
ing when death will occur, and what kind of birth will be taken. You
are able to see those things, and can help other sentient beings.
It is said in the text that even Hindus can achieve these other five,
but not the sixth one, as it involves ceasing all the delusions. Circum-
ambulating makes it possible to achieve these clairvoyances faster, so
that you can benefit sentient beings much more.
You will achieve the six clairvoyances and no falls …
“No falls” means the delusions.
You will abandon all delusions. You will become the arhat, hav-
ing great psychic power.
Having circumambulated a holy stupa, you will abandon attach-

ment and hatred, you will abandon all surrounding beings and
you will achieve self-conqueror, solitary realizer enlightenment.
Having circumambulated a holy stupa, you will achieve the

tathagata state adorned with the holy signs that have golden
color holy body.
Colophon:
Extracted from teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Root Institute, Bodhgaya, In-
dia, December 1999. Edited by Kendall Magnussen, FPMT Education Department,
July 2003, and Venerable Gyalten Mindrol, FPMT Education Department, Novem-
ber 2007.
The Benefits of
Circumambulating Stupas
There are extensive teachings on the benefits of circumambulations, the

benefits taught by Buddha to his disciple Shariputra. Before circumambu-
lating, read it out to everyone; and other groups can hear it, too. (See pp.
78–86.) Stupas are the main holy objects in relation to which sentient be-
ings accumulate merit. The sutra called Circumambulating the Stupa says:
By circumambulating stupas, one avoids being born in the naraks,
as a preta, an animal, a barbarian, a long-life god, a heretic, a fool,
or in a place where Buddha has not descended. One receives a deva
or human body, and one has a long life. One is not harmed by pre-
tas, cannibals or other creatures. For hundreds of eons one is not
born blind, or crippled with arthritis. By circumambulating stupas,
one receives perfect power and perseverance; because there is no
laziness, one is able to develop the mind quickly. One receives the
six clairvoyances. One also becomes an arhat, having abandoned all
delusion and possessing great psychic power. Finally, one achieves
the golden holy body of Buddha, adorned with the holy signs.
Many other benefits are mentioned in the Sutra of the Compassionate-Eyed
One and Advice to King Sogyal, which says:
If a person circumambulates with devotion a stupa or statue of
Buddha, in his future lives his enemies will respect and surren-
der to him. He will become a person of quality, respected by and
pleasing to other people. The temporal and ultimate benefits are
infinite. Circumambulating is the supreme method to purify ob-
scurations and close the door to the lower realms.
This text also adds:

Any being who does one circumambulation of or one prostra-
tion to a stupa is liberated completely from the karma to be
born in any of the levels of hell. One becomes a non-returner,
and achieves highest enlightenment.
I’m sure you have often heard the story of Jinpa Pelgye (Shrijata). (See
“A Story about the Power of Stupas,” p. 55.) Buddha explained that Jinpa
Pelgye had the karma to actualize the path through becoming a monk
and an arhat because long ago in one of his previous lives he had been
a fly that followed the smell of dung around a stupa. By following the
odor of the dung, the fly circumambulated a holy object. In other
words, even when there is no virtuous motivation, any circumambula-
tion of a holy object becomes a virtuous action because of the power of
the holy object. It is useful to remember that a stupa has this power.
Circumambulating holy objects purifies broken pratimoksha vows,
the five uninterrupted negative karmas, all the karmas to be born in
the naraks (hell realms).
In India there were great siddhas who achieved realizations by cir-
cumambulating temples, and Lama Atisha and the Kadam geshes did
many circumambulations of stupas.
Once when Lama Atisha was circumambulating, Dromtompa asked
him, “Why don’t you relax? Why not practice virtue while sitting?
Why do you do this ordinary practice of circumambulating?” Lama
Atisha replied, “You don’t understand. A circumambulation contains
all three actions of body, speech and mind. If you just sit and meditate,
you have only the one action of the mind meditating, with no virtu-
ous actions of body or speech. In terms of creating virtue, there is no
greater merit than that from circumambulating.”
General Advice for Circumambulating

If you have difficulties in life – are unable to find a job, have difficul-
ties in business, etc., for success you need to purify the negative karma
for these difficulties. You need to create merit for success, so go around
the stupa. You can use this (method) for many problems.
I think it would be very beneficial for anyone with a disease that is
difficult to cure or incurable, such as AIDS or cancer, to circumambu-
late a stupa several hundred times a day. This is my personal suggestion.
Since depending on these holy objects purifies the cause of the dis-
ease, it has to have an effect on the disease itself.
Even if a person does this practice with the motivation of just this
life’s happiness, even if the motivation is not Dharma, but for the
happiness and success of this life – that motivation wasn’t to benefit
sentient beings and therefore it didn’t become Dharma, but due to
the power of the object, it becomes Dharma. It becomes the cause to
achieve enlightenment.
Helping Animals with Circumambulation

A good way to liberate animals is by helping them circumambulate holy
objects. There is a story about a pig that circumambulated a stupa – it
might have been Bouddhanath Stupa in Nepal, but I’m not sure. Once,
a dog was chasing a pig, and as the pig was running away, it circumam-
bulated the stupa. The pig did not have any kind of virtuous motiva-
tion. It had no idea that the stupa was a holy object and that it could be
purified and liberated by circumambulating it. The pig had never regis-
tered for a meditation course! Because of the kindness of the dog that
chased it, the pig did one circumambulation of the stupa, and after the
pig died, it was born in the higher realm of Tushita. This is why carrying
animals while making circumambulations of holy objects is a practical
way to help them. (See also “A Story about the Power of Stupas,” p. 55.)
Therefore, if you carry a container with a hundred worms around a
stupa or another holy object, each time you go around you are giving
enlightenment to one hundred animals. You are giving the greatest
gift to those one hundred animals. If there are one thousand worms
in this small packet, each time you take them around you are giving
enlightenment to one thousand mother sentient beings. You are giving
enlightenment to one thousand of your mother sentient beings. You
are also giving them liberation from samsara; you are ending their sam-
saric suffering, the continuity of which has no beginning. The most
terrifying aspect of samsaric suffering is that it has no beginning. You
are giving liberation from this beginningless samsara to one hundred
of your mother sentient beings.
You are also giving them good rebirths; you are giving good re-
births for hundreds or thousands of lifetimes to one hundred of your
mother sentient beings.
Colophon:
Quotations from the sutras were taken from the Kangyur on the benefits of stupas
and translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Hong Kong, March 8, 1996. Additional
teachings were given at Land of Medicine Buddha, November 2002. Compiled and
edited by Kendall Magnussen, FPMT Education Services, July 2003.
Making Offerings to
Holy Objects
One day Buddha went for alms through the village. There were three
children playing in the sand and these children wanted to make an
offering to Buddha, but Buddha’s holy body was very tall and they had
nothing to offer. They were playing in the sand and one child stood
up, then another child stood up by standing on his shoulders, and
then third child stood on the shoulders of the second child. Then the
third child offered sand grains to the Buddha’s begging bowl by visual-
izing the sand grains as gold.
This was the karma that resulted: the next life that child was born
as King Ashoka, a Dharma king in India. Ashoka built many monas-
teries for the Sangha and offered food for the Sangha, not for just one
day, but for his whole life. He was able to offer so many services to the
monasteries which created the condition for him live in ordination
and to study and practice Dharma.
Then he built ten million stupas in one day. The text mentions one
life, but I think it was in one day. Ten million stupas in one day! Of
course, he was a king so he had enough wealth to build them. In that
life, being born as a king with all that wealth, he was able to benefit so
many people and create merit like the limitless sky by building many
stupas and many monasteries, and offering food for the Sangha.
The cause of what he was able to do in that life was just simply that
karma of offering a handful of sand grains, and visualizing every single
grain of sand as gold. By visualizing all these sand grains as gold, he
received the benefit of having actually offered gold. He accumulated
the merit of having actually offered gold, even though there was not
one single speck of gold there.
When you offer grain, visualize a wish-granting jewel, like the sto-
ry of King Ashoka. Visualize gold, diamonds, and the most precious
thing among all possessions, the wish-granting jewel. Anybody who
prays to that jewel, all their wishes – whatever enjoyment and comfort
they want – are immediately received due to the power of the material,
the jewel, and the power of your good karma, together.
We can all offer some rice to the stupa, but the meditation when
you offer this is to visualize that you are not just offering rice but gold.
Then immediately that action of offering will become the cause to
achieve enlightenment, and it will become the cause to achieve lib-
eration from samsara and the all the causes of suffering. Third, the
offering of grain visualized as gold becomes a cause of achieving good
rebirth for a hundred thousand lifetimes. Therefore, whenever death
happens you will have a good future life.
This karma of offering also takes care of this life: health, long life,
prosperity, and any happiness of this life that one is seeking – all from
the good karma of making offerings. You collect so much merit and
that becomes the cause of success of this life and the happiness that
you are seeking for this life.
This is the same even with animals, human beings, or anybody who
circumambulates, prostrates, and so on. As I mentioned before, even
if the motivation is not pure, even if it is only negative, the circumam-
bulating, prostration, or offering immediately becomes the cause to
achieve enlightenment for that person or animal. Then, by the way, it
will even be the cause to achieve cessation of the whole entire cause
of suffering.
To achieve good rebirth for hundreds or thousands of lifetimes in
a human body or as a deva, and to have wealth and whatever happi-
ness – whatever one wishes for in future lives – all comes from that
one good karma of circumambulating or prostrating or even putting
two palms together towards the stupa. That is not even laying down
the body [in prostration]. Just putting the palms together towards the
stupa immediately becomes the cause to achieve enlightenment, and it
becomes the cause of success, happiness, and the like.
By offering grain and visualizing it has a better quality substance,
we receive the same benefit as if it were better quality. That is the medi-
tation. Generally in our daily life when we make offerings, even if we
are offering water, if we visualize nectar we actually accumulate more
merit. If you visualize the wish-granting jewel, then by offering with
this visualization, you accumulate the merit of offering the wish-grant-

ing jewel even though it is not the wish-granting jewel. This practice is
not only for offerings to stupas, but also in daily life when we practice
making offerings. It is so important to visualize that the offerings are
of better quality.
Offering with a Bodhichitta Motivation

When you offer, offer with the bodhichitta motivation. This will make
a huge difference in the amount of merit accumulated. It is said in the
sutra Piled Jewel that compared to the merit of all the sentient beings
in three galaxies of universes building stupas to cover the whole three
galaxies of the universe, the merit of one person who thinks to achieve
enlightenment for the benefit of all the sentient beings, or generates
bodhichitta and offers one flower to a stupa, is far greater. Compared
with the merit of a person with bodhichitta thinking to achieve en-
lightenment for the benefit of all living beings and offering one tiny
flower to a stupa, the merit of all those other sentient beings (who each
built a stupa covering the three galaxies of the universe) is very small.
The one person’s merit of offering a tiny flower with bodhichitta mo-
tivation is far greater.
Therefore in our daily life, whenever we practice offering, the very
first thing we must do is to make effort to generate bodhichitta, the
good heart, the thought of benefiting all sentient beings and freeing
numberless other sentient beings from suffering – not only to cause
temporary happiness but especially to cause the ultimate happiness of
highest enlightenment. At least you can simply think like that.
It is possible for you to achieve enlightenment and to liberate num-
berless sentient beings from all the sufferings and to bring them to
enlightenment. Think, “Therefore, I am going to make this offering.”
Whether it is an extensive offering or one tiny flower or a single grain,
offering with bodhichtta creates merit like the limitless sky.
How quickly you gain realization of the path, how quickly you are
liberated from all the sufferings and their causes, how quickly you
achieve enlightenment, and how quickly you can liberate other sen-
tient beings and bring them to enlightenment all depends upon how
much merit you collect in your daily life and how much you purify.
Therefore, we need to know the skills. Even working in a factory,
any work, even the work of this life, even mundane work can be done
very easily if you know the skills. In spiritual practice, if you know the
skills then there are no difficulties, no hardships. It doesn’t need to

take a long time to achieve realization.
Each offering that we do is made to all the ten direction Buddha,
Dharma, Sangha and the Gurus as well as the statues, stupas, and
scriptures in the ten directions. Therefore, the objects to which you
are offering are numberless and so with each offering, you collect good
karma, or merit, like the limitless sky.
Also, if you can, make the offering higher up on the stupa. The
higher you can offer on the holy object the better.
Dedicating
It is said in the teachings that dedicating merit is like the reins with
which you pull the horse. Whichever way you pull the reins, the horse
goes that way. It is the same with dedication of merit – wherever you
dedicate the merit, the result happens. Therefore, dedication is impor-
tant and the correct dedication is the one that is most profitable. We
should dedicate our merit in the most profitable way.
Colophon:
Extracted from teachings given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Land of Medicine Bud-
dha, November 2002. Scribed by Sally Barraud. Edited by Kendall Magnussen,
FPMT Education Department, July 2003 and Venerable Gyalten Mindrol, FPMT
Education Department, November 2007.
Practices 107
Practices
A Short Meditation to Practice with Stupas 109
The Practice of Circumambulation 111
Practices for Stupas and Other Holy Places 121

Preliminary Prayers 121
Confession of Downfalls to the
Thirty-Five Buddhas 124
Mandala Offering and Prayer of the Three
Great Purposes 135
Foundation of All Good Qualities 136
Dedication Prayers 138
Long Life Prayers 143
Making Charity of the Merits 144
Multiplying Mantras 145
Migtsema – Praise to Lama Tsongkhapa 145
Extensive Offering Practice 147

Meditation on Rejoicing 159
Stupa
Unknown Location
Practices 109
A Short Meditation
to Practice with Stupas
If you can concentrate or sit down and do this meditation every day for a half an hour, or
one hour, this is fantastic.
Visualize white light coming from the stupa and totally illuminating
your body, purifying you from sickness, delusions, spirit harm, and
negative karma. You may also chant mantras.
Colophon:
Instructions by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to Sally Barraud at Land of Medicine Bud-
dha, November 2002. Edited by Kendall Magnussen, FPMT Education Depart-
ment, July 2003 and Venerable Gyalten Mindrol, FPMT Education Department,
November 2007.
Geshe Lama Konchog’s Stupa

Kopan Monastery
Kathmandu, Nepal
Practices 111
The Practice of
Circumambulation
Introduction
Circumambulations should be done with body, speech, and mind. If
your mind is distracted and you are gossiping while you are circumam-
bulating, there is no great benefit.
Mental circumambulation involves generating devotion by thinking
again and again of the qualities of the object you are circumambulating,
of the qualities of the Guru-Buddha.
Speech circumambulation involves reciting mantras and praises
over and over again. Of the three types of circumambulation, the most
important is the mental circumambulation – having devotion in the
mind. It is the same with prostrations.
Before you circumambulate, first generate the motivation. Think
that you are leading all sentient beings in the circumambulations. Visu-
alize that beams are emitted by the holy objects and purify you and all
the sentient beings. Then think that you all receive all good qualities.
When you do circumambulations, you can dedicate the first cir-
cumambulation to all sentient beings, but especially the hell beings.
When you finish the circumambulation, think that you have purified
all sentient beings and give all the merit to them. They all become en-
lightened, especially the hell beings. Dedicate the second round to all
sentient beings, but especially the pretas. When you have finished the
circumambulation, dedicate all the merits to all sentient beings, but
especially to the pretas. They all become enlightened. Do the same for
all the animals, humans, asuras, suras and intermediate state beings.
You can then circumambulate for your gurus, dedicating for them
to have long lives and for all their wishes to be fulfilled. You can do
another circumambulation and dedicate it for the teachings to exist
for a long time.
In this way you can dedicate nine circumambulations, the first sev-
en being for the beings in the six realms plus those in the intermediate
state, the eighth being for the gurus and the ninth for the teachings.
This is just one idea of how you can make circumambulation very ef-
fective, very beneficial.
When we circumambulate, our mouth should be reciting holy
prayers or powerful mantras and our mind should be feeling devo-
tion.
As well as prostration of body, there is prostration of speech (prais-
ing Buddha) and prostration of mind (generating devotion). In a simi-
lar way, there are circumambulations of body, speech, and mind. While
your body is walking around the holy objects, your speech is reciting
praises or mantras and your mind is feeling devotion. Generate the
motivation for the circumambulations by thinking:“The purpose of
my life is to free all sentient beings from all their sufferings and bring
them to enlightenment; therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. It is
for this reason, for the benefit of all sentient beings, that I am going
to do these circumambu-lations. Each circumambulation is for every
single sentient being.”
Normally, when I circumambulate the stupas at Bouddhanath or
Swayambhunath, I buy one or two kilos of rice and I give everybody
some, for making offerings as we circumambulate.
The Actual Practice
Motivation
First, generate a strong motivation of bodhichitta by thinking in one of the following ways:
Brief Motivation
At this time I have achieved a perfect human rebirth. I have met the
Buddhadharma and met the virtuous friends revealing the complete
path, without anything missing. While I have the necessary conditions
Practices 113
free from all the obstacles to achieve enlightenment for all sentient be-
ings, it is not sufficient for me to merely achieve a good rebirth in my
next life, without being reborn in the lower realms. Even achieving lib-
eration from samsara for myself alone is not sufficient. I must achieve
enlightenment for all sentient beings.
The purpose of my life is to free all sentient beings from the suffering
causes and bring them to full enlightenment. To do this I must achieve
enlightenment and to accomplish that, I need to collect merit. There-
fore, I am going to make offerings and circumambulate.
Extensive Motivation [Optional]

Every single hell being is the source of all my past, present, and future
happiness, including enlightenment. They are the most precious ones
in my life. I must free them from the defilements and the heavy suffer-
ing of the hot and cold hells and bring them to enlightenment.
Every single hungry ghost countless in number is the source of all my

past, present, and future happiness, including enlightenment. They
are the most precious ones in my life. I must free them from the defile-
ments and the heavy suffering of hunger and thirst and bring them to
enlightenment.
Every single animal being countless in number is the source of all my

are the most precious ones in my life. I must free them from the de-
filements and the heavy suffering of ignorance and the fear of being
eaten.
Every single human being countless in number is the source of all my

are the most precious ones in my life. I must free them from the defile-
ments and the heavy suffering, the eight types of suffering, the three
types of suffering – the suffering of suffering, the suffering of change,
and the suffering of pervasive conditioning – and bring them to en-
lightenment.
Every asura being countless in number is the source of all my past,

present, and future happiness, including enlightenment. They are the
most precious ones in my life. I must free them from the defilements
and the heavy suffering, jealousy and constant fighting, and bring
them to enlightenment.
Every sura being countless in number is the source of all my past,

present, and future happiness, including enlightenment. They are the
most precious ones in my life. I must free them from the defilements
and the heavy suffering of the signs of death and bring them to en-
lightenment.
Every single intermediate state being countless in number is the source

of all my past, present, and future happiness, including enlightenment.
They are the most precious ones in my life. I must free them from the
defilements and the heavy suffering of being tormented by karmic ap-
pearances and bring them to enlightenment.
Thus, the purpose of my life is to free all sentient beings and lead
them to enlightenment. To do this I need to achieve enlightenment;
to achieve enlightenment I need to actualize the path; and to actualize
the path I need to purify and accumulate merit. Therefore, I am going
to circumambulate for the happiness of all sentient beings and to liber-
ate all sentient beings.
Remember Emptiness
Think that the holy object you are going to circumambulate becomes
empty. Remember that the absolute nature of this holy object is the
absolute nature of all holy objects everywhere.
If there is no holy object to circumambulate, you can visualize a yellow

syllable BRUM which transforms into an extensive wish-granting tree
in which all the refuge objects abide. Even when you are not in Lhasa,
Dharamsala, or Nepal, think that you are circumambulating all the
holy objects of the ten directions. With this visualization, which is
mentioned in the lam-rim teachings, you receive the incredible benefit
of circumambulating all these holy objects.
Visualization
You can visualize the stupa (as in the guru yoga meditation) as your
root guru and all the buddhas, the Dharma, and the Sangha, as well
Practices 115
as all the statues, stupas, and scriptures, all the holy objects of the ten
directions.
Or you can visualize the stupa as a deity, and absorb all the buddhas
and bodhisattvas of the ten directions into it, remembering that the
guru encompasses all buddhas, Dharma and Sangha. You can visualize
Chenrezig, Vajrasattva, Namgyälma, or any deity you wish, and recite
the mantra of that deity. As you recite the mantra, nectar beams are
emitted, completely illuminating you and all other sentient beings.
As with prostrations, when you circumambulate, think that you have

manifested numberless bodies, either all your past lives in human
form, or in the form of a deity. Think that you are leading all the sen-
tient beings to circumambulate the stupa, statues, and scriptures – all
the holy objects – and all the gurus, all the buddhas, all the Dharma,
and all the Sangha of the ten directions.
With this meditation you can circumambulate all the holy objects that
exist in any universe. So it is very, very profitable; it is the most profit-
able way to circumambulate – the way in which one collects the most
extensive merit. At the very least one should think that all the holy
objects are the manifestations of one’s root guru. This is a skillful
meditation to collect the most extensive merit.
Visualize that beams are emitted from the holy objects purifying one-
self and all sentient beings.
Mantras to Multiply the Merit

Then recite the buddha’s name that causes the circumambulation to multiply by 1,000 times
and the multiplying mantra.
CHOM DÄN DÄ DE ZHIN SHEG PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG
PAR DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ RINCHEN GYÄLTSÄN LA CHAG
TSHÄL LO (7x)
Then recite seven times:

[NAMO RATNA TRAYAYA] OM NAMO BHAGAVATE RATNA
KETU RAJAYA TATHAGATAYA ARHATE SAMYAK
SAMBUDDHAYA TADYATHA OM RATNE RATNE MAHA RATNE
RATNA BIJA YE SVAHA (7x)
Prostration to Shakyamuni Buddha

PAR DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ PÄL GYÄL WA SHAKYA THUB PA LA
CHAG TSHÄL LO
Special Mantra for Multiplying Circumambulations

OM NAMO DASHA DEKA TRI KALA SARVA RATNA TRAYAYA
MAMA PRADAKSHA SUPRA DAKSHA / SARVA PAPAM VISHOD-
HANI SVAHA
Reciting Mantras and Prayers with Devotion

There is body circumambulation, speech circumambulation, and mind
circumambulation. Speech circumambulation is reciting prayers prais-
ing the qualities of the guru, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. One can
recite OM MANI PÄDME HUM, Vajrasattva mantra, Mitrugpa mantra,
the names of the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas, Praise to Shakya-
muni Buddha, Praise to Chenrezig, Praises to Tara, Tara’s mantra,
Buddha’s mantra, Lama Tsongkhapa’s guru yoga prayer (migtsema),
etc. You may also recite other mantras and prayers for purification.
You may also recite refuge prayers.
(See below for the mantras listed above. Names of the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas can
be found on p. 126.)
Circumambulating is a very powerful practice, and the very root of the

practice is to circumambulate with strong devotion, and with an un-
distracted mind. Since we need to accumulate extensive merit in order
to generate realizations and achieve enlightenment quickly, we should
attempt to circumambulate as perfectly as possible.
Mantras That Can Be Recited While Circumambulating

Chenrezig
OM MANI PÄDME HUM
Shakyamuni Buddha
TADYATHA OM MUNE MUNE MAHA MUNEYE SVAHA
Tara
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA
Practices 117
Lama Tsongkhapa’s Prayer

Mig me tse wäi ter chhen chän rä zig
Avalokiteshvara, great treasure of non-objectifying compassion;
Dri me khyen päi wang po jam päi yang
Manjushri, master of stainless wisdom;
[Dü pung ma lü jom dzä sang wäi dag]
Vajrapani, destroyer of the entire host of maras;
Gang chän khä päi tsug gyän tsong kha pa
Tsongkhapa, crown jewel of the sages of the land of snow;
Lo zang drag päi zhab la sol wa deb
To Losang Dragpa, at your feet I make requests.
Vajrasattva
OM VAJRASATTVA SAMAYA MANUPALAYA / VAJRASATTVA
TVENOPATISHTHA / DRIDHO ME BHAVA / SUTOSHYO ME
BHAVA / SUPOSHYO ME BHAVA / ANURAKTO ME BHAVA /
SARVA SIDDHIM ME PRAYACCHA / SARVA KARMA SU CHAME /
CHITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM / HA HA HA HA HOH /
BHAGAVAN SARVA TATHAGATA / VAJRA MAME MUNCHA /
VAJRA BHAVA MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA AH HUM PHAT
Mitrugpa
NAMO RATNA TRAYAYA OM KAMKANI KAMKANI ROCHANI
ROCHANI TROTANI TROTANI TRASANI TRASANI PRATIHANA
PRATIHANA SARVA KARMA PARAM PARA NIME SARVA SATTVA
NÄNCHA SVAHA
Making Offerings
As you circumambulate, you may offer rice to the stupa, thinking that it
is whole skies of wish-granting jewels or diamonds, like rainfall spilling
onto the stupa. You should offer it respectfully, throwing the rice up,
not down.
Circumambulating for the Benefit of Others

First Circumambulation
Think:
I am going to do this circumambulation for the benefit of all sentient
beings, particularly the hell beings.
At the end of the circumambulation, think:

All defilements are purified. Every single hell being attains enlighten-
ment by completing the entire path.
Then think:
I give all my merit, from the resultant happiness up to enlightenment,
to all the sentient beings, particularly the hell beings.
Second Circumambulation
Think:
beings, particularly the hungry ghosts.
At the end of the circumambulation think:
All defilements are purified. Every single hungry ghost being attains
enlightenment by completing the entire path.
Then think:
to all the sentient beings, particularly the hungry ghosts.
Third Circumambulation
Think:
beings, particularly the animals.
All defilements are purified. Every single animal being attains enlight-
enment by completing the entire path.
Then think:
II give all my merit, from the resultant happiness up to enlightenment,
to all the sentient beings, particularly the animals.
Fourth Circumambulation
Think:
beings, particularly the human beings.
Practices 119

All defilements are purified. Every single human being attains enlight-
enment by completing the entire path.
Then think:
to all the sentient beings, particularly the human beings.
Fifth Circumambulation
Think:
beings, particularly the asura beings.
All defilements are purified, every single asura being attains enlighten-
Then think:
to all the sentient beings, particularly the asura beings.
Sixth Circumambulation
Think:
beings, particularly the sura beings.
All defilements are purified. Every single sura being attains enlighten-
Then think:
to all the sentient beings, particularly the sura beings.
Seventh Circumambulation
Think:
beings, particularly the intermediate state beings.

All defilements are purified. Every single intermediate state being at-
tains enlightenment by completing the entire path.
Then think:
to all the sentient beings, particularly the intermediate state beings.
Circumambulating for the Virtuous Friend

Think:
I am going to do the circumambulation for the long life of my own
virtuous friend(s) and the long lives of all virtuous friends and for all
their holy wishes to succeed immediately.
At the end of the circumambulations think:
I give all my merit for my own virtuous friend, and for all the virtuous
friends who are in the world and who benefit sentient beings, to have
long stable lives and for all their holy wishes to succeed immediately.
Circumambulating for the Dharma

Think:
I am going to do circumambulation for the Dharma to flourish forever
and to spread in all the ten directions.
Circumambualting for the Sangha

Think:
I am going to circumambulate for all the Sangha who preserve and
spread the Dharma to complete the scriptural understanding and real-
izations in this life, as well as for all the benefactors who help preserve
the Dharma to have long lives, and for all their virtuous wishes to
succeed.
When you have finished the circumambulations, do the dedications
well.
Colophon:
From teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India. Edited
by Kendall Magnussen and Ven. Constance Miller, FPMT Education Department,
October 2003.
Practices 121
Practices to Perform at Stupas

and Other Holy Places
From the Instructions of Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Make Offerings
At every holy place you should have offerings. You can offer butter
lamps or candles, incense, flowers – one hundred thousand, whatever.
Always there should be offerings.
Light the candles [and make the other offerings] and recite OM AH
HUM to bless them.
Then continue with the Preliminary Prayers.
Preliminary Prayers
Refuge
La ma sang gyä la ma chhö
The Guru is Buddha; the Guru is Dharma;
De zhin la ma ge dün te
The Guru is Sangha also.
Kün gyi je po la ma yin
The Guru is the creator of all (happiness);
La ma nam la kyab su chhi
To all gurus I go for refuge. (3x)
Generating Bodhichitta
Drol nam dräl dö sam pa yi
With the thought desiring to liberate migrating beings
Sang gyä chhö dang gen dün la
I always go for refuge
Jang chhub nying por chhi kyi bar
To the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
Tag par dag ni kyab su chhi
Until the heart of enlightenment is achieved.
She rab nying tse dang chä pä
With perseverance, acting with
Tsön pä sem chän dön du dag
Wisdom, compassion, and loving kindness,
Sang gyä dün du nä gyi te
In the eyes of the buddhas, for the benefit of sentient beings,
Dzog päi jang chhub sem kye do
I generate the thought of full enlightenment.
Purifying the Place
Tham chä du ni sa zhi dag
Everywhere may the ground be pure,
Seg ma la sog me pa dang
Free of the roughness of pebbles and so forth.
Lag thil tar nyam bäiduryäi
May it be in the nature of lapis lazuli,
Rang zhin jam por nä gyur chig
And as smooth as the palm of one’s hand.
Offering Prayer
Lha dang mi yi chhö päi dzä
May human and divine offerings,
Ngö su sham dang yi kyi trül
Actually arranged and mentally created,
Kün zang chhö trin la na me
Clouds of finest Samantabhadra offerings,
Nam khäi kham kün khyab gyur chig
Fill the entire space.
Practices 123
Offering Cloud Mantra

OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VAJRA SARA PRAMARDANE /
TATHAGATAYA / ARHATE SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA /
TADYATHA / OM VAJRE VAJRE / MAHA VAJRE / MAHA TEJA
VAJRE / MAHA VIDYA VAJRE / MAHA BODHICHITTA VAJRE /
MAHA BODHI MÄNDO PASAM KRAMANA VAJRE / SARVA
KARMA AVARANA VISHO DHANA VAJRE SVAHA (3x)
Extensive Power of Truth

Kön chhog sum gyi den pa dang
By the power of truth of the Three Rare Sublime Ones,
Sang gyä dang jang chhub sem pa tham chä kyi jin gyi lab dang
The blessings of all the buddhas and bodhisattvas,
Tshog nyi yong su dzog päi nga thang chhen po dang
The great wealth of the completed two collections, and the sphere of
phenomena being pure and inconceivable;
Chhö kyi ying nam par dag ching sam gyi mi khyab päi tob kyi de zhin
nyi du gyur chig
May these piles of clouds of offerings arising through transforma-
tion by the bodhisattvas Arya Samantabhadra, Manjushri, and so
forth – unimaginable and inexhaustible, equaling the sky – arise and,
in the eyes of the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, be
received.
Invocation
Ma lü sem chän kün gyi gön gyur ching
Protector of all beings without exception;
Dü de pung chä mi zä jom dzä lha
Perfect knower of all things;
Ngö nam ma lü yang dag khyen gyur päi
Divine destroyer of the intractable legions of Mara;
Chom dän khor chä nä dir sheg su söl
Bhagavan and retinue, please come here.
Mantra and Praise with Prostrations

OM NAMO MANJUSHRIYE / NAMAH SUSHRIYE / NAMA
UTTAMA SHRIYE SVAHA (3x with prostrations)
La ma tön pa chom dän dä de zhin sheg pa dra chom pa yang dag par
dzog päi sang gyä päl gyäl wa shakya thub pa la/ chhag tshäl lo chhö do
kyab su chhi wo/ jin gyi lab tu söl (3x with prostrations)
To the Guru, founder, bhagavan, tathagata, arhat, perfectly com-

pleted buddha, glorious conqueror Shakyamuni Buddha, I prostrate,
make offerings, and go for refuge. Please grant me your blessings. (3x
with prostrations)
Prostrations to the Thirty-Five

Confession Buddhas
Motivation
The purpose of my life is to free the numberless sentient beings who are
the source of all my past, present, and future happiness, temporary as
well as ultimate happiness – including all the realizations of the path,
liberation from samsara, and enlightenment – from all the oceans of
samsaric suffering, including the causes: delusion and karma. In order
to do this, I must achieve full enlightenment. Therefore, I need to actu-
alize the path. Therefore, I need to purify the defilements.
If I were now born in hell, it would be so unbearable. Even one tiny

fire spark on my body is hundreds of thousands of times hotter than
the whole entire fire energy in this world. It is so unbearable that ex-
periencing it for even an instant is like suffering for many eons. I have
created numberless causes to be born in the hell realms by creating the
ten non-virtuous actions countless times in this and beginningless past
lives. I have created numberless causes to be born in the hell realms by
breaking the pratimoksha vows, by breaking the bodhisattva vows, and
by breaking the tantric vows countless times in this and beginningless
past lives. And I have created numberless causes to be born in the hells
by creating the heaviest negative karma in relationship with the holy
virtuous friend, which includes harming the holy body, breaking the
advice, disturbing the holy mind, having non-devotional thoughts, and
rising heresy and anger, which produce the greatest obstacles to achieve
realizations and create the greatest suffering.
Practices 125
Every single one of these negative actions has four suffering results: the
ripening result (a rebirth in the lower realms), the possessed result (the
type of environment I’m born into when again a human), the result
similar to the cause in my experience, and the worst one, the result
similar to the cause in my actions, which means that again and again
I am driven to create the same negative actions in the future, and so
again and again I have to experience the four suffering results. In this
way, samsara has no end.
Not only that, but karma increases, so from even a small negative ac-
tion can come huge suffering results. And karma is definite to be ex-
perienced, so every negative action I have created will definitely bring
its result, no matter how long it takes, until it is purified. So from one
negative karma, I have to experience the result over and over again for
so many hundreds of lifetimes. Understanding this, how can I stand to
live life without purifying myself and getting rid of all these negative
karmas, just as I would try to get rid of a deadly poison in my body?
Not only that, but I’m going to die, and death can come even today,
any moment. Therefore, I must purify all my negative actions right this
second. In order to do that, I am going to do these prostrations with
the practice of confessing downfalls, and I’m going to do this so that
I can develop myself in order to work for the happiness of all sentient
beings.
Visualization at the Beginning of the Practice

Visualize in the space in front of you your Guru in the aspect of Shakya-
muni Buddha, with thousand-arm Chenrezig at his heart. At the heart
of thousand-arm Chenrezig is the syllable HRIH, and from this beams
of light emanate, forming six rows in the space below. At the end of
each beam is a throne supported by elephants and adorned with pearls.
On each throne is seated a buddha. In the first row are six buddhas,
blue in color and in the aspect of Akshobhya, with the exception of the
third buddha, King Lord of the Nagas, who has a blue-colored body, but
a white head. In the second row, there are seven buddhas, white in color
and in the aspect of Vairochana. In the third row are seven buddhas,
yellow in color and in the aspect of Ratnasambhava. In the fourth row
are seven buddhas, red in color and in the aspect of Amitabha. In the
fifth row there are seven buddhas, green in color and in the aspect of
Amoghasiddhi. These are the thirty-five Confession Buddhas. Each

one is in the posture of that particular dhyani buddha. In the final
row are the Medicine Buddhas.
Think that each one of these buddhas is the embodiment of all three
times ten directions Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, and all statues, stupas,
and scriptures. Think they embody all holy objects, whose essence is
the Guru. Have complete faith that each one has the power to purify
all your negative karmas and imprints, accumulated since beginning-
less time.
Now imagine that you emanate numberless bodies, and that as you
prostrate, all these bodies prostrate along with you from all directions,
covering every atom of the earth.
Now recite the increasing mantras, refuge and the Confession of Downfalls to the Thirty-five
Buddhas on the next page, repeating each buddha’s name over and over as many times as
you can with each prostration. It is the recitation of the name of each buddha that brings
the purification, so there is a big difference when you recite just a few times or many. Even
if you do the recitation by listening to a CD or tape, still recite the name yourself as much as
you can. Either recite the prayer three times straight through making one prostration to each
buddha each time, or do three prostrations to each buddha as you go through the prayer once.
At the end, recite the names of the Medicine Buddhas. This can be followed by Vajrasattva
mantra and the “Po” Praise to Chenrezig, according to time. Then recite the prayer at the
end, followed by the General Confession.
Reciting the Names of the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas

OM NAMO MANJUSHRIYE / NAMAH SUSHRIYE / NAMA
UTTAMA SHRIYE SVAHA (3x)

PAR DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ RINCHHEN GYÄLTSHÄN LA CHAG
TSHÄL LO (7x)
OM NAMO BHAGAVATE RATNA KETU RAJAYA / TATHAGATAYA

ARHATE SAMYAK SAMBUDDHAYA / TADYATHA / OM RATNE
RATNE MAHA RATNE RATNA BIJA YE SVAHA (7x)
Practices 127
Na mo jang chhub sem päi tung wa shag pa

Homage to the Confession of the Bodhisattva’s Downfalls!
Dag [ming] di zhe gyi wa / dü tag tu la ma la kyab su chhi wo
I, (say your name) throughout all times, take refuge in the Guru;
Sang gyä la kyab su chhi wo
I take refuge in the Buddha;
Chhö la kyab su chhi wo
I take refuge in the Dharma;
Ge dün la kyab su chhi wo (3x)
I take refuge in the Sangha. (3x)
Tön pa chom dän dä de zhin sheg pa dra chom pa yang dag par dzog päi
sang gyä päl gyäl wa sha kya thub pa la chhag tshäl lo
To the founder, bhagavan, tathagata, arhat, perfectly completed
buddha, glorious conqueror Shakyamuni Buddha, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa dor je nying pö rab tu jom pa la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Thoroughly Destroying with Vajra Essence, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa rin chhen ö thrö la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Radiant Jewel, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa lu wang gi gyäl po la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata King, Lord of the Nagas, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa pa wöi de la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Army of Heroes, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa päl gye la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Delighted Hero, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa rin chhen me la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Jewel Fire, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa rin chhen da ö la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Jewel Moonlight, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa tong wa dön yö la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Meaningful to See, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa rin chhen da wa la chhag tshäl lo

To Tathagata Jewel Moon, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa dri ma me pa la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Stainless One, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa pä jin la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Bestowed with Courage, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa tshang pa la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Pure One, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa tshang pä jin la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Bestowed with Purity, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa chhu lha la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Water God, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa chhu lhäi lha la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Deity of the Water God, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa päl zang la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Glorious Goodness, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa tsän dän päl la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Glorious Sandalwood, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa zi ji tha yä la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Infinite Splendor, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa ö päl la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Glorious Light, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa nya ngän me päi päl la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Sorrowless Glory, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa se me kyi bu la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Son of Non-craving, I prostrate.
Practices 129
De zhin sheg pa me tog päl la chhag tshäl lo

To Tathagata Glorious Flower, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa tshang päi ö zer nam par röl pä ngön par khyen pa la
chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Pure Light Rays Clearly Knowing by Play, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa pä mäi ö zer nam par röl pä ngön par khyen pa la chhag
tshäl lo
To Tathagata Lotus Light Rays Clearly Knowing by Play, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa nor päl la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Glorious Wealth, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa drän päi päl la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Glorious Mindfulness, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa tshän päl shin tu yong drag la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Glorious Name Widely Renowned, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa wang pöi tog gi gyäl tshän gyi gyäl po la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata King Holding the Victory Banner of Foremost Power, I
prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa shin tu nam par nön päi päl la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Glorious One Totally Subduing, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa yül lä shin tu nam par gyäl wa la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Utterly Victorious in Battle, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa nam par nön pä sheg päi päl la chhag tshäl lo
To Tathagata Glorious Transcendence Through Subduing, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa kün nä nang wa kö päi päl la chhag tshäl lo

To Tathagata Glorious Manifestations Illuminating All, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa rin chhen pä mäi nam par nön pa la chag tshäl lo
To Tathagata All-Subduing Jewel Lotus, I prostrate.
De zhin sheg pa dra chom pa yang dag par dzog päi sang gyä rin po
chhe dang pä ma la rab tu zhug pa ri wang gi gyäl po la chhag tshäl lo
(3x)
To Tathagata, arhat, perfectly completed buddha, King of the Lord
of Mountains Firmly Seated on Jewel and Lotus, I prostrate. (3x)
Prostrations to the Seven Medicine Buddhas

Chom dän dä de zhin sheg pa dra chom pa yang dag par dzog päi sang
gyä tsen leg pa yong drag päl gyi gyäl po la chhag tshäl lo
To the bhagavan, tathagata, arhat, perfectly completed buddha,
Renowned Glorious King of Excellent Signs, I prostrate.
gyä rin po chhe dang da wa dang pä mä rab tu gyän pa khä pa zi ji dra
yang kyi gyäl po la chhag tshäl lo
King of Melodious Sound, Brilliant Radiance of Skill, Adorned with
Jewels, Moon, and Lotus, I prostrate.
gyä ser zang dri me rin chhen nang tül zhug drub pa la chhag tshäl lo
Stainless Excellent Gold, Illuminating Jewel Who Accomplishes All
Conduct, I prostrate.
gyä nya ngän me chhog päl la chhag tshäl lo
Glorious Supreme One Free from Sorrow, I prostrate.
gyä chhö drag gya tshö yang la chhag tshäl lo
Melodious Ocean of Proclaimed Dharma, I prostrate.
Practices 131
gyä chhö gya tsho chhog gi lö nam par röl pä ngön par khyän pa la
chhag tshäl lo
Clearly Knowing by the Play of Supreme Wisdom of an Ocean of
Dharma, I prostrate.
gyä men gyi lha bäi dur yä ö kyi gyäl po la chhag tshäl lo
Medicine Guru, King of Lapis Lazuli Light, I prostrate.
Confession Prayer
All those [you thirty-five buddhas] and others, as many tathagatas, ar-
hats, perfectly completed buddhas as there are existing, sustaining,
and residing in all the world systems of the ten directions; all you
buddha-bhagavans, please pay attention to me.
In this life and in all the states of rebirth in which I have circled in
samsara throughout beginningless lives, whatever negative actions I
have created, made others create, or rejoiced in the creation of; what-
ever possessions of stupas, possessions of the Sangha, or possessions of
the Sangha of the ten directions that I have appropriated, made others
appropriate, or rejoiced in the appropriation of; whichever among the
five actions of immediate (retribution) I have done, caused to be done,
or rejoiced in the doing of; whichever paths of the ten non-virtuous ac-
tions I have engaged in, caused others to engage in, or rejoiced in the
engaging in: whatever I have created, being obscured by these karmas
causes me and sentient beings to be born in the hell realms, in the
animal realm, and in the preta realm; in irreligious countries, as bar-
barians, or as long-life gods; with imperfect faculties, holding wrong
views, or not being pleased with Buddha’s descent. In the presence of
the buddha-bhagavans, who are transcendental wisdom, who are eyes,
who are witnesses, who are valid, and who see with omniscient con-
sciousness, I am admitting and confessing all these negativities, I will
not conceal them nor hide them, and from now on in the future I will
abstain and refrain from committing them again.
All buddha-bhagavans, please pay attention to me. In this life and in

all other states of rebirth in which I have circled in samsara throughout
beginningless lives, whatever roots of virtue I have created by generos-
ity, even as little as giving just one mouthful of food to a being born in
the animal realm; whatever roots of virtue I have created by guarding
morality; whatever roots of virtue I have created by following pure con-
duct; whatever roots of virtue I have created by fully ripening sentient
beings; whatever roots of virtue I have created by generating bodhicitta;
and whatever roots of virtue I have created by my unsurpassed transcen-
dental wisdom: all these assembled and gathered, combined together,
I fully dedicate to the unsurpassed, the unexcelled, that higher than
the high, that superior to the superior. Thus, I completely dedicate to
the highest, perfectly complete enlightenment.
Just as the previous buddha-bhagavans have fully dedicated, just as the

future buddha-bhagavans will fully dedicate, and just as the presently
abiding buddha-bhagavans are fully dedicating, like that I too dedicate
fully.
I confess all negativities individually. I rejoice in all the merits. I urge

and implore all buddhas to grant my request: may I receive the high-
est, most sublime transcendental wisdom.
To the conquerors, the best of humans — those who are living in the
present time, those who have lived in the past, and those who will
likewise come — to all those who have qualities as vast as an infinite
ocean, with hands folded, I approach for refuge.
How to Meditate on the General Confession

As you confess each of the negative actions contained in this prayer, think to yourself that you
have created this negative action not just once, but countless times in this and beginningless
lives, whether you remember it or not. Generate very strong regret. The stronger the regret,
the greater the purification.
Then reflect on the emptiness of each of these negative actions, remembering that even
negative actions do not truly exist from their own side. They arise in dependence on causes
and conditions and are merely labeled by the mind. You can either think they are completely
non-existent from their own side, or that they are merely labeled by mind, or that they are hal-
lucination. Whichever method you use to understand emptiness, the conclusion that should
Practices 133
come in your heart is that each of these negative actions are completely empty, not existing
from their own side, even the slightest atom.
At the end of the confession prayer, pause to make the determination not to commit these
negative actions again in the future. This is the power of restraint. Make this promise real-
istic, even if you are promising simply not to do the negative action even for just the next five
minutes or seconds. This is to make sure you that you do not tell a lie to the merit field.
General Confession
U hu lag! (Woe is me!)
O great Guru Vajradhara, all other buddhas and bodhisattvas who

abide in the ten directions, and all the venerable Sangha, please pay
attention to me.
I, who am named [say your name], circling in cyclic existence since be-
ginningless time until the present, overpowered by mental afflictions
such as attachment, aversion, and ignorance by means of body, speech,
and mind have created the ten non-virtuous actions. I have engaged
in the five uninterrupted negative karmas and the five nearing unin-
terrupted negative karmas. I have transgressed the vows of individual
liberation, transgressed the vows of bodhisattvas, and transgressed
the samaya of secret mantra. I have been disrespectful to my parents,
have been disrespectful to my vajra masters, and to my abbot, and
have been disrespectful to my spiritual friends living in ordination. I
have committed actions harmful to the Three Jewels, avoided the holy
Dharma, criticized the arya Sangha, harmed sentient beings, and so
on. These and many other non-virtuous negative actions I have done,
have caused others to do, have rejoiced in others’ doing, and so forth.
In the presence of the great Guru Vajradhara, all the buddhas and bo-
dhisattvas who abide in the ten directions, and the venerable Sangha,
I admit this entire collection of faults and transgressions that are ob-
stacles to my own higher rebirth and liberation and are causes of cyclic
existence and miserable lower rebirths. I will not conceal them, and I
accept them as negative. I promise to refrain from doing these actions
again in the future. By confessing and acknowledging them, I will at-
tain and abide in happiness, while by not confessing and acknowledg-
ing them, true happiness will not come.
Visualization at the End of the Confession Prayer

Think that through the force of reciting these names of the thirty-five Buddhas of Confession
and Medicine Buddhas, through the power of their pure prayers and vows, through the power
of generating regret and the other opponent forces, and through the power of having made these
prostrations, nectars and light rays descend from the holy bodies of the buddhas, completely
purifying all negative karmas, defilements and imprints collected on your mental continuum
since beginningless time. Generate strong faith that your mind has become completely pure.
Then reflect on emptiness. In emptiness there is no I, the creator of negative actions. In

emptiness there is no creating of negative actions. In emptiness there are no negative actions
created. Even though there are infinite phenomena, in emptiness nothing exists at all. There is
no this and that, no me and you, nothing. In emptiness everything is one taste. From this emp-
tiness, everything comes into existence. Whatever exists is the manifestation of emptiness.
Dedication
Due to all the three time merits accumulated by myself, all the buddhas
and bodhisattvas and all sentient beings, which are completely empty
of existing from their own side, may the I, which is completely empty
of existing from its own side, quickly achieve the state of full enlighten-
ment, which is completely empty of existing from its own side, in order
to lead all sentient beings, who are completely empty of existing from
their own side, to that state by myself alone, who is completely empty of
existing from its own side.
Due to all the three time merits accumulated by myself, all the buddhas
and bodhisattvas and all sentient beings, may the precious supreme
enlightened thought, bodhicitta – letting go of self and cherishing oth-
ers – which is the source of all success and happiness for myself and all
sentient beings, immediately be generated within my own mind, and
within the minds of all sentient beings. May that which has already
been generated never decline, but increase more and more.
Sit down for the rest of the prayers, starting with the Seven-Limb Prayer.
Extensive Seven-Limb Prayer

At the time of the limb of offering, if you have time, you may do the Extensive Offering
Practice. You may repeat the Actual Offering Prayer over and over again when you do the
offering meditation. When you continue the seven-limb prayer, stop for two or three minutes
at the section on rejoicing; rejoice in your own and others’ merits of the three times, including
the bodhisattvas and buddhas.
Practices 135
Go sum gü päi go nä chhag tshäl lo

Reverently, I prostrate with my body, speech, and mind;
Ngö sham yi trül chhö trin ma lü bül
I present clouds of every type of offering, actual and imagined;
(See Extensive Offering Practice on p. 147)
Thog me nä sag dig tung tham chä shag
I declare all my negative actions accumulated since beginningless time
Kye phag ge wa nam la je yi rang
And rejoice in the merit of all holy and ordinary beings.
(See rejoicing meditation on p. 159)
Khor wa ma tong bar du leg zhug nä
Please, remain until the end of cyclic existence
Dro la chhö kyi khor lo kor wa dang
And turn the wheel of Dharma for living beings.
Dag zhän ge nam jang chhub chhen por ngo
I dedicate my own merits and those of all others to the great
enlightenment.
After the prayer of the seven limbs, do a mandala offering, short or long, and at the end of that
make requests, such as Request for the Three Great Purposes below or prayers for the long life
of your gurus:
Short Mandala Offering

Sa zhi pö kyi jug shing me tog tram
This ground, anointed with perfume, strewn with flowers,
Ri rab ling zhi nyi dä gyän pa di
Adorned with Mount Meru, four continents, the sun and the moon:
Sang gyä zhing du mig te ül wa yi
I imagine this as a buddha-field and offer it.
Dro kün nam dag zhing la chö par shog
May all living beings enjoy this pure land!
Inner Mandala Offering (optional)

Dag gi chhag dang mong sum kye wäi yül
The objects of my attachment, aversion and ignorance –
Dra nyen bar sum lü dang long chö chä
Friends, enemies, strangers – and my body, wealth, and enjoyments;
Phang pa me par bül gyi leg zhe nä

Without any sense of loss I offer this collection.
Dug sum rang sar dröl war jin gyi lob
Please accept it with pleasure and bless me with freedom from
the three poisons.
Request for the Three Great Purposes
I go for refuge to the guru and the Three Precious Rare Sublime Jewels.
Please bless my mental continuum.
Please bless me and all sentient beings to cease immediately all wrong
conceptions, from incorrect devotion to the guru up to the subtle dual
view of the white appearance, red increase, and black near attainment.
Please bless me and all sentient beings to actualize immediately all the
correct realizations, from guru devotion up to the unification of no
more learning.
Please pacify immediately all outer and inner obstacles. (1x or 3x)
IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALAKAM NIRYATAYAMI
Then you can recite one of the Lam-rim prayers, slowly, doing a direct meditation on Lama
Tsongkhapa’s Foundation of All Good Qualities, Three Principles of the Path, or
Songs of Experience (Lines of Experience).
Foundation of All Good Qualities

The foundation of all good qualities is the kind and perfect, pure Guru;
Correct devotion to him is the root of the path.
By clearly seeing this and applying great effort,
Please bless me to rely upon him with great respect.
Understanding that the precious freedom of this rebirth is found

only once,
Is greatly meaningful, and is difficult to find again,
Please bless me to generate the mind that unceasingly,
Day and night, takes its essence.
This life is as impermanent as a water bubble;

Remember how quickly it decays and death comes.
Practices 137
After death, just like a shadow follows the body,

The results of black and white karma follow.
Finding firm and definite conviction in this,

Please bless me always to be careful
To abandon even the slightest negativities
And accomplish all virtuous deeds.
Seeking samsaric pleasures is the door to all suffering:

They are uncertain and cannot be relied upon.
Recognizing these shortcomings,
Please bless me to generate the strong wish for the bliss of liberation.
Led by this pure thought,

Mindfulness, alertness, and great caution arise.
The root of the teachings is keeping the pratimoksha vows:
Please bless me to accomplish this essential practice.
Just as I have fallen into the sea of samsara,

So have all mother migratory beings.
Please bless me to see this, train in supreme bodhichitta,
And bear the responsibility of freeing migratory beings.
Even if I develop only bodhichitta, but I don’t practice the three

types of morality,
I will not achieve enlightenment.
With my clear recognition of this,
Please bless me to practice the bodhisattva vows with great energy.
Once I have pacified distractions to wrong objects

And correctly analyzed the meaning of reality,
Please bless me to generate quickly within my mindstream
The unified path of calm abiding and special insight.
Having become a pure vessel by training in the general path,

Please bless me to enter
The holy gateway of the fortunate ones:
The supreme vajra vehicle.
At that time, the basis of accomplishing the two attainments

Is keeping pure vows and samaya.
As I have become firmly convinced of this,
Please bless me to protect these vows and pledges like my life.
hen, having realized the importance of the two stages,

The essence of the Vajrayana,
By practicing with great energy, never giving up the four sessions,
Please bless me to realize the teachings of the holy guru.
Like that, may the gurus who show the noble path
And the spiritual friends who practice it have long lives.
Please bless me to pacify completely
All outer and inner hindrances.
In all my lives, never separated from perfect gurus,

May I enjoy the magnificent Dharma.
By completing the qualities of the stages and paths,
May I quickly attain the state of Vajradhara.
(For more Lam-rim prayers see Essential Buddhist Prayers, Vol. 1, Lam-Rim Prayers section.
Songs of Experience is available as a separate practice booklet.)
Then chant Guru Shakyamuni’s mantra:
Shakyamuni Buddha’s Mantra

TADYATHA OM MUNE MUNE MAHA MUNEYE SVAHA
Dedication Prayers
Depending on the time available, the following dedication prayers may be done in full
or in part; however, it is good to do at least five.
Due to the past, present, and future merits generated by me and by

all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may the loving
compassionate thought of bodhichitta be generated in my mind and
in the mind of my family members and all sentient beings without
the delay of even a second, and may that which has been generated
increase.
Practices 139

all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may the father
and mother sentient beings have happiness, may the lower realms be-
come empty forever, and wherever there are bodhisattvas may all their
prayers be fulfilled immediately. May I cause this by myself alone.
Due to the past, present, and future merits generated by me and by all
the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may the complete
teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa – the unification of sutra and tantra
– be completely actualized in my mind, the minds of all my family
members, and in those who have sacrificed their life working for the
Dharma [in this organization].
May it spread in all directions and flourish forever until sentient be-
ings no longer experience war, famine, disease, earthquakes, the dan-
gers of fire, water, earth and wind, poverty, torture, and all undesir-
able things.
Like Lama Tsongkhapa, may I be able to offer extensive benefits equal-

ing the limitless sky to all sentient beings and to the teachings of Bud-
dha by having all the qualities of Lama Tsongkhapa within me.
the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may the virtuous
friends have long and stable lives and may all their holy wishes succeed
immediately.
Due to the past, present, and future merits generated by me, and by all
the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may myself and my
family members, [all the students and benefactors of the FPMT orga-
nization], and those who benefit others, meet only perfectly qualified
Mahayana virtuous friends. May we only see them as enlightened be-
ings and do actions only most pleasing to the virtuous friend. May
myself and all sentient beings fulfill their holy wishes immediately,
now and in all future lives.

all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may any sen-
tient being who merely sees, hears, remembers, touches or talks to me,
never be reborn in the lower realms from that time onwards. May they
be liberated immediately from all the negative karmas, sicknesses,
and diseases and may they achieve enlightenment by actualizing
the whole path.

all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may whatever
actions I do in my life from now on, whatever experiences of ups or
downs, health or sickness, happiness or suffering, criticism or praise,
being richer or poorer, living or dying, or even being born in the hell
realm, may it only become most beneficial causing all sentient beings
to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.
the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may whatever uni-
verse, world, country, or area I am in – just by being there in that place
– may I cause all sentient beings to attain perfect peace and happiness,
purify all defilements, heavy negative karmas, and may all diseases like
cancer, arthritis, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, leukemia – the most difficult
diseases – may they be instantly healed.
the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may the deaf hear
sounds and the blind see forms. May all those mentally crazy, harmed
by spirits, with manic depression, migraine headaches, sufferings of
war, torture, and quarrels, and those with heavy anger and jealousy be
instantly pacified.
May the poor find prosperity and those in need of a companion be able
to find a beneficial friend – kind hearted and supportive in achieving
liberation and enlightenment.
May those in need of a virtuous friend, find the perfectly qualified

Mahayana virtuous friend, and receive the Dharma teachings of the
complete path.
May all the Sangha who spread and preserve the teachings attain the re-
alizations of the complete path and receive all the necessary conditions.
May all the benefactors who help preserve the Dharma also attain the
Practices 141
realizations of the complete path. May they have long lives and may all
their virtuous wishes succeed, according to the Dharma.
Whatever white virtues I have thus created, I dedicate as causes en-

abling me to uphold the holy Dharma of scriptures and insights and
To fulfill without exception all the prayers and deeds of all the bud-
dhas and bodhisattvas of the three times.
By the force of this merit, in all my lives may I never be parted from
Mahayana’s four spheres, and may I reach the end of my journey along
the paths of renunciation, bodhichitta, the pure view, and the two
stages.
In short, may all this cause sentient beings to achieve enlightenment

as quickly as possible.
Dedication in Emptiness
As a result of the three-times’ merits of myself and others,
May emptiness be generated in the minds of self and other sentient
beings, without delay, even for one second.
And that which has been generated, may it increase.
Due to the three-times’ merits of myself and others, which are emp-
ty from their own side, may I, who am empty from my own side,
achieve Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment (or Tara’s, or
Chenrezig’s, or whichever deity one is practicing), which is empty
from its own side, and lead all sentient beings, who are empty from
their own side, to that enlightenment, which is empty from its own
side, as quickly as possible, by myself, alone.
Meditate very intensely and precisely. Dedicate in emptiness, then when your mind is in that
state, label “due to the merits of the three times of myself and others,” “may I achieve Guru
Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment,” and “lead all sentient beings to that enlightenment
by myself, alone.”
In this way you can see that it is just mere imputation; that the three-times’ merits, enlight-
enment, I, are empty of existing from their own side. Everything appears to you as mere
imputation; your dedication is mere imputation. It’s not completely non-existent, but like
non-existent. If that kind of idea comes, it is extremely good. It is correct.
Special FPMT Dedication Prayers

Due to these merits may all the obstacles to Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche’s
health and long life be instantly removed. May Rinpoche remain and
teach us until samsara ends, and may all his and Lama Yeshe’s holy
wishes be instantly fulfilled.
May Lama Osel Rinpoche have a long and healthy life. May he be
able to complete all his studies without hindrance and become a great
holder and teacher of sutra and tantra in this life. May he be of great-
est benefit to all sentient beings.
May all the obstacles to the quick success of the building of the Mai-
treya statue be instantly destroyed. May this great statue of Maitreya
be accomplished exactly according to the wishes of Lama Yeshe and
Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
May all the centers and projects of the FPMT be free of obstacles to
spread the holy Dharma of Buddha Shakyamuni, in particular the
teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa.
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and achieve every happi-
ness and the highest state of enlightenment.
May all the students and friends who work so hard (for FPMT) in
the service of the Dharma and who sacrifice their lives for Buddha’s
teachings and to relieve the suffering of sentient beings have long and
healthy lives. May they realize the path to enlightenment in their own
minds as quickly as possible.
May all those who rely on and have made specific requests to Kyabje
Zopa Rinpoche be free of all obstacles to having long and healthy
lives. May they be able to achieve all the realizations of the path in this
lifetime.
May all the students’ activities please the virtuous friend. In all their
lives may they be guided by perfectly qualified Mahayana virtuous
friends, and may all their wishes succeed immediately according to
the Dharma.
Practices 143
Final Dedication Prayers

Just as the brave Manjushri and Samantabhadra, too,
Realized things as they are,
I, too, dedicate all these merits in the best way,
That I may follow their perfect example.
Whatever dedication the victorious ones gone to bliss

Of the three times have admired as best,
I shall also perfectly dedicate in the same way all these roots of virtue
So that I may perform good works.
This is a condensed version of the extensive dedication prayer of the bodhisattvas, The King
of Prayers, the prayer of the bodhisattva’s holy deeds. That prayer contains infinite bodhisat-
tvas’ prayers.
After that, recite the prayer for meeting Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings:
Prayer to Meet Lama Tsongkhapa’s Teachings

Because of the past, present, and future merit created by me and
by the buddhas, bodhisattvas and sentient beings,
May I, my family, students, and all sentient beings be able to actualize
completely in this very lifetime
Lama Tsongkhapa’s complete path of unified sutra and tantra,
which is pure like refined gold.
May this pure teaching of Lama Tsongkhapa
Spread in all directions and flourish forever.
Long Life Prayers

Prayer for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Gang ri ra wäi khor wä zhing kham dir
In the land encircled by snow mountains
Phän dang de wa ma lü jung wäi nä
You are the source of all happiness and good;
Chän rä zig wang tän dzin gya tsho yi
All-powerful Chenrezig, Tenzin Gyatso,
Zhab pä si thäi bar du tän gyur chig
Please remain until samsara ends.
Prayer for the Long Life of Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Thub tshül chhang zhing jam gön gyäl wäi tän
You who uphold the Subduer’s moral way, who serve as the bountiful
bearer-of-all,
Dzin kyong pel wä kün zö dog por dzä
Sustaining, preserving, and spreading Manjunath’s victorious doctrine;
Chhog sum kur wäi leg mön thu drub pa
Who masterfully accomplish magnificent prayers honoring the
Three Jewels:
Dag sog dül jäi gön du zhab tän shog
Savior of myself and others, your disciples, please, please live long!
Making Charity of the Merits

As in the practice of tong-len, give the merit you have accumulated to
all the other sentient beings, especially the narak (hell) beings, who have
the greatest suffering. Give all the good results, up to enlightenment, to
everyone else; this becomes the cause for them to actualize the path and
achieve enlightenment.
Give all of your merits – all the merits of the practice done at this time,
together with all past, present, and future merits – all the merits up to
enlightenment – to all sentient beings. Think precisely of each hell being,
hungry ghost being, animal, human, sura, and asura being, etc.
Give your body as a wish-fulfilling jewel to all sentient beings – pretas,

hell beings, etc. Make charity of all your possessions to every hell being,
every hungry ghost, every animal, every asura, sura, and to all the remain-
ing sentient beings.
Think that all their places, the hot hells, etc., become pure lands of the
buddhas – Vajrayogini, Amitabha, Shambhala, etc., depending on in
which pure land you are praying to be born – where there is no sickness,
no poverty, no suffering, no old age, and no suffering or rebirth.
Think that they all receive enlightenment, whatever they want, whatever
they need – a guru, teachings, even if they’re not aware that they need
them – everything. This causes them to actualize the path of method and
wisdom in their minds: their minds become the dharmakaya, and their
Practices 145
bodies the rupakaya of Shakyamuni Buddha, or Chenrezig, or which-

ever Buddha’s pure land you visualize.
This is according to His Holiness Serkong Rinpoche – to practice giving your merit and its
result, happiness. This is very good to do at the end of practice like this.
Multiplying Mantras
To increase by 100,000 times the merit created, recite these special mantras at the end of
the session:
PAR DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ NAM PAR NANG DZÄ Ö KYI GYÄL PO
LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO (1x or 3x)
JANG CHHUB SEM PA SEM PA CHHEN PO KÜN TU ZANG PO LA

CHHAG TSHÄL LO (1x or 3x)
TADYATHA OM PÄNCHA GRIYA AVA BODHANI SVAHA

OM DHURU DHURU JAYA MUKHE SVAHA (7x)
To actualize all our prayers as well as to multiply the benefits by 100,000:

PAR DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ NGO WA DANG MÖN LAM [THAM
CHÄ RAB TU] DU PÄ GYÄL PO LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO (1x or 3x)
Due to the power of the blessings of the eminent buddhas and bodhi-
sattvas, the power of infallible dependent arising, and the power of my
pure special attitude, may all my pure prayers succeed immediately.
Lama Tsongkhapa’s Prayer (Migtsema)

Mig me tse wäi ter chhen chän rä zig
Avalokiteshvara, great treasure of non-objectifying compassion;
Dri me khyen päi wang po jam päi yang
Manjushri, master of stainless wisdom;
[Dü pung ma lü jom dzä sang wäi dag]
Vajrapani, destroyer of the entire host of maras;
Gang chän khä päi tsug gyän tsong kha pa
Tsongkhapa, crown jewel of the sages of the land of snow;
Lo zang drag päi zhab la sol wa deb
To Losang Dragpa, at your feet I make requests.
Colophon:
Preliminary Prayers: Taken from Essential Buddhist Prayers, Vol. 1, 2007 edition,
FPMT Education Department.
Foundation of All Good Qualities: From the Jorchö booklet, translator Jampäl Lhun-
drup, edited by Ven. Ailsa Cameron, Wisdom Publications, 1988. Lightly edited by
Ven. Constance Miller and Nick Ribush, APril 1999.
Confession of Downfalls to the Thirty-Five Buddhas: The Confession of Downfalls is

based on an original translation by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, extracted from the book-
let entitled, The Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls, Kopan Monastery, Nepal.
Originally revised and edited by Venerables Thubten Dondrub, George Churinoff,
and Constance Miller, FPMT Education Department, 2000. Additional revisions
made according to instructions by Lama Zopa Rinpoche given at the Mitrugpa
retreat, Milarepa Center, Vermont, USA, August 2002. Motivation, visualizations,
and meditations compiled by Venerable Sarah Thresher according to instructions
of Lama Zopa Rinpoche after the Mitrugpa Retreat, Milarepa Center, Barnet Ver-
mont, 2002. Additional editing and corrections made by Venerable Gyalten Mind-
rol, FPMT Education Department, November 2005.
The title Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls has been changed to Confession
of Downfalls to the Thirty-Five Buddhas at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, April
2003.
Translation of first line of Refuge Prayer by Venerable Steve Carlier, November

2005.
General Confession is based on a translation by Glenn H. Mullin, with adjustments

by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Lightly edited by Venerable Sarah Thresher and Kendall
Magnussen, FPMT Education Services, January 2003. The line “have been dis-
respectful to my spiritual friends living in ordination” was changed according to
verbal instruction of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, October 2005.
Dedication Prayers and Multiplying Mantras: Excerpted from Essential Buddhist

Prayers, Vol. 1, FPMT Education Department.
Short Long Life Prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche: Requested by Geshe Konchog Khab on
behalf of the students of Thubten Kunga Center, Florida, this prayer was composed
on the 15th day of the Saka Dawa month of the year 2000 by Choden Rinpoche
at Vajrapani Institute in Boulder Creek, CA, USA. English translation by Jampa
Gendun.
Practices 147
Extensive Offering Practice
Motivation
Before beginning your extensive offering practice, generate bodhicitta in the following way (if
you are specifically doing a light offering practice, then also recite the words in parantheses):
The purpose of my life is not only to solve my own problems and gain
happiness for myself, but to free all beings from their problems and
lead them to all happiness, especially the state of full enlightenment.
Therefore, I myself must first achieve complete enlightenment. To do
this, I must complete the two accumulations — the merit of fortune
[method] and the merit of wisdom. Therefore, I am going to make
charity of these (light) offerings and make offerings (of these lights) to
the merit field.
Also remember to motivate for the success of particular projects, for people who have passed
away or are sick, or for other specific purposes.
Blessing the Offerings

Bless your offerings by reciting OM AH HUM three times. If you are making light offerings in
particular, now light the candles or switch on the electricity while reciting:
OM AH HUM (3x)
In general, if you don’t bless offerings immediately, they can be entered by the possessing spirit
Tse-bu chig-pa, and then making those offerings can create obstacles for you; it can cause
mental damage. In the case of possessed light offerings, without control, you fall asleep when
listening, reflecting, and meditating on the holy Dharma. Similarly, if you don’t bless all other
kinds of offering, various possessing spirits can enter them. Making those offerings can then
damage your mind and create obstacles for you.
Making Charity to the Beings of the Six Realms

Think that you have received these offerings through the kindness of
all sentient beings. Think, “These offerings are not mine.” Make charity
of the offerings to all the hell beings, pretas, animals, humans, asuras,
and suras. This is done to counteract the thought that the offerings be-
long to you. Think that you are making these offerings on their behalf
– you and all other beings are going to make offerings to the buddhas
together. Generate great happiness at having accumulated infinite merit
by thinking in this way.
Also, think that these offerings are given to every sentient being of
each of the six realms, becoming whatever they need for both tempo-
rary and ultimate happiness.
Offering to the Merit Field

I actually make and mentally transform the offerings of humans and
devas. May Samantabhadra clouds of offerings pervade the whole sky.
Offering Cloud Mantra

This mantra multiplies the offerings so that they become numberless.
OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VAJRA SARA PRAMARDANE /

TATHAGATAYA / ARHATE SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA /
TADYATHA / OM VAJRE VAJRE / MAHA VAJRE / MAHA TEJA
VAJRE / MAHA VIDYA VAJRE / MAHA BODHICHITTA VAJRE /
MAHA BODHI MÄNDO PASAM KRAMANA VAJRE / SARVA
KARMA AVARANA VISHO DHANA VAJRE SVAHA (3x)
Extensive Power of Truth

By the power of truth of the Three Rare Sublime Ones,
The blessings of all the buddhas and bodhisattvas,
The great wealth of the completed two collections, and the sphere of
phenomena being pure and inconceivable;
May these piles of clouds of offerings arising through transformation by
the bodhisattvas Arya Samantabhadra, Manjushri, and so forth — un-
imaginable and inexhaustible, equaling the sky — arise and, in the eyes
of the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, be received.
Practices 149
Presenting the Offerings

Make offerings to all holy objects, visualizing them as manifestations of your own root Guru,
who is one with all other virtuous friends. Since the virtuous friend is the most powerful
object in the merit field, by offering like this, you accumulate the most extensive merit. In
his text, The Five Stages, the Savior Nagarjuna said, “Abandon making other offerings; try
purely to make offerings only to your Guru. By pleasing your Guru, you will achieve the
sublime wisdom of the omniscient mind.”
In the root tantric text Buddhaya, Guru Vajradhara said, “The merit accumulated by
making offerings to just one pore of the spiritual master is more sublime than all that ac-
cumulated by making offerings to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions.” As
you make the offerings, think that you are prostrating, and making offerings, and that the
Guru’s holy mind experiences great bliss.
Place your hands in prostration mudra at your heart. Each time you make offerings, think
that, “Having received the offering, the Guru’s holy mind experiences great bliss.” This com-
pletes the offering.
First, we make offerings to all the holy objects here in this place, ev-
ery single thangka, statue, stupa, scripture, picture, tsa-tsa, relic, and
prayer wheel, by seeing them as inseparable from our own virtuous
friend, who is one with all other virtuous friends. (Prostrate, offer, and
generate great bliss.)
Then, we make all these offerings both real and visualized to every
single holy object in this country – all the statues, stupas, scriptures,
pictures, all the centers’ altars, every single altar in peoples’ homes, the
prayer wheels, tsa-tsas, and any virtuous friend in this country, by see-
ing them as inseparable from one’s own virtuous friend. We present
these offerings many times and in this way generate great bliss in all
the holy minds. (Prostrate, offer, and generate great bliss.)
Then, we make all these offerings, both real and visualized, to every
single holy object in India, including the Bodhgaya stupa where 1000
buddhas descended. Also we make offerings to all the holy beings
in India, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other virtuous
friends that you have there. By seeing them as inseparable from one’s
own virtuous friend, we make the offerings many times and in this
way generate great bliss in all the holy minds. (Prostrate, offer, and generate
great bliss.)
We make all these offerings, both real and visualized, to every sin-
gle holy object in Tibet, including the Jowo Rinpoche in Lhasa that
was blessed by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha himself, by seeing them as
inseparable from one’s own virtuous friend. We make the offerings
many times and in this way generate great bliss in all the holy minds.
(Prostrate, offer, and generate great bliss.)
We make all these offerings, both real and visualized, to every single
holy object in Nepal, including Bouddhanath Stupa and Swayamb-
hunath Stupa and any virtuous friends in Nepal. By seeing them as
inseparable from one’s own virtuous friend, we make the offerings
We make all these offerings, both real and visualized, to every single
holy object in the other Buddhist countries such as mainland China,
Thailand, Taiwan, Burma, etc., by seeing all the holy objects as insepa-
rable from one’s own virtuous friend. We make the offerings many
times and in this way generate great bliss in all the holy minds. (Pros-
trate, offer, and generate great bliss.)
We now make all these offerings, both real and visualized, to every
single holy object in the rest of the world, by seeing all the holy objects
as inseparable from one’s own virtuous friend. We make the offerings
Practices 151
We make all these offerings both real and visualized to all the ten di-
rection Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha by seeing all of them as insepa-
rable from one’s own virtuous friend. We make the offerings many
times and in this way generate great bliss in all the holy minds. (Pros-
trate, offer, and generate great bliss.)
We make all these offerings, both real and visualized, to all the ten
direction statues, stupas, and scriptures by seeing them as inseparable
from one’s own virtuous friend. Make the offerings many times and
in this way generate great bliss in all the holy minds. (Prostrate, offer, and
generate great bliss.)
We make all these offerings, both real and visualized, to Buddha

Chenrezig, by seeing Chenrezig as inseparable from His Holiness the
Dalai Lama and ones own virtuous friend. Make the offerings many
times and in this way generate great bliss in all the holy minds.
We make all these offerings, both real

and visualized, to the seven Medicine
Buddhas (which is the same as making
offerings to all the buddhas) by seeing
them as inseparable from one’s own virtu-
ous friend. We make the offerings many
times and in this way generate great bliss
in all the holy minds. (Prostrate, offer, and gen-
erate great bliss.)
Then, we make all these offerings, both real and visualized, to the
bodhisattva Kshitigarbha by seeing him as inseparable from one’s own
virtuous friend. Make the offerings many times and in this way gener-
ate great bliss in all the holy minds. (Prostrate, offer, and generate great bliss.)
The Actual (Light) Offering Prayer

Now recite the actual prayer of the (light) offerings – five, ten, one thousand times, however
many one likes – depending on how many times you want to make the offerings:
These actually performed and mentally imagined (light) offerings, the

manifestations of one’s own innate awareness – the dharmakaya –
these clouds of offerings equaling the infinite sky, I am offering to all
the gurus and the Three Rare Sublime Ones, and to all the statues,
stupas, and scriptures, all of which are manifestations of the Guru.
I have accumulated infinite merit by having generated bodhicitta, hav-
ing made charity to the sentient beings, and having made the actual
(light) offerings to the gurus, Triple Gem, and to all holy objects of the
ten directions.
Due to this merit, whomever I promised to pray for, whose name
I received to pray for, and whoever prays to me – principally servants,
benefactors, and disciples, as well as all remaining sentient beings, liv-
ing and dead – may the rays of the light of the five wisdoms completely
purify all their degenerated vows and samaya right now.
May all the sufferings of the evil-gone realms cease right now.
May the three realms of samsara be emptied right now.
May all impure minds and their obscurations be purified.
May all impure appearances be purified.
May the five holy bodies and wisdom spontaneously arise.
At this point, one may also recite Atisha’s Light Offering Prayer on p. 155 as many times
as one wishes.
Dedication
Ge wa di yi nyur du dag
Due to the merits of these virtuous actions
La ma sang gyä drub gyur nä
May I quickly attain the state of a Guru-Buddha
Dro wa chig kyang ma lü pa
And lead all living beings, without exception
De yi sa la gö par shog
Into that enlightened state.
Practices 153
Jang chhub sem chhog rin po chhe

May the supreme jewel bodhicitta
Ma kyi pa nam kye gyur chig
That has not arisen, arise and grow;
Kye pa nam pa me pa yang
And may that which has arisen not diminish,
Gong nä gong du phel war shog
But increase more and more.
Due to these infinite merits, may whatever sufferings sentient beings
have ripen on me right now. May whatever happiness and virtue I have
accumulated, including all the realizations of the path and the highest
goal of enlightenment be received by each hell being, preta, animal, hu-
man, asura, and sura right now.
Having dedicated in this way, you have accumulated infinite merit, so

rejoice.
May the precious sublime thought of enlightenment, the source of all

success and happiness for myself and all other sentient beings, be gener-
ated without even a second’s delay. May that which has been generated
increase more and more without degeneration.
Due to all the merits of the three times collected by me, buddhas, bo-
dhisattvas and all other sentient beings, which are empty from their
own side, may the I, who is empty from its own side, achieve enlighten-
ment, which is empty from its own side, and lead all sentient beings,
who are empty from their own side, to that enlightenment, by myself
alone.
Whatever white virtues I have thus created, I dedicate as causes en-

abling me to uphold the holy Dharma of scriptures and insights and to
fulfill without exception all the prayers and deeds of all the buddhas
and bodhisattvas of the three times.
By the force of this merit, in all my lives may I never be parted from Ma-
hayana’s four spheres, and may I reach the end of my journey along the
paths of renunciation, bodhicitta, the pure view, and the two stages.
Multiplying Mantras
PAR DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ NAM PAR NANG DZÄ Ö KYI GYÄL PO
LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO (3x)
JANG CHHUB SEM PA SEM PA CHHEN PO KÜN TU ZANG PO LA

CHHAG TSHÄL LO (3x)
TADYATHA OM PÄNCHA GRIYA AVA BODHANI SVAHA

OM DHURU DHURU JAYA MUKHE SVAHA (7x)
Special Mantra so that Prayers Made Come to Pass

PAR DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ NGO WA DANG MÖN LAM THAM
CHÄ [RAB TU DU PÄ] GYÄL PO LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO (1x or 3x)
Due to the power of the blessings of the eminent buddhas and bo-
dhisattvas, the power of infallible dependent arising, and the power of
my pure special attitude, may all my pure prayers succeed immediately.
Special FPMT Dedication Prayers

With Lama Tsongkhapa as our direct Guru in all future lifetimes, may
I, my family, and all other sentient beings never be separated from the
complete pure path praised by all victorious ones.
Due to the merits of myself and others, may the victorious teachings
of Lama Tsongkhapa, Losang Dragpa, flourish for a long time. May
all the centers and projects of the FPMT immediately receive all the
conditions necessary to preserve and spread these teachings.
May all obstacles be pacified and may the FPMT organization in gen-
eral and the meditation centers in particular — all our activities to pre-
serve and spread the Dharma, particularly Lama Tsongkhapa’s teach-
ings — cause these teachings to continue without degeneration and to
spread in the minds of all sentient beings.
May those who have sacrificed their lives to benefit others through
this organization have long, healthy lives. May all their activities please
the virtuous friend. In all their lives, may they always be guided by
perfectly qualified Mahayana virtuous friends. May all their wishes
succeed immediately, in accordance with the holy Dharma.
Practices 155
Light Offering Prayer
One may recite this prayer when making an individual light offering, or in the context of the
Extensive Offering Practice. After lighting a candle, a butter lamp, or any form of light, this
prayer can be recited in conjunction with the visualization described below.
May the light of the lamp be equal to the great three thousand worlds
and their environments,
May the wick of the lamp be equal to the king of mountains –
Mount Meru.
May the butter be equal to the infinite ocean.
May there be billions of trillions of lamps in the presence of each
and every buddha.
May the light illuminate the darkness of ignorance of all sentient

beings
From the peak of samsara down to the most torturous hell,
Whereby they can see directly and clearly all the ten directions’
Buddhas and bodhisattvas and their pure lands.
OM VAJRA ALOKE AH HUM
E MA HO
I offer these beautifully exalted clear and luminous lights

To the thousand buddhas of the fortunate eon,
To all the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the infinite pure lands and
of the ten directions,
To all the gurus, meditation deities, dakas, dakinis, dharma
protectors, and the assembly of deities of all mandalas.
Due to this, may my father, mother, and all sentient beings in this
life and in all their future lives,
Be able to see directly the actual pure lands of the complete and
perfect buddhas;
May they unify with Buddha Amitabha in inseparable oneness,
Please bless me and may my prayers be actualized as soon as possible,
Due to the power of the truth of the Triple Gem and the assembly
of deities of the three roots.
TADYATHA OM PÄNCHA GRIYA AVA BODHANI SVAHA (7x)
Visualization
The light transforms into single brilliant five-color wisdom.
On a lotus and moon disk the syllables OM and DHI appear.
From them, one hundred and eight beautiful goddesses of light,
Marmema, appear, wearing beautiful garments and precious
garlands.
Every goddess holds lights in her hands and from them emanate
billions of trillions of infinite replicas of light-offering goddesses.
All of them make light offerings uninterruptedly to all the
buddhas in the buddha-fields throughout all of space and
to the peaceful and wrathful deities.
Dedication
Thus, due to the merits of having made such a light offering
May all the benefactors, the deceased and migrating beings of the
six realms benefit;
May all their degenerated samaya and broken vows be restored;
May all their superstitious obscurations be purified;
May all their bad karma, negativities, and obscurations be purified;
May the three realms of samsara become empty immediately.
Please grant control, power, and realization.
Practices 157
Colophon:
Composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Taiwan, February 1994. Lightly edited by
Venerable Constance Miller, FPMT Education Department, May 1998. That ver-
sion was edited and included as an appendix in Teachings from the Vajrasattva Re-
treat, Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, 2000. Revised edition, August 2001. Revised
by Kendall Magnussen, FPMT Education Department, April 2003; and by Vener-
able Gyalten Mindrol, FPMT Education Department, in consultation with Vener-
able Holly Ansett and Venerable Sarah Thresher, September 2006. Light Offering
Prayer composed by Lama Atisha and translated by Venerable Pemba Sherpa.
The Eight Types of Stupas

Kopan Monastery
Kathmandu, Nepal
Practices 159
Rejoicing Meditation
Rejoicing in Our Own Virtue
Rejoice in your own virtue – all the virtues you accumulated in the
past, all those you are accumulating now, and all of those you will ac-
cumulate in the future. Think, “How wonderful! How precious! How
fortunate I am.” Without accumulating virtue and merit, there is no
cause for happiness, so all the happiness we seek right up to the ulti-
mate happiness of enlightenment comes from virtue. Without virtue
we cannot do anything; there is no success and no happiness, not even
temporary happiness. Therefore, every single virtue that we accumu-
late is so precious. We have created numberless virtues in the past
and each one is so precious. We are creating numberless virtues right
now, and we will create numberless virtues in the future right up until
enlightenment. Every one of these are so precious.
Think over and over again, “How wonderful! How precious!” Each time
you rejoice it causes all of this virtue to multiply and gain strength.
Rejoicing in the Virtue of Others

This time we rejoice in the virtue of others. Every living being wishes
for happiness and doesn’t want suffering. All the happiness sentient
beings have has a cause and the cause is virtue. Therefore, every single
virtue accumulated by others is so precious. This is where all their
happiness comes from, whatever they wish for. There are numberless
sentient beings who have accumulated numberless causes of happiness
in the past, they are accumulating numberless causes of happiness and
numberless virtues now, and they will accumulate numberless virtues
in the future. Think, “How wonderful! How precious!” Think like this
over and over and generate great joy in your heart.
Think of all the monks who create so much virtue here every day.
Down at Bouddhanath Stupa, so many people are circumambulating,
offering lights, and prostrating. There are so many people in this val-
ley accumulating virtue all the time – how wonderful, how precious.
All the people making holy objects, all of the monasteries, all of those
who contribute to the monasteries – think, “How wonderful! How
precious!”
Rejoicing in the Virtues of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

This time we rejoice in all the virtues of the buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Even for a very new bodhisattva who has just generated bodhichitta,
every single breath and every action is done for others. Everything is
done for limitless sentient beings. Because everything they do is for
others, continually they are creating the most extensive and powerful
virtue and all of this is done for our benefit. Think of all the quali-
ties of the bodhisattvas and the buddhas and all their virtues – their
unimaginable compassion, wisdom, and power. There are numberless
bodhisattvas and numberless buddhas who have created numberless
virtues in the past. They are accumulating numberless virtues now
and they will accumulate numberless virtues in the future. How won-
derful! How precious! How wonderful that these beings exist in the
world. How wonderful that they are accumulating this virtue. May I
become like this.
As much as you have studied the qualities of the different levels of the
bodhisattvas and the buddhas, remember those qualities and think,
“How wonderful! How precious! May I become like this.” Generate
great happiness in your heart and rejoice over and over again.
Colophon:
Rejoicing meditation as led by Ven. Sarah Thresher on the advice of Lama Zopa
Rinpoche, and excerpted from the Foundation Training in Rituals manual, FPMT
Education Department, 2007.
Helpful Resources
Benefits and Practices Related to Statues and Stupas, Part 2: Build-
ing Holy Objects. More than 2,500 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha
revealed an inconceivably powerful method for awakening and bring-
ing peace and prosperity to the world – building holy objects. In Part
2 of this series, you are given the tools you need to create a holy object
yourself, including tips from stupa builders, architectural drawings,
photographs, and ritual texts needed for building a stupa. This book
empowers you to create new places of pilgrimage and peace, for the
benefit of the entire world.
Benefits and Practices Related to Statues and Stupas, Part 3: Es-

sential Advice for Filling Statues and Stupas. Leaving a statue empty
is like offering nothing to the buddhas and can create obstacles. This
book contains instructions for properly filling and consecrating stat-
ues and stupas of any size. It includes the root text of Shälkar Melong,
translated with commentary by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, which provides
detailed instructions for filling larger holy objects. Also included are
the Sung Drub and Rab Nä ceremonies for consecrating holy objects,
and the text and commentary on the four dharmakaya relic mantras.
Altar Set up & Water Bowl Offerings. Setting up the altar and mak-
ing offerings are an integral part of the preliminary practices taught
by Lord Buddha to enable us to engage in successful meditation. By
doing this practice daily, our minds become ripe for realizations. This
short text provides a complete explanation of how to set up a personal
altar, how to make water bowl offerings, and how to offer them in the
most extensive and beneficial way. This newly revised edition from
2007 includes additional information on water bowls, meditations to
use while doing the practice, and a mantra to recite when removing
food offerings from the altar.
Extensive Offering Practice. This book contains the Extensive Of-

fering Practice composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to create the most
merit possible when making any kind of offering. This is one of Lama
Zopa Rinpoche’s heart practices for the accumulation of merit. Also
included here is the Yoga of Offering Food to be performed before
eating, along with commentary from Rinpoche on the inconceivable
benefits of offering and how to combine offering with meditation on
emptiness, thereby creating the most extensive merit.
Liberating Animals from the Danger of Death and Other Ways to

Benefit Them is a profound method to prolong life and cure sickness.
Relying on the truth of cause and effect, practitioners make special ef-
fort to give life and benefit to helpless creatures that are on the verge
of being killed. By performing this powerful practice, we not only save
these beings from immediate suffering, we also create the cause for
their attainment of better future lives, from life to life to full enlight-
enment. The book also contains many practices and mantras that can
be done to benefit living and sick animals.
Preliminary Practice of Prostrations. Prostrations to the Thirty-five

Confession Buddhas with recitation of the “Bodhisattva’s Confession
of Moral Downfalls” from the Sutra of Three Heaps, is one of the
most powerful methods available to purify harmful actions we have
done in the past. By doing this practice mindfully we can prevent un-
wanted sufferings from occurring in the future. In addition, this prac-
tice clears away obstacles to our practice and opens the mind to gain
realizations on the path. It is said that if you do this practice first thing
in the morning, all your other prayers and activities of the day will
be empowered. This recently revised version contains new extensive
commentary on the practice by Lama Zopa Rinpoche (from the Lama
Tsongkhapa retreat in 2004), as well as teachings on karma, options
for extended practice, and instructions on how to complete a 100,000
prostration retreat.
Recommended Reading and Reference Books
The Dharmakaya Stupa, by Lama Tsering and Ives Waldo, Singapore,
1998. Describes in detail the eight kinds of holy stupas of Lord Bud-
dha Shakyamuni as well as translation of sections of the Kangyur that
provide the origin and benefits of two of the four dharmakaya relic
mantras. Available through Singapore by emailing: pcpilot@pacific.

net.sg
The Stupa: Sacred Symbol of Enlightenment (Crystal Mirror Series,

Vol. 12), Tarthang Tulku, Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1997. In-
cludes detailed teachings about stupas and their symbology together
with numerous pictures of different stupas from around the world.
Good reference to see the different designs of stupas from which to
choose and detailed information on the significance of stupas.
Stupa and Its Technology, by Pema Dorjee, New Delhi: Indira Gan-
dhi National Centre for the Arts, 2001. Gives example of stupas and
explains some of the technical aspects of their creation. Includes an
earth blessing ceremony to consecrate land prior to holy objects being
built on it. Available from the publisher at: Central Vista, Janpath,
New Delhi, 110-001, India.
Buddhist Stupas in Asia: The Shape of Perfection. Text by Joe Cum-

mings, photographs by Bill Wassman, and foreword by Robert Thur-
man. Lonely Planet Press, October 2001. Stunning photographic essay
of stupas worldwide. Includes brief explanation of types of stupas and
their symbolism.
The Thousand Buddha Relic Stupa Book, by Tenzin Zopa. Inspiring

biography of the modern yogi Geshe Lama Konchog and the story of
how one particular stupa was created. Includes information on the his-
tory and significance of stupas and how stupa designs changed when
going from India to Tibet. Includes a detailed list of substances placed
inside the stupa built in honor of Geshe Lama Konchog and how the
final design was determined. Excellent resource and inspiring story.
Available through Kopan Monastery, www.kopan-monastery.com.
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

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Benefits and Practices Related to

Statues and Stupas

FPMT Education Department

General Information About Stupas 7

The Benefits of Holy Objects 37

The Benefits of Practices Related to Stupas 73

Helpful Resources 161

Victory Stupa in Tibet

of the Buddha and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. We have designed part 1

What a Stupa Represents 9

Information on Stupas from the Sutras and Tantras 19

The Symbolic Meaning of Stupas 27

The Bouddhanath and Swayambhunath Stupas 33

The Stupa at Kushinagar

What a Stupa Represents

Lumbini, the place of Buddha’s birth

His intrigued disciples naturally asked what form this monument

• The pole of the umbrella, or parasol, corresponds to air or wind

Ten Traditional Purposes of Stupas

4. To speed a teacher’s rebirth

The Shape of a Stupa

Features of a “Small House” Stupa

1. kha gyän decorative lip

The Twenty-Four Elements of a Stupa

18. pho khor (pho ’khor) father chakra

The Path to Enlightenment

On the very top is an umbrella, which represents the great compas-

Compiled and edited by Kendall Magnussen, FPMT Education Department, Au-

Information on Stupas from

From among the [three bodies] – dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nir-

The perfected purpose of self – the ultimate [body of the] dharma-

In Transmission of Little Difficulty (Lung Trantsig) it says:

In the Parinirvana Sutra, it says:

In Tritsa Mutsar (Sanskrit), it says:

In the Root Sutra, it says:

Now, about the eight [types of] tathagatas’ stupas, in particular, it is

Having explained it in general, the sutra continues:

In addition, it is mentioned in Nagarjuna’s Praises:

The Eight Types of Stupas

(2) An Enlightenment Stupa (jangchhub chörten) is built to commemo-

The Symbolic Meaning

In more detail, the various components of a stupa represent:

6. The four corners of the throne symbolize the four immeasurables:

12. The vase in its particularities symbolizes the seven branches of

According to the Tengyur, the ten powers are:

Bouddhanath Stupa at Night

The Bouddhanath and

The First Time You See Bouddha Stupa

May I be able to generate the whole path up to enlightenment, espe-

Pray like this and for other general wishes.

The Swayambhunath Stupa

The Temple Complex at Swayambhunath

The Benefits of Holy Objects

Why Holy Objects Are Precious and Wish-Fulfilling 39

The Incredible Blessings and Benefits of Holy Objects 45

The Power of Stupas 55

Summary of the Benefits of Stupas 59

The Benefits of the Four Dharmakaya Relic Mantras 61

Benefits of the Precious Relic Mantras 70

The Stupa at Sarnath

Why Holy Objects Are Precious

It is mentioned in the King of Concentrations Sutra, “Even if you look

or comfort for even a second. Only when that realization is stable do

Therefore, it is very, very important to have many, many holy ob-