Verses of the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones

The Verses of the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones (Wyl. ‘phags pa bkra shis brgyad pa’i tshigs su bcad pa) were written down in 1896 by Jampal Gyepé Dorjé (Wyl. ‘jam dpal dgyes pa’i rdo rje), otherwise known as Jamgön Mipham Gyatso or Ju Mipham Rinpoche (1846-1912)—a great Nyingma master and writer of the last century—based on a sutra with a similar title, "The Sutra of Eightfold Auspiciousness". Mipham also wrote a short commentary on the prayer.

These verses of auspiciousness invoke the power of goodness exemplified by the buddhas and bodhisattvas, so that any harm or obstacles may be overcome. As it says in the colophon to the prayer:

If you recite this upon waking, all the tasks of the day will be accomplished. If you recite it when going to sleep, it will bring you good dreams. If you recite it when entering battle, it will bring total victory. If you recite it at the outset of a project, all aims and wishes will be fulfilled. If you recite it continually, you will enjoy a long life, glory, renown, prosperity, auspiciousness, abundant happiness and positivity, and the fulfilment of all wishes; all your misdeeds and obscurations will be purified, and you will achieve the higher realms and liberation. This was declared by the sublime victorious one himself.

In more detail, these verses invoke and pay homage to:

• the Three Jewels,
• the Eight Sugatas,
• the eight great bodhisattvas, each holding their emblem,
• the eight offering goddesses, each holding one of the eight auspicious symbols, and
• the Eight Guardians of the World, each one holding their divine emblem.

As explained in "The Sutra of Eightfold Auspiciousness", there is power in reciting the names of these particular eight buddhas because their aspirations were quite extraordinary, and their buddha realms are exceptionally pure:

1. (Tib. Drönmé Gyalpo) The King of Lamps, 2. (Tib. Tsalten Döndrup Gong) Stable Strength of Wisdom Accomplishing all Aims, 3. (Tib. Jampé Gyen Pal) Glorious Adornament of Love, 4. (Tib. Gédrak Paldampa) Sacred & Glorious One Renowned for Virtue, 5. (Tib. Kunla Gongpa Gyacher Drakpa Chen) Vastly Renowned and Considerate of All, 6. (Tib. Lhunpo Tar Pak Tsal Drak Pal) Glorious One Renowned as Perfectly Strong and Exalted like a Mountain, 7. (Tib. Semchen Tamchela Gong Drakpé Pal) Glorious One Renowned as Considerate of All Sentient Beings,8. (Tib. Yitsim Dzépa Tsal Rap Drak Pal) Glorious One Renowned as Perfectly Strong who Satisfies the Minds of Beings.

Tibetan Texts in Mipham’s Collected Works (digital version)

• [Prayer] - ‘phags pa bkra shis brgyad pa’i tshigs su bcad pa – Vol. 1, pp.1-4
• [Commentary] - bkra shis brgyad pa’i don bshad – Vol. 1, pp.5-12

Internal Links

• Mipham Rinpoche Timeline

External Links

• English translation on Lotsawa House