Praises and Requests to the Twenty-one Taras


Taking refuge and generating the altruistic dedicated heart

Sang gye cho dang tsog kyi chog nam la

To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha

Jang chub bar du dag ni kyab su chi

I go for refuge until I am enlightened

Dag gi jin sog gyi pay so nam kyi

Through the positive potential I create by practicing generosity and the other far-reaching attitudes

Dro la pen chir sang gye drub par shog

May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.

The Four Immeasurables

Sem chen tarn che de wa dang/ de way gyu dang den par gyur chig

May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness;

Sem chen tam che dug ngel dang/ dug ngel kyi gyu dang drel war gyur chig

May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering;

Sem chen tam che dug ngel may pay de wa dang/ mi drel war gyur chig

May all sentient beings never be separated from the happiness that knows no suffering;

Sem chen tam che nye ring chag dang nyi dang/ drel way dang nyom la ne par gyur chig

May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from attachment and anger that hold some close and others distant.
 
 

Visualization

You are in your ordinary form. At your heart appears a white AH, made of light. This transforms into a white moon disc. At its center appears a green syllable TAM, the essence of Tara’s blissful omniscient mind of wisdom and compassion. Standing clockwise around the edge of the moon appear the letters of the mantra OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA, made of green light.

From the TAM, rainbow-colored light goes out in all directions and invokes Tara to appear in the space in front of you. She is seated on a lotus and moon disc. Her body is made of emerald-green light, youthful and exquisitely beautiful. Her right hand on her right knee is in the gesture of giving; her left hand at her heart is the gesture of refuge and holds the stem of a blue utpala flower that blooms by her ear. Her left leg is drawn up and her right leg is slightly extended. Her face is very beautiful and she smiles with loving-kindness at all sentient beings.

Surrounding her in space are 21 other Taras, as well as all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Surrounding you are all sentient beings. You lead them in reciting the prayers and requests to Tara.
 
 

When doing multiple repetitions of the homage, one could start with the seven-limb prayer and include the homage and condensed praise. One could also do a more limited repetition. When pressed for time, one can repeat only the condensed praise.
 
 

Seven-limb prayer

Go sum go pay go ne chag tsal lo

Reverently I prostrate with with my body, speech and mind

Ngo sham yi trul cho trin ma lu bul

And present clouds of every type of offering, actual and mentally transformed.

Tog may ne sag dig tung tam che shag

I confess all my negative actions accumulated since beginningless time

Kye pag gay wa nam la je yi rang

And rejoice in the virtues of all holy and ordinary beings.

Kor wa ma tong bar du leg zhug ne

Please remain until cyclic existence ends,

Dro la cho kyi kor lo kor wa dang

And turn the wheel of Dharma for sentient beings.

Dag zhen gay nam jang chub chen por ngo

I dedicate the virtues created by myself and others to the great enlightenment.
 
 

Homage to the twenty-one Taras (could be said multiple times)

OM je tsun ma pag ma drol ma la chag tsal lo

OM I prostrate to the noble transcendent liberator.

1. Chag tsal drol ma nyur ma pa mo

Homage to Tara swift and fearless

Chen mi kay chig lhog dang dra ma

With eyes like a flash of lightning

Jig ten sum gon chu kye shel gyi

Lotus-born in an ocean of tears

Ke sar je wa lay ni jung ma

Of Chenrezig, three world’s protector.

2. Chag tsal ton kay da wa kun tu Homage to you whose face is like

Gang wa gya ni tseg pay shel ma

One hundred autumn moons gathered

Kar ma tong trag tsog pa nam kyi

And blazes with the dazzling light

Rab tu che way o rab bar ma

Of a thousand constellations.

3. Chag tsal ser ngo chu ne kye kyi Homage to you born from a gold-blue lotus

Pay may chag ni nam par gyen ma

Hands adorned with lotus flowers

Jin pa tsun du ka tub shi wa

Essence of giving, effort, and ethics,

So pa sam ten cho yul nyi ma

Patience, concentration and wisdom.

4. Chag tsal de shin sheg pay tsug tor Homage to you who crown all Buddhas

Ta yay nam par gyal wa cho ma

Whose action subdues without limit

Ma lu pa rol chin pa tob pay

Attained to every perfection

Gyel way say kyi shin tu ten ma

On you the bodhisattvas rely.

5. Chag tsal TU TA RA HUM yi ge Homage to you whose TUTTARE and HUM

Do dang chog dang nam ka gang ma

Fill the realms of desire, form and space

Jig ten dun po shab kyi nen te

You crush seven worlds beneath your feet

Lu pa may par gug par nu ma

And have power to call all forces.

6. Chag tsal gya jin may lha tsang pa Homage to you adored by Indra,

Lung lha na tsog wang chug cho ma

Agni, Brahma,Vayu and Ishvara

Jung po ro lang dri sa nam dang

Praised in song by hosts of spirits,

No jin tsog kyi dun ne to ma

Zombies, scent-eaters and yakshas.

7. Chag tsal TREY che cha dang PEY kyi Homage to you whose TREY and PEY

Pa rol tul kor rab tu jom ma

Destroy external wheels of magic

Yay kum yon kyang shab kyi nen te

Right leg drawn in and left extended

May bar tug pa shin tu bar ma

You blaze within a raging fire.

8. Chag tsal TU RE jig pa chen po Homage to you whose TURE destroys

Du kyi pa wo nam par jom ma

The great fears, the mighty demons

Chu kye shel ni tro nyer den dze

With a wrathful frown on your lotus face

Dra wo tam che ma lu so ma

You slay all foes without exception.

9. Chag tsal kon chog sum tson chag gye Homage to you beautifully adorned

Sor mo tug kar nam par gyen ma

By the Three Jewel’s gesture at your heart

Ma lu chog kyi kor lo gyen pay

Your wheel shines in all directions

Rang gi o kyi tsog nam trug ma

With a whirling mass of light.

10. Chag tsal rab tu ga wa ji pay Homage to you, radiant and joyful

U gyen o kyi treng wa pel ma

Whose crown emits a garland of light

Shay pa rab shay TU TA RA yi

You, by the laughter of TUTTARA

Du dang jig ten wang du dze ma

Conquer demons and lords of the world.

11. Chag tsal sa shi kyong way tsog nam Homage to you with power to invoke

Tam che gug par nu ma nyi ma

The assembly of local protectors

Tro nyer yo way yi ge HUM ki

With your fierce frown and vibrating HUM

Pong pa tam che nam par drol ma

You bring freedom from all poverty.

12. Chag tsal da way dum bu u gyen Homage to you with crescent moon crown

Gyen pa tam che shin tu bar ma

All your adornments dazzling bright

Rel pay tro na o pag may lay

From your hair-knot Amitabha

Tag par shin tu o rab dze ma

Shines eternal with great beams of light.

13. Chag tsal kel pay ta may may tar Homage to you who dwells in a blazing wreath

Bar way treng way u na ne ma

Like the fire at the end of this age

Yay kang yon kum kun ne kor gay

Your right leg outstretched and the left drawn in

Dra yi pung ni nam par jom ma

Joy surrounds you who defeats hosts of foes.

14. Chag tsal sa shi ngo la chag gi Homage to you whose foot stamps the earth

Til gyi nun ching zhab gyi dung ma

And whose palm strikes the ground by your side

Tro nyer chen dze yi gay HUM ki

With a wrathful glance and the letter HUM

Rim pa dun po nam ni gem ma

You subdue all in the seven stages.

15. Chag tsal de ma gay ma zhi ma Homage to the blissful, virtuous, peaceful one

Nya ngen de zhi cho yul nyi ma

Object of practice, nirvana’s peace

SO HA OM dang yang dag den pay

Perfectly endowed with SOHA and OM

Dig pa chen po jom pa nyi ma

Overcoming all the great evils.

16. Chag tsal kun ne kor rab ga way Homage to you with joyous retinue

Dra ye lu ni nam par gem ma

You subdue fully all enemies’ forms

Yi gay chu pay ngag ni ko pay

The ten-letter mantra adorns your heart

Rig pa HUM lay drol ma nyi ma

And your knowledge-HUM gives liberation.

17. Chag tsal TU RE zab ni dab pay Homage to TURE with stamping feet

HUM gi nam pay sa bon nyi ma

Whose essence is the seed-letter HUM

Ri rab man da ra dang big je

You cause Merus, Mandara and Vindya

Jig ten sum nam yo wa nyi ma

And all three worlds to tremble and shake.

18. Chag tsal lha yi tso yi nam pay Homage to you who holds in your hand

Ri dag tag chen chag na nam ma

A moon like a celestial lake

TA RA nyi jo PEY kyi yi gay

Saying Tara twice and the letter PEY

Dug nam ma lu pa ni sel ma

You dispel all poisons without exception.

19. Chag tsal lha yi tsog nam gyal po Homage to you on whom the kings of gods

Lha dang mi am chi yi ten ma

The gods themselves and all spirits rely

Kun ne go cha ga way ji kyi

Your armour radiates joy to all

Tso dang mi lam nyen pa sel ma

You soothe conflicts and nightmares as well.

20. Chag tsal nyi ma da wa gye pay Homage to you whose eyes, the sun and moon,

Chen nyi po la o rab sel ma

Radiate with pure brilliant light

HA RA nyi jo TU TA RA yi

Uttering HARA twice and TUTTARA

Shin tu dag po rim ne sel ma

Dispels extremely fearful plagues.

21. Chag tsel de nyi sum nam ko pay Homage to you, adorned with three natures

Zi way tu dang yang dag den ma

Perfectly endowed with peaceful strength

Don dang ro lang no jin tsog nam

You destroy demons, zombies and yakshas

Jom pa TURE rab chog nyi ma

O TURE, most exalted and sublime!

Tsa way ngag kyi to pa di dang

Thus the root mantra is praised

Chag tsal wa ni nyi shu tsa chig

And twenty-one homages offered.
 
 

The Condensed Praise (could be said multiple times)

OM chom den de ma pag ma drol ma la chag tsal lo

OM to the transcendent subduer, Arya Tara, I prostrate.

Chag tsal drol ma TA RE pel mo

Homage to the glorious one who frees with TARE;

TU TA RA yi jig kun sel ma

With TUTTARA you calm all fears;

TU RE don nam tam che ter ma

You bestow all success with TURE;

SO HA yi ger che la rab tu

To the sound SOHA I pay great homage.
 
 

Benefits of reciting the homage (optional)

Lha mo la gu yang dag den pay

Those endowed with perfect and pure respect for these goddesses

Lo den gang gi rab de jo de

The intelligent who recite these praises with most supreme faith

So dang to rang lang par che ne

Both in the evening and upon waking at dawn

Den pay mi jig tam che rab ter

Will have fearlessness bestowed on them by this remembrance.

Dig pa tam che rab tu shi way

After being purified of all evils completely,

Nyen dro tam che jom pa nyi tob

They will attain the destruction of all lower realms

Gyal wa che wa dun nam gyi

And the seven million conquering Buddhas

Nyur du wang ni kur war gyur la

Will quickly grant them every empowerment.

Di lay che wa nyi ni tob ching

Thus they will attain greatness and so forth

Sang gye go pang tar tug der dro

To the ultimate state of supreme Buddhahood.

De yi dug ni dag po chen po

As a result all violent poisons -

Ten ne pa am zhen yang dro wa

Whether abiding within or spreading to others -

So pa dang ni tung wa nyi kyang

That they have eaten or drunk

Den pay rab tu sel wa nyi tob

By this remembrance will be completely removed

Don dang rim dang tug gi sir way

And they will eliminate completely afflictions by spirits, epidemics,

Dug ngel tsog ni nam par pang te

Poisons and all various sufferings.

Sem chen zhen pa nam la yang ngo

If for oneself or for the sake of others,

Nyi sum dun du ngo par jo na

These praises are read sincerely two, three or seven times,

Pu do pay ni pu tob gyur ching

Those wishing a child will have one

Nor do pay ni nor nam nyi tob

And those wishing wealth will attain this as well.

Do pa tam che tob par gyur la

Without obstruction all of their wishes will be granted

Geg nam may ching so sor jom gyur chig

And every single hindrance will be destroyed as it arises.
 
 

Visualization and Recitation

Visualize much radiant and blissful green light from the TAM and mantra at Tara’s heart streams into you and into the sentient beings surrounding you. [Optionally view all sentient beings of this world system as now having that TAM and mantra at their heart as a result of the earlier recitation, that they are in their normal places around the world. View that green light emanates from a multi-layered cloud of Taras of all forms in the space around this world system. The light covers all space and all sentient beings of this world system and even spreads on to all of space, all world systems and all sentient beings. Also view all Buddhas and bodhisattvas similarly arrayed joining in with light appropriate to them. For trouble spots and situations add an ever widening tornado of Taras superimposed with similar widening stacks of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas over the place with intense blessing raining down to help.] This light purifies the imprints of all negative actions, and dispels all sickness and harms from spirits. In addition, it brings inspiration and blessings from Tara [and all Buddhas and bodhisattvas], thus enabling you to realize the entire gradual path to enlightenment quickly. While doing the visualization, recite as much as possible Tara’s peaceful mantra:

Om tare tuttare ture soha.

[Optional: Wish that all subsequent such visualizations and recitations throughout the day be considered to be logically part of this practice at this point. Then continue this practice at all odd moments through the day, such as walking, driving, standing in lines, and any other activity that can allow divided attention. For things such as driving, you may limit the visualization effort so that the particular activity is not compromised in an unsafe way.]
 
 

Requesting Prayer

Je tsun chom den de ma tug je chen

O compassionate and venerable subduing goddess

Dag dang ta ye sem chen tam che kyi

May the infinite beings, including myself,

Drib nyi jang shing tsog nyi nyur dzog ne

Soon purify the two obscurations and complete both collections

Dzog pay sang gye tob par dze du sol

So that we may attain full enlightenment.

De ma tob gyi tse rab kun tu yang

For all of my lives, until I reach this stage

Lha dang mi yi de wa chog tob ne

May I know the sublime happiness of humans and gods.

Tam che kyen pa drub par je pa la

So that I may become fully omniscient

Bar che don geg rim dang ne la sog

Please pacify quickly all obstacles, spirits,

Du min chi war gyur pa na tsog dang

Obstructions, epidemics, diseases and so forth

Mi lam nyen dang tsen ma nyen pa dan

The various causes of untimely death,

Jig pa gye sog nye war tse wa nam

Bad dreams and omens, the eight fears and other afflictions,

Nyur du shi shing may par dze tu sol

And make it so that they no longer exist.

Jig ten jig lay ni de pa yi

May the mundane and supramundane collections

Ta shi de leg pun sum tsog pa nam

Of all excellent auspicious qualities and happiness

Pel shing gye pay don nam ma lu pa

Increase and develop and may all wishes

Be mi lhun gyi drub par dze du sol

Be fulfilled naturally and effortlessly, without an exception.

Drub la tson shing dam cho pel wa dang

May I strive to realize and increase the sacred Dharma

Dag du gyo drub she chog tong wa dang

Accomplishing your stage and beholding your sublime face,

Tong nyi ton tog jang sem rin po che

May my understanding of emptiness and the precious dedicated heart

Yar ngo da tar pel shing gye par dzo

Increase like the moon waxing full.

Gyal way kyil dor sang shing ga wa ter

May I be reborn from an extremely beautiful and holy lotus

Pay mo tam pa shim tu dze lay gye

In the joyous and noble mandala of the conqueror

Nang wa ta ye gyal way ngo sum tu

May I attain whatever prophecy I receive

Lung ten pa yang dag ki der tob shog

In the presence of Amitabha, Buddha of Infinite Light.

Dag gi tse rab ngon ne drub pay lha

O deity, whom I have accomplished from previous lives

Du sum sang gye kun gi trin lay ma

The enlightening influence of the three-time Buddhas

Ngo jang shel chig chag nyi nyur shi ma

Blue-green, one face and two arms, the swift pacifier

Yum gyur ut pel nam pay tra shi shog

O mother holding an utpala flower, may you be auspicious!

Gyal yum drol ma kyo gu chi da dang

Whatever your body, O Mother of Conquerors,

Kor dang ku tse tse dang shing kam dang

Whatever your retinue, lifespan and pure land,

Kye kyi tsen chog sang po chi dra wa

Whatever your name, most noble and holy,

De dra ko nar dag sog gyur par shog

May I and all others attain only these.

Kye la to ching sol wa tab pay tu

By the force of these praises and requests made to you,

Dag sog kang du ne pay sa chog ter

May all disease, poverty, fighting and quarrels be calmed,

Ne dang ul pong tab tso shi wa dang

May the precious Dharma and everything auspicious increase

Cho dang tra shi pel war dze tu sol

Throughout the world and directions where I and all others dwell.
 
 

Dedication and auspicious verses

Gay wa di yi nyur tu dag

Due to this merit may I soon

Pag ma drol ma drub gyur ne

Attain the state of Arya Tara

Dro wa chig kyang ma lu pa

That I may be able to liberate

De yi sa la go par shog

All sentient beings from their suffering.

Chom den de ma cho che pay

By whatever virtue I have collected

Dag gi gay wa chi sag pa

From venerating these subduing blessed ones

Te ni sem chan ma lu pa

May all sentient beings, without exception

De wa chen tu gay wat chog

Be born in Sukhavati, the Joyful Pure Land.

Ku yi gyon pang tsen dang pay che den

You who have abandoned all bodily defects and possess the signs and marks of a Buddha,

Sung ki gyon pang ka la ping kay yang

You who have abandoned all defects of speech and possess a beautiful sparrow-like voice,

Tug gi gyon shay ja ta dag sig

You who have abandoned all defects of mind and see all the infinite objects of knowledge,

Tra shi pel par ma yi tra shi shog

O Brilliant Mother of Auspicious Glory, please bring your auspicious presence to us!



Contributed by Richard Menninger (rem@dove.lc.lucent.com)

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