Seven Branch Prayer & Guru Yoga Practice

Compiled by Eric Weinberg; all errors and omissions are my own. May beings benefit in spite of them.
Based on the teachings of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche & Lama Kathy Wesley

From Heart Spoon Pabonka Rinpoche

Now! Don’t be distracted! [With the sounds of hurrying] “la…ur…la…ur…,”
Right this moment is the time to steel your will.
It’s not only time—it’s almost too late.
Right now! Right now! “La…ur…la…ur…,” [apply yourself with] great force!
Who’s the faster:
Yama, the Lord of Death,
Or you in your practice of realizing the essence of your eternal dream—
The welfare of both yourself and others— as much as you can each day?
Unifying the three doors [of your body, speech, and mind],
Put the whole of your effort into your practice.
DORJE CHANG THUNGMA Benkar Jampal Zangpo

OM DOR JÉ CHANG CHEN TÉLO NARO DANG

Great Vajradhara, Tilopa, Naropa

MARPA MILA CHÖJE GAMPOPA

Marpa, Milarepa, and Lord of the Dharma, Gampopa

DÜSUM SHÉ JA KÜN KHYEN KARMAPA

Knower of the three times, omniscient Karmapa

CHÉ ZHI CHUNG GYE GYÜ PA DZIN NAM DANG

Lineage holders of the four great and eight lesser schools

DRI TAK TSAL SUM PALDEN DRUKPA SOK

Drikung, Taklung, Tsalpa, glorious Drukpa and others,

ZAB LAM CHAK GYA CHÉ LA NGA NYÉ PÉ

You who have thoroughly mastered the profound path of Mahamudra

NYAM MÉ DRO GÖN DAKPO KAGYÜLA

Unrivaled protectors of beings, the Dakpo Kagyü

SOLWA DEBSO KAGYÜ LAMA NAM

I pray to you, the Kagyü lamas

GYÜ PA DZIN NO NAM TAR JIN GYI LOB

Grant your blessing that we may follow your tradition and example.

ZHEN LOK GOM GYI KANGPAR SUNGPA ZHIN

Detachment is the foot of meditation, it is taught.

ZÉ NOR KÜN LA CHAK ZHEN MÉ PA DANG

Attachment to food and wealth disappears

TSEN DIR DÖ TAK CHÖ PAY GOM CHEN LA

To the meditator who gives up ties to this life,

NYE KUR ZHEN PA ME PAR JIN GYI LOB

Grant your blessing that attachment to ownership and honor cease.

MÖ GÖ GOM GYI GO WOR SUNG PA ZHIN

Devotion is the head of meditation, it is taught.
MEN NGAK TERGO JÉ PAY LAMA LA
The lama opens the door to the profound oral teachings

GYÜN DU SOLWA DEB PAY GOM CHEN LA

To the meditator who always turns to him,

CHÖ MIN MÖ GÜ KYÉ WAR JIN GYI LOB

Grant your blessing that uncontrived devotion be born within.

YENG MÉ GOM GYI NGÖ ZHIR SUNG PA ZHIN

Unwavering attention is the body of meditation, it is taught.

GANG SHAR TOK PAY NGO WO SO MA DÉ

Whatever arises, is the fresh nature of thought.

MA CHÖ DÉ KAR JOK PAY GOM CHEN LA

To the meditator who rests there in naturalness,

GOM JA LO DANG DRAL WAR JIN GYI LOB

Grant your blessings that meditation is free from intellectualization.

NAM TOK NGOWO CHÖ KUR SUNG PA ZHIN

The essence of thought is dharmakaya, it is taught.

CHI YANG MA YIN CHIR YANG CHAR WA LA

They are nothing whatsoever, and yet they arise.

MA NGAK ROLPAR CHAR WAY GOM CHEN LA

To the meditator who reflects upon the unobstructed play of the mind,

KHOR DÉ JER MÉ TOK PAR JIN GYI LOB

Grant your blessing that the inseparability of samsara and nirvana be realized.

KYÉ WA KÜN TU YANG DAK LAMA DANG

Through all my births, may I not be separated

DRAL MÉ CHÖ KYI PAL LA LONG CHÖ CHING

From the perfect Lama and so enjoy the glory of the dharma.

SA DANG LA GYI YÖNTEN RAP DZOK NÉ

May I completely accomplish the qualities of the path and stages

DOR JÉ CHANG GI GO PHANG NYUR TOP SHOK

And quickly attain the state of Vajradhara (awakened mind).
Refuge & Bodhicitta Tangtong Gyalpo & Metta Sutta

All mother sentient beings as infinite as space

take refuge in the Master, the precious Buddha.
We take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, the Sangha.
We take refuge in the assembly of masters, chosen deities, and dakinis.
We take refuge in our own minds, empty of limits, labels and concepts ~ yet lucid,
the dharmakaya reality body. (3X)
May all beings be happy! Weak or strong, without exception, small or great, seen or
unseen, nearby or far away, alive or still to be born - May all beings be entirely happy!
May nobody despise anyone anywhere, may no one wish harm to any single creature out
of anger or hatred or jealousy!
May we cherish all creatures as a mother would her only child! May our loving thoughts
fill the entire world, above, below, and all around, without limit!
May we have a boundless goodwill to the whole world, unrestricted, without hatred or
hostility! (3X)

PALDEN TSA WAY LAMA RINPOCHE DAK GI WOR PAY DEN ZHUK LA
Glorious precious root Lama who dwells on a lotus-moon seat on the crown of my head
KA DRIN CHEN PO GO NAY JAY ZUNG TAY KU SUNG TUK CHI NGO
DRUP TSAL DU SOL
Through your great kindness, accept me as your disciple and grant me the siddhi of
enlightened body, speech & mind. 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje

The *Seven Branch Offerig

*1. Please approach now, gurus, devas, and dakinis:
Take your seats on these cushions of lotus, sun and moon.
*2. We make offerings, outer, inner and secret.
*3. We confess all impairments and breakages of vows, all our harmful actions and
obscurations.
*4. We rejoice in all goodness, in particular that the secret mantrayana is being
accomplished in practice.
*5. We request you to turn the wheel of Dharma, especially the secret mantra teachings,
which ripen and liberate.
*6. Remain with us without passing into nirvana, we pray.
*7. We dedicate all merit so that sentient beings attain the essence of enlightenment. May
we all realize our true vajra nature!
Guru Yoga Prayer 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje

Kind Root Lama who is in truth all Buddhas, you reveal the true nature of the basis, path
and fruition as the innate state, Mahamudra, pray bestow co-emergent wisdom. Yidam
deities who bestow the two siddhis, assembly of Dharma Protectors and Guardians,
masters of enlightened activity, vast assembly of oath-bound samaya deities, pray bestow
co-emergent wisdom.

By the blessings of this prayer, may I realize all the reality of samsara and nirvana, which
is beyond dispersing and accumulating, accepting and abandoning, existence and non-
existence, free from all, the fundamental ground of all, Mahamudra — things as they are.

Not dwelling upon the act of realizing, the one who realizes, or the realization itself,
without abandoning that which is obscured, the one who obscures, or the obscuration
itself, completely transcending the traveling, the traveler, and the path traveled, may the
path of Mahamudra manifest.

Without dwelling on the act of attainment, the one who attains, or what is attained, may
the duality of abandoning and obtaining, and the inseparability of ground and fruition,
the nature of everything manifest and unmanifest, the result of Mahamudra, insubstantial
and yet the essence of all things become apparent.
Four Manams 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje

All mother sentient beings vast as space supplicate the Lama, precious Buddha.
All mother sentient beings vast as space supplicate the Lama, omnipresent Dharmakaya.
All mother sentient beings vast as space supplicate the Lama, great-bliss Sambhogakaya.
All mother sentient beings vast as space supplicate the Lama, compassionate Nirmanakaya.

Guru Yoga 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje

Visualize lama on top of head, pray that you may give birth to bodhichitta
KARMAPA CHENNO (3,21 or as many times as you can) then
LA MA RIN PO CHHE LA SOL WA DEB
Lama Rinpoche, I turn to you.
DAG DZIN LO YI THONG WAR JIN GYI LOB
Bless me that my mind give up its ego-clinging.
GO ME GYU LA KYE WAR JIN GYI LOB
Bless me that contentment arises in my stream of being.
CHHO MIN NAM TOG GAG PAR JIN GYI LOB
Bless me that non-dharmic thoughts may cease.
RANG SEM KYE ME TOG PAR JIN GYI LOB
Bless me that my mind be realized to be unborn and undying.
THRUL WA RANG SAR ZHI WAR JIN GYI LOB
Bless me that illusion be at peace in itself.
NANG SI CHHO KUR TOG PAR JIN GYI LOB.
Bless me that the mind in all its manifestations be realized to be the Dharmakaya. (3X
From the three syllables OM AH HUNG at the three centers of the master,
Rays of light burst out, one after another, and then all together.
Streaming into our three centers, where they dissolve,
White light radiates from the OM through the point between his eyebrows and dissolves into
yours, purifying the obscurations of body, it purifies your perception of self and others. Your
body is purified and is blessed. Red light radiates from the AH at his throat center and
dissolves into yours, purifying the obscurations of speech. All sounds are heard as echoes or
mantras. All sounds are transformed into Vajra speech. Your speech and expression are
blessed. Blue light radiates from HUNG at his heart center and dissolves into yours;
purifying the obscurations of mind. Your mind is blessed.
White, Red & Blue light radiates from the three places of the Guru all at once and dissolves
into your three places purifying even the most subtle obscurations of perception.
These four empowerments (vase, secret, wisdom and precious word) purify you of the four
obscurations (cognitive, emotional, habit and karmic). The four empowerments ripen you
and you obtain all the siddhis and virtuous qualities of body, speech and mind of the Guru.
You accomplish the four inseparable kayas (nirmanakaya, sambhogakaya, dharmakaya and
svabhavikakaya).
Finally, the master melts into light and dissolves into you, merging inseparably,
In that state, meditate on the nature of mind. Rest in inconceivable, primordially pure, fresh
space...

As the first thought appears (e.g. who is resting?) consider that the absolute bodhichitta
present within the minds of the objects of refuge is arising clearly in your own mind.
Stages of the Four Yogas of Mahamudra
the yogin Gyare who still has “self” described this way of the four yogas developing as they appeared to my mind in the
center of Namtso, the lake of riches
When mind is loose and released, it does not wander with the wind of thoughts.
Like an ocean without waves, mind dwells in qualities; without excitement or fogginess.
That is the Yoga of One-Pointedness.
When your mind is being looked at, it appears not as two; meditation and meditator.
As in meeting a long-acquainted friend, mind simply recognizes itself.
That is the Yoga of non-projection.
When that becomes familiarized through habituation, all possible appearances;
-samsara and nirvana- will be understood as your own mind.
Mind is primordially pure in and of itself.
That is the Yoga of One Taste.
Like Space, Alaya, the mind basis of all, neither comes nor goes. Space dissolves within space.
Thoughts are exhausted, dharma is exhausted, and timeless awareness is exhausted.
That is the Yoga of Non-meditation.

Garab Dorje has said:

From within the nature of originally pure stainless space,
Awareness suddenly manifests. That moment of mindfulness
Is like finding a jewel at the bottom of the ocean.
This is dharmakaya, not fabricated nor created by anyone.
Persevere in this way.

You must meditate without distraction day and night-do not leave emptiness in the domain of mere
understanding. Bring everything back to awareness itself.
General Prayer for the Lamas’ Long Life
LA MA KU KHAM ZANG WAR SÖL WA DEP
CHOK TU KU TSHE RING LA SÖL WA DEP
THRIN LE DAR ZHING GYE LA SÖL WA DEP
LA MA DANG DREL WA ME PAR JIN GYI LOP
I pray that the lamas’ health be excellent,
that their supreme lives be long,
and that their activities increase and spread.
Bless us that we remain inseparable from the lamas.

A Daily Aspiration Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche

May all of our circumstances good & bad arise as friends on the path.
May all circumstances good & bad actually bring us benefit.
May we realize limitlessness, the complete freedom from all elaborations.
And as a result of fulfilling these aspirations may we bring great benefit to all
sentient beings.

Dedication of Merit
Due to all the merit ever accumulated, which is limitless from its own side; may the I,
which is limitless from its own side; achieve enlightenment, the realization of
limitlessness from its own side ~ and lead all beings, without exception,
each limitless from their own side; to enlightenment by myself alone. May they then
emanate as Buddhas in all places and all times and benefit beings endlessly.

Just as the brave Manjushri and Samantrabhadra, too, realized things as they are, I, too,
dedicate all these merits in the best way, so 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.