Chapter 1c - The Zur Geneology (vii): Lha rje lce ston rgya nag

According to another account: The nun sgre mo of rong chu tshan was a disciple of bi ma la.

Her disciple was mar pa shes rab ‘od of lha brag bya se.

His disciple lang ston dar ma bsod nams of shangs lha phu.

His disciple was one called lha rje hor po of nya ri.

Among the four “BIack Spiritual disciples” of lha rje sgro sbug pa, the Great, the most excellent was lha rje lce ston rgya nag.

His grandfather, called ‘phangs byang brtson, proceeded to khams, and then returned. He built the vihāra of skyi mkhar after the model of the vihāra of glong thang sgron me.

Rgyal gsum, son of a mi sher brtson, one of his three brothers, had four sons and five daughtas, nine in all. The four sons were: rin chen, nyi po, rgyal bzangs, and rgya nag.

Rin chen and nyi po were sent to study at a philosophical college in Upper myang, lha rje rgya nag used to bring them provisions, and while doing so listened incidentally (to the exposition of the Doctrine) and became Iearned.

He then asked his elder brothers about it, but they did not understand it, though they had attended (classes) for three years.

“How could it happen, that after listening once to the exposition, I could understand it?” inquired lha rje rgya nag.

They replied: “We did not get it! You had better bring the (required) remuneration and study. Instead, we shall bring you the provisions, for it does not matter, whether you or we study the Doctrine."

So lha rje rgya nag remained (at the college), and from the age of twenty-one, listened to the exposition of the Doctrine, and at first attended classes in philosophy.

At that time, she and khyung, ‘phan and ‘bre, rgya and stag were famous scholars. He heard the Prajñāpāramitā under khyung po grags se, and the Abhidharma under ‘ban, the All knowing. The Nyāya and the Mādhyamika systems under 'gar bsod yes (bsod nams ye shes). In this manner he studied philosophy for nine years.

After that he studied the Tantras with lha rje sgro sbug pa, the Great, and remained with him for eleven years. For three years the latter did not talk to him in a friendly manner, except for calling him by the name of jo sras myang stod pa (Son of a Priest from Upper myang).

Once when rgya brtson seng accompanied by servants was attending a religious assembly at which lha rje was present, rgya brtson seng and his servants inaugurated a debate, and lha rje rgya nag defeated them. Having checked their pride, (lha rje) became pleased, and showed great kindness to him.

The son jo btsun rdo rje grags having developed intellectually, he became very pleased. In return for his kindness, he bestowed on him all the precepts, and the basic texts of the three classes of the utpannakrama and sampannakrama degrees (bskyed rdzogs), and in particular he bestowed on him the secret precepts and detailed notes on their branches, even those which were unfamiliar to himself.

The story that lha rje lha khang pa possessed more profound and complete precepts than those possessed by the other followers of zur, was based on the above statement, so he revealed.!n this manner he studied for twenty years. On reaching the age of forty, he became a monk.

At that time ston shAk, a native of dbus, zhig po, a native of dbus, and about thirty other students of sgro sbug pa attended on him. He heard moreover the bdud rtsi^[1] from rgya rtsad skor ba of Upper myang.

He also listened to the exposition of the method of the Vajravidāraṇānāma dhāraṇī^[2] and the phur pa rtsa ba^[3] without the Commentary of sgro dar seng of Lower myang.

Further, he heard the (Vajra)kīla Cycle according to the systems of skyi and others.

From dam pa sbor mang he heard the system of the “Great Perfection" (rdzogs pa chen po) according (to the interpretation) of sbor.

From jo mo myang mo he obtained an introduction into the system of the “Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen), as taught in khams, which was the essence of the heart of the ācārya a ro. From her also he heard precepts of the system.

He also heard from others the “Brāhma” Class of the “Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen bram ze'i skor), the system of ske tshang ma and other systems.

He also mastered all the texts and Sādhanas of the Mantrayāna, the Abhidharma and the Tantras, together with their precepts.

When he was performing the rites according to the bdud rtsi, a goddess of medicine appeared from her Palace of Medicine and three times circumambulated the maṇḍala. After that all saw her merging into the palace.

From the age of forty till the age of sixty-six, he labored for the welfare of others and passed away.

Summary: he was born in the year Wood-Male-Dog (shing pho khyi—1094 A.D.). From the age of twenty-one till thirty, he studied much under she'u ba, khyung and others. After that he continued his studies under sgro sbug pa. When he was forty-one, in the year Wood-Tiger (shing stag—1134 A.D.) sgro sbug pa passed away. From that year he continued his labors for the welfare of living beings. At the age of fifty-six, in the year Earth-Serpent (sa sbrul—1149 A.D.) he passed away.

His nephew lce ston jo gzungs was a son of nyi po.

Besides him nyi po had two sons: the ācārya nye ne and khang gsar.

Dpon nag rdo rje had five sons: rdo rje 'bum, nya khri 'bum, bdud rtsi 'bum, bkra shis 'bum and dar ma 'bum.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

It is not clear which Amṛta-Tantra is meant here, the Vajrāmṛta-Tantra, Kg. rgyud, No. 435, or the Tantra contained in vol. Vll /ja/ of the rgyud 'bum. See dkar chag fol. 230b.

[2]:

Kg. rgyud, No. 750

[3]:

Vol. Vll /ja/ of the rgyud 'bum, dkar chag, fol. 236a