Abridged Prayers of Refuge, Bodhicitta and Dedication of the Glorious Drigung Kagyü
Authors: Kyobpa Jigten Sumgön and Others
These prayers are drawn from the Common Book of Daily Prayers, whose recitation is standard in Drigung monasteries throughout Tibet, Nepal and India. This translation was originally commissioned by Drong Ngur Jangchubling Buddhist Center in Wesley Chapel, Florida and completed under the guidance of Garchen Triptrül Rinpoché, who made slight modifications to its content in 2014. The prayers have been translated to be chanted in the style of the Drigung lineage tradition.
Translations suitable for Buddhist chant, while common in China and the Himalayas, are rare in Western languages. As Garchen Rinpoché has for years encouraged his followers to practice in their native tongues, he has greatly supported the development of English verse translations, which cause the meaning and sound to arise in the practitioner’s mind as a unified whole. As Rinpoché has said, “This experience has a distinguishing quality that is not present when one chants in a language that is not understood or when one merely reads prose aloud. When the verses are recited repeatedly, they can be easily memorized. This brings manifest benefit to those who wish to practice.”
Translations suitable for Buddhist chant, while common in China and the Himalayas, are rare in Western languages. As Garchen Rinpoché has for years encouraged his followers to practice in their native tongues, he has greatly supported the development of English verse translations, which cause the meaning and sound to arise in the practitioner’s mind as a unified whole. As Rinpoché has said, “This experience has a distinguishing quality that is not present when one chants in a language that is not understood or when one merely reads prose aloud. When the verses are recited repeatedly, they can be easily memorized. This brings manifest benefit to those who wish to practice.”
“Regarding translations for chant, many of the pointing-out instructions refer to ‘thoughts that grasp the merged sound and meaning.’ When one combines an understanding of the meaning of the words with chant or melody, a special feeling arises. This experience has a distinguishing quality that is not present when one chants in a language that is not understood or when one merely reads prose aloud. Reading prose is like covering the outer body with clothing, whereas the union of sound and meaning while chanting in verse is like eating food that nourishes the body from within. When the verses are read repeatedly, they can be easily memorized. Then the inner meaning will clearly and spontaneously dawn in the mind. This brings manifest benefit to those who wish to practice.”
The works below have been translated to be chanted with the Buddhist melodies and incantations of our lineage tradition. (Examples below)
The works below have been translated to be chanted with the Buddhist melodies and incantations of our lineage tradition. (Examples below)
Tibetan to English translation and Tibetan/English proofreading: Ari-ma
Downloads:
US letter-sized booklet
US letter-sized cover
audio recordings of the chanted prayers
Downloads:
US letter-sized booklet
US letter-sized cover
audio recordings of the chanted prayers