A SADHANA OF ARAPACANA MANJUSHRI If one who has been ripened by initiation, wishes to meditate upon the LORD MANJUSHRI, then he should recite the following Formula of Refuge a number of times, with devotion from the heart.

In the most holy Guru who is the quintessence of the qualities and deeds of the body, voice and mind of all the Tathagatas abiding in the ten directions and the three times, the source of the eighty-four thousand articles of the Doctrine and Master of the Noble Assemblies -

I and all living beings, equal to the bounds of space, from this time forth until the essence of Enlightenment is reached steadfastly take Refuge in that venerable Root Guru and in the Holy Masters of the lineage; take Refuge in the Blessed Accompliwhed Buddhas; take Refuge in the Holy Teachings; take Refuge in the Noble Assemblies.

(Recite the following three times:)

For the sake of all sentient beings I must attain the stage of a Perfectly Enlightened One; for that purpose I practice this recitation and meditation of the Lord Manjushri.

In one's heart is a moon disc, upon which is an orange syllable DHIH, form which light rays issue forth (to invoke) the Lord Manjushri, who is not different from one's Guru, surrounded by an assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

(Perform the vajra-invoking mudra while saying:)OM VAJRA SAMAJAH

(then with hands together at the forehead:)NAMO GURUBHYAH

(then with hands together at the heart:)NAMO ARYA MANJUSHRIBHYAM (Now, while performing the individual mudras, imagine that the eight offerings are made by the goddesses who issue from one's heart:) OM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA ARGHAM AH HUM (Drinking water)OM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA PADYAM AH HUM (Washing water)OM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA PUSHPE AH HUM (Flowers)OM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA DHUPE AH HUM (Incense)OM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA ALOKE AH HUM (Lamp)OM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA GANDHE AH HUM (Scented water)OM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA NAIVIDYE AH HUM (Food)

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OM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA SHABDA AH HUM (Music) (With hands held together at the heart, recite the following prayer 3 x :)

In the Triple Gem I take Refuge, and confess individually all sins. I rejoice in the virtuous deeds of all beings, and keep in mind the Enlightenment of the Buddhas. In Buddha, Dharma and the Excellent Assembly I take Refuge until Enlightenment is reached. In order to accomplish my own and others' aim, I produce this excellent Enlightenment Thought. Having produced this excellent Enlightenment Thought, I invite all beings. I practice the pleasing and excellent conduct of the Enlightened and dedicate (this merit) that all beings may achieve Enlightenment.

(Recite the Four Immeasurables:)

LOVE May all living beings have happiness and the cause of itCOMPASSION May all be apart from sorrow and the cause of sorrowJOY May all never be separated from the bliss that is sorrowlessEQUANIMITY May all abandon attachment and aversion to things by living with

equanimity. (Meditate upon emptiness; as one recites the mantra, the mind is purified of the delusion of existing things.)OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHAH SARVA DHARMAH SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM

One's heart is like an empty egg. Within it, from PAM ( ) arises a lotus, and from A ( ) arises a moon disc. Upon this, is the syllable DHIH ( ), brilliant orange like the colour of burnished gold. From the DHIH ( ), light rays issue, and having dispelled the darkness of ignorance of all sentient beings, places them in the light of real Transcendental Knowledge. The blessings - namely, the qualities, compassion, knowledge pride, unimpaired memory, and the like - of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions are gathered (in the form of orange light) and are absorbed into the DHIH ( ) in one's heart. From a complete transformation of this (syllable) one arises as the Blessed One, the Lord Manjushri, whose body is orange in colour, like a young saffron, with one face and two hands. In his right hand he holds a flaming sword of Wisdom (orange in colour). In his uplifted left hand he holds at his heart the stem of an Uptala flower (which blooms) at his left shoulder and upon which is a Tibetan book of the Prajnaparamita Sutra. His hair hangs down on the left, and he wears a jewelled head ornament, a necklace and a skirt of multi coloured silk. He appears as a sixteen year old youth, seated in the vajra-position. He is of the nature of light (shinning like a moon's image dancing on water) and there is a moon-disc behind his head. On his forehead is a white OM ( ) on a moon-disc, at his throat is a red AH ( ) on a lotus, and at his heart is a blue HUM ( ) on a sun-disc. In the centre of his heart, just below the HUM ( ) is a yellow four-spoked wisdom cakra on a moon-disc. To the right of centre is a DHIH ( ), to the left is a A ( ), and at (the tips of) the spokes are RA ( ) at the front and (going clockwise) PA TSA NA ( ).

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Light rays issue from the DHIH ( ) to invoke from his natural abode the Lord Manjushri surrounded by an assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

(Recite the mantras with the appropriate mudras:)

OM VAJRA SAMAJAH

JAH HUM BAH HOH

They are non-dually absorbed into oneself (in the form of Manjushri). Again light rays issue from the seed-syllable in the Heart DHIH to invoke the deities of consecration together with their retinues.

OM VAJRA SAMAJAH

OM ABHISHINCA TUMAN

OM VAJRIBHAVA ABHISHINCA HUM

As one speaks the (five) deities of consecrations (Akshobhya, etc.) bestow consecration by pouring water from consecrated vases upon the crown of one's head. One's body is filled with consecrated water, all defilements are purified, water overflows at the top of one's head, and one's head is adorned by Akshobhya. Light rays now issue form the wisdom cakra and the mantra-rosary in one's heart, removing the impurities of sins, obscurations, evil deeds and ignorance of all sentient beings and they assume the form of Manjushri. All the knowledge, love and wisdom of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, having arisen in the form of yellow light, is absorbed into the letters of the wisdom cakra, thus blessing one's mind stream.

OM A RA PA CA NA DHIH

(This is the mantra, which one should recite as much as possible, or as long as one's mind remains happy.)

Upon one's tongue (toward the back) an orange syllable DHIH lies (with the head back), and from this syllable light rays issue forth. Imagine that all faults and failings of voice are thereby purified. Then recite DHIH 108 times in one exhalation.

(Now pray thus:)

O Blessed One, having cleared away all sins, obscurations and the darkness of delusion from myself and all sentient beings, please bestow blessings so that the special wisdom of the realization of selflessness may arise in our mind-streams.

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(Again the eight offerings are made by the goddesses who issue from the heart:)

OM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA ARGHAM PRATICCHA SVAHAOM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA PADYAM PRATICCHA SVAHAOM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA PUSHPE PRATICCHA SVAHAOM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA DHUPE PRATICCHA SVAHAOM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA ALOKE PRATICCHA SVAHAOM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA GANDHE PRATICCHA SVAHAOM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA NAIVIDYE PRATICCHA SVAHAOM ARYA MANJUSHRI SAPARIVARA SHABDA PRATICCHA SVAHA

(Recite the following verse of praise:)

I prostrate to him who possesses the body of a youth, Manjushri, who clears away the darkness of the three realms and who causes the lamp of Transcendental Knowledge to burn brightly (in our hearts). (Then if one wishes to arise from the meditation then recite the `Gang gi Lodre':)

Hymm to Manjughosha

Whose wisdom like the sun is free / Of the twin veils clouds, With most pure perfect clarity sees / All subjects, however many, as they are: So to his heart a book he holds.

Those who are in the prison of the world, / Bewildered in the darkness of ignorance, / Oppressed by sorrows - To all the crowds of wandering ones, Loving is he, as to an only son.

Possessing sixty tones, his voice / like a dragon roaring loudly, Wakes from the sleep of defilements; / From the iron bonds of Karma setting free, / The darkness of ignorance he dispels / And cuts off the sproutings of misery / However many, wielding a sword.

Pure from the beginning, having gone / To the Tenth Stage's end, and, The body of virtues perfected, / The foremost Son of the Victorious Ones / Whose form is adorned with ornaments / Ten times ten and twelve, Making clear our minds of darkness: / Manjughosha to you I bow!

Dedicate the merit thus:

By this virtue, having attained to the stage of the Lord Manjushri, may I quickly place upon His stage all sentient beings without exception.

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(This Sadhana, which is given in the Tuthab Kuntu, Volume kha, 265-68, was composed by the Sakyapa Bhikshu Gagana Shribhadra, a Thartshe Khempo of Ngor Monastery. It was translated into English at Rajpur on April 7th 1977 by Ngawang Samten Chophel. The Hymm to Manjughosha is the translation of Ngawang Sonam Tenzin. By this merit may all beings be happy, and may they attain the bliss and wisdom of the stage of Manjushri.)

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