Toh 820The Verses of Auspiciousness for the Thirty-Seven Deities

Exposition of the Scripture of the Verses of Auspiciousness for the Thirty-Seven Deities

Background

The scripture Verses of Auspiciousness for the Thirty-Seven Deities (Toh 820) belongs to the Tibetan Northern canon and is found in the Kangyur, the collection of fundamental scriptures of Tibetan Buddhism. This work reflects the Mahayana tradition with the distinctive elements of the Tibetan Northern tradition, especially its approach to bodhisattvas, buddhas, and protective deities within the system of spiritual practice.

The number "thirty-seven" is not accidental. In the history of the Dharma, this number is connected with the thirty-seven factors leading to awakening (bodhipakkhiya dhamma), including the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the noble eightfold path. However, this scripture appears to apply this number to a distinct sacred context of the Tibetan Northern tradition, where bodhisattvas and deities are regarded as sources of blessing, protection, and guidance for practitioners.

Main Content

This scripture centers on praising and restoring verses of auspiciousness dedicated to the thirty-seven deities. In the Tibetan Northern tradition, the concept of "verses of auspiciousness" (mangala) is not merely formal words of blessing, but Dharma utterances with the power to transform the mind, similar to the Paritta, or protective scriptures, in the Theravada tradition.

The deities in this scripture may include eminent bodhisattvas such as Avalokitesvara and Ksitigarbha, as well as other protective deities honored in Tibetan Northern practice. Each represents an aspect of the bodhisattva path, from immeasurable compassion and boundless wisdom to the power to protect those who practice correctly.

The structure of the scripture appears to be a series of recited verses, in which each stanza not only praises the noble qualities of each deity but also invokes their intervention, blessing, and protection.