Chapter 3d - The Life story of Mon ston byung gnas shes rab

The Lineage of rma lo tsā ba: The son of rma’s [13a] sister—rma gza' rin chen 'bum, known as mtha' bzhi to tsā ba, who lived as an upāsaka, and belonged to the Spiritual Lineage of rma lo tsā ba, proceeded to India on three occasions in the retinue of rma. Rma, mtha' bzhi and zangs dkar lo tsā ba received together the Saṃvara initiation from kha che dgon pa pa. Later mtha' bzhi practised austerities during a considerable time at mtsho lung, meng ge, 'phan yul stag mgo and dar yul. He died at the age of 65 at his residence in dar yul.

Now the son of mtha' bzhi's sister mthā bzhi gza' chos sgron —mon ston 'byung gnas shes rab became a learned man, and laboured greatly for the benefit of others. At the age of 12, he proceeded to stod snye nam 'dam phug in the retinue of his uncle. He conducted extensive studies with rma (lo tsā ba), and thus spent six years. After that he again returned to phan yul.

In his 18th year, he took up the noviciate and the monastic vows before gnyen sa phug pa, dar yon tan grags pa and skyi rings yon tan seng ge, and heard the doctrine of Atīśa.

He also heard the exposition of the precepts of the bka' gdams pas from rnal 'byor chen po, dgon pa pa, chag khri mchog and the yogin shes rab rdo rje at rwa sgreng.

At la stod he heard from me lha khang pa the exposition of Logic, the grub snying (Cycle of Saraha’s Dohakoṣa), the Vārahī, the Doha (koṣa) and other Cycles. With the kalyāṇa-mitra 'jang ba gzhon byang he studied the "Upper"and "Lower" Abhidharmas (the Abhidharma samuccaya and the Abhidharmakośa), and the Five Divisions of the Yogacaryā-bhūmi of Asaṅga (sa sde lṅa).367

From rngog legs shes he obtained the PañcaviṃśatisāhasrikāPrajñāpāramitā^[1] .

From zhan sna chung ston pa the Sūtrālaṃkāra^[2] , the Uttaratantra^[3] , the two Vibhaṅgas (the Madhyānta-vibhaṅga and the Dharma-dharmatā vibhaṅga[357]), the Five Divisions of the Yogacaryā-bhūmi of Asaṅga, the Mahāyāna-saṃgraha and the Abhidharma-samuccaya^[4] .

With (his) uncle mtha' bzhi he studied the Guhyasamāja according to the system of Jñānapada (ye shes zhabs), the Cycle of Bhairava according to the method of a ra ta, the Cycle of Saṃvara according to the method of lu yi pa, the phyag rdor bha va ma^[5] and the yo ga rdo rje 'byung ba^[6] .

At lho la yag he studied with mar pa bay ze pa the Six Doctrines of Saṃvara, according to the method of nag po [13b] ^[7] , the rim bzhi^[8] together with the lam Iongs^[9] .

367 The Five Divisions of the Yogacaryā-bhūmi: Yogacaryā-bhūmi, tg. Sems-tsam, No. 4035, Ś rāvaka-bhūmi, tg. No. 4037, these three from the First Division (sa'i dngos gzhi); Yogacaryā-bhūmi viniś cayasaṃgraha, tg. Sems tsam, No. 4038—the Second Division; Yogacaryā-bhūmau vastusaṃgraha, tg. Sems tsam, No. 4039, and the Yogacaryā-bhūmau vinayasaṃ graha, tg. No. 4040—form the Third Division (gzhi bsdu ba); Yogacaryā-bhūmau paryā-saṃgraha, tg. No. 4041—the Fourth Division; Yogacaryā-bhūmau vivaraṇasaṃgraha, tg. No. 4042 (sgo bsdu ba)—the Fifth Division.

At stod lungs 'phar tshar he obtained from so chung ba instructions in the Six Branches of the zgi byed system, both the large and lesser recensions (ma bu).

With skam sgom ye shes rgyal mtshan he studied the Four Truths (bden bzhi), the sing rta'i srol^[10] and the "System of removing ailments"^[11] .

At the age of 57, he occupied the chair of (his) uncle, and spent three years at mal gro gser thog. He had a vision of Vaiśravaṇa, and became wealthy.

At 'phan yul he introduced the law prohibiting the killing of wild game for a considerable period of time, and on those who opposed this measure, he sent hail, etc., as punishment, and thus all had to accept it.

All exorcist bla mas, such as the kalyāṇa-mitra myang mi chen po, rgya ra ban smyon, glen mi mkho ba, spos wol pa ston chung, and stong na mo ba became his disciples.

He possessed a lofty understanding of the "Great Seal" (Mahāmudra), and great wisdom.

When he was 66, he entrusted bya dkar and gser thog to (his) nephew (dbon po) 'phags pa, practised austerities during thirteen years and had a vision of Śrī-Saṃvara. He passed away at the age 85 in the year of the Dragon ('brug to—1160 A.D.). After his cremation, many relics were left unburnt, such as his heart, tongue, eye and a conch coiled towards the right.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

ni khri mdo 'grel, tg. sher phyin, No. 3790 (R)

[2]:

mdo sde rgyan, tg. sems tsam, No. 4020 (R)

[3]:

rgyud bla, tg. sems tsam, No.4024 (R)

[4]:

sdom rnam gnyis, tg. sems tsam, Nos. 4048, 4049 (R)

[5]:

to this Cycle belong the following texts: tg. rgyud, Nos. 2167-2184 (R)

[6]:

Vajradhātumahāmaṇḍala-vidhisarvavajrodaya-nāma, tg. rgyud, No. 2516 (R)

[7]:

tg. rgyud, Nos. 1445-1451 (R)

[8]:

tg. rgyud, No. 1451 (R)

[9]:

tg. rgyud, No. 1452? (R)

[10]:

The Path of the Chariot the system of the great Teachers Nagarjuna and Asanga (R)

[11]:

faith healing/Nad 'don gyi skor/ (R)