Loading
Posts
The Song of Victory is an extemporaneous vajra doha sung by His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. In this short yet profound text, His Holiness presents four essential pith instructions: the non-dual wisdom in the context of Mahayana and Vajrayana teachings, Bodhichitta, renunciation, and virtuous character.
Together, these four instructions distill the essence of the Buddha’s 84,000 teachings, drawing on His Holiness’s lifelong study, practice, and realization. For those who aspire to follow the Dharma, reciting this text is regarded as a powerful means of strengthening one’s aspirations and overcoming obstacles along the path.
“His Holiness’s Song of Victory became, for many of us at the time, a symbol of victory in its own right. Whatever each of us may struggle with—afflictive emotions, illness, fear, or the psychological difficulties some people face today—my hope is that, by relying on this supreme method, each of us may find complete liberation in some area of our lives.”
— Khenpo Sodargye
In 1996, His Holiness sang this vajra doha spontaneously before an assembly of nearly five thousand monastics. In the decades since, practitioners have continued to recite it with the aspiration of clearing away obstacles and creating favorable conditions for their Dharma practice. Today, The Song of Victory has been translated into 75 languages, making its blessings accessible to practitioners around the world.
Click here to watch multilingual teachings on the text.
In September 1995, His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche’s health deteriorated while he was in Chengdu. He remained there for more than five months, spending much of that time in deep meditative absorption.
One night, he had a dream in which Venerable Atisha, Dromtönpa, Jamgön Mipham, and Lama Lodrö appeared before him. Dromtönpa told him that they had come because Atisha was deeply concerned for him, and that “the great, surging waves of the ocean” would subside on March 10—indicating that His Holiness would fully recover from his illness by that time.
Just as foretold, His Holiness gradually regained his health and had recovered completely by March 10, 1996. Later that year, after returning to Larung Gar, he sang The Song of Victory spontaneously before the assembled Sangha on September 21.
The song is called The Song of Victory because it celebrates victory over outer, inner, and secret obstacles. Through reliance on the blessings of the guru and the Three Jewels, practitioners are encouraged to transform obstacles on the path into conditions favorable to spiritual practice.
His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche repeatedly emphasized the profound significance and blessing of The Song of Victory. He encouraged teachers to recite or explain it before giving Dharma teachings, and practitioners to recite it before beginning their practice, as a means of dispelling obstacles and supporting the fulfillment of wholesome aspirations.
When difficulties arise in the course of studying or practicing the Dharma, reciting the song—or even carrying a copy of the text—is traditionally regarded as a way of transforming unfavorable circumstances into favorable conditions.
According to the commentary, The Song of Victory did not arise from ordinary conceptual thought, but spontaneously from His Holiness's realization and wisdom, under the blessings of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. For this reason, practitioners regard studying, reciting, and contemplating the text as especially meaningful.
Though brief, the song distills the essence of both the sutra and tantra teachings and preserves profound instructions drawn from His Holiness's lifetime of study and practice.
His Holiness repeatedly encouraged those who had taken refuge in him to memorize The Song of Victory and understand its meaning deeply, saying that doing so would bring great benefit throughout their lives. The benefits extend not only to those who study and contemplate its teachings, but also to those who hear it recited or simply come into contact with the text.
How to Begin:
This is not merely a text to be admired from a distance, but one to be remembered, recited, and brought into daily life. Through reliance on the blessings of His Holiness, the guru, and the Three Jewels, you too can transform the obstacles that arise on your path into the very conditions that lead to liberation.
