Anuttarā-pūjā

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Key Term	anuttarā-pūjā
Hover Popup Choices	supreme worship;; peerless offering;
In Tibetan Script	བླ་ན་མེད་པའི་མཆོད་པ་
Wylie Tibetan Transliteration	bla na med pa'i mchod pa
Devanagari Sanskrit Script	अनुत्तरापूजा
Romanized Sanskrit	anuttarā-pūjā
Tibetan Phonetic Rendering	lana mepay chöpa
Chinese Script	無上供養
Chinese Pinyin	wúshàng gòngyǎng
Japanese Transliteration	mujyō kuyo
Korean Script	musang gongyang
English Standard	supreme worship
Alternate Spellings	saptāṅga-vidhi; yan lag bdun pa; seven-branch service
Term Type	Noun
Source Language	Sanskrit
NEW: Context Descriptions (Glossary-DefinitionTsadra)	Abhidharma (Indo-Tibetan): While primarily a Mahāyāna liturgical practice, the elements within the supreme worship, such as confession (deśanā) and rejoicing (anumodanā), are analyzed as specific mental factors and activities that counteract afflictions (kleśa). Rejoicing, for instance, serves as a direct antidote to jealousy and resentment, while confession addresses the traces of non-virtuous actions stored in the mental continuum. Mahāyāna (Indo-Tibetan): In the Mahāyāna tradition, anuttarā-pūjā is the standard preliminary practice for engaging in the bodhisattva path. It is most famously detailed in the Bhadracarīpraṇidhāna (The Prayer of Good Conduct). The seven branches (yan lag bdun) are: Prostration (vandanā; T. phyag 'tshal ba): Overcoming pride by honoring the enlightened ones. Offering (pūjanā; T. mchod pa): Cultivating generosity and counteracting attachment. Confession (pāpadeśanā; T. sdig pa bshags pa): Purifying past negative karmic imprints. Rejoicing (anumodanā; T. rjes su yi rang ba): Cultivating a positive mind by delighting in the virtue of others. Requesting the Turning of the Wheel of Dharma (adhyeṣaṇā; T. chos kyi 'khor lo bskor bar bskul ba): Creating the causes to always encounter the teachings. Beseeching the Buddhas to remain (yācanā; T. gsol ba 'debs pa): Counteracting the view of permanence and requesting teachers to stay in the world. Dedication (pariṇāmanā; T. bsngo ba): Ensuring that the merit accumulated is not lost but directed toward the enlightenment of all beings. Vajrayāna (Indo-Tibetan): In the context of Tantra, these seven branches are an essential preliminary for the generation stage (utpattikrama) and are often expanded or localized within a specific deity's sādhana. The supreme worship is seen as the necessary "soil" in which the "seed" of the deity yoga can grow. It is also linked to the "accumulation of merit" that must precede the "accumulation of wisdom."
NEW: Glossary-PopUpBeginnerDefinition	A foundational Mahāyāna Buddhist ritual known as 'Supreme Worship' or the 'Seven-Branch Service.' It consists of seven parts—such as prostrating, making offerings, and confessing mistakes—designed to clear away negative energy and build the positive mental conditions needed for spiritual progress.
NEW: Glossary-PopUpScholarDefinition	The anuttarā-pūjā (T. bla na med pa'i mchod pa) is a liturgical structure central to Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna practice, often identified with the saptāṅga-vidhi (Seven-Branch Service). It functions as a systematic method for the accumulation of merit (puṇyasaṃbhāra) and the purification of obscurations. The seven branches typically include prostration, offering, confession, rejoicing, requesting the turning of the wheel of Dharma, beseeching the buddhas not to pass into nirvāṇa, and dedication of merit.
NEW: Glossary-DefinitionBodhicittaWiki	The anuttarā-pūjā is intrinsically linked to the development of bodhicitta. By systematically purifying the mind and accumulating merit through the seven branches, a practitioner creates the necessary internal environment for the altruistic aspiration to enlightenment to take root and remain stable. The final branch, dedication (pariṇāmanā), is particularly significant for the bodhisattva, as it involves the radical act of giving away all accumulated spiritual merit for the benefit of all sentient beings, mirroring the selflessness required for full awakening.
NEW: Glossary-DefinitionLotsawas	supreme worship; seven-branch service; sevenfold offering; sevenfold prayer; seven-limb practice
Definitions