Blue Annals Shamarpas

8/9/2019 Blue Annals Shamarpas

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8.8 The second incarnation series [Shamarpa].

sprul pai skui rim pa gnyis pai skabs.

Chandra 454; Chengdu 617; Roerich 520.

8.8.1 khol po dga / Sarvavid (kun rig) / gzhon nu gsang chol /

tshul khrims dpal (1098-1132) / nam mkha od (1133-1199) / bkra

shis grags pa (1200-1282)

On his death, khol po dga', a disciple of the Venerable Tillipa, was reborn atJlandhara as a Brhmaanamed Sarvavid(kun rig), a disciple of Nropa.

After that, he was again reborn as gzhon nu gsang chol in Nepl . He heard {R521} many Tantric precepts. Once a thought occured to him: "It is said in theTantras, that one is unable to attain Buddhahood without following the Tantra.Further, it is also said that (the practice of the Tantra) depends, solely on theTeacher." While he was praying for a meeting with a holy teacher, he went to aforest to gather flowers, and saw a young maiden adorned with many ornaments whoappeared inside a cloud, and said to him: "O Son! To the Snow Country of theNorth, to a country known as Tibet, which had been indicated in a prophecy ofthe Buddha, go and your wish will be granted! There you will meet an incarna-tion of the Buddha himself!" He related (the prophecy) to {52b} his own Teacherthe Indian Vajrapni (rgya gar phyag na) and with his permission he journeyednorthwards.

He met numerous kalya-mitras and his faith increased. He told them of his manywishes. Then he met the Venerable mid la and several times prostrated himself in

front of him. He shed tears and grasping (the Teacher's) feet, expressed a solemnwish. The Venerable m i d l made a prophecy to him: "You will be again andagain reborn in this Country of Snows, and will practise religion. You will meetthose who are above men and who lead men in a human form. Through thepower of former virtues, a concentrated belief in them must be born in you,and its results are sure to ripen quickly. Your wish will be granted!"

While practising austerities on the border ofNepl

andTibet

, hetransmigrated and was reborn in the year Fire Male Mouse (me pho byi ba1096 A.D.)as son of father dge bsnyen(upsaka) 'byung sengand mothersgrol ma 'bumin Upper dbu ru (dbus). He went to the Master sgam po pa,and his nephew, and at the age of 19 received both the noviciate and the final

monastic ordination in the presence of the uncle and nephew. He was namedtshul khrims dpal. He attended on many teachers, who included many bka'gdams pakalyna-mitras, the Master ras chung paand others. He consideredboth the uncle and nephew {R 522} (i.e. sgam po pa and his nephew) asbeing real Buddhas and accepted them as his mla gurus. When theDharmasvmin dus gsum mkhyen pacame on a visit to the Master dags po,uncle and nephew, faith was born in him also. He also obtained manydoctrines from him. At the age of 37, in the year Water Male Mouse (chu pbobyi ba 1132 A.D.)he passed away.

His reincarnation was the monk nam mkha' od, who was born in the yearWater Female Ox (chu mo glang 1133 A.D.)as son of father dgon pa don -grub bla maand mother lha mo lamat ru mtshams. In his childhood he hada recollection of his former teacher and had faith (in him). At the age of 8, or9, he was entrusted to the Dharmasvmin dus gsum mkhyen pa. For 8 or 9


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years he attended on him without interruption. (The teacher) bestowed on himnumerous precepts and instructions. He {53a} attended on his Teacher withveneration and devotion, and did not behave as a child. He studied preceptsand pleased the Master greatly. After the departure of the Dharmasvmin tokhams , he practised meditation at several hermitages, including those ofgangs dkar, se mo do, kha rag, thang lhaand others. During the intervals of

the period of his seclusion, he met many holy persons, including 'gro mgonzhang, lho pa, skyer sgang pa, gling and others, and heard precepts fromthem. In particular, he had great faith in bde gshegs stag lung thang paandobtained instruction from him. He practised chiefly meditations. When theDharmasvmin came to dbus, he bestowed on him the remaining preceptsand numerous instructions. Then for 17 years, he stayed in seclusion andreceived some signs of initiation. He died at the age of 67 in the year EarthFemale Sheep (sa mo lug 1199 A,D.).

His next reincarnation (was) bkra shis grags pawho was born in Lower khams in the year Iron Male Ape (Icags pho spre'u 1200 A.D.)as son of father 'phagspa rta mchog gi rnal 'byor pa1. dbang phyug legs paand mother sgrol ma 'tsho.

Because of impression left on his mind by his former life, {R 523} he proceeded todbus and obtained precepts from sku yal baof stag lung . He greatly pleased hisTeacher, who bestowed on him the final instructions in the Doctrine. He was held incompassion by sangs rgyas yar byon and practised meditation for many years.During his seclusion he met the Dharmasvmin kar ma paand a strong faith wasborn in him. The hierarch told him: "Formerly you had been a disciple of dusgsum mkhyen pa, in your next life you will be my disciple. Now follow the chiefpractice in this manner" (nyams len dngos gzhi) and saying so, he bestowed pre-cepts on him. He died at the age of 83 in the year Water Male Horse (chu pho rta1282 A.D.).

8.8.2 grags pa seng ge (dbang gu ras pa ) (1283-1349)

Soon after, the ascetic (rtogs ldan) grags pa seng gewas born in the year WaterFemale Sheep (chu mo lug 1283 A.D.)as son of father stag chu paand mothera rgod gza'of the dbrang gu{53b} family of the shaclan which was one of the two'buand shaclans, in the locality of spom po . The parents and their son (the three)obtained initiation from the bla ma ston byang ba. When the deity took possession(ye shes phab pa2) of the mother, she began to dance and utter Sanskrit words.The bla ma said: "She is a jna-kin!"

From the age of five, the boy had visions of the Trand from his early childhood hepossessed an unimpeded faculty of prescience. At the age of 13, he received theupsaka vows in the presence of blo gros grags pa, a disciple of the Master khol

pa, and spent two years with him. Then he was taken to the residence of one whoknew the mantra of kha thun 3 . He applied himself with great diligence topropitiations, and to his enemies he exhibited many signs of magic.

1R: a devotee of Hayagrva.

2R:jna-via

3R: name of a rnying ma chos skyong/a deity invoked in black magic/, a form ofYma, gsrin rje kha thun nag po


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At the age of 17, he was ordained at the monastery of spom in the presence of thebla ma ye shes seng ge, and heard (the initiation) of the lhan skyes4, the jo mo hrbskyed5and the bam bskyed6. {R 524} This ye shes seng ge bawas a disciple ofrgya pho ba lung pa. rgya pho ba lung paobtained the doctrine from dus gsummkhyen pa. From these teachers he obtained many precepts. Especially heobtained instructions in the upya-mrga from ye shes seng ge ba, and an intense"Inner Heat" was produced in him. He used to wear a single linen cloth and becameknown as dbang gu ras pa.

About that time, he had a vision of ber nag can, who prophesied to him a journey todbus . He then thought of proceeding to dbus and of studying treatises on philoso-phy. He asked his father's permission to go, but the father withheld his permission.Then, in secret, he took a good horse, several pieces of gold and silver, and fledaccompanied by 'ba' ri chos sang. They covered the distance without accident. Atthe source of the sog chu , he dreamt of ber nag can, who told him: "I shall act asyour friend! On awakening, he felt his mind at peace.

Then in the year Earth Male Ape (sa pho spre'u 1308 A. D.), he came to 'tshur

phu. At that time, the Dharmasvmin rang byung rdo rje, having been invited tokong po , was residing in kong po . He heard many doctrines from the cryatshul rin, including the initiation to the Guhyasamja Cycle and the Tantra. From thecrya bsod nams seng ge, he obtained the initiation {54a} of the five lnga tshan7and some sdhanas. The latter gave him also a bell (phyag dril), which was said tohave belonged to dus gsum mkhyen pa. From the crya dbu ma paof gnampar he heard the initiation into the Cycles of Savara and Hevajra, and the practiceof the Yoga-Tantra together with the dbyangs bri thig8.

After that he proceeded to gsang phuand became the disciple of the chief preacher(bla chos pa) 'jam dbyangs shAkgzhon, and of the assistant preacher the cryablo gros mtshungs med, and obtained (instructions) in many philosophical texts,including the Five Divisions of the Yogacary- bhmi of Asaga, {R 525} theFive Treatises of Maitreya, the Pramavinicaya9, the rya-Prajpramit-sacayagth10, the Bodhisattva-cary-avatra11, and other texts. In particular,when the crya blo gros mtshungs med saw a commentary on thePrajpramitbeing composed by him, he said: "Though well done, there willbe no one to follow it. Leave it!" He then gave up the writing (of the commentary).

When the Dharmasvmin rang byung rdo rje arrived from kong po , he went tomeet the Dharmasvmin at a place where the hierarch was presiding over a festival

4R: propitiation of Vajravrahwithout bja.

5R: propitiation of Vajravrahborn of the bja-hri

6R: propitiation of Vajravrahborn of the bja-bam.

7R: a rite belonging to the Klacakra Cycle.

8R: instructions as to the drawing, measurements of mandalas and the melodiesto accompany an initiation rite.

9R: Tg. tshed ma, No. 4211

10

R: Kg. Shes phyin, No. 1311R: Tg. dbu me, No. 3871


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held by 'tshal pa dga' bde gshegs pa. Having mastered the Prajpramitwithinfour years, he made a round of the monasteries in gtsang for the purpose ofdebating and became famous as one versed in the language of the Prajpramit.

While he was residing at gsang phu , he went to meet rgya brag chos rje, whowas very famous. On the mere seeing of his face, the whole outlook of people used

to change. He was expert in the understanding of the Absolute and compassion. Anyone who happened to stay in his presence developed a concentrated trance and thusgreat faith was born in him. He obtained an exposition of the precepts of the threemtha' bral of zhi byed and a mental creative effect towards Enlightenment accordingto the Mdhyamakas. In all he spent seven years at gsang phu .

As he grew weary of the disputes between the followers of the "New" and "Old"schools, he proceeded to skungs , where resided the Dharmasvmin accompaniedby ten disciples. The Dharmasvmin said to him: "Last night ber nag canappeared here! You seem to be escorted by a religious protector!" In that yearthe Dharmasvmin founded the (monastery) of bde chen stengs. While his hutwas being built, he obtained instruction in the "Six Doctrines" of nA roand during the

summer practised meditation at seng ge lung , and achieved success. He had avision that the valley was filled with water and related it to the {54b} Dharmasvminwho said: "Indeed you have caught the {R 526} breath of water" (chu'i rlung12).

He spent the winter meditating at bde chen, and developed the faculty of training indreams13and of (manifesting) his illusory body14. When a persistent rumour spreadthat troops of the Upper Hor15were coming, he saw a vision of the troops turningback from the shores of the lake ma dros pa (mtsho ma pham, Manasar-ovar Lake), and only after the lapse of half a month the news came that soldierswere not required.

When practising in his dream, he tried to go to u rgyan , and had a glimpse of thecountry on several occasions. He thought that he should go to u rgyan andbecome one similar to the mah-siddha u rgyan pa. He related the matter to theDharmasvmin and the latter said: "Wonderful indeed is the wild steed of vision(nyams myong)!" But he did not tell him whether he would succeed or not inreaching u rgyan .

When the Dharmasvmin was invited to snye mo in the autumn, he accompaniedhim as his attendant. There he took final leave (of the Dharmasvmin) andproceeded towards gtsang . Atjo mo nang16he met byang sems rgyal yesandtold him: "I am a priest of the Dharmasvmin, my name is grags pa seng ge. Iam going now to u rgyan (Oyna)." The latter replied: "The Doctrine of Indiahas set! The Turukas may cause an accident." He believed him, and incompany with some other persons obtained the highest initiation17of the Klacakra.

12R: one of five kinds of rlung.

13R: svapna, meditation practice while sleeping.

14R: mykya; the training in dreams and the manifestation of the illusory bodyare two practices included in the "Six Doctrines" of nA ro pa.

15R: stod hor or Central Asian Turks.

16

R: the original monastery /rtsa ba'i dgon pa/ of thejo nang pas17R: uttara-abhieka.


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He also obtained the pratyhra(sor sdud) of the Sadaga (of the Klacakra) andmeditated on it. He perceived the complete signs (of this method) and related hisexperiences. The Teacher said: "You have already obtained the anusmti (rjes -dran, the Sixth "branch"). Did you meditate before?" He replied: "I had obtainedmany instructions from the {R 527} Dharmasvmin rang 'byung ba. Inparticular, I practised the snying thig and saw the results (lit. signs rtags) of

this method" (i.e. the Sadaga). The bla ma said: "You belong to the class of cigchar bas."18

He went as an attendant of byang sems pawho was going to phug mo i brag ,and spent one year with him. The latter bestowed on him the complete instructions inthe Sadaga (sbyor drug, of the Klacakra). He also received many permissions(lung) of Indian basic texts and permission to teach them to others. Then, one night,while en route to sa skya , he saw in a dream that the Trhad told him that hewould not be able to reach Oyna , and he accordingly dropped his intention ofproceeding to Oyna .

Then on the road leading towards the "Six Forts" of mid laand shrI r i , he met

the lo tsA ba blo gros brtan pa, and spent several days with him, and obtained fromhim the permission (lung) to read the r Paramrthaseva19and the sgrub thabsrgya mtsho. In a hermitage called 'bri Icam of Upper sa skya , he heard theseveral precepts on rtsa rlung20from a khams paof bright appearance, because hehad practised the Sadaga and the Karma-mudr method (las rgya). After that heproceeded to shI ri and while he was residing at rgod tshang, and theDharmasvmin was staying atjo mo gangs, he heard clearly (by his divine ear) thelatter's song. In a dream he met the Dharmasvmin rgod tshang paand discussedreligious subjects with him. He observed that over the foot print of the Venerable midla there was an imprint of the foot of god tshang pa. He then obtained anintroduction into the Doctrine (chos 'brel, lit. "a religious link") from the mahsiddha'dam pa zhig po, who was residing north of shrI r i .

After that he proceeded towards the "Six Forts" (rdzong drug) and spent aconsiderable time at brag dkar , khu byug dben pa rdzong and brag -dmar . In the other places he made a short stay only. He {R 528} met the VenerableOne(mid la) in a dream, and the latter sang for him a psalm. His meditation greatlydeveloped. He spent three years in that region, and paid a visit to phags pa wati

21 . After that he returned, and spent some time at the birth place of theDharmasvmin. He also visited ding ri , and then proceeded towards spu tra, andheard an introduction into religion (chos 'brel) from a young novice, who was anincarnation of grub chen pa (u rgyan pa), and was aged 13, and possessed purefaculties. He also obtained instructions in religion from the mahupdhyya bsodnams od zer. There he met dbon chen dpon po ting 'dzin bzang po and wasgiven a golden srangby him.

After that he proceeded to bde chen to interview the Dharmasvmin. He spent fivefull years meditating at bde chen and heard many doctrines. He received finalmonastic ordination in the presence of the mah-updhyya gzhon nu byang chub

18R: 11. A person of spontaneous spiritual development.

19R: don dam bsnyen pa, Tg. rgyud, No. 1348

20R: rtsathe three mystic veins; rlungbreath.

21R: at skyi rong ; skyi rong jo bo , one of the three sacred images of Tibet :lha sa i jo bo , skyi rong gi jo bo , kho char jo bo


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and the acry bkra shis rin chen. He also heard several doctrines from theupdhyya. Then during a Tantric feast (tshogs gral), he saw the mountains ofdags lha sgam po through his prabhsvara, and dags po lha rje residinginside a sphere of rainbows, and he recollected former states. He saw clearly hisformer existences, and sang a song (about them). He said: " 'or ston and g.yambzangs pa from that time (i.e. from the time of his former incarnation) had

become my disciples." He said that on one occasion when the Dharmasvminrang byung ba felt indisposed, he said to us: "There is some one who haduttered a magic spell against us in the direction of gtsang22. You, ascetics,should hold a rite!" He then distributed to us the necessary implements of the rite.Some of us performed {R 529} the "Life" ceremony (tshe sgrub), some recited themantraof rnam 'joms23. I and tshul bloperformed the "defensive rite" of Yamntaka(gshin rje'i bzlog pa). After one month, the whole country side as far as sa skya ,appeared to me as a prabhsvara vision, and during the vision I heard that in aTantric monastery many Indian (mon bu) were wailing loudly. Next morning I wentto see the Dharmasvmin and reported the matter to him, saying that I had seensuch a prabhsvara vision and that something must have happened to themagicians." The Dharmasvmin sent an attendant of the crya rdo rje seng geto

have a look, and the man discovered that the magicians at the monastery wereafflicted with dysentery (dmar nad), and that some of the Tantric had died. ThePrecious Lord had also recovered from his indisposition.

He then bestowed the initiation into the lnga tshan24on about twenty disciples, inclu-ding rtogs ldan e rgyal, the updhyya tshul blo, ston pa, lha rje gyam bzang paand others. This was the first occasion on which he had performed an initiationceremony. Henceforth he laboured extensively for the welfare of others by bestowinginitiations and instructions. He used to say "The Dharmasvmin when he wasgoing to found the monastery of nags phu in kong po, appointed me, againstmy wish, abbot of the bde chen monastery. But I refused to comply with hiscommand. Because of this, in later life my own disciples disobeyed mywords." He heard the secret part of the "Great Achievement" (rdzogs chen gsang -skor) from the vidydhara Kumrarja25. He settled at the hermitage of phug mo. Atgsang phuhe obtained the Cycle of Vajravrahi according to the method of nA rofrom the bla ma ston dar. He also received an auspicious prophecy and chieflypractised meditation on it.

After that he proceeded towards ra tshag and made offerings to the Lady {56a}(Vajravrah), and secured many signs of her blessing him. {R 530} He said: "lha sais the counterpart of Vajrsana (rdo rje ldan); ra tshag is the counterpart ofOyna." He spent five years at phug mo che, and then proceeded to rta phugmkha' 'gro gling, a hermitage founded by the siddha chu sgom ma bsam gtanrgyan, a disciple of dus gsum mkhyen pa, in the Upper part of tshur ca ra . Hefound the signs of the landscape round gnas nang to be auspicious. One night he

saw in his dream chu sgom maappearing in the sky, who told him: If you build amonastery at a spot, over there, great benefit will arise for living beings. I,being (a woman) of low birth, am unable to establish it, but, you brother, will

22R: gtad is a magic rite which consists in handing over a man to a ngaor demi-god. During the rite a magic diagram is buried with some objects which had belongedto the man against whom the spell is being directed, in a spring facing the north.

23R: Vajravidra-nma-dhrai, Kg. rgyud, No. 750.

24

R: a Klacakra rite25R: a famous rnying ma pabla ma, Teacher of klong chen pa.


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succeed", and saying so, she disappeared. He therefore resolved to build amonastery there in the year of the Ape (spre'u lo 1332 A.D.). One night he saw theTr, poorly adorned, her face covered with dust, and therefore he did not start thebuilding during that year, and pretended that it had not been approved byastrologers.

He founded the monastery of gnas nang in the beginning of the Hen year (bya lo1333. A.D.). When he was laying its foundation, he had a vision of ber nag canplacing the loads on the spot of the "Lower" mansion, and therefore he built hismansion on that spot. He built the monastery in a month and a half, and about ahundred priests gathered there. All practised meditation and many of them obtainedthe signs (results) of` the "Six Doctrines" of nA roand the Sadaga. Said he: "In thismonastery the practice of meditation will be on the increase for threegenerations, then a ploughman will come!"26. There he laboured extensively forthe welfare of living beings. After that he entrusted his mansion to ston pa. He madehim give instructions and founded the mansion of yang dgon27. There he practisedmeditations for one year without {R 531} seeing anybody. After that he received amessage from the Precious Dharmasvmin from the Imperial Palace (Peking),

saying that he should take up residence at bde chen. He therefore settled at bdechen. Here he built a spacious mansion and spent a summer. Then he felt slightlyindisposed, and thought that gnas nang was a healthier place. He moved thereand soon recovered.

In the Hare year (yos lo 1339 A.D.), while he was staying in strict seclusion at bdechen, he perceived that the Precious Dharmasvmin had passed away at theImperial Palace .

At the age of 61, which {56b} was a critical year for him, he fell ill at gnas nang. Hesaw a vision of Tr appearing in the sky, well adorned and surrounded byfragrance, and he recovered from his indisposition. Then again he felt indisposed inthe tenth month of the Mouse year (byi ba lo 1348 A.D.) and saw a vision ofSahaja-Vajravrahamidst a procession, in the intervals of which numerous younggirls were seen dancing, and he recovered. Till that time, he had numerous visions ofthe heavenly spheres. He also had a clear vision of the Intermediate Stage and wasable to benefit the denizens of the Intermediate Stage (bar do). He also removednumerous accidents that hindered ascetics. His actions similar to the above arenumberless.

In the end, at the age of 67, in the last month of the spring of the EarthFemale Ox year (sa mo glang 1349 A.D.)he showed signs of indisposition,and from the 14th onwards his health began to deteriorate. He gave detailedinstructions to the updhyya and the crya, saying: "You should distributemy property! I intended to proceed in a "rainbow body" ('ja' lus) in this very

life, but due to some accidents I failed in it. Now my remains should not becremated, but should be adorned with the six kinds of ornaments andenshrined in a silver caitya of a bright colour, turnying my face towards theEast." On the 19th day in the forenoon he passed away into the sphere ofPeace. On the 23rd day, they performed the funeral, rites and all observed aheavy shower of flowers. At that time it was said {R 532} that because of akarmic connection of his former incarnation, a flower shower also fell at stag

26R: by this he meant that for three generations the inmates would practisemeditation, but after that the monks would acquire the habits of villagers.

27R: yang dgona monastery situated on the summit of a hill, at the foot ofwhich the main monastery had been built. Cf. yang dben.


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lung . When they had enshrined his remains in the caitya, a rainbow appearedfrom all quarters, and the sacrificial offerings of Tantric feast of Vajravrahwere seen surrounded by a rainbow.

In general, he had many disciples, but four were known as the "Great Sons" (buchen): rtogs ldan mgon rgyal ba, jam dbyangs chos rdor ba, g.yag sde paN

chenand mkhas grub dar ma rgyal mtshan.

8.8.3 g.yag sde paN chen (1299-1378)

Of these, g.yag sde pang chen was born at g.yag sde bye ma in the yearEarth Female Hog (sa mo phag, 1299 A.D.)as son of father a mi dkon mchogdpaland mother skya rgyal chos skyid. This is the Hog year(57a) during whichbu ston rin po che had reached his ninth year. When he had reached the age offive, he heard (the exposition) of the ngan song sbyong rgyud28from 'ban pochos dbang. He studied grammar with the ascetic rin smon and jo ston darbrtson. Later he heard the Vinaya and the Abhidharma, and received the upsakavows and the intermediate (bar ma) ordination29in the presence of the mah-updhyya chos dpal ba. On several occasions he heard (the exposition) of theVinaya. He was ordained as novice in the presence of ras ston bsod rin. He alsoheard from him the Vinaya.

He received the final monastic ordination in the presence of the mah-updhyya od'byungand zhwa chen rin 'byung. From blo gros mtshungs medof gsang phu ,he obtained the (Prama)vinicaya (rnam nges), the "Five Treatises ofMaitreya" (byams chos lnga), the Bodhisattvacrya-avatr, thePramasagraha30and the Bodhisattvvadnakalpalat31.

From the Dharmasvmin rang byung rdo rje he obtained the initiation (into thesdhanas) of rgyal ba rgya mtsho32, {R 533} Vajravrah, the Savara (bde

mchog), the Yamntaka( 'jigs byed), the gdan bzhi (Catuptha), an explanation ofthe Sadaga, the "Six Doctrines" of nA ro, the lhan cig skyes sbyor33, the skugsum ngo sprod34, the exposition of the Savara-mla-tantra(bde mchog rtsargyud),35the btag gnyis36, the Doh37, the zab mo nang don38, and the skyes

28R: Kg. rgyud, No. 483

29R:12. At the time of the bar ma rab byun the ordained upsaka is permitted towear monastic robes. Intermediate (bar ma) means here the intermediate statebetween the upsaka stage and, the novice stage.

30R: tshad ma bsdus pa, tshad ma kun las btus pa, Tg. tshad ma, No. 4203,or the tshad ma bsdus pa yid kyi mun sel, a Tibetan work.

31R: Tg. skyes rabs, No. 4155

32R: a form of Avalokitevara

33R: the full title of the text is lhan cig skyes sbyor ga'u ma. It belongs to theMahmudr Cycle. After mid la ras paa special sect appeared in Tibet

34R: a Tibetan text not included in the canonical literature

35

R:13 Ahhidhna-uttaratantra-nma, Kg. rgyud, No. 369.36R: Hevajra-Tantra, Kg. rgyud 'bum, No. 417


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From g.yung ston pa he heard the ye shes gsang rdzogs kyi rgyud59togetherwith its precepts, the gsang snying60together with its initiation rite, the a ro'i gdamspa (a rdzogs chen method) together with the spungs skor61, the initiation rite ofmkha' 'gro snying thig62, together with an exposition and its permission (lung), thea ro'i rgyud chung gi lung63, the permission (to read) the rite of the Klacakra-Tantra translated by tsa mi together with its initiation rite, the permission of

Yamntaka(gshin rje gshed kyi lung), the mdo dgongs 'dus64, the sems sde mabu bco brgyad65and others.

From bu ston pahe heard the complete initiation rite into the Klacakra system, theexposition of the commentary (Vimalaprabh) on the (Klacakra)-Tantra, theexposition of the initiation rite and precepts of the Guhyasamja, the exposition of theGuhyasamja-Tantra, the spyod bsdus 66 , the grub pa sde bdun 67 , thePrajparamit68, the Pramavinicaya, the gsed dmar rdzogs rim69{R 535}and other texts.

From 'chims blo bzang grags pa he obtained the ksamuccaya70and theMdhyamakvatra, as well as other texts. From the All-knowing dol po bahe

heard the exposition of the commentary on the Klacakra-Tantra, the mchogdbang71, the exposition of the Sadaga, the nges don rgya mtsho72and many

56R: Munimatlakra, Tg. dbu ma, No. 3903

57R: snyan ngag me long, Tg. sgra mdo, No. 4301

58R: mtshan brjod

59

R: name of a rnying maTantra60R: Guhyagarbhatattvavinicaya, Kg. rnying rgyud, No. 832

61R: a text belonging to the rdzogs chen system

62R: one of the snying thig ya bzhi

63R: a rnying matext

64R: a rnying matext

65R: 18 sections of the sems sde ma butexts of the rnying maschool

66R: Tg. rgyud, No. 1803

67R: Tg, rgyud, Nos. 2217-2223

68R: the Abhisamaylakra

69R: Tg. rgyud, No. 2036

70R: bslab btus

71R: uttara-abhieka, a higher Klacakra initiation

72R: a text composed by dol po ba, a famous fundamental text of the jo nang pasect,jo nang pa'i rtsa ba'i chos; it is forbidden to bring this text within the precincts


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other texts. From dpal Idan bla ma dam pahe heard, the initiation rite into the gurrigs bsdus73, the cittotpda rite according to the Mdhyamaka school (dbu malugs kyi sems bskyed), the "Path and Fruit" Doctrine (lam 'bras) and many othertexts.

In all he attended on 108 teachers. From some he obtained just about one hour of

religious instruction, from some he obtained one or two portions of sdhanas, againfrom some he obtained extensive commentaries on the Sutras and Tantras.

In his early life, when he had but few belongings, he went to ask for precepts skyesmchog bsam gtan dpal. He performed on his behalf an auspicious rite to securewealth, which proved successful. Said he: Till last year, my mouth did not findfood, now food does not find my mouth." He thus became very fortunate. Theomens having become auspicious, he founded the monastery of E-va (


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yogin, wearing a {58b} white loin cloth and turban, golden earrings and holding in hishand a skull cup (kapla) filled with amta, who was surrounded by about fivehundred women adorned with ornaments; the yogin having approached her, blessedher, preached religion and exhibited miraculous powers. After that his retinuedisappeared into one another, and were then absorbed into the yogin, who thenmerged between (her) eye brows. For seven days she experienced an excellent

trance which could not be disturbed by outside causes. There also happened manyextraordinary signs.

Since his childhood, he possessed {R 537} a great faith and commiseration, and wasfond of holy objects (sku gsung thugs rten), and full of devotion towards the monas-tic congregation. Not only did he abstain from committing any sins, but he could noteven bear the sight of others committing them, and constantly dissuaded others.Thus he had many virtuous qualities. At the age of 6 or 7, he mastered the alphabet.He then read through the "Large" (atashasrik) and "Middle" (yum 'bring pa, nyikhri) versions of the Prajparamit and other texts, and was able to grasp thegeneral meaning of words. He attended on the bla ma rmugs sangs pa rin chenbla ma.

One day, accompanied by many children friends, he went to gather flowers and play.He fell down, and the pain from the sore caused him to believe that the Buddhawasthe only protector, and he accordingly took refuge in the Buddha. Remembering hisformer lives, he felt sad and composed songs about them, which caused amazementamong some people. Others thought that he was inspired by some devils. Soonafter, he met the Dharmasvmin rang byung rdo rje and saw him in the form ofrya Avalokitevara. A strong faith was produced in him and he accompanied himas attendant to bde chen stengs.

At the age of 19, he was ordained as novice and simultaneously received the finalmonastic ordination in the presence of the Dharmasvmin who acted as updhyya,and the mah-updhyya gzhon nu byang chub pawho acted as crya. He thenfollowed on many scholars, siddhas and venerable teachers, including snye mdo bakun dga' don grub, the bla ma tshul rin, the Dharmasvmin grags pa seng ge,rgya brag chos rje, the mah-updhyya nam mkha' rgyal mtshan, the bla mabsod rin, byang chub mgon po, bsod nams seng ge {59a} and others, andstudied under them extensively numerous Stras, Tantras and treatises (stras).

He especially held in high esteem the hidden precepts. His mind was attractedtowards meditation, and he practised meditation in solitary hermitages without beingdistracted, and all were filled with esteem towards him. He did not rest his head on apillow, {R 538} he did not lean on a cushion (rgyab rten), and observed the "water"and "stone" fasting74 . He spent his time in the practice of the breath control(pryma) and this helped him greatly in the development of a concentrated

trance. During three years he was tormented by fleas75, and during two years hesuffered from a heart disease (thugs rlung = snying rlung). For one year hesuffered from the unvoluntary discharge of semen. But throughout the whole time, hecontinued his meditation, and finally became free of these afflictions.

A perfect trance and a yogic insight were born in him. He was able to conjuredemons by representing himself as Acala, Yamntakaand Vajravidraa (rnam'joms). Mahkla used to kneel before him and promised to assist him in hislabours. He saw sacred visions of Amityus, kyamuniand others, and was able

74

R: which consists in swallowing, small pebbles and small quantities of water75DD: Roerichs text says flees.


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to contemplate, as if in a mirror, various localities, as well as the caste, behaviourand the state of mind of other people. He developed without straining himself anexcellent power of trance of the sampannakrama degree. When he was puttingquestions to the Dharmasvmin rang byung rdo rjeand the rin po che zang zangne rings pa, he saw them as Saraha. When he was being initiated into the SavaraCycle, he saw vision of Herukaand Vajrayogin(Vajravrah). From snye mdo bahe heard the teaching of the "Latter" Lineage of the zhi byed system and saw avision of dam pa sangs rgyassurrounded by 108 dkins. When he was receivingthe cittotpdarite (sems bskyed) from the ascetic ye gzhon pa, he saw him in theform {59b} of smra seng (smra ba'i seng ge76). Numberless were his visionssimilar to the above.

He spent much time at the hermitage of thang lha and other places. When hebecame a disciple of the Dharmasvmin grags pa seng ge at the hermitage ofphug mo, he attended on him and accompanied him to bde chen stengs, theresidence of the siddha chu sgom, to gnas nangand other monasteries. From himhe obtained numberless precepts, such as the {R 539} bsnyen sgrub77, the snyingthigand the mkha' spyod bsnyen sgrub, and other texts. He became an expert in the

method of dreams and developed the faculty of seeing for thirteen times during onenight the country of Oyna . His achievements surpassed words. When he wasbeing given the secret initiation, he saw his Teacher Adhideva (lhag pa'i lha). Hevisited many haunted localities and mastered with the help of his insight numerousphenomena (caused by demons).

The Dharmasvmin grags seng pa had many disciples, but he considered thishermit to be his chief disciple and holder of his Spiritual Lineage, and bestowed onhim the complete hidden precepts. He also appointed him abbot of gnas nang. Heinstructed him to labour for the welfare of living beings. He maintained disciples bypreaching to them the "Six Doctrines" of nA ro, the Sadaga (of Klacakra), andestablished them in initiation and guidance (smin grol, smininitiation; grolguidance). He possessed great commiseration and assisted those who were poor,sick and the wicked people of this Dark Age.

Later, when he was about to pass into Nirva, he said: "Since my childhood, Iwas full of diligence and gave up my body and life for the Doctrine. I haveconcentrated myself on austerities and propitiations in my early days, andmany accidents happened to me. Without looking for other methods, Iremoved them through religious practice. A certain faculty towards meditationand practice was born in me, and I spent my life as an ascetic. I thought ofremoving the wall that separated this life and the next by meditation to which Ishould dedicate my whole life, but my Teacher ordered me to labour for thewelfare of living beings. I did not dare disobey his command. I feel norepentence for having followed my Teacher's advice. I was satisfied, I did not

think that I would live so long, but I had seen auspicious signs on the rosary ofmy Teacher, and all had happened according to that vision. I had spent a longtime in the World of Men {60a} and did a little work for the welfare of livingbeings. Now {R 540} I do not doubt, and have no hesitation to (proceed) intothe presence of Amityus to Sukhvat." Saying so, he passed away at dawn onthe 23rd day of the 3rd month of the Ox year (glang lo 1385 A.D.). On thecremation of his remains, many images, letters, signs and relics (arras) wererecovered (from the ashes). A flower shower fell. It is believed that in a formerincarnation he had been born as a yogin, born in the Vaiyacaste, on the shore of

76

R: a form of Majurriding a lion77R: u rgyan bsnyen sgrub


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the Southern Ocean , and then became a disciple of Kambala, a disciple of thelate Indrabuddhi, on the rock called gser gyi bya skyibs can78 .

8.8.5 mkha spyod dbang po (karma zhwa dmar pa) (ye shes dpal

) (mi pham dpal Idan )(1350-1405)

The Dharmasvmin mkha' spyod dbang po (karma zhwa dmar pa), anincarnation of the ascetic grags pa seng ge, was born in the year Iron Male Tiger(lcags pho stag 1350 A.D.) as son of father lha rgyal and mother 'brog mo atkha na bar pa in the sandy valley of gnam, near a mountain peak which was theabode of the Gandharvaking zur phud lnga pain the country of the North. On hisbirth, beginning from the seventh day, the child had a clear vision of dpal dus gsummkhyen pa and other teachers making prophecies and preaching religion. At theage of 3, he bestowed the permission (lung) to recite the mantra of meditation onAvalokitevarato an assembly. Having cognized the nature of others, he appears tohave uttered many appropriate sayings. At the age of six, he revealed to some of hisformer disciples, that he was an incarnation of the ascetic grags pa seng ge.

The story of hs former labours was heard in detail by mkhas grub dar rgyal ba, andmany disciples and teachers came to invite him. As soon as they had met him, theyshowed signs of faith and reverence, and were filled with joy. On their return journeyto gnas nang , some of the teachers and disciples, fell into water at chu mdo ofbye lung . Frightened, he (saw clearly) the Venerable Trhelping them out, andall happily extricated themselves. At 'tshur phu the child {60b} revealed the story ofhis former incarnation as nam mkha od{R 541} to the monk dar ma tshul khrims.

At the age 7, he met the Dharmasvmin rol pa'i rdo rje at mtsho snang. Hereceived the upsaka vows and the cittotpda rite from him. He heard theexposition of the "Six Doctrines" and of the Cycle of Mahmudr. At bde chenhewas ordained by the mah-updhyya rin po che don grub dpal ba and the

Dharmasvmin rol pa'i rdo rje, who acted as updhyya and crya. He was giventhe name of ye shes dpal. From the Precious mah-updhyya he heard someshorter texts, such as the kA ri kA79and others. From the Dharmasvmin g.yungston pa he obtained the "Life giving ceremony" (tshe sgrub) of the White Tr.From rje ri khrod pa he obtained the permission (lung) to read the entire rgyud'bum80and the greater part of the mdo mangs, as well as numerous initiation ritesand instructions. He specially followed most of the profound and vast precepts of thebka' brgyudpa sect.

One night he saw in a dream the Dharmasvmin rang byung rdo rjebestowing onhim the cittotpdaceremony in the midst of a multitude of people, and giving him thename of mi pham dpal Idan. When he was standing in front of the image of the

Lady of ra tshag81

, he saw the image transformed into a real Sahaja-vrah, ashining red svstika82appeared between her eye brows and then touched his body,after which a feeling of bliss was produced in him. He heard many instructions from

78R: the rock is said to be situated near the Anavatapta Lake

79R: Vinayakrik, Tg. 'dul ba, No. 4123

80R: the Tantra section of the bka' 'gyur

81R: an image of Vajravrah

82R: gyung drung here signifies the symbols of Yin and Yang, /nandyvarta,dga' khyil/


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bsod nams 'odof g.yam bzangs . He stayed in seclusion and meditated. He wasable to perceive the activity of all the ascetics of gnas nang. He censured some ofthem, to some he gave instructions, and all were filled with amazement.

At the age of 18, he took up final monastic ordination in the presence of the, mah-updhyya rin po che don grubwho acted as updhyya, and 'jam dbyangs chos

kyi rdo rjewho acted as crya, and gzhon nu dpal baacting as secret preceptor,{R 542} amidst a numerous congregation. During the same night he had a dreamthat four suns had appeared in the sky, and that he, wearing the three monasticrobes, preached to gods {61a} and men the Doctrine to their satisfaction. He heardthe crya 'jam rinof bde ba can83preach the "Five Treatises of Maitreya", thePramavinicaya and the Vinayastra84. He heard the mah-updhyya kundga' 'od zer, a disciple of the Dharmasvmin rang byung rdo rje, preach manyinitiation rites, including that of the Vajramla (rdo rje phreng ba). After that heproceeded towards the North, as far as re shod , via dam and sog . While hewas staying in the Snows of re rgyab and po rgyang , he had a vision of theDharmasvmin who crowned him, and delivered to him a prophecy. He brought withhim numerous presents offered to him by the monks and laymen of those regions,

and gave them away towards the upkeep of the monastic congregation and of themonastic law at gnas nang.

After the passing of the Master (svmin) ri khrod pa, he grew disheartened with thewicked monks, entrusted the abbotship to the bla ma bsod names 'bum, andhimself settled in a hermitage situated on the mountain back of gnas nan . Heheard the mah-updhyya od zer rgya mtsho preach the snying thig systemtogether with its branches. From the crya od zer dpal he obtained thecommentaries on the "Old" Tantras and most of the doctrine (bka' lung) of the"Upper" and "Lower" classes of the Hidden Scriptures85. He examined Tantric textswithout interruption by day and by night, but chiefly practised meditation. Havingtaken with himself 9 attendants, in all ten, including himself, he proceeded fromUpper dbu via myang po , to rgya mda . When he arrived there, he saw avision of the Master dus gsum mkhyen pawho delivered a prophecy to him.

Then gradually he visited all the districts of kong po . {R 543} In particular, he spenta considerable time at byin legs of New tsa ri . Following instructions receivedfrom the Dharmasvmin rol pa'i rdo rje, he took over ba yo, the monastery andvillage. He obtained from the Dharmasvmin all the hidden precepts of the "SixDoctrines" of nA ro and other texts. He heard also many Mdhyamaka texts,including the dbu ma rtog ge 'bar ba86 and others. He spent three years on therock of dkar ma of tsa rin chen . He contemplated miracles performed byheroes' (dpa' boor vra, a class of male deities) and kins. When he proceededtowards stag Iha sgam po and stayed there, he recollected that he had been themonk tshul khrims dpal(lar), and his meditation developed greatly. He spent a

considerable time at stag ma phu of kong po and lkog 'phrang, as well as inother places. He gathered round himself about 300 monks and to each of them hepreached religion, as much as was desired by each of them. He spent three months

83R: rwa stod dgon pa, near lha sa

84R: Tg. 'dul ba No. 4117

85R: gter kha, gong or "Upper" represents the hidden scriptures revealed bynyang nyi ma od zer; 'ogor"Lower" represents the hidden scriptures, revealed by

gu ru chos dban86R: Mdhyamakahdayavttitarkajvl, Tg. db.u ma, No. 3856


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in seclusion in the summer and winter, and bestowed instructions withoutinterruption. When he came to bya yul, he had a vision of bde bar gshegs pa,who uttered a prophecy.

In the Horse year (rta lo 1378 A.D.) his supporters presented him with thehermitage of stag rtse rnam rgyal, and he founded there a monastery, and about200 priests gathered there. When he was staying at tsa ri gsar ma (New tsari), he perceived the passing of the Dharmasvmin rol pa'i rdo rje, and composed asong expressing his sorrow. In the Tiger year (stag lo 1386 A.D.), he founded themonastery of dga' ma moand met the Dharmasvmin de bzhin gshegs paat stagrtse. He expounded to him many Doctrines (bka' lung) and satisfied him. When hewas residing at the new monastery of lhun grub stengs and 'ja' tshon gling, heheard the kins singing a secret (vajra) hymn. He also had numberless visions,such as the vision, of the Mount Maibhga on the peak of rgyal , etc. Whenthe Dharmasvmin de bzhin gshegs pa left for dbus , he followed after him, andthey, as Teacher, and disciple, {R 544} gradually journeyed from myang po to'tshur phuof stod lungs . At seng ge sgo mdunhe preached the "Six Doctrines,"and bestowed initiations on the Mongolofficial rigs raland others.

After that he again proceeded towards kong po and spent most of his time inhermitages. He arranged a three year truce in the feud of the ral gsum valley inkong po . He stayed at ma ra stengs. While he was preaching the Doctrine, peoplewho were staying at a distance of two kroascould hear his words distinctly. He alsosubdued many wrathful asuras, and made them take up the upsaka vows andestablished ignorant disciples on the path of Vinaya. He composed guide bookselucidating hidden precepts which were obscure, a nyams mgur87{62a} and manyshort treatises.

Among his disciples were: the Dharmasvmin de bzhin gshegs pa, the bka' bzhi -pa rig pa'i ral gri, whose name was rin chen bzang po, rdza dgon kun spangschos kyi ye shes, 'ger nag rtogs ldan chos dpal ye shes, zur dgon, bka' bzhipa rin chen dpal, ri mi 'babs pa bsod nams rin chen, lha gzigs rin chen rgyalmtshan, 'khrul zhig bsod nams 'bum, chu tshan kha pa shes rab dpal andothers.

When he was nearing the end of his labours, he met the Dharmasvmin de bzhingshegs pa who was returning from the Imperial Palace (Peking 88 ). Hebestowed on the Dharmasvmin many religious instructions at rtse lha sgangandother places. He also received large offerings from the Dharmasvmin. Again whilehe was residing at tsa ri , he composed a song which began with the words: " chimed rtag pa... (eternal immortal)." When he arrived in dga Idan ma mo, he sealedthe books with his own seal and told his attendants: "I shall be soon coming to thisplace!" Being earnestly requested by some khams pa priests and disciples, he

proceeded to chu nyi ma and on his way he used to repeat frequently: "this timeauspicious signs did not appear", but he was forced by them. As soon as they hadpitched the camp there, he completed his preaching, {R 545} and then showed signsof being somewhat indisposed.

He passed away at the age of 56 on the 29th day of the seventh month of theyear Wood Female Hen (shing mo bya 1405 A.D.). At the time of his death aheavy shower of flowers fell and the whole of the sky was filled by a net of rainbows.His remains were placed in a palanquin, and a golden caitya was built at dga' Idan

87

R: a book of songs on religion88R: In Amdo , Peking is designated by the word pho brangor palace


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ma mo(kong po). The remains were enshrined inside the caitya. All this work wasdone by the bla ma chos bzangand the monk grags pa rgyal mtshan.

8.8.6 Disciples of mkha spyod pa

rdza dgon kun spangs pa resided at rdza dgon and laboured there. Thismonastery had been formerly a branch of phag mo gru pa, but since the time of thisPrecious one, {62b} it had been holding in high esteem the Teaching and meditativepractice of dpal mkha' spyod dbang po.

The native place of 'ger nag rtogs Idan was sgang chung in spom po (khams ). He was a disciple of dpal mkha' spyod paand was assisted by precepts.He spent his time exclusively in hermitages. About 500 or 600 monks gathered. Hehad many disciples who maintained the benefit of others. Among them theDharmasvmin dri med pawas the spiritual preceptor of the king of l jang nag andbar 'arwas looking after the interest of others.

sri dkar sang shiwas a native of sgang in spom po . His root-teacher (mla-guru, rtsa ba'i bla ma) was mkha' spyod pa. He founded the sa sermonastery inspom po sgan and laboured there. He gathered round him about 300 monks;they were disciples of 'ger nag.

bka' bzhi pa rin chen dpal founded the monastery of zur in Upper ldan sga ,and gathered about 400 monks in both the monastery and hermitage.

lha gzigs pa (born in 1372 A.D.): in the beginning he was a domestic attendant(gzims gyog) of 'bri khung pa. Later he became a disciple of mkha' spyod pa. Hewas helped by precepts and possessed the power of an excellent trance. He tookdown notes on the system (of his Teacher), and great was the benefit. He visited allthe Upper and Lower districts (of the {R 546} country) and greatly fostered the benefit

of others.

His disciple was the mah-updhyya shAkya grags pa. In the beginning, thoughhe attended on mkha' spyod pahimself, he heard the complete precepts from lhagzigs, whom he also followed. He attended also on many teachers, and for a longtime protected the welfare of living beings. He died at the age of 82 in the year WoodMale Dog (shing pho khyi 1454 A.D.).

'khrul zhig bsod nams 'bumwas born at g.yu ma in the neighbourhood of gnasnang. He heard many expositions of the Doctrine from mkha' spyod paand others,and resided at the monastery of gnas nang. He took notes on the teaching of theDharmasvmin mkha' spyod pa, and composed {63a} an extensive exposition of

the Seva-sdhana (bsnyen sgrub /u rgyan bsnyen sgrub/) and other treatises.His disciples were the crya bla ma rgyal mtshan paand others.

The bla ma chos bzang pa: his native place was nags shod . Having become adisciple of mkha' spyod pa, he obtained (from him) all the hidden precepts. He wasabbot of stag rtseand ba yo. His labours were great.

The bla ma rin bzangs dkar po: his native place was nags shod . He founded themonastery of grib dgonand there gathered about a hundred scholars (tshogs pa).He laboured on behalf of mkha' spyod pa. Later, these two acted as preceptors ofsprul sku chos dpal ye shes.

The Dharmasvmin ri mi 'babs pa was born in the year Water Male Tiger (chupho stag 1362 A.D.)which was the 13th year of mkha' spyod pa. He became afollower of the dge ldan pa school and laboured as an ordained monk (lit. "he


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performed virtuous actions of an ordained person"). Having become a disciple ofmkha' spyod pa, he spent all his time in meditation on the Mahmudr. He passedaway at the age of 92 in the year Water Female Hen (chu mo bya 1453 A.D.)atdags po la bar .

8.8.7 chos dpal ye shes (1406-1452)

The Dharmasvmin chos dpal ye shes, an incarnation of mkha' spyod pa:according to a prophecy by mkha' spyod pawhich said: "Later (I) shall wanderabout as a Tantric yogin, he promised to reincarnate again at death time, {R 547}and accordingly he was born in the year Fire Male Dog (me pho khyi 1406 A.D.)as son of bsam gruband mother bar bza'at kha brag mdo , a district of myangpo . He was a child beautiful to look at and possessed of extraordinary marks. On thesole89of his foot was found the letter rgyal(Victory) in the Mongolnew script (horyig gsar90). When he was five months old, several sum mkhar bas (came) andasked to be blessed, and he bestowed blessing on each of them by turns. When hisfather brought him to 'bras, (the child) was seen by same former monks of 'bras, andfaith (in him) was born in all of them.

After the lapse of one year, the monk dbon grags pa, the bla machos bzang paand others brought him (lit. invited) by a skin boat along the myang chu . Hestayed at stag rtse. {63b} Once he went to a rocky cave in Upper o phug whichthe others could only reach with difficulty, and when they requested him to comeback, he came back without people noticing his coming. He was able to move aboutunhindered by walls and enclosures. He also delivered many prophecies. After thathe proceeded to mngar stengs and dga' ma mo, and told his former disciplesdetailed stories. He gave precepts to a supporter. He also discovered the hidden"Last Will" of mkha' spyod pa.

From the bla ma chos bzang he heard the initiation rites and propitiations

(sdhanas) of Vajravrah, rgyal ba rgya mtsho91and of ber nag can, as well as'the Collections of Works' (gsung 'bum) of kar ma pa, rol pa'i rdo rje and mkha'spyod pa, the "Six Doctrines", theMahmudr, the rlung sems gnyis med92, theCycle of the "Great Achievement" (rdzogs chen), the exposition of the Pacakrama(rim lnga), the Tantric section (rgyud 'bum) of the bka' 'gyur and other texts. Heperceived his teacher as a manifestation of rgod tshang paand composed a stotra(in his honour). From the monk dbon grags paher heard the seventeen Tantras (i.e.all the rnying ma Tantras) together with the snying thig, as well as numerousinstructions {R 548} (gsung chos).

On being invited to spo bo (S.E. Tibet), he proceeded to ye gong and otherplaces. At the age of 8, he met the Dharmasvmin de bzhin gshegs paat bang

mdo on the border of kong po and dbus , took the upsaka vows and waspraised greatly. He was ordained at stag rtse, the Dharmasvmin acting asupdhyya and blo gros rgyal mtshan dpal bzang poas crya. At the feet of theDharmasvmin he heard numerous expositions, initiation rites, permissions (to read

89DD: Roerich has palm of his foot. Upon checking the Tibetan it becamecertain that he was talking about the boys foot (and not his hand) andtherefore it should be sole, not palm.

90R: the script introduced in 1269

91

R: a form of Avalokitevara92R: a text on the development of "Inner Heat"


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Dharmasvmin mthong ba don Idan and made large offerings to him. He alsopleased the congregation with presents, etc. At that time riding on a big mdzo, hetwice {64b} visited the residence of bla ma ye shes dbang po ma, as far as thesmall opening (bug sgo103) of her cell (where she was staying immured). At the feetof the Dharmasvmin he heard the gsung sgros skor104and the ksamuccaya.He also preached extensively to the Dharmasvmin. From the mah-updhyya

kya grags pa he heard numerous doctrines including the {R 550} "hermitdoctrines" (ri chos skor), the brug skor(brug pa bka' brgyud kyi skor), the zhi byedso lugs(a branch of the zhi byed doctrine) and other systems.

When he was making preparations for the building of the temple at dga' ma mo, hehimself (with the help of his supernatural powers) discovered stones, while they (theworkers) could not find suitable stones. After that he was invited to all the upper andlower districts of spo bo , and went there. He performed the ceremony of expellingdemons, who had followed after the image makers. (During the rite) their cries couldbe heard distinctly. At that time he met stag lung chos rje byang chub rgyamtsho. They heard each other's expositions of the Doctrine. At dga' ma mo hepreached the Tantric section (rgyud 'bum) of the bka' 'gyur. He presented numerous

requisites (dngos po) to %IS THIS A PERSON OR A MONASTERY? mar stengs,and settled disputes within a distance of twelve days journey. He used magic againstthose villagers who failed to obey his command, so that the gtsang po changed itscourse, and flowed past their village. When he was preparing gtor maofferings, hesaw a vision of the religious protector and many miracles took place, such as thestaff of his black banner standing erect, without anyone holding it.

When he was staying in strict seclusion at the locality of sum mkhar , he receivedthe news that the Dharmasvmin mthong ba don ldanwas unwell. At once he leftkong po for myang po , lho rong and ri bo che . When he reached the banksof the ngom chu , officials of the Dharmasvmin's camp came out to receive him,and escorted him to kar ma, where he met the hierarch. He held a religious serviceand controlled the evil. After that he journeyed towards yor mda' and lha stengs.There he received repeated requests from many people to become the updhyyafor ordination, but decided not to go there. Then on being pressed to do so, he wenton. Feeling indisposed, he settled at yor mda'. He received an invitation from theDharmasvmin mthong ba don ldan, and having left sgon sde, he first went via thekhyung po route to kong po105 . The camp followed after him also.

While {R 551} residing at dga' ma mo, when he had reached the age of 47, {65a} inthe autumn month of the year Water Male Ape (chu pho spre'u 1452 A.D.) acontinuous flower shower fell from a clear sky. He said: "The Dharmasvmin debzhin gshegs pa, the Venerable Tr and others have come! Prepareofferings! and then passed out. Many wonderful signs, such as a white rainbowwhich spread like a silk scarf, etc., were observed. His remains were enshrined in a

stpa in the style of Mahbodhi106.

103R: a small window, like an opening, in the wall of a cell in which an ascetic isimmured and through which food and water are given him by his disciples

104R: talks on religion by the previous Dharmasvmins

105DD: Roerichs text says kong pho which is a typo.

106R: one of the eight great caityas, erected on the spot where the Buddhahadattained Supreme Enlightenment


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8.8.8 zhwa dmar cod pan dzin pa (chos grags ye shes) (b 1453)

His incarnation the Precious Dharmasvmin zhwa dmar cod pan 'dzin pa, "Holderof the Red Hat" (chos grags ye shes), the Fourth, was born in the year WaterFemale Hen (chu mo bya 1453 A.D.) at tre shod mthil . Immediately on hisbirth, he began to labour for the welfare of others. He heard the Doctrine from theDharmasvmin kar ma pa, the bla ma ban dkar ba, 'jam dpal bzang po, gu shrIdpal 'byor don grub pa, and proceeded to kong po , where he was invited by thecrya bla ma rgyal mtshan pa. There he heard numerous initiation rites, such asthe Vajramla (rdo rje phreng ba) and others, numerous expositions (of sacredtexts), permissions (lung) to read many bka' 'bum, etc., as well as visited the upperand lower districts (of kong po). Then having left Lower khams , he proceeded asfar as zi ling mkhar (Hsi-ning, in Ch ing hai Province), and caused all livingbeings to expect the end of phenomenal existence (sasra). After that heproceeded towards Mongolia (hor yul). The people of Mongolia became hisdisciples, and he cut the stream of sinful deeds of the a ram (name of a Mongoltribe). He established all men in devotion to the monastic congregation and preachedthe Holy Doctrine. He received large offerings and established others on the Path of

Enlightenment. After that, he journeyed via the regions of khams , and from kongpo proceeded towards the "Sun-like kingdom of dbus , and there labouredextensively for the welfare of others. He keeps his feet firmly placed on the throne(i.e. he is {R 552} now living).

The Chapter on the second Lineage Incarnated bla mas.

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Blue Annals Shamarpas