No More Learning

· eneral from the perspective of expenentIal
Such a statement, made m . .
cultivation,. gives rise to Peljor Lhtindrup: It was Concernmg the . venera Rikdzin Tshewang Norgye and upon by relying up? n hIS own h became a great lord of yoga, who
Sangye : Innermost Spirituality of t? e Great
stabIlIty on the pa h Guidebook which Introduces the Vzew Com-
6 On the Validity of the Treasures
PerfectIOn. He composed the . d Great Madhyamaka, et cetera, S 1 Great Perfectwn an . h' 1
[786. 4-790. 3] Similarly, concerning the Nyingmapa treasures, [it may be said that] all the tantrapitaka which were reportedly discovered in ancient India by the great accomplished master Sarahapada, Garap Dorje, Viriipa, Asvottama,1298 Nagarjuna, Padmakara, Saroruha, Lalitavajra, Carlndra, and so forth, were, in fact, treasure doctrines; for "treasure" is explained to mean something hidden, that is invisible to direct sensory perception for some time. Therefore, when, for the time being, no worthy recipients to whom the illustrative written tantras [could be transmitted] were found, they were sealed in the invisible expanse, where they were guarded and preserved by the gakinls. Then, those accomplished individuals were given prophetic declarations by their favoured deities and, when the time arrived, they were given permission and empowered by the host of gakinls in the great palaces of mantra, such as the Dharmagafiji in Oggiyana. Having released the seal of entrustment, they were given the volumes of the tantras, experi- entially cultivated them for themselves, and taught them somewhat to other worthy disciples.
In the same way, with reference to Tibet, the all-seeing master Pad- masambhava composed, on the basis of the profound and vast tan- trapitaka, each requisite for the path in its entirety, including means for attainment, ritual collections and esoteric instructions, for he knew the manner in which those requiring training would appear in the future. He arranged them in yellow scrolls as verbal tantras and en- trusted them to their respective non-human treasure lords in mountain ravines, rock-chests, wealth-filled lakes, and elsewhere. He then con- cealed them to be invisible along with their seals of entrustment which Were in the form of prayerful aspirations that they be discovered in the future by the worthy and fortunate individuals who were empowered to do so. At a later date, the power of those prayerful aspirations would awaken in the individuals endowed with suitable fortune. The indica- tions of the appropriate times and the prophetic declarations would come together, whereupon the great master would actually reveal his
mon to the Great ea, . ' he Innermost Spirituality (snymg-t 'lg-. a
and also some notes clanfymg t 'f h D I i Lama received the esotenc k · . ) The Great Fl t a a
gsal-byed- y'l y'l-ge . tion from this master.
instructions of the Trhisong Detsen had returned as the
In general, the relIgIOus kmg . fhis enlightened aspiration . t the timely maturatIon 0 d h
Great Fifth, OWIng o. f his Tibetan subjects. He enhance , . ere to increase the happIness 0 C h hing and doctrinal assembhes, in the Land of Snows, lor t e teac d knowledge ofthe Ancient
t' ular hISacute reasone
without bias. In par l C , ' ursued the doctrine (to suc
h Translation School of the secret ma. ntra fPthe transmitted precepts and
h ] h . mple enumeratIOn 0 f h anextentt at t eSl. omethreevolumes. Itisclear romt e
treasures which he studIed. fill s found in the fourth volume
. the Nymgmapa tantras,
section concermng. . d the Flow of the Ganges
(g . san-y'lg
of his Record of Teachmgs Recde'lve , k t cut off by logical proofs and ,. h ) thatheun ertoo 0 , h N .
gang-ga'l c u-rgyun , d refutations, those who espouse
mapa tantras].
rse notions (regarding t e
Ylng-
perve
. .
928 History: A Rectification ofMisconceptions
visage, confer empowerment, and inspire [the treasure-finders] with the seals of entrustment and prophetic declarations. Consequently, hav- ing overwhelmed the treasure lords and the protectors of transmitted precepts with their commitments and discipline, all sorts of treasures, those of doctrine and of riches, would come into the possession of the treasure-finders, whereby they would bountifully serve the teaching and sentient beings. This constitutes one aspect of the great enlightened activity of the conquerors. As it says in the Sublime Sutra o f Contempla- tion which Subsumes All Merits, [quoted in Sik$asamuccaya, p. lOS]:
o Vimalatejas! the treasures of bodhisattvas, great spiritual warriors who desire the doctrine, have been inserted in mountains, ravines, and woods. DharaI. iis and limitless ap- proaches to the doctrine, which are set down in books, will also come into their hands. 0 Vimalatejas! deities who for- merly beheld the Buddha will encourage the brilliance of all the bodhisattvas, great spiritual warriors who desire the doc- trine. 0 Vimalatejas! even if the lives of those bodhisattvas, great spiritual warriors who desire the doctrine, should ex- pire, they will be revitalised and strengthened by all the buddhas, transcendental lords, and by the deities. By the blessing of the buddhas and the blessing of the deities they will endure, if they so wish, for a thousand years.
In the Sutra which Genuinely Comprises the Entire Doctrine, too, it says:
Ananda! whoever writes down these diverse doctrines in books, conceals them as treasures, and worships them, so that the doctrine might be completely preserved, will obtain ten true acquisitions. Ananda! these are: the treasure of be- holding a buddha, for he acquires the eye which does so; the treasure of hearing the doctrine, for he acquires the divine ear; the treasure of seeing the sartlgha, for by not regressing he acquires [membership in] the sartlgha; the treas- ure which is inexhaustible, for he has acquired the hand of wealth; the treasure of form, for the major and minor marks are perfected; the. treasure of service, for his servants will not part from him; the treasure of holiness, for he has ac- quired brilliance; the treasure of fearlessness, for he has eliminated his adversaries; and the treasure of sustaining merit, for he sustains sentient beings. 1299
As the Sugata has made such proclamations in his indisputable lion's roar, one ought well to comprehend them.
7 ;;::; ofRefutation
In general, as Ion as
dIstInctions of the obJ·ects of fig
t h · re utatIon and th f .
e past In the catalogues and broadside' . e re utatIOns, found in o f Perverse Doctrines (chos-lo sun-' . s famed as Rejections gently] that they tend only IS dIfficult [to maintain co-
? ersons examine them in detail man e NYIngmapa. When fair-minded
In order to see just how m h · Y appear to have been composed h d . uc Itwaspos·bI
t e Octnnesrefuted bylea d d SI e to get away with Ifall h . rne an accom1·hdT· .
no aut entIc doctrine at all wo Id b
For· . . u elound.
Instance, In hIS Treatise which A
Sakya Pandita refuted nalyses the Three Vows (rab-dbye'i
Ings], Such as the Six· Doctn·nes an; many Takpo Kagyii [teach-
to the Questions of the Kadam . . e reat Seal. 1300 In his Answers
gdams-pa'i dge-bshes B. enefactor Namkabum (bka'-
severly refutes the Kagyii adh gyz. dns-lan, SK Vol. S, no. 96) he erents, saYIng:
doctrinal tradition of the
Dngungpa and Taklu d Great Seal according to
.
agree WIth any of the
.
genUIne path. But do
ngpa oesnot tantrapitaka I thI·nk th . .
. . at It IS not a not repeat this to others!
The Kadam
pa were themselves refi d the venerable Milarepa criticised
by and others, ar. eer ofa Kadampa. 1301 The es . . po ! --hafJe for adhering to the
catIon were said by Zh·k N InstrUctIOns ofPhadampa's Pa ·fi £. 1poYIsengC T CI1- doctrines. They also said h ' o-se. emdrel and others to be
tnne leaked out by a mad nun" at the ? bJect of Cutting was a "doc-
the Five Golden Doctrines Lapdran]. Some said that y Khyungpo Tshiiltrim Gan 1302 e . angpas had been composed r. angyur. The Sakyapa Yaand so would not include them in
and the trio of Koramp 's kde PaI). cen and RongtOn Sheja aklung Lotsawa severely Senge, Sakya Chokden, and
erable Tsongkapa and maintained th e VIew an. d of the ven- at even hIs VISIOns of
? ne has not examined in detail the
C"
PIS e Ibetans were false
'
930 History: A Rectification ofMisconceptions . . h
. 1303 The supremely learned R1·kpel. Re1dn sa1d t at were not genUlne. . because it states that the planets
The Shortcomings ofRefutation and Proof 931
Without being mindful of this, how might the profoundest depths ofthe oceanic realm ofthe doctrine be within the range ofthose bigoted Tibetans who harbour pretensions to learning, when, except for being
the object ofthe buddhas alone, they cannot be realised even by sublime beings? 1306 Those Who blaspheme [the doctrine] will not even minutely reach what is truly significant, whether they are motivated by the lack
of proper realisation, attachment to only provisional meaning, bigoted
tendencies, jealousy towards their Own equals, or the mere desire for acquisition, honour, and fame.
Just so, when the greater vehicle was expounded by master Nagar- juna, the pious attendants invented negative prophecies about lord Nagarjuna and, having inserted them in the scriptures, proclaimed that
[the Sutras of] the greater vehicle were not the transmitted precepts [of the Buddha]. When the sublime Asanga commented upon the final transmitted precepts in accord with the intention of the great regent
[Maitreya], he and his followers were expelled from the greater vehicle. During the reign of King Dharmapala, adherents of the lesser vehicle destroyed and plundered a silver image of Heruka, burned up volumes of mantras, and proclaimed that the greater vehicle and the way of
secret mantra had been created by Mara. The account maintains that
they were saved from royal punishment by master Buddhajiiana- pada. 1307
In Tibet as well, when the venerable Da6 Zh6nu [Gampopa] taught that the abiding nature of reality, as it is explained in the sutras, is the Great Seal, [his critics] maintained that this was not at all the teaching
ofthe BUddha, saying it was "Takpo's fanciful doctrine". The all-know- ing Rangjung Dorje [Karmapa III] and Chiidrak Gyamtso [Karmapa VII] expounded [the teaching] in accord with the intention of the final
transmitted precepts, but later Mikyii Dorje [Karmapa VIII] and others did not adhere to their view. 1308 When master T6lpopa declared that the ultimate truth was permanent and stable, the Tibetans considered
him to be merely a Sa1pkhya extremist. 1309 After the venerable Tsong- kapa had explained relative appearance to be logically verifiable later scholars assaulted him with HOM! and PHAT! [i. e. showered him with
derision]. The great paI. l<;lita Zilungpa [Sakya Chokden] had to be ejected from the Sakyapa ranks for explaining that the Analysis o f the Three Vows was of provisional meaning. 1310 Moreover, the all-knowing Great
Fifth, having studied and meditated upon the authentic teaching impar- tially, was very nearly excluded from the Gedenpa [i. e. Gelukpa] order. The obscuration of those who believe such perverse accusations and,
haVing regarded [these pure masters] perversely, so come to abandon the doctrine, is immeasurable.
Even a householder who has not entered the teaching and who per- forms intolerable, sinful deeds has the oPPortunity to become tranquil by merely turning to the profound abode [i. e. emptiness], but this is
t a genume tantra
the Kalacakra was no hat China lies to the north 0
and stars move toward thhe Remdawa said: 1304 and so forth. Moreover, t e ve
. . . d h t Kalacakra and others
Although it 1S sal t : mi hty lords of the tenth level,
f T. b
1 et,
.
Were t . g t valid from invalid arguments Ifintellects wh1ch d1scnmma e
. h that is not seen to be proven. Examme tern, llables E-V AM are not
In the root tantra the two SYes many
In the tantra one a prostitute's son? Can one trust 1t any more
other arguments he refuted. the Kalacakra. In With these and many f d the Path and Fruit saymg:
addition, Go Lhetse re ute .
The golden doctrines of Tantra.
F t h e d e r a n g e d transm1SSlOn o f t h e a t a r . 130S
B u t h e 1 s w e 11 k n o w n t o h a v e b e e n j e a l o u s o f i t s p r o p a g a t o r , t h e t r a n s l a t o r
Drokmi. . was certainly a basic intention and
For all these arguments there

special need;. but,! or exam
Kagyu traditlOn d1d a
well established that Jamgon Tsohng fP "Second Teacher". If the doc-
. h·wastat0a
t r ines
'
were praised in the m estruc 1
t [Padmasam those of the great mas e r .
h h great persons as these, w 0
of the Buddh1st teac mg
secre to the counterfeit 1 eas a n .
hich are pondered through the know- 11 knowing have taught [those
g
ations of study and reflection w
pIe on
. .
h ther hand the peerless Takpo
teo,
'host of accomplished masters, and It IS
ka a's enlightened activity on behalf
b
. d (bleprop eC1es0 . d
which were well expounded
Suc y h
. f the Buddha himself and
. f I 1mpure it wou
in what is meanmg u : are m the teaching of the Conqueror!
ought to be h. les and philosoph1cal systems,
In short, the structure 0 t reat enlightened activity, and
which is the object of the . g ble reality is not at all slm1lar
d
which is a profoun ··d
. .
. . . ated with the acute mveSti-
bh a] and which explicitly ab1 e
av , . b
. 1d seem that most T1 etans
t of mconce1va , d scrut1mes aSSOC1
h
able. Because t e suga a , ld ise that the unernng exce
t s who are a - , .
1-
vehicles and philosophies] we S? OU as that in which sarpsara
lent philosophy of the buddhas 1S ch a are entered The venerable
is abando? ed, and and the Supreme Continuum ofthe Ajita [Maitreya] has s
Greater Vehicle, Ch. 5, v. IS].
Speech world realms,
The confl1ctmg emotlOns o . f And which expresses the attnbutes 0
Is the word of the Sage;. Its opposites are otherW1se.
eace
p
,
found;
932 History: A Rectification ofMisconceptions
not so for those who blaspheme or abandon the doctrine. As it says in the NirvalJa Sutra:
o Kasyapa! in the world three kinds of diseased individuals are extremely difficult to cure. What are their diseases? To revile the greater vehicle, to commit the five inexpiable sins, and to harbour perverse attitudes - these three kinds of disease are extremely difficult to cure in the world. Even the pious attendants, self-centred buddhas, and bodhisattvas cannot cure them.
This is elaborated in the Sutra of the Dialogue with Sagaramati:
Those who know not the things which make up the world, And abide in two perceptions,
Saying, "this is true, that is false"-
Such ignoramuses make disputations.
Because I know the genuine reality
Of the things which make up the world,
I never enter into dispute
With worldly people at all.
This doctrine, which is free from dispute, Has been expounded by all of the buddhas. If one knows the world to be sameness, There is neither truth, nor falsehood in it. If any truth, or falsehood,
Were to be found in this teaching,
I would be an adherent of extremes,
And so be no differert from an extremist.
•
Because things are not genuine,
There is no truth and no falsehood. Therefore, I explain the doctrine
Which transcends the world
To be free from these two.
Those sages who know this world,
In accord with the world's reality,
Do not adhere to views of truth, or falsehood. Those who know this world
To be utterly pure, like the sky,
Have great reputations
Which illuminate the world.
Moreover, the great regent Ajita [Maitreya] has said:1311
The learned should not fear,
as they should the profound doctrine's decline,
Fire, unbearable venomous snakes, murderers, or even thunderbolts.
. The Shortcomings ofRefutatio
FI:e, snakes, enemies, and the , n and Proof
Just deprive them of th .
l' thunderbolt s blaze But b elr Ives
. eyond that do not convey them
mto the utterly terrif i d .
Anyone Who relyin y ng. estmy of AvIci hell.
9:
th' k g on eVIl companions . m. s malICIOusly of a buddha
KIlls hIS father mother '
. ' , or an arhat
'
or splIts the undivided su
That person too w'll
bd ' ,1SWIltYbefreedf h
But
. Whose mind is hostile to the
Were can there be freedom for'
'
'J:: lPreme community;
y efinitively thinkin . rom t ose sins h g on realIty
And It says in the Pagoda of Precious Jewels:
o K-/
asyapa! it is right t;
d . or me or one l'k
Octnnes and individuals' b t ' 1 e me, to judge
fall into perverse u not so others, for they would
We should reflect upon the m .
expressed in many ways A 1 eanmg ofsuch words, which the Buddh
ofth d' . Songaswehaven
e. ? ctnne, Whereby the truth o. acqUIred the pure eye
seen,. I t IS an unbearably terrible de doctnnes and individuals is and depreciation saying th. e . to analyse things through exag-
artIficIal.
7
' I S IS perverse, this impure, and that
t·
a
8 On the Prophecies Found in the Treasures
All the discoverers and disciples of t :vho hold the lineage of Padma
[798. 6-801. 2] Again, let us consider the prophetic declarations which appear in the treasures. Though a proven treasure-finder, who is free from selfish desires, may have prophecies in his or her treasure-doc- trines, such prophecies must be ascertained by those who know their
BI2
intentional basis and reason, and who will not misrepresent them. Otherwise, one must not one-sidedly grasp as true the meaning of a prophecy, having taken only the words at face value, without distin- guishing provisional from definitive meaning. This is because even if one knows [those things], a prophecy about future good or evil times and so forth may be transformed owing to circumstantial causes, con- ditions, and coincidences, so that it seems that the prophecy is not precisely fulfilled.
As the meanings of prophecies have rarely been completely fulfilled, except by the three supreme emanations and a few of the great Lingpas, among those who appeared in the past, and because nowadays we are greatly burdened by the degenerations of an age in which the merits of sentient beings are steadily declining, it seems to be extremely difficult for perfectly auspicious conditions to occur. None the less, the compas- sion and blessing of the great master [Padmasambhava] proceed ever more swiftly. As he has said in his own indestructible speech:
So that the gift of doctrine might be inexhaustible for future living creatures,
The entire world has been filled with the treasures of Padma.
All of their discoverers will be my emanations.
They will adopt all sorts of uncertain guises and ways of conduct,
But each encounter with them will not but change the vision of those who have faith.
Still, it will be most difficult
for everyone to appraise them.
unlIke other common folk All . buddhas in disguise'
wIll dnft about aimlessly'
But there will be charlatan; and
who are most hypocritical. So not equate the gold
WIth the ore, 0 living beings! It also says in a prophecy f
And also:
The Prophecies in the 'T!
J. reasures 935
WIll be worthy ones,
though they act like dogs and
reasure,
. pIgS .
con-men,
b'
T h e y '11
. WI e espeCIally sublime,
kun-dgaJi gter-lung):
rom the treasures of Trime Kiinga (dri-med
Treasure-finders of all sorts will .
And treasure-doctrines will contInuously,
mushrooms. pOur orth lIke Spores from
them will fail to bear fruit; ey wIll be reminders of me 0
I
pro)Phecy . from the treasures of Ratna
ung, too, It says:
great will have a great treasure' at, too, wIll be a reminder of 0 '
Each minor land will have am' rgyen. That t · mor treasure' , 00, wIll be a reminder of 0 rgyen. '
Moreover:
When bad times blaze like fire
Thepf '
ower 0 secret mantra will blaze like fi
B
ecause this is certain, it is vastl .
Ire.
ofpUre vision, without cling' YImportant to open wide the eye of 0 'd mg to unlounded prattl d
. ne-sl ed self-interest. In this whIch path to enter and who h
, IC
e an to the extremes
' rgyen.
'
Lingpa (ratna gling-paJi
way,. one becomes undeluded about to aVOId.
9 On the Relationship between the Nyingmapa and Ponpo Traditions
Do not think hatefully of th E t .
[801. 2-803. 1] Again, some say that the Pon tradition and the Great Perfection seem to be intimately connected because the diction of the Nyingmapa and Ponpo is similar. 1313 There are indeed many similarities in their doctrinal terminology and so forth, but since these [Pon works] were written so as to resemble the Buddhist doctrine how could they be dissimilar? For example, it is taught that in India there were ten conventional [non-Buddhist schools] which paralleled the pious attend- ants, and, in the same manner, the self-centred buddhas, Mind Only, Madhyamaka, Kriya, Carya, Yoga, Father Tantra, Mother Tantra, and Non-Dual Tantra. Likewise, in Tibet as well, Buddhist doctrines in- cluding all the texts of the Madhyamaka, Transcendental Perfection, Vinaya, Treasury of A bhidharma, and mantras; [means for attainment] of deities such as Cakrasarpvara, Bhairava, and VajrakIla; and [the instructions of] the inner heat, Great Seal, Great Perfection, and so forth, have all had their Ponpo imitations. Those, however, are not original. So, how can one begin to refute such limitless, adventitious fantasies?
None the less, the priests of good fortune,1314 [Pon] mantras, and so forth, which appear to be immediately beneficial, may well have been revealed by the enlightened activities and emanations of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, because the range of the skilful means of the con- querors and their sons is inconceivable, as exemplified by the career of the "Truth-speaking Mendicant". 1315 In general, there are a great many [teachings] which, except for being merely called "Pon", in fact manifestly belong to the Buddhist doctrine. 1316 It is not right to pass final judgement as to whether they may be proven or not, for that merely generates misology.
Moreover, it has been said that there was a causal basis for the origination in pairs of Hinduism and Buddhism in India; Buddhist monks and Ponpos in Tibet, though there were no actual [Indian] extremist schools there; and Buddhists and Taoists in China. 1317 There- fore, so long as other traditions do not harm the teaching, we should
just let them be A · . n if . . sItsaysmtheSutrafifC
o the King ofContemplation, Ch. 7, v. 6
onpo Traditions 937 andrapradfpa [i. e. the S utra
ose
x who inhabit the world.
I·
h lor t em
EstablIshmg compassion
C
s a special feature of a b · , . egmner s patIence.
The NYingmapa a d p . .
10 On the "Bad Luck of the Nyingmapa"
displays of their signs of accomplishment. The sovereign ordered the Ponpo to observe the true doctrine, but except for a few they disobeyed and transformed many [Buddhist] scriptures into Pon [scriptures]. When the king heard of this he had most of the Ponpo decapitated, but Guru Rinpoche said that the gods and demons of Tibet liked Pon and so allowed oracles and astrology, propitiation of divinities, and rites which summon wealth to remain as they were. He subdued all the others and banished those Ponpo from the realm to the frontiers, along with their tambourines for drums, shang for instruments, 1319 fox- skin caps for hats, "Phajo" for a name, 1320 and donkeys for transport.
Afterwards, in the reign of the sovereign Trhi Relpacen, the religious law became extremely severe and the evil ministers suffered. Those who looked askance, or pointed threateningly, at the monastic com- munities had their eyes gouged out, hands cut off, and so forth. Many were thus punished; and because of the evil ministers, the oath of
. I
(mes there have been some [803 1-807 1] Furthermore, dunng ater 1 . d ' I
who' have that if one were to practise Nymgmapa octnn: . . uld be luckless owing to whIch one sees many w 0 tradItIOn one. wo k ' dthen abandoned it as their continuous
alternatIvely ta en no one who understands the reasons, at heart, will be at all cofncerhned w1'th the
dbd f luck Even 1 a t ousan u -
presence or absence 0 mere temporary. "Yourdoctrinal
dhas were to appear in a anddsay to even the tips d· · ' Abandon It an practIse an .
tra 1tIOn IS ld While it is of no importance that f that one's hairs wou waver. f d .
o . have not been freed from the snare 0 eS1re,
hopes and doubts, still, for the, reasons
. b' I l't would seem to be correct to state that the Nymgmapa gIven e ow,
are somewhat unlucky. . . I I . ' t the whole of Tibet was the dominion of evIl mcorporea
The great master [Padmasambhava] rendered go erless by the force of his wrathful discipline. He took the
pow f those who obeyed the oaths he dictated and app01? te heart-mantras 0 h h "hber-
them to be protectors. All . who not keep t e human
allegiance could not be given to the gods and nagas successfully third time. 1321 Guru Rinpoche declared:
In the future, mankind will be possessed by malignant gods, ogres, and Gongpo spirits. By conduct which denies the commitments, vows, and fruition of deeds, they will destroy the spiritual and temporal laws. These evil Ponpo ministers of the present day will assume all sorts of corporeal and incorporeal forms, and will obstruct the teaching in Tibet by various means.
for a
ated" and thus eradicated. SImIlarly, m the case of
b ted
Moreover, the acute and concise antidotes for the demons, Gongpo, and Tamsi spirits of this degenerate age, including [the means for] exorcising Gongpo and Tamsi spirits, for eradicating the Gyelpo and Senmo demons,1322 and for averting military invasion and rebellion, have emerged exclusively among the profound treasures of the Ancient Translation School. Therefore, all kinds of demons surely harbour unbearable hatred towards the adherents of that tradition. For this they will enjoy whatever fruits accord with the powers and deeds associated with their respective perverse aspirations, for such is the reality of the principle of cause and effect. Therefore, holding them as objects of compassion we should make them the basis for the practice of patience. Apart from that it is improper to cultivate hatred for even an instant, for that would impair the bodhisattva discipline. This I say by way of digression.
In particular, there may be some who, far from remembering the kindness of one such as the great master [Padmasambhava], the sole refuge of the Tibetans, revile him with their perverse opinions. All they achieve is temporal demerit for themselves, but they can never obstruct the career of Guru Rinpoche, which is an ocean of enlightened activity. In addition, it is certainly a special attribute of sublime
0 the minister w:t::calso
the entry of the doctnne, an many 0 punished. It says in the Injunction of Padma:
The doctrine and Pon met together like murderers. Astheydidnotregardoneanother 1318 Many learned translators had to be bamshed.
. h' h s exemplified in the Thus the introduction of the teachmg, w 1C wa. h ' hes of
, . f h t uedoctrineaccordmgtot eW1S translation and t e r d much difficulty. Finally, the pre-
the venerable [Trh1song], face P dmasambhava both rejected the
ceptor and the. . master dad £ t d them with miraculous view and conduct of the Ponpo, an e ea e
The Bad Luck ofthe Nyingmapa 939
940 History: A Rectification ofMisconceptions
bodhisattvas that they even cause those with bad connections to termi- nate sarpsara. 1323 Therefore, I, Padmasambhava's messenger, prophesy that even these disrespectful critics will at some time undoubtedly become the Guru's disciples and experience the good fortune of eternal bliss.
This completes the refutation of some of the errors of those partisans who in the past have wrongly viewed [the Nyingmapa tradition], the seventh part ofthis book, Thunderfrom the Great Conquering Battle-Drum of Devendra, which is a history of the precious teaching of the vehicle of indestructible reality according to the Ancient Translation School.
Part Eight
The Chronology ofthe Doctrine
1 The Duration of the Doctrine
[811. 1-815. 5] Now, the various chronological determinations which have been made in connection with the descent of the [Buddhist] teach- ing and so on are to be somewhat examined, and the duration of the teaching's existence is to be set forth. In this respect, the written asser- tions of Indian and Tibetan scholars are often in disagreement because the determination of the years in which [the Buddha], the incomparable Fourth Guide who taught this teaching of the Auspicious Aeon,1324 took birth, manifestly attained enlightenment, and entered final nirval). a, as perceived by ordinary persons requiring training, is within the domain of the inconceivable. It appears to be equally uncertain how much time has elapsed since the Buddha's final nirval). a; and, similarly, there are many different [opinions] about the future duration of the teaching of the Conqueror, owing to the various intentions [with which predictions have been made].
The Minor Transmission of the Vinaya, the Narrative of SuvanJa (SuvanJavadana), the Auspicious Aeon SiUra (Bhadrakalpikasutra, T 94), the Great Cloud SiUra (Mahiimeghasutra, T 658), the Commentary on the Sutra of the Teaching Delivered by nirdesasutravrtti, T 3994), and the Commentaries on the Treasury ofthe Abhidharma (Abhidharmakosabhiirya, T 4090-6) unanimously state that the doctrine will endure for one thousand years: five hundred for the actual teaching and five hundred for the nominal teaching. The Sutra ofCompassion's White Lotus (KarwJiipu1Jejankasutra, T 111-12) says that the actual teaching will last for one thousand years and the nominal for five hundred years. The Sutra of Reality which Appears Variously without Straying from its Essence (Dharmatiisvabhiivasunyatiicalaprati- sarvalokasutra, T 128) speaks of two thousand five hundred years, and, though many extant texts ofthe Sutra ofthe Dialogue with the Bodhisattva Candragarbha (Bodhisattvacandragarbhapariprcchiisutra, T 356) speak of two thousand years, supreme holy beings have made it out to be three thousand years and so are probably correct. A period of five thousand years has also been expounded in the Prophetic Sutra of
944 History: A Chronology ofthe Doctrine
Maitreya (Maitreyavyakara1Jasutra, P 1011) t r a n s l a t e d b y T h a r p a Lotsawa, in V asubandhu's Conquest of Objections (gnod-',joms) , in Commentary on the Hundred Thousand Line Transcend- ental Perfection (T 3807-8) and elsewhere. 1325 Such are the statements primarily intended for human beings who require training, in general, and for ordinary non-human beings.
Elsewhere, in the residences of such great non-human beings as the naga king Sagara, as well as in Trayatrirp. sa and the teaching of the Thousand Buddhas will not decline until the completion of this great aeon. 1326 This is illustrated by statements found in the Sutra of the Dialogue with the Naga King Sagara (Nagarajasagarapariprcchasutra, T 153-5) and others. In the lord of sutras, the Supreme Golden Light (Suvaf1Japrabhasottama, T 555-7), which belongs to the third wheel and expounds the definitive meaning of the greater vehicle,1327 and in the Magical Net of Vajrasattva (NGB Vols. 14-16) which is among the mantras of Unsurpassed [Yogatantra], it says:
Buddhas never enter final nirva1). a. The doctrine, too, will not decline.
It says also in the Tantra ofthe Wish-fulfilling Array (yid-bzhin rnam-par bkod-pa'i rgyud):
As long as the great host
Of all beings remains,
Buddhas will emanate unceasingly,
And the doctrine of liberation will not decline.
Thus, in the of the way of mantras there are many statements which maintain that the duration of the doctrine is either determined, indeterminate, or never-ending. Here I will not enlarge upon these prophetic declarations.
Similarly, if we consider, in addition to the duration of the teaching, how much time has already passed since it began, many different opin- ions are found. Among them, I shall rely here upon the determinations of months and years which have been clearly revealed by the perfect Buddha, the Transcendent Lord himself, in the transmissions of the Vinaya, the sutras, the Tantra of Kalacakra, the Glorious and Supreme Original Buddha (Paramadibuddhoddhrtasrikalacakratantraraja, T 362), and in other particularly sublime and immaculate tantras of the way of mantras. I shall also rely on the extraordinary and taintless statements made by the great master Padmakara ofO<;i<;iiyana, who is the indestruct- ible reality of buddha-speech, and on those of the great pa1). <;iita Vim- alamitra and the translator Vairocana. Ifthese are considered in accord- ance with the correct application of astrological charts, they are found mostly to concur with the assertions of Tibetan Kalacakra scholars in general, and, in particular, with those of the great promulgators who
D"
had been prophesied b h C uratzon ofthe Doctn"ne 945
s t a t e t h e s e h I s h a l l , t h e r e f o r e , a t t h e p r e s e n t
In t em, and because that system [of
have little doubt ca cu anon] IS well understood.
2 A Chronology of the Buddha's Life 1328
VaraQasI. Then, gradually, he revealed the intermediate transmitted precepts, which concern the transcendent perfection of discriminative awareness and signlessness, on Vulture Peak, and the irreversible vehicle which concerns the nucleus of definitive meaning on Mount Malaya, in the MalIa country, and in various other places. Thus he taught three successive doctrinal wheels in conformity with the capacities of those to be trained. Although the exact years in which he taught these wheels have been calculated by some holy beings, they are merely approximations, for beyond that it is difficult to estimate them correctly. 1338 It is also generally impossible to maintain that the establishment ofthe sequence ofvehicles followed a chronological order.
The Tathagata lived for eighty-one whole years. Then, in the forty- seventh year following his attainment of buddhahood, during the after- noon of the fifteenth day of the mid-spring month of Caitra1339 in 881 Be (rnam-gnon, iron dragon)1340 he delivered limitless teachings on the vehicle of the Unsurpassed [Yoga]tantra, including the Glorious and Supreme Original Buddha [i. e. the Kalacakra Tantra], at the SrI Dhanyakataka Stiipa in South India. This was astrologically conjoined with the time of his [former] victory over the three worlds, that is, the subjugation of Mara. At the beginning of the last watch of the night on the fifteenth day of the following month, Vaisakha, at Kusinagara in the Malla country, his physical body passed away into the expanse of reality, without remainder. The Indian master SIlapalita and the great paQQita SakyasrI, however, held that he passed into the buddha- body of reality at midnight on the eighth day ofKarttika. The supremely learned PutOn of Tibet, and others, have professed the same view. 1341 Again, some have claimed that he passed into nirvaQa on the fifteenth day of the mid-spring month,1342 and others hold that it was on the fifteenth day of
. ddh- ha
[815. 6-819. 2] Our Teacher, SI : r \ Asadha1329 in 962 Be (don-grub,
on the fifteenth . the Pusya was setting, and earth female sheep) _ observing a purificatory fast. Then, while his mother, MayadevI, was h days or ten months, roundly when nine months and twenty-t rehe , th day of the waxing half
. h d speakmg, a
assed at dawn on t e seven 1332 h PfV . /-'kh1331in961Be(drag:-po,ironmonkey), . e
alsa. a-as Pus awasinthefirststageofItS . 1333 In hIS twenty-mnt ye , 'd .
was passmg. h fK- tt'ka1334 in 933 Be (kun- zm, night on the eighth day of the mont dO f ah\sIline in Yasodhara and, at
)1335hesowedthesee 0 d h earth mouse, 11 t' n pusya rise he renounce t e
midnight, when he saw the conste ss· he practised household in favour o. f ho. me ;ar, on the full moon of the austerity for SIX In hIS h he reached the Bodhi Tree month m 927 passed, the indestructible and. subdued Mara absorbed in contemplation and
reahty [of the s mm Rahu A moment before the moon was
ofthemonth0
entered the womb at midnight
Chronology ofBuddha's Life 947
took birth in the Lumbmi t ll:rion through which the moon
ascent, and when was t e e ar during the first half of the
the moon was eclIpsed by . d
R-h' sp asthe awnrose
and the time approached
released from. a u s gra , became the manifestly perfect
to beat the VIctory drum, he. d' h' other'swombforSIXyears,
His son Rahula, who rema:e IS rejoiced at the festival wasbornatthesametIme;an w 1eeveI b
- R. . , ) asaso orn.
of his birth, Ananda eclipse of the moon, early in
Immediately after midnig t unng b d from its north-eastern 1336 th moon was 0 scure
the hour of the OX, . e _ ixth of the lunar disc. When sector by Rahu's fiery tall, except for s th moon swelled up to its
. . obscuratIon e
released from thIS oppressIve . hatika [about five hours an
fullest for something more than thIrteen g .
d
. ]1337 fifteen mmutes .
hd d after this attainment of buddha 0 0 . ,
When seven weeks had passe
the Buddha turned the first doctnna w ee ,
. 1 h 1 that of the four truths, tn
3 From the Buddha's Final Nirviina to the Beginning of the First Tibetan
Sexagenary Cycle
[819. 2-823. 4] Some astrologers have calculated the chronology of the teaching up to the present beginning from the year following the Buddha's nirva1).