The Lion Lotsawa is committed to offering English translations and transliterations of Tibetan Buddhist prayers to practitioners and scholars free of charge. However, there are some important ethical points to consider:

Vajrayana (aka Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism) is an esoteric tradition, passed down from guru to disciple in a chain known as a “lineage.” The lineage, and the blessings derived therefrom, are central to traversing the Vajra path, as most practices require that the practitioner be initiated into the affiliated lineage by a qualified guru.

Per the Vajrayana tradition, such practices should not and cannot be practiced without proper initiation; and if one is fortunate enough to receive initiation, it is a breech of tantric vows (Skt. samaya) to share such practices or prayers with others without permission from the respective lineage.

Therefore, The Lion Lotsawa only makes publicly available those practices and prayers which DO NOT REQUIRE initiation. This is as much about protecting our own vows as it is about saving our readers from obstacles.

However, if readers intend to use The Lion Lotsawa’s translations in their practice, they should still only do so with the guidance from their guru. Even those practices that do not require initiation (Tib. དབང་, Wyl. dbang) should still be properly contextualized by a guru via transmission (Tib. ལུང་, Wyl. lung) and explanation (Tib. ཁྲིད་, Wyl. khrid).

May all beings benefit.