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The '''eight branches''' ([[wyl.]] ''yan lag brgyad'') for gathering the accumulation of merit are:
The '''eight branches''' (Tib. ཡན་ལག་བརྒྱད་, ''yenlak gyé'', [[Wyl.]] ''yan lag brgyad'') for gathering the accumulation of [[merit]], which appear in chapters 2 and 3 of the ''[[Bodhicharyavatara]]'' are:


# offerings;
# Offering
# prostration;
# [[Prostration]], or offering respect and homage
# refuge;
# [[Taking refuge]]
# confession negative deeds;
# [[Confession]] of [[negative actions]]
# rejoicing;
# Rejoicing
# requesting the buddhas to turn the wheel of dharma;
# Requesting the buddhas to turn the wheel of [[Dharma]]
# requesting the buddhas not to enter into nirvana;
# Requesting the buddhas not to pass into [[nirvana]]
# dedication of merit.
# Dedication of [[merit]]


This set usually only has [[seven branches]] or parts but, in this case, taking refuge is added as an eighth part.


== The eight branches as antidotes to the five poisons ==
== The Eight Branches as Antidotes to the Five Poisons ==
Through practising the seven or eight branches, the [[five disturbing emotions]] are reduced, the accumulation of merit is gathered without any hardship, and all obstacles for developing [[bodhichitta]] are removed. More specifically:


Traditionally, this set is called the [[seven branches]] with refuge as the eighth. Through the practice of the seven or eight branches, the five afflictions will be reduced, the accumulation of merit will be gathered in an easy manner, without any hardship, and all obstacles for  
*Making offerings is a remedy for [[miserliness]] and acts as an antidote against craving and attachment.
developing [[bodhichitta]] will be removed.
*Paying respect counteracts [[pride]] and offering prostrations overcomes arrogance.
*Taking refuge turns us away from taking wrong paths, while developing [[bodhichitta]] turns us away from lower paths.
*Confession is an antidote for [[ignorance]]. We accept and acknowledge all the mistakes based on ego-clinging that we have ever committed in this life and in all former lifetimes. Normally, we are not willing to admit our wrong actions and on this basis of clinging, we try to defend the validity of our mistaken actions. Confessing negativity, or unskillful actions which we have consciously committed, has the purpose of completely eliminating our clinging to what is wrong, our holding on to what is unvirtuous and our attachment to ignorance.
*Rejoicing is an antidote to envy and [[jealousy]]. Envy and jealousy come from the fear that others might be better than ourselves, or that they have something that we lack. Rejoicing in the qualities, achievements, and merit of others destroys our grasping to this fear.
*Requesting the [[buddha]]s to turn the wheel of [[Dharma]] is another remedy for ignorance since, when the buddhas turn the wheel of Dharma, the sun of [[wisdom]] arises. 
*Praying that the buddhas do not enter into [[nirvana]] is also an antidote to ignorance. Furthermore, it has the purpose of assuring that the Buddha’s teaching remains for a long time. It also incorporates the request for the longevity of one’s teacher or spiritual guide. The teacher is the root of the Dharma. The transmission of the ‘[[Dharma of transmission]]’ and the ‘[[Dharma of realization]]’ is based on one’s teacher and spiritual guide. Without a teacher, one is cut off from the root of the Dharma. Therefore, we request the buddhas, [[bodhisattva]]s and teachers to remain for a long time.
*Dedication is giving to others all the merit that we have acquired through our practice.


Making offerings is taught as a remedy for miserliness and as an antidote to the craving of attachment. Paying respect is to annihilate pride and offering prostrations arrogance. Taking refuge distances one from the wrong paths, and through bodhichitta you distance yourself from the lower paths. Confession
==Alternative Versions==
is an antidote to ignorance. You accept and acknowledge all the mistakes you have committed in this and all former lifetimes based on ego-clinging. Normally, we cling to our wrong actions and serves the
In some practices aspiration prayer (Tib. སྨོན་ལམ་, ''mönlam'', Wyl. ''smon lam'') is added to the traditional seven branches as the eighth branch.<ref>See, for example, ''[[Nyingtik Saldrön]]''.</ref>
mistakes. Confessing negativity  or unskillful volitional action purpose of annihilating the attachment of clinging to what is wrong, annihilating the attachment of holding on to what is inferior and annihilating the attachment to ignorance. Rejoicing is an antidote to envy and jealousy. Envy and jealousy are the fear that others are better than you are, or that others own something you lack. Rejoicing in the qualities, achievements, and merit of others destroys attachment to this fear. Requesting the [[buddha]]s to turn the wheel of [[dharma]] is another remedy for ignorance, since when the buddhas turn the wheel of dharma the sun of wisdom arises. 
Praying the buddhas not to enter into [[nirvana]] is also an antidote to ignorance.  
Furthermore, it has the purpose of assuring that the Buddha’s teaching remains for a long time. It incorporates as well the request for the longevity of one’s teacher and spiritual guide. The teacher is the root of the dharma. The transmission of the ‘dharma of scriptures’ and the ‘dharma of
realisation is based on one’s teacher and spiritual guide. Without a teacher, one is cut off from the root of the dharma. Therefore, one requests the buddhas, [[bodhisattva]]s and teachers to remain for a long time. Dedication is giving to others all the goodness one has acquired through one’s practice.


== for French students : Les huit branches comme antidotes aux cinq poisons ==
==Notes==
<small><references/></small>


Les huits branches (wyl. yan lag brgyad) pour rassembler l'accumulation de mérite sont :  
[[Category: Prayers and Practices]]
1.offrandes ;
[[Category: Enumerations]]
2.prosternations ;
[[Category:08-Eight]]
3.prendre refuge ;
4.confesser des pensées, paroles et actes negatifs ;
5.se réjouir des pensées paroles et actes éveillés ;
6.inviter les bouddhas à faire tourner la roue du dharma ;
7.inviter les bouddhas à  ne pas entrer dans le parinirvâna ;
8.dédicace des merites.
 
Les huit branches comme antidotes aux cinq poisons :
 
Traditionnellement, cet office s'appelle les sept branches avec le refuge en tant que huitième. Par la pratique des sept ou huit branches, les cinq afflictions seront réduites, les accumulations de mérite seront facilement rassemblées ou accomplies sans difficultés et tous les obstacles pour développer la bodhichitta seront enlevés.
 
Faire des offrandes est enseigné comme remède contre l'avarice et la pauvreté et comme antidote à l'attachement.
 
Les prosternations sont pratiquées comme remède afin d'annihiler l'orgueil et l'arrogance. Mais pas uniquement puique prendre refuge nous éloigne des vues, chemins et attitudes erronés dans leur ensemble, et par le développement de la bodhichitta (esprit d'éveil) nous nous éloignons des chemins  et mondes inférieurs.
 
La confession est un antidote à l'ignorance : c'est accepter et reconnaitre toutes les erreurs que nous avons commises en cette vie et dans toutes les vies antérieures, basées sur l'attachement à l'égo, afin de pouvoir les purifier.
Ordinairement, nous nous accrochons à nos actions erronées ce qui entretient les erreurs et donc la souffrance.
Aussi, admettre nos négativités ou nos actions volitionnelles permet d'annihiler l'attachement à ce qui est erroné, annihiler l'attachement permet d'annihiler l'attachement à l'ignorance et donc de dépasser et d'annihiler les mondes inférieurs.
 
Se réjouir est un antidote à l'envie et à la jalousie. L'envie et la jalousie sont la crainte que d'autres soient meilleurs que nous sommes, ou que d'autres possèdent quelque chose qui vous manque.
Se réjouir des qualités, les accomplissements, et du mérite d'autrui détruit l'attachement à cette crainte.
 
Inviter les buddhas à faire tourner la roue du dharma est un autre remède contre l'ignorance, car depuis  le premier tour de la roue du dharma par les bouddhas le soleil de la sagesse s'est levé.
 
La prière aux bouddhas de ne pas entrer dans le parinirvâna est également un antidote à l'ignorance. En outre, elle a pour but l'assurance que l'enseignement du Bouddha présent demeure pendant longtemps. Elle comprend aussi bien la demande de la longévité de son propre maître que celle des autres guides spirituels et celle de la lignée. Le maître est la racine du dharma. La transmission du dharma « des écritures » et du dharma « de la réalisation » est basée sur la relation pure à notre Maître-racine et guide spirituel. Sans maître, nous sommes séparé de la racine du dharma. Par conséquent, nous demandons aux buddhas, aux bodhisattvas et aux professeurs du dharma de rester pendant longtemps.
 
La Dédicace c'est donner aux autres tous les mérites de ce que nous avons pu accomplir pendant la pratique.
Sceler la dédicace est aussi important pour dédicacer l'ensemble des mérites de tous les bouddhas et boddhisattvas afin de fermer l'accès aux mondes inférieurs. D'où l'importance et l'excellence de la dédicace.

Latest revision as of 20:06, 29 August 2018

The eight branches (Tib. ཡན་ལག་བརྒྱད་, yenlak gyé, Wyl. yan lag brgyad) for gathering the accumulation of merit, which appear in chapters 2 and 3 of the Bodhicharyavatara are:

  1. Offering
  2. Prostration, or offering respect and homage
  3. Taking refuge
  4. Confession of negative actions
  5. Rejoicing
  6. Requesting the buddhas to turn the wheel of Dharma
  7. Requesting the buddhas not to pass into nirvana
  8. Dedication of merit

This set usually only has seven branches or parts but, in this case, taking refuge is added as an eighth part.

The Eight Branches as Antidotes to the Five Poisons

Through practising the seven or eight branches, the five disturbing emotions are reduced, the accumulation of merit is gathered without any hardship, and all obstacles for developing bodhichitta are removed. More specifically:

  • Making offerings is a remedy for miserliness and acts as an antidote against craving and attachment.
  • Paying respect counteracts pride and offering prostrations overcomes arrogance.
  • Taking refuge turns us away from taking wrong paths, while developing bodhichitta turns us away from lower paths.
  • Confession is an antidote for ignorance. We accept and acknowledge all the mistakes based on ego-clinging that we have ever committed in this life and in all former lifetimes. Normally, we are not willing to admit our wrong actions and on this basis of clinging, we try to defend the validity of our mistaken actions. Confessing negativity, or unskillful actions which we have consciously committed, has the purpose of completely eliminating our clinging to what is wrong, our holding on to what is unvirtuous and our attachment to ignorance.
  • Rejoicing is an antidote to envy and jealousy. Envy and jealousy come from the fear that others might be better than ourselves, or that they have something that we lack. Rejoicing in the qualities, achievements, and merit of others destroys our grasping to this fear.
  • Requesting the buddhas to turn the wheel of Dharma is another remedy for ignorance since, when the buddhas turn the wheel of Dharma, the sun of wisdom arises.
  • Praying that the buddhas do not enter into nirvana is also an antidote to ignorance. Furthermore, it has the purpose of assuring that the Buddha’s teaching remains for a long time. It also incorporates the request for the longevity of one’s teacher or spiritual guide. The teacher is the root of the Dharma. The transmission of the ‘Dharma of transmission’ and the ‘Dharma of realization’ is based on one’s teacher and spiritual guide. Without a teacher, one is cut off from the root of the Dharma. Therefore, we request the buddhas, bodhisattvas and teachers to remain for a long time.
  • Dedication is giving to others all the merit that we have acquired through our practice.

Alternative Versions

In some practices aspiration prayer (Tib. སྨོན་ལམ་, mönlam, Wyl. smon lam) is added to the traditional seven branches as the eighth branch.[1]

Notes

  1. ↑ See, for example, Nyingtik Saldrön.
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