Profound Path of the Most Concise Preliminary Practice

For classes of beings who are unable to practice both the extensive and the concise preliminary practices that precede all the profound paths of generation and completion stage practices, one needs to practice the most concise one in the following way: at dawn, as soon as one rises from bed, if one knows (these exercises), practice the breathing exercise (the cleansing of the breath) and bless the speech. If one does not know (the above two), then immediately, in a melodious tone, recite the following:

Lama khyeno! Lama khyeno! Lama khyeno!
Care for me, Lama! Care for me, Lama! Care for me, Lama!

Reciting (the verses) fervently, turn your mind away from ordinary appearances (usual habitual patterns) and motivate your mind with faith, the root of all virtuous qualities.

There are two sections of the Preliminary Practices: common and uncommon. First, recite the supplication prayers through the common preliminary practices to train the mind:

Grant your blessings so that I may recognize that precious human rebirth is difficult to obtain.
Grant your blessings so that I may reflect on the impermanence of death.
Grant your blessings so that I may believe in the law of cause and effect.
Grant your blessings so that I may realize the faults of samsara.
Grant your blessings so that I may appreciate the benefits of liberation from samsara.
Grant your blessings so that my mind may turn towards the Dharma.

Second, there are four uncommon preliminary practices. As for the first, visualize the objects of refuge — the field of merit — in the following manner:

In the space in front of you, at the center of the self-manifested pure land, on a throne uplifted by lions, on the seat of a lotus, moon and sun disc, sits the glorious root Lama Vajradhara, the embodiment of all the objects of refuge.

Refuge:

To the objects of refuge: the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha), the Three Roots (Lama, Yidam, and Khandro), and the Lama, the nature of the three Kayas (Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya) and self-awareness, I and all limitless mother beings take refuge until we attain the essence of enlightenment.

Generating Bodhicitta (or the mind of enlightenment)

In the illusory city of the impure six realms, sentient beings are deceived by self-manifested delusions. In order to place them in the state of complete enlightenment, I give rise to the unsurpassed Bodhicitta of aspiration and application.

The Seven-Limb Prayer (as the method of accumulating merit)

Emanating countless manifestations of my bodies together with limitless sentient beings equal to space,
I make prostrations to the glorious Lama with devotion.
I make this offering of bodies and material wealth, both mine and others.
I confess, without exception, all the negativities and downfalls that I may have accumulated from beginningless time.
I rejoice in all the virtues gathered in the three times.
I request that you turn the wheel of Dharma, vast and profound.
I supplicate that you do not pass into parinirvana but remain.
I dedicate the accumulated virtue to attaining unsurpassed enlightenment.

Dissolution of the field of merit:

The objects of refuge melt into light and dissolve into oneself.

Second (of the uncommon preliminary practices): Meditation and recitation of Vajrasattva

At the crown of your head, upon a lotus and moon disc, from the syllable HŪM arises the Lama Vajrasattva — white in color, with one face and two arms, holding a vajra and bell and embracing his consort. At his heart is a HŪM, encircled by the mantra. From the point of union (Vajrasattva and his consort), four streams of nectar (enlightened body, speech, mind, and primordial wisdom) flow down and enter through the crown of your head, washing and cleansing your entire inner body, so that all diseases, demonic forces, negativities, and obscurations, without exception, are completely cleansed and purified.

Om vajra sattva samaya manupalaya vajra sattva tenopa tishtha dridho me bhava sutokhyo me bhava supokhyo me bhava anurakto me bhava sarwa siddhi me prayatsa sarwa karma sutsa me tsittam shreyah kuru hung ha ha ha ha ho bhagavan sarwa tatha gata vajra ma me muntsa vajri bhava maha samaya satva ah

If you do not know the hundred-syllable mantra, you can recite the Vajrasattva mantra:

Om vajra sattva hung

Reciting this as many times as you can, at the end:

Vajrasattva melts into light and dissolves into oneself.
Then rest in non-duality with your own mind.

Third (of the uncommon preliminary practices): Mandala Offering

The accumulation of merit above is sufficient. Nevertheless, if you feel inspired to make a separate offering as well, then visualize the field of merit of the accomplishment mandala as follows:

In the space in front, in the center of the ground made from precious gems is Mount Meru on which stands the throne uplifted by lions and on it is the seat of lotus, moon and sun discs on which sits the root Lama Vajradhara, the chief of all the Buddha families, the essential nature of the ocean of Buddhas.

Visualize clearly whichever of the following suits your mental capacity:
all the Buddha-fields appearing within the Lama's enlightened body while that body pervades all the Buddha-fields; or, like the sun and its rays, knowing all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to be the Lama's display; or all phenomena as inseparable from the Lama, abiding as the single essence that embodies everything.

Offering mandala

The Four Continents, Mount Meru, sun, and moon of the billion (world systems),
inner essence of all the desirable objects such as the assembly of the goddesses of the heavenly realms,
and all the pure lands of the Buddhas of the three Kayas without exception:
with the mind of devotion, I make this offering to the Buddhas.
May I and all sentient beings completely perfect the two kinds of accumulations.

Guru idam ratna mandala kam niryatayami

You may also make this offering through visualization and the hand mudrā. If you have an actual mandala plate, you can offer the seven heaps as well. Accumulating as many times as you wish, at the end:

The field of merit melts into light and dissolves into oneself.

Fourth (of the uncommon preliminary practices): Guru Yoga

In an instant, from the state of emptiness, your own body arises as the enlightened body of Vajravarahi — appearance-emptiness, like a rainbow in the sky, vividly clear.

On the crown of your head, upon a lion throne and stacked seats of lotus, moon, and sun, sits the root Lama in the form of Vajradhara. His enlightened mind is unchanging, the radiance of bliss, and he is in union with his self-luminous consort. His enlightened mind is merged inseparably with Samantabhadra, Vajradhara, all the lineage lamas, the assembly of limitless Buddhas and the Three Roots — the embodiment of the all-pervasive Buddha, the four kayas and the five primordial wisdoms.

Visualize your body as the enlightened body of Vajravarahi, red in color, with one face and two arms — the right holding a curved knife, the left holding a skull cup filled with blood. On her head is the crown of five dry skulls; she wears a long necklace of fifty fresh human heads and is adorned with the five symbolic ornaments. In the crook of the left arm rests the Khatvanga; her right leg is bent and her left extended, standing upon a human corpse atop a lotus and sun.

Above the crown of your head sits the Lama Vajradhara, blue in color, holding a vajra and a bell, embracing his consort, who is red in color.

Supplication prayers:

I supplicate to the root Lama, the embodiment of all the Buddhas, with all my devotion and yearning.
Grant your blessings so that I may recognize the true face of the nature of my mind.
Grant your blessings so that whatever arises may be liberated in the nature of Dharmakaya.
Grant your blessings so that I may achieve the supreme attainment.

With powerful devotion, you can accumulate just this prayer of supplication or, as in the general Guru Yoga practice tradition, you can recite the following mantra:

Om vajra guru dakini siddhi hung

Recite as many times as possible without distraction.

Receiving the Four Empowerments

From the four seed syllables at the Lama's four places (crown, throat, heart, and navel), light radiates forth and dissolves into the four places of your own body. Grant your blessings that, upon receiving the four empowerments, the four kinds of obscurations are purified and the four buddha-bodies are attained.

Dissolution stage practice

Finally, the Lama, with a joyful smile, melts into light and dissolves into oneself. The Lama's enlightened mind and your own mind become indivisibly one — rest in that uncontrived, non-dual state.

Dedication of Merit

By this virtue, may I swiftly accomplish the glorious Lama, and place all sentient beings, without a single exception, in that same state (of complete enlightenment).

Aspirational prayer

Beginning from Buddha Samantabhadra, Buddha Vajradhara up until my kind root Lama — whatever aspirational prayers they have made for the benefit of beings, may I be able to accomplish them all.

Reciting the auspicious verses

May there be the auspiciousness of the undeceiving Three Jewels.
May there be the auspiciousness of the assembly of deities of the Three Roots.
May there be the auspiciousness of the enlightened body, speech, and mind of the Buddhas.
May there be the auspiciousness of the teachings remaining long.

Recite whatever dedication and aspiration prayers you know; if you do not know any, this much is enough.

Written by His Holiness the 70th Je Khenpo of Bhutan (Trulku Jigme Choedrak) at Pema Gatshel, eastern Bhutan, while teaching on the Preliminary Practices to the devotees gathered on the 15th day of the 2nd month, Iron Hare Year (2011).

Translated by Lopen Sonam Bumdhen, Research and Translation office of His Holiness the Je Khenpo