The King of Aspiration Prayers of Noble, Excellent Activity.

Kagyu Monlam & Prayers.

During the Kagyu Monlam, many prayers are recited, but particularly the “King of Aspiration Prayers” or “Samantabhadra Wishing Prayer”. And it comes from a collection of sutras, which contains a great number of aspiration prayers (since sutras are the preserved teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni, these are prayers he himself would have spoken).

This particular aspiration prayer, the “Samantabhadra Wishing Prayer” is said to be the king of all aspiration prayers. Among the sixteen points it has, the first section is the seven-branch prayer.

The collected efforts of all the individuals gathered produce a hundred thousand or more recitations and contribute to the development of positive disposition and wisdom, necessary in order to reach enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings.

You can download “The King of Aspiration Prayers of Noble, Excellent Activity” here :
http://www.bodhipath.org/sangcho_monlam/

Source: http://moenlam.dorje.de/prayers/.

See also, if You wish: Aspirations & Dedication.


How should we perceive Karmapa's activity?

'Dear Dharma Friends,

On March 29, 2017, Trinley Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa shared the joyous news of his marriage to Khandro Rinchen Yangzom. Students from around the world, East and West, are responding to this momentous occasion in our lineage. I feel compelled to express the great confidence with which we can embrace this event.

(...)

So how should we perceive the Karmapa’s activity? A Buddha’s activity is beyond our concepts and beyond our limitations, as one can read in Samantabhadra’s Prayer of Excellent Conduct. When we rely on our own limitations, it does not limit the Karmapa’s activity, but through our wrong views, rather, we limit our own active participation in collective virtuous activity.

When limited by wrong views, how can we respond? The ways in which buddhas and bodhisattvas benefit beings are absolutely, inconceivably profound. We can therefore recite Samantabhadra’s Prayer of Excellent Conduct to remind ourselves about the inconceivable vastness of Buddha activity. We can recite Calling the Guru from Afar to recall our own conditions, and to supplicate masters of the past in helping us to overcome them. We can remember the bodhisattvas who have manifested in our own lifetimes, such as Shamar Rinpoche, and recall their life events with gratitude. We can rely on the words of the Karmapa himself: “I have a strong feeling, deep within my heart, that my decision to marry will have a positive impact not only for me, but also for the lineage.

. . .Something beautiful, something beneficial will emerge, for all of us.”

(...)'

Source: Reflection of the Moon in Water.