When he had become consummately learned in the Three Continua and their
ancillary
texts, as well as in the Indestructible Tent, he said:
By the kindness of the great guru,
I have learned that our Mental Class is our wealth!
By the kindness of the great guru,
I have learned that our Mental Class is our wealth!
Dudjom Rinpoche - Fundamentals and History of the Nyingmapa
'47 And so they did.
The frescoes painted to the right were of
the peaceful deities of the Magical Net, and those on the left were of the blazing wrathful deities. In front were frescoes of the deities of the entire Sutra which Gathers All Intentions. Painted above were three
manQalas; and in the vestibule the glorious Mahakala according to the tradition of wrathful Yamantaka, together with the eightfold group of
the M6npa, mounted on tigers.
Then the time came for the consecration. They made preparations
for the consecratory feast, saying, "Whom shaH we commission to make the ale? Whence shall we get the meat? " An attendant said, "There were great expenses in connection with the craftsmen, labourers, and
d The Lineage ofthe Zur Famity 629 an even take loans from our ben f:
guests, so our wealth is all but exhausted. Now we must await donations
secration. " e actors. Let us postpone the con-
But Zurcungpa said' "We WI·11 perform the owever there is no way we will fin .
. consecratIOn on time.
H
are not even enough clay jars
S I d for the ale; there
0 . et uds the nagas to make
ale. It is also difficult to find·
. meat, an even Ifw d fj d·
pay the pnce. So let us use Tram p. . d e 0 m Itwecannot . . . pa on rongpa' C'
petItIOnmg the spirits we . 11 s oxen lor meat. By WI get enough ts p [.
flour]. If we do this nothing at all rnh
1 en Lama Zurpoche said "W
·11 b 1 am. aLe. parched barley WI e ackmg"
·11 . .
loads of barley for the ale! 748 Y'
. ou are to fer .
Act as if there is more ale for th Zurcungpa, summon a naginI! "
who dwelt on the rock at Yaze SIster ofthe naga demon Zurcungpa turned into a fair lady b g. thI? snake appeared, which said, "I want you to make the ale ofhIS At that Zurpoche
But she replied "I f h e_consecratIOnofmytemple. " , am 0 t e pure naga r h· h C'
We abstain from alcohol At th . ace, w IC lears defilement.
radiance. So while t h e · . e same tIme, I cannot endure the guru's , re IS no way for me t0 d
you commission my elder brothe I ·11 pro uce ale, I beg that
Then the . guru said "N h r. ZWI 0 er all necessary help. " , ow t en urcung ·11
e consecratIon when At that, Zurcungpa intentionall sum .
. . you are m publIc.
transform her elder brother)'" "I will try to summon "
pa, WI you summon and
He adopted a gaze and a a
When overpowered by Z ' pp
C' urcungpa s contempI ( h lorm. Zurcungpa ordered h. a Ion
e WI reqUIre at least one thousand SIX measures of barley.
ear d .
e , the SIze of a young goat.
no time to make ale yet I am . brleqUIre many gIfts and favours. I have , una e to transg th '
Zurpoche took both their vital h ress e guru s command. " oaths of allegiance. The nagas said bound them under row. Make preparations! 0 _' e WI arnve the day after tomor- arrange a pure and safe· . ur naga race is above defilement. Please
At th· L enVIronment for our dwelling"
Imtomakeale buth
the race of gods and demons I . ' . e sal, belong to
IS ama Zurpoche said "I h 11 bl He h d h . , s a
.
ess the environment"
a tree clay Jars with sto er 749
and also collected things ds
ures of barley mash were . emon. s and nagas. The six meas-
white barley Then th t mto the Jars and topped with pure . ewonagademo bh .
placed inside. The mouths of h . ns, rot er and sIster, were ceremonial blouse and th fl t e Jars were fastened with the guru's its sleeves. Zurp;che be contr. olled through the nagas proceeded to h h Jars wIth an mdestructIble knot and that the ale was e essence of ale from all directions, so
Then an attendant said "Th .
do for tsampa? " , e r e IS now enough ale. But what will we
e revealed his true ·d "I
h·.
was ed fragrant water
630 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
The Lineage ofthe Zur Family 631
The guru replied, "Borrow many sacks. " He made a tarma offering and said, "Pour a handful of tsampa into each sack. " The attendant did as he was told. The next day all the sacks were full of tsampa.
Again, the guru said, "Send a monk to Trampa pondrongpa. Tell him that we have disposed of this refuse mash from the ale for the consecration in the forest, and that he should send his oxen to eat it. "
When that was done many oxen were sent. The guru said, "Zur- cungpa, will you kill and resurrect them? "
Zurcungpa replied, "I shall obey my guru's command. "
Zurpoche adopted an enlightened intention and hurled enchanted objects750 at each of the oxen, whereby they all fell into a coma and died. "Flay the oxen," he said. "Do not break the bones. Keep the joints intact. Leave the internal organs in their proper positions and carve out the muscle meat. "
His attendants were terrified and thought, "This master and his disciple are in the sway of evil. They have ordered the oxen to be fed on the mash, and then they have killed them all. Now what will happen when the oxherds arrive? "
With their minds utterly confounded they prepared the meat-feast for the consecration. After the feast the oxherds did arrive. The guru commanded that they be served, too, which perplexed the attendants. Then he said, "Let Zurcungpa convey the oxen to their owner. "
At that, Zurcungpa folded the bones in their wrappings of hide. He inserted the internal organs as well, covered them with his robe, and, at the snap of a finger, the oxen trembled and stood up. It is said that [earlier], when an old woman had been carving the meat, she scraped a rib of one of the oxen. After [being revived] that ox had a deformed rib. The display of this miraculous ability to kill and to resurrect caused
all those assembled to develop great faith.
Lama Zurpoche, too, looked delightedly upon [the image of] the
Great Glorious One, and said, "I pray that you serve the world greatly. " "Hey, hey, need you even ask? " replied the image, rejoicing in the nine dramatic airs. 7SI At first the image had a wrathful countenance,
but thereafter its appearance became one of laughter.
The guru said, "Now, we should propitiate Yangdak Heruka for one year. "
The attendants replied, "The provisions are not sufficient. "
Zurcungpa countered, "If the ale is not enough, it will be all rig? t to return to the naga demon. There is also a little meat and tsampa III reserve. I f the commitments of yoga are not left to decline, the gods and demons will provide our sustenance. The local divinity wlll also make offerings. So it will be fine to practice for one year. "
About one hundred yogins and yoginIs assembled there. The master ordered each of the practitioners to be provided with a skull-cup full of ale, a duck's egg-sized ball of gruel, and a little meat to the commitments. Then the one-year retreat commenced.
During the retreat the guru said, "You, the four summits, are to hold a contest of [contemplative] intention. " It is said that when they all had entered a meditative equipoise, three of them attained an immov- able intention, one that was mountain-like, not to be destroyed by mere circumstances. But because Zurcungpa had arrived at the abode of supreme, unbiased equanimity, he ascended in the air to the height of a wagon to illustrate the superiority of his view. Then the guru said, "Now, go outside and listen while Zurcungpa recites the rulu mantra. " One yoginI went outside and listened, but the volume did not decrease. Having crossed over a ridge, she continued to listen, but still the volume did not decrease. At that, the guru praised Zurcungpa highly, saying, "You are all equally spiritual brethren, but you others should not even cross Zurcungpa's shadow. "
When they were released from the retreat, the master and his disciples wenttoTrokpoiSumdo. Thegurubecameexhilaratedandstampedouta dance to the rulu mantra on the rock called the "Vajra Bolt" (brag rda-rje gtan-pa). His foot penetrated the rock up to the ankle, as ifhe were treading on mud. Zurcungpa said, "My guru is a manifest buddha. I shall prostrate my head at his feet. " He touched the footprints with his head and left
behind a clear impression of his topknot and dangling ear-rings.
At that, Zangom Sherap Gyelpo said, "Wonderfully sublime are the signs of accomplishment which my two gurus, uncle and nephew, possess. It will be a sin for man or beast to tread upon this stone. " He transformed his five fingers into five powerful athletes, who raised the Vajra Bolt Rock and set it upright. Then Zhang Gocungwa and Menyak Khyungdra also said, "It is up to us to support it. " [They emanated] many powerful athletes who each raised an unshakable boulder to support the rock on each side, and so made its foundation secure. Even
today these stones can really be seen.
Then Lama Zurpoche decided to make an image of the fruitional
Great Glorious One in Ukpalung. 752 He told all of his disciples to go there. Zurcungpa flew into the sky, saying, "I shall go to serve my guru," and landed on Trak Gyawo. The other disciples travelled there in coracles. The two naga demons, brother and sister, said, "It is improper for us to be associated with the defiled persons in the coracle. Please take us over the river where it can be forded. ,,7S3
The guru assented to this and delivered the clay pot to his attendant, to whom it seemed to weigh less than a feather. When they reached the riverbank, the guru said to the attendant, "Hold onto me and come without hesitation. "
But the attendant's mind was unworthy and he thought, "I'll probably be thrown into the river. "
Knowing his anxiety, the guru said, "Now you cannot cross with me. Come via coracle. I am going on ahead. " And he went off without his feet touching the water.
632 History: The Distant Lineage a/Transmitted Precepts
The Lineage a/the Zur Family 633
The attendant went by coracle and reached the slope on the opposite bank. While waiting there for a long time he grew thirsty, so he drank all the ale he could strain from the pot. Then the thought occurred, "One year and four months have passed since making this ale. What did the guru put in the jar for so much to be produced? "
He broke the seal of the jar and two serpents, white and black, as large as yaks, uncoiled themselves and vanished into the sky. Scorpions, frogs, tadpoles and other creatures followed in their wake and also went snapping and croaking into the sky. At once the sediment became green and rotten and the liquid became pale and sour. The attendant disposed of the mash and carried the jar to the riverbank, where he poured out the liquid. Then he smashed the jar.
When this took place, the guru said, "The auspicious coincidence is lost. If you had not released the two naga demons of Wokdong, brother and sister, the monastery of Ukpalung would have become the greatest in Tibet; and the hermitage at Trampa, too, would have expanded without decline. None the less, since you poured the liquid towards the south, some centres and monasteries will arise [in that direction]. " He appointed the naga demons, brother and sister, to be the protectors of the transmitted precepts at the hermitage of Trampa. But, due to these circumstances, the image of the fruitional Great Glorious Heruka was never made.
Afterwards, the college and the hermitage became extensive. At that time, in Nyari, there lived a man named Mama Yungdrung Trashi and his wife. They were endowed with riches, but had no children or heirs. Wishing to build a religious centre, they assembled all the local people together and asked, "Who are the best teachers? "
Some claimed that the adepts of mantra were the best, others favoured the venerable monks [of the Buddhist saJ? 'lgha], while yet others sup- ported the followers of the Pon religion. Because they all disagreed, they advised the couple to follow their own inclinations. The wife said, "Since our resources are adequate, let us invite all three. "
The mantra adept of Ukpalung [Zurpoche], Laketsewa the Ponpo, and a venerable monk from Chumik Ringmo were invited. When the three recipients of worship had assembled, they considered building a temple together, but disagreed over which should be the central image. The mantrin insisted upon Vajrasattva, the monk upon Sakyamuni, and the Ponpo upon Shenrap Miwoche/54 so they decided to build separate temples. Lharje Ukpalungpa joined with the Ponpo to build a temple below Dropuk. The Ponpo said, "Even now, when we make the temple, our deity will have to be subservient if yours occupies the central position. And your deity will have to be subservient if ours occupies the central position. "
Zurpoche realised that no good would come of either so he gave the temple to the ponpo. Then, one DrotOnpa offered him
the place called Dropuk and Zurpoche built a temple there. At that time three related families who were patrons said, "We will take a collection for whoever covers his temple with an ornamental roof. " The mantrin and the Ponpo both accomplished the task, but the monk was unsuccessful. The patrons took up a collection for the mantrin and the Ponpo on alternative years, at which the monk said, "Please gather one for us too! " The monk was given one year's collection and thereafter the collection was made on behalf of the three orders during alternate years.
At the temple of Dropuk eight shrines, large and small, were built. Of these the foremost was that of the buddhas of the three times. The upper hall was supported by twenty pillars and the lower hall by sixty pillars. In this place a great seminary was established.
Moreover, one time, when it was well known that the conqueror Zurpoche was propitiating Yangdak Heruka at Gyawo, in Thak, and that his merits were most extensive, the translator Drokmi, who re- quired gold to offer as a parting gift to his paJ)<;iita [Gayadhara], said tohim,"Bringalotofgold. Ishallgiveyouprofoundinstructions. ,,755
In order to exemplify [the conduct of] a great person, whose vows to benefit others are firm, and whose conduct with respect to the four attractive qualities of a bodhisattva is flawless, the conqueror Zurpoche - like Karma Pakshi, who to test [his disciples ordered them to build] an ornamental roof for the temple at Tshurpu high enough to be seen from the Damcoktse Pass756 - said with a concealed intention, "I shall build two golden monuments to dominate the defiles of Lharidong in Dropuk and Thangi Yangdong; and I shall connect them in the middle with an iron chain. "
His students make a pledge. "Very well", they said, "we shall each contribute a copper dish, a bell, and a length of iron chain. "757
The great commotion which ensued alarmed two local divinities. They offered an ingot of gold, the size of a goat's liver, and asked the master not to build the golden monuments. Then they offered a gold mine and said, "You may enjoy it so long as no gold in the shape of a living creature is discovered. " After mining an abundance of gold from one pit, an ingot of gold shaped like a frog was discovered. Zurpoche halted the excavation and offered one hundred ounces of gold to the translator in Mugulung. 758 That autumn he even performed humble tasks for Drokmi like carrying briarwood on his back.
When he had become consummately learned in the Three Continua and their ancillary texts, as well as in the Indestructible Tent, he said:
By the kindness of the great guru,
I have learned that our Mental Class is our wealth!
Thus, after savouring the doctrine of the new translation schools Zurpoche again maintained that our [Nyingmapa] Mental Class is
634 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
The Lineage ofthe Zur Family 635
wealth, like unto the wish-fulfilling gem. His statement is one giving rise to the highest certainty.
In his sixty-first year, when he had almost finished building the
temple at Dropuk that great man, an undeniable emanation who lived , 759
on the level of a holder of the awareness of spontaneous presence, having fully realised the attributes of the five paths, resolved to trans-
·· °Ib 760H°d"Su form his coarse body mto Its pure essentIa su stance. e S a l , m-
mon Zurcungpa from Trak Gyawo. "
When Zurcungpa arrived the master said, "I entrust this centre of
mine to you, Zurcungpa. You must benefit the host of disciples by means of the doctrine. Grant it to them according to their intellectual capacities. Protect them as I have done.
"You disciples, too, must attend carefully to whatever Zurcungpa does. Do not disobey his word. Do not even step on his shadow, footprints or robe; for this one has attained the accomplishment of the body, speech, and mind of the Great Glorious One. Therefore, he is even higher than 1. Because he will protect you as I have done, practise respectful devotion perfectly. "
Then Zurpoche went off to his hermitage at Trampa. One day he said to his attendant, "Prepare a meal this morning before the heat. " At sunrise, when the attendant came into his presence, the great guru was sitting on his bed, getting all dressed up. The attendant asked, "Now, where are you off to, that you are getting dressed up? "
I am going to SukhilvatI Buddha-field.
Address your prayers to the meditational deity, For the Great Glorious One and I are no different.
So saying, the master took up his vajra and rang his bell. As he did so his body was transformed into light; and he vanished into the heart of the image of the Great Glorious Heruka.
At exactly the same time, a Khampa, who was coming to make offerings to Zurpoche, met the guru on the road. The guru the Khampa's perception, and, accepting the offerings in an emanatIonal palace, distributed the merit. Then, just as if he had from a dream, the Khampa saw nothing at all. Proceeding onwards hesItantly, he heard along the way that the guru had vanished into the heart of the image of the Great Glorious One.
Because the blessing of this image of the Great Glorious ,:as
exceedingly great, sometime later the image itself told the
him perform three counter-clockwise circumambulations and vanish, in fact, into the image. Similarly, one Tshenden Zurmo Obumis reputed to have vanished into that same image.
ZURCUNG SHERAP-TRA
[339. 4-359. 6] Among the four "summits", Deshek Gyawopa, or Zur- cung Sherap-tra, like the bell-ringer among the bulls, was the prime successor of the mantra-holder Ukpalungpa. He was born in Yeru, Tsang in 1014 (wood male tiger year) to the accompaniment ofwonder- ful omens. His father was Thakpa Gomcen, who sometimes lived as a mendicant; and his mother was Majo Sherap-kyi. In his seventh year
he learnt to read and write, and in his ninth he learnt to chant the rite of the peaceful and wrathful deities.
Once, in his thirteenth year, while he was sitting in bed reading a book, his betrothed ran to him and said, "The field is flooded! How can you lie there? "
Wearing his new trousers, Zurcungpa crossed the flooding waters762 and he began to divert the water from the house. But she scolded him, saying, "You did not even change out of the clothes which were made by my labour. They're ruined! "
Zurcungpa replied, "If you care more about the cloth than about me, have it! " And he threw the trousers away.
She became angry and said, "This is an insult! " And she ran away to her native place.
Zurcungpa was utterly disillusioned with the world. He took her spindle down from a rafter and shouted after her. He remained sus- pended between hope and doubt, [not knowing] whether to call her back, but [in the end] he handed her the spindle saying, "It is said that a man must have the male wealth, and a woman the female wealth. 763
Take your spindle. " She returned to her own land in despair.
Then, without consulting his father, without taking provisions from his mother, and without seeking the approval of friends/64 Zurcungpa set out, carrying only his wolf-skin coat, to meet Zurpoche. On the he joined company with two nomads from Tanak, who were bring-
mg turquoise and copper, and a native of Shang, who bore armour.
When they arrived there, Zurcungpa had only the wolf-skin coat to
Priest to welcome one GyaWn Silk-yeo At the time of his receptIOnl . fkOh76
Let us see whether or not they are disgusted with the world. Bring each of them some ale-stew and vegetable soup. " The two nomads had no desire to eat, the Shangpa ate a little, but Zurcungpa ate the lot. At this the guru said, "Put aside the wolf-skin coat and the armour. But return the turquoise and copper to their owners! " The nomads went away displeased, saying, "The return of our presents is a sign that he
GyaWn appeared riding on a white cow and weanng awol -s m at.
In the presence of the image of the Great Glorious Heruka he was transformed into white light. The priest, Majo Tonden, actually saW
offer. While the other three offered their grand presents the guru said
",,
636 History: The Distant Lineage of Transmitted Precepts
Zurcung Sherap-tra
will not teach us the doctrine. " Consequently, they abused Zurpoche's
teaching. . I ) "
The master asked Zurcungpa, "What IS your can. f
Zurcungpa feared that it would be to say that he wllaZs0 h . d "I am Just a very sma ur
"I would defile the guru's property," he answered. So it was that he bore the burden of constant austerity.
One day the guru brought a rosewood bowl, which could hold nine handfuls, and said, "Do you have anything to drink? " When offered ale-stew, Zurpoche drank two bowls full.
"Bring more," he said, and continued to drink. Then he said, "Is there anymore? "
"There is about one quart," answered Zurcungpa.
"Now that is not enough. If it were enough, your merit would be the greatest in Tibet. None the less, because of your veneration of me, your merits will still be great. " He gave Zurcungpa three loads of barley and said, "When this barley is finished you will not be without neces- sities. "
Zurcungpa persevered day and night in all of his studies and in meditation. Because he was an emanation the expanse of his discrimin- ative awareness unfolded. But although he had inconceivable spiritual experiences and realisations, Zurcungpa could not even afford the supplies for copying books. At that point, Lharje Zurpoche said, "In the place called Phen-gi Khangon lives a wealthy lady meditator named Como Yumo and her daughter. You should stay with them. "
"I will not be a householder," replied Zurcungpa.
"Do not be narrow-minded," said the master. "I know the divisions between what the Teacher permitted and what he forbade. If you use the resources of those two, you can ask for empowerments, copy books, and receive the entire doctrine, without remainder. They will both acquire merit for it, and you will accomplish your own purpose. That would be best. "
Zurcungpa obeyed and all his wishes were fulfilled. Then, the guru said, "Now, don't stay there anymore. Bring your books and other necessities of worship here gradually and then come to me. "
"But is it right to do so? " asked Zurcungpa. "Those two have been very kind. "
"Do not be small-minded! You will have the power to benefit the world. In this degenerate age you must propagate the teaching of the Buddha and benefit many beings. How could you be more grateful to them? But if you just hide out there, you will succeed in helping neither yourself, nor others. "
Zurcungpa obeyed the command exactly, and the guru's intention was precisely fulfilled.
On one occasion Lharje Zurpoche saw Zurcungpa circumambulate a stl1pa near his residence. His feet were moving one cubit above the ground. The guru realised that he was an emanation and thought, "It is a great wonder. " He was highly delighted.
So it was that when Zurcungpa wandered afar and was tormented by intense heat in a desolate valley, he was offered a refreshing drink
the same clan as the guru, so e sal
(Zurcung) " The nickname stuck. Knowing hIm to be wo. rt? y,
Zur-
·e him study. He developed supreme intellectual pochemad b· d b gathenng up At first because of extreme poverty, he slste y f h But
the torma; scattered by the guru, and makmg ale-stew 0 tIIemf· Ie" . h "Thesoursme 0 a ,
the other students complamed to t h f£ they said, "lingers on his NeIther oes" eo er a
Ie to the guru, d ollect
c
wood. " h th cottage but it is In Zurcungpa's absence he had them searc e derneath a
said that all they found was a full of ale-. stew : v e nothing tattered blanket. At this the guru SaId, Zurcungpa, If you .
to eat, come to my own hearth. "
nor does he give any to hIS splntual brothers.
Therefore, the guru said, "Zurcungpa, today you are to go an
'.
The Lineage ofthe Zur Family 637
638 History: The Distant Lineage a/Transmitted Precepts
[by the local deities]. When he went to meditate on a lonely mountain peak and grew hungry, he was offered food. So he easily achieved whatever his heart desired, and thought, "Now, if I act on behalf of the world, I will succeed. " Lama Zurpoche, too, said, "Now, you must teach. " Zurcungpa taught the Sutra which Gathers All Intentions and could gather at once three hundred disciples displaying the t. ext. 765
At the time the guru praised Zurcungpa greatly, but certam people were somewhat disrespectful and said, "The guru praises his Own nephew too highly! ,,766 Zurpoche knew that they would incur great demerit by slandering a guru. . . .
It so happened that on one occasion the master and all hIS dIscIples went to attend a religious festival767 in a place called Emar Dorjepo. In a gully, there was a vermin-infested bitch and her puppies. Lama Zurpoche only petted the bitch, but Z. urcungpa killed the puppies, and then swallowed the vermm. The others saId, a lunatic as this Zurcungpa has been appointed to explain the doctnne! Even our benefactors will lose their devotion. "
But the guru replied, "Even I knew the dogs were bound for the evil destinies,768 but I could not 'liberate' them. Zurcungpa has done so, and it is a great wonder. "
At that, Zurcungpa adopted a gaze and the dead dogs were turned into offering goddesses. He vomited up the vermin and they flew off into the sky. Zurpoche said, "Now, are you not astonished? "
But they replied, "It is merely an optical illusion. "
Afterwards, they came to the Shang River, which was flooding. By his miraculous powers, Zurpoche threw a skull-cup to the slope ofthe oppo- site bank and said, "I shall entrust my college to whoever retrieves it. " The other three "summits" could not reach it, but Zurcungpa walked across, his feet not touching the water, and retrieved the skull-cup.
Zurpoche urged them to compete in the power of levitation. Among the other teachers and meditators, including the four "summits", there were those who could travel without their feet touching the ground. But Zurcungpa ascended into the air as high as a palmyra tree and was the first to reach the hermitage at Trampa. At that, the other three "summits" began to believe in him and then served the guru completely by obeying each of his commands. .
Once Zurcungpa received a prophecy in three stages concermng a sacred location· but because that yogin who had realised emptiness was free from deliberate grasping, he dismissed it all as delusion. Finally, five sixteen-year-old girls, adorned with bone ornaments, appeared. They were playing q,amaru and dancing. They said to him, "Brother, if you meditate at Riwo Gudti you will accomplish of yourself and ofothers. " Then, they pointed to Trak Gyawo WIth theIr fingers.
[Seeing that] there were nine peaks, nine rivers, and nine Zurcungpa knew it to be a sign ofthe completeness ofthe nine succeSSIve
vehicles. "That Trak Gyawo", he said, "resembles the transcendent
lord, the Great Glorious Heruka, surrounded by the Eight G - 769 Th Ii ·f I . aUf! .
ere 1 . practIse there, accomplishment will come swiftly, and the wIll be great. Moreover, since the nature of samsara is suffenng, . 1 must cut off worldly entanglements. To achieve ihe goal
? f hves, social diversions and fame are useless. In the short-run It IS dIfficult t. o save. face: and ultimately it is worthless to do so. Therefore, I wdl meditate m solitude. " Entrusting his disciples to the care of three men,,770 and commanding them to preserve
the teachmg of the doctrine, he went off to Trak Gyawo. Arnvlng there, entered exclusively into practice. So, the danger of the local dIVmIty s magical power became very great. How- ever, to . such great bulls among accomplished masters both dream and
wakmg state have the same savour, in that they are fictitious. One mght Zurcungpa dreamt that a black man appeared on the peak of Trak grabbed his two feet together, whirled him overhead and threw hIm. He landed in a wide plain in the river valley of Thak. When
awoke he really f? und. himself in the midst of the plain and had to clImb back up. Despite thIS great magical display he remained
undeterred.
Again, ,,:hen a. the size of a young goat filled his hermitage, s reahsation of cause and effect became manifest. He seIzed the scorpIOn by the claws and tore it in half, saying:
Repenting of each non-virtuous sin I tear the evil scorpion asunder! 771 '
In w:/z he mocked those who rely on the words, rather than the meamng. J:Ie thre,: the scorpion away, whereupon all the pieces were transformed Into Buddha and dissolved into space.
On another ? CCaSIOn, when Zurcungpa was invaded by an army of ants, he told hIS attendant to bring a mallet;773 and with it he crushed the ants. The felt disgusted and said, "Think of the sin! "
Zurcungpa replIed, "If you had no faith in that, I'll do it this way. "
And he poppe. d the ants into his mouth and blew out, whereupon all
of them arose m the form of Vajrasattva and departed into the sky. At that, the attendant developed great faith.
By his inconceivable miraculous abilities to kill and resurrect Zur- three local divinities, who were siblings, under oath fi allegiance. They revealed their forms and prostrated at his
Even today. eXIsts a spring which arose where Zurcungpa pIerced with hIS kIla. And when he performed the practice of the I? edItative of the "seals",774 according to the Secret
Maglcal Net, he had a VISIOn who filled the valley ofThak. Because Zurcungpa had attamed the activity field in which appear- ances are exhausted,775 he could transform his body into a storm
The Lineage a/the Zur Family 639
640 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
The Lineage ofthe Zur Family 641
of fire, water, wind, or earth. All appearances radiantly and resplend- ently partook of the nature of Vajrasattva; and the power of his positive realisations increasingly developed. But he realised that, in fact, they were not reliable. Appearances, mind and reality merged into a single savour and he reached the level on which his intentions were exhausted. He could move unobstructed through earth, stone, mountain, and rock; fly like a bird in the sky; and so forth. So it was that Zurcungpa obtained independence with respect to the five elements.
On one occasion he said, "One month from today a worthy disciple will arrive. " Then, later on, a spiritual benefactor,776 named Ba Getong, who was an adherent of the dialectical school, came to a religious festival in Thak. He sent an intelligent student to debate with Zurcungpa.
the peaceful deities of the Magical Net, and those on the left were of the blazing wrathful deities. In front were frescoes of the deities of the entire Sutra which Gathers All Intentions. Painted above were three
manQalas; and in the vestibule the glorious Mahakala according to the tradition of wrathful Yamantaka, together with the eightfold group of
the M6npa, mounted on tigers.
Then the time came for the consecration. They made preparations
for the consecratory feast, saying, "Whom shaH we commission to make the ale? Whence shall we get the meat? " An attendant said, "There were great expenses in connection with the craftsmen, labourers, and
d The Lineage ofthe Zur Famity 629 an even take loans from our ben f:
guests, so our wealth is all but exhausted. Now we must await donations
secration. " e actors. Let us postpone the con-
But Zurcungpa said' "We WI·11 perform the owever there is no way we will fin .
. consecratIOn on time.
H
are not even enough clay jars
S I d for the ale; there
0 . et uds the nagas to make
ale. It is also difficult to find·
. meat, an even Ifw d fj d·
pay the pnce. So let us use Tram p. . d e 0 m Itwecannot . . . pa on rongpa' C'
petItIOnmg the spirits we . 11 s oxen lor meat. By WI get enough ts p [.
flour]. If we do this nothing at all rnh
1 en Lama Zurpoche said "W
·11 b 1 am. aLe. parched barley WI e ackmg"
·11 . .
loads of barley for the ale! 748 Y'
. ou are to fer .
Act as if there is more ale for th Zurcungpa, summon a naginI! "
who dwelt on the rock at Yaze SIster ofthe naga demon Zurcungpa turned into a fair lady b g. thI? snake appeared, which said, "I want you to make the ale ofhIS At that Zurpoche
But she replied "I f h e_consecratIOnofmytemple. " , am 0 t e pure naga r h· h C'
We abstain from alcohol At th . ace, w IC lears defilement.
radiance. So while t h e · . e same tIme, I cannot endure the guru's , re IS no way for me t0 d
you commission my elder brothe I ·11 pro uce ale, I beg that
Then the . guru said "N h r. ZWI 0 er all necessary help. " , ow t en urcung ·11
e consecratIon when At that, Zurcungpa intentionall sum .
. . you are m publIc.
transform her elder brother)'" "I will try to summon "
pa, WI you summon and
He adopted a gaze and a a
When overpowered by Z ' pp
C' urcungpa s contempI ( h lorm. Zurcungpa ordered h. a Ion
e WI reqUIre at least one thousand SIX measures of barley.
ear d .
e , the SIze of a young goat.
no time to make ale yet I am . brleqUIre many gIfts and favours. I have , una e to transg th '
Zurpoche took both their vital h ress e guru s command. " oaths of allegiance. The nagas said bound them under row. Make preparations! 0 _' e WI arnve the day after tomor- arrange a pure and safe· . ur naga race is above defilement. Please
At th· L enVIronment for our dwelling"
Imtomakeale buth
the race of gods and demons I . ' . e sal, belong to
IS ama Zurpoche said "I h 11 bl He h d h . , s a
.
ess the environment"
a tree clay Jars with sto er 749
and also collected things ds
ures of barley mash were . emon. s and nagas. The six meas-
white barley Then th t mto the Jars and topped with pure . ewonagademo bh .
placed inside. The mouths of h . ns, rot er and sIster, were ceremonial blouse and th fl t e Jars were fastened with the guru's its sleeves. Zurp;che be contr. olled through the nagas proceeded to h h Jars wIth an mdestructIble knot and that the ale was e essence of ale from all directions, so
Then an attendant said "Th .
do for tsampa? " , e r e IS now enough ale. But what will we
e revealed his true ·d "I
h·.
was ed fragrant water
630 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
The Lineage ofthe Zur Family 631
The guru replied, "Borrow many sacks. " He made a tarma offering and said, "Pour a handful of tsampa into each sack. " The attendant did as he was told. The next day all the sacks were full of tsampa.
Again, the guru said, "Send a monk to Trampa pondrongpa. Tell him that we have disposed of this refuse mash from the ale for the consecration in the forest, and that he should send his oxen to eat it. "
When that was done many oxen were sent. The guru said, "Zur- cungpa, will you kill and resurrect them? "
Zurcungpa replied, "I shall obey my guru's command. "
Zurpoche adopted an enlightened intention and hurled enchanted objects750 at each of the oxen, whereby they all fell into a coma and died. "Flay the oxen," he said. "Do not break the bones. Keep the joints intact. Leave the internal organs in their proper positions and carve out the muscle meat. "
His attendants were terrified and thought, "This master and his disciple are in the sway of evil. They have ordered the oxen to be fed on the mash, and then they have killed them all. Now what will happen when the oxherds arrive? "
With their minds utterly confounded they prepared the meat-feast for the consecration. After the feast the oxherds did arrive. The guru commanded that they be served, too, which perplexed the attendants. Then he said, "Let Zurcungpa convey the oxen to their owner. "
At that, Zurcungpa folded the bones in their wrappings of hide. He inserted the internal organs as well, covered them with his robe, and, at the snap of a finger, the oxen trembled and stood up. It is said that [earlier], when an old woman had been carving the meat, she scraped a rib of one of the oxen. After [being revived] that ox had a deformed rib. The display of this miraculous ability to kill and to resurrect caused
all those assembled to develop great faith.
Lama Zurpoche, too, looked delightedly upon [the image of] the
Great Glorious One, and said, "I pray that you serve the world greatly. " "Hey, hey, need you even ask? " replied the image, rejoicing in the nine dramatic airs. 7SI At first the image had a wrathful countenance,
but thereafter its appearance became one of laughter.
The guru said, "Now, we should propitiate Yangdak Heruka for one year. "
The attendants replied, "The provisions are not sufficient. "
Zurcungpa countered, "If the ale is not enough, it will be all rig? t to return to the naga demon. There is also a little meat and tsampa III reserve. I f the commitments of yoga are not left to decline, the gods and demons will provide our sustenance. The local divinity wlll also make offerings. So it will be fine to practice for one year. "
About one hundred yogins and yoginIs assembled there. The master ordered each of the practitioners to be provided with a skull-cup full of ale, a duck's egg-sized ball of gruel, and a little meat to the commitments. Then the one-year retreat commenced.
During the retreat the guru said, "You, the four summits, are to hold a contest of [contemplative] intention. " It is said that when they all had entered a meditative equipoise, three of them attained an immov- able intention, one that was mountain-like, not to be destroyed by mere circumstances. But because Zurcungpa had arrived at the abode of supreme, unbiased equanimity, he ascended in the air to the height of a wagon to illustrate the superiority of his view. Then the guru said, "Now, go outside and listen while Zurcungpa recites the rulu mantra. " One yoginI went outside and listened, but the volume did not decrease. Having crossed over a ridge, she continued to listen, but still the volume did not decrease. At that, the guru praised Zurcungpa highly, saying, "You are all equally spiritual brethren, but you others should not even cross Zurcungpa's shadow. "
When they were released from the retreat, the master and his disciples wenttoTrokpoiSumdo. Thegurubecameexhilaratedandstampedouta dance to the rulu mantra on the rock called the "Vajra Bolt" (brag rda-rje gtan-pa). His foot penetrated the rock up to the ankle, as ifhe were treading on mud. Zurcungpa said, "My guru is a manifest buddha. I shall prostrate my head at his feet. " He touched the footprints with his head and left
behind a clear impression of his topknot and dangling ear-rings.
At that, Zangom Sherap Gyelpo said, "Wonderfully sublime are the signs of accomplishment which my two gurus, uncle and nephew, possess. It will be a sin for man or beast to tread upon this stone. " He transformed his five fingers into five powerful athletes, who raised the Vajra Bolt Rock and set it upright. Then Zhang Gocungwa and Menyak Khyungdra also said, "It is up to us to support it. " [They emanated] many powerful athletes who each raised an unshakable boulder to support the rock on each side, and so made its foundation secure. Even
today these stones can really be seen.
Then Lama Zurpoche decided to make an image of the fruitional
Great Glorious One in Ukpalung. 752 He told all of his disciples to go there. Zurcungpa flew into the sky, saying, "I shall go to serve my guru," and landed on Trak Gyawo. The other disciples travelled there in coracles. The two naga demons, brother and sister, said, "It is improper for us to be associated with the defiled persons in the coracle. Please take us over the river where it can be forded. ,,7S3
The guru assented to this and delivered the clay pot to his attendant, to whom it seemed to weigh less than a feather. When they reached the riverbank, the guru said to the attendant, "Hold onto me and come without hesitation. "
But the attendant's mind was unworthy and he thought, "I'll probably be thrown into the river. "
Knowing his anxiety, the guru said, "Now you cannot cross with me. Come via coracle. I am going on ahead. " And he went off without his feet touching the water.
632 History: The Distant Lineage a/Transmitted Precepts
The Lineage a/the Zur Family 633
The attendant went by coracle and reached the slope on the opposite bank. While waiting there for a long time he grew thirsty, so he drank all the ale he could strain from the pot. Then the thought occurred, "One year and four months have passed since making this ale. What did the guru put in the jar for so much to be produced? "
He broke the seal of the jar and two serpents, white and black, as large as yaks, uncoiled themselves and vanished into the sky. Scorpions, frogs, tadpoles and other creatures followed in their wake and also went snapping and croaking into the sky. At once the sediment became green and rotten and the liquid became pale and sour. The attendant disposed of the mash and carried the jar to the riverbank, where he poured out the liquid. Then he smashed the jar.
When this took place, the guru said, "The auspicious coincidence is lost. If you had not released the two naga demons of Wokdong, brother and sister, the monastery of Ukpalung would have become the greatest in Tibet; and the hermitage at Trampa, too, would have expanded without decline. None the less, since you poured the liquid towards the south, some centres and monasteries will arise [in that direction]. " He appointed the naga demons, brother and sister, to be the protectors of the transmitted precepts at the hermitage of Trampa. But, due to these circumstances, the image of the fruitional Great Glorious Heruka was never made.
Afterwards, the college and the hermitage became extensive. At that time, in Nyari, there lived a man named Mama Yungdrung Trashi and his wife. They were endowed with riches, but had no children or heirs. Wishing to build a religious centre, they assembled all the local people together and asked, "Who are the best teachers? "
Some claimed that the adepts of mantra were the best, others favoured the venerable monks [of the Buddhist saJ? 'lgha], while yet others sup- ported the followers of the Pon religion. Because they all disagreed, they advised the couple to follow their own inclinations. The wife said, "Since our resources are adequate, let us invite all three. "
The mantra adept of Ukpalung [Zurpoche], Laketsewa the Ponpo, and a venerable monk from Chumik Ringmo were invited. When the three recipients of worship had assembled, they considered building a temple together, but disagreed over which should be the central image. The mantrin insisted upon Vajrasattva, the monk upon Sakyamuni, and the Ponpo upon Shenrap Miwoche/54 so they decided to build separate temples. Lharje Ukpalungpa joined with the Ponpo to build a temple below Dropuk. The Ponpo said, "Even now, when we make the temple, our deity will have to be subservient if yours occupies the central position. And your deity will have to be subservient if ours occupies the central position. "
Zurpoche realised that no good would come of either so he gave the temple to the ponpo. Then, one DrotOnpa offered him
the place called Dropuk and Zurpoche built a temple there. At that time three related families who were patrons said, "We will take a collection for whoever covers his temple with an ornamental roof. " The mantrin and the Ponpo both accomplished the task, but the monk was unsuccessful. The patrons took up a collection for the mantrin and the Ponpo on alternative years, at which the monk said, "Please gather one for us too! " The monk was given one year's collection and thereafter the collection was made on behalf of the three orders during alternate years.
At the temple of Dropuk eight shrines, large and small, were built. Of these the foremost was that of the buddhas of the three times. The upper hall was supported by twenty pillars and the lower hall by sixty pillars. In this place a great seminary was established.
Moreover, one time, when it was well known that the conqueror Zurpoche was propitiating Yangdak Heruka at Gyawo, in Thak, and that his merits were most extensive, the translator Drokmi, who re- quired gold to offer as a parting gift to his paJ)<;iita [Gayadhara], said tohim,"Bringalotofgold. Ishallgiveyouprofoundinstructions. ,,755
In order to exemplify [the conduct of] a great person, whose vows to benefit others are firm, and whose conduct with respect to the four attractive qualities of a bodhisattva is flawless, the conqueror Zurpoche - like Karma Pakshi, who to test [his disciples ordered them to build] an ornamental roof for the temple at Tshurpu high enough to be seen from the Damcoktse Pass756 - said with a concealed intention, "I shall build two golden monuments to dominate the defiles of Lharidong in Dropuk and Thangi Yangdong; and I shall connect them in the middle with an iron chain. "
His students make a pledge. "Very well", they said, "we shall each contribute a copper dish, a bell, and a length of iron chain. "757
The great commotion which ensued alarmed two local divinities. They offered an ingot of gold, the size of a goat's liver, and asked the master not to build the golden monuments. Then they offered a gold mine and said, "You may enjoy it so long as no gold in the shape of a living creature is discovered. " After mining an abundance of gold from one pit, an ingot of gold shaped like a frog was discovered. Zurpoche halted the excavation and offered one hundred ounces of gold to the translator in Mugulung. 758 That autumn he even performed humble tasks for Drokmi like carrying briarwood on his back.
When he had become consummately learned in the Three Continua and their ancillary texts, as well as in the Indestructible Tent, he said:
By the kindness of the great guru,
I have learned that our Mental Class is our wealth!
Thus, after savouring the doctrine of the new translation schools Zurpoche again maintained that our [Nyingmapa] Mental Class is
634 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
The Lineage ofthe Zur Family 635
wealth, like unto the wish-fulfilling gem. His statement is one giving rise to the highest certainty.
In his sixty-first year, when he had almost finished building the
temple at Dropuk that great man, an undeniable emanation who lived , 759
on the level of a holder of the awareness of spontaneous presence, having fully realised the attributes of the five paths, resolved to trans-
·· °Ib 760H°d"Su form his coarse body mto Its pure essentIa su stance. e S a l , m-
mon Zurcungpa from Trak Gyawo. "
When Zurcungpa arrived the master said, "I entrust this centre of
mine to you, Zurcungpa. You must benefit the host of disciples by means of the doctrine. Grant it to them according to their intellectual capacities. Protect them as I have done.
"You disciples, too, must attend carefully to whatever Zurcungpa does. Do not disobey his word. Do not even step on his shadow, footprints or robe; for this one has attained the accomplishment of the body, speech, and mind of the Great Glorious One. Therefore, he is even higher than 1. Because he will protect you as I have done, practise respectful devotion perfectly. "
Then Zurpoche went off to his hermitage at Trampa. One day he said to his attendant, "Prepare a meal this morning before the heat. " At sunrise, when the attendant came into his presence, the great guru was sitting on his bed, getting all dressed up. The attendant asked, "Now, where are you off to, that you are getting dressed up? "
I am going to SukhilvatI Buddha-field.
Address your prayers to the meditational deity, For the Great Glorious One and I are no different.
So saying, the master took up his vajra and rang his bell. As he did so his body was transformed into light; and he vanished into the heart of the image of the Great Glorious Heruka.
At exactly the same time, a Khampa, who was coming to make offerings to Zurpoche, met the guru on the road. The guru the Khampa's perception, and, accepting the offerings in an emanatIonal palace, distributed the merit. Then, just as if he had from a dream, the Khampa saw nothing at all. Proceeding onwards hesItantly, he heard along the way that the guru had vanished into the heart of the image of the Great Glorious One.
Because the blessing of this image of the Great Glorious ,:as
exceedingly great, sometime later the image itself told the
him perform three counter-clockwise circumambulations and vanish, in fact, into the image. Similarly, one Tshenden Zurmo Obumis reputed to have vanished into that same image.
ZURCUNG SHERAP-TRA
[339. 4-359. 6] Among the four "summits", Deshek Gyawopa, or Zur- cung Sherap-tra, like the bell-ringer among the bulls, was the prime successor of the mantra-holder Ukpalungpa. He was born in Yeru, Tsang in 1014 (wood male tiger year) to the accompaniment ofwonder- ful omens. His father was Thakpa Gomcen, who sometimes lived as a mendicant; and his mother was Majo Sherap-kyi. In his seventh year
he learnt to read and write, and in his ninth he learnt to chant the rite of the peaceful and wrathful deities.
Once, in his thirteenth year, while he was sitting in bed reading a book, his betrothed ran to him and said, "The field is flooded! How can you lie there? "
Wearing his new trousers, Zurcungpa crossed the flooding waters762 and he began to divert the water from the house. But she scolded him, saying, "You did not even change out of the clothes which were made by my labour. They're ruined! "
Zurcungpa replied, "If you care more about the cloth than about me, have it! " And he threw the trousers away.
She became angry and said, "This is an insult! " And she ran away to her native place.
Zurcungpa was utterly disillusioned with the world. He took her spindle down from a rafter and shouted after her. He remained sus- pended between hope and doubt, [not knowing] whether to call her back, but [in the end] he handed her the spindle saying, "It is said that a man must have the male wealth, and a woman the female wealth. 763
Take your spindle. " She returned to her own land in despair.
Then, without consulting his father, without taking provisions from his mother, and without seeking the approval of friends/64 Zurcungpa set out, carrying only his wolf-skin coat, to meet Zurpoche. On the he joined company with two nomads from Tanak, who were bring-
mg turquoise and copper, and a native of Shang, who bore armour.
When they arrived there, Zurcungpa had only the wolf-skin coat to
Priest to welcome one GyaWn Silk-yeo At the time of his receptIOnl . fkOh76
Let us see whether or not they are disgusted with the world. Bring each of them some ale-stew and vegetable soup. " The two nomads had no desire to eat, the Shangpa ate a little, but Zurcungpa ate the lot. At this the guru said, "Put aside the wolf-skin coat and the armour. But return the turquoise and copper to their owners! " The nomads went away displeased, saying, "The return of our presents is a sign that he
GyaWn appeared riding on a white cow and weanng awol -s m at.
In the presence of the image of the Great Glorious Heruka he was transformed into white light. The priest, Majo Tonden, actually saW
offer. While the other three offered their grand presents the guru said
",,
636 History: The Distant Lineage of Transmitted Precepts
Zurcung Sherap-tra
will not teach us the doctrine. " Consequently, they abused Zurpoche's
teaching. . I ) "
The master asked Zurcungpa, "What IS your can. f
Zurcungpa feared that it would be to say that he wllaZs0 h . d "I am Just a very sma ur
"I would defile the guru's property," he answered. So it was that he bore the burden of constant austerity.
One day the guru brought a rosewood bowl, which could hold nine handfuls, and said, "Do you have anything to drink? " When offered ale-stew, Zurpoche drank two bowls full.
"Bring more," he said, and continued to drink. Then he said, "Is there anymore? "
"There is about one quart," answered Zurcungpa.
"Now that is not enough. If it were enough, your merit would be the greatest in Tibet. None the less, because of your veneration of me, your merits will still be great. " He gave Zurcungpa three loads of barley and said, "When this barley is finished you will not be without neces- sities. "
Zurcungpa persevered day and night in all of his studies and in meditation. Because he was an emanation the expanse of his discrimin- ative awareness unfolded. But although he had inconceivable spiritual experiences and realisations, Zurcungpa could not even afford the supplies for copying books. At that point, Lharje Zurpoche said, "In the place called Phen-gi Khangon lives a wealthy lady meditator named Como Yumo and her daughter. You should stay with them. "
"I will not be a householder," replied Zurcungpa.
"Do not be narrow-minded," said the master. "I know the divisions between what the Teacher permitted and what he forbade. If you use the resources of those two, you can ask for empowerments, copy books, and receive the entire doctrine, without remainder. They will both acquire merit for it, and you will accomplish your own purpose. That would be best. "
Zurcungpa obeyed and all his wishes were fulfilled. Then, the guru said, "Now, don't stay there anymore. Bring your books and other necessities of worship here gradually and then come to me. "
"But is it right to do so? " asked Zurcungpa. "Those two have been very kind. "
"Do not be small-minded! You will have the power to benefit the world. In this degenerate age you must propagate the teaching of the Buddha and benefit many beings. How could you be more grateful to them? But if you just hide out there, you will succeed in helping neither yourself, nor others. "
Zurcungpa obeyed the command exactly, and the guru's intention was precisely fulfilled.
On one occasion Lharje Zurpoche saw Zurcungpa circumambulate a stl1pa near his residence. His feet were moving one cubit above the ground. The guru realised that he was an emanation and thought, "It is a great wonder. " He was highly delighted.
So it was that when Zurcungpa wandered afar and was tormented by intense heat in a desolate valley, he was offered a refreshing drink
the same clan as the guru, so e sal
(Zurcung) " The nickname stuck. Knowing hIm to be wo. rt? y,
Zur-
·e him study. He developed supreme intellectual pochemad b· d b gathenng up At first because of extreme poverty, he slste y f h But
the torma; scattered by the guru, and makmg ale-stew 0 tIIemf· Ie" . h "Thesoursme 0 a ,
the other students complamed to t h f£ they said, "lingers on his NeIther oes" eo er a
Ie to the guru, d ollect
c
wood. " h th cottage but it is In Zurcungpa's absence he had them searc e derneath a
said that all they found was a full of ale-. stew : v e nothing tattered blanket. At this the guru SaId, Zurcungpa, If you .
to eat, come to my own hearth. "
nor does he give any to hIS splntual brothers.
Therefore, the guru said, "Zurcungpa, today you are to go an
'.
The Lineage ofthe Zur Family 637
638 History: The Distant Lineage a/Transmitted Precepts
[by the local deities]. When he went to meditate on a lonely mountain peak and grew hungry, he was offered food. So he easily achieved whatever his heart desired, and thought, "Now, if I act on behalf of the world, I will succeed. " Lama Zurpoche, too, said, "Now, you must teach. " Zurcungpa taught the Sutra which Gathers All Intentions and could gather at once three hundred disciples displaying the t. ext. 765
At the time the guru praised Zurcungpa greatly, but certam people were somewhat disrespectful and said, "The guru praises his Own nephew too highly! ,,766 Zurpoche knew that they would incur great demerit by slandering a guru. . . .
It so happened that on one occasion the master and all hIS dIscIples went to attend a religious festival767 in a place called Emar Dorjepo. In a gully, there was a vermin-infested bitch and her puppies. Lama Zurpoche only petted the bitch, but Z. urcungpa killed the puppies, and then swallowed the vermm. The others saId, a lunatic as this Zurcungpa has been appointed to explain the doctnne! Even our benefactors will lose their devotion. "
But the guru replied, "Even I knew the dogs were bound for the evil destinies,768 but I could not 'liberate' them. Zurcungpa has done so, and it is a great wonder. "
At that, Zurcungpa adopted a gaze and the dead dogs were turned into offering goddesses. He vomited up the vermin and they flew off into the sky. Zurpoche said, "Now, are you not astonished? "
But they replied, "It is merely an optical illusion. "
Afterwards, they came to the Shang River, which was flooding. By his miraculous powers, Zurpoche threw a skull-cup to the slope ofthe oppo- site bank and said, "I shall entrust my college to whoever retrieves it. " The other three "summits" could not reach it, but Zurcungpa walked across, his feet not touching the water, and retrieved the skull-cup.
Zurpoche urged them to compete in the power of levitation. Among the other teachers and meditators, including the four "summits", there were those who could travel without their feet touching the ground. But Zurcungpa ascended into the air as high as a palmyra tree and was the first to reach the hermitage at Trampa. At that, the other three "summits" began to believe in him and then served the guru completely by obeying each of his commands. .
Once Zurcungpa received a prophecy in three stages concermng a sacred location· but because that yogin who had realised emptiness was free from deliberate grasping, he dismissed it all as delusion. Finally, five sixteen-year-old girls, adorned with bone ornaments, appeared. They were playing q,amaru and dancing. They said to him, "Brother, if you meditate at Riwo Gudti you will accomplish of yourself and ofothers. " Then, they pointed to Trak Gyawo WIth theIr fingers.
[Seeing that] there were nine peaks, nine rivers, and nine Zurcungpa knew it to be a sign ofthe completeness ofthe nine succeSSIve
vehicles. "That Trak Gyawo", he said, "resembles the transcendent
lord, the Great Glorious Heruka, surrounded by the Eight G - 769 Th Ii ·f I . aUf! .
ere 1 . practIse there, accomplishment will come swiftly, and the wIll be great. Moreover, since the nature of samsara is suffenng, . 1 must cut off worldly entanglements. To achieve ihe goal
? f hves, social diversions and fame are useless. In the short-run It IS dIfficult t. o save. face: and ultimately it is worthless to do so. Therefore, I wdl meditate m solitude. " Entrusting his disciples to the care of three men,,770 and commanding them to preserve
the teachmg of the doctrine, he went off to Trak Gyawo. Arnvlng there, entered exclusively into practice. So, the danger of the local dIVmIty s magical power became very great. How- ever, to . such great bulls among accomplished masters both dream and
wakmg state have the same savour, in that they are fictitious. One mght Zurcungpa dreamt that a black man appeared on the peak of Trak grabbed his two feet together, whirled him overhead and threw hIm. He landed in a wide plain in the river valley of Thak. When
awoke he really f? und. himself in the midst of the plain and had to clImb back up. Despite thIS great magical display he remained
undeterred.
Again, ,,:hen a. the size of a young goat filled his hermitage, s reahsation of cause and effect became manifest. He seIzed the scorpIOn by the claws and tore it in half, saying:
Repenting of each non-virtuous sin I tear the evil scorpion asunder! 771 '
In w:/z he mocked those who rely on the words, rather than the meamng. J:Ie thre,: the scorpion away, whereupon all the pieces were transformed Into Buddha and dissolved into space.
On another ? CCaSIOn, when Zurcungpa was invaded by an army of ants, he told hIS attendant to bring a mallet;773 and with it he crushed the ants. The felt disgusted and said, "Think of the sin! "
Zurcungpa replIed, "If you had no faith in that, I'll do it this way. "
And he poppe. d the ants into his mouth and blew out, whereupon all
of them arose m the form of Vajrasattva and departed into the sky. At that, the attendant developed great faith.
By his inconceivable miraculous abilities to kill and resurrect Zur- three local divinities, who were siblings, under oath fi allegiance. They revealed their forms and prostrated at his
Even today. eXIsts a spring which arose where Zurcungpa pIerced with hIS kIla. And when he performed the practice of the I? edItative of the "seals",774 according to the Secret
Maglcal Net, he had a VISIOn who filled the valley ofThak. Because Zurcungpa had attamed the activity field in which appear- ances are exhausted,775 he could transform his body into a storm
The Lineage a/the Zur Family 639
640 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
The Lineage ofthe Zur Family 641
of fire, water, wind, or earth. All appearances radiantly and resplend- ently partook of the nature of Vajrasattva; and the power of his positive realisations increasingly developed. But he realised that, in fact, they were not reliable. Appearances, mind and reality merged into a single savour and he reached the level on which his intentions were exhausted. He could move unobstructed through earth, stone, mountain, and rock; fly like a bird in the sky; and so forth. So it was that Zurcungpa obtained independence with respect to the five elements.
On one occasion he said, "One month from today a worthy disciple will arrive. " Then, later on, a spiritual benefactor,776 named Ba Getong, who was an adherent of the dialectical school, came to a religious festival in Thak. He sent an intelligent student to debate with Zurcungpa.
