splendor of an autumn moon · 2021. 5. 5. · gavin kilty has done a monumental job of getting...

THE DEVOTIONAL VERSE OF TSONGKHAPA

Translated and Introduced by Gavin Kilty

The Splendorof an

Autumn Moon

The Splendor of an Autumn Moon presents for the first time twenty-one devotionalpoems by Tsongkhapa, in both the original Tibetan and in artful English translation.

“Making poetry out of sutra-like materials is a hugely daunting undertaking. Gavin Kilty has done a monumental job of getting these poems

into their present highly readable state.”—Mike O’Connor, author of The Clouds Should Know Me By Now

“The poems translated in The Splendor of an Autumn Moon are some of the mostinspiring verses ever written in the Tibetan language. In addition to evokingpowerful sentiments, the poems help provide a glimpse into Tsongkhapa’s deep humility and his passionate commitment to the ideals of altruism.”—Geshe Thupten Jinpa, PhD, founder, Institute for Tibetan Classics

“Reading devotional poetry, with its symbols and imagery, transports our mind from a narrow state into one of joy and inspiration. Reading the poems of Tsongkhapa will uplift and inspire our hearts in a similar way.”

—Venerable Thubten Chodron, coauthor of Buddhism

“India’s bright genius for poetry and Tibet’s unique devotional attitude meet in these fourteenth-century hymns. These songs are the verbal counterpart to

thangka-painting, both colorful and ceremonial. Gavin Kilty should be thanked for his translations.”

—Andrew Schelling, professor, Naropa University

The Tibetan saint TSONGKHAPA (1357–1419) is among the most influential figures in Tibetan Buddhism. The

founder of the Gelug tradition, he was most renowned for the compilation of the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path

to Enlightenment (Lamrim Chenmo) and the Great Treatise on the Stages of Secret Mantra (Ngagrim Chenmo).

GAVIN KILTY has worked as a translator and teacher of the Tibetan language since 1970 and has been a full-time

translator for the Institute of Tibetan Classics since 2001. He is the translator of Mirror of Beryl, A Lamp to Illuminate the

Five Stages, and Ornament of Stainless Light. He also teaches Tibetan language courses in India, Nepal, and elsewhere, and

he is a translation reviewer for the organization 8400: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Wisdom Publications • Bostonwww.wisdompubs.org

The Splendor

of anAutum

n Moon

TSON

GK

HA

PA

BUDDHISM / POETRY

ISBN 978-0-86171-192-5 US$24.95 | CAN $29.95

Splendor Cover_Splendor Cover 1/30/15 3:30 PM

Wisdom Publications, Inc. - Not For Distribution

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Prayer for Birth inSukhavati, Realm of Bliss

With deeds exalted, you grant splendor unending;

once remembered, you hurl far all fear of the lord of death;

with constant love, you look on others as sons and daughters.

Amitayus, teacher of gods and men, I bow before you.

I will write, swayed by compassion, as best I can

few words of a prayer for birth in Sukhavati, land of bliss,

praised again and again by the mighty Buddha

as the highest of realms.

All knowledge of right and wrong covered

by layers of ignorance,

all future life in higher realms murdered

by the weapons of anger,

lying trussed by the ropes of desire in the prison of samsara,

I am carried helplessly to the oceans of existence

by rivers of karma,

tossed by endless waves of aging, sickness, and other suffering,


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84 The Splendor of an Autumn Moon


thrown to the jaws of that savage monster the lord of death,

to languish under the weight of unwanted suffering.

Without protector and with anguished cries I ask with devotion,

as witnesses to the yearnings of my mind,

Amitabha, guide and sole friend to the deprived,

powerful Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, Vajrapani and

entourage,

to not forget the vows of the supreme bodhi mind

made over countless eons for our sakes

and like the mighty garuda hawk swooping through the skies,

to come, with the power of miracles, in great compassion

before me.

Prayer for Birth in Sukhavati, Realm of Bliss 85


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By the power of the immense twin accumulation of spiritualmerit stored by others and myself in past, present, and future,I pray that when death draws near I see before me my guideAmitabha, his two main disciples, his entourage, and others.At that time may I have strong faith in this great conquerorand his entourage and be free from the pains of being severedby death. By recalling and holding in my mind objects offaith, I pray that as soon as my consciousness has left thisbody, the eight bodhisattvas arrive by miraculous power toshow the way to Sukhavati, there to be born within a jeweledlotus, of intelligent mind and of Mahayana family.

Once born in Sukhavati may I gain immediately the power-ful dharani memory, meditative concentration, the objectlessbodhi mind, inexhaustible confidence, and countless otherqualities. By pleasing the highest of teachers, Amitabha and allbuddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, may I takewith propriety the Mahayana teachings.

When I have absorbed and understood the true meaningsof these teachings, may I be able to travel in an instant andwithout hindrance to limitless Buddha realms by miraculouspower, there to perfect every powerful practice of the bodhi -sattva.

Though born in pure Sukhavati, I pray that I be able tojourney, with unhindering miraculous power motivated byfierce compassion, primarily to impure realms, there to teachevery living being the Dharma according to disposition and sobring them to that immaculate path hailed by the Buddha.

By quickly perfecting these exalted practices may I, forthe benefit of countless living beings, easily attain the enlight-ened state of a buddha.



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When the amalgamations of this life are spent,

may I plainly behold in my path of vision

Amitabha encircled by vast entourage,

and may my mind be filled with faith and compassion.

Once the bardo visions have appeared,

may I be shown the path by the eight bodhisattvas

and, born in Sukhavati, may I by manifestation

become a spiritual guide for impure realms.

Should I not attain such exalted states, may I in every lifeincarnate solely in a form capable of engaging in authenticstudy, contemplation, and meditation upon scripture andpractice of the Buddhadharma.

May that form be endowed always with the seven desir-able features of higher realms.

In every such existence may I gain the memory that recallsperfectly all my past lives.

In every life may I see all existence as being withoutessence, be driven by a mind captivated by the virtues of nir-vana, and be ordained into the monastic discipline so excel-lently taught by the Buddha.

Once ordained may I live as the monk Akshobhya who,unsullied by the slightest fault, perfected morality and gainedgreat enlightenment.



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Furthermore, in every life having fully comprehended theways of deluded states of mind and the paths of purificationand freedom so that I may master them, may I develop thepowerful and accomplished dharani memory to maintain totalrecall over every word and meaning of the teachings. And inthe same way that I retain these dharmas, may I gain a pureand unhindered confidence to teach them likewise to others.

Furthermore, in every life may I master and never be apartfrom the ways of meditative concentrations such as the warrior -like shurangama samadhi. May I acquire supernatural sight suchas that unhindered by matter, as well as clairvoyance such asthat which knows the ways of miraculous powers.

Furthermore, in every life may I develop that great wis-dom that, self-reliantly and unaided, is able to separate rightfrom wrong.

May I develop the clear wisdom that unerringly separatesto the subtlest degree deluded states of mind from paths ofpurification and freedom.

May I develop the swift wisdom that holds the power tocounter, as soon as they appear, all doubts, fallacious views,and incomprehension.

May I develop the deep wisdom that penetrates unop-posed the meanings of scripture unfathomable to others.

In short, with wisdom freed from the faults of all deludedinsight may I rise to the wisdom skillful in unlocking themeanings of scripture in order to travel, as the nobleManjushri has done, to the perfection of every bodhisattvapractice.

Having gained without difficulty great, clear, swift, anddeep wisdom may I, in order to gather the fortunate, crushfalse orators, and to please the wise, perfect the arts of teach-ing, debating, and composition that focus upon the entireteachings of the Buddha.



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Furthermore, in every life, having put an end to a way ofthinking primarily concerned with self, to all laziness andweakness regarding the powerful practices of the bodhisattva,may I possess a bodhi mind wise in the accomplishment ofsupreme courage and the willingness to dedicate myself toothers, and may I travel, as the noble Avalokiteshvara hasdone, to the consummation of every bodhisattva practice.

Furthermore, in every life, whenever I apply myself to thewelfare of self and others, may I possess a skillful ability todemolish the hordes of Mara, defeat those of extreme views,thwart all enemies, and may I travel, as the noble Vajrapanihas done, to the consummation of every bodhisattva practice.

To perfect the bodhisattva practice that dispels all lazi-ness, may I become like the unparalleled Shakyamuni whofirst created the bodhi mind, and by powerful endeavor undis-tracted for even an instant, reached great enlightenment

To eradicate obstacles to practices of enlightenment suchas illness to body or mind, may I in every life pacify, as theKing of Physicians, the Medicine Buddha, has done, all painof body, speech, and mind, merely by mentioning his name.

Furthermore, in every life may I have the power to live outmy span of life as I would wish and, merely by mentioning hisname, may I destroy all untimely death as the conquerorAmitayus has done.

Whenever life-threatening obstacles approach, may Ibehold in all clarity Amitayus, who curbs the threat by way ofthe four kinds of Buddha activity, and with such a vision, mayevery hindrance to life be at once removed.



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Recognizing such an appropriate manifestation to benone other than Amitayus, may I develop firm, uncontrivedfaith by whose power I will forever be in the presence ofAmitayus as my spiritual teacher.

Furthermore, in life after life may I, pleasing him in return,be forever fostered by an accomplished Mahayana spiritualmaster, the source of every virtue of this world and beyond.

In his care, may I acquire in him a firm unshakable faith,pleasing him by every means possible, doing nothing, even foran instant, to disappoint him.

May my spiritual master impart to me every instructionand every teaching in its entirety. Having understood themfaultlessly, may I practice them and be able to bring them toperfection.

May I never, even for a moment, fall under the sway ofmalevolent teachers and misleading friends.

Having developed, in every life, belief in cause and effect,renunciation, the bodhi mind, and the pure view, may Iengage in them continually with effortless experience.

In every life may every virtuous act gathered by way ofbody, speech, and mind be causes solely for the welfare ofothers and for the purest and highest enlightenment.



The Splendor of an Autumn Moon is available from Wisdom Publications at wisdomexperience.org:

https://wisdomexperience.org/product/splendor-autumn-moon/

The Tibetan saint Tsongkhapa (1357–1419), the founder of the Dalai Lama’s tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, was renowned for his vast learning, meditational achievements, influential writings on practice and philosophy, and reform of tantric religious practices. A deeply humble and religious man, he expressed himself in exquisite verse.

Here, presented in both the original Tibetan and in English translation, are twenty-one devotional poems by Tsongkhapa. Each verse—dedicated to the Buddha, bodhisattvas, and lamas—illuminates some aspect of the Buddhist path. Gavin Kilty’s commentary places each prayer into context, and his careful, artful translations will appeal to anyone with a love of poetry.

“Some of the most inspiring verses ever written.”—Geshe Thupten Jinpa, PhD, founder, Institute for Tibetan Classics


splendor of an autumn moon · 2021. 5. 5. · gavin kilty has done a monumental job of getting...

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