No More Learning

. Pema Chokdrup, and Mon Dza ar. a Lhtindrup, Thangdrok-on . f the conventional SClences,
t andtreasures0
portant transmltted precep s chings of the transmltte
, 11
Targye. Incldenta y, including astrology.
he studled some 0
Jikme Lingpa .
that his mind was bent on the His own writings demonstrate hewed efforts to master the hter,ary
ment of the essential, and that he naturally endowed from buth
conventions, except in so much as, Ie woafsthe great textual traditions of h h'ddenessentlas . ' 1141
with talent for t e l fect poetic compoSltlOn.
the sfitras and mantras, and for in February/March 1757
In his twenty-eighth year, startlllg d to pass three years In the
) he firmly vowe , h con- of miracles, fire ox year, N k'k [Hermitage], whlc was
h Gk gTlkle yaCl 'L'gpaex- seclusion of te O an f P l' Above all, Jlkme In
nected with his own monastery 0 e and perfection of the clusively practised there the stages 0
, d
pre-
838 History: Close Lineages ofthe Treasures
After Jikme Lingpa had fulfilled his vow to remain in retreat for three years, the true meaning of the indestructible prophetic declaration made in the Dialogue ofSky and Mountain (mkha'-ri zhu-lan), a profound treasure of Chowang Rinpoche, was revealed, for there it says:
In Chongye my emanation will come to serve the world. Though no one will know who it is,
h· h 1147
Jikme LingPa 839
and . the remainder in black on a white background (skya-chos). PrevIOusly, there had been neIther a detailed catalogue nor a ve ·fi d
Ie
. h.
an. d vast m connectIOn WIth the three logical axioms (gtan-tshigs-gsum), thIS venerable master composed the Narrative History of the Precious Collected Tantras ofthe Ancient Translation School) the Ornament Covering All Jam? udvzpa (snga-'gyur rgyud-'bum rin-po-che'i rtogs-pa brjod-pa khyab-pa'i rgyan). The fine light ofscriptural author-
Ity and logIc whIch shines therein totally uproots all the confusions whi. ch arise from the darkness of perverted opinion and doubt.
JIkme Lingpa's collected works, which amount to nine volumes include the basic root texts and elucidations of his mind treasure Innermost Spirituality of Longcenpa (thugs-gter klong-chen snyin;-thig
gsal-byed dang bcas-pa); the Vajrakfla according to the of the Tantra (phur-pa rgyud-lugs) - a new redaction of the [VaJrakIla] transmitted precept based on the empowerment which had been conferred on him by Langcen Pelgi Senge11S2 in an emanational
ma1). <;lala and the instructions which followed; and the root text and comI? entary of the Precious Treasury of Enlightened Attributes, which the sequential path for the entire teaching. This last composi- tIOn was a treasure of intention given to him in the form of a treatise by the blessing of the all-knowing, great Longcenpa.
. The disciples who attended directly on Jikme Lingpa's discourses mcluded such great gurus and powerful nobles as Sakya Trhicen Nga:vang Pelden Chokyong and his brother; the two Drigungpa em- anatIOns. ; the Supreme Emanation of the Dorje Trak Rikdzin; the Speech
EmanatIOn of Lhodrak and the Spiritual Son; Jora Trtilku, the holder of the Podongpa teaching; the abbots of both the Shartse and Cangtse c. olleges of Ganden, who were holders of the tradition of Riwo Ganden [1. e. the Gelukpa tradition]; and Gontse Trtilku of Tshona in Mon.
There can be no counting, to their full limits, his disciples who were detached yogins, and monks. Also, most of the Nyingmapa and emanatIOns from the province ofKham came before his feet.
JIkme Lingpa's own enlightened activity, which embraced all quarters from fronti. ers of India in the south, to China and Mongolia in the east, t? e bgh. t of the doctrine, has been unrivalled during this late ThIS, m partIcular, was due to the enlightened activity of his sole
mner. most spiritual son, Trupwang Jikme Trhinle Ozer, an emanation of Pnnce Murup Tsepo, 1153 and also [to the activity] of Jikme Gyelwei Nyugu, a great bodhisattva,1154 Jikme Ktindrol, the learned and ac- complished master of Mon, and others.
The asserted that if he were to cultivate one-pointedly the enbghtened mInd for seven years in mountain retreat the teaching would be. and propagated. The truth of that has been realIsed m the present day, for the maturing empowerments,
C'
He wIll teac m a 10rt ng t manner.
At Chingwardo, or to the south of the Red Mausoleum, He may found a monastery at the Lhabap Stiipa.
The body of the pristine cognition of Tsele Natsok RangdrOl entrusted this purpose to Jikme Lingpa. Relying upon many coincidences such as his symbolic revelations, he then returned to hIs homeland. the uplands of Tonkar Valley, in a hidden ravine to the south of the mausoleum of Songtsen Gampo in Chongye, re-estab- lished the mountain hermitage of Pel Tshering-jong Perna Osel Thek- cokling, including both the physical buildings and their Thereafter he lived out his life as a hidden yogin, free from aCtIVItIes, with his s:at established there. To numberless worthy disciples from all quarters of the Land of Snows, as far as Bhutan and he skilfully revealed the transmitted precepts and treasures. of the mapa tradition in general. In particular, he taught the mstructIOns of the Innermost Spirituality in its ancient and new recensions. 1148 So it was that his doctrinal activity was wondrous.
Jikme Lingpa profusely gave the gift of the doctrine wit? out for return or [profitable] fruition: He performed many ? ffenngs to the three doctrinal centres1149 and he ransomed countless hvmg crea- tures from certain death. 11so He presented a wheel of fine gold to the great temple of Samye and erected a silver image of the Conqueror Ajita [Maitreya]. He repeated the consecration of S. amye and when the
great Gurkha army which was hostile to the teachmg, advanced upon , . . f 1151
Tibet, he successfully performed the ntes for the averSIOn 0 war. This illustrates his activities in the sphere of work and his wondrous deeds which ensured the well-being of the teaching and the world, for which even the Tibetan government granted him great esteem and veneration. .
Above all, during that age the teaching of the Ancient TranslatIon School had everywhere become sparse. Jikme Lingpa could not bear in his heart that the enlightened activity of the vast aspirations of the emanational religious kings, translators, and scholars become fruitless and that their indescribable legacy should nearly dIsappear. He had copies made, using the finest supplies and materials, of all the precious tantras of the Nyingmapa tradition which were to be found at MindrOling, some twenty-five volumes, and had first five pages [of each volume] written in [ink made of] the five precIOUS substances,
. . 'n
Istory, c. ompIled thIS but, because his brilliance was profound
h· .
840 History: Close Lineages ofthe Treasures
. t' 1 cultivation of the Innermost . . d and expenen1a . .
liberatmg gUl ance, . g s if to cover all dlrections.
Spirituality appears to be spreadlhn , a. associated with the three t ons
h d mpleted suc ac 1 h 23 Chogyur Decen Lingpa When he co October 1798 (third day, ninth month, eart.
spheres, on Fnday 1 2 . rkme Lingpa passed away at hls horse), during his in Tshering Valley. The
d ' cles indicated his passage to the
own seat, the hermltage
. ofslgnsan mlra "1 h
actual demonstration . 1 h had bestowed m detal t e
fL
Light PreviOUSy, e . 1 otus. . rds of his final testament. Accordlng y,
great realm 0
wonderful, indestructible wo b O O z e r Trhinle and others,. who his last rites Y fnlfil the master's final intentlons.
completed extenSlve ceremomes to u
[646. 1-658. 6] The great treasure-finder Chogyur Decen Zhikpo LingpallSS was an emanation ofMurup Tsepo or Yeshe Rolpatsel, who was the son of glorious King [Trhisong] and a holder of commitments. He was born on Monday 10 August 1829 (tenth day, sixth month, earth female ox year, fourteenth cycle)11S6 at Gomde Tranang in Yerto, southern Dokam. His father was Perna Wangcuk, the mantra adept of Gom, who belonged to the family of Acadru, the minister of Nangcen Chinghu. 11S7 His mother was Tshering Yangtso. His birth was accom- panied by rainbow light and other auspicious omens. From childhood he displayed the wonderful conduct of a holy person; and he learnt to read and write with little difficulty. For this reason he was nicknamed Norbu Tendzin, "Jewel, Holder of the Teaching". He also practised many contemplative sequences unprompted by others.
Once, when he was in his thirteenth year, he went to play at a place called Malfikha ("Entrance to Jewels", or "Entrance to the Six-Syllable Mantra of Avalokitesvara"). On that occasion, Orgyen Rinpoche actu- ally appeared to him and pretended to ask the name of the place and so on. After he had answered each question, Guru Rinpoche prophet- ically declared, "Since the place is called Malfikha, you Norbu Ten- dzin, and this country Arya-Nang (Sublime and Inner), you will be especially sublime in the world! " So saying, he vanished like a rainbow. At about this time, he received the vows of a novice from Taklung Ma Rinpoche.
Pawo VIII, Tsuklak Choki Gyelpo, made great efforts to confer on him the texts, transmissions, and blessings of the Wann Sunbeam of the Attainment ofMind (thugs-sgrub tsha-ba'dmar-thag) and the Beauteous Flower Garland Ritual Manual, both from the Gathering of the Guru's Intention. He was advised that it would be well if he were to cultivate experience of them and was thus entrusted with the actual lineage of the treasures. At one point or another, under many tutors, including the hierarchs of the Karma and Drukpa Kagyti sects and their disciples, the supreme emanations of Drigung, and the preceptors and master of
842
History: Close Lineages ofthe Treasures
of the peaceful and wrathful deities of the Magical Net, and many treasure doctrines, beginning with the Great Compassionate One as the Universal Gathering of the Sugatas.
Chogyur Lingpa was most clearly foretold in many outer, inner, and secret prophetic inventories. Among these, the Established Confluence ofAuspicious Coincidences (rten- 'brel mdo-chings), in particular, declared:
An aspiring individual, who will reveal, not leave,
The profound treasures concealed in the Store ofthe Sky,1159 Will be your later incarnation, 0 royal son. 1160
In that age most of the translators and scholars,
And the king and his subjects will assemble together. In particular, when the sovereign and his sons reunite, Assisting one another, their propensities will gradually
awaken,
And they will encounter my ultimate instructions.
In pure visions you will meet me in person,
And effortlessly attain accomplishment
By experiential cultivation
Of my guidance which lays bare the practical application Of the instructions of secret mantra.
Many disciples will emerge,
Who will obtain the accomplishments!
Accordingly, during the ninth month of that year [October 1853] Chogyur Lingpa went to meet the venerable Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. At that time the master [Khyentse Rinpoche] realised that he possessed a connection with the successive line of the incarnations of the sovereign Trhisong Detsen. Therefore, he initially bestowed on him the Utterly Secret Razor Kfla (phur-pa yang-gsang spu-gri), and, later, the great empowerment of Vajrakfla according to the Khan Tradition ('khon-lugs phur-pa'i dbang-chen). As a result, the outer, inner, and secret obstacles of Chogyur Lingpa were removed. During the empow- erment of the Further Innermost Spirituality like the Wish-fulfilling Gem, he actually perceived the guru to be the great paQQ. ita Vimalamitra. He experienced other extraordinary pure visions too, and thus was intro- duced to naked awareness. Then, when Chogyur Lingpa was entrusted with the vital heart-mantra of the protectress EkajatI, he experienced a vast magnificence, reminiscent of an earthquake, and actually beheld her. She said, "If you, master and disciple, perform the three-year retreat together I shall grant you great accomplishment! " This presaged the later discovery of the Three Classes ofthe Great Perfection (rdzogs-chen sde-gsum).
In his twenty-seventh year, when he received the great empowerment of the Nine-Deity MarJijala ofYangdak Heruka (yang-dag lha-dgu'i dbang- chen), he felt that the guru [in the form of] Heruka dissolved into the
Chogyur Decen Lingpa
transmissions, . d dless empowerments, .
the Zurmang seat, he receive hen _ and mantra traditions, anCient . ' . s of t e sutra . He
and esotenc . 1 raditions and ritual practlces.
and new as well as then t t chant and instrumental , f d nce lconome ry, k'll d
also studied the arts 0 a h 'h ed himself to be extremely s 1 e music. With little difficulty, e s ow .
in all of them. . t' n of Guru Rinpoche's prophecy, In
In conformity with the 10 d d to the seat of Pelpung,
Ch Llngpa procee e
1158 He offered (the kIla known
his twenty-fifth year
where he met Situ Pema N yln)e (phur-pa dbang-chen bzhad-pa)
"Laughter of KIla's Great power d so that obstacles were as1the . . d r htedly accepte , . and other gifts, which Situ e . 1g for his continued longeVity
removed and the auspicious advice concerning the were established. Situ gave 17 treasures and their secret need to complete the attamment 0 . d some profound doctnnes,
h L'ngpa receive . f the Then, gradually, C f enlightened aspiratlon, rom . .
such as concern the 0 an n Trtilku. From Jamgon Lodro great preceptor and bodhisattva precepts of the Thaye he heard most of the and exegetical tranSmiSSion
of which the foremost was the emp
Chogyur Decen Lingpa 843
844 History: Close Lineages ofthe Treasures h 1 o As a result, the knots in the energy c anne s crown of hlS own heado d from that time onwards songs of
in his heart were unravelled, ahn 0
·bl lOt indestructl e rea 1Y
They will reap a great doctrinal harvest in this degenerate age.
Profound and vast, they will outshine the sun.
In conformity with this, both of the two great treasure-finders, em- anations of the sovereign and his son, were endowed with seven succes- sions of the transmitted precepts of the profound doctrine, which were subdivisions of the three [basic types of transmission], namely, the transmitted precepts, treasures, and pure visions.
(i) [Concerning the transmitted precepts]: Chogyur Lingpa received most of the distant lineage of the transmitted precepts in existence nowadays. He taught and propagated the trilogy of the Sutra which Gathers All Intentions, the Magical Net, and the Mental Class many times. Furthermore, among his profound treasures, there are those which uphold the doctrinal language and philosophical systems, just as they are found in the Sutra which Gathers All Intentions, the Magical Net, and other texts of the transmitted precepts. These unprecedented and wonderful discoveries constitute his real succession to the transmit- ted precepts.
(ii) Concerning the earth treasures, which were his own fortune: In his thirteenth year Chogyur Lingpa began by discovering the Twenty- four Means for Attainment which were the Prince's Contemplations (lha-sras thugs-dam sgrub-thabs nyer-bzhi), and the Skull-Mirror of Indestructible Reality, which is Indicative of the Transmitted Precepts of the Gathering of Intentions (dgongs-'dus bka'-rtags rdo-rje thod-pa me-long) at Trakar Dzongcung. In his thirty-ninth year, after his venerable guru [Khyentse Rinpoche] had offered him an inventory and inspiration, he discovered, at Tsike Norbu Ptinsum, the Thirty-seven Supreme Treasures (mchog-gter sum-cu-rtsa-bdun), which included the Seven Cycles of the Jewel of True Doctrine (dam-chos nor-bu skor-bdun), as well as a representative figure of Guru Rinpoche and the body ornaments of Senge Dradrok. At Dra Yangdzong he discovered the Seven Cycles ofPacification (zhi-byed skor- bdun), together with their inventories, supplementary inventories, es-
sential inventories, quintessential inventories, et cetera, and also many minor material treasures.
Concerning Chogyur Lingpa's foremost treasures: He brought forth the Attainment ofMind, the Dispeller ofAll Obstacles from Danyin Khala Rongo; the Great Compassionate One, Lotus Crowned (thugs-rje chen-po
padma gtsug-tor) from Nabtin Dzong; the Seven Cycles ofProfound Con- templation (thugs-dam zab-pa skor-bdun) from the area behind Wokmin Karma; the cycles of the tantras and transmissions which are its supple- ments, and also the Root Attainment ofMind, the Gathering ofAll Inten- tions (rtsa-ba'i thugs-sgrub dgongs-pa kun-'dus), along with two represent- ative images from Yegyel Namkadzo; the True Doctrine) Three Classes of the Great Perfection (dam-chos rdzogs-pa chen-po sde-gsum) from the
h °ffi 1 th symbohc scnpt 0
t impediment. He understood M Od h
ou
f the Attainment of
ld Dispeller of All Obstacles ahr1·nc agrees not only in meaning,
treasure of the venerable K y b 1 JOust as a mother and chlld are h without 0 stac e, b)1l61
lished the two toget er d the treasure attainment 0
united. They also performe. d numberless pure visions, mcludmg
together, whereby they expenence f d by Guru Padmasambhava o ctually avoure
one in whlch they were a . tories of many treasure troves,
and his consort. They obtained. were established. Since they . ·ous comel enc . d
and many other ausplCl h ble Khyentse, too, enJoye . ther t e venera
had confidence m one ano . ' f these new treasures and au-
the maturational and liberatmg nectarbo me ll·ke the sun and moon
poured fort Wlt 00
In, t e
ebb
0
without dl lCU ty
Oh before lSteac g J MOd
not properly deClp er . . . th the Attainment OJ I n , but also for the most part m 'dus-pa), a profound the Gathering of the Sugatas Therefore, they. estab-
I h· Y the twO eca . . thorised them. n t lS wa . ' 11 renowned and indisputable.
fi ders umversa y
among treasure- m '. gk ·1 Chogyur Lmgpa remame
d
In the isolated hermltage of Ydan nt for the Utterly Profound . f . ean attamme
absorbed in the ntes 0 serV1C F h on in accord with Guru P . Jwels romten ,
Gathering of All reClOUS . 1 . s he persevered in the con- ' phetlc dec aratlon , .
Padmasambhava s pro 11 d . three years of sohtary retreat templative sequences, a , at the culmination of crea- at Wokmin Karma. Arnvlng exp. ·nfinite signs and marks of ac-
tion, perfection, and ? reat proven by direct perception complishment were dls. close h over the four rites of en-
that he was a great belng w 0 lightened activity.
CHOGYUR LlNGPA'S SEVEN SUCCESSIONS TO THE TRANSMITTED PRECEPTS
. .
In partlcular, m the Proph d
Great Perfection (rdzogs-chen s e-gsum
.
The streams of seven 0
_had kun-sel), whlch he cou
etic Declaration of the Three Classes of the -gyi lung-bstan) it says:
Will fall to the soverelgn and hlS son . These are the unbroken lineage, transmltte
d f
m f
one to the next (i), . . h
The substantial profound treasures (n), t ose 0
intention (iv), of recollection (v), Reconcealed treasures (iii), ( . . )
. 0 (Vl·) and the aural lineages Vll . Pure VlSlOns ,
f transmitted precepts as their fortune.
ro
Chogyur Decen Lingpa 845
846 History: Close Lineages ofthe Treasures
Pemashel Cave in Marshodzam; the Six Scrolls of True Doctrine (dam- chos shog-sde drug-pa) from Mount Kongmo Wokma at Sengcen Nam- drak; the Great Compassionate One, the Magical Net ofthe Lotus (thugs-rje chen-po padma sgyu-'phrul drva-ba) and the Churner ofSarrzsara's Depths (,khor-ba dong-sprugs) from Khandro Bumdzong; the General Summary of (ma-mo spyi-bsdus) from Karmei Peldeu; the Attainment of Mind, the Wish-fulfilling Gem (thugs-sgrub yid-bzhin nor-bu) from Kela Norbu Ptinsum, in conformity with the prophetic declaration of the venerable Khyentse; the Eight Transmitted Precepts, the Universal Gathering ofthe Sugatas (bka'-brgyad bde-gshegs kun-'dus) and the Refined Gold ofthe Profound Great Perfection (zab-pa rdzogs-chen gser-zhun) from Yubel Rock, south of Yegyel; the Attainment of Mind, the Expressive Play of Indestructible Wrath (thugs-sgrub rdo-rje drag-rtsal) and the Five Innermost Cycles (snying-po skor-lnga) from the "tiger den" of Rongme K a r m o ; a n d t h e Sarrzvara Buddhasamayoga (bde-mchog sangs-rgyas mnyam-sbyor) from Rudam Kangtro.
All those are merely illustrative: From each treasure site there came forth an exceedingly large number of doctrines, sacramental substances, images and symbolic objects. Since most of them were found in public, they were visible to everyone's senses and hence indisputable. In short, just as it had been clearly prophesied that the succession of the trans- mitted precepts of a hundred treasures from the sites of buddha-body, speech, mind, attributes, and activities would fall to him, along with those of a hundred [doctrines of] Innermost Spirituality and many [substances providing] liberation when tasted, just so, Chogyur Lingpa discovered the Dokam Inventory of the Twenty-five Great Pilgrimage Places ofDokam (mdo-khams gnas-chen nyer-Inga'i mdo-byang) at the rock of Pawo Wangcen. In this way he made newly manifest many sites, their roots and branches. His wonderful miracles were also inconceiv- able; for instance, he discovered as treasure about three grades of ma- terial for representative images of Guru Rinpoche, but he multiplied the copies [of those images] many times.
(iii) Concerning the reconcealed treasures1l62 which supplement these: These were the Wrathful Guru, the Innermost Spirituality of the Red HO. A:I (gur-drag hurrz-dmar snying-thig) , a treasure of his own previous incarnation as the great treasure-finder Sangye Lingpa, which fell to him through the power of blessing; and the Mother Tantra which Integ- rates the Secret onto the Path (ma-rgyud gsang-ba lam-khyer) of the (jakinI Ktinga Bumpa, which fell to him through a close lineage.
(iv) Concerning the profound treasures of intention: Relying upon the inspiration derived from the venerable Tara's saying to him "It is good! " three times, Chogyur Lingpa established the Innermost Profun- dity of Tara (sgrol-ma'i zab-tig).
(v) Concerning the recollections which supplement them: The mas- ter, having remembered his former life as Nup Khulungpa Yonten
Chogyur Decen Lin 847 Gyamtso, briefly set down in writin t ' gpa
Indestructible Array, which Nupcen rlanhe Instructions ofthe
Testament (gnubs-chen 'da'-k " h I h gy esheJ Conferred as his Final azz a-c emslungrd 'bk d "
gnang-ba), together with Nup's Boast ( nubs-k 0 -pa zgdams-pa recalled a way of reciting the rulu man;r yz" a-pho), and he also Relying on the recollectio:
C"
Lmgpa he established in d t'l h ofhIS prevIOUS hfe as Sangye
E ' ,e al,t estep-by-stepg 'd
xerczses ofthe Nine Vigorous Sk il d' UI ance lor the Yogic
G a t h e r i n g o f I n t e n t i o n s (VI) Concernmg the pure visions: When
the treasures situated at R' W h he opened the entrance to IWO angzuhes 'V' ,
of attainment the great p d' h' ' aw, m ImalamItra's cave , an Ita 1mself wh h"
These are preserved as the j . p '
la'i zab-tig) and so forth. nnermost rofundzty of Vimalamitra (bi-ma-
(vii) Concerning the aural linea e' In . ,
went to the glorious Copper-col;u;ed pure Chogyur Lingpa
from Orgyen Rinpoche the 1 ' ountam, where he received , nstructzons ofthe Innerm t S " ,
cernmg the Profound Signijicanc ifA ' ( ' os , pzntualzty Con-
pa), which he set down in wrI'teI'o tz a-tz zab-don snymg-thig-gi gdams- S h' . ng,etcetera
uc IS the briefaccount ofCho ur L' " '
of seven successions of tra mgpa s lIberating endowment
life he beheld the deities of precepts. In both early and later e
declarations; the protectors u d ree and received their prophetic
tivities; and he experienced n ertoo <: perform his enlightened ac-
he journeyed to the glo ' many pure,vlsIOns, long and short, in which nous mountam on C- d -
must suffice for illustrative purposes.
amara Vlpa. This much
Chogyu L'
f ' r mgpaperformedthegreatattainment 1163 W'thth C"
b
? ntual service and attainme . ' I lOur ranches mg those which he undertook tImes, includ-
proceeded to act as "mast f ' mse a? the OccaSIOns on which he
assemblies of others By 0 reality" (vajracarya) at the
the local deities] at geo IS ICent, overpowering commands [to S mantIC centres ofTib t d D k '
een predicted of h' 1m.
ne actIVItIes, Just as had
'! 'o the Kagytipa, of whom the t;
Dngungpa, and Takl oremost were the Karmapa, Drukpa
the foremost were the to the Nyingmapa, of [monasteries and their adh ro Katok, Pelytil, Zhecen, and Dzokcen of the teaching, without ; and to and other holders
conferred the maturation a d' Lmgpa dIrectly and indirectly n I eratIOn of the profound doctrine, His
d b ' e an 0 y hIS many ,
amyeHeporiandPelChu '
h won, an
at t e great places of 'I '
lence of military pacified the turbu-
the kingdom and w'd I ' an ,so ort . ' He mcreased the prosperity of b ley attamed enlIghte d " , ,
,0 gave 1m mstructions.
am,mcluding ,
mvocatIOns of blessing
848 History: Close Lineages ofthe Treasures
gifts of [medicinal] substances which liberate when tasted covered all of Tibet and Kham, the centre and frontiers. In particular, there were ten root masters of his doctrine, most of whom had auspicious connec- tions, so that the enlightened activity of his treasure doctrines, the Attainment ofMind) the Dispeller ofAll Obstacles foremost among them, was widely propagated. At Wokmin Tshurpu [the seat ofthe Karmapa] he instituted the annual performance of the Great Attainment of Kfla [according to} the Seven [Cycles of} Profound [Contemplation} (zab-bdun phur-pa'i sgrub-chen), along with the fundamental middle-length dances. As exemplified by this, he established rites of attainment and offering ceremonies, associated with the great and small doctrinal transmissions of his new treasures, at many monasteries.
Among the Ten Doctrines which Secure the Happiness of Tibet and Kham (bod-khams bde-thabs chos-bcu), Chogyur Lingpa established the Doctrinal Cycle of Auspicious Coincidence (rten-'brel-gyi chos-skor); and, in accord with its meaning, the wonderful ceremonies for the spread of exegesis, attainment, and work which are associated with the twofold teaching of sutra and mantra as taught during the age of the preceptor the master [Padmasambhava], and the religious king [Trhisong Detsen] were successively instituted at Pelpung, Katok and Dzokcen. ll64 At his own seats of Karmari, Neten Gang and Tsike Dildo, he founded temples, including the buildings themselves and the objects they housed. At the last two centres mentioned he established monastic communities and the continuous exegesis and attainment of the sutras and mantras.
After bringing such actions to completion, Chogyur Lingpa's inten- tion turned for the while to another great purpose, and in his forty-sec- ond year, 1870 (iron male horse), he seemed to fall ill. He had a pure vision in which he went to an utterly pure buddha-field. Then, on Wednesday 29 June 1870 (first day, fifth month),1165 while demonstrat- ing such wonderful miracles as earthquakes and rainbows, he became equipoised in the expanse of peace.
On Wednesday 7 December (fifteenth day, tenth month), during that same year, the venerable Khyentse Wangpo had a pure vision in which he met the great treasure-finder in the form of the bodhisattva Padmailkusa, in the Lotus-covered Pure Land to the west. Khyentse Rinpoche received the bountiful nectar of his means for attainment, empowerment, and instructions, and concealed them for one month under a pledge of secrecy. 1166 Then, on Sunday 1 January 1871 (tenth day, eleventh month), when, in connection with a feast offering, he established them, a warmth suddenly descended on the land, turning the ice into streams. This auspicious omen appears to have been an extraordinary sign of blessing, made directly manifest to the senses.

24 Jamyang KhyentseWangpo
[658. 6-676 5] J
L' . amyang Khyentse Wa
mgpa, the kingly treasure-finder or Pema Osel Do-nga great pal). 9Ita Vimalamitra and th '1" was coalescent play of
e was the thirteenth of Gyelse Ig. lOUS Trhisong Detsen. he was always a treasure-finder Kh J s during which many w? ndrous omens, on Rmpoche was born, with
month, Iron dragon year C y IS july 1820 (fifth day sixth R k" , 10urteenth cycl ) ,
oc In the VIllage ofTerlung Tin o D e . ,
:r he
From his very earliest memories K for repeatedly by the six-a;
Yaru Khyungcen Dokam. His father yo clan, and his mother was
;as Trungcen Rincen Wangyel okza Sonamtsho.
:
hyentse Rinpoche was lovingly and the mantra prot med of Pristine Cognition of many of his ast livectress He had irregular re-
enlIghtened family of the p es. chIldhood he awoke to th Ion d greater vehIcle and" e ge only for ordination End d ' m partIcular, his heart
discrimination he to intelligence I ICUlty. Just by seeing most bo k anI wnte and so forth without Words the meaning. 0 s on yonce he mastered both the
In hIS twenty-first year he wa f .
the preceptor of Orgyen Mindrot ordamed by Rikdzin Zangpo
an? others he received [the vows rom Sakyapa Dorje in connection with the tf] cultIvation of the enlightened agarJuna and Asanga]. He re . ra ltlOns of the two promulgators
of Khen and Hevajra from
th A So TradulOn (so-lugs yang-dag) d . . wareness-holder from Gyurme San
d h angdak Heruka according t. : Innermost Spirituality of
and the peaceful and wr h gy: ! <unga, the Trhicen ofMin-
empowerment, from G ful deItIes of the Magical Net, along
n thIS way, the roots of the y me Thutop Namgyel of Zhecen 1I69 Kh . mantratradit' , .
ti
had completel IOn s vows were established. on WIth hIS mcarnate status and h' y arrogance in connec- , IS no e and wealthy ancestry, and
an
. Cl Lineages ofthe Treasures
850 HlStory: ose . d erseverance and endeavour
h d h' s WIth tremen ous p 1T'b endured great ar s lp . d d fifty tutors from Centra let,
he attended on almost one hundrhe an lre included gurus who were
mongst w om we f
T sang and Kham, a . 11 as spiritual bene actors an , 'bl eahty as we . ' .
holders of indestruCtl e , He completed study and. trammg m learned masters of the "ten sciences", which art, the exegeses of the branches; and in those dtalect-
medicine, grammar, 10glC V· the Treasury of the Abhldharma, . 1texts as exemplified by the maya, £ 1" n He received, in their
lca ' k nd Transcendental Per ec 10 .
Madhyama _ _
hundred volumes, comprising all the treatises of the Tibetan philosoph- ical systems, without bias. Foremost among these were the Precious Translations ofthe Transmitted Precepts ofthe Conqueror (rgyal-ba'i bka'- 'gyur rin-po-che), the Collected Tantras ofthe Nyingmapa, and the surviv- ing continuous transmission of the Tangyur (bstan-'gyur). l172 In short, Khyentse Rinpoche pursued study exclusively for about thirteen years. He heard most of the traditions renowned among those of the "Ten Great Pillars who Supported the Exegetical Lineages" (bshad-brgyud 'degs-pa'i ka-chen bCU). 1173 Just by glancing at a volume this master understood the depths of its meaning, and he possessed unfailing re- tention.
In order to reveal the career of one who did not belittle the doctrine, Khyentse Rinpoche did not abandon [all these doctrines] having merely studied them, but trained and cultivated himself in them to the limits, whereby he came to possess the unclouded eye of the doctrine. So it was that he knew in detail, and without adulteration, the essential points of the view, conduct and assertions of each philosophical system, whether or not their respective traditions and customs were free from deviation, and so forth. During the present day there is no one, high or low, with whom he might be compared.
Khyentse Rinpoche also expounded most of the siitras, tantras, and treatises which he himself had studied, along with their maturation, liberation and supporting transmissions,1174 many times each. There was nothing he did not teach at least once, whereby he fulfilled the hopes of each aspirant, from great, holy individuals down to common beggars, by his doctrinal gifts, which were free from materialism. He never amassed property by the perverse livelihood of performing house- hold ceremonies which claim to benefit disciples and living creatures, or by begging for alms. Because the three blazes and the three gatherings shone outwardly, material wealth came to him without effort, and he did not squander any at all on impossible schemes. Instead, he commis- sioned about two thousand gold and copper images representing the buddha-body; published nearly forty volumes of texts, and had printed, or copied, some two thousand volumes in all, representing the buddha- speech; and as representatives of the buddha-mind, built more than one hundred stiipas of gold and copper, the foremost of which was the great Stiipa of Lhtindrup Teng. To house them all he erected a fine array of some thirteen temples, large and small, and in these he estab- lished the periodic and daily ceremonies. He did not much concern himself with the difficulties of establishing [monastic and ritual] pro- priety in the new centres, owing to the adverse circumstances and time, but to those monasteries and centres which had been badly damaged during the later civil disturbances in upper and lower [Dokam] he
offered more than three thousand bricks of tea, in accord with the size
of the monasteries.
. ' ents] and liberating entirety, the maturational had survived without declIned
of all the traditions of the past w treasures of the Nyingmapa;
uch as the transmitted an d ew Kadampa schools; t e s . f] the anCIent an n fK mtsang, also [the teachmg 0 . 1170 the Kagytipa subsects 0 a 1171
Sakyapa, Ngorpa and Tsharpa, . ell as the Conangpa,
tantras and treatises mcludmg . f the Cakrasamvara, H eva)ra
d the trw 0 : f b t seven
the Kalacakra Tantra, an . and the transmiSSIOns 0 a ou Guhyasamaja tantras, et cetera,
Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo
d
Il7S
He advised the officials of China and Tibet, as
JamyangKhyentse Wangpo 851
852 History: Close Lineages ofthe Treasures
well as the religious king and royal ministers of Derge, of the great importance of adequate support, owing to which monasteries which had declined were restored to their former condition and the appropriate ceremonies were sponsored. And through his admonishments, which conformed to traditional and local custom, he greatly increased them. Such was the great kindness which Khyentse Rinpoche conferred.
To the doctrinal centres, large and small, in the neighbouring dis- tricts, he annually provided donations to support [the rites with] dharal)Is, mantras, and dedications of merit. All told, at vanous times, his offerings for this purpose totalled some four thousand bricks of tea in value.
In general, because Khyentse Rinpoche had acquired firmness in the twofold precious enlightened attitude,1176 and especially, because he was endowed with the vast power of pure vision and devotion towards all the philosophical systems, and was otherwise totally without bias and bigotry,1177 his students were countless. They included all the well-known holders of the teaching, and great individuals among the Sakyapa, Kagytipa, Nyingmapa, and Gelukpa, as well as spiritual be- nefactors, practitioners of retreat, poor mendicants, and adherents of the Yungdrung Pon tradition,1178 without partiality. Among those who assembled continually everyday, without number, headed by the many great officials of China and Tibet, it was as if there was no one who did not obtain, in accord with his or her devotion, a connection [with the master], whether through the gift of the doctrine, the removal of misfortune, empowerment, or blessing. Free from the fetters of the eight worldly concerns, Khyentse Rinpoche eradicated the roots of human behaviour as saving face and hope and fear, whether found m persons of high or low status. Thus, his career was that of a aI? ong those who had renounced worldly activity and the cares of thIs lIfe.
Khyentse Rinpoche spent about thirteen years, altogether, ing the rites of service and attainment for many of the favoured deItIes of the of the ancient and new traditions. He cultivated each and everyone of the profound [systems of] gUldance, and, above all, those ofthe Hundred Systems ofGuidance (khrid-brgya)1l79 composed by Jetstin [Ktinga] Dro1cok. The fact that he undertook accomplish whatever commitments he had assumed alone renders hIS career incomparable with that of any other.
The foregoing remarks constitute but a brief summary of Khyentse Rinpoche's outer career, which deals with the three spheres of renun- ciation, study, and work. . .
In the Land of Snows, it is well known that there are eIght lIneages of attainment or great conveyances: . '
(i) The Nyingmapa, or Ancient Translation School, whIch orgmated through the kindness of the preceptor the master [Pad- masambhava], and the religious king [Trhisong Detsen];
]amyang Khyentse Wangpo 853
The which is tradition of the venerable master, AtI. sa, and IS endowed wIth seven divine doctrines;
(m) The mstructions of the Path and Fruit which are the . I
" l' f 'eSSentia Ity 0 the great accomplished master Virupa, and have been
through the glorious Sakyapa and their disciples;
(IV) The four great and eight minor subsects of the Kagyii, which are Marpa, Milarepa, and Takpo Lharje, and have passed
down from the lineage offour transmitted precepts; 1180
. (v) The glonous Shangpa Kagyii [which maintains] the golden doc-
of the and accomplished Neljorpa;
. (VI) Yoga, which emphasises above all the yoga of
IndestructIble realIty, . and which is the stage of perfection of the king of all tantras, the glonous Kalacakra'
(vii) The true. doctrine of the Pacification of suffering, along with its the Object of Cutting, which is the tradition of the great ac- master Phadampa Sangye; and
The. Service and Attainment of the Three Indestructible whIch the Vajra Queen actually bestowed on the great ac-
complIshed master Orgyenpa.
Khyentse Rinpoche had immeasurable faith and devotion towards of these of which the past traditions have been preserved m unbroken lmeages. Therefore, scorning physical fatigue and with
fervent perseverance, he received in full, and without all their sequences of maturation and liberation from tutors connected with the sources? f each By upon them he cleared his doubts; an. d whIle expenentlally cultIvating them through meditation he re-
the blessings of the three secrets and the instructions of close lmeages, both in reality and during various visions and dreams from the learned and of India and Tibet, the p;aceful wrathful medItatIOnal deIties and conquerors, and the host of <;lakmls. the three abodes. In these and other ways he had limitless
pure at. each and every instant. But all this is just vaguely IllustratIve; for, In fact, Khyentse Rinpoche never proclaimed his visions and supernormal cognitive powers, or made other statements about supposed spiritual attainments. For this reason only so much may be
known. A. bove all, having thoroughly mastered the two stages according
to those eIght conveyances, he became unimpeded in teaching debate and . . , ,
cOmpOSItIOn, and free from the taints of bewilderment· and thus
he made disciples enter his following. This is the kernel of hIS Inner career.
In it says in an indestructible prophetic declaration of the great accomplIshed master Thangtong Gyelpo: 1181
Seven hundred years from now,
In the middle of Dokam, during a dragon year,
854
History: Close Lineages oJthe Treasures
A yogin no different from ,
E d ed with five charactenstIcs,
]amyang Khyentse Wangpo 855
nothing. He was transformed into a radiant body of light, thinking, "I am Vimalamitra. "
Moreover, during that same period, the mighty lord among ac- complished masters, Thangtong Gyelpo, revealed himself in a dream, blessed Khyentse Rinpoche, and conferred on him instructions and
further advice; but the master only wrote down the Means for the Attainment ofthe Guru Cbla-sgrub). Later, he unsealed these transmitted precepts and gradually established the Cycles ofthe Innennost Spirituality
ofthe Accomplished Master (grub-thob thugs-tig-gi skor-nzams), including the Root Verses of the Six Stages of Perfection Crdzogs-rim drug-g; rtsa- tshig), the Five Cycles ofAttainment Csgrub-skor lnga), and the Gathering
of the Blood-drinking Sugatas Ckhrag-'thung bde-gshegs 'dus-pa). He also had a vision and was blessed by the Lord of Immortality [Amitayus] and his consort, whereby he received their extraordinary means for
attainment. Among them, he established the Root Text of Ca1JQalf, Mother of Life (tshe-yum tsa1Jqa-lf'i rtsa-ba). Although he experienced these and countless other visions of the myriad deities of the three
roots, he profoundly intended to preserve their secrecy. Therefore, others did not know even a bit about them.
In particular, though there appear to be many prophetic declarations
among Khyentse Rinpoche's earlier and later [treasures], he himself stated:
It is said that: "Treasure-finders are ruined by their prophecies. ,," Just so, once a so-called prophetic declaration is written down it becomes necessary to put its stipulations
into practice. But no one at all puts them into practice, because of which [the prophecies] never exactly strike the
mark. Too much prattle about them is an ingress for demons!
Therefore, he neither made prophetic declarations, nor delighted in those made by others. This appears to be a point ofgreat Consequence.
JAMY ANG KHYENTSE W ANGPO'S SEVEN SUCCESSIONS TO THE TRANSMITTED PRECEPTS
(i) Concerning Khyentse Rinpoche's succession to the transmitted pre- cepts [ofthe distant lineage]: In his sixteenth year, at dawn on Saturday 6 May 1835 (tenth day, fourth month), he went to the Lotus Light
Palace on Camaradv! pa in a pure vision. There, in a magnificent moun- tain range, in the midst of especially white cloUds, he met Guru Saroruhavajra, surrounded by a host of<;lakin! s. The Guru intentionally
blessed him, conferred symbolic empowerment, and greatly inspired
him by foretelling his seven successions to the transmitted precepts. Finally, adopting a gaze, he said:
n ow " I erson Will emerge as an appantlOna p
. -holder of Nyo. '11 b the son of Ga, an awareness " 1182
He Wl e , , H '11haveawarrior sslgns. His element wlll be lron. Wl he will be Do-nga Lingpa,
Being blessed by Perna Gye Endowed with seven succe,sslOns
Being blessed by . . I T ·'1 'DofJe
of transmitted precepts.
He will be Ose ru pel ,'MafijusrI's emanation, Being blessed by the
He will be Choki Shenyen,
, , well as with the Prophetic Inventory of the
In accordance wlth thls, as ,t, , (d ogs chen sde-gsum lung-byang), Three Classes of the Great Perjectwnd r Khyentse Rinpoche was which was cited above 844], 0 declarations as one repeatedly heralded by mdestructI, e ftransmitted precepts, would who, having mastered seven and so he manifestly did.
greatly benefit and ill and was painfully When he was m hls yea d Y he Tshogyel both revealed afflicted, At that time Guru Rmpoche :i:U in the mandala ofVajra-
ering and consecratmg , " h b ttl themselves, empow h d ' e he was victorious m t e a e
k
-I Having received their furt er a VlC, " h e approached
1a. 'fif hear mapureVlSlon,
with his obstacles. In hls 1 teent dY 't'ble Seat in India. He climbed
S P daattheIn estruc1 M _, ; the Nine- torey a g o , ei hth he met the great master anJus-
it storey-by-storey and, m the, g , d d by piles of books to the
rlmitra in the guise of a paJ)<;i1ta, ; with great devotion and
left and right. Khyentse e okwea volume from his left and M -' ; -mltra too
prayed, whereupon k 't manuscript of the Verse Summation showed it to him. It was a ans oflDiscriminative Awareness. He placed
O f the Transcendental PerJectwhn ifd d transmitted its intention, saymg, ,'1 fKh ntse's ea an " " It on the crown 0 ye " o f all the dialectlcal doctnnes.
"This is the complete and showed it to him. It appeared Then, he took a volume from ntra oJthe Mirror oJVajrasattva's
to be entitled the Great PerJectwn, t e ,a , -long-gi rgyud). He placed h p dor-sems snymg-gz me "
Heart (rdzogs-pa c en- o,r d d transmitted its intentIon, saymg,
it upon the crown of hls hea, 0 the words, meanings, and bles-
"This is the complete d tructible reality in general,
sings of the secret mantra vehIcle in particular. " Then,
and of three classes of t,he joyfully dissolved mto
after makmg some prophecles, If For a moment Khyentse
light and vanished into the master lmse contemplation, Having ' I tered a non-concep h'ch
Rinpoche expanslve yen d d outside [the temple], at w 1
roused himself from it, he proc,ee front of the door. Powerless to
point there was a great s material body was burnt to do otherwise he entered It and IS gros ,
856
History: Close Lineages ofthe Treasures
Untainted by graspable objects,
Untarnished by grasping thoughts, . Maintaining naked awareness and emptIness -
This is the intention of all buddhas!
. . . h nished into the master himself,
Then, together WIth hIS . e of the Guru had merged who consequ. ently. felt. e he acquired a natural security indivisibly WIth hIS mmd: or He became utterly enthusias-
in the abiding nature J : : u Rinpoche, owing to which he tic and prayed one-pomte y . d rece ts and treasures of the effortlessly obtained the rantras, along with their
ancient and new tradItIOnS 0 . transmissions as well as exceed-
Lingpa, gave him a volume, and blessed him. With that extraordinary pure vision as the inception, the careers of the treasure-finders and all their extant treasure doctrines shone clearly in Khyentse Rinpoche's mind; and he was authorised to be the successor to their transmitted precepts. In this way, most of the yellow scrolls which had been recon- cealed as treasures by their respective previous discoverers were brought forth by the gakinls of pristine cognition and handed down to him, whereupon he deciphered them. Some he established by glancing at the symbolic script, or because, without efforts, they were self-clarifying in the expanse of his intention. During these occasions Guru Rinpoche appeared in person, or in the forms of the various treasure-finders, and bestowed upon him the maturation and liberation [of the treasures] in their entirety, all at once. With most wonderful perseverance, his emi- nence Jamgon Lodro Thaye implored Khyentse Rinpoche again and again to rediscover even a portion of the ancient treasures of which the lineages had been broken altogether. Accordingly, he found a great many close lineages of reconcealed treasure. These are preserved in the Store of Precious Treasure.
(iv) Concerning his profound treasures of intention: In 1848 (earth monkey), his twenty-ninth year, while en route to Central Tibet, Khyentse Rinpoche performed the feast offering of the tenth day at Cangdrok Gegyel. Guru Rinpoche actually revealed himself to him and gave his blessing. When Khyentse Rinpoche offered worship before the representative image of Saroruhavajra at Samye, which had been discovered among the treasures of Nyang-rel Nyima Ozer, the image actually turned into Saroruhavajra and gave him blessing and instruc- tion, on the basis of which he brought forth the Doctrinal Cycle of the Innermost Spirituality ofSaroruha, which is the Secret Attainment, among the Three Cycles of the Means for the Attainment of the Guru (bla-sgrub skor-gsum-gyi gsang-sgrub mtsho-skyes snying-thig-gi chos-skor). I n January/February 1855 (rgyal zla-ba, wood tiger), during his thirty-fifth year, when he performed the rites of the service and attainment of the
Immortal Wish-granting Wheel ['chi-med yid-bzhin 'khor-lo, the name of a form of White Tara] he actually beheld the visage of the sublime Tara, who harmoniously chanted her ten-syllable mantra and blessed him. 1183 Later, when he had also been blessed by three masters who had accomplished immortality,1184 he brought forth the Doctrinal Cycle ofthe Innermost Spirituality ofthe Sublime Lady (,phags-ma'i snying-thig-gi chos-skor). The origins of the Cycle of the Innermost Spirituality of the Accomplished Master have already been described [po 804]. These treasures ofKhyentse Rinpoche are supreme among the treasures ofinten- tion, for they comprise verses ofindestructible reality which are no diffe- rent from the tantras, and are beyond the conceptions ofordinary people.
(v) Concerning Khyentse Rinpoche's recollections: Once, while travelling in Tibet, when he passed through the lower valley of Uyuk
. l"b ration and supportmg , . . maturatIOn, 1 , . Throu h his experiential cultIvatIon,
ingly rare contInUOUS teaching and propagatIOn of them,
h g kindled the dying embers of e re
the teaching. . .
(ii) Concermng hIS earth ·nzang the dakinI of pristine
. In his twentieth year, when Khyentse Rinpoche went to Tra mar n chest' it he extracted
. . 11 offeredhimatreasure· R cogmtIOn actua Y C · nate One as Mind at
est the Doctrinal Cycle of the. Great _ and the remains of
(thugs-rje chen-po sems-nyzd Nyingdrung he brought
twenty-one brahmans. From A . t of the Guru's Four Bodzes of h M fior the ttammen OJ
the Cycle OJ t e eans . d relics emanated from a tooth (bla-ma sku-bzhi'i out and offered to him by [the of Guru Rinpoche. These u Yutso he discovered the Cycle
protector] Nyencen Thang a.