Requesting Teachings and Continued Guidance in the Seven-Branch Prayer

In a seven-branch prayer, two requests concern receiving Dharma: asking for teachings and asking that the sources of guidance remain available. Reading the two together helps you notice both the teaching you hope to receive and the conditions that allow others to receive it.

What the two requests ask for

In The Brightly Shining Sun, Patrul Rinpoche identifies requesting the turning of the Dharma wheel, requesting not to pass into nirvāṇa and dedication as the fifth, sixth and seventh branches. He directs the reader to the meaning of the verses from Śāntideva's Bodhicaryāvatāra. The first request asks the buddhas to illuminate confusion through Dharma; the next asks them to remain rather than leave beings without guidance. [1]

“Turning the Dharma wheel” here concerns teaching Dharma. It does not mean that a beginner must obtain a physical wheel before making a request. If an unfamiliar ritual object appears in the commentary you are using, ask your teacher how that instruction applies within the practice you have been given.

Keep the wish for guidance in view when reading the words. You can ask what the teaching is intended to clarify, who it is addressed to and what preparation is needed before attending.

Why the order may differ in another text

Lama Zopa Rinpoche's early Kopan explanation places requesting the buddhas to remain before requesting them to reveal the teachings. He explains remaining in terms of the continued presence of emanations that guide beings, not the idea that buddhas otherwise become nonexistent. [2]

Those two presentations reverse the order of the requests. Follow the text used by your teacher or center rather than moving lines around to match a list from another source. When discussing the practice, name the request as well as its number.

A precise question is: “In our text, does this line request teachings or request that the teachers remain? How should I understand it in the surrounding practice?” That gives the teacher an identifiable passage to explain.

Connect appreciation with a specific opportunity

The traditional requests are religious aspirations. An ordinary practical response can accompany them: learn how a teaching is organized and what would help you attend with attention. The suggestions here are supplied by this site, rather than presented as a substitute liturgy.

For a class you hope to attend, check the subject, language, intended audience and whether it requires prior study or other preparation. Ask the organizer which text to bring and whether a translation or accessible format is available.

If you need interpretation, captions or help entering the venue, ask before the session when possible. An event title alone will not tell you which arrangements are available. Our guide to a first visit to a Tibetan Buddhist center covers related questions about attending.

Make an ordinary request the organizer can answer

You can express interest without deciding the teacher's schedule. For example: “I would like to understand the two requests in the seven-branch prayer. Is there an introductory explanation planned, or a recommended recorded teaching?”

Ask through the contact route the center provides. Include the text or topic and your level of familiarity. Wait for an answer before assuming a private appointment or a new public class has been arranged.

If a teaching is offered, read the attendance instructions and respect any limits on recording or sharing. Request permission before making your own recording. Receiving a link does not tell you whether you may redistribute the session or its accompanying materials.

Keep the aspiration separate from a health prediction

A request for teachers to remain expresses a wish for continued guidance. This article makes no prediction about any teacher's lifespan or health. Follow the prayer and explanations supplied by your tradition without turning an aspiration into a test of whether you prayed successfully.

When a center announces a cancellation, illness or change of teacher, use its stated arrangements. Ask what study can continue and where reliable updates will appear. Avoid filling an absence of information with a religious explanation of someone else's condition.

You may be able to support the teaching you already have through attendance, careful study or an agreed volunteer task. Choose a task the organizer has requested and that you can complete, such as preparing the room or helping distribute permitted materials.

After a teaching, return to its meaning

Write down one point you understood and one question that remains. If your notes conflict with the text, bring that passage to the next suitable opportunity for questions. You do not need to defend an uncertain recollection as the teacher's exact words.

Our article on listening and remembering discusses a traditional framework for receiving teachings. Here, the practical next step is small: identify the guidance you are requesting, check how to receive it and make use of the opportunity offered.

Sources and further reading

1. The Brightly Shining Sun. Patrul Rinpoche; translated by Adam Pearcey, 2004, revised 2007 and 2019; version 3.5, 2025. Seven-branch section. Lotsawa House.
2. A Meditation Practice. Lama Zopa Rinpoche; Kopan Courses 3 and 4, 1972–1973; edited by Gordon McDougall. Seven-limb section. Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
3. The Seven-Line Prayer. Guru Chöwang terma text; Rigpa Translations, 2004; version 1.5, 2025. Lotsawa House. Prayer identification only.

Sources checked October 30, 2026. Written with AI assistance and checked against the linked texts. The examples and brief review are supplied by this site; they do not replace instruction from a qualified teacher.