No More Learning

Some of these men were saying: "I will gain access to the stiipa! " Others were saying: "I will have it! "
Still others were saying: "I will steal it! "
And others were saying: "I will take it away by force! "
Then dPal-gyi dbang-phyug took the stiipa in his hands and from it came sounds like a fine lute which were heard in all the three thousand worlds. Countless beings of all kinds crowded around to listen. The music enchanted them all, and no one tired of hearing it. This was dPal-gyi dbang-phyug's dream.
dGe-mtsho dreamt that she held a garland of shells and red coral in her hands; from the shells flowed milk and from the coral, blood.
16
? ----------------~~~--------------~
Unimaginably great crowds of people partook of the blood and milk that ceaselessly poured forth, filling all the worlds in the universe. She dreamt that the red and white nectar would continue to flow until the end of the age. Such was dGe-mtsho's dream.
The next morning, just as the sun was rising, a strange and beautiful maiden appeared at the palace. Like a daughter of the gods, she was dressed all in white, and she sang: "Into the palace of the Father-king comes the Buddha, comes the Dharma, comes the Sangha. 0 how wonderful! " And then she disappeared without a trace.
Nine months later, strange sounds were heard, including a catena of vowel sounds, the syllables HRl and GURU PADMA VAJRA A. Tantric mantras spoken in Sanskrit sounded continuously and clearly, though no one knew their source. At dawn of the tenth day of the bird year, in the monkey month, amid many miraculous events, dGe-mtsho gave birth without pain.
The earth trembled and roared like a dragon. Flowers fell from the sky, and the little lake near the palace became much larger. Strange and wonderful flowers appeared on the surface of the lake-flowers of red and white and many colors, shimmering and glowing. A rainbow of five colors arched out of the palace, soaring upwards where all could see it. For a long time, the air was filled with the sound of lutes and other instruments. Lovely goddesses appeared in the sky showing the upper half of their bodies above the clouds and singing songs of good will and joy:
"HRI!
The Dharmakaya, the Great Bliss, is Samantabhadra;
the Sambhogakaya is the qakini Vajra Yogin! ;
you are the NirmaQakaya, Great Mother of the Buddhas; rejoice and be happy!
"The Dharmakaya is the Vajraqakini,
the expanse of openness;
the Sambhogakaya is Sarasvati,
Mother of the Buddhas of the three times; you are the NirmaQakaya,
17
? ~-~-------------------~~--------------------~
wondrous lady marked with perfection. May you be victorious!
"The Dharmakaya is the presencing
of the expanse of Pristine Awareness;
the Sambhogakaya is the seven-eyed White Tara,
mother of the Aryas;
you are the NirmiQakaya, the supreme one among men- we bow low to you! "
As soon as the song was done, a rain of flowers fell, and all the goddesses vanished into the expanse of the sky.
At the moment of her birth, the little incarnation sang in a cle-. u voice: "Hail, Padmasambhava! Great Wise One of Orgyan! " She was able to sit cross-legged and to kneel; she was alert and watched all that went on around her. Unstained by the womb, her complexion was fresh and healthy, white and rosy from the start. Her remarkably white teeth coiled like conch shells, and her hair, of bluish color, hung down to her waist. When her mother gave her yak butter to eat, she sang:
"I am an incarnation, a girl yogini.
Since consuming the nectar that never deteriorates, I have forgotten all food that decays.
But so my mother may accumulate merit,
I will eat this food.
"How will I eat this?
The same way I consumed the secret teachings. How will I swallow this?
The same way I swallowed all samsara.
How will I be satisfied?
The same way I was satisfied
by Pristine Awareness and Pure Wisdom.
A YE! "
And so she ate the butter.
Her father considered: "What an unusual girl! There is something saintly about her. Perhaps she is a great female siddha of the Buddhist
18
? ~--------------------~~----------------~-
or Bon tradition. Or maybe she will become the queen of a World Ruler. Since our little lake has become much larger since she was born, I will call her mTsh9-rgyal, 'the Lake Conquers'. "
After only one month, mTsho-rgyal was in all ways like an eight- year-old child. Realizing this could cause gossip, her mother and father kept her hidden for ten years. At the end of that time, mTsho-rgyal had matured into a woman of extraordinary beauty in both face and form. Any who chanced to see her were amazed and delighted. Soon, large numbers of people were coming from the many lands of Tibet, China, Mongolia, Turkestan, Nepal, and more-just to look upon her.
This Concludes the Second Chapter on How Ye-shes mTsho-rgyal Manifested in NirmaQakiya Form in the Land of Tibet for the Purpose ofTraining Beings.
19
? ? ? ? Blo-ldan mchog-sred
? Ye-shes mTsho-rgyal Recognizes the Impermanence of All Things and Relies Upon a Teacher
'\V T ith the arrival of many suitors, the time had clearly come for W mTsho-rgyal's mother and father to discuss their daughter's future with the nobles and ministers-of-state. They agreed that should mTsho-rgyal be promised to any one of the suitors, the others would
become very angry. Only the express command of the sovereign king of Tibet could then prevent a great deal of trouble. So mTsho-rgyal's parents did not give her to anyone and sent all the suitors away.
But then dPal-gyi gzhon-nu, powerful lord of the mKhar-chu province, appeared with an offer of three hundred horses and mules fully laden with goods in return for mTsho-rgyal. Soon after, rDo-rje dbang-phyug, ruler of Zur-mkhar province, appeared with an equal offer. Still the problem remained. No matter which of the two was given the girl, the other could be expected to cause trouble. Finally her parents decided that mTsho-rgyal herself should choose.
But mTsho-rgyal pleaded with her mother and father not to force her to make such a choice: "T o go with either of these men would be to enter the prison of samsaric suffering, from which it is so very difficult to escape. "
21
? ==--------------~~--------------~~
Though she urgently begged them, her parents remained adamant. Her father reproached her: "In this whole land, you will find no more powerful men than these our neighbors. For a well-born girl, you are not very agreeable. I would not send you far away, not to China or Mongolia-but I have told these two most eligible men that one of them would have you, and I have given my word. Now you refuse to go with either one. If I give you to one of them, the loser will be upset, and there may be fighting.
"Though you are my daughter, above all I want to prevent trouble. Therefore, I will send you away, and whoever finds you first shall have you. The other must promise not to provoke any conflict. If he breaks his word, I will inform the King of the Realm that his laws against interprovincial war have been broken. "
Thus, powerless, mTsho-rgyal was forced to leave home. Dressed in fine silks, she was led away in a caravan of one hundred laden horses and yaks to face whatever disasters lay ahead.
The Lord of mKhar-chu was the quickest of the two rivals to respond. As soon as he heard dPal-gyi dbang-phyug's decree, he sent his officer Santi-pa to catch and bind mTsho-rgyal. Seeing the officer coming from afar, mTsho-rgyal fled, leaping across great boulders, leaving footprints in them as if they were mud. But Santi-pa finally caught her as she was climbing in the mountains.
Still, no one could control her. The evil Santi-pa stripped her and beat her with a thorn whip, trying to make her submit. "Girl, you are a demoness! " he cried. "Your father and mother could not control you. But you will yield to me, or I will kill you! " And then he beat her even more.
mTsho-rgyal answered him:
"After tens of thousands of ages,
I have achieved this body of realization.
Even if I were not to use it
for the purpose of enlightenment,
should I use it to create more suffering in this world?
22
? ~-------------------~~~-------------------~
Lord mKhar-chu may rule the steppes with great power,
but he lacks even one day's inclination to achieve enlightenment. I would rather die than surrender and be his wife. "
The officer Santi-pa replied:
"Outwardly, girl, you are beautiful, but inside you are rotten.
Outwardly, your face is fair,
but you make trouble for your country. Outwardly, you are soft,
but inside you are hard as lentils.
Girl, you must accept Lord mKhar-chu! "
But mTsho-rgyal responded:
"It is difficult to achieve a human body,
one which is a unique occasion and right juncture.
But it is not so hard to get a body like yours-
your body is wicked and hurtful; it is not really human. What good would come from my marrying mKhar-chu? "
The officer and his men beat her again with thorn whips until the bristles were red with her blood. Finally, mTsho-rgyal could bear it no longer and collapsed. Unable t o stand, she fell before them like an arrow. The soldiers were delighted and danced around, singing with joy.
mTsho-rgyal was in great despair. Lying there bloody and in tears, she could think of no way to escape. So she sang this sad song to the Buddhas of the ten directions:
"Kye Ma Hud!
0 Buddhas of the ten directions,
Bodhisattvas and Protectors of beings,
Masters ofgreat compassion and power,
possessors of the Wisdom Eye and magical abilities, 0 great-hearted ones,
the time has come to show your mercy!
"My mind is white, whiter than the white snow mountains; it will turn dark, darker than rust,
23
? ----------------~~~---------------
contaminated by the minds of these alien demons. Please look upon me with a little compassion!
"My mind is good, its quality like gold;
it will turn bad, worse than the worst bronze, contaminated by the minds of these alien demons. You who have the Eye of Wisdom,
look to me with understanding!
"My intention is good, like a precious jewel;
it will become bad, worthless as stone,
contaminated by the intentions of these alien demons. You who have power, please bring it forth now!
"In one lifetime, in one body,
I can realize the highest Dharma.
But these alien demons will envelop me in the mire ofsamsara. You who have compassion, return me quickly to the Path! "
While mTsho-rgyal sang this song to herself, the soldiers were celebrating, becoming quite drunk with beer. So they all fell asleep, which gave mTsho-rgyal a chance to escape. Running more swiftly than the wind, she fled through valleys and mountain passes, always heading toward southern Tibet.
In the morning the men awoke to find her gone. Regretful and afraid, they searched far and wide, but could not find her anywhere. They searched her home in mKhar-chen, but she was nowhere to be found. Finally they returned to mKhar-chu.
About this same time, the teacher Padmasambhava unexpectedly appeared at mChims-phu near bSam-yas. When the anti-Buddhist ministers heard of this, they headed there at once, intending to kill him. But as they drew near, they saw a great fire burning all around. Terrified, they returned and complained to the king:
"Kye Ho!
King of the World, Lord of Men, Son of the Gods-listen to us! That vagabond from some unknown hinterland
did not go to Turkestan as we commanded.
24
? ~-------------------~~~-------------------~
Instead he must have gone to mChims-phu.
Shall we kill him now or try once more to banish him? What shall we do? "
Inwardly, the Dharma King was more than happy when he heard that Padmasambhava was close by, for Padmasambhava knew certain oral teachings of the Buddha which did not require the emotions to be conquered. The king greatly desired these teachings, so he sent three scholars to Padmasambhava with gifts of golden bowls and an invi- tation to come to bSam-yas.
As Padmasambhava started down the mountain from mChims-phu, he became aware that the antagonistic ministers planned to ambush him. Heavily armed, they were lying in wait on a precipitous footpath. So he sent the three scholars on ahead and said he would follow later.
He then made the finger-pointing mudra with his hand and after crying out: "HOM! HOM! HOM! " in a loud voice, he rose up into the air. A mountain of flames reaching to the farthest realms surrounded him, and within the circle of flames, he manifested as Guru Drag-po. All those who saw this manifestation fell unconscious out of sheer terror.
When the Guru arrived at the palace, even the king was utterly terrified and fell senseless before him. Other people also saw him, but in many different guises. He then returned to his peaceful manifestation and seated himselfin the mandala ofthe guru. The king soon recovered his senses and after bowing before his teacher with reverence, cir- cumambulated him countless times and offered him mountains ofgifts. Again, the king asked Padmasambhava for his teaching.
The Teacher replied: "This is not the proper time to teach you the secret Mantrayana. First you must study the other Dharma vehicles and train and purify your mind. Next year at this time I will give you what you are asking for. "
While this exchange was taking place, mTsho-rgyal was in the wil- derness near 'On-phu Tiger Cave, wearing only cotton garments and living on fruit. The lord of Zur-mkhar, having heard where she had gone, took three hundred men to search for her. Again, she was cap- tured and carried off.
25
? ----------------~~--------------~~
When Lord mKhar-chu-pa heard of this, he sent a letter to the mKhar-chen-pa, mTsho-rgyal's father:
"Most excellent dPal-gyi dbang-phyug:
You gave your daughter to me,
but then she disappeared, and I could not find her. Now I hear Lord Zur-mkhar has captured her
in a land a long way from here.
Is this true, what I hear?
What can you tell me of these rumors?
I f you have had any part in this, I will fight you! If you know nothing, I will fight Zur-mkhar! "
After sending the letter, mKhar-chu at once began to gather a great army. And then the lord of mKhar-chen sent back this reply:
"rDo-rje, Lord of mKhar-chu:
What do you mean by your letter?
Please do not threaten me with harsh words I do not understand. My daughter has left my house; I know nothing more.
How can fighting with me give you what you want? "
But he also set about raising a large army. Soon he received a letter from Zur-mkhar as well:
"Excellent King dPal-gyi dbang-phyug:
Your daughter was hiding in a far distant borderland.
I searched her out and found her-she is here with me now. If I offer you great riches and priceless goods,
will you give your wonderful daughter to me? "
Zur-mkhar received this reply from mTsho-rgyal's father:
"Some time ago, I solemnly promised
that the one who reached mTsho-rgyal first could have her. If I now accept more riches for my daughter,
there will surely be fighting.
Therefore, whatever will make mTsho-rgyal happy,
even if it is to wander alone in the borderlands,
is all right with me. "
26
? -----------------~~-----------
But when Zur-mkhar-pa received this letter, he decided not to let mTsho-rgyal go. So he put her in chains and locked her away while he
gathered a great army in preparation for war.
When the King of the Realm heard news of this dispute, he sent this letter to dPal-gyi dbang-phyug of mKhar-chen:
"mKhar-chen dPal-gyi dbang-phyug:
Listen to me. Attend carefully to what I say!
If you do not heed the words of your Sovereign King, I will quickly overthrow you!
You have a wonderful and beautiful daughter-
! wish to make her my wife.
Remember that in accord with my law,
whoever makes war in my domain will be executed. "
The letter was delivered by seven ministers-of-state. As soon as mKhar-chen dPal-gyi dbang-phyug received the letter and confirmed that it was genuine, he sent back a reply offering mTsho-rgyal to the king:
"Ho!
World King, most powerful of men:
My daughter is truly incomparable!
Why would I not rejoice in your making her your queen? Until now, I had feared there would be war,
but the vast armies of the Sovereign King
can take care ofanything. "
The king was very pleased and went with nine hundred horsemen to Zur-mkhar to fetch mTsho-rgyal-intimidating the lord ofZur-mkhar considerably.
dPal-gyi dbang-phyug of mKhar-chen actually had three daughters. He was able to give the eldest, bDe-chen-mtsho, to Lord rDo-rje of mKhar-chu, making him quite happy and content. Lord gZhon-nu of Zur-mkhar was satisfied when given the middle daughter, Nyi-ma- mtsho. The youngest daughter, mTsho-rgyal, was taken by the king himself, and so the others had to relinquish all hopes of possessing her. Thus the threat of war was dispelled and harmony restored.
27
? ----------------~~~---------------
The king welcomed mTsho-rgyal with rich robes of fine silk and adorned her with many precious jewels. They then journeyed to bSam-yas where the king celebrated her arrival with three months of festivities.
Because mTsho-rgyal had great faith in the Dharma, the king en- couraged her to study and appointed learned men to teach her. They taught her only the most fundamental subjects-first the alphabet, reading, and writing, then the five branches of learning, and the cultivation of inner and outer good qualities-but this was enough for her practice.
After some time had passed, the king again invited Padmasambhava to come to the palace. Khri-srong lde'u-btsan prepared a jewelled throne and offered a veritable mountain of earthly. goods to his great Teacher. He decorated a mandala of silver with clusters of gold, and a mandala ofgold with ornaments of turquoise to give to the Guru. He even offered Padmasambhava the whole of his realm as if it were a symbolic mandala of Mount Meru and the four great continents.
He offered the central provinces of dBus and gTsang as if they were Mount Meru, and he offered the three regions of the East-China, Jang, and Khams-as if they were the great eastern continent, islands, and subsidiary regions. He offered the three regions of the South-Byar, Kong, and Mon-as if they were the great southern continent, islands, and subsidiary regions. He offered the three regions of the West- the three lands of mNga'-ris-as if they were the great western conti- nent, islands, and subsidiary regions. He offered the three regions of the North-Hor, Sog, and 'Brog-as if they were the great northern continent, islands, and subsidiary regions. Thus, he offered his whole kingdom, including his wives, and all available worldly pleasures. Having done this, he asked:
"Great Guru Rinpoche! I offer all that is under my power to you. I offer my realm in the form of a mandala, Guru Rinpoche! Because of your great compassion for all beings, including all gods and men, I will follow you devotedly in all ways forever. I seek the secret Mantrayana teachings that go beyond cause and effect and karmic relations. This is
28
? -----------------~----------------~
no time for the ordinary Dharma: Please give me the special teachings of the Buddha that give realization in one lifetime, in one body. "
Having asked this, the king bowed before the Teacher nine times. The great Guru then answered him in verse:
"EMa Ho!
Great Dharma King, listen well.
I am the Lotus-born One, Padmasambhava.
"From the vajra light
of the body, speech, and mind of Amitabha,
free from birth and death,
from the realm of the lotus of limitless Great Bliss,
I descended and appeared in the centerless, boundless vast ocean.
"I was born from a lotus without cause or condition, I was born without parents, family, or clan: Miraculously arisen, self-manifested,
free from birth and death,
empowered by a host of qakinis.
I practiced and became accomplished
in the most sacred Mantrayana-
in the highest root teachings,
the explanations and technical instructions which transcend karma, cause and effect.
"Though you promise to cherish the Dharma
and respect it throughout your life,
though you are a mighty king and rule a great realm wisely, you cannot barter for the Dharma with material goods.
"Conniving for the Teachings sullies the root commitments. If l-or anyone else-were to become involved in that,
we would surely fall into hell after death.
"Though you possess all worldly powers,
and have bestowed upon me the gifts of a king,
this is not reason enough to reveal these secret teachings. The secret teachings require a worthy vessel.
29
? ~->-------------------~~~--------------------~
"Consider the rich milk of the snow lioness-
only in a precious vessel of gold will it retain its goodness. Poured into another bowl, it changes: Its essence is destroyed. Therefore, I must keep the secret teachings
sealed within my heart. "
When Padmasambhava had finished speaking, his body expanded and grew so that the upper half reached to the heights of the desire realm, and the lower half extended to the depths of hell. Then he returned to the shape of a lama and sat down again on the throne.
But the king fell prostrate before him, collapsing like a wall of bricks, and cried out in despair: "Great Guru! If I am not fortunate enough to be a worthy vessel for the secret teachings, I am only the image ofa king! " And he lay on the earth, moaning and weeping. Guru Rinpoche answered him: "Great King, get up and listen to me:
"EMa Ho!
Why are the secret teachings called secret?
There is nothing sinful in the Mantrayana,
but it is secret to those of lesser minds on lower vehicles. You, King, are not so unfortunate,
but a great mind with discriminating wisdom is needed; one with faith and commitment that will never revert; one that thoroughly respects and honors
the teacher of the secret doctrine.
"I myselfam unsullied by desire or lust;
and such faults as attachment do not exist in me.
But a woman is a necessary accoutrement to the secret teachings: she must be ofgood family, committed to the Dharma,
and a keeper of the vows;
lovely of form and complexion, .
she must excel in skillful means, discrimination, and learning; she must be filled with the power of compassion,
and marked with the signs of a Wisdom qakini.
Without such a one,
the maturation and liberation practices are obstructed;
30
? ~-------------------~~~------------------~~
the result, the achievement of the secret teachings does not occur.
"Though there be many in this land ofTibet under the sun who practice the Mantrayana,
those who obtain its fruit are as rare as stars in daytime. But for you, Great King,
I will open the doors of the esoteric Dharma. "
After saying this, he manifested briefly in the form of Vajrasattva, and then again sat down.
The king, having understood, took the crown from offhis head and bowed low to Padmasambhava. He gave gifts of the five precious substances, along with other offerings. And he gave Padmasambhava the Lady mTsho-rgyal.
Padmasambhava was very pleased, and gave mTsho-rgyal special initiations as the consort of the teacher. Then the two of them went to mChims-phu dGe'u and engaged in secret practices.
This Concludes the Third Chapter on How Ye-shes mTsho-rgyal Saw the Nature of Impermanence and Relied Upon a Teacher
31
? ? ? ? ? Padma rgyal-po
? Ye-shes mTsho-rgyal Asks Her Teacher for Instruction in the Dharma
nadmasambhava and mTsho-rgyal went first to mChim-phu dGe, as r was explained before; later they moved on to the retreat at gYa'-ma- lung. During this time, Padmasambhava advised mTsho-rgyal always to behave in a virtuous manner and to follow the teachings of the Buddha, particularly the Four Noble Truths. He taught her the Siitras, the Vinaya, the Abhidharma, all the teachings of provisional meaning, including the meaning of cause and effect and karma. Teaching her properly, he explained what must be accepted and what rejected, and ordained her as a novice in the pure Sangha. mTsho-rgyallistened to his instructions in all the six higher Dharma vehicles and took them to heart. Soon she stabilized her meditations,? assimilated the explana-
tions, and achieved a high degree of spiritual understanding.
At this time the goddess Sarasvati spontaneously appeared to her in a vision, and mTsho-rgyal found she possessed complete retention of everything she had been taught. She could perceive the entire world through her ordinary eyes, and could keenly distinguish all that deteriorates and all that does not. She also became able to exhibit certain miraculous bodily transformations.
A complete listing of the teachings mTsho-rgyal was given is not set down here because of its great length. But, in short, all the Buddha's teachings were present in Guru Rinpoche as if he were a vessel
33
? ----------------~~----------------~
completely filled. The lady Ye-shes mTsho-rgyallater explained: "After I had served him sufficiently long with material offerings and the delights of body, speech, and mind, thus creating a foundation, I received all these teachings as if the contents of one vessel were being transferred to another.
"I entered a state that was both tranquil and completely wholesome. I clearly distinguished all the nine Dharma vehicles and knew at once what was Dharma and what was not Dharma. I understood the un- derlying harm implicit in cause and effect. I then felt a desire for the highest, most sublime Dharma which transcends cause and effect and which transcends karma. " So she asked Guru Rinpoche in a song:
"KyeMa!
Jetsun, Incarnate One!
Born in the land of Orgyan,
you surpass all the learned ones of India.
You are the Buddha's successor in the land of Tibet. As for me, I am young in years, but I have experience: I have suffered much since the age of twelve.
My father and mother did not follow the Teachings, but gave me as bride to a man not of the Dharma. Having no interest in worldly things,
I escaped to the valley of the 'On-phu Tiger Cave. There, a suitor driven by lust and desire
captured and imprisoned me.
Powerless, I learned about suffering.
"Guru, Lord, by your compassion,
the great Dharma King took me under his protection- he made me his queen and brought me to bSam-yas. When I was sixteen, the king offered me to you
as a fit foundation for the three initiations.
Now that I have some understanding
of the harm implicit within cause and effect,
I ask you to teach me the supreme Dharma
that goes beyond cause and effect. "
34
? -----------------~~--------------~
Padmasambhava smiled radiantly when he heard her request. In a rich and beautiful voice, he sang to her:
"Very good, daughter of mKhar-chen bza'.
You are a young woman of sixteen years,
yet you have seen the suffering of eighty.
You realize all this was due to your past karma.
From now on, your karma will have a pure and fine flavor, from now on, you will always have joy.
Never again will you be burdened
with a bad body due to bad karma.
Now you completely understand
the harm implicit in cause and effect;
it is good that you want the highest teachings of the Great Vehicle. "
Then he brought her to the brink of the Mantrayana practices by giving her the commitments of the root and branch precepts, and he told her:
"listen, daughter of mKhar-chen bza'!
Hear me, do not be inattentive, All-good Queen.
These commitments are the root of the great Mantrayana Vehicle. If you break them, both of us will suffer.
You must take these solemn vows. "
Padmasambhava first taught mTsho-rgyal the fundamental precepts, the root precepts of body, of speech, and of mind, and the twenty-five branch precepts-altogether four areas of instruction.
In this way, mTsho-rgyal studied the fundamental commitments of the enlightened mind, which included a whole series of instructions beginning with the relative enlightened mind and leading up to the ultimate enlightened mind. She learned that from the beginningless beginning of time, one's body is of the nature of a deity, one's speech is the sound of mantras, and one's mind is Being itself, because one can never pass from reality itself.
First mTsho-rgyal studied the commitments concerning the body. These can be divided into three parts: the section on the teacher, the
? ----------------~~-------------~
section on the student, and the section on the means of keeping the commitments.
Concerning the teacher, first there is the general lama; second, the guiding lama; third, the lama of the commitments; fourth, the lama as expiator of broken vows; fifth, the lama who liberates the understand- ing; and sixth, the lama who gives religious instructions and precepts.
Second, mTsho-rgyal learned of the four types of students, or Dharma brothers and sisters: the general Dharma brothers and sisters, all sentient beings; the distant Dharma brothers and sisters, all who follow the teachings of the Buddha; the close Dharma brothers and sisters of one's own lineage; and the interconnected Dharma brothers and sisters of the same mandala.
Third, mTsho-rgyal learned how she should guard the commit- ments. Externally, one should look upon the commitments of the body as one looks upon one's lord, one's parents, and one's best friend. Internally, one should look upon the commitments as one's eyes, one's heart, one's life itself. Secretly, one should look upon the commitments as one's tutelary deities. Therefore, one must never be dishonest, de- ceitful, or cunning through the gates of body, speech, or mind.
In short, one should respect all lamas and Dharma friends by all the gates of the body. One should circumambulate them, and spread cushions for them, treating them with the honor a servant shows his master. One should offer them whatever they desire in the way of food, wealth, pleasure, and enjoyment.
In particular, one should respect and honor and make offerings to those close to the lama-his wife, sons, daughters, father, mother, brothers, sisters, other relatives, and even his servants. One should treat them all with the greatest respect, as if they were not different from the lama. This is the way the commitments must be guarded.
Likewise, one must listen well to the words of the lama and never despise those who serve him, his students, disciples, patrons, and so on. In short, one must always honor and make offerings to those whom the
36
? ----------------~~-------------
lama holds dear to his heart, treating them as if they were not different from the lama. One should treat the lama's horses, watchdogs, and servants in the same way.
Without permission from the lama or from one's Dharma brothers and sisters, one should never use their food, wealth, or possessions, even down to the least seed of sesame. Nor should one even allow such self-indulgent ideas to enter the mind.
Moreover, one should never step over the hat, clothes, belongings, pillows, bed, sitting places, or even the shadow of the lama. It is said that to step over these things is not different from breaking a holy statue or destroying a stiipa. O f course, one should never strike anyone, kill, steal, and so on. Certainly one should never do such things in the lama's presence, but even apart from him, one should not even jokingly suggest inappropriate behavior.
One should never find fault with the teacher, or criticize him to other people. One should not make things up or spread gossip. It is said that one who argues with, or talks back to, or turns against the teacher will surely be born in the Vajra hell. Even should such a one pray to the Tathagatas of the three thousand realms, he would not be saved.
In summary, the commitments ofthe body forbid deceit, dishonesty, bad thoughts, abusiveness, wrong views, harmful attitudes, hopeless- ness, and so on in relation to the lama and Dharma brothers and sisters. If one breaks these commitments for even an instant by just a hair's breadth, one cannot escape retribution.
Next, mTsho-rgyal studied the commitments relating to speech, which concern practices involving tutelary deities. These practices can be discussed in two ways: according to the types of practice, and according to the means of guarding them. The types of practice are as follows:
First, there are three types of mantras: the root mantras which are the infallible cause; the mantras which are the conditions for visual- ization; and the mantras of activity which are repeatedly recited. The
37
? ----------------~~----------------
types of mudras consist of the Samayamudra, the Karmamudra and Jiianamudra, the Dharmamudra, and the Mahamudra.
Second, there are the mandalas of teachers, tutelary deities, and qakinis, which bear a special relationship to the gates of the body, speech, and mind. The yogic practices involved can be classified as high, medium, and low.
As Ye-shes mTsho-rgyal later explained, Guru Rinpoche gave her 700,000 mandalas of the unexcelled Mantrayana, and she practiced them as was appropriate, according to the high, medium, and low levels. On the most powerful high level, she practiced the samadhi of Great Bliss which is totally non-conceptual. In the manner of the middle high-level practices, she performed the samadhi which realizes all the appearances of existence to be gods and goddesses. In the manner of the lower high-level practices, she entered the Unbroken River Flow Samadhi.
Also, in the manner of the highest of the high-level practices, she held the mandala of the tutelary deities Hayagriva and Vajravarahi firmly in her mind like a continuously flowing river. According to the middle high level, she did the Vajrakila practices three times each day and three times each night, according to her promise to do them six times each day.
Following the methods of the lower of the high practices, each day she carefully did the eight Heruka sadhanas, making offerings, chant- ing mantras, and performing the necessary practices. She did numerous other practices relating to the mandalas of other deities, each for an appropriate time and in an appropriate manner, never forgetting to do any of them, not even for a day.
She performed the highest-level practices in their entirety each month, never failing to perform the proper adjunctive practices and making all the offerings at the right times. The middle practices she performed eighty times or more at the time of the new moon and full moon. The lower-level practices she also performed without fail each month. Even the very least of the practices she did once a year, com- pletely and perfectly, without neglecting anything.
38
? ----------------~~-----------------
Then mTsho-rgyal studied the commitments concerning mind. These can be looked upon in three ways: according to vision, medi- tation, and action. They can also be discussed according to types of practices and means of guarding them.
First she studied the profound vision; meditation as it operates through the gates of experience; and action as it leads to liberation via the Developing and Perfecting Stages, which can be treated on an outer, inner, or esoteric level.
Second, mTsho-rgyal studied the four outer secrets, the four condi- tional secrets, the appropriately-held secrets, and the secrets which must not be divulged to anyone.
The four outer secrets are the yidam, the characteristics ofdeities, the heart mantra, and the signs of realization which may arise.
The conditional secrets are the location of the practices, the time of the practices, the associates with whom one practices, and the sub- stances used in practices.
The appropriately-kept secrets include substances given as offer- ings: ritual offerings and secret offerings-medicines, tormas, skulls, daggers, staffs, vajras, bells, beads, and other symbolic instruments held in the hand during meditation. They also concern special substances for mandalas, the eight types o f cemetery ornaments, bone garlands, and so on, aQd also any substances used in more advanced Mantrayana prac- tices. In particular, this includes skull drums, skulls, and thighbone trumpets.
The things one must not divulge to anyone include the private practices of Dharma brothers and sisters, and the purification practices one does to expiate unwholesome behavior. Nor should one gossip concerning the unusual behavior of teachers, Dharma brothers and sisters, or for that matter, about the behavior of any sentient being whatsoever. And one should not discuss with other people any other kind of behavior which is appropriately kept secret.
Thus, there are ten secret commitments relating to body, speech, and mind. The four relating to body concern teachers and Dharma brothers
39
? ----------------~~-------------
and sisters. The two relating to speech include the three types of mantras and the four types of mudras. The four relating to mind include the four outer secrets and the four conditional secrets, the four appropriately-kept secrets, and the secrets not to be divulged to anyone.
Once she had received these precepts from her teacher, mTsho-rgyal kept them all without even considering deviating from them, not even in the slightest way for the shortest period of time.
Finally, Padmasambhava taught her the twenty-five branch com- mitments. The five acts to be symbolically performed: ordinary unity (sexual practices), liberation (killing), stealing, lying, and abusive talk. These are the five practices.
The five substances to be accepted readily by practitioners: human waste, the bodhi mind (semen or other substances), flesh (maril. sa), blood (rakta), and urine.
The five things to meditate upon: the five Buddha families, the five types of Pristine Awareness, the five masculine aspects, the five femi- nine aspects, and the Five Kayas, aspects of Being.
The five things not to be rejected out of hand: desire, hatred, igno- rance, pride, and jealousy.
The five things to know: the five aggregates, the five elements, the five sense organs, the five sense objects, and the five colors.
Padmasambhava expanded upon these precepts and also gave mTsho-rgyal further teachings so that she would receive the most complete and thorough instructions in their purest form.