No More Learning

The of practice, where Longcenpa dwelt in total solitude solely for. the attamment of the nucleus of the teaching, included Samye Chimpu, Orgyen Dzong, Lharing Trak, Trapu, Shuksep Kangri Tidro, Yerpa, Yarlha Shampo, Bumthang, 'Kyambu Peigi Gedmg, Kongpori Lawalung, and Kongpo Tsagongphu. But most of all h. e stayed i? Kangri proper. In Lhodrok, the Yoru region of Central TIbet, and m all the southern regions of Mon [i. e. Bhutan and neighbouring districts], his disciples often gathered in their thousands; and to all of them he displayed boundless compassion. Longcenpa accepted no teaching fees, nor did he squander the offenngs made by the faithful. He engaged himself only in activities on behalf of his disciples; and he tolerated their faults and tiresome Because of his respectful performance of bountiful feast offer- m? s and his intuition of the minds of others, his way of teaching by skIlful means and his enlightened activity surpassed the imagination.
! he:e was one Gompa Ktinrin of Drigung who, being insane with pnde m his own power, made ready for war. The great master Pad- masambhava had prophesied in his treasures:
In the land known as Dri
There will be a son of Mara named Ktinga,
a pure golden light radiated from it. Above the head of Sakyamum he
592
History: The Three Inner Classes ofTantra in Tibet
Whose body will bear a weapon-like mark. When he dies he will be reborn in hell;
But he will be converted by an emanation Of MafijusrI, who will come from the south.
When Gompa Ktinrin saw that prediction, he examined his own body, for he still had a grain of past merit, and found that there was a sword-like scar on his back. He knew with certainty that he was the one referred to. Though he had considered waging a great war in Central Tibet and Tsang, he thought little would be achieved by his going to hell, and so he postponed action. He made it known in all quarters that he sought an emanation of MafijusrI. At that, all those who were knowledgeable pronounced the same opinion: "In the four regions of Tibet there is, at present, no one more brilliant than the man from Samye. " Convinced that Longcenpa was the emanation of MafijusrI, Ktinrin invited him, and honoured him like the crown jewels. The guru uprooted the primary and auxilliary causes and effects of the evil actions, provisional and ultimate, of Ktinrin and his followers. 690
About the same time there was, in Central Tibet and Tsang, one Ta'i Situ Cangcup Gyeltsen, who was so arrogant that he found it difficult to show his topknot to anyone [i. e. he did not bow]. He disliked Longcenpa, claiming that he was the "Guru of the Drigungpa" [who were Situ's rivals]. They were reconciled by one whose name BuddhasrI [Sangyepel] rang in all ears, whose enlightened activity was inspired by limitless, great compassion, and whose exemplary life was that of a scholar and accomplished master. After that, even the "Eight-footed Lion", the Shing-go-chen-pa,691 who was the king of Tibet [i. e. Situ] bowed his head at Longcenpa's feet.
Similarly, Situ Sakya Zangpo the myriarch of upper Uru, Dorje Gyeltsen the myriarch of Y amdrok, and many other nobles also showed deference to the master. Longcenpa never squandered on impossible schemes even a little of the offerings presented by such devotees, so they revered the Three Precious Jewels even more. He did not consider the things dedicated in the name of the doctrine to be his own property; therefore he could never misuse them. He used to say, "You must have reverence for the Precious Jewels, not for sinful persons. " For this reason he never respected or honoured the nobility. "It is the duty of the patron to accumulate merit. Confusion of priest and patron is an evil," he said. And therefore he sealed whatever great offerings were made to him with the dedicatory rites, but gave no other "repayment". He particularly loved the meek, and he ate whatever the humble and indigent served to him as if it were a great treat. Then, he would recite the sutras and the dedication of merit with exuberance.
Because Longcenpa's enlightened activities, such as those described above, were immeasurable, he could guide not merely those who were
. . Longcen Rapjampa 593 VISIbly taken into his following but even t
to see, hear of, come in' contact Withhose who [by blIssful states; and he implanted ·th· h ,or even harm hIm, to
liberation. WI In t em the seed of purity and In 1363 (water female hare) d . g h· .
when he was bestowing on m ' unn
IS fifty-sIxth year, at a time
h
maturation and liberation, he the of
paper. Then he . ye se Zopa to prepare Ink and dri-ma med-p'aJi testament, the Taintless Light (zhal-chems
ou), w IC egan:
I have known for sometime saq1sara's condition; ! ecause mundane things are lacking in substance
n? I must no,,: this changing, bod
I wIll set forth thIS Instruction, alone beneficial: pay it heed! Y'
And it included these verses:
o L? tus-faced Lord! endowed with compassion favoured me today with inspiring deeds' It IS tIme I out, like a traveller, on my road. ' In death I wIll obtain the profit of joy,
More by far than the bliss of the merchant who gains
he seeks overseas; or that of Devendra
Tnumphant· b I '
In att e; or that of an attainer of trance.
without waiting longer,
WIll go now to seIze Immortality's stronghold, bliss supreme!
When he had revealed this test G I . . .
"Please do not talk like this! " he se cned out in tears,
that of the e
Chimpu . to amye, he travelled to the forests of
t h e w a a n d t h e w h e e l o f t h e d o c t r i n e o n
he . J"I . ThIs place IS Just lIke SItavana charnel ground in India"
lea::\h. would rat. her die here than be born elsewhere. Here I will IS worn-out, Illusory body of mine. "
Even though he w ·11 h .
disciples thought that ahs 1 , cdontInually taught the doctrine. The
.
atIme buthesaid "I
ewastIre andaskedhimt t h·
h·
ave decIded to teach this doctrine completely"
0 s op teac Ing for water aturday 23 I? ecember 1363 (sixteenth day, twelfth
Worship and he warriors and <;iakinIs with bountiful s
everything compou gd. d . e en a vIsed hIS dIscIples as follows: "Since
Th ' S '
. nelsInsubstantial yo h ldd
entIrely to the do t · I . , u s ou evote yourselves
C
ing practical ex e . nne. n partIcular y? U should concentrate on achiev-
Resistance of1. CuttingThrough Ifsometimes d an - urpasslng RealIsatIOn (thod-rgal). 693 tate on the IOU 0 not then examine minutely, and medi-
urther Innermost Spzntuality like the Wish-fulfilling Gem,
594 History: The Three Inner Classes ofTantra in Tibet
which is like a jewel that grants your desires. Then you will attain nirvana at the level on which [the appearance of] reality is exhausted. "
On· Monday 25 December 1363 (eighteenth day, twelfth month, water female haret94 Longcenpa told his disciples to arrange an altar and to go off to undertake acts of merit, but they begged to remain in
his presence. "Very well", he said, "but I am about to leave this worn- out, apparitional body. Be silent and remain absorbed in meditation! "
Then, his precious body assumed the posture of the buddha-body of reality; and he set his intention to rest in the primordial expanse.
At that time, there were limitless miracles, and the whole earth shook and resounded. His body was left undisturbed for twenty-five days, during which time the deities who rejoice in the teaching unfurled a canopy of rainbow light, and caused a shower of flowers to fall. When
his intention had thus dissolved in reality, even the four elements departed from the stable order of the four seasons: The earth was warm during the twelfth and first months, the ice melted, and the leaves of the wild rose began to bud. Also, during the funeral ceremony, when
the master's body was placed on the pyre, the earth trembled and a mighty thunder resounded seven times. After the cremation his heart, tongue, and eyes - the signs of his having awakened to the essence of
the three indestructible realities of body, speech, and mind - fell into the laps of fortunate disciples. Because he had realised all that can be attained with respect to the five bodies [of buddhahood] and the five pristine cognitions, five large remains and countless minor relics were
discovered. It is undisputed that the larger relics multiplied by the
hundreds and thousands, without limit. And up to the present day, it
has been plain to see that those who possess even a tiny fragment of
. bffl·dbh"d"695 his undamaged remams cannot e a Icte y t e upper emons .
The gurus of the past identified Longcenpa with the grammarian Srldhara, who is referred to in a prophecy in the Great Descent (babs-lugs chen-mo); but according to the sequence fixed therein it would be to identify him with Lodrochok. 696 Moreover, the notion that the mter- val between Kumaradza and this next [emanation of Vimalamitra, i. e.
Longcenpa] violates the axiom that "Once every century [an emanation of Vimalamitra will arise]," should not give rise to doubts, because "every century" implies that, in general, when this doctrine [of
Innermost Spirituality] becomes contaminated by sophistry, one wIll appear to elucidate it. In addition, emanations act, in the manner of apparitions, on behalf of those requiring training, referring solely to
the unique circumstances of the situation at hand.
The foremost disciples who tasted the nectar of Longcenpa's teaching were: the three learned and accomplished ones who became famous, namely, Khedrup Delek Gyamtso of Zhoktarling, Khedrup Choki
Trakpa, and Khedrup Khyapdel Lhtindrup; his five spiritual sons namely, Den-gom Choki . Trakpa of Dokam, Gyelse Zopa, Lama cokpa, Guru Yeshe RaPJam, and Zhonu Sangye; the four spiritual benefactors who propagated the doctrine, namely, Trtilku Peljor master Sangye Ktinga, master Lodro Zangpo, and Tago Cad- rel ChoJe; the accomplished yogins, namely, Phago Tokden
Gyelpo, . . NelJorpa Ozer Koca, Sonam Ozer.
Rikdzin Osel
Rangdrol
and Cat
there were many spiritual benefactors who were holders of hIS teachmg, such as Sangye Pelrin, who had reconciled him with the Lord ofNeudong [i. e. Situ], Trakpapel, and Luken Sonam Senge.
At . a later . date, Lo. ngcenpa appeared in a vision to the master of the doctnne Dngung Rincen Phtintsok, and declared that he had been born as [Longcenpa's] son Trtilku Dawa, the crown ofwhose head bore the mark of a horse's. head [emblematic of Hayagrlva]. 697 Longcenpa's hat was on hIS head and he became a direct disciple through the blessmg. . He was dedicated to maintaining, preserving and the scnptur/es of Longcenpa. In his lineage Padmasam- bhava s spintual Santapurlpa, otherwise known as the great Sherap appeared. He established the monastery of Peln Thekpachok-gi and persuaded his patron Zhapdrung to xylog,raph th. e Mznd at Rest and its autocommentary (sems- nyzd ngal-? s. o grel). Smce they taught the necessity of both studying and practIsmg thIS teaching, they affirmed themselves to be the genuine holders of the lineage.
. So it was that the lineage of the complete cycle of the maturation [I. e. liberation [i. e. guidance] and instructions of the Innermost Spintuahty, which belongs to the Esoteric Instructional Class [of t? e Great Perfection]. was transmitted in its entirety from the great chanoteer, the all-knowmg Longcen Rapjampa, by successive stages through:
Khedrul? Khyapdel Lhtindrup; Trakpa Ozer; . Sangye Onpo;
Dawa Trakpa;
Ktinzang Dorje;
Gyeltsen Pelzang;
Natsok Rangdrol;
Tendzin Trakpa;
Do-ngak Tendzin;
Rikdzin Trhinle Lhtindrup; to
the king of the doctrine, Terdak Lingpa.
Later on, in . 1759/60 (earth female hare), the great, all-knowing [Longcenpa] thnce revealed the body ofhis pristine cognition to Rikdzin
Longcen Rapjampa 595
'
ang
596 History: The Three Inner Classes ofTantra in Tibet
698
Khyentse Ozer [Jikme Lingpa] at Womin Pelgi Chimpu.
entrusted him with a book and said, "All the esoteric instructions which are concealed in the Great Chariot and in my other works are clarified herein. " When he had transmitted all the instructions and further advice to him, Jikme Lingpa came to comprehend thoroughly the oceanic doctrine, and all the textual traditions and instructions of the All-Know- ing Guru in particular. Just as MatailgI had been taken into the following of Aryadeva, so, such an extremely short lineage is permissible.
This completes the general explanation of the descent, in Tibet, of the teaching of the three inner classes of the tantras of the way of secret mantra, and, in particular, the account of the esoteric instructions of the great Innermost Spirituality, the fourth part of this book, Thunder from the Great Conquering Battle-Drum of Devendra, which is a history of the precious doctrine of the vehicle of indestructible reality according to the Ancient Translation School.
He also
Part Five
The Distant Lineage of Transmitted Precepts
Introduction
[281. 1-2] Now, I should explain in particular the way in which the trilogy of the Satra which Gathers All Intentions, the Magical Net, and the Mental Class have come down to us. 699 These teachings are common to all [the Nyingmapa lineages] and have perpetuated, without decline, the river of the transmitted precepts, the "distant lineage" mentioned above. It is said that in [Tibet], the land of snow mountains, the teaching of the vehicle of indestructible reality according to the Ancient Trans- lation School "fell first to Nyak, fell to Nup during the intermediate period, and fell to Zur in the end. "
I ) II
1 The Lineage ofNyak
NY AKJNANAKUMARA
[281. 2-289. 4] The first of these, master Nyak Jiianakumara, was born
700
in Shepa, or Cho, in the district of Yarlung.
Takdra Lhanang of the Nyak clan, and his wife Suza Dronkyi. When he was born, there was a mole on his neck which resembled a crossed- vajra, and he was given the name Gyelwei Lodro. The preceptor Bodhisattva ordained him as a novice and, later, as a monk with full ordination. He became an inconceivably brilliant trans- lator of many of the doctrines belonging to the sutras and mantra texts and so became the confluence of the four great rivers of transmitted precepts which were derived from [the teachings of] the great master Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, Vairocana and Yudra Nyingpo. These "four great rivers" are: (1) the river of conventional textual exegesis, along with the commentaries and lecture notes; (2) the river of instruc- tion of the aural lineage, along with the essential writings and the guidance which lays bare the teaching/ol (3) the river of blessing and empowerment, along with the means for conferral and the introduc- tions; (4) the river of practical techniques, that of the rites of enlightened activity and attainment, along with the wrathful mantras of the pro- tectors of the teaching.
After the master Padmasambhava had matured Nyak Jfianakumara in the maQ. cJala of [Vajramrta], Nectar the Enlightened Attributes (bdud- rtsi yon-tan), Nyak caused the water of accomplishment to spring forth from dry rock in the Crystal Cave of Yarlung. The Magical Net also must have been transmitted through his lineage, but he attained the signs of accomplishment primarily from VajrakIla.
Sometime after the passing of King Trhisong Detsen, one of the queens, Tshepong-za, reviled most of the translators and scholars by
702
her uncivil designs, so Nyak Jfianakumara went to live at Yamdrok. His own brother, Nyak GetOn, became hostile and slandered him, declaring that Nyak was "an adept of extremist mantras". He stole
He was the son of
602 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
The Lineage ofNyak 603
Nyak's skull-cup, which had been painted red and lacquered on the inside, showed it to foolish people and scratched the inside with the point ofhis knife, maliciously saying, "This is the work ofa charlatan! "
In order to remove widespread doubts, Nyak Jfianakumara materialised precious gems in the place where he lived. In this way the people learned of his miraculous powers and discounted his brother's words. But even then Nyak knew that his brother was planning many conspiracies and devising various ways to injure him, so he went away.
as the door closed behind him Chim Carok struck the threshold with his hammer and narrowly missed the head of a young novice.
But Nyak was not even allowed to remain there. He set out for Central Tibet and on the way met one Drosechung, who was chasing a deer. Drosechung's mount was startled, so that the deer escaped. He became enraged and attempted to kill Nyak, but Nyak fled from his sight, longing to escape.
It was at about this time that Queen Margyen had poisoned the crown prince [Mune Tsepo]. The master Vimalamitra had miraculously ar- rived from China to preside over the funeral ceremony, where Nyak
Nyak Jiianakumara
When he reached the upper part of Chimytil in Kongpo he found a herd of seven goats wandering through a desolate valley. He ordered his servant Lelmik Woktsen to drive them away, but the latter asked, "What will the owner of these goats say when he arrives? "
Nyak replied, "Where is the owner of the goats to be found in a
desolate valley? Drive them away! " . When the owner, Chim Carok (the "Crow of Chim") learned of thIS he accused Nyak of theft and demanded sevenfold compensation for the goats. Although Nyak gave him sevenfold compensation he re- mained unsatisfied, destroyed Nyak's hermitage, and pursued him with an iron hammer. Nyak ran away and entered a temple. It is said that
703
asked, "Are the translator and his servant well? " To which Nyak replied:
We were doing well in Yamdrok-gang, But GelatOn would not let us be.
We were doing well in the heart of Chim, But hell's own crow would not let us be. We were doing well in Central Tibet,
But Drosechung would not let us be.
Thinking that it was very harmful to the teaching for a translator to be so insulted, Vimalamitra spontaneously taught him the Perfect Prac- tice of Vajrakfla (phur-pa phun-sum-tshogs-pa, NGB Vol. 27), and that of the Blue-skirted One's Cycle [of Vajrakfla) gsham-sngon]. 704 In the Na Cave at Kharcu in Lhodrak the scholar and the translator propitiated VajrakIla together, using twenty-one kIlas of acacia wood. Such was their accomplishment that the kIlas started knocking against one another. At that point, Nyak, who was absorbed in contemplation, brandished his kIla and said, "This is for the Crow. " At once, all the crows in the sky gathered together. Then, he rotated the kIla, saying, "This is for the Crow of Chim. " And a pair of crows arrived from Chim. In anger Nyak brandished the kIla at one of the crows and the bird instantly fell dead. 705
At that Vimalamitra said, "Now you can kill by the power of sorcery, but, I wonder, can you revive by the power of reality? Go ahead and revive it! " But, as had previously occurred in the case of master Jalan- dharipa and his disciple Nyak could not resurrect the dead. Vimalamitra scattered a handful of sand and instantly the crow came to life and flew away. The master said to Nyak, "When you undertake a wrathful rite without first having attained the realisation to 'liberate' the self [of your victim], then, even if you succeed in the rite, it is a great crime. " And then he performed the rite of the "Tie to the Higher Realms" (gnas-lung). 707
Then the deity of Chim appeared in the guise of a white yak, and Nyak "liberated" him first of all. By the power of ritually brandishing his klla he "liberated" Chim Carok and obtained the superior, middling,
met him and offered him a container
full of gold dust. Vimalamitra
604 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
The Lineage ofNyak 605
and inferior indications that he had destroyed his life-supporting wolf-
spirit/os along with his servants and slaves, horses and dogs, and kith
and kin, and thus put an end to his race.
While inflicting the same punishment on Nyak GetOn, his own
brother, Nyak developed great compassion, owing to the kindness of master Vimalamitra; for this sort of wrathful rite of occult power is particularly dependent on the coincidence of the indestructible reality of anger. 709
So his intention turned to reality itself and he was completely unable to perform the rite. Master Vimalamitra said to him? "At this point, if you find an assistant who is endowed with all the SIgns of a sorcerer, you will be able to perform it. " With this, he began to search.
He found a blacksmith called "Pektse the Sogdian" - for at that time 710
blacksmiths were called "Sogdians" - who was wrathful to behold.
Nyak perceived that he had all the appropriate physical marks and signs: his head was knotted and the lower part of his body,:"as in shape. 711 Nyak came down behind him and acted as hIS aSSIstant by operating the bellows. He expounded to him the dialectical doctrines
of the causal vehicle, but the blacksmith paid no attention. Then, when Nyak explained the KriyiHantra, Caryatantra, and Yogatantra, he lis- tened occasionally, but otherwise only heard the clanging sound of the hammer as it struck [the anvil]. Finally, when Nyak gave teaching on the three inner classes of tantra and at the same time swallowed the scraps of hot iron that were flying about, the blacksmith was amazed.
"How did you acquire such miraculous power? " he asked.
"I acquired it by practising the doctrine I was just explaining. " The blacksmith developed great faith and, making an offering of all
of his tools, he became a disciple. His name was changed to Lha Pelgi
.
Similarly, Nyak discovered that Odren Pelgi Zhonu also
the signs ofone fit to attain VajrakIla; so the master and his two dISCIples propitiated that deity. When Geton heard about it he began murderous conspiracy. Others restrained him saying that it was not nght to pheme a venerable monk, but Geton refused to listen. the mght he dreamed that many women encircled him and cut off hIS head. He told this to his wife, who earnestly tried to restrain him, but without
paying attention he rode off on his horse. On the wayan enormous bird flew over and startled the horse. GetOn's flesh was torn to shreds and his blood was scattered drop by drop. It is said that he was actuall,Y "liberated" by the protector. The Sogdian Pelgi Yeshe removed hIS heart and offered it to the master, who said:
Let no sin be committed.
Virtue must be perfectly practised. Completely tame your own mind. Mayall sentient beings be happy! 712
In short, Nyak's guardian deity had appeared as a hawk and, having "liberated" Geton along with his life-supporting wolf-spirit, servants and slaves, horses and dogs, and kith and kin, put an end to his race.
In the same way, Nyak summoned the consciousness of Drosechung, who was grazing his herd of horses on the plain of Netang, and com- pletely destroyed him by the ritual thrust of the kIla. He transformed the deity of Dro [Drosechung's clan] into a blue wolf and dealt with his life-supporting wolf-spirit, servants and slaves as before.
This great translator Nyak adhered to learned and accomplished masters who were equal to the Buddha himself, and in this way he acquired very great learning in grammar, logic, dialectics, and the outer and inner mantra texts. Having become a great translator, he interpreted many works on the true doctrine. He became a master of the trilogy of the SzUra which Gathers All Intentions, the Magical Net and the Mental Class and through his expositions the number of extraordinary disciples multiplied. Thus, his kindness was inconceivable. Finally, he realised the great accomplishment through the Vajra Bridge ofthe Aural Lineage (snyan-brgyud rdo-rje zam-pa) and through [teachings belonging to] the Esoteric Instructional Class of the Great Perfection (man-ngag-sde). 713 His body vanished in a mass of light, the union of radiance and emp- tiness.
Nyak JiHinakumara guided his foremost disciples, until they became the "eight glorious adepts of VajrakIla". These eight glorious sons were his four earlier disciples - the Sogdian Pelgi Yeshe, Odren Pelgi Zhonu, Nyencen Pelyang, and Thakzang Pelgi Dorje - and his four later dis- ciples - Lamcok Pelgi Dorje, Tarje Pelgi Trakpa, Tra Pelgi Nyingpo, and Lhalung Pelgi Dorje. In addition, there were his nephews Upa Tosel, Gyepak Sherap and Bhusukuchok, whose lineage gave rise to extensive enlightened activity.
THE SOGDIAN PELGI YESHE
[289. 4-290. 4] The Sogdian Pelgi Yeshe was a native of Yamdrok. Though he had already attained accomplishment during the time of the great master Padmasambhava, he lived as a blacksmith, so far as ordinary men could see. It is said that the great translator Nyak's life was thrice endangered because, being vastly learned, he had thrice thought himself to be more learned than his masters. For this, he had to show his acceptance of the infallible truth of cause and effect. On one such occasion, one of the three on which Nyak was confronted by mortal enemies, his relative Nyakmar,714 from a neighbouring district, imprisoned him with homicidal malice. The Sogdian Pelgi Yeshe had
606
History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts

The Sogdian Pelgi Yeshe
NUPCEN SANGYE YESHE
[290. 4-300. 3] "The teachings of the Ancient Translation School fell to Nup during an intermediary period. . . "
Nupcen Sangye Yeshe was born in the uplands of Dra in the moun- tains of Central Tibet in February 832 (first month, water male mouse year). 71S His father was Selwa Wangcuk ofthe Nup clan, and his mother was Chimo Trashi-tsho. At the ancestral charnel ground, on Mount Dra Riwoche, a sandal tree had sprung up. A Chinese monk examined it, said that it portended the birth of an emanation, and showed how to cultivate the tree. 716 In accordance with this early prophecy Nup was born. His secular name was Dorje Trhitsuk, his religious name was Sangye Yeshe, and his secret name was Dorje Yangwangter. In his seventh year, Nup entered the following of Odren Pelgi Zhonu and studied all the sciences.
There was a prophecy in the Root Tantra o/the Gathering 0/Awareness- holders (rig-'dzin 'dus-pa rtsa-ba'i rgyud, NGB Vo1. 32), as follows:
In particular, the secrets of buddha-body will be revealed By the precious jewel, BuddhajiHina [i. e. Sangye Yeshe].
Accordingly, in his youth, when Nup received the empowerment of the Eight Transmitted Precepts from the great master Padmasambhava, his flower alighted upon the mal). <;iala of MafijusrI, representing buddha- body. By propitiating that meditational deity, Nup actualised the signs of accomplishment. Later he also received many tantras and esoteric instructions [from master Padmasambhava] in the Dorje Tse-nga Cave, which lies on the frontier of India and Nepal. Moreover, he attended on such scholars and translators of India, Nepal, and Bru-sha [i. e. Gilgit] as SrI Sirpha, Vimalamitra, KamalasIla, Dhanadhala, Trhaktung Nakpo, Santigarbha, Dhanasarpskfta, Sakyadeva, the brahman Prakasalarpkara [i. e. Sukhodyotaka], Dharmabodhi, Dhar- maraja, Tsuklak Pelge, Vasudhara, and Chetsenkye; as well as on the
. .
previously dIsplayed hIS cour g. Yd nly with actual accomplishment;
the neck,. and by. indestructible commitment so, on thl. S e u He killed two prison guards and pulled to risk hIS life for the guru. I h' way on all three occasions, he
the master from the dungeon. . n t , ught his attention. Owing destroyed Nyak's mortal an so of VajrakIla and took
Nyak actually matenalIsed the m . , h' h Pelgi to IS, . S h was the extent to w 1C
thO
Pelgi Yeshe into his h' uc
he instructed Nupcen Sangye
Yeshe abided in authentic1ty. n Y eshe.
1S turn,
a eb seizingasavagebeastofpreyby
2 The Lineage of Nup
608 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
The Lineage ofNup 609
learned Tibetan translator Nyak Jfianakumara and all his eight glorious disciples. Among them, in particular, he attended on the Sogdian Pelgi Yeshe and Zhang Gyelwei Yonten, who had been a disciple of both Ma Rincen-chok and Nyak. Under all of those gurus Nup studied and
instructions of the Satra which Gathers All Intentions. According to Rok Tsondrti Senge, this master [Prakasalarpkara] is identical to Sukhodyotaka.
Nup later asked Prakasalarpkara for the textual exegesis of the Siltra which Gathers All Intentions, but the master said, Dhar- mabodhi, and Dharmaraja have been invited to Bru-sha by Chetsenkye. . Go there and request the exegesis from them. "
Accordingly, Nup went to Bru-sha where, under those four trans- lators and scholars, he made a critical study primarily of that textual exegesis but also of the essential instructions concerning its transmitted empowerment, the subtleties of its practical techniques, and so forth. Thus, he extracted the essence of their spirituality.
Concerning the way in which Nup attained accomplishment: During the nine months [spent in retreat] at Zhugi Dorje Gombu, his mind was liberated and he established [the realisation of] the abiding nature of reality. In Vajrasana and in Yungdrung Rincen Terne, the Lord of Secrets (Guhyapati) revealed his visage to him. His emblematic vajra fell into Nup's hands and he conferred on Nup the empowerment of the name. Then, in Olmotshel, the child of a gandharva conferred on Nup the name Sangye. In Kangzang he was honoured by a and on the shore of the Nine-Island Lake of Yamdrok (gling dgu'i mtsho) by three young naga brothers. In the charnel ground of Lhe the child of a tormented spirit bowed before his feet. In Omeitshel, Yamantaka appeared in a vision to confer empowerment and accomplishment upon him.
After achieving dominion over gods and demons, Nup was em- powered as a master of secret mantra. The guardians of the and Yamiintaka (ma-gshin) cycles, lords of the qakinls, were appointed to be his protectors. Then, as MafijusrI had prophesied, EkajatI presented Nup with the sacraments of accomplishment in the Sanglung Nakpo charnel ground in India.
Thus, his pristine cognition illuminated the expanse [of reality], and the realisations of the great levels were actualised. He beheld in visions the entire ma1fqalas of Padmanartesvara and of Yamantaka, and he obtained their empowerments and accomplishments. Moreover, he pos- sessed unobstructed supernormal cognitive powers - clairvoyance and so forth. The wonderful accounts of his career, [which describe him] floating on water, passing through mountains of solid rock, and per- forming other miracles, surpass the imagination.
Nup founded his foremost hermitage at the pilgrimage place of Yangdzong, in Dra, Central Tibet; and he intended to remain there in total solitude. But he and his disciples faced great hardship because, generally, the laws of the land disintegrated at about that time [owing to the collapse of the dynasty in the wake of the reign of Langdarma]; and there followed a period of increasingly partisan conflict. In particu-
Nupcen Sangye Yeshe
mastered all the siitras, as well as the outer and inner tantras of the mantra vehicle, along with their esoteric instructions. He travelled to India and Nepal seven times and translated many tantras, esoteric instructions, and ritual texts, along with [the rites of] the protectors of the doctrine.
In particular, in 885 (wood snake year), his fifty-fourth year, Nup went to Nepal, where he requested numberless empowerments and instructions from Vasudhara. For the sake of the doctrine he pleased
717 that guru with offerings and faithful devotion. Then the preceptor
[Vasudhara] said, "In India lives my master Prakasalarpkara. He is one thousand and six hundred years old. Go to him and request the doc- trine. "
Nup set out for India as instructed and met the master Prakasalarpkara in Varal). asI. He asked for many teachings. In particular, he the complete empowerment of the [Anuyoga] siitras along with the
610 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
lar, he had to train completely all within his sphere of influence who remained from a past life in India where he had taken birth as the butcher Marutse, and had worked on behalf of living beings. 718 Moreover, because here in Tibet the teaching of the royal grandson [Relpacen] had declined and there arose many who did harm to his early and later teaching, Nupcen became inspired by the enlightened activity of the Conqueror to eliminate these by wrathful mantras and so to protect the teaching. Above and beyond that, there were the circumstances created by the murder of his own two sons during the early, middle or later local rebellions.
As Nup himself said:
Moreover:
I, Sangye Yeshe, constructed My hermitage at Khar, in Yama.
On the summit of the Black Pass of Dra
I set a tornado in motion.
It demolished thirty-seven hamlets of Dra.
That is to say, when the rebellions reached Dra, during sixty- first he destroyed many towns, using the sharp, wrathful mantra of Yamantaka. Then, he escaped to Nup Yu"lrong, but he was
Trouble arose in Central Tibet;
The people deprived me of sustenance.
Though a minor ascetic of Nup, like myself, sincerely Developed an enlightened attitude in accord with the doctrine, Hateful enemies would not permit me to practise.
In order to protect the Buddha's teaching
I cultivated hatred thereafter.
Thinking to expose the greatness of the good, I studied various malevolent mantra texts.
So it was that Nup introduced the wrathful mantras of the oceanic cycle of Yamantaka from India and Nepal:
I went before the feet of eleven gurus, But I met with four who were learned: These were the master SrI Siqlha, Trhaktung Nakpo of India, Santigarbha the destroyer,
And Vasudhara of Nepal.
Penetrating the spirituality of these four learned masters, I fixed their profound esoteric instructions in my heart.
But Nup obtained the very quintessence of their teaching from his Nepali master. As he himself said:
My master, the king of Nepal,
Said, "0 minor ascetic of Nup!
Come here to this Yanglesho Cave! "
He conferred the empowerment of the corpse of
the great charnel ground719
And entrusted me with the deity MaftjusrI, Lord
h . or ress In yemo, but t too, he was surrounded by armed brigands who put his life in
And:
penl. From the of. the fortress he called on the fierce gods and to bear hIm witness. After making a truthful declaration in verse, he folded up his religious robes. At that moment the oath- bound protectors of the doctrine became visible, and said, "By our
power we can crush M. ount Sumeru to powder, we can strike the sun and moon together lIke cymbals and turn heaven and earth topsy-
of Life.
Yamantaka
11
not a owed to stay there He seized Ce F t ' N
The Lineage oJNup 611
612 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
The Lineage ofNup 613
turvy. But because the retribution for your actions in previous lives was unfolding we were unable to help you before. Now, we will obey
your commands. "
Nup extracted his acacia-wood kIla from the seam721 of his robe and
drew out the vital heart-mantras of the oath-bound deities. Rolling the klla in his hands, he pointed it towards the mountain where the armed men were staying. An enormous fire blazed up on the mountain and burned the whole army to ashes. After subduing his enemies so, Nup
lived in poverty for three years.
During the reign of King Relpacen, Nup had been in the habit of
travelling between India and Tibet. On the other hand, when King Langdarma persecuted the teaching, he asked Nup, "What power do
you have? "
Nup replied, "Behold this power of mine, which comes from the
recitation of a mere mantra! "
With his index finger he pointed to the sky, and the king saw a black
iron scorpion as large as a yak, sitting nine storeys above Nup's pointed
finger.
The king was terrified and said, "By all that is precious, I will not
harm this mantrin. Go practise your doctrine! "
Then Nup said, "Behold this power yet again! " And with his index
finger he hurled a thunderbolt, which pierced the rock on the mountain
opposite and smashed it to pieces.
Now the king was extremely terrified and afraid. He said to Nup,
"I will harm neither you, nor your attendants. " And then he dismissed him. Thus it was by Nup's kindness that the mantra adepts who wore the white robe and long, braided hair were unharmed [during
Langdarma's persecution]. 722
Nup could not endure the supression of the teaching by Langdarma,
so, having collected many razor-sharp, wrathful mantras, he resolved
to bring him to an end by means of the compassionate application of
i sorcery. But when the evil king was "liberated" by Lhalung Pelg
Dorje,723 Nup concealed the wrathful mantras as treasures, lest they
be misused.
Nup Sangye Yeshe composed treatises, including the following: the
Armour Against Darkness, which is a vast commentary on the Sutra which Gathers All Intentions (mdo'i 'grel-chen mun-pa'i go-cha); the Dis- putant's Sword which Cuts through Difficulties (dka'-gcod smra-ba'i
mtshon-cha); the Commentary on the Realisation of the Eighty-Chapter Magical Net (sgyu-'phrul brgyad-cu-pa'i mngon-rtogs 'grel); and the Lamp for the Eye o f Contemplation, which is an Esoteric Instruction o f the Great
Perfection.
By the enlightened activities of exegesis and attainment, he covered the earth with the teaching ofthe three aspects ofcreation and perfection. While he had many disciples, there were five particularly sublime ones,
namely, his four spiritual sons and the one most authentl' . f th '
III one 0 e master s own songs:
In the forest of discriminative awareness
That yangwangter, the ascetic of Nup,
tree of enlightened attributes grew. WIth It, I filled five supreme vessels:
I
c son. t says
There was one who carried off the That was Loncen Phakpa.
There was one who carried off the That was Lekpei Dronme.
There was one who carried off the That was Tengi yontenchok. There was one who carried off the That was Yeshe Wangcuk.
But one alone took the whole tree' That was Yonten Gyamtso. '
roots' '
leaves' '
flowers' '
fruits' '
. Thus, the four were: Pagor Loncen Phakpa, who was learned In the ta. ntras, WhICh are the roots,' SrutOon Lnekpeml' D "e , wh0 was Iearned In [the texts of] deathless nectar 724 WhI'ch are the Ie T '
. '
flontenc 0 , who was learned In answering objections which is the
y" hk
aves; engI
an. d So Ye. she who was learned in the'essential doc- of VIew and IntentIOn, which are like fruits. The one most authen- was Khulung Yonten Gyamtso, who was learned in all four su Jects.
h' h
ra w lC
M. h
oreover, In t e history of the empowerment of the Sut Gathers All Intentions in particular it says:
The tra? smitted precepts of the empowerment, tantra, and fell to Khulungpa [Yonten GyamtsoJ. The trans- mItted the stream of the four empowerments fell to Su[ton Lekpel DronmeJ.
£ In siitras, Nupcen Sangye Yeshe is hailed as a bodhisattva of the level. While there was a prophecy that he would be born two £ years after the Teacher's nirval). a, this was an approximation
If
f t h e C : , r o n o l o g y o f t h e K l i l a c a k r a T a n t r a , w h i c h i s w e l l
afte y,h
ironr e eacher's mrval). a. This is because it is calculated from the
or It was close to two th d foIl . ousan
'
years.
was born. one thousand seven hundred and thirteen years
hI'
ragon year of the Teacher's passing (881 BC) 725 T t . h
years later in the
fell onto th f etrt mon <ey year (853 BC), the secret mantra texts
and . h roo 0 the palace of King Ja. One thousand six hundred b elg Ive years after that in the water mouse year 832 Nup was
orn. ThIS same t '
T h' wa er mouse year was the forty-third year of King
r Isong, who had been born in the iron horse year 790; and it was
we make an accurate calculation
wen y-elg t
614 History: The Distant Lineage ofTransmitted Precepts
The LineageojNup 615
the sixth after the ordination of the "seven men who were tested", which had occurred in the fire sheep year 827. In the earth tiger year 858, when Nupcen was in his twenty-seventh year, King Trhisong
died. Eighty-five years later, in the water tiger year 943, . Nupcen passed away. Therefore, it is clear that he lived for about thIrty-seven years
after the persecution of the teaching by Langdarma.
Nup passed away in his one hundred and e. leventh year . in the dis-
trict of Khyonmi. Finally, he entered nirva1)a In a mass of hght, spon- taneously accomplished by means of the path of the natural Great
Perfection.
KHULUNG YONTEN GY AMTSO
[300. 3-302.