A PRAYER OF ASPIRATION THAT CONDENSES THE

DIAMOND WORDS OF ORAL INSTRUTIONS OF THE    PAST

Bristol, 1st December 2008

 
Sole unfailing and perpetual refuge, lord of all,
Most precious and kind root Guru, hold me with
compassion
Who ignores death by pursuing the aims for this life,
And squonder the freedoms and endowments.
 
This fleeting human life, like a dream,
If happy that's fine, If unhappy that's fine.
Without concern for happiness or sorrow,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This mortal existence, like a candle in the wind,
If lived long that's fine, if short's fine.
Without intensifying the tight grip of the ego,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
These intellectual analyses, like the lure of a mirage,
If corresponding that's fine, if not that's fine.
Discarding, like hay, the eight worldly concerns,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This entourage, like a flock of birds in a tree,
If assembled that's fine, if scattered that's fine,
By tying my nose-rope on my own head
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This illusory body, like a house which rots within 100
years,
If survived that's fine, if collapsed that is fine.
Without becoming absessed by food, clothes and
medicine,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
These religious positions, like a chcheld's game,
If upheld that's fine, dropped that's fine.
Without deceiving myself with numerous diversions,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
These gods and demons, like reflection in a mirror,
If helpful that's fine, if harmful that's fine.
without perceiving my own hallucinations as enemies,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
 
This delusive talk, like a meaningless echo,
If pleasing that's  fine, if unpleasant that's fine.
Taking the three Jewels and my own mind as witness,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
 
Like the antlers of a deer, useless when needed,
If  known that's fine, if unknown that's fine.
Without simply relying on the various sciences,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
 
These possessions of religious offerings, like virulent
poisons,
If gothered that's fine, if not that's fine.
without devoting my life to negative, unwholesome means
of surival,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
 
The prestigious from, like dog-shit wrapped in brocade,
If obtained that's fine, if not that's fine.
By smelling one's own rotten head with my nose,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
 
These relationships, like gatherings on a market day,
If loveing that's fine, if spiteful that's fine.
Cutting the ties of passionata attachment from core of my
heart,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This mantenal wealth, like found in a dream,
If acquired that's fine, if not that's fine.
Without deceiving otheres by flattery and assent,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This rank, like a little bird perched on top of a tree,
If high that's fine, if low that is fine.
Without aspiring to that which brings self born suffering,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This black magic, like a sharpened weapon,
If successful that's is fine, if not that's fine.
without buying the blade that will cut off one's life,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
Thsee rectations, like a parrot saying the six syllables,
If repeated that's fine, if not that's fine.
Without counting the number of the various practices,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
Mere religious discourse, like a mountain caacde,
If eloquent that's fine, if not that's fine.
Without thinking of this fluency as Dharma.
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The quick contemplating mind, like a pig's snout,
If shorp that's fine, if blunt that's fine.
Without uselessly digging up tree rubble of anger and
attachment,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The yogi's experience, like a gutter in summer,
If expanded that's fine, if receded that's fine.
Without chasings rainbows like a child.
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
These pure vision, like drizzling  rain on a mountain top,
If arisen that's fine, if not that's fine.
Without grosping to illusory experiences as truth,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The human freedoms and endowments, like a wish
fulfilling gem,
If not obtained, there is no way to accomplish Dharma.
When I have it in hand, without wastage.
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The glorious Guru, torch of the path of libberation,
If not met, there is no way to realize the true nature.
When I know the destination, wituout jimping off the
precipice,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The Great Dharma, like medicine that cures sickness,
If not heard, there is no way to know distinction between
abandonment and observance.
Knowing the benefitts and harms, without swallowing the
poisons,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The changing of happiness and suffering, like the
alternation of summer
and winter,
If not  recognized, there is no way to develop renuncition.
Being certain that my turn to suffer will come,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This immersion in samsara, like a stone in deep water,
If not abandoned of it now, I will not be free later.
Holding on the lifeline of the compassionate Three
Jewels,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
Thequalities of liberation, like on island of jewels,
If unawere, there is no way to develop diligence.
Seeing the unending benefits to be gained,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The life stories of the great masters, like the essence of
nectar,
If unacquainted, there is no way to awaken faith.
When goins and losses are seen, without buying my own
suffering,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The aspiration towards Bodhichitta, like a fertile field,
If not cultivated, there is no way to attain Buddhahood.
Without being idle to the accomplishment of this great
goal,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
These thouts of mine, like a monkey's antics,
If not guarded, there is no way to eliminate my afflictive
emotions.
Without falling into all kinds of crazy mimicry,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This attachment to ego, like an inherent shodow,
If not abandoned, there is no way to reach a peaceful
place.
When I recognize the enemy, without befriending it,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The five poisons, like embers glowing in the ash,
If not extinguished, I cannot abide in mind's self-nature.
Without breeding venomous baby snakes in my pocket,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This temperament of mine, like the stiff hide of a  butter-
bag,
If not softened, the Dharma and my mind will never
blend.
Without spoiling the child that I gave birth to,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
These imprints of bad habits, like the course of a river,
If not stopped, cannot part from the irreligious habits.
Without delivering weapons into the hands of the enemy,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
These distactions, like the ceaseless rippling of water,
If not rejected, there is no way to steadfasteness.
When I have the freedom of choice, without devoting
myself to Samsara,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The Guru's blessings, like the warmth of earth and
water,
If not received, there is no way to recognize my own true
nature.
When I step on the short path, without circling the long
destance route,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The solitary place, like a summer valley of  medicinal
plants,
If not dwelled, there is no way for the good qualities to
grow.
While staying in the mountains, without wandering off ot
dark cities,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This desire for comefort, like a greedy ghost lodged in the
heart,
If not expelled, painful efforts will never cease.
Without making offerings to hungry demons for the
ultimate goal,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This alert mindfulness, like a lock to a fortress,
If not relied upon, the movements of delusion will never
stop.
When thieves arrive, without leaving the latch unlocked,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
The abiding true nature, like unchanging space,
If not realized, the ground of the view will not be
established.
Without chaining myself in iron fetters,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This self-recognazing awareness, like a stainless crystal,
If not seen, the clinging and effort of meditation cannot
dissolve.
When I have this inseparable companion, without
searching from outside,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
This face of ordinary awareness, like an old friend,
If not recognized, all my activities will be deluded.
Without fumbling around with my eyes closed,
May I earnestly practice the Great Dharma.
 
In short, if I do not abandon the concerns of this life,
There is no way to apply the Great Dharma for the
benefit of the next lives.
Having resolved that self gratitude is the best,
May whatever I do accord the Great Dharma.
 
To have wrong views to Guru's instrutions that accard
with the Dharma,
To loose faith in the deity when bad karma ripen,
To discontinue the practice when adverse circumstances
arise and so forth,
May such obstacles never occure when accomplishment
approdch.
 
All past deeds, are senseless as touring a wildemeness,
All these efforts efforts make my mind stream rigid.
All this thinking just reinforces my delusions,
Anything considered as Dharma by mundane beings are
all self-bondages.
 
One with many exertions, cannot even have a single
success,
One has many thoughts, but not one with firm
determination.
One has many wants, but fulfillment never comes,
Abandoning all these, may I be able to meditate on the
oral instructions.
 
If you endeavor, take the Victorious One's words as
witness,
If you want to do something meaningful,blend your mind
with Dharma,
If you want to practice, fallow the exemple of the past
masters
You spoiled ones, is there any other way?
 
Taking a humble position, rich with a treasure of
contentment,
Free from the binds of the eight worldly concerns, firm
and strong-
hearted in practice,
By receiving the Guru's blessing, may our realization
become equal to spece.
And be blessed to uphold the lineage of Samantabhadra.
 
Thus having condensed the meaning of the diamand words of aral instructions
of the
past masters, I have written this as my own prayer. Jigdral Yeshi Dorje