Maratika, also known by its local name of Halesi, is the site of the caves in Khotang District in eastern Nepal where the great master Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) achieved immortality with the dakini Mandarava.

The prayer translated here, composed by Khenpo Gyurme Thegchog Gyaltsen, is a concise guide to the holy places and holy objects of Maratika in the form of a request. It also tells of the history and origin of the caves, the unique characteristics of the environment, the etymology of the place’s name, and the particular practices to be done. The prayer is a condensed version of the Guidebook to Maratika compiled by the current Maratika Lama from ancient and modern traditional written and oral sources.

Khenpo Gyurme Thegchog Gyaltsen offered a copy of this prayer to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during a long life retreat in the main cave in 2016. Due to that auspiciousness, Rinpoche translated the prayer into English and requested that it be made available in Tibetan, English, and Nepali to benefit the many Buddhist pilgrims visiting Maratika’s holy places.

16 pages, 2017 edition.