Chapter 4 - The founding of temples by Lume and his disciples

[Full title: The founding of temples by Lume and his disciples (klu mes dpon slob kyis gtsug lag khang btab pa’i skabs. Chandra 67;Chengdu 102; Roerich 74).].

During the sixty-four years which preceded Atīśa’s coming to Tibet, klu mes, teacher and disciple (klu mes dpon slob), had erected numerous temples. In the year Earth-Female-Hen (sa mo bya—1009 A.D.) the mo ra 'gyel vihāra was erected. In the following year^[1] the kalyāṇa-mitra glan ye shes 'bar, rngog byang chub 'byung gnas and others took up monastic ordination. In the next year they took over yer pa ba reng. According to other accounts, they laid the foundation of the yer pa lha khang in the year Iron-Ape (lcags spre—1020 A.D.). Gru mer ye shes 'byung gnas and eighteen others took up ordination. Glan, rngog and sna nam, the three, and gru mer, the fourth, are known as the "Four Pillars" (ka ba bzhi).

The kalyāṇa-mitra klu (dge bshes klu) and sum, the two, are known as the "Two Beams" (gdung gnyis). Khu and ring, the two, were called the "Southern door bolt" (lho'i sgo glegs), and the "Northern door bolt" (byang gi sgo glegs) respectively. Glan ye shes byang chub, nephew of the kalyāṇa-mitra glan ye shes 'bar, and a disciple of both klu and sum, gnyos tshul khrims rgyal mtshan of 'tshal chung, 'phangs dbang phyug rgyal mtshan, the two gzi and rlung, disciples of 'brom pa, the younger brother of klu mes chen po, the builder of ba lam sha tsha, dge dom, the builder of mon mgar 'gan, gzhon nu grags and other important disciples of klu and sum, were called "Rafts" (phyam).

Bhe ston rdo rje shes rab, the builder of sgre mkhar in Upper gyu ru, though not a disciple, was included among them, being a great man. "Planks" (gral bu (%) dral bu) were called those who were junior to the above (mentioned) disciples. Sum pa erected gyu sgro and khang dmar. Glan built rgya sar sgang. Sna nam built ra tshag of yab. Later he built the temple of rgyal lug lhas. Rngog on leaving yer pa, built lhing pa of gzad. Then he built tsha mig and the ārāma (kun dga' ra ba) of gzhu. 'bre of South Western lha mdo and other localities, belong to the school of rngog. Some eight monks belonging to the school of the kalyāṇa-mitra gru mer and others, after requesting klu mes in person, built sol nag thang po che. The kalyāṇa-mitra klu mes and his brother built ba lam sha tsha on the border of mi chos. Klu mes, the great kalyāṇa-mitra, took over kwa chu. Then he built tshon 'dus gnas of gra phyi, and proceeded to thang. Later he took up his residence at the se ra cave of tshe spong. He died on the way to thang.

The uncremated remains of klu mes, the great kalyāṇa-mitra, and of gru mer are enshrined in the stupa of 'od can. The kalyāṇa-mitra yam shud rgyal ba 'od, a disciple of klu mes, on leaving thang, built with the assistance of the lay supporters gyu, rtse and sgo, the temple of gyu rtse, as their object of worship. At that time gnyal pa and the kalyāṇa-mitra 'gar srags took up the vows in the presence of yam shud. He took over yur 'og and rtsi 'or. The thang pas of gnyal originated from them. The kalyāṇa-mitra yam shud took over phug po che. Later he took over many estates, such as gang pa thog, Icang tshigs and others. He looked after numerous disciples of the kalyāṇa-mitra gra pa mngon shes and other teachers.

When the kalyāṇa-mitra gra pa took over the temple of bye ma from thang, he also took over dbur gong ma. At that time the kalyāṇa-mitra gra pa ordained the four beloved sons of rog pa rtsa. On the plain of the temple of bye ma, on this side of the river, he built the temple of ma bkod. During his preaching on the Tantras and the Abhidharma, ga srang nag po, a disciple of the kalyāṇa-mitra gra pa, delivered the kalyāṇa-mitra khu chen po to the nāga of zur phud. At the time of the dispute, after it had been reconciled and the judgment pronounced, there arose the necessity of shifting the temple of ma bkod to the distance of an arrow shot. This is the present bye lung (bye ma lung, a district in the vicinity of the gnyan chen thang lha?).

He reconciled the dispute, which took place during the exposition of the Tantra and Abhidharma, and people used to say;

"Let the father of the four sons ride on a horse in pride!^[2] Let one banish ga srang nag po to (his) native country!"

Since that time phug po che and gra thang became known as Tantric schools, and thang po che with its branches became known as a school of philosophy. At the building of thang po che, among the "seven and half" monks (ban de mi phyed dang brgyad), there were three monks of khu. Shung bu gzhon nu grags pa of khu dron tsha left thang (and did not finish the work, and therefore he was called "half"). On the border of khu and tshes, he built 'ju ma. Then on being invited by shung bu of yugs, he built lho brag ba shi. Then having gone to yar stod, he erected bar yul, as the object of worship of the three, uncle and nephews (khu tshan gsum).

In this manner the kalyāṇa-mitras klu and sum, possessing the power of resolve of Bodhisattvas, together with their disciples, (erected) in the lower part of dbu ru (lha sa) the four great monasteries, the roots of the Doctrine of Buddha, famous among others; the temple of rgyal lug lhas, distinguished by wealth and riches, erected by zhang sna nam rdo rje dbang phyug, a manifestation of the Jina Maitreya; the ārāma (kun dga' ra ba) or gzhu, built by rngog, distinguished by its house holders (bza' mi); thang po che, the vihāra erected by the kalyāṇa-mitra gru mer and others, and by the "seven and/half" monks (ban de phyed dang brgyad), famous for its kalyāṇa-mitras, and gra thang, the vihāra erected by the kalyāṇa-mitra gra pa mngon shes on the border of sna and shud, and famous for its temples. The Chapter on the building of vihāras by klu mes, teacher and disciples.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

1010 A.D.

[2]:

Here "father" means the kalyāṇa-mitra gra pa, die teacher of the four sons of rog pa tsha, His riding on a horse means that he had won the case against ga srang nag po.