Publications

Books

A Glowing Light of Scripture and Reasoning, Lamp Illuminating the Essentials of the Four Seals that Proclaim the View, original author Gen Lamrimpa Ngawang Phuntsok

Four key issues in Buddhist philosophy, impermanence, suffering, emptiness and nirvana, are critically examined by Gen Lamrimpa.

A Mirror Making All Things Clear, A Presentation of Signs and Reasonings, original author Geshe Tsultrim Namgyel

An introductory textbook in the Drepung Loseling study programme.

Tsongkhapa's Praise for Dependent Relativity, Lobsang Gyatso and Graham Woodhouse, Wisdom Publications

Celebrating the harmony of dependent arising and emptiness.

Shorter Translations

Properly chantable English translations of Tibetan religious verse are still quite rare. Yet I can’t think of a single case of a Sanskrit verse original that was translated into Tibetan without being put into metre. The Tibetans rose to that challenge. In their own Dharma compositions too Tibetans have employed metric verse to powerful effect, all the more so when chanted in a prayer assembly with many people gathered together.

The shorter verse translations offered here are all chantable, or readable to a regular rhythm. In general Tibetan religious verse achieves its intensity by combining the rhythm of poetry with sheer conciseness. In order to approach that level of fine compression, English words that are often shortened by a syllable when spoken are often shortened here in these translations. Words such as the following generally count as two syllables: generous, wandering, suffering, reliance, wavering, realize, chariot (gen’rous, wand’ring etc.) Words such as knower, hour, power, being, count as one syllable (know’r, pow’r etc.) My own Four Seals Chant does not show quite the same level of compression. The simple recordings show one way how the texts can be chanted.

The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva

A famous text by the Conqueror’s Child Togme Zangpo

A Glance Meditation on the Entire Path

A short verse lam rim prayer by His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama written when he was only nineteen years old.

The Four Seals Chant

I wrote these verses as an introduction to A Glowing Light of Scripture and Reasoning, a survey of the four seals of Buddhist philosophy by Gen Lamrimpa Ngawang Phuntsok.

Hundred Gods of Ganden

Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga. With this prayer receive direct blessings from the great master six hundred years after his passing.

Arya Nāgārjuna's Fundamental Stanzas on the Middle Way - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Examination of Arising, Lasting and Destruction

Praise for Dependent Relativity - Verses

Tsongkhapa wrote Praise for Dependent Relativity on the morning that he first developed the wisdom realizing the final view.

Song of the Stages of the Path

Tsongkhapa set out all the stages of the path to enlightenment extremely clearly and methodically in detailed prose works.

The Three Main Aspects of the Path

The Three Main Aspects of the Path was written in response to a request from one of Je Rinpoche's close disciples Tsakho Önpo Ngawang Drakpa.

Miscellaneous

A collection of brief verse translations.

Final Lamrim Prayer

A dedication prayer very popular with Tibetans, often chanted at the end of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings.

Refuge & Bodhichitta

I have collected several versions of the Refuge & Bodhicitta prayer and given them all a chantable English form.

Three Great Texts Homages

Classic Indian Buddhist texts often begin with a verse of homage in which the author bows down before his chosen object of devotion.

For Fully Ordained Only

Restricted to the fully ordained only. They can obtain copies from the Director, International Mahayana Institute, director@imisangha.org

Gelong's Training in Brief, author His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama

Pithy advice on the fully ordained life and concise delineations of each of the gelong's vows.

For Ordained Only

Restricted to the ordained only. They can obtain copies from the Director, International Mahayana Institute, director@imisangha.org

The Essence of the Vinaya Ocean and The Namtse Dengma Getsul Training by Tsongkhapa

Tsongkapa's analysis of the getsul's training with concise delineations of each of the vows

Geshe Tenzin Losel

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