Seven branches
Seven branches (Skt. saptāṅga; Tib. yenlak dün; Wyl. yan lag bdun) — As Chökyi Drakpa says: "The seven branch practice (or the seven aspects of devotional practice) incorporates all the key points for gathering the accumulations." They are:
- prostration, the antidote to pride
- offering, the antidote to avarice
- confession, the antidote to aggression[1]
- rejoicing, the antidote to jealousy
- requesting to turn the wheel of Dharma, the antidote to ignorance
- requesting not to pass into parinirvana, the antidote to wrong views[2]
- dedication of merit, the antidote to doubts
Alternative Translations
- Seven aspects of devotional practice
- Sevenfold service (Dorje & Kapstein)
- Seven limbs (Geshe Thupten Jinpa)
Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha
- Sogyal Rinpoche, Tuncurry, 10-11 March 2011
- Sogyal Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 26, 29 April, 5 May 1998
Further Reading
- Patrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher, (Boston: Shambhala, Revised edition, 1998), 'Faith', pages 317-328.
Notes
- ↑ In Lala Sonam Chödrup's famous commentary on the Prayer of Sukhavati (bde smon), confession is said to be an antidote to ignorance, whereas requesting to turn the wheel of Dharma is said to be the antidote to abandoning the Dharma.
- ↑ In Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö's famous commentary on guru yoga, Yeshe Saldrön, requesting to turn the wheel of Dharma is said to be an antidote to holding wrong views, whereas requesting not to pass into parinirvana is given as the antidote to ignorance.