Samantabhadra’s King of Prayers is a practice text composed to help us cultivate the heart qualities of kindness, care, concern, love and compassion.  Developing these qualities will help bring us peace of mind, confidence and a heightened sense of purpose, as well as nurturing and strengthening our relationships. 

Beginning with the seven bodhisattva practices or preliminaries, this prayer is a series of aspirations to lead us step by step along the bodhisattva path.   Geshe Tashi once again turns to Jetsun Drakpa Shedrup to guide us through the material, who in turn references a series of commentaries including one by Nagarjuna in the 2nd century CE.

As always, Geshe Tashi’s emphasis in these teachings is on how we can best experience the material for ourselves.

In this class Geshe la gives a translation and commentary on verses nine to twelve, covering the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh of the Seven Preliminary Practices.  This is a great opportunity to learn how to set up a meditation practice, or take your current understanding further. 

The fourth Preliminary Practice is Rejoicing, and Geshe la puts it well when he calls it Appreciating.  The fifth is Requesting the Buddhas to Teach; the sixth Requesting the Buddhas to Stay; and the seventh is Dedication.  

You can find details of upcoming classes as well as the text available for download here.