Listen dear friend, this nectar is wonderful,
the very essence of goodness;
my body is the Vajra Body, unsullied and indestructible.
the very essence of goodness;
my body is the Vajra Body, unsullied and indestructible.
Tarthang-Tulku-Mother-of-Knowledge-The-Enlightenment-of-Yeshe-Tsogyal
He went immediately to explain the arrangement to the Bon-pos.
They also agreed, saying: "If our nine learned leaders debate, we will surely win.
They have great ability and power, and we will be victorious!
" And so they gathered together to make preparations.
And so the New Year arrived. On the fifteenth day of the lunar month, on the plain surrounding the great hill of bSam-yas, a great throne was prepared for the king. A platform for the Buddhists had been built on the right where the lotsawas, pa~qitas, and Buddhist followers would sit, and a platform for the Bon-pos and their followers was constructed on the left. The ministers and lords sat in the front rows, surrounded by a large and diverse crowd of people from all parts of Tibet.
First the Dharma King spoke: "Listen well! I am lord over all the land of Tibet! I am lord over gods and men, Buddhists and Bon-pos. All are under my dominion. Ministers, queens, and nobles, listen to me.
"The previous kings of Tibet supported both the Buddhists and the Bon-pos. But since then, the Bon have spread. I myself, like my ancestor Srong-btsan sgam-po, would like the Bon and the Dharma to coexist. But they face each other like murderers. I have tried to be equitable, and so have the ministers, but our attempts have been frustrated. Now, we must decide between the tenets of these two systems.
"Whatever the outcome of this debate, all must accept it-he who does not will feel my wrath. I decree that whichever doctrine is deemed false, be it Buddhism or Bon, must be banished; even the sound of its name shall not be heard in the land of Tibet. The losers must accept defeat. The winners will be greatly praised, and all will follow them. "
Nine times the king made this proclamation, and also had it written down to be distributed far and wide. As the crowds of people settled down, waiting for the debate to begin, the Great One from Orgyan, Padmasambhava himself appeared, sitting in space at the height of a palm tree above the ground. "Listen well! " he said. "This is a great op- portunity to distinguish between the tenets of Buddhism and Bon.
129
? ----------------~~~------------~~
"First, there should be a light debate to begin the event; next, for edification and enjoyment, an explanation of religious customs and beliefs. We will turn them inside out! Finally, we will distinguish the systems by debate, examining basic philosophies and purported results. We will clarify what is true and what is false. Skill, wisdom, and psychic power will be tested until the king and ministers are convinced, and signs show themselves. "
When Padmasambhava once again seated himself, his body was the image of Sakyamuni, and the king and ministers were overcome by his majesty and beauty. His speech remained that of Padmasambhava, Lord of PaQqitas, and all the lotsawas and paQqitas took courage. His mind manifested as rDo-rje gro-lod, subduer of the erroneous and heretical, and even the Bon-pos who felt his remarkable power developed impenetrable faith and praised the one from Orgyan.
First, Acarya dPal-dbyangs and the Bon-pos engaged in a contest of wit as a prelude to debate. The Bon-pos won the play; they waved their flags and shouted praise to their gods. They received many great prizes, and when they were given drink by the king himself, the Bon-po min- isters rejoiced.
In his heart the king was not happy, but Santarak~ita said to him: "He who eats first is first to suffer-although the Bon-pos won the game, the Dharma is not lost. Now the nine learned Bon-pos will de- bate the teachings with the great paQqitas. "
The great and wise Vimalamitra rose and spoke:
"All things proceed from a cause.
The Tathagata has explained the cause, and he has explained its cessation also. These were the words of the great ascetic: 'Cease to do evil; perfect what is good. Completely train your own mind. ' "
As Vimalamitra spoke, he rose in space and sat cross-legged in a halo of light. Three times he snapped his fingers, and the nine learned Bon-pos were struck dumb and could give no answer.
130
? ----------------~~~--------------~
In a like manner, the twenty-five scholars from India and the 108 lotsawas each explained their understanding of the scriptures with acute perception. They held their ground in debate and manifested their realizations and the truth of their teachings. Again, the Bon-pos were tongue-tied. They could not manifest any signs of truth. They just sat there, dull and befuddled.
The Bon ministers countered: "Yes, you have won the debate, but the contest of magic is still to come. The Bon-pos will make such magic that all Tibetans, gods and men alike, will be filled with wonder! We will present sweet and wonderful discourses-we will amaze you all! We will manifest gifts to delight you! We will transfix you all! We will show such signs of realization, such power, such dark mantric abilities, that you will quickly withdraw! "
The Bon-pos burned inside and spoke harsh words born of their wrath: "These Indian barbarians are so ignorant that they create a dense obscuring cloud which hurt our Bon svastika gods. We will not debate the paQQitas now. After we restore our power, we will kill them. For now, we will debate only with the lotsawas, not with foreigners. "
The Dharma King, after offering each of the great paQQitas a measure of gold dust and a beautiful silk robe, praised all of them highly. Buddhist banners waved, music played, and Rowers fell from the sky. Deities appeared high in the air singing with joy. Thoroughly amazed, the Tibetan people developed such great faith in the Dharma that they were moved to tears.
But on the Bon side, hail fell like stones. "The gods have spoken! " they said, and the Bon ministers had to bow to the Dharma. They showed deference to the paQQitas and apologized to the lotsawas. Maiijusri manifested to the Dharma King, who now knew in his heart what was Dharma and what was not. At once most of the Tibetans cried out: "The Dharma has won! The Dharma is great and wonderful! Now all will follow the Dharma! "
The Dharma King spoke: "Now the lotsawas and Bon-pos must de- bate with each other. " The great lotsawa Vairotsana debated with the
131
? ~-~-------------------~~------------------~~
Bon-po Thang-nag, and Nam-mkha'i snying-po debated with sTong- rgyus. Each lotsawa debated with a Bon-po, but none of the Bon-pos were a match for the lotsawas. After each contest, the Dharma King gave the winner a white 'truth' stone and the loser a black stone.
When Vairotsana had accumulated nine hundred white stones, and Thang-nag one thousand and five black ones, all the lotsawas waved flags of victory and cheered. When sNubs Nam-mkha'i snying-po had won three thousand white stones, and sTong-rgyus thirty thousand black ones, again the lotsawas waved their flags. Even mTsho-rgyal and the Bon queen Cog-ro-bza' debated. mTsho-rgyal won, for the Bon lady was unable even to speak. But we will explain the miraculous things
that occurred later.
So the 120 lotsawas won, and the nine learned Bon leaders lost. Completely tongue-tied, they could not even reply. Their mouths became twisted, their faces perspired, and their knees shook, but words would not come.
Then the time came for the contest of signs of realization. Vairotsana held all three realms in the palm of his hand; Nam-mkha'i snying-po rode the rays of the sun and manifested many fine and wondrous deeds. Sangs-rgyas ye-shes drew demons together on the tip of a dagger and killed them by impalement. Then he thrust the dagger into a rock. rDo-rje bdud-'joms flew as fast as the wind and circled all four conti- nents in a moment. To prove he had done it, he gave the king seven types of stone found only at the ends of the earth.
rGyal-ba mchog-dbyangs manifested Hayagriva on the crown of his head-Hayagriva then neighed three times, filling all the three thou- sand realms with the sound. Beings of the three realms, the heaven realms and others, were instantly subdued. As a sign of proof, he offered the nine-spoked golden wheel of Brahma.
rGyal-ba'i blo-gros walked upon water. lDan-ma rtse-mang com- pletely subdued the Bon-pos by his exposition of the Dharma. He could present all the translations of the Buddha's teachings from memory; he even was able to show the very vowels and consonants in space.
132
? ----------------~~~--------------
sKa-ba dPal-brtsegs brought demons under his control, and '0-bran gzhon-nu moved underwater like a fish. Jiianakumara removed nectar from rocks, and rMa Rin-chen-mchog ate rocks as if they were bread. dPal-gyi rdo-rje moved freely back and forth through stone. Sog-po lha-dpal forced the tigress of the south to come to him, merely by using
his iron hook mudra, command mantra, and meditative concentration.
Dran-pa nam-mkha' called the wild ox from the far north, and Cog-ro Klu'i rgyal-mtshan invited the Lords of the Three Families to appear in the sky. Lang-gro dKon-mchog 'byung-ldan brought down thirteen thunderbolts at one time, and directed them where he chose, like arrows. Khye'u-chung attracted qakinis to him and held them by the power of his meditation. rGyal-mo gYu-sgra snying-po subdued everyone by means of grammar and logic. Ting-nge-'dzin rtogs-sa-pa outshone all others with many poetic translations. rGyal-ba byang- chub sat cross-legged in the sky, and Ting-nge-'dzin bzang-po flew through the air, and was able to see four continents and more at one
time.
The twenty-five great siddhas from mChims-phu, the one hundred powerful psychic ones from Yer-pa, the thirty mantric practitioners from Shel-brag, and the fifty-five with understanding from Yang rdzong, as well as others, each showed different signs of realization such as these. They turned fire into water, and water back again into fire. They moved in the sky and penetrated rocks and mountains. They stayed afloat on water, made many things into few, and few things into many-these are just some of the marvelous deeds they performed.
The Tibetans couldn't help but have faith in the Dharma. And the Bon-pos couldn't help but give in. The Bon ministers were speechless.
The culmination came when the Lady mTsho-rgyal debated with the Bon-pos, and the Bon-pos lost. At that point, they cast murderous spells, demonic black magic spells, using weasels and dog meat, butter lamps and blood. They cast nine such evil mantric spells, and nine young monks suddenly died. But with mTsho-rgyal's blessing, the monks all came back to life. In fact, the nine she saved became even sharper and wiser, so the Bon-pos were thoroughly confounded. Mak-
133
? ----------------~~-----------------
ing the great and powerful Finger-pointing Mudra at the nine men, mTsho-rgyal said PHAT nine times, and they fell down unconscious. Then she said HUM nine times, and again they rose up. They gained such control over the five elements that they could sit in the sky in the lotus position, and do other wondrous things.
She brought forth flames of different colors from each of the five finger tips of her right hand, each colored flame spinning like a wheel. The Bon-pos were terrified. Five different colored streams of water poured forth from the five fingers of her left hand and flowed together into a lake. She cut the great boulders at mChims-phu with her hand as if they were butter and made the rocks into different shapes. Such wonderful things mTsho-rgyal did! She even made twenty-five mani- festations of herself, each performing a different extraordinary feat.
The Bon-pos said: "We will not associate with this woman; any Tibetan of breeding considers her beneath contempt. " And the next day, when nine powerful men were struck down at once, the Bon-pos threatened to turn bSam-yas into dust. They climbed the hill of Has-po-ri and threw thunderbolts down upon the temple. But
mTsho-rgyal caught them on the tip of her finger, and threw them all to 'Om-bu, the land of the Bon, where they caused great devastation.
The Bon hurled thirteen more thunderbolts at bSam-yas, but mTsho-rgyal sent them all back to fall upon the Bon-pos. Thus, the Bon lost both the competition and their power. By rights, they should have been banished, but sTag-ra and Glu-gong and the others were such powerful ministers that they could not be eliminated so easily. They went to 'Om-bu where they threatened to destroy all Tibet by casting many powerful spells-the nine cycles of the Power Goddess, the nine cycles of Great Deeds, as well as fire spells, water spells, earth and air spells.
The Dharma King asked the lotsawas and paQqitas for advice on what means were available to control the Bon-pos. But in reference to this, Padmasambhava merely told mTsho-rgyal: "Lady, you protect the king. " mTsho-rgyal meditated at the highest gallery of bSam-yas, opening and practicing the Vajrakila mandala. For seven days she prac-
134
? ----------------~~~---------------
ticed, beholding large numbers of deities and developing the signs of great power.
She then caused the force of the Bon-po spells to tum upon itself so that the Bon gods of vengeance attacked their own supporters, in one stroke killing sTag-ra, Klu-gong, and five other Bon ministers who despised the Dharma. O f the nine most powerful Bon-pos, eight were now dead; only one remained. The ranks of Bon-pos were decimated and their power weakened.
Immediately the Dharma King called all the Bon-pos together at bSam-yas and made certain laws concerning them. Padmasambhava advised him: "The Inner Bon are in harmony with the Dharma, so let them be. But these perverse Bon are no different from the most evil and wrong-minded heretics. You cannot kill them, for if you do, peo- ple will hear of it-but you can send them out of the country. "
The Dharma King did as the Guru advised, treating the Inner and Outer Bon differently. The Outer Bon texts he burned in a fire, but the books and such of the Inner Bon he treated as treasures, putting them away for safekeeping. The Outer Bon were banished to Mongolia, the country of the monkey-faced men, while the Inner Bon were sent to Zhang-zhung and the border countries surrounding Tibet.
Under laws instituted later, it was decreed that those under the sovereignty of the Dharma King (including ministers, nobility, Ti- betans, and non-Tibetans) should follow the rule of the Dharma and not that of the Bon. The king declared:
"The Tibetan realm from China to Khri-sgo will be filled with the Buddhist doctrine, with the Sangha, and with adepts who will teach the Dharma. "
To celebrate this decree, the king had the great Dharma bell rung at bSam-yas. The Dharma conch shell was blown, Dharma flags waved, and the Dharma throne was made ready. The Great One from Orgyan, Padmasambhava, along with the most learned Zahori Bodhisattva S:intarak~ita, and the wise Kasmiri Vimalamitra, sat on great golden thrones. The twenty-one scholars from India and the great lots:iwas
135
? ----------------~~~------------~
Vairotsana and Nam-mkha'i snying-po sat on seats formed of nine brocade pillows piled one upon another. The other lotsawas were given seats formed of two or three cushions.
The king offered everyone many gifts of gold and other precious substances. Each of the great Indian masters received nine bolts of brocade, three gold ingots, three measures of powdered gold, and a mountain of other gifts. The three masters from Orgyan, Zahor, and Ka5mir were given mandalas of gold and turquoise, bolts of fine silk, and innumerable other wonderful things. Then, as a special request, the king urged these three masters to remain in Tibet and spread the scriptures of both Siitra and Mantra throughout the land. All of the pa~qitas were most pleased at this request, and exclaimed: "Wonderful! Wonderful! " At this time Santarak~ita,Padmasambhava, and Vimalamitra each promised to remain in Tibet and give Dharma
teachings for as long as the king wished.
Training then began at bSam-yas for seven thousand scholar monks and at mChims-phu for nine hundred practitioners. One thousand students studied at the scholastic center of Khra-'brug and one hundred at the practice center of Yang rdzong; three thousand studied at the scholarly center of lHa-sa and five hundred at the practice center of Yer-pa. In one year's time, the students at the three main Dharma centers at lHa-sa, bSam-yas, and Khra-'brug, as well as at the six sec- ondary centers, had finished the course of instruction.
Many other Dharma centers were now built: at Glang-thang in Khams, Rab-gang in Me-nyag, rGyal-tham in Jang, Bya-tshang in sMar, and all through the four eastern valleys and the six eastern mountains. mDong-chu was built in sPo-bo, Rong-lam in Bar-lam, Bu-chu in Kong-po, and mChims-yul and Dvags-lung in Dvags-po; temples were erected in the four central regions: Jo-mo nang sTag-gdan in gTsang, at I. . a-phyi, gTsang and gTsang-rong, in mNga'-ris-man, and so forth. So the Dharma spread widely throughout Tibet.
136
? --------------~~---------------
How the Lady Ye-shes mTsho-rgyal Continued to Protect the Sangha and Benefit Beings
The doctrine of the Buddha, the community of the Sangha, cantric study centers, and the practice of the Dharma spread without friction throughout Tibet. The learned masters from India, China, Nepal, and ocher lands were filled with satisfaction. Showered with kindness and agreat deal ofgold, they chen returned to their respective homes.
But Santarak~ica, Padmasambhava, and Vimalamicra remained co turn the Wheel of the Siicra and Mantra Dharma, bringing joy co the heart and mirid of the great Dharma King. The king's power and might reached unsurpassed heights. The perverse Bon were conquered, and the king's enemies in all four directions were subdued-all he wished was accomplished, even his slightest whim. So King Khri- srong lde'u-bcsan gave over control of the country co his son Mu-ne bcsan-po.
Not the lease hint of emotional turmoil remained co trouble the Dharma King, not the lease bit of pain or sickness. He went from bliss to bliss. Then, one evening, he called together his wives and sons, nobles and ministers-of-state, and gave them various instructions. At midnight he performed a ceremony in the temple and made offerings of flowers. Early the next morning he attained high spiritual realization, and at dawn he merged with a ray of light and was absorbed into the heart of Mafijusri, never co be seen again.
Some time Iacer the new king, Mu-ne bcsan-po, was poisoned by one of his father's wives, and another of Khri-srong lde'u-bcsan's sons, Mu-khri bcsan-po, cook the throne co become ruler over Tibet.
At chat time, the queens still resented the Dharma, and were at- tempting to create divisions between the two religious communities by encouraging competition and contention. But the Lady mTsho- rgyal, using all her compassion and skillful means, eventually recon- ciled them so chat such disorder did not arise again.
137
? ----------------~~--------------~
Near bSam-yas, at Has-po-ri, lived the Inner Bon queen known as Cog-ro-bza' or Bon-mo-mtsho. She had been acquainted with mTsho-rgyal since they were both quite young, but, inspired by jealousy, she now gave mTsho-rgyal some nectar containing poison. Though mTsho-rgyal knew this, she took the drink anyway, saying to Cog-ro-bza':
"KyeMa!
Listen dear friend, this nectar is wonderful,
the very essence of goodness;
my body is the Vajra Body, unsullied and indestructible. It has transmuted this nectar
into the wondrous essence of immortality.
Though this purpose of yours has not been fulfilled,
I have turned it to great fulfillment.
"Because I have not developed jealousy,
I have cleared away the discord
between the Buddhists and Bon-pos.
You should pray to the gods and yidams,
develop pure intentions toward spiritual brothers and sisters, feel compassion toward the helpless,
and humble devotion toward the teacher. "
Then mTsho-rgyal's body became filled with many rainbows; shim- mering and moving lights extended even to the tips of her hair: She became of the Vajra essence.
Cog-ro-bza' was very much ashamed; she would not stay anywhere dose by and left for another country. The Tibetan queens were very upset at this incident and banished mTsho-rgyal to gTsang.
First mTsho-rgyal went to Kha-rag gangs where about three hun- dred disciples gathered to practice with her. (Later this place became known as the Kha-rag of the Lady. ) Thirty-nine of these disciples de- veloped remarkable magic powers and signs of realization; twenty became great teachers; seven became equal to mTsho-rgyal herself; and they all benefitted beings in immeasurable ways.
138
? --------------~~~-------------~
Then mTsho-rgyal practiced at Jo-mo nang, named in her honor. There, one thousand and one nuns gathered; one hundred became great teachers able to help others; five hundred developed remarkable powers; and seven became equal to mTsho-rgyal herself.
When mTsho-rgyal practiced the secret teachings at 'Ug-pa-lung, her fame spread throughout gTsang, and one thousand male and thirteen hundred female practitioners came to be near her. They all engaged in the highest Mantrayana teachings, uniting the maturation and liberation practices. Not one of them ever returned again to samsara. mTsho-rgyal gave her special lineage practices to eighty spe- cial siddhas and to seven practitioners of particularly pure karma so that her oral lineage spread widely. As her teachings became well-estab- lished at Jo-mo nang, many aspirants appeared at 'Ug-pa-lung, and many siddhas appeared at Kha-rag and Jo-mo nang.
When mTsho-rgyal went next to Sham-po gangs, seven bandits raped her and stole her possessions. But as they were joining with her, she sang them this song of the FourJoys:
"NAMO GURU PADMA SIDDHI HRi!
Today, my sons, you meet with me, the Great Mother-
this is due to the power of merit gained before.
Now is the time-the conditions are right for the Four Empowerments. Listen, my sons, and be attentive;
I will move with you through the FourJoys.
"Gazing upon the mandala of the Mother,
you will dearly see the feeling of desire arising,
and gain confidence from the Vase Empowerment.
Explore the pure fact of your own desire-
merge inseparably with the deities of the Developing Stage. Turning all into deities and yidams,
contemplate your desire mind as the deities' manifestation, my sons.
"Join with the space of the Mother's mandala; Great Bliss arises from that root.
Pacify the angry mind; the loving mind replaces it, and power is gained from the Secret Empowerment.
139
? ----------------~~~--------------~
Explore the pure fact of joy-
merge joy with breath and let them circulate a little. There is no turning back from the Mahamudra. Explore the bliss of Mahamudra, my sons.
'Join with the expanse of the Mother's Great Bliss. Let your vigor take on a life of its own;
you and I will merge hearts and minds,
and gain blessing from the Wisdom Empowerment. Guard unwavering the pure fact ofbliss-
merge with the Great Bliss which is openness.
There is no turning back from indestructible bliss and openness. Explore the Bliss ofthe SupremeJoy, my sons.
'Join with the root of the Mother's Bliss-
make the 'two' of duality the 'one' of enlightened mind.
Stop the appearance of self and others,
and gain Pristine Awareness from the Creativity Empowerment. Guard its spontaneity within the world of appearance.
Merge masterful desire with openness,
and there is no turning back from the Great Perfection.
Then explore transcending the Joy of Spontaneity, my sons.
"These instructions are especially sublime.
Thus wondrous liberation comes from our meeting, and instantly, with lightning speed,
you receive the Four Empowerments,
and reach maturity by realizing the FourJoys. "
During this song, the seven bandits achieved maturation and liber- ation. They developed power over their patterning and energy, and became great masters of the Four Joys. Without abandoning their bodies, the seven bandit siddhas went to the land of Orgyan and gave great aid to innumerable sentient beings.
Having trained these seven masters, mTsho-rgyal returned to Nepal where the patrons from her previous visit as well as the Nepali king, Ji-la-ji-pa, again offered her their support. In return, she gave them
140
? ----------------~~~--------------
many of the Guru's instructions on meditation. While she was there, she met a fourtc:c:n-year-old girl whose father was called Bha-da-na-na and whose mother was called Na-gi-ni. The child was a qakini in human form, and mTsho-rgyal took her with her. She called the girl Kalasiddhi, for in the future, this girl would gain great mantric attainment and become a great siddha of the Ming-du-sku'i qakini lineage.
After leaving Kho-shod, mTsho-rgyal travelled slowly through many lands. For one whole year, she opened the mandala of the Lama's secret teachings with Kalasiddhi, Blo-gros-skyid, bDe-chen-mo, gSal-bkra, and others of her students. She gave them many teachings, and they attained siddhi. She established the Dharma in far away borderlands where it had not yet spread, gathering as many as two hundred Dharma followers about her at one time and teaching them the nature of cause and effect.
Finally, the Dharma King Mu-khri btsan-po sent thrc:c: of his nobles to invite the lady mTsho-rgyal to return. So mTsho-rgyal appointed the lady Blo-gros-skyid to act as her regent while she was absent, and then returned to Tibet with thirty of her students, including Kalasiddhi. On the way, she visited Kha-rag, Jo-mo nang, and 'Ug- pa-lung, receiving offerings and homage from many people.
Upon her arrival at bSam-yas, the king held a great welcoming ceremony for her and presented her with many gifts. He led her to the topmost gallery of bSam-yas where the ministers-of-state, nobles, and lotsawas grc:c:ted her with joy as great as if she had returned from the dead.
But while mTsho-rgyal was away, the great and learned Santarak~ita had died. She at once went to his tomb and offered seven handfuls of gold, nine silken scarves, and many mandalas. There she expressed her loss, lamenting with this song:
"Kye Ma Kye Hud!
Great and Holy Teacher!
Though the sky is vast and filled with many stars,
141
? ----------------~----------------~
if the sun's seven fire horses are absent, who will light up the darkness?
"Who will brighten the dark land ofTibet
now that the stainless crystal mandala is gone? Without the protection of your compassionate rays, who will lead us, who are like the blind?
"Though we may possess a king's treasure of jewels, if the wish-fulfilling gem is gone,
who will give us what we need and desire?
Whose shining love will clear away the suffering
in this Tibetan land of hungry ghosts?
Precious Wish-granting Gem, where have you gone?
"Dear Treasure, who satisfied all our needs and desires,
if you do not continue to help us, who will?
We are as cripples, unable even to stand; who can help us? Though the three thousand worlds be filled with powerful lords, if there is no one to turn the Wheel of the Dharma,
who will protect us?
Where can we now go for refuge in barbarous Tibet?
"Wheel-turner, Most Victorious One, Lord, where have you gone? If you do not continue to protect us with the law of the Dharma, in whom can we take refuge, we who are stupid and mindless? Though this world has many siddhas and learned ones,
without you, Great Master,
how can we grasp the teachings?
Most excellent successor of the Buddhas, where have you gone? If you do not continue to protect us with Siitra and Mantra, who is left to help us,
we who are like corpses, without movement or understanding?
"Kye Ma Kye Hud!
The Most Excellent One, Master of Peace,
Lord of Bodhisattvas, Leader of Gods, Protector!
By your compassion, I and other beings in many places entered the door of the teachings.
142
? -----------------~-----------------
By the Dharma of both the Siitra and Mantra,
we obtained the maturation and liberation practices and bliss. By the four means of conversion, we are able to benefit beings.
"Father, when I have perfected all great acts of the Buddha-sons, may I become a leader of teachers and teachings!
May the victory banner of the teaching be raised
and never lowered!
May all embodied beings cross the ocean of samsara
on the ship of this teaching!
And may I attain realization and become the teacher of beings! "
When mTsho-rgyal had finished, a song was heard coming from the top of the stiipa, though no one could be seen:
"oM A HOM!
All your actions are the deeds
of the Buddhas of the three times;
your charismatic deeds increase boundlessly, like space. The Buddha's teaching, root and branch,
fills all the ten directions,
for you are the Great Mother of the Jinas,
the Protectress, filling the three times
with your auspicious deeds. "
All who had gathered with mTsho-rgyal at the tomb heard these words and rejoiced.
For a while, mTsho-rgyal stayed at the temple of the great Dharma King, and then she went to mChims-phu where she remained insep- arable from Guru Rinpoche for eleven years. Together they promul- gated the teachings, both philosophy and practice, and Guru Rinpoche revealed all his secret heart treasures, philosophy, and technical in- structions to his lady. It was truly as if the contents of one vessel had been completely emptied into another, leaving nothing behind.
At this time, Guru Rinpoche said to her: "Soon the time will come for me to go to rNga-yab :Oakini Island. Before I go, we must fill Tibet with great, profound, and inexhaustible Dharma treasures. For this, I
143
? ~-~-------------------~~------------------~s
need a girl named Siddhi, who is of the lineage of the Conch Shell l)akinis, to be my assistant in esoteric mantric practices. Thus I will spread many profound instructions not heard of in any other esoteric teaching and conceal many treasures for the future. "
As mTsho-rgyallater explained: "I did as instructed by the Guru and sent the <Jakini Siddhi to him. Together they opened the mandala of the Bla-ma dgongs-pa 'dus-pa. They gave maturing and liberating practices to the King Mu-khri btsan-po, who ever afterwards guarded and sup- ported the Dharma teachings in the tradition begun by his ancestors. "
Guru Rinpoche instructed his students in all the many teachings to be hidden as gter-ma, after first giving them instructions in the proper way of transcribing the treasures. He gave Nam-mkha'i snying-po instructions in rapid writing and gave Acarya dPal-dbyangs instruc- tions in beauty of style. To lDan-ma rtse-mang he gave instructions in three different types of rapid and stylish writing; he also gave instruc- tions on the flowing writing to sKa-ba dPal-brtsegs. To Cog-ro rGyal- mtshan, he taught cleanness of style. He taught grammar, logic, and philosophy to gYu-sgra snying-po; to the brilliant Vairotsana he taught everything. To mTsho-rgyal he taught the siddhi of Never Forgetting.
His twenty-five disciples and many apprentices acted as scribes, using many different languages and styles. Some used Sanskrit, some l)akini writing, some Nepali. Others wrote in fire, water, or wind letters. Some used Tibetan letters of various types: dBu-chen and dBu-med, lCags- kyu long and short style, Bon letters, 'Bru and 'Bru-tsha scripts; Khong-seng or Khyi-nyal, rKang-ring or rKang-thung; some wrote using different forms of shads, and so forth.
Padmasambhava wrote down the cycle of the ten million Thugs- sgrub-skor practices, and the ten thousand cycles of the sNying-thig, root text, explanations, and technical instructions, extensive and pro- found. Though large in number, these teachings were pithy, concise, and easily understood, great blessings ofbliss. Even the short texts were profound, clear, and complete, providing whatever was needed and desired. Then, in order to establish confidence in his gter-ma, he es- tablished a system of sequential proofs of their validity. He set forth
144
? --------------~~----------------
the kha-byang, yang-byang, snying-byang, lung-byang, and so forth, and sealed them for the future.
The Guru and his consort, having become of one heart and mind, benefitted beings by their great wisdom and means. Having become one in the charismatic communication of speech, they revealed the expanse of Siitra and Mantra teachings. Having become one in the magical manifestation of body, they demonstrated power over all the world of appearance. Having become one in enlightened wisdom qualities, they benefitted beings and the Doctrine. Having become one in enlightened activity, they manifested power over the four aspects of action. As the absolute, the All-good and the Lotus-born, the Yab and Yum of the essence of bliss, they filled the sky with the dance of their body, speech, heart, quality, and action.
Then, from mChims-phu they gradually passed through the outer reaches of Tibet, giving blessings and teachings. First they visited the three Tiger Caves. When they came to sPa-gro Tiger Cave of Bhutan, Guru Rinpoche prepared all his individual treasures and gave the lung-byang, predictions concerning their future discovery. He said: "Whoever practices here, because it is my heart place, will receive the Mahamudra siddhis. At the same time that I, the Guru, was abiding in the Akani~tha heaven, these representations of my body, speech, and mind appeared spontaneously-a statue of rDo-rje gro-lod, a stiipa, the six-syllable mantra, and other things. " He then recited prayers and gave blessings.
When they went to 'On-phu Tiger Cave of Tibet, Guru Rinpoche designated all the gter-ma masters, future gter-ma repositories, and gave the snying-byang, the predictions concerning the entrusting of the treasures. He said: "Whoever practices here, because it is my body place, will develop the siddhi of longevity. At the same time that I was born on the lake ofDhanako~a, these symbols of my body, speech, and mind appeared spontaneously-the three-syllable mantra, the Ra-lu-'bru-dpu, stiipas, and vajras. " He then recited prayers and gave blessings.
When they went to the Tiger Cave of Khams, Guru Rinpoche concealed many individual treasures and proclaimed the oaths, vows,
145
? ~----------------~~--------------~
and oral instructions to be used by future gter-ma masters, as well as the kha-byang, the predictions concerning their revelation. He said: "Whoever practices here, because it is my speech place, will be blessed with great renown. Even those who break their vows, if they practice here, can develop both the ordinary and great siddhis. At the same time that I sat upon the Vajra Throne and turned the Wheel of the Dharma, subduing demons and those with wrong views, there spontaneously appeared these representatives of the Three Kayas-the six-syllable man- tra, the three-letter mantra, the twelve, and so forth. " He then recited prayers and gave blessings.
In like manner, they visited many other places, the details of which can be found in such other texts as the Life Story of Padmasambhava.
Finally the Guru and his consort returned to the great temple of the king in the land of Tibet and stayed within its lofty citadel. The king, his ministers, the queens and the nobility, and all the lotsawas gathered before Padmasambhava, receiving instructions and prophecies. Soon, on the tenth day of the month of the monkey, in the year of the monkey, Guru Rinpoche would ride upon the sun's rays to the Isle of rNga-yab in the Southwest. But mTsho-rgyal was yet to remain in order to benefit beings-to give the teachings of the Dharma's six di- visions to the king and his people, and to conceal the Guru's treasures in all the designated places.
The Dharma King and his retinue accompanied Guru Rinpoche to Gung-thang la-thog. Then, after asking for and receiving many pre- dictions and instructions, they sadly turned back.
But not the Lady mTsho-rgyal, who later explained how she contin- ued on with Padmasambhava, riding upon the sun's rays to Tsha-shod rong on the border between Tibet and Nepal. There they descended into the secret cave of Tsha-shod where they remained for seventy- three days, opening the mandala of the all-extensive Great Perfection Ati teachings and giving initiation.
However, the ceremony proved inauspicious (due to an assistant who harbored various doubts), causing the Guru to declare: "For now,
146
? -----------------~----------------~
the esoteric teachings will spread in this land ofTibet, but eventually a time will come when the Mahayana . Ati teachings will be held in question, when only a few will be liberated by the oral transmission or by the hidden treasure transmission. The benefit of these teachings for beings will be limited. According to the way in which events are linked, though there will be the outer appearance of the esoteric teachings, their power will have little influence. Sometimes these teachings will spread, but at other times swiftly decline. Such is the unhappy effect of this ceremony.
"Yet to you, mTsho-rgyal, I will give my complete teachings, com- prehensively and withholding nothing. This is not the ordinary path -this is the doctrine which causes the dualistic mind to disappear. Now this teaching will come to you in full measure.
"If you had received these teachings before, you would not have sown the seeds of your previous acts, and as a result, there could have been no harvest of their good fruits. For a great length of time, the world would not have seen these teachings.
"With this teaching there are no good or evil actions. There are no higher or lower births. There is no lifetime, no youth or old age. There are no sharp or dull senses-for this teaching gives passage into an expanse where all entities have ceased. If I had given this teaching to you as you were before, certain benefits would not have ensued for embodied beings. It would have been difficult to teach them the most profound treasures of the Buddha's doctrine. And why is this? Because this teaching instantly transforms the transitory physical body.
"Now meditate continuously until you are not for an instant sep- arate from the Chos-nyid mngon-sum, the first of the Ati realiza- tions. Though you will remain in possession of a physical body, you will quickly become a Buddha.
"From here, you will go to Zab-bu and Ti-sgro and other places, continuing to practice for three years. After three years, you will obtain the next higher Ati realization, the: Nyams-snang-gong. After six years, you will achieve the: Rig-pa-tshad, the: third of the: . Ati realizations.
147
? ~-~------------------~~------------------~~
"At this time, you will prepare all the gter and work to benefit others by giving specific and technical teachings. You will go to lHo-brag in mKhar-chu to practice, where you will manifest extraordinary feats and miraculous physical transformations, such as making parts of your body invisible. For approximately two hundred years, you will retain a physical body and benefit beings. Then you will meet me at rNga-yab l)akini Island in the Great Pristine Awareness. You will benefit beings without discrimination and become a Buddha. "
After making this prediction, Padmasambhava rose upon a ray of light and prepared to leave. mTsho-rgyal, weeping, bowed before her teacher and cried desperately:
"Kye Ma Kyi Hud! Orgyan Lord! Now you're here, now you're gone. Must there be this birth and death? How can birth and death be changed?
"Kye Ma Kyi Hud! Orgyan Lord!
For a time we were inseparable:
Now, suddenly we part.
Must there be this meeting and parting?
Is there no way for friends to remain together?
"Kye Ma Kyi Hud! Orgyan Lord!
For a time all Tibet was filled with your blessings; now only your footprints remain.
And so the New Year arrived. On the fifteenth day of the lunar month, on the plain surrounding the great hill of bSam-yas, a great throne was prepared for the king. A platform for the Buddhists had been built on the right where the lotsawas, pa~qitas, and Buddhist followers would sit, and a platform for the Bon-pos and their followers was constructed on the left. The ministers and lords sat in the front rows, surrounded by a large and diverse crowd of people from all parts of Tibet.
First the Dharma King spoke: "Listen well! I am lord over all the land of Tibet! I am lord over gods and men, Buddhists and Bon-pos. All are under my dominion. Ministers, queens, and nobles, listen to me.
"The previous kings of Tibet supported both the Buddhists and the Bon-pos. But since then, the Bon have spread. I myself, like my ancestor Srong-btsan sgam-po, would like the Bon and the Dharma to coexist. But they face each other like murderers. I have tried to be equitable, and so have the ministers, but our attempts have been frustrated. Now, we must decide between the tenets of these two systems.
"Whatever the outcome of this debate, all must accept it-he who does not will feel my wrath. I decree that whichever doctrine is deemed false, be it Buddhism or Bon, must be banished; even the sound of its name shall not be heard in the land of Tibet. The losers must accept defeat. The winners will be greatly praised, and all will follow them. "
Nine times the king made this proclamation, and also had it written down to be distributed far and wide. As the crowds of people settled down, waiting for the debate to begin, the Great One from Orgyan, Padmasambhava himself appeared, sitting in space at the height of a palm tree above the ground. "Listen well! " he said. "This is a great op- portunity to distinguish between the tenets of Buddhism and Bon.
129
? ----------------~~~------------~~
"First, there should be a light debate to begin the event; next, for edification and enjoyment, an explanation of religious customs and beliefs. We will turn them inside out! Finally, we will distinguish the systems by debate, examining basic philosophies and purported results. We will clarify what is true and what is false. Skill, wisdom, and psychic power will be tested until the king and ministers are convinced, and signs show themselves. "
When Padmasambhava once again seated himself, his body was the image of Sakyamuni, and the king and ministers were overcome by his majesty and beauty. His speech remained that of Padmasambhava, Lord of PaQqitas, and all the lotsawas and paQqitas took courage. His mind manifested as rDo-rje gro-lod, subduer of the erroneous and heretical, and even the Bon-pos who felt his remarkable power developed impenetrable faith and praised the one from Orgyan.
First, Acarya dPal-dbyangs and the Bon-pos engaged in a contest of wit as a prelude to debate. The Bon-pos won the play; they waved their flags and shouted praise to their gods. They received many great prizes, and when they were given drink by the king himself, the Bon-po min- isters rejoiced.
In his heart the king was not happy, but Santarak~ita said to him: "He who eats first is first to suffer-although the Bon-pos won the game, the Dharma is not lost. Now the nine learned Bon-pos will de- bate the teachings with the great paQqitas. "
The great and wise Vimalamitra rose and spoke:
"All things proceed from a cause.
The Tathagata has explained the cause, and he has explained its cessation also. These were the words of the great ascetic: 'Cease to do evil; perfect what is good. Completely train your own mind. ' "
As Vimalamitra spoke, he rose in space and sat cross-legged in a halo of light. Three times he snapped his fingers, and the nine learned Bon-pos were struck dumb and could give no answer.
130
? ----------------~~~--------------~
In a like manner, the twenty-five scholars from India and the 108 lotsawas each explained their understanding of the scriptures with acute perception. They held their ground in debate and manifested their realizations and the truth of their teachings. Again, the Bon-pos were tongue-tied. They could not manifest any signs of truth. They just sat there, dull and befuddled.
The Bon ministers countered: "Yes, you have won the debate, but the contest of magic is still to come. The Bon-pos will make such magic that all Tibetans, gods and men alike, will be filled with wonder! We will present sweet and wonderful discourses-we will amaze you all! We will manifest gifts to delight you! We will transfix you all! We will show such signs of realization, such power, such dark mantric abilities, that you will quickly withdraw! "
The Bon-pos burned inside and spoke harsh words born of their wrath: "These Indian barbarians are so ignorant that they create a dense obscuring cloud which hurt our Bon svastika gods. We will not debate the paQQitas now. After we restore our power, we will kill them. For now, we will debate only with the lotsawas, not with foreigners. "
The Dharma King, after offering each of the great paQQitas a measure of gold dust and a beautiful silk robe, praised all of them highly. Buddhist banners waved, music played, and Rowers fell from the sky. Deities appeared high in the air singing with joy. Thoroughly amazed, the Tibetan people developed such great faith in the Dharma that they were moved to tears.
But on the Bon side, hail fell like stones. "The gods have spoken! " they said, and the Bon ministers had to bow to the Dharma. They showed deference to the paQQitas and apologized to the lotsawas. Maiijusri manifested to the Dharma King, who now knew in his heart what was Dharma and what was not. At once most of the Tibetans cried out: "The Dharma has won! The Dharma is great and wonderful! Now all will follow the Dharma! "
The Dharma King spoke: "Now the lotsawas and Bon-pos must de- bate with each other. " The great lotsawa Vairotsana debated with the
131
? ~-~-------------------~~------------------~~
Bon-po Thang-nag, and Nam-mkha'i snying-po debated with sTong- rgyus. Each lotsawa debated with a Bon-po, but none of the Bon-pos were a match for the lotsawas. After each contest, the Dharma King gave the winner a white 'truth' stone and the loser a black stone.
When Vairotsana had accumulated nine hundred white stones, and Thang-nag one thousand and five black ones, all the lotsawas waved flags of victory and cheered. When sNubs Nam-mkha'i snying-po had won three thousand white stones, and sTong-rgyus thirty thousand black ones, again the lotsawas waved their flags. Even mTsho-rgyal and the Bon queen Cog-ro-bza' debated. mTsho-rgyal won, for the Bon lady was unable even to speak. But we will explain the miraculous things
that occurred later.
So the 120 lotsawas won, and the nine learned Bon leaders lost. Completely tongue-tied, they could not even reply. Their mouths became twisted, their faces perspired, and their knees shook, but words would not come.
Then the time came for the contest of signs of realization. Vairotsana held all three realms in the palm of his hand; Nam-mkha'i snying-po rode the rays of the sun and manifested many fine and wondrous deeds. Sangs-rgyas ye-shes drew demons together on the tip of a dagger and killed them by impalement. Then he thrust the dagger into a rock. rDo-rje bdud-'joms flew as fast as the wind and circled all four conti- nents in a moment. To prove he had done it, he gave the king seven types of stone found only at the ends of the earth.
rGyal-ba mchog-dbyangs manifested Hayagriva on the crown of his head-Hayagriva then neighed three times, filling all the three thou- sand realms with the sound. Beings of the three realms, the heaven realms and others, were instantly subdued. As a sign of proof, he offered the nine-spoked golden wheel of Brahma.
rGyal-ba'i blo-gros walked upon water. lDan-ma rtse-mang com- pletely subdued the Bon-pos by his exposition of the Dharma. He could present all the translations of the Buddha's teachings from memory; he even was able to show the very vowels and consonants in space.
132
? ----------------~~~--------------
sKa-ba dPal-brtsegs brought demons under his control, and '0-bran gzhon-nu moved underwater like a fish. Jiianakumara removed nectar from rocks, and rMa Rin-chen-mchog ate rocks as if they were bread. dPal-gyi rdo-rje moved freely back and forth through stone. Sog-po lha-dpal forced the tigress of the south to come to him, merely by using
his iron hook mudra, command mantra, and meditative concentration.
Dran-pa nam-mkha' called the wild ox from the far north, and Cog-ro Klu'i rgyal-mtshan invited the Lords of the Three Families to appear in the sky. Lang-gro dKon-mchog 'byung-ldan brought down thirteen thunderbolts at one time, and directed them where he chose, like arrows. Khye'u-chung attracted qakinis to him and held them by the power of his meditation. rGyal-mo gYu-sgra snying-po subdued everyone by means of grammar and logic. Ting-nge-'dzin rtogs-sa-pa outshone all others with many poetic translations. rGyal-ba byang- chub sat cross-legged in the sky, and Ting-nge-'dzin bzang-po flew through the air, and was able to see four continents and more at one
time.
The twenty-five great siddhas from mChims-phu, the one hundred powerful psychic ones from Yer-pa, the thirty mantric practitioners from Shel-brag, and the fifty-five with understanding from Yang rdzong, as well as others, each showed different signs of realization such as these. They turned fire into water, and water back again into fire. They moved in the sky and penetrated rocks and mountains. They stayed afloat on water, made many things into few, and few things into many-these are just some of the marvelous deeds they performed.
The Tibetans couldn't help but have faith in the Dharma. And the Bon-pos couldn't help but give in. The Bon ministers were speechless.
The culmination came when the Lady mTsho-rgyal debated with the Bon-pos, and the Bon-pos lost. At that point, they cast murderous spells, demonic black magic spells, using weasels and dog meat, butter lamps and blood. They cast nine such evil mantric spells, and nine young monks suddenly died. But with mTsho-rgyal's blessing, the monks all came back to life. In fact, the nine she saved became even sharper and wiser, so the Bon-pos were thoroughly confounded. Mak-
133
? ----------------~~-----------------
ing the great and powerful Finger-pointing Mudra at the nine men, mTsho-rgyal said PHAT nine times, and they fell down unconscious. Then she said HUM nine times, and again they rose up. They gained such control over the five elements that they could sit in the sky in the lotus position, and do other wondrous things.
She brought forth flames of different colors from each of the five finger tips of her right hand, each colored flame spinning like a wheel. The Bon-pos were terrified. Five different colored streams of water poured forth from the five fingers of her left hand and flowed together into a lake. She cut the great boulders at mChims-phu with her hand as if they were butter and made the rocks into different shapes. Such wonderful things mTsho-rgyal did! She even made twenty-five mani- festations of herself, each performing a different extraordinary feat.
The Bon-pos said: "We will not associate with this woman; any Tibetan of breeding considers her beneath contempt. " And the next day, when nine powerful men were struck down at once, the Bon-pos threatened to turn bSam-yas into dust. They climbed the hill of Has-po-ri and threw thunderbolts down upon the temple. But
mTsho-rgyal caught them on the tip of her finger, and threw them all to 'Om-bu, the land of the Bon, where they caused great devastation.
The Bon hurled thirteen more thunderbolts at bSam-yas, but mTsho-rgyal sent them all back to fall upon the Bon-pos. Thus, the Bon lost both the competition and their power. By rights, they should have been banished, but sTag-ra and Glu-gong and the others were such powerful ministers that they could not be eliminated so easily. They went to 'Om-bu where they threatened to destroy all Tibet by casting many powerful spells-the nine cycles of the Power Goddess, the nine cycles of Great Deeds, as well as fire spells, water spells, earth and air spells.
The Dharma King asked the lotsawas and paQqitas for advice on what means were available to control the Bon-pos. But in reference to this, Padmasambhava merely told mTsho-rgyal: "Lady, you protect the king. " mTsho-rgyal meditated at the highest gallery of bSam-yas, opening and practicing the Vajrakila mandala. For seven days she prac-
134
? ----------------~~~---------------
ticed, beholding large numbers of deities and developing the signs of great power.
She then caused the force of the Bon-po spells to tum upon itself so that the Bon gods of vengeance attacked their own supporters, in one stroke killing sTag-ra, Klu-gong, and five other Bon ministers who despised the Dharma. O f the nine most powerful Bon-pos, eight were now dead; only one remained. The ranks of Bon-pos were decimated and their power weakened.
Immediately the Dharma King called all the Bon-pos together at bSam-yas and made certain laws concerning them. Padmasambhava advised him: "The Inner Bon are in harmony with the Dharma, so let them be. But these perverse Bon are no different from the most evil and wrong-minded heretics. You cannot kill them, for if you do, peo- ple will hear of it-but you can send them out of the country. "
The Dharma King did as the Guru advised, treating the Inner and Outer Bon differently. The Outer Bon texts he burned in a fire, but the books and such of the Inner Bon he treated as treasures, putting them away for safekeeping. The Outer Bon were banished to Mongolia, the country of the monkey-faced men, while the Inner Bon were sent to Zhang-zhung and the border countries surrounding Tibet.
Under laws instituted later, it was decreed that those under the sovereignty of the Dharma King (including ministers, nobility, Ti- betans, and non-Tibetans) should follow the rule of the Dharma and not that of the Bon. The king declared:
"The Tibetan realm from China to Khri-sgo will be filled with the Buddhist doctrine, with the Sangha, and with adepts who will teach the Dharma. "
To celebrate this decree, the king had the great Dharma bell rung at bSam-yas. The Dharma conch shell was blown, Dharma flags waved, and the Dharma throne was made ready. The Great One from Orgyan, Padmasambhava, along with the most learned Zahori Bodhisattva S:intarak~ita, and the wise Kasmiri Vimalamitra, sat on great golden thrones. The twenty-one scholars from India and the great lots:iwas
135
? ----------------~~~------------~
Vairotsana and Nam-mkha'i snying-po sat on seats formed of nine brocade pillows piled one upon another. The other lotsawas were given seats formed of two or three cushions.
The king offered everyone many gifts of gold and other precious substances. Each of the great Indian masters received nine bolts of brocade, three gold ingots, three measures of powdered gold, and a mountain of other gifts. The three masters from Orgyan, Zahor, and Ka5mir were given mandalas of gold and turquoise, bolts of fine silk, and innumerable other wonderful things. Then, as a special request, the king urged these three masters to remain in Tibet and spread the scriptures of both Siitra and Mantra throughout the land. All of the pa~qitas were most pleased at this request, and exclaimed: "Wonderful! Wonderful! " At this time Santarak~ita,Padmasambhava, and Vimalamitra each promised to remain in Tibet and give Dharma
teachings for as long as the king wished.
Training then began at bSam-yas for seven thousand scholar monks and at mChims-phu for nine hundred practitioners. One thousand students studied at the scholastic center of Khra-'brug and one hundred at the practice center of Yang rdzong; three thousand studied at the scholarly center of lHa-sa and five hundred at the practice center of Yer-pa. In one year's time, the students at the three main Dharma centers at lHa-sa, bSam-yas, and Khra-'brug, as well as at the six sec- ondary centers, had finished the course of instruction.
Many other Dharma centers were now built: at Glang-thang in Khams, Rab-gang in Me-nyag, rGyal-tham in Jang, Bya-tshang in sMar, and all through the four eastern valleys and the six eastern mountains. mDong-chu was built in sPo-bo, Rong-lam in Bar-lam, Bu-chu in Kong-po, and mChims-yul and Dvags-lung in Dvags-po; temples were erected in the four central regions: Jo-mo nang sTag-gdan in gTsang, at I. . a-phyi, gTsang and gTsang-rong, in mNga'-ris-man, and so forth. So the Dharma spread widely throughout Tibet.
136
? --------------~~---------------
How the Lady Ye-shes mTsho-rgyal Continued to Protect the Sangha and Benefit Beings
The doctrine of the Buddha, the community of the Sangha, cantric study centers, and the practice of the Dharma spread without friction throughout Tibet. The learned masters from India, China, Nepal, and ocher lands were filled with satisfaction. Showered with kindness and agreat deal ofgold, they chen returned to their respective homes.
But Santarak~ica, Padmasambhava, and Vimalamicra remained co turn the Wheel of the Siicra and Mantra Dharma, bringing joy co the heart and mirid of the great Dharma King. The king's power and might reached unsurpassed heights. The perverse Bon were conquered, and the king's enemies in all four directions were subdued-all he wished was accomplished, even his slightest whim. So King Khri- srong lde'u-bcsan gave over control of the country co his son Mu-ne bcsan-po.
Not the lease hint of emotional turmoil remained co trouble the Dharma King, not the lease bit of pain or sickness. He went from bliss to bliss. Then, one evening, he called together his wives and sons, nobles and ministers-of-state, and gave them various instructions. At midnight he performed a ceremony in the temple and made offerings of flowers. Early the next morning he attained high spiritual realization, and at dawn he merged with a ray of light and was absorbed into the heart of Mafijusri, never co be seen again.
Some time Iacer the new king, Mu-ne bcsan-po, was poisoned by one of his father's wives, and another of Khri-srong lde'u-bcsan's sons, Mu-khri bcsan-po, cook the throne co become ruler over Tibet.
At chat time, the queens still resented the Dharma, and were at- tempting to create divisions between the two religious communities by encouraging competition and contention. But the Lady mTsho- rgyal, using all her compassion and skillful means, eventually recon- ciled them so chat such disorder did not arise again.
137
? ----------------~~--------------~
Near bSam-yas, at Has-po-ri, lived the Inner Bon queen known as Cog-ro-bza' or Bon-mo-mtsho. She had been acquainted with mTsho-rgyal since they were both quite young, but, inspired by jealousy, she now gave mTsho-rgyal some nectar containing poison. Though mTsho-rgyal knew this, she took the drink anyway, saying to Cog-ro-bza':
"KyeMa!
Listen dear friend, this nectar is wonderful,
the very essence of goodness;
my body is the Vajra Body, unsullied and indestructible. It has transmuted this nectar
into the wondrous essence of immortality.
Though this purpose of yours has not been fulfilled,
I have turned it to great fulfillment.
"Because I have not developed jealousy,
I have cleared away the discord
between the Buddhists and Bon-pos.
You should pray to the gods and yidams,
develop pure intentions toward spiritual brothers and sisters, feel compassion toward the helpless,
and humble devotion toward the teacher. "
Then mTsho-rgyal's body became filled with many rainbows; shim- mering and moving lights extended even to the tips of her hair: She became of the Vajra essence.
Cog-ro-bza' was very much ashamed; she would not stay anywhere dose by and left for another country. The Tibetan queens were very upset at this incident and banished mTsho-rgyal to gTsang.
First mTsho-rgyal went to Kha-rag gangs where about three hun- dred disciples gathered to practice with her. (Later this place became known as the Kha-rag of the Lady. ) Thirty-nine of these disciples de- veloped remarkable magic powers and signs of realization; twenty became great teachers; seven became equal to mTsho-rgyal herself; and they all benefitted beings in immeasurable ways.
138
? --------------~~~-------------~
Then mTsho-rgyal practiced at Jo-mo nang, named in her honor. There, one thousand and one nuns gathered; one hundred became great teachers able to help others; five hundred developed remarkable powers; and seven became equal to mTsho-rgyal herself.
When mTsho-rgyal practiced the secret teachings at 'Ug-pa-lung, her fame spread throughout gTsang, and one thousand male and thirteen hundred female practitioners came to be near her. They all engaged in the highest Mantrayana teachings, uniting the maturation and liberation practices. Not one of them ever returned again to samsara. mTsho-rgyal gave her special lineage practices to eighty spe- cial siddhas and to seven practitioners of particularly pure karma so that her oral lineage spread widely. As her teachings became well-estab- lished at Jo-mo nang, many aspirants appeared at 'Ug-pa-lung, and many siddhas appeared at Kha-rag and Jo-mo nang.
When mTsho-rgyal went next to Sham-po gangs, seven bandits raped her and stole her possessions. But as they were joining with her, she sang them this song of the FourJoys:
"NAMO GURU PADMA SIDDHI HRi!
Today, my sons, you meet with me, the Great Mother-
this is due to the power of merit gained before.
Now is the time-the conditions are right for the Four Empowerments. Listen, my sons, and be attentive;
I will move with you through the FourJoys.
"Gazing upon the mandala of the Mother,
you will dearly see the feeling of desire arising,
and gain confidence from the Vase Empowerment.
Explore the pure fact of your own desire-
merge inseparably with the deities of the Developing Stage. Turning all into deities and yidams,
contemplate your desire mind as the deities' manifestation, my sons.
"Join with the space of the Mother's mandala; Great Bliss arises from that root.
Pacify the angry mind; the loving mind replaces it, and power is gained from the Secret Empowerment.
139
? ----------------~~~--------------~
Explore the pure fact of joy-
merge joy with breath and let them circulate a little. There is no turning back from the Mahamudra. Explore the bliss of Mahamudra, my sons.
'Join with the expanse of the Mother's Great Bliss. Let your vigor take on a life of its own;
you and I will merge hearts and minds,
and gain blessing from the Wisdom Empowerment. Guard unwavering the pure fact ofbliss-
merge with the Great Bliss which is openness.
There is no turning back from indestructible bliss and openness. Explore the Bliss ofthe SupremeJoy, my sons.
'Join with the root of the Mother's Bliss-
make the 'two' of duality the 'one' of enlightened mind.
Stop the appearance of self and others,
and gain Pristine Awareness from the Creativity Empowerment. Guard its spontaneity within the world of appearance.
Merge masterful desire with openness,
and there is no turning back from the Great Perfection.
Then explore transcending the Joy of Spontaneity, my sons.
"These instructions are especially sublime.
Thus wondrous liberation comes from our meeting, and instantly, with lightning speed,
you receive the Four Empowerments,
and reach maturity by realizing the FourJoys. "
During this song, the seven bandits achieved maturation and liber- ation. They developed power over their patterning and energy, and became great masters of the Four Joys. Without abandoning their bodies, the seven bandit siddhas went to the land of Orgyan and gave great aid to innumerable sentient beings.
Having trained these seven masters, mTsho-rgyal returned to Nepal where the patrons from her previous visit as well as the Nepali king, Ji-la-ji-pa, again offered her their support. In return, she gave them
140
? ----------------~~~--------------
many of the Guru's instructions on meditation. While she was there, she met a fourtc:c:n-year-old girl whose father was called Bha-da-na-na and whose mother was called Na-gi-ni. The child was a qakini in human form, and mTsho-rgyal took her with her. She called the girl Kalasiddhi, for in the future, this girl would gain great mantric attainment and become a great siddha of the Ming-du-sku'i qakini lineage.
After leaving Kho-shod, mTsho-rgyal travelled slowly through many lands. For one whole year, she opened the mandala of the Lama's secret teachings with Kalasiddhi, Blo-gros-skyid, bDe-chen-mo, gSal-bkra, and others of her students. She gave them many teachings, and they attained siddhi. She established the Dharma in far away borderlands where it had not yet spread, gathering as many as two hundred Dharma followers about her at one time and teaching them the nature of cause and effect.
Finally, the Dharma King Mu-khri btsan-po sent thrc:c: of his nobles to invite the lady mTsho-rgyal to return. So mTsho-rgyal appointed the lady Blo-gros-skyid to act as her regent while she was absent, and then returned to Tibet with thirty of her students, including Kalasiddhi. On the way, she visited Kha-rag, Jo-mo nang, and 'Ug- pa-lung, receiving offerings and homage from many people.
Upon her arrival at bSam-yas, the king held a great welcoming ceremony for her and presented her with many gifts. He led her to the topmost gallery of bSam-yas where the ministers-of-state, nobles, and lotsawas grc:c:ted her with joy as great as if she had returned from the dead.
But while mTsho-rgyal was away, the great and learned Santarak~ita had died. She at once went to his tomb and offered seven handfuls of gold, nine silken scarves, and many mandalas. There she expressed her loss, lamenting with this song:
"Kye Ma Kye Hud!
Great and Holy Teacher!
Though the sky is vast and filled with many stars,
141
? ----------------~----------------~
if the sun's seven fire horses are absent, who will light up the darkness?
"Who will brighten the dark land ofTibet
now that the stainless crystal mandala is gone? Without the protection of your compassionate rays, who will lead us, who are like the blind?
"Though we may possess a king's treasure of jewels, if the wish-fulfilling gem is gone,
who will give us what we need and desire?
Whose shining love will clear away the suffering
in this Tibetan land of hungry ghosts?
Precious Wish-granting Gem, where have you gone?
"Dear Treasure, who satisfied all our needs and desires,
if you do not continue to help us, who will?
We are as cripples, unable even to stand; who can help us? Though the three thousand worlds be filled with powerful lords, if there is no one to turn the Wheel of the Dharma,
who will protect us?
Where can we now go for refuge in barbarous Tibet?
"Wheel-turner, Most Victorious One, Lord, where have you gone? If you do not continue to protect us with the law of the Dharma, in whom can we take refuge, we who are stupid and mindless? Though this world has many siddhas and learned ones,
without you, Great Master,
how can we grasp the teachings?
Most excellent successor of the Buddhas, where have you gone? If you do not continue to protect us with Siitra and Mantra, who is left to help us,
we who are like corpses, without movement or understanding?
"Kye Ma Kye Hud!
The Most Excellent One, Master of Peace,
Lord of Bodhisattvas, Leader of Gods, Protector!
By your compassion, I and other beings in many places entered the door of the teachings.
142
? -----------------~-----------------
By the Dharma of both the Siitra and Mantra,
we obtained the maturation and liberation practices and bliss. By the four means of conversion, we are able to benefit beings.
"Father, when I have perfected all great acts of the Buddha-sons, may I become a leader of teachers and teachings!
May the victory banner of the teaching be raised
and never lowered!
May all embodied beings cross the ocean of samsara
on the ship of this teaching!
And may I attain realization and become the teacher of beings! "
When mTsho-rgyal had finished, a song was heard coming from the top of the stiipa, though no one could be seen:
"oM A HOM!
All your actions are the deeds
of the Buddhas of the three times;
your charismatic deeds increase boundlessly, like space. The Buddha's teaching, root and branch,
fills all the ten directions,
for you are the Great Mother of the Jinas,
the Protectress, filling the three times
with your auspicious deeds. "
All who had gathered with mTsho-rgyal at the tomb heard these words and rejoiced.
For a while, mTsho-rgyal stayed at the temple of the great Dharma King, and then she went to mChims-phu where she remained insep- arable from Guru Rinpoche for eleven years. Together they promul- gated the teachings, both philosophy and practice, and Guru Rinpoche revealed all his secret heart treasures, philosophy, and technical in- structions to his lady. It was truly as if the contents of one vessel had been completely emptied into another, leaving nothing behind.
At this time, Guru Rinpoche said to her: "Soon the time will come for me to go to rNga-yab :Oakini Island. Before I go, we must fill Tibet with great, profound, and inexhaustible Dharma treasures. For this, I
143
? ~-~-------------------~~------------------~s
need a girl named Siddhi, who is of the lineage of the Conch Shell l)akinis, to be my assistant in esoteric mantric practices. Thus I will spread many profound instructions not heard of in any other esoteric teaching and conceal many treasures for the future. "
As mTsho-rgyallater explained: "I did as instructed by the Guru and sent the <Jakini Siddhi to him. Together they opened the mandala of the Bla-ma dgongs-pa 'dus-pa. They gave maturing and liberating practices to the King Mu-khri btsan-po, who ever afterwards guarded and sup- ported the Dharma teachings in the tradition begun by his ancestors. "
Guru Rinpoche instructed his students in all the many teachings to be hidden as gter-ma, after first giving them instructions in the proper way of transcribing the treasures. He gave Nam-mkha'i snying-po instructions in rapid writing and gave Acarya dPal-dbyangs instruc- tions in beauty of style. To lDan-ma rtse-mang he gave instructions in three different types of rapid and stylish writing; he also gave instruc- tions on the flowing writing to sKa-ba dPal-brtsegs. To Cog-ro rGyal- mtshan, he taught cleanness of style. He taught grammar, logic, and philosophy to gYu-sgra snying-po; to the brilliant Vairotsana he taught everything. To mTsho-rgyal he taught the siddhi of Never Forgetting.
His twenty-five disciples and many apprentices acted as scribes, using many different languages and styles. Some used Sanskrit, some l)akini writing, some Nepali. Others wrote in fire, water, or wind letters. Some used Tibetan letters of various types: dBu-chen and dBu-med, lCags- kyu long and short style, Bon letters, 'Bru and 'Bru-tsha scripts; Khong-seng or Khyi-nyal, rKang-ring or rKang-thung; some wrote using different forms of shads, and so forth.
Padmasambhava wrote down the cycle of the ten million Thugs- sgrub-skor practices, and the ten thousand cycles of the sNying-thig, root text, explanations, and technical instructions, extensive and pro- found. Though large in number, these teachings were pithy, concise, and easily understood, great blessings ofbliss. Even the short texts were profound, clear, and complete, providing whatever was needed and desired. Then, in order to establish confidence in his gter-ma, he es- tablished a system of sequential proofs of their validity. He set forth
144
? --------------~~----------------
the kha-byang, yang-byang, snying-byang, lung-byang, and so forth, and sealed them for the future.
The Guru and his consort, having become of one heart and mind, benefitted beings by their great wisdom and means. Having become one in the charismatic communication of speech, they revealed the expanse of Siitra and Mantra teachings. Having become one in the magical manifestation of body, they demonstrated power over all the world of appearance. Having become one in enlightened wisdom qualities, they benefitted beings and the Doctrine. Having become one in enlightened activity, they manifested power over the four aspects of action. As the absolute, the All-good and the Lotus-born, the Yab and Yum of the essence of bliss, they filled the sky with the dance of their body, speech, heart, quality, and action.
Then, from mChims-phu they gradually passed through the outer reaches of Tibet, giving blessings and teachings. First they visited the three Tiger Caves. When they came to sPa-gro Tiger Cave of Bhutan, Guru Rinpoche prepared all his individual treasures and gave the lung-byang, predictions concerning their future discovery. He said: "Whoever practices here, because it is my heart place, will receive the Mahamudra siddhis. At the same time that I, the Guru, was abiding in the Akani~tha heaven, these representations of my body, speech, and mind appeared spontaneously-a statue of rDo-rje gro-lod, a stiipa, the six-syllable mantra, and other things. " He then recited prayers and gave blessings.
When they went to 'On-phu Tiger Cave of Tibet, Guru Rinpoche designated all the gter-ma masters, future gter-ma repositories, and gave the snying-byang, the predictions concerning the entrusting of the treasures. He said: "Whoever practices here, because it is my body place, will develop the siddhi of longevity. At the same time that I was born on the lake ofDhanako~a, these symbols of my body, speech, and mind appeared spontaneously-the three-syllable mantra, the Ra-lu-'bru-dpu, stiipas, and vajras. " He then recited prayers and gave blessings.
When they went to the Tiger Cave of Khams, Guru Rinpoche concealed many individual treasures and proclaimed the oaths, vows,
145
? ~----------------~~--------------~
and oral instructions to be used by future gter-ma masters, as well as the kha-byang, the predictions concerning their revelation. He said: "Whoever practices here, because it is my speech place, will be blessed with great renown. Even those who break their vows, if they practice here, can develop both the ordinary and great siddhis. At the same time that I sat upon the Vajra Throne and turned the Wheel of the Dharma, subduing demons and those with wrong views, there spontaneously appeared these representatives of the Three Kayas-the six-syllable man- tra, the three-letter mantra, the twelve, and so forth. " He then recited prayers and gave blessings.
In like manner, they visited many other places, the details of which can be found in such other texts as the Life Story of Padmasambhava.
Finally the Guru and his consort returned to the great temple of the king in the land of Tibet and stayed within its lofty citadel. The king, his ministers, the queens and the nobility, and all the lotsawas gathered before Padmasambhava, receiving instructions and prophecies. Soon, on the tenth day of the month of the monkey, in the year of the monkey, Guru Rinpoche would ride upon the sun's rays to the Isle of rNga-yab in the Southwest. But mTsho-rgyal was yet to remain in order to benefit beings-to give the teachings of the Dharma's six di- visions to the king and his people, and to conceal the Guru's treasures in all the designated places.
The Dharma King and his retinue accompanied Guru Rinpoche to Gung-thang la-thog. Then, after asking for and receiving many pre- dictions and instructions, they sadly turned back.
But not the Lady mTsho-rgyal, who later explained how she contin- ued on with Padmasambhava, riding upon the sun's rays to Tsha-shod rong on the border between Tibet and Nepal. There they descended into the secret cave of Tsha-shod where they remained for seventy- three days, opening the mandala of the all-extensive Great Perfection Ati teachings and giving initiation.
However, the ceremony proved inauspicious (due to an assistant who harbored various doubts), causing the Guru to declare: "For now,
146
? -----------------~----------------~
the esoteric teachings will spread in this land ofTibet, but eventually a time will come when the Mahayana . Ati teachings will be held in question, when only a few will be liberated by the oral transmission or by the hidden treasure transmission. The benefit of these teachings for beings will be limited. According to the way in which events are linked, though there will be the outer appearance of the esoteric teachings, their power will have little influence. Sometimes these teachings will spread, but at other times swiftly decline. Such is the unhappy effect of this ceremony.
"Yet to you, mTsho-rgyal, I will give my complete teachings, com- prehensively and withholding nothing. This is not the ordinary path -this is the doctrine which causes the dualistic mind to disappear. Now this teaching will come to you in full measure.
"If you had received these teachings before, you would not have sown the seeds of your previous acts, and as a result, there could have been no harvest of their good fruits. For a great length of time, the world would not have seen these teachings.
"With this teaching there are no good or evil actions. There are no higher or lower births. There is no lifetime, no youth or old age. There are no sharp or dull senses-for this teaching gives passage into an expanse where all entities have ceased. If I had given this teaching to you as you were before, certain benefits would not have ensued for embodied beings. It would have been difficult to teach them the most profound treasures of the Buddha's doctrine. And why is this? Because this teaching instantly transforms the transitory physical body.
"Now meditate continuously until you are not for an instant sep- arate from the Chos-nyid mngon-sum, the first of the Ati realiza- tions. Though you will remain in possession of a physical body, you will quickly become a Buddha.
"From here, you will go to Zab-bu and Ti-sgro and other places, continuing to practice for three years. After three years, you will obtain the next higher Ati realization, the: Nyams-snang-gong. After six years, you will achieve the: Rig-pa-tshad, the: third of the: . Ati realizations.
147
? ~-~------------------~~------------------~~
"At this time, you will prepare all the gter and work to benefit others by giving specific and technical teachings. You will go to lHo-brag in mKhar-chu to practice, where you will manifest extraordinary feats and miraculous physical transformations, such as making parts of your body invisible. For approximately two hundred years, you will retain a physical body and benefit beings. Then you will meet me at rNga-yab l)akini Island in the Great Pristine Awareness. You will benefit beings without discrimination and become a Buddha. "
After making this prediction, Padmasambhava rose upon a ray of light and prepared to leave. mTsho-rgyal, weeping, bowed before her teacher and cried desperately:
"Kye Ma Kyi Hud! Orgyan Lord! Now you're here, now you're gone. Must there be this birth and death? How can birth and death be changed?
"Kye Ma Kyi Hud! Orgyan Lord!
For a time we were inseparable:
Now, suddenly we part.
Must there be this meeting and parting?
Is there no way for friends to remain together?
"Kye Ma Kyi Hud! Orgyan Lord!
For a time all Tibet was filled with your blessings; now only your footprints remain.
