Praise to the 21 Taras

The Seven Branches Prayer:

Lions among humanity, Tathagatas of the three times – As many as exist throughout the worlds in the ten directions –

Without a single exception to you I pay homage, with devoted body, speech, and mind!

By the power of this aspiration prayer for excellent conduct, May I actually perceive all the Victorious Ones:

Bowing down to them with as many bodies as there are, particles throughout all the realms, To each and every one, I pay homage !

Within each particle, there are as many Buddhas dwelling, amidst Bodhisattvas, As there are particles in the universe.

In this way, I visualize the entire field of phenomena, Abundant with Victorious Ones.

With an inexhaustible ocean of praise – An ever resounding sea of myriad melodious songs

I proclaim the qualities of all Victorious Ones, And praise each and every Sugata.

With heavenly flowers, sacred garlands, cymbals, Finest perfumes, lofty parasols, Resplendent lamps, and divine incense

I make offerings to all the Victorious Ones.

With the most superb and eminent displays, of exquisite garments, enticing fragrances, and enchanted powders rivaling Mount Meru

in magnitude, I make offerings to all the Victorious Ones.

Every possible immense and unsurpassable offering, I dedicate, again and again, to each and every Sugata.

By the power of my faith in the practice of goodness, To all the Victorious Ones, these gifts I render and bow down!

Whatever non-virtue I have committed, with my body, my speech and my mind, while driven by desire, anger, and stupidity,

I confess each and every one of them! Whatever merit may exist of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Of Pratyekabuddhas, of those on the path of learning, of those on the stage of no-more-learning and of all beings, throughout the ten directions – In all of this, I rejoice! Illuminators of the ten directions of the universe. Having successively reached enlightenment the state of awakening beyond attachment – Protectors, I implore you, turn the unsurpassable Dharma Wheel Those of you who would demonstrate passing beyond suffering, Joining my palms, I beseech you! For the benefit and happiness of all sentient beings, Remain for as many eons as there are particles throughout all realms! Whatever slight virtual may have gathered, By paying homage, offering, confessing, Rejoicing, beseeching, and requesting, I dedicate towards everyone’s attainment of enlightenment. Offer the mandala with the following words: Om Ah Hung I offer all the bodies, enjoyments, and accumulated virtue of myself, and the limitless sentient beings. Along with the four continents,   Mt. Meru, the sun and the moon. And the indescribable magnitude of human and divine enjoyments Emanated unceasingly as Samantabhadra’s immense offering clouds! With devotion I offer these, without interruption, to the precious, Three Jewels, the Three Roots, as well as to the ocean of Dharma protectors and wealth devas. Having fully perfected an immense gathering of merit, May the light of primordial wakefulness increase! Om Guru Dewa Dakini Sarwa Ratna Mandala Pudza Megha Ah Hung, Request the fulfillment of wishes with the following words Namo Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, Guru, Yidam Deity, Dakini, Dharma, protectors, wealth devas, and treasure lords, From the single essence of primordial wakefulness, Your unceasing nature manifests in all sorts of ways, And your compassionate enlightened activity is most marvelous! Protectors and refuse of all beings. To all of you, embodiments of wisdom and love, prostrate and take refuge from the bottom of my heart! Offering my body and enjoyments, Please always provide compassionate refuge. For myself and all the infinite number of beings! Pacify illness and injury, Increase longevity and merit, And bless us that all our wishes, without exception, May be fulfilled in keeping with the Dharma !

Next, present offerings three times, especially to the Esteemed Lady, and recite the Tantra of Praises. First, extend the invitation and present the general offerings: At the very instant of recollection, I, myself, manifest in the form of Noble Esteemed Lady in her entirety. From the green syllable TAM, residing atop a moon disc, in my heart-center, Countless light rays stream forth inviting The twenty one manifestations of the Noble Lady, and an, ocean of Rare and Supreme Ones, who proliferate, like clouds, in the sky before me Tam.

The dharmakaya expanse of unborn luminosity, Appears as the unobstructed wisdom body of the Noble Lady.. The magical illusory lattice which tames all. Come here, Arya Tare Dza !, Out of your love for myself and all beings, And through your miraculous powers, I supplicate you, Conquerors, to remain, For as long as I make offerings!

Pema Kamataya Satam Om With a Samantabhadra offering cloud, of actually present and mentally created gifts, Filling the basic field of phenomena, I honor Noble Tara and her retinue. Om Arya Tare Sapariwara Benza Argham Padyam Pushpé Dhupe Aloke Gandhe Newidye Shabda Pratitsa Soha, next, offer the specific mandala:

Om Ah Hung  I offer all the glory and riches of the three realms, and their inhabitants, My own body, enjoyments, and all gathered virtue, To those whose nature is compassion. Accepting it, please grant us your blessings! Om Sarwa Tathagata Ratna Mandala Pudza Ho. This is followed by repeating the Twenty-One Praises from the “Tantra of the King of Praises” twice.

Om With a Samantabhadra offering cloud, of actually present and mentally created gifts, Filling the basic field of phenomena, I honor Noble Tara and her retinue. Om Arya Tare Sapariwara Benza Argham Padyam Pushpe Dhupe Aloké Ganché Newidye Shabda Pratitsa Soha, With the following words, offer a mandala:

Om Ah Hung I offer all the glory and riches of the three realms, and their inhabitants. My own body, enjoyments, and all gathered virtue, To those whose nature is compassion. Accepting it, please grant us your blessings ! Om Sarwa Tathagata Ratna Mandala Pudza Ho. Her right hand, in the mudra of supreme generosity, Transforms into the mudra of granting protection. I am placed under her protection, along with all others, to be saved, And all our fears are relieved Visualizing this, recite the “Twenty One Praises” three times. Again, make offerings and present a mandala:

Om With a Samantabhadra offering cloud, Of actually present and mentally created gifts, Filling the basic field of phenomena. I honor Noble Tara and her retinue. Om Arya Tare Sapariwara Benza Argham Padyam Pushpé Dhupe Aloké Gandhe Newidye Shabda Pratitsa Soha.

Om Ah Hung I offer all glory and riches of the worlds of the three realms and their inhabitants, My Own body, enjoyments, and all gathered virtue, To those whose nature is compassion. Accepting it, please grant us your blessings. Om Sarwa Tathagata Ratna Mandala Pudza Ho. From her body flows forth a stream of nectar, which enters myself, and all those to be protected. Through the crown of our heads. By filling our entire bodies. all blessings, without exception, enter us.

Visualizing in this way, recite the “Twenty-One Praises” seven times, followed by its benefits:

Continue to part II