The queen then Kecame 0 "A
Preliminary
Study of teachers such as Nyak.
Dudjom Rinpoche - Fundamentals and History of the Nyingmapa
Richardson, A Cultural History of Tibet, pp.
144-5, 152; and Blue Annals, pp.
217-18.
This led eventually to the formal assumption of power in 1349 of Ta'i Situ Cangcup Gyeltsen of Phakmotru (1302- 64).
Longcenpa moved to Bhutan in consequence of a dispute with this new potentate of Tibet, which endured for some ten years.
See below, pp.
591-2; and for an enumeration of the eight monasteries
which he founded or developed there, see Aris, Bhutan, pp. 155, 315.
Our text erroneously reads gsum (three) for gnyis (two). For a highly
useful anthology of Longcenpa's writings, drawn from many of the
texts mentioned in this paragraph, see Tulku Thondup Rinpoche,
Buddha Mind.
This incident is recounted by Guenther in his introduction to Kindly Bent to Ease Us, Vol. 1, p. xv. Ta'i Situ Cangcup Gyeltsen was unfor- tunately provoked into believing Longcenpa to be an ally of his oppon- ent Drigung Gompa Ktinrin. Shortly after the former assumed power, Ktinrin organised a revolt. Longcenpa tried to mediate, but his actions
were misinterpreted and in consequence he was forced into exile in Bhutan where he remained at the monastery of Tharpaling near Bum- thang (see n. 688 above). Eventually he was reconciled with Ta'i Situ (the "Eight-footed Lion" or "Shing-go-chen-pa") through the efforts
of his lay patrons Prince Situ Sakya Zangpo of upper D and Dorjc Gyeltsen of Yamdrok.
shing-sgo chen-pa: "King of the Land of Wooden Doors" was a title adopted by Ta'i Situ Cangcup Gyeltsen. Tibet is called the land of wooden doors because (according to Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche) a wooden gateway was erected on the Amdo frontier with China to mark a peace treaty during the reign of Relpacen. According to Khenpo Palden Sherap the significance is that in antiquity the first Tibetans
pp. b ',. . g po) itself adopts the former in the well-known verse gsang- a z snyzn -
681
682
683 684
685
686
687 688
689
690
cited above, p. 281, n. 276. . . . .
665 Contemplative experience correlates m ways with ordmary
t I states. Thus ordinary waking conSCIOusness corresponds to the mena Sk --k_ ) experience of the "body of illusion" (sgyu-lus, t: maya aya , mun-
dane dreaming to the yoga of the (rmz-lam, Skt. and deep dreamless sleep to inner radIance Skt. prabhasvara). Hence, there is the reference to sleep at thIS Juncture. .
666 The deity Ode Kungyel is held to be the protector of a in Nyangpo which bears the same name; see Nebesky-WoJkowItz, Oracles and Demons of Tibet, pp. 206, For Nyencen Thangla,
·b·d 205-10 The seven Menmo sIsters (sman-mo mched-bdun) at S·ilma in Tsang by the master Padmasambhava: ibid. , pp. 198-202; and The Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava, Pt. 2, p. 373. . .
667 The prophecy is referring to Longcenpa's subsequent as the treasure-finder Perna Lingpa in Bhutan to the south-west
668 The treasure troves in Bumthang are those which he later dIscovered as Perna Lingpa. .
669 Kumaradza, the teacher of Longcenpa, was of course the emanatIon of Vimalamitra. . .
670 Longcenpa was the reincarnation of Pangangpa
according to different traditions, is held to have been. either IdentIcal to or the reincarnation of, Perna Lendreltsel, the dIscoverer of the I:nermost Spirituality ofthe I)akinf. See above, p. 555, n. 614. . .
671 The point is that the widespread propagation of the Innermost Spzrztu- ality of Vimalamitra continued for one hundred years and the Spirituality ofthe I)akinf for five hundred years. Although. both are preserved at the present time, there are few wh? their teachings. And yet they are treasured for provIdI? "g the essentIal background to many cycles which are practIsed.
672 On the third empowerment and its related teachmgs, see Fundamentals, pp. 301-2, n. 238. . r
673 ngo-sprod. This is the formal introduction to the of rea ny itself, which is conferred from master to student in a manner.
674 "Even a clay pot has a handle" - this is a pun on the TIbetan ;;,ord
lung which means either "transmiss. ion" or "the handle of a vase .
675 This is the princess Pematsel mentIoned above on . . 554: .
676 I. e. the four profound volumes of the Innermost Spzrztualzty of Vzma-
. . "
p. 280. . K· dl B t to
lamitra.
677 On "the manifestation of inner radIance by mght ,see un amen a ,
678 According to H. V. Guenther in to zn y. en Ease Us, Vol. 1, p. xiv, it was on thIS occaSIOn that he gIven the name Dorje Ziji by Yeshe Tshogyel. Previously Guru Rmpoche had
691
. .
679 mngon-rtogs. The text in which the visualisation and ntual of the deny
named him Trime Ozer. is described.
Fd tls
680
52
Notes
692
693 694
695 696
697 698
himself by this name, not to his
calculated according to the old . h
. d s of plentiful forest wood. The to build houses theI\ be recorded here. T. V. Wylie Author recommends both s °the latter view on the basis of G. in GT, p. 155, n. 698 n. 486: "This expression be-
Tucci's Tibetan Paznted Scro s, p. f'Dbus and gTsang, where the mous with the areas 0 . I f
comes syno! lY 0 osed to the nomadIc peop es 0
populationISlargely ppmanenthouseswhilethelatter other areas. " The former lIve m per
in the lineage of Nyak Jfianakumara. See p. 712 below.
705 The "Crow of Chim" or Chim Carok, one of Nyak's enemies, was unfortunately named. Nyak's careless invocation of the rite brought
death to an innocent crow (bya-rog).
706 It is not clear to us exactly which tale this refers to. But compare this
with the story of Jalandharipa's disciple Kal! hapa (who is often iden-
tified with Krsnacarin) in Robinson, Buddha's Lions, pp. 81-5.
707 The rite of thoe' "Tie to the Higher Realms" (gnas-lung) is a funeral ceremony in which the consciousness of the deceased is actually trans- ferred to a higher level of existence. The rite of "liberation" (sgroI) is one aspect of the fourth rite (drag-po'i phrin-las) through which the consciousness of a sentient being trapped in the unfavourable condi- tions of bad karma can be transferred forcefully to the favourable
conditions of a buddha-field by great mantra adepts acting out of compassion. Obstacles to oneself and to others are said to be thereby removed. Such is the purpose of all the wrathful actions which are described in this and subsequent passages. Refer to Longcenpa, Dis- pelling Darkness in the Ten Directions pp. 396-402 (GGFTC, pp. 914-22).
708 Life-supporting wolf-spirits (bla-spyang) are one manifestation of the life-supporting talisman (bla-gnas) which was generally adopted by Tibetan potentates as a magical means of personal protection. The ancient kings are said to have possessed turquoise crown ornaments (bla-gYu) which were empowered in this way. The power traditionally ascribed to a life-supporting talisman is illustrated by an incident from the Epic of Ling Kesar in which the hostile king Sa-tham proves to be invincible until the moment when Kesar kills the seven bears which were his life-support. See also Nebesky-Wojkowitz, Oracles and De- mons of Tibet, pp. 481-3.
709 All that arises in the mind is ultimately grounded in the very nature of mind itself, and thus, if used skilfully, provides a path leading to the realisation of that nature. Vimalamitra guided Nyak's wrath in such a way that realisation emerged from wrath itself, which was then transmuted into great compassion.
710 The Sogdians and related peoples of Central Asia, such as the Scyth- ians, were renowned metal-workers. The name sog-po (originally refer- ring to the Sogdians) was later applied to the Mongols when they overran the whole of Central Asia. See Stein, Tibetan Civilization, p. 34; and G. Uray, "The Four Horns of Tibet according to the Royal Annals" Acta Orientalia Hungarica X, 1 (1960), pp. 31-57, n. 34.
711 I. e. Pektse's body was similar to a k11a or ritual dagger - the symbolic implement of VajrakIla through which wrathful rites of "liberation" are performed.
712 This is a variant on one of the most famous and ancient summations of the teaching, which is found in, e. g. , Dhammapiida, v. 183, and other canonical texts. See N. S. Shukla, The Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dharmapiida, p. 62, no. 357.
713 See p. 540.
Nyakmar and GetOn are apparently one and the same.
715 As noted briefly in the Translators' Introduction and in n. 535 above, there are many discrepancies in the dating of the imperial period of Tibetan history which come to light when the various available sources
lived in tents. £ t In this instance Longcenpa re ers 0
previous incarnation.
See Fundamentals, pp. 335-45 · . h
The date 0
the Phakpa school omIts the SIxteen
biography. Cf. 654 fflict the brain causing epilepsy, stroke
"Upper demons (steng-g on a
and nervous disorders. . I H ' 198 and the Penetration
See the Scholar's Feast of Lodrochok clearly ofSound, pp. 40-1, where thfe (i. e. Kumaradza) and the
HISTORY: PART FIVE
699
700
701
702
-
On the trilogy of the Sutra whzc ) see p 396. The term
703
704
long-mo. . . - a is a means for attainment denve?
The Perfect PractIce of Va)rakzl GB Vol 27). The Blue-skirted s 714
from the Vajrakllaguhyatantra (N. . d ' . d from the Twelve-SectlOn
Cycle (gsham-sngon) is another Vols. 19, 29). Together
Kflaya Tantra (kilaya tan-tra 28-9) they were passed down with the Six Secret Tantras (N 0 s.
f L enpa's death IS ere
ongc. 400 The Tshurpu calendar omIts t e
Phukpa school, on
r' .
th on which he passed away, and eighteenth day of thIS ? artIcu day which is mentioned in this
intervenes between those 0 dakinI SrIdhara.
See below, pp. 676-7.
See below, pp. 835-40.
e ong
. h Gathers All Intentions, the Aiagical M I Class (mdo-sgyu-sems-gsum " h'
Net and the 1 enta 'fi 11 refers to the cycle of teac mgs
Mental Class in this context yKing (chos thams-cad rdzogs-pa
associated with the rgyal-po, T 828), which h p b,\,ang-chub-kyz sems un J .
I Class of the Great PerfectIon. enta
Cen-o. J exemplIfies the
M See p. 533 above.
dmar-khrid. .
See Dudjom Rmpoche, rgyal-rabs, p'.
313 QueenMargyen,alsoknown . t of King Trhisong, and
- was the senIor consor
as Queen Tshepong-za, . , the crown-prince Mune Tsepo
a partisan of the Pon tradItIOn. ) he married his father's came to power in 796 (rgyal-r;. s was poisoned
ounger consort Phoyongza an m . Irle
. n 798 shortly before his
Y . ther out 0f Jea ousy to death by hIS own mo b
I,
penly hostile to Bu IS
father's demise.
The queen then Kecame 0 "A Preliminary Study of teachers such as Nyak. also vaerne,
Chapter VI of the gZer-mzg . .
ddh' t
History: Part Five 53
54 Notes
716
dane accomplishment of special powers, on which see, e. g. , Fundamen- tals, pp. 259-60.
For the standard account of Milarepa's apprenticeship under this mas-
ter, see Lhalungpa, The Life of Milarepa, pp. 27ff; and D. Martin
"The Teachers of Mi-Ia-ras-pa" The Journal of the Tibet Society 2 (1982).
717
718
719 720
I. e. the empowerment for the zombie or vetala ritual. See n. 578
Running throughout Indo-Tibetan religious culture is a profound belIef
in the power of truth and the truthful utterance, which whe. n
applied can work wonders. See, e. g. , H. Zimmer, Philosophzes ofIndza, 740 pp. 160-9.
Zurpoche's outward journey from Kham to Central Tibet is paralleled by his inward meditative experience. The robe worn by adepts of the inner heat (gtum-mo) is one of thin, white linen.
On the centre of perfect rapture (sambhogacakra), which is the centre of buddha-speech located in the throat, see pp. 818-19,837 and n. 1143. The rulu mantra is that of Yangdak Heruka.
This may well refer to a form of Pehar. See Nebesky-Wojkowitz, Oracles and Demons of Tibet, pp. 97, 99 and 145ff.
are compared. One of the problems centres on Songtsen Gampo died in 649/50 as stated by Chinese and early. TIbetan (Tun Huang, Tang Annals), or whether he lived until 718 as claImed by some Tibetan sources (cf. Dudjom Rinpoche, rgyal-rabs, pp . . 137ff. ). In addition Tibetan historians disagree as to the length of time that elapsed be;ween Langdarma's persecution and of Buddhism in Central Tibet. Nupcen's birth accordmg to the tradmon which asserts Songtsen Gampo's longevity and a late date for Langdarma persecution would be :"hereas the based- on the early annals would place hIS bIrth m 772 (chu-pho-byz 10). Our present History assumes that the dates associated with the of Nupcen, which are given below on p. folIo:" the former tion. See also pp. 948-50; and, for further mformatIon, Karmay, On- gin and Early Development of the Tibetan Religious Traditions of the Great Perfection", pp. 170-1, 187.
Chinese preceptors (Ch. Ho-shang, Tib. Hva-shang) were active Tibet until their defeat in the great debate at Samye by KamalasIla who represented the orthodox Indian philosophical tradition of Madhyamaka. They later continued to teach their tradmon in the Gyelmorong area of Kham where the Great PerfectIon was also transmitted by Vairocana during his exile. See also pp. 896ff. Some of their texts are said to be among the concealed treasures which were subsequently rediscovered by Ratna Lingpa and. others. That Sangye Yeshe was himself much influenced by Chmese Ch'an is made abundantly clear by his Lamp for the Eye of ContemplatLOn, Ch. 5. Cf. Jeffrey Broughton, "Early Ch'an in Tibet" in R. Gimello and P. N. Gregory (eds. ), Studies in Ch'an and Hua-yen; Karmay, "Origin and Early Development of the Tibetan Religious Traditions of the Great Perfection", passim; and Ruegg, "The Great Debate be- tween Gradualists and Simultaneists in Eighth-Century Tibet". Preceptor here, following the oral interpretation of Khenpo Sherap, corresponds closely to the archaic Tibetan word ru, whIch also means superior, primordial, or precursor. See also n. 342. . On Marutse the butcher (gshan-pa ma-ru-rtse), see Nebesky-WoJ- kowitz, Oracles and Demons of Tibet, p. 92.
725 726
727 728
729
730 731
732 733 734
735
736
737 738
History: Part Five 55 Nectar (bdud-rtsi bam-brgyad, T 841 and NGB Vol. 26).
Regarding the traditional Tibetan dating of Buddha Sakyamuni's final nirval). a, see p. 948.
On,. the accomplishment of the "swift feet of the (gnod-sbyin- mo I see Fundamentals, p. 259. The Scholar's Feast of Doctnnal HIstory, p. 225, speaks of two kinds of swift-footedness one of which was conferred by Reman, the yaksinI. '
For an explanation of the geomantic see n. 543; also Aris, Bhutan, pp. 5-33.
"Both of the great accomplishments" acquired by Yonten Gyamtso
refers to the supreme accomplishment of enlightenment and the mun-
739
That the persecution was directed primarily at the monastIc establIsh-
ment and not at the Buddhist laity is indicated by S. G. Karmay, "The 741 Rdzogs-chen in its Earliest Text" in STC, pp. 272-82. Nup's own 742 survival of the persecution is indicated in hIS Lamp for the Eye . of 743 Contemplation. Langdarma, in his decision to supress the BuddhIst 744 monasteries, may have been following the lead of the T'ang
Wu-tsung, who suppressed Buddhism in 845, as well as respondmg
to reactionary forces in Tibetan society.
See above, pp. 523-4.
The texts of deathless nectar are exemplified by the Eight Volumes of
Matran: is Rudra, the matricide who is said to have been subdued by
Hayagnva. See, e. g. , The LIfe and Liberation of Padmasambha'l'a, Pt. 1, pp. 26-46.
721 cha-ga. . .
rgya-phubs/phibs. On this characteristic motif in Tibetan architecture see A. Chayet, "The Jehol Temples and their Tibetan Models"
STC, pp. 65-72; and idem, Les Temples de Jehol et leurs modeles tibetaines.
I. e. Vairocana with four faces facing in the four cardinal directions.
722
723 724
glo-'bur .
This is Vairocana in the form of Samantamukha. See n. 741 above. The causal Heruka (rgyu'i he-ru-ka) is the simple form with one face and two hands visualised through the stage of creation. It is contrasted with the maturational Heruka ('bras-bu'i he-ru-ka) which is the multi- armed deity spontaneously appearing through the stage of perfection.
See below, pp. 627-8; also the sections on Mahayoga and Anuyoga in Fundamentals, pp. 275-89 and 359-69.
Nyang Yeshe Jungne of ChOlung - the text wrongly reads Nyang Sherap Jungne.
The principle division in the lineage of the transmitted precepts is a
geographical one between the tradition of Rong in Central Tibet and
the tradition of Kham in the east. The Rong tradition will be described first.
See Blue Annals, p. 109.
Atsara is a Tibetan corruption of Skt. acarya, "master" or "teacher".
"I" probably refers here to an earlier historian rather than to the present Author.
56 Notes
byang-chub sems-dpa'i spyod-pa-la 'jug-pa'i tshig-'grel, fol. 21b. 765 dpe-'grems.
766 Zurcungpa is here referred to as Zurpoche's nephew simply because he hails from the same clan, though the genealogy given on p. 617 makes him Zurpoche's grandnephew.
767 chos-'khor .
768 The evil destinies (ngan-'gro) are those which entail birth as animals
tortured spirits or denizens of hell. ' 769 For the Eight Gauri in the retinue ofYangdak Heruka, see the Glossary
of Enumerations.
770 How they came to be so called is explained below, p. 643.
771 sdig-pa mi-dge so-sor bshags. Zurcungpa is here punning on the word
sdig-pa, which means both "sin" and "scorpion", as well as on the
word bshags, which means "to repent" and also "to cleave" or "to split". 772 For the full implications ofthis phrase, see Fundamentals, pp. 215-16. 773 tsong-ge.
774 These seals or mudra (phyag-rgya) are the seals of the body, speech
and mind of the peaceful and wrathful deities (Khenpo Palden Sherap). 775 "The activity field in which appearances are exhausted" (chos-zad-pa'i skye-mched) refers to the experience of Cutting Through Resistance
(khregs-chod). See Fundamentals, pp. 334-7.
776 Tib. dge-ba'i bshes-gnyen, Skt. Kalyii1Jamitra. In essence this term refers
to one who benefits others by means of the teachings of the greater vehicle. It was taken over by the Kadampa school at an early date as a title for their masters and gradually came to be used to describe those who had passed the scholastic curriculum of the dialectical col- leges. Later the Gelukpa school formalised this usage so that in their colleges it became roughly the equivalent of the western Doctor of Divinity or Doctor of Theology degree.
777 sta-gu-ra mi-gnyis. According to Blue Annals, p. 119, and the Hindi translation of the present text by Rikdzin Lhiindrup, p. 186, this term means the "two honourables" (iidiira1Jfya). Khenpo PaIden Sherap speculates that it may mean "two who lived in tents". However the precise derivation of the word is uncertain.
778 This figure played a major role in the diffusion of Buddhist formal logic in Tibet. See Blue Annals, pp. 70-1.
779 See Taranatha, History ofBuddhism in India, pp. 124-5 and 131-2, for this account of Sura's meeting with Aryadeva.
780 As pointed out above, nn. 291 and 486, "liberation" refers to the forceful transference of consciousness to a higher level.
781 The identity of the Great Translator of Sakya (sa-lo-chen-po) referred to here is unclear. According to Khetsun Zangpo Rinpoche he may possibly have been Sakya Locen Jinpei Dorje. Alternatively, Sakya Lotsawa Jamyang Kiinga Zangpo and even Sakya Pa1f<;lita have been suggested.
782 Regarding the four visionary appearances, of which this is the fourth, it says in the Penetration of Sound, p. 91:
Then turning from that to the four visionary appearances: by the visionary appearance of the direct perception of re- ality (chos-nyid mngon-sum-gyi snang-ba) the terms which
745 746
747
748
749 750
751
752
753 754
755
756 757
having miraculous propernes. See, b: en Lingpa, pp. 775-89.
Cf. Lhalungpa, The Life of over seven
The flesh of one born a 11
e g the account of the hfe d· ·ded into the section of tantra
. . , d As explaine
s lifetimes is regarded
759 760
761
762
pp. 64-5. s of spontaneous presence" (lhun-grub rig- On "holder of the awarenes
462 Mahayoga is lVl
j:'
on p. , j:' ttal·nment derived from the lormer.
ction of means lor a . S texts and the se . . and the second esotenc. ee
The first is, relatively sp;akmg, exotenc
also Fundamentals, p. 28 . f ·ghts and measures, one load . h Tibetan system 0 wei b .
Accordmg to t e
(khal gcig) co. mprises twenty measures
about four pmts.
('bre nyi-shu), a measure emg
them-bu.
thun. 2 Ch 5 v 26·
Cf. Hevajra Tantra, Pt. , . ,. .
Flirtatious, heroic and Mirthful, stern and ternfic,
Com assionate, awed and at peace,
He i ; endowed with the nine flavours of drama.
. 1H k see n 744 above. On the fruitional or maturatlOna eru a, .
chu-rab. . . d b the Ponpo as the founder their Shenrap M1Woche is d e Treasury of Good Sayings, mtro. , religion. See S. G.
which he founded or developed there, see Aris, Bhutan, pp. 155, 315.
Our text erroneously reads gsum (three) for gnyis (two). For a highly
useful anthology of Longcenpa's writings, drawn from many of the
texts mentioned in this paragraph, see Tulku Thondup Rinpoche,
Buddha Mind.
This incident is recounted by Guenther in his introduction to Kindly Bent to Ease Us, Vol. 1, p. xv. Ta'i Situ Cangcup Gyeltsen was unfor- tunately provoked into believing Longcenpa to be an ally of his oppon- ent Drigung Gompa Ktinrin. Shortly after the former assumed power, Ktinrin organised a revolt. Longcenpa tried to mediate, but his actions
were misinterpreted and in consequence he was forced into exile in Bhutan where he remained at the monastery of Tharpaling near Bum- thang (see n. 688 above). Eventually he was reconciled with Ta'i Situ (the "Eight-footed Lion" or "Shing-go-chen-pa") through the efforts
of his lay patrons Prince Situ Sakya Zangpo of upper D and Dorjc Gyeltsen of Yamdrok.
shing-sgo chen-pa: "King of the Land of Wooden Doors" was a title adopted by Ta'i Situ Cangcup Gyeltsen. Tibet is called the land of wooden doors because (according to Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche) a wooden gateway was erected on the Amdo frontier with China to mark a peace treaty during the reign of Relpacen. According to Khenpo Palden Sherap the significance is that in antiquity the first Tibetans
pp. b ',. . g po) itself adopts the former in the well-known verse gsang- a z snyzn -
681
682
683 684
685
686
687 688
689
690
cited above, p. 281, n. 276. . . . .
665 Contemplative experience correlates m ways with ordmary
t I states. Thus ordinary waking conSCIOusness corresponds to the mena Sk --k_ ) experience of the "body of illusion" (sgyu-lus, t: maya aya , mun-
dane dreaming to the yoga of the (rmz-lam, Skt. and deep dreamless sleep to inner radIance Skt. prabhasvara). Hence, there is the reference to sleep at thIS Juncture. .
666 The deity Ode Kungyel is held to be the protector of a in Nyangpo which bears the same name; see Nebesky-WoJkowItz, Oracles and Demons of Tibet, pp. 206, For Nyencen Thangla,
·b·d 205-10 The seven Menmo sIsters (sman-mo mched-bdun) at S·ilma in Tsang by the master Padmasambhava: ibid. , pp. 198-202; and The Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava, Pt. 2, p. 373. . .
667 The prophecy is referring to Longcenpa's subsequent as the treasure-finder Perna Lingpa in Bhutan to the south-west
668 The treasure troves in Bumthang are those which he later dIscovered as Perna Lingpa. .
669 Kumaradza, the teacher of Longcenpa, was of course the emanatIon of Vimalamitra. . .
670 Longcenpa was the reincarnation of Pangangpa
according to different traditions, is held to have been. either IdentIcal to or the reincarnation of, Perna Lendreltsel, the dIscoverer of the I:nermost Spirituality ofthe I)akinf. See above, p. 555, n. 614. . .
671 The point is that the widespread propagation of the Innermost Spzrztu- ality of Vimalamitra continued for one hundred years and the Spirituality ofthe I)akinf for five hundred years. Although. both are preserved at the present time, there are few wh? their teachings. And yet they are treasured for provIdI? "g the essentIal background to many cycles which are practIsed.
672 On the third empowerment and its related teachmgs, see Fundamentals, pp. 301-2, n. 238. . r
673 ngo-sprod. This is the formal introduction to the of rea ny itself, which is conferred from master to student in a manner.
674 "Even a clay pot has a handle" - this is a pun on the TIbetan ;;,ord
lung which means either "transmiss. ion" or "the handle of a vase .
675 This is the princess Pematsel mentIoned above on . . 554: .
676 I. e. the four profound volumes of the Innermost Spzrztualzty of Vzma-
. . "
p. 280. . K· dl B t to
lamitra.
677 On "the manifestation of inner radIance by mght ,see un amen a ,
678 According to H. V. Guenther in to zn y. en Ease Us, Vol. 1, p. xiv, it was on thIS occaSIOn that he gIven the name Dorje Ziji by Yeshe Tshogyel. Previously Guru Rmpoche had
691
. .
679 mngon-rtogs. The text in which the visualisation and ntual of the deny
named him Trime Ozer. is described.
Fd tls
680
52
Notes
692
693 694
695 696
697 698
himself by this name, not to his
calculated according to the old . h
. d s of plentiful forest wood. The to build houses theI\ be recorded here. T. V. Wylie Author recommends both s °the latter view on the basis of G. in GT, p. 155, n. 698 n. 486: "This expression be-
Tucci's Tibetan Paznted Scro s, p. f'Dbus and gTsang, where the mous with the areas 0 . I f
comes syno! lY 0 osed to the nomadIc peop es 0
populationISlargely ppmanenthouseswhilethelatter other areas. " The former lIve m per
in the lineage of Nyak Jfianakumara. See p. 712 below.
705 The "Crow of Chim" or Chim Carok, one of Nyak's enemies, was unfortunately named. Nyak's careless invocation of the rite brought
death to an innocent crow (bya-rog).
706 It is not clear to us exactly which tale this refers to. But compare this
with the story of Jalandharipa's disciple Kal! hapa (who is often iden-
tified with Krsnacarin) in Robinson, Buddha's Lions, pp. 81-5.
707 The rite of thoe' "Tie to the Higher Realms" (gnas-lung) is a funeral ceremony in which the consciousness of the deceased is actually trans- ferred to a higher level of existence. The rite of "liberation" (sgroI) is one aspect of the fourth rite (drag-po'i phrin-las) through which the consciousness of a sentient being trapped in the unfavourable condi- tions of bad karma can be transferred forcefully to the favourable
conditions of a buddha-field by great mantra adepts acting out of compassion. Obstacles to oneself and to others are said to be thereby removed. Such is the purpose of all the wrathful actions which are described in this and subsequent passages. Refer to Longcenpa, Dis- pelling Darkness in the Ten Directions pp. 396-402 (GGFTC, pp. 914-22).
708 Life-supporting wolf-spirits (bla-spyang) are one manifestation of the life-supporting talisman (bla-gnas) which was generally adopted by Tibetan potentates as a magical means of personal protection. The ancient kings are said to have possessed turquoise crown ornaments (bla-gYu) which were empowered in this way. The power traditionally ascribed to a life-supporting talisman is illustrated by an incident from the Epic of Ling Kesar in which the hostile king Sa-tham proves to be invincible until the moment when Kesar kills the seven bears which were his life-support. See also Nebesky-Wojkowitz, Oracles and De- mons of Tibet, pp. 481-3.
709 All that arises in the mind is ultimately grounded in the very nature of mind itself, and thus, if used skilfully, provides a path leading to the realisation of that nature. Vimalamitra guided Nyak's wrath in such a way that realisation emerged from wrath itself, which was then transmuted into great compassion.
710 The Sogdians and related peoples of Central Asia, such as the Scyth- ians, were renowned metal-workers. The name sog-po (originally refer- ring to the Sogdians) was later applied to the Mongols when they overran the whole of Central Asia. See Stein, Tibetan Civilization, p. 34; and G. Uray, "The Four Horns of Tibet according to the Royal Annals" Acta Orientalia Hungarica X, 1 (1960), pp. 31-57, n. 34.
711 I. e. Pektse's body was similar to a k11a or ritual dagger - the symbolic implement of VajrakIla through which wrathful rites of "liberation" are performed.
712 This is a variant on one of the most famous and ancient summations of the teaching, which is found in, e. g. , Dhammapiida, v. 183, and other canonical texts. See N. S. Shukla, The Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dharmapiida, p. 62, no. 357.
713 See p. 540.
Nyakmar and GetOn are apparently one and the same.
715 As noted briefly in the Translators' Introduction and in n. 535 above, there are many discrepancies in the dating of the imperial period of Tibetan history which come to light when the various available sources
lived in tents. £ t In this instance Longcenpa re ers 0
previous incarnation.
See Fundamentals, pp. 335-45 · . h
The date 0
the Phakpa school omIts the SIxteen
biography. Cf. 654 fflict the brain causing epilepsy, stroke
"Upper demons (steng-g on a
and nervous disorders. . I H ' 198 and the Penetration
See the Scholar's Feast of Lodrochok clearly ofSound, pp. 40-1, where thfe (i. e. Kumaradza) and the
HISTORY: PART FIVE
699
700
701
702
-
On the trilogy of the Sutra whzc ) see p 396. The term
703
704
long-mo. . . - a is a means for attainment denve?
The Perfect PractIce of Va)rakzl GB Vol 27). The Blue-skirted s 714
from the Vajrakllaguhyatantra (N. . d ' . d from the Twelve-SectlOn
Cycle (gsham-sngon) is another Vols. 19, 29). Together
Kflaya Tantra (kilaya tan-tra 28-9) they were passed down with the Six Secret Tantras (N 0 s.
f L enpa's death IS ere
ongc. 400 The Tshurpu calendar omIts t e
Phukpa school, on
r' .
th on which he passed away, and eighteenth day of thIS ? artIcu day which is mentioned in this
intervenes between those 0 dakinI SrIdhara.
See below, pp. 676-7.
See below, pp. 835-40.
e ong
. h Gathers All Intentions, the Aiagical M I Class (mdo-sgyu-sems-gsum " h'
Net and the 1 enta 'fi 11 refers to the cycle of teac mgs
Mental Class in this context yKing (chos thams-cad rdzogs-pa
associated with the rgyal-po, T 828), which h p b,\,ang-chub-kyz sems un J .
I Class of the Great PerfectIon. enta
Cen-o. J exemplIfies the
M See p. 533 above.
dmar-khrid. .
See Dudjom Rmpoche, rgyal-rabs, p'.
313 QueenMargyen,alsoknown . t of King Trhisong, and
- was the senIor consor
as Queen Tshepong-za, . , the crown-prince Mune Tsepo
a partisan of the Pon tradItIOn. ) he married his father's came to power in 796 (rgyal-r;. s was poisoned
ounger consort Phoyongza an m . Irle
. n 798 shortly before his
Y . ther out 0f Jea ousy to death by hIS own mo b
I,
penly hostile to Bu IS
father's demise.
The queen then Kecame 0 "A Preliminary Study of teachers such as Nyak. also vaerne,
Chapter VI of the gZer-mzg . .
ddh' t
History: Part Five 53
54 Notes
716
dane accomplishment of special powers, on which see, e. g. , Fundamen- tals, pp. 259-60.
For the standard account of Milarepa's apprenticeship under this mas-
ter, see Lhalungpa, The Life of Milarepa, pp. 27ff; and D. Martin
"The Teachers of Mi-Ia-ras-pa" The Journal of the Tibet Society 2 (1982).
717
718
719 720
I. e. the empowerment for the zombie or vetala ritual. See n. 578
Running throughout Indo-Tibetan religious culture is a profound belIef
in the power of truth and the truthful utterance, which whe. n
applied can work wonders. See, e. g. , H. Zimmer, Philosophzes ofIndza, 740 pp. 160-9.
Zurpoche's outward journey from Kham to Central Tibet is paralleled by his inward meditative experience. The robe worn by adepts of the inner heat (gtum-mo) is one of thin, white linen.
On the centre of perfect rapture (sambhogacakra), which is the centre of buddha-speech located in the throat, see pp. 818-19,837 and n. 1143. The rulu mantra is that of Yangdak Heruka.
This may well refer to a form of Pehar. See Nebesky-Wojkowitz, Oracles and Demons of Tibet, pp. 97, 99 and 145ff.
are compared. One of the problems centres on Songtsen Gampo died in 649/50 as stated by Chinese and early. TIbetan (Tun Huang, Tang Annals), or whether he lived until 718 as claImed by some Tibetan sources (cf. Dudjom Rinpoche, rgyal-rabs, pp . . 137ff. ). In addition Tibetan historians disagree as to the length of time that elapsed be;ween Langdarma's persecution and of Buddhism in Central Tibet. Nupcen's birth accordmg to the tradmon which asserts Songtsen Gampo's longevity and a late date for Langdarma persecution would be :"hereas the based- on the early annals would place hIS bIrth m 772 (chu-pho-byz 10). Our present History assumes that the dates associated with the of Nupcen, which are given below on p. folIo:" the former tion. See also pp. 948-50; and, for further mformatIon, Karmay, On- gin and Early Development of the Tibetan Religious Traditions of the Great Perfection", pp. 170-1, 187.
Chinese preceptors (Ch. Ho-shang, Tib. Hva-shang) were active Tibet until their defeat in the great debate at Samye by KamalasIla who represented the orthodox Indian philosophical tradition of Madhyamaka. They later continued to teach their tradmon in the Gyelmorong area of Kham where the Great PerfectIon was also transmitted by Vairocana during his exile. See also pp. 896ff. Some of their texts are said to be among the concealed treasures which were subsequently rediscovered by Ratna Lingpa and. others. That Sangye Yeshe was himself much influenced by Chmese Ch'an is made abundantly clear by his Lamp for the Eye of ContemplatLOn, Ch. 5. Cf. Jeffrey Broughton, "Early Ch'an in Tibet" in R. Gimello and P. N. Gregory (eds. ), Studies in Ch'an and Hua-yen; Karmay, "Origin and Early Development of the Tibetan Religious Traditions of the Great Perfection", passim; and Ruegg, "The Great Debate be- tween Gradualists and Simultaneists in Eighth-Century Tibet". Preceptor here, following the oral interpretation of Khenpo Sherap, corresponds closely to the archaic Tibetan word ru, whIch also means superior, primordial, or precursor. See also n. 342. . On Marutse the butcher (gshan-pa ma-ru-rtse), see Nebesky-WoJ- kowitz, Oracles and Demons of Tibet, p. 92.
725 726
727 728
729
730 731
732 733 734
735
736
737 738
History: Part Five 55 Nectar (bdud-rtsi bam-brgyad, T 841 and NGB Vol. 26).
Regarding the traditional Tibetan dating of Buddha Sakyamuni's final nirval). a, see p. 948.
On,. the accomplishment of the "swift feet of the (gnod-sbyin- mo I see Fundamentals, p. 259. The Scholar's Feast of Doctnnal HIstory, p. 225, speaks of two kinds of swift-footedness one of which was conferred by Reman, the yaksinI. '
For an explanation of the geomantic see n. 543; also Aris, Bhutan, pp. 5-33.
"Both of the great accomplishments" acquired by Yonten Gyamtso
refers to the supreme accomplishment of enlightenment and the mun-
739
That the persecution was directed primarily at the monastIc establIsh-
ment and not at the Buddhist laity is indicated by S. G. Karmay, "The 741 Rdzogs-chen in its Earliest Text" in STC, pp. 272-82. Nup's own 742 survival of the persecution is indicated in hIS Lamp for the Eye . of 743 Contemplation. Langdarma, in his decision to supress the BuddhIst 744 monasteries, may have been following the lead of the T'ang
Wu-tsung, who suppressed Buddhism in 845, as well as respondmg
to reactionary forces in Tibetan society.
See above, pp. 523-4.
The texts of deathless nectar are exemplified by the Eight Volumes of
Matran: is Rudra, the matricide who is said to have been subdued by
Hayagnva. See, e. g. , The LIfe and Liberation of Padmasambha'l'a, Pt. 1, pp. 26-46.
721 cha-ga. . .
rgya-phubs/phibs. On this characteristic motif in Tibetan architecture see A. Chayet, "The Jehol Temples and their Tibetan Models"
STC, pp. 65-72; and idem, Les Temples de Jehol et leurs modeles tibetaines.
I. e. Vairocana with four faces facing in the four cardinal directions.
722
723 724
glo-'bur .
This is Vairocana in the form of Samantamukha. See n. 741 above. The causal Heruka (rgyu'i he-ru-ka) is the simple form with one face and two hands visualised through the stage of creation. It is contrasted with the maturational Heruka ('bras-bu'i he-ru-ka) which is the multi- armed deity spontaneously appearing through the stage of perfection.
See below, pp. 627-8; also the sections on Mahayoga and Anuyoga in Fundamentals, pp. 275-89 and 359-69.
Nyang Yeshe Jungne of ChOlung - the text wrongly reads Nyang Sherap Jungne.
The principle division in the lineage of the transmitted precepts is a
geographical one between the tradition of Rong in Central Tibet and
the tradition of Kham in the east. The Rong tradition will be described first.
See Blue Annals, p. 109.
Atsara is a Tibetan corruption of Skt. acarya, "master" or "teacher".
"I" probably refers here to an earlier historian rather than to the present Author.
56 Notes
byang-chub sems-dpa'i spyod-pa-la 'jug-pa'i tshig-'grel, fol. 21b. 765 dpe-'grems.
766 Zurcungpa is here referred to as Zurpoche's nephew simply because he hails from the same clan, though the genealogy given on p. 617 makes him Zurpoche's grandnephew.
767 chos-'khor .
768 The evil destinies (ngan-'gro) are those which entail birth as animals
tortured spirits or denizens of hell. ' 769 For the Eight Gauri in the retinue ofYangdak Heruka, see the Glossary
of Enumerations.
770 How they came to be so called is explained below, p. 643.
771 sdig-pa mi-dge so-sor bshags. Zurcungpa is here punning on the word
sdig-pa, which means both "sin" and "scorpion", as well as on the
word bshags, which means "to repent" and also "to cleave" or "to split". 772 For the full implications ofthis phrase, see Fundamentals, pp. 215-16. 773 tsong-ge.
774 These seals or mudra (phyag-rgya) are the seals of the body, speech
and mind of the peaceful and wrathful deities (Khenpo Palden Sherap). 775 "The activity field in which appearances are exhausted" (chos-zad-pa'i skye-mched) refers to the experience of Cutting Through Resistance
(khregs-chod). See Fundamentals, pp. 334-7.
776 Tib. dge-ba'i bshes-gnyen, Skt. Kalyii1Jamitra. In essence this term refers
to one who benefits others by means of the teachings of the greater vehicle. It was taken over by the Kadampa school at an early date as a title for their masters and gradually came to be used to describe those who had passed the scholastic curriculum of the dialectical col- leges. Later the Gelukpa school formalised this usage so that in their colleges it became roughly the equivalent of the western Doctor of Divinity or Doctor of Theology degree.
777 sta-gu-ra mi-gnyis. According to Blue Annals, p. 119, and the Hindi translation of the present text by Rikdzin Lhiindrup, p. 186, this term means the "two honourables" (iidiira1Jfya). Khenpo PaIden Sherap speculates that it may mean "two who lived in tents". However the precise derivation of the word is uncertain.
778 This figure played a major role in the diffusion of Buddhist formal logic in Tibet. See Blue Annals, pp. 70-1.
779 See Taranatha, History ofBuddhism in India, pp. 124-5 and 131-2, for this account of Sura's meeting with Aryadeva.
780 As pointed out above, nn. 291 and 486, "liberation" refers to the forceful transference of consciousness to a higher level.
781 The identity of the Great Translator of Sakya (sa-lo-chen-po) referred to here is unclear. According to Khetsun Zangpo Rinpoche he may possibly have been Sakya Locen Jinpei Dorje. Alternatively, Sakya Lotsawa Jamyang Kiinga Zangpo and even Sakya Pa1f<;lita have been suggested.
782 Regarding the four visionary appearances, of which this is the fourth, it says in the Penetration of Sound, p. 91:
Then turning from that to the four visionary appearances: by the visionary appearance of the direct perception of re- ality (chos-nyid mngon-sum-gyi snang-ba) the terms which
745 746
747
748
749 750
751
752
753 754
755
756 757
having miraculous propernes. See, b: en Lingpa, pp. 775-89.
Cf. Lhalungpa, The Life of over seven
The flesh of one born a 11
e g the account of the hfe d· ·ded into the section of tantra
. . , d As explaine
s lifetimes is regarded
759 760
761
762
pp. 64-5. s of spontaneous presence" (lhun-grub rig- On "holder of the awarenes
462 Mahayoga is lVl
j:'
on p. , j:' ttal·nment derived from the lormer.
ction of means lor a . S texts and the se . . and the second esotenc. ee
The first is, relatively sp;akmg, exotenc
also Fundamentals, p. 28 . f ·ghts and measures, one load . h Tibetan system 0 wei b .
Accordmg to t e
(khal gcig) co. mprises twenty measures
about four pmts.
('bre nyi-shu), a measure emg
them-bu.
thun. 2 Ch 5 v 26·
Cf. Hevajra Tantra, Pt. , . ,. .
Flirtatious, heroic and Mirthful, stern and ternfic,
Com assionate, awed and at peace,
He i ; endowed with the nine flavours of drama.
. 1H k see n 744 above. On the fruitional or maturatlOna eru a, .
chu-rab. . . d b the Ponpo as the founder their Shenrap M1Woche is d e Treasury of Good Sayings, mtro. , religion. See S. G.
