Chapter 1 - Shri System (ii): The Lineage of thug rje chen po

The Lineage of thugs rje chen po rgyal ba rgya mtsho^[1] : snang ba mtha' yas (Amitābha), thugs rje chen po (Mahākaruṇika), Padmasambhava (pad ma 'byun gnas), phag mo of bhangala, (up to) ti pu pa, ras chung pa, zangs ri ras pa, sangs rgyas ras then, spom brag pa' karma pa shi, the māhasiddha urgyan pa, rang byung rdo rje, khams chen rgan lhas pa, stag ston gzhon nu dar, bag ston gzhon tshul pa, the mahaupādhyāya shes rab rdo rje, chos sgo ba chos dpal shes rib, rgod phrug pa grags pa 'byung gnas, and many others.

The rite and initiation of the Kulalokanātha sādhana^[2] originated with the yar kluns lo tsa ba grags pa rgyal mtshan. He bestowed its Tantra of 53 slokas^[3] together with its Commentary^[4] on lo tsa ba dus 'khor ba bsod she, from whom a numerous Lineage originated. The Cycle^[5] of Padmajāla^[6] which was expounded to bu ston by the Kashmirian paṇḍita Sumanahhśri, also belongs to the Cycle of the Mahākarunika^[7] iii. Transmission by the man of spiritual realization.

The manner of transmitting the Doctrine preached by the Man who had attained spiritual realization (grub pa thob pa'i skyes bu), an emanation of Avalokiteśvara: There existed a method of taking a vow through the rite of the Mental Creative Effort towards Enlightenment, as well as the degree of transit meditation according to the: Madhyamaka system written by the Bodhisattva Candradhvaja, an indisputable manifestation of Avalokiteśvara.

The Degree of propitiation Ārya Avalokiteśvara by performing the rite of fasting was preached by the nun Laksmi (dpal mo) personally blessed by Ārya Avalokiteśvara. She taught it to the paṇḍita ye shes bzang po^[8] blessed by her. He to bal po^[9] pe nya ba, blessed by him. They all were saints.^[10] The Bodhisattva Candradhvaja obtained (the Doctrine) from him (pe nya ba).

The story of his recognition by other people as the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara himself: In the temple of Sa_vara (bde mchog lha khan) in Nepal many dākinis {(2a)} gathered. The temple keeper saw (them) and inquired: From where did you come? What are you doing here? The dākinis replied: we have come from Puṇḍravardhana. ^[11] Avalokiteśvara Pundravardhana himself is residing here. We have come to make offerings to him. The keeper continued: Who is he? The ḍākinī s answered: He is the Bodhisattva Candradhvaja! When the on po lo tsa ba was sleeping in the Temple of Ārya Wati^{[12] [13]} , Wa ti himself foretold that Candradhvaja was Ārya (Avalokiteśvara) himself, and now many people accepted (him as Avalokiteśvara).

Many legends exist, such as for example the following: When Candradhvaja was searching for something which could benefit the purification of sins of living beings, he discovered that by fasting once in the presence of Ārya Avalokiteśvara, one was able to remove a great sin, and obtain (rebirth) in a human form, and that in the end such a person was to go to Sukhāvati. But I did not cite them here.

The bla ma sachen (kun dga' sning po) acted for a long time as attendant of Candradhvaja. This establishes the time of the appearance of (Candradhvaja).

(Candradhvaja) was also the Teacher of 'gro ba'i mgon po dpal phag mo gru pa1792 and of the siddha la gyag pa.

 

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

form of Avalokiteśvara {R}

[2]:

Tg. r Gyud, No. 2133: Kulalokanathasadhanaloka nama {R}

[3]:

Kg. r Gyud 'bum, No. 436: Kulalokanatha paṇcadasaka nama {R}

[4]:

Tg. r Gyud, No. 2134: lna bcu pa'i bshad pa, Paṇcasikatippani {R}

[5]:

chos skor {R}

[6]:

Pad ma dra ba, Kg. r Gyud 'bum, No. 681: Āryāvalokiteśvarapadmajāla mūla tantrarājanāma; Padmajalodbhavasādhana, Tg. r Gyud, No. 1750 {R}

[7]:

chos skhor {R}

[8]:

Jnyānabhadra {R}

[9]:

the Nepalese {R}

[10]:

siddhas {R}

[11]:

Li khar shing phel, Malda and Dinajpur {R}

[12]:

also known as 'phags pa wati or skyi gron, phags pa. See Vasilyev: Geography of Tibet (in Russian) p.11 {R}

[13]:

-1170 {R}