In this Practising Buddhism in a Pandemic section, Geshe Tashi turns to a new source for his teachings, Maitreya’s Prayer of Love. This comes to us from Lord Buddha, who revealed to Ananda this bodhicitta prayer that Maitreya had made while still a bodhisattva. This prayer is included in a collection of prayers called Monlam Namgye, which also includes the King of Prayers.
The preliminary verse is in praise of Maitreya, and is a verse added to Maitreya’s Prayer in the monastery, also used when studying the Ornament of Clear Realisation. It is not included in the English translation we are using, and so Tri has translated it for you below. Ganden is sometimes known as the Joyful Land.
Geshe Tashi explains that the point behind studying and speaking this prayer is to nurture a deeply felt sense of love, the love that intends happiness for all beings. The difference between love and compassion, Geshe la says, is the angle we are coming from. Compassion focusses on the difficulties living beings face, wishing and working for them to be free from suffering and its causes. Love sees that they are lacking happiness and strongly intends and works for them to have happiness, fulfilment and joy.
The first two verses pay homage and make prostrations. In the first verse Maitreya pays homage to the buddhas, bodhisattvas, hearers and solitary realisers.
In the second verse Maitreya makes prostrations to bodhicitta. Bodhicitta removes all those thoughts, emotions and actions that lead us to unfortunate rebirths. And bodhicitta will help us think and act in ways that will lead us to the fortunate rebirths, leading us towards freedom from aging, death and rebirth under the power of the afflictions and karma.
Geshe la finishes with a lovely story about Geshe Jampa Tekchok.
Maitreya’s Prayer of Love
Traditional preliminary verse
I bow down to the Dharma King’s representative,
The protector of all beings, who dwells in Ganden.
The fire of your great compassion burns up hatred’s fuel,
And the light of your wisdom dispels the darkness of ignorance.
Translated by Trisangma Watson
Maitreya’s Prayer of Love
Jampai Monlam
To the awakened ones I prostrate
And to the yogis with the power of god’s eye
As well as to all the bodhisattvas, hearers, and so forth.
Bodhicitta bars the way to unfortunate destinies;
It is the great teaching that leads to the highest realms
And even to the state beyond old age and death.
To the mind of enlightenment, bodhicitta, I prostrate.
FPMT, translator unknown
A message about these classes from the Admin Team
Because India is opening up, and Geshe la’s responsibilities are once again increasing, he has decided he would like to keep offering these classes once a week for the foreseeable future. When he begins travelling again, timing will be more ad hoc, but generally speaking we will be recording every Wednesday and posting these blogs later on Wednesdays or Thursday mornings.
With this new text we’ve started, we now have many bodhicitta filled sessions together in the company of Maitreya and Geshe Tashi to look forward to. We will all enjoy reading your comments.
With much jampa,
Your Admin Team
https://foundationsofbuddhistthought.org/
Khen Rinpoche Geshe Tashi Tsering taught in London for over 25 years and is currently Abbot of Sera Mey Monastery in Karnataka State, India.
Thank you for your insights but also for your anecdotes and stories which bring the monastery life alive and make me smile. I’m sure we’d all be packing our bags and flying tomBangalore if we could! Glad the weather is so pleasant for you all out there at the moment.
It’s wonderful that you will be continuing these video posts so we can have the benefit of hearing these texts explained. Thank you.
Thank you Geshe Tashi
Thank you Admin
Thank you Geshe la and to Tri & Peter for bringing us these teachings. So good to have a regular teaching to tune into. I didn’t manage to listen to all of the teachings on the last text but am glad to join in again at the start of this text and hope to listen more regularly.
It has started raining here in the U.K. now and the water is being much appreciated by gardeners and I’m sure wildlife. Bit chilly but then this is samsara!
With best wishes, Shelley
Thank you Shelley. Yes, less watering for us too!
Happy Saka Dawa day, Ghese la and thank you for all the teachings, stories and news!
We are following you from Romania with gratitude and joy. Tashi delek!
Dear Geshe-la, thank you so very much for all these very very supportive and transformative teachings. And greetings to us all on this special day.
Dear Peter and Tri Tashi Delek, to you too, and warmest thanks to you both for all your work in keeping these teachings so available for us all.
In addition, I have a request for a bit of help. Geshe-la informs us that he will be reading excerpts from Maitreyas’s Prayer of Love, as the full text is itself available through FPMT. But I am having difficulty finding this online, despite several tries. Could you please let us all know how we can access it, Thanks
Hi Ruth, we won’t be putting up the full text, instead we’ll be posting excerpts of the text verse by verse. The kind of copyright used by the FPMT, at least in this case, means the full text is not for available for distribution or sharing. This is anyway fine because this is how we like to present the material, giving you what you need when you need it. If you still want to keep searching, you may have better luck using the Tibetan title – Jampai Monlam. Rest assured however, over the coming months, we’ll make sure you don’t miss out. Best wishes, P & T
Maybe I should have said an aspect of Chenresig !
Dear Geshe’la
I enjoyed your teaching so much particularly following HHDL giving initiation on Chenresig .
So nice to have the opportunity to keep on learning and contemplating.
Thank you so much for putting time aside for us on a regular basis.
Love
Ros
Thank you sooooo much. Again a beautiful and profound text. What A blessing to read, learn and contemplate, under your guidance. Your teaching style is such an encouragement and an eye opener. It is also so,lively.
What good fortune to be able to connect with you weekly from Mungod,.
With all my gratitude for caring so much, and increasing our faith and enthousiasm,
Happy SAKA DAWa, dear Geshe La
Dear Geshe la
Many thanks and to Tri & Peter for speedy upload again. It is so good to hear the original wording with the multiple layers of meaning and interpretation unravelled. We are very fortunate. Thank you for sharing the lovely story about Geshe Tegchok, such a kind and knowledgeable teacher. Also the momo tale and weather update. I hope everyone stays safe and the storm not too devastating by the time it reaches Sera. Happy rainy season and Saka Dawa.
Love to all, Jane
Thank you Jane, and for your regular comments x
Tashi delek
How joyful is Tibetan Buddhism. How uplifting in troubled times. I am glad it found me four years ago. Better late than never in my particular case! My “world” has changed completely. Thank you for reciting and explaining this lovely prayer. I look forward to more teachings in the future.
Jeh-yong
Thank you Geshe la, for insightful explanation of these texts
I look forward to your next blog.,.
Apparently we in the Uk are to get some much needed rain for our gardens as you will remember, we get rain a lot here.
Thank you once again.
Andy Thacker ?????
Dear Geshela How delightful to hear your teachings….all the way from the Maitreya prayer verses through to to the wonderful story about HHDL and Geshe Jampa Tegchok finishing with the 21 Tara’s which always transports me to your classes at JBC London…however many posts you can manage in future will be marvellous.