Saptavidhā anuttarā pūjā

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Key Term	saptavidhā anuttarā pūjā
Hover Popup Choices	seven-branch service; sevenfold offering; seven-limb practice; seven-limb prayer
In Tibetan Script	བླ་ན་མེད་པའི་མཆོད་པ་བདུན་
Wylie Tibetan Transliteration	bla na med pa'i mchod pa bdun
Devanagari Sanskrit Script	सप्तविधा अनुत्तरा पूजा
Romanized Sanskrit	saptavidhā anuttarā pūjā
Tibetan Phonetic Rendering	lana mepay chöpa dun
Chinese Script	七支供養; 七種無上供養
Chinese Pinyin	qīzhī gòngyǎng; qīzhǒng wúshàng gòngyǎng
Japanese Transliteration	shichishi kuyō
Korean Script	chilji gongyang
English Standard	sevenfold supreme worship
Alternate Spellings	saptāṅga-pūjā; yan lag bdun pa'i mchod pa; supreme worship; seven-branch service
Term Type	Noun
Source Language	Sanskrit
Basic Meaning	The seven-limb prayer is done to purify negative karma, and to create positive potential. These are performed to prepare our minds for meditation on the stages of the path
NEW: Context Descriptions (Glossary-DefinitionTsadra)	Mahāyāna (Indo-Tibetan): In the Mahāyāna tradition, supreme worship is the primary method for amassing the "collection of merit" (puṇyasaṃbhāra), which provides the necessary conditions for the realization of wisdom. It is most famously detailed in the Bhadracarīpraṇidhāna (The Prayer of Good Conduct of Samantabhadra), where the branches (yan lag) are presented as a comprehensive path of mental transformation. The seven branches are: Prostration (vandanā; T. phyag 'tshal ba): Honoring the enlightened ones to counteract pride and cultivate humility. Offering (pūjanā; T. mchod pa): Making mental or physical offerings to overcome attachment and cultivate generosity. Confession (pāpadeśanā; T. sdig pa bshags pa): Acknowledging and repenting for non-virtuous actions to purify the mind. Rejoicing (anumodanā; T. rjes su yi rang ba): Delighting in the virtues of all beings as a direct antidote to jealousy. Requesting the Turning of the Wheel of Dharma (adhyeṣaṇā; T. chos kyi 'khor lo bskor bar bskul ba): Entreating teachers to provide guidance, ensuring the teachings remain available. Beseeching the Buddhas to remain (yācanā; T. gsol ba 'debs pa): Praying that enlightened beings do not pass into nirvāṇa but stay in the world to benefit others. Dedication (pariṇāmanā; T. bsngo ba): Directing all accumulated merit toward the enlightenment of all sentient beings, ensuring the merit is not exhausted. Vajrayāna (Indo-Tibetan): Within the tantric context, these seven branches serve as an indispensable preliminary (ngöndro) for the generation stage (utpattikrama) of deity yoga. Most sādhanas include a version of the seven-branch ritual to purify the environment and the practitioner's mind before the main visualization. It is often expanded with additional branches, such as the "collection of wisdom" (jñānasaṃbhāra), but the core seven remain the standard liturgical backbone.
NEW: Glossary-PopUpBeginnerDefinition	A powerful seven-part Buddhist ritual used to clear away negative habits and build positive mental qualities. Known as 'Supreme Worship,' it includes actions like showing respect, making offerings, and dedicating the goodness of one's actions to the benefit of everyone.
NEW: Glossary-PopUpScholarDefinition	The saptavidhā anuttarā pūjā (T. bla na med pa'i mchod pa bdun) is a foundational Mahāyāna liturgical structure, often synonymous with the Seven-Branch Service (Skt. saptāṅga-vidhi; T. yan lag bdun pa'i cho ga). It constitutes a systematic method for amassing the collection of merit (puṇyasaṃbhāra) and purifying the mental continuum through seven specific ritual stages: 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 saptavidhā anuttarā pūjā is the engine of the bodhisattva path. By engaging in these seven practices, the practitioner systematically cultivates the mental conditions necessary for the arising and maintenance of bodhicitta. The ritual begins with humility and generosity, moves through the purification of past mistakes, and culminates in the radical selflessness of dedication (pariṇāmanā). In dedication, the bodhisattva formally renounces any personal claim to postive merit, offering it entirely for the welfare of others, which reflects the ultimate goal of attaining buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings.
NEW: Glossary-DefinitionLotsawas	seven-branch service; sevenfold offering; seven-limb practice; seven-part ritual
Definitions