Chapter 3b - Account given by g. Yag rdo rje 'dzin pa

Again according to another account: This great paṇḍita, who was known to be an incarnation, in his childhood studied under the Venerable 'gar ston tshul khrims bzang po in Lower myang.

Once, when his father rong ston rin chen tshul khrims had come to bring him provisions, his fellow students said: "This son of yours! His mind is becoming roguish. He is disturbing us by talking noisily. It would be better to take him away." The father reported the matter to the kalyāṇa-mitra 'gar, and asked him whether he should take the boy away.

The ācārya said: "Don't say so! He has mastered all the doctrines." At that time he was twelve.

It is said that the boy while playing (29a) with other children, used to recite by heart the teachings of his teacher, after hearing them once only. He was able to memorize them without omitting even a single word.

When he was thirteen, he heard the Doctrine from the scholar mdo ston seng ge rgyal mtshan. One night he saw in his dream that he had prepared the gsang snying as parched barley, and the sangs rgyas mnyam sbyor^[1] as vegetables, and was eating them. He related the dream to his teacher, and ru said to him: "The dream is very auspicious! It is a sign that you have penetrated the Doctrine. You should compose a commentary." Thus from the age of thirteen onwards, he became an accomplished scholar.

In general, according to the saying: 'tshur ston dbyig ge was learned in the Vinaya; ye grags was learned in the ritual; rong pa was learned in Grammar and Logic; a pho chos grags himself was learned in all branches (of learning).

Later, in order to fulfill his teacher’s desire, he composed three (texts) containing secret precepts with the object of following the three precious precepts (received by him from his teacher).

In order to produce in the minds (of his disciples) the śīla-śīkṣa (tshul khrims kyi bslab pa) he composed the dam tshig mdo rgyas.

In order to produce in the minds (of others) the adhisamādhi-śīkṣa (lhag pa ting nge ‘dzin gyi bslab pa), he composed a commentary in four versions, and accompanied by 15 branches. Also a commentary on the Śrī-Sarvabuddhasamāyogaḍākiṇījālasambara-nāma-uttaratantra.^[2]

In order to produce in the minds (of others) the adhiprajñā-śīkṣa (lhag pa shes rab kyi bslab pa), he composed the "Precepts on the Theory and Meditative Practice of the Great Perfection" (rdzogs pa chen po’i lta sgom man nag).

He also wrote many commentaries and treatises on the ngan song sbyong rgyud,^[3] the Śrī Vajrabhairava-nāma-Tantra,^[4] the smra sgo,^[5]and other texts.

During this period there took place a religious debate attended by all the scholars of the four districts of Tibet, and among them yang khyed bla ma of shab, mar pa do pa, u yug pa mnga' bsam gtan, mdo’i khyung po hūṃ snying, sa khrom rgya mtsho 'bar, mtshams ston go cha, pang ka dar chung, 'gos lhas btsas, rgya rgyal tshul and others. They intended to debate with him, holding the opinion that it was improper for persons born in Tibet to compose treatises. (29b)

After they had gone over one of his treatises and after debating the subject matter with him, they all felt amazed, and each of them honored him, and then listened to his exposition of the Doctrine. All admitted him as their teacher, and all worshipped him by touching (his feet) with their heads. The above account is taken from the book by g. Yag rdo rje 'dzin pa, a spiritual son of rong zom.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kg. rgyud 'bum, No. 366

[2]:

mnyam sbyor, Kg. rgyud 'bum, No. 366

[3]:

Sarvadurgatipariśodhanatejorājasya Tathāgatasya Arhato Samyaksaṃbuddhasya kalpa-nāma, Kg. rgyud 'bum, No. 483

[4]:

'jigs byed, rgyud 'bum, No. 468

[5]:

bu ston gsung 'bum, vol. XXVI/la/, fol. 114; Tg. Sgra mdo, No. 4295