A Devotion to Our Teachers
There is a daily prayer that we recite to honor our teacher(s). The more I took on this daily prayer, the more I developed a connection to my teacher and appreciated these qualities that he possesses. If only we gave such endearing respect to all of our teachers in the West... Anyway, here is the ཡོན་ཏན་གཞི་གྱུར་མ། Zhigyurma, or The Foundation of All Good Qualities:
The foundation of all good qualities is the kind and perfect, pure guru; correct devotion to him is the root of the path. By clearly seeing this and applying great effort, please bless me to rely upon him with great respect.
Understanding that the precious freedom of this rebirth is found only once, is greatly meaningful and difficult to find again, please bless me to generate the mind that unceasingly, day and night, takes its essence.
This life is as impermanent as a water bubble; Remember how quickly it decays and death comes. After death, just like a shadow follows the body, the results of black and white karma follow.
Finding firm and definite conviction in this, please bless me always to be careful to abandon even the slightest of negativities and accomplish all virtuous deeds.
Seeking samsaric pleasures is the door to all suffering; they are uncertain and cannot be relied upon. Recognizing these shortcomings, Please bless me to generate the strong wish for the bliss of liberation.
Led by this pure thought, mindfulness, alertness and great caution arise. The root of the teachings is keeping the pratimoksha vows; Please bless me to accomplish this essential practice.
Just as I have fallen into the sea of samsara, so have all mother migratory beings. Bless me to see this, train in supreme bodhicitta, And bear the responsibility of freeing migratory beings.
Even if I develop only bodhicitta, without practicing the three types of morality, I will not achieve enlightenment. With my clear recognition of this, please bless me to practice the bodhisattva vows with great energy.
Once I have pacified distractions to wrong objects and correctly analyzing the meaning of reality, please bless me to generate quickly within my mind-stream, the unified path of calm abiding and special insight.
Having become a pure vessel by training in the general path, pease bless me to enter the holy gateway of the fortunate ones: the supreme vajra vehicle.
At that time, the basis of accomplishing the two attainments is keeping pure vows and samaya. As I have become firmly convinced of this, please bless me to protect these vows and pledges like my life.
Then, having realized the importance of the two stages, the essence of the Vajrayana, by practicing with great energy, never giving up the four sessions, please bless me to realize the teachings of the holy guru.
Like that, may the gurus who show the noble path and the spiritual friends who practice it have long lives. Please bless me to pacify completely all outer and inner hindrances.
In all my lives, never separated from perfect gurus, may I enjoy the magnificent Dharma.
By completing the qualities of the stages and paths, may I quickly attain the state of Vajradhara.
