Blue Annals (deb-ther sngon-po)

by George N. Roerich | 1949 | 382,646 words | ISBN-10: 8120804716 | ISBN-13: 9788120804715

This page relates ‘Chronology of the later spread of the teaching’ of the Blue Annals (deb-ther sngon-po)—An important historical book from the 15th century dealing with Tibetan Buddhism and details the spiritual doctrine and lineages of religious teachers in Tibet. This chapter belongs to Book 2 (Later spread of the Doctrine).

Chapter 1 - Chronology of the later spread of the teaching

[Full title: Chronology of the later spread of the teaching, the Great Lama, and other events (bstan pa phyi dar gyi lo tshigs dang bla chen po la sogs pa’i skabs. Chandra 58; Chengdu 89; Roerich 63).].

At the time of the persecution of the Doctrine by dar ma 'u dum btsan, three monks of the meditative monastery (sgom grwa) of dpal chu bo ridmar ban[1] Śākyamuni of gyor stod, gyo dge 'byung of drang chung mdo, and gtsangs rab gsal of rgya rab pa,[2] having taken with themselves necessary books on the Vinaya ('dul ba) and the Abhidharma (mngon pa), such as the karmaśataka[3] and other texts, at first fled towards Western Tibet (stod phyogs). Hiding by day, and travelling by night, they reached mnga 'ris. Unable to remain there, they continued their flight towards the country of Hor (hor gyi yul)[4] by the northern route. There they stayed with a certain Hor upāsaka called Śākya shes rab (Śākyajñāna), who helped them. Then they proceeded to sro gu lung in Amdo (mdo smad).

There was a minister called 'bro stag snang khri gsum rje, who was acting as Prime Minister (bka' blon) of a religious king. At the age of thirty-five, in the year Iron-Hog (lcags phag—891 A.D.), he expressed a solemn wish (smon lam), and having passed away, was reborn in the year Water-Male-Mouse (chu pho byi—892 A.D.) in tsong kha bde khams. [5] Having grown up, he received some mantras from non 'jam dpal at the hermitage of zhing dpon. In the presence of bang rin chen rdo rje, who had a vision of Ārya Avalokiteśvara, a creative thought towards enlightenment was born in him. He then studied the treatises of the Mādhyamika and Nyāya systems with skyirgyal ba'i gtsug tor, and the Yoga (Tantra) with nam dga' ldan byang chub.

Then a thought came to his mind; In order to spread the Doctrine throughout the Ten Quarters, which will alleviate the sufferings of living beings with heavenly nectar, I must first renounce the World. He then took up ordination, gtsangs rab gsal acting as upādhyāya, and gyo and dmar acting as preceptors (ācārya). He was given the name of dge ba gsal. He then proceeded northwards, and reached the fortress of cang in rtse (Chang yi chiung, kan-chou) in the country of the mi nyag (mi nyag gha'i yul)[6] . There he studied the Vinaya with seng ge grags of go rong, who bestowed on him the Vinaya, the four sections of the Āgamas (lung sde bzhi) together with the commentaries. Son, said he, explain properly the Doctrine of the Tathāgata! I am old, and shall not live long. dge ba gsal wished then to proceed to the residence of zhang chen po dge ba in dbus.[7] On reaching glong thang 'jig rten sgron in Lower khams (mdo khams), he met at mang ra gyu mtsho a messenger sent by the king of dbus, who said: A great famine has happened in dbus. Venerable Sir, you cannot go there. Kwa 'ong mchog grags pa, who had studied extensively in Nepāl and India, has gone to khams. On hearing this, dge ba gsal went back.

Then in the East, at lha rtse bhig tig, in a monastic establishment containing numerous ancient images, he met kwa 'ong mchog grags pa, and studied with him for twelve years the mahāyāna Abhidharma, the commentary on the Śatasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā [8] and the Bodhisattva bhumi.[9] One night in a dream, he saw himself riding on an elephant, and holding in his hand a precious jewel. While he was thus riding through through the market place, the crowd shouted (at him): Venerable Sir, you have a wonderful jewel! But at the present time no buyer can be found, and the price is too high.

On awakening, he thought:

"Having opened the casket of the Precious Doctrine, I offered a jewel of excellent quality, and it is not desired by even the lowest beings! It would be better if I were to stay in a forest for a while."

While he was thinking thus, several powerful asuras, known as the "Nine Brothers-dwarfs" (thi'u rang spun dgu), residing in the neighbourhood of Mount dan tig (ri dan tig)[10] , perceived bla chen po and were filled with faith. They said to him:

In this place of ours there are great hermitages, where many had attained (spiritual) realization. Pray come there, where fruit and roots are easily found! We shall befriend you, and become your lay supporters. Having given them his assent, dge ba gsal proceeded towards Mount dan tig, and on reaching there, made extensive offerings to the Three Jewels and extensive sacrificial offerings (gtor ma), etc. To the Religious Protector (chos skyong, dharmapāla). He prayed to the Religious Protector, saying: Jinas and Heroes (dpa’, sūra), who have made a solemn wish in the presence of the Protector of the Doctrine, Protectors of the World ('jig rten skyong ba, lokapāla), you who are possessed of miraculous powers, devoted to the work of protecting (the Doctrine), help me! There existed certain yogins who upheld the wrong theory about the state of merit characterized by an absence of deeds, called the "Sudden entry into spiritual realization".

In order to combat these wrong views, the "Great Soul" (bdag nyid chen po, mahātman) built temples and stūpas. Paint (tshon rtsi) was also found in the region. He himself did the building, and strove towards the foundation of the "created" merit (opposite to merit acquired without deeds). Because of such meritorious practice performed by him, faith was born in sba gong ye shes gyung drung who having collected a retinue, proceed towards dan tig. Bla chen po preached to him the fundamental rules of the vows (bslab pa'i gzhi rnams), as expounded in the Vinaya of the Holy Doctrine.

Full of repentence for his own conduct, the latter took up proper ordination. After him par gnas brtan grags pa took up ordination, and both became known as "sba and par, the Two". In the same manner (were ordained) ja pa grags pa and the mahā-bhadanta (btsun chen) shes rab 'byung gnas, who became known as "ja and cog, the Two". In the same manner (were ordained) bzhan dpal gyi rdo rje and srags rgya mstho, who became known as "bzhang and srags, the Two." 'al pa rdo rje dbang phyug and bsnubs lab shi dpal gyi dbang phyug /became known as/ "al and bsnubs, the Two." zong mchog chos skyong and 'tshur shes rab mchog (became known as) "zong and 'tshur, the Two."

The disciples of 'tshur klu mes shes rab tshul khrims and others were natives of dbus and gtsang. Thus, in this fiendless and peaceful forest the crowd of disciples, possessed of abstinence and diligence, accompanied him, and dwelt together, striving towards the Domain of Merit (dge ba'i phyogs). On another occasion, there assembled one night Indra, the presiding deity of the World of Desires ('dod pa'I khams, kāma dhātu), and other deities, accompanied by a numerous retinue. Having presented offerings, they sat down in order to hear the Doctrine, and bla chen po gladdened their hearts by a discourse on the Doctrine.

They said: "Venerable Sir, you are good, but this retinue of asuras is evil!" and having said so, they left the place.

Then his retinue made the following request:

"Last night there happened such a vision. Bla chen po, are you not a manifestation, (of Buddha)?"

Bla chen po replied:

"I am not a manifestation, but the monk dge ba gsal, striving towards the attainment of the light of the degree of practice (sbyor ba'i lam, prayoga mārga) of the mahāyāna."

Again on another occasion he said: "At first, I was born as a woman selling garlic. Then I was stag sna khri sum rje, and, now I am mu zu dge ba gsal."

Thus bla chen po in his forty-ninth year proceeded to dan tig, and resided there for thirty-five years. At the age of eighty-four, in the year Wood-Female-Hog (shin mo phag—975 A.D.) he proceeded to the Tuṣita heaven. This Wood-Hog year (shing phag—975 A.D.) is the seventy-fifth year since the year Iron-Hen (Icags bya—901 A.D.) of the suppression of the Doctrine.[11]

Thus bla chen po said:

"Ārya Asaṇga ('phags pa thogs med) and Damṣṭrā sena (btsun pa mche ba'i sde) have given different interpretations of the "Mother of the Jinas" (rgyal ba'i yum, i.e. The Prajñāpāramita). I must inquire from the yuvarāja (rgyal tshab) Maitreyanātha (byams mgon). I have also heard that these two Teachers were now residing in the Tuṣita heaven."

Again he said:

"Had Ārya Mañjuśrī come here, in this World he would be expelled! I shall have to reincarnate eight times in this Jambudvīpa, until the coming of the Lord Maitreya!"

The above account has been given (by me) according to the writings of dbon bi ci. According to other accounts the "Six Men from dbus and gtsang" (dbus gtsangg gi mi drug) had met bla chen po himself. There also exist various (other) accounts, such as that about their meeting with bla chen po and their ordination by grum ye shes rgyal mtshan. From the year of the birth of the Religious king (dharmarāja) srong btsan sgam po in the year Earth-Female-Ox (sa mo glang—629 A.D.) to the year Fire-Male-Ape (me pho spre'u—1476 A.D.), of the composition of this book, eight hundred and forty-eight years have elapsed.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

i.e. the monk belonging to the dmar lineage

[2]:

bu ston’s History of Buddhism, transl. by E. Obermiller, II, p. 201 ff. The three men are called bod kyi mkhas pa mi gsum or "The Three Learned Men of Tibet." They are buried in a temple at Hsi-ning. In dpa' ri, north of Hsi-ning, there exists a stone-pillar with the names of the three men mentioned on it. (verbal communication of Rev. dge 'dun chos 'phel).

[3]:

Kg. mdo, No. 340

[4]:

the Uighur kingdom

[5]:

The name of the village is jya zhur, north of Hsüan-hua, on the northern bank of the rma chu (Huang ho).

[6]:

i.e. the Tangut Hsi-hsia kingdom

[7]:

It seems strange that dge ba gsal should attempt to go to dbus after the persecution of the Doctrine.

[8]:

shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa 'bum pa rgya cher 'grel pa, Tg. shes phyin, No. 3807

[9]:

rnal 'byor spyod pa'i sa las byang chub sems dpa'i sa, Tg. Sems tsam. No. 4037.

[10]:

situated on the bank of the rma chu or Huang ho, South-east of sku 'bum and North of Hsün-hua)

[11]:

The Rcu mig (JASB, II, 1889, p.40) says that bla chen dgongs pa rabgsal died in 1035 A.D., also a Wood-Hog year (shing phag). We do not know the source of sum pa mkhan po’s information. Possibly it is based on a simple miscalculation.

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