Chapter 11 - The Chapter on the Venerable Master and his Spiritual Lineage.

Bra gor

Since the monastery of bra gor had been established by gnyos bra gor pa of gnyal, it should be considered as belonging to the Line of the "Holders of the Texts" among the bka’ gdams pas (bka’ gdams gzhung pa). However, it seems no to be any successor of bra gor.

In later times there have been four chief disciples of dar ma bsod nams of zangs chen who had been a disciple of lha 'gro ba'i mgon po: mtsho sna ba, rtse dkar ba, dar ma sgang ba and byar khang pa. They are known as the "Four sons of zangs chen pa."

Among them mtsho sna ba shes rab bzang po resided at bra gor. After him tshul khrims bkra sis of mon grab, sangs rgyas shes rab of gye, chos skyabs bzang po, chos dpal rgyal ba, bsod nams dpal ldan, also known as the mahā upādhyāya brag pa, yon tan rin chen bsam se ba, rdor se ba, yon dbang pa, chos rje ba, chos rgyal bzang po, chos rgyal bzang po dbu nag pa, brtson 'grus rgyal po and yon tan 'od zer of gtsang.

Ri stengs

Before him there had been 15 upādhyāyas. Rgyal mtshan bzang po of ri stengs, a disciple of mtsho na ba, the Great, (was abbot) at ri stengs. After him the Dharmasvāmin rin chen, kong ston shes rab rdo rje, sku 'bum pa, chos rgyal ba, the Dharmasvāmin dpal bzangs pa, an incarnation of sgo gcig pa, known as sgo gcig pa. Before him there had been seven upādhyāyas.

The one known as rong pa phyag sor pa remembered thirteen of his (former) lives and possessed great prophetic knowledge. He visited nag tsho lo tsA ba who was residing at khab gong thang. Nag tsho bestowed on him numerous secret precepts of the Mantrayāna and he spent three years (with him).

He preached the Vinaya sūtra (mdo rtsa) and the Sikṣasamuccaya. Then he renounced all (worldly) activity and for a long time meditated at lag sor monastery, without seeing his attendant. At the end of his meditation, when he was proceeding to mediate in a dispute between spa tshab and 'phrang kha, he met rma tsho byang rdor at phong mdo. He invited him and de'u shang rdor, and held a religious assembly during which the "Four Sons of rong pa" appeared. They are: bya 'dul ba 'dzin pa, rog 'chims phu ba, rnam par ba and the kalyāṇa mitra zhus lan pa. Rgya ra ston being an upāsaka is not included among the sons. Rnam par ba founded rnam par and ram pa lha sdings. He also acted as abbot of gsang phu for eight years. Rnam par ba and rog held in high esteem the secret precepts. They seem not to have cared for the history (of the school).

Zhus lan pa held in high esteem the history, basing on which zul phu ba composed a detailed history of the Master. Zul phu ba studied much the bka’ gdams pa precepts under stod lungs pa, the Great, but his followers are listed among the Vinayadharas and none of them seem to have been listed among the bka’ gdams pas.

The disciple of rnal 'byor pa, the Great,–mang ra 'byung gnas rgyal mtshan. His disciple brtson 'grus rgyal mtshan of snyug rum: he was born in the year Water Male Horse (chu pho rta–1042 A.D.) and died at the age of 68 in the year Earth Fcmale Ox (sa mo glang–1109 A.D.). About eight hundred monks gathered round him.

Khri mchog

A native of lho brag chag pa, khri mchog by name: this chag khri mchog^[1] obtained many instructions from the Venerable Master. He was good at the preaching of treatises and the analysis of the theory. When he asked about his meditation when Atīśa was dying, Atīśa suggested him to abandon this life. He asked the kalyāṇa mitra ston pa:to preach without saying "This (will be) of no use" and admonished rnal 'byor pa. After that, even though he stayed at rwa sgreng, he did not talk with anyone.

Rngog and rngog lo ldan shes rab

Rngog was a descendent of a minister of the religious king^[2] khri srong lde'u btsan had a minister, rngog. He was the eldest son, rngog legs pa'i shes rab of rdo rje gzhon nu of the "Old" Tantra School. He was ordained by 'brin ye shes yon tan. He went to khams to study the Piṭakas and became a disciple of the Master se btsun.

He studied extensively the Doctrine, and having befriended khu ston and others, went to dbus in the Hen year (bya lo–1045 A.D.) which is the Hen year following the year of 'brom ston’s coming (to dbus). He requested the Master and the lo tsA ba (nag tsho) to translate the Tarkajvalā and to write the Mādhyamakopadesa nāma.

He founded a monastery at brag nag (near lha sa) and the great vīhara of ne'u thog (gsang phu) in the year Water Female Ox (chu mo glang–1073 A.D.). In the same year 'khon dkon mchog rgyal po founded sa skya.

His nephew rngog lo chen po (rnog lo ldan shes rab:1159-1109) was son of chos skyabs. When he was 17, he was sent for study to Kaśmīra. He went there in the company of rwa lo, gnyan lo, khyung po chos brtson, rdo ston and gtsang kha bo che. When king rtse lde had invited most of the Tripiṭakadharas of dbus, gtsang and khams, and held the religious council of the year Fire Male Dragon (me pho 'brug–1076 A.D.), he also attended it.

He studied at Kaśmīra and returned to Tibet. In Tibet he studied the Doctrine with the paṇḍita 'bum phrag gsum pa (brtan skyon) and Sumatikīrti. He visited Nepāl for a short whde and heard the Tantra from Atulya vajra, Varendraruci and others. Then he again returned to Tibet and made numerous correct translations.

He gradually gathered round himself 23,000 learned and venerable monks. Among his assistant preachers (zur chos pa) were: 55 preachers of Alaṃkara^[3] and Pramāṇaviniścayaṭīka^[4] , 280 expounders of the Pramāṇaviniścaya (rnam nges), 1800 Āgama dharmabhāṇakas (lung chos smra ba) and about 2130 preachers of the Doctrine (chos smra ba)^[5] . Among the numerous disciples who attended his classes, formerly and later, four are known as his "Four Principal Sons": zhang tshes spong chos kyi bla ma, gro lung pa blo gros 'byung gnas, khyung rin chen grags and 'bre shes rab 'bar.

There appeared many teachers such as gangs pa she'u, gong bu ra can, sham po me dig, me lhang tsher, dmar sgas lung, rngog skya bo, tre bo mchog gi bla ma and others. The lo tsA ba himself heard the (exposition) of the Doctrine of the Master from (his) uncle. Up to the time of the direct disciples of the uncle and nephew, all were holders of the Master’s treatises.

legs pa'i shes rab being also a disciple of 'brom, is included among the bka’ gdams pas. In general, during the 13 years of the Master’s stay in Tibet, there had been many on whom he bestowed secret precepts and who had obtained excellent knowledge (of the Doctrine), but their number cannot be ascertained.

Epilogue

In gtsang 'gar, 'gos and yol, and in dbus khu, rngog and 'brom appear to have been famous. I gave here a brief account about the kalyāṇa mitras of the bka’ gdams pa sect who belonged to the Spiritual Lineage of 'brom and whose biographies have been seen by me. In the "Life stories" of the kalyāṇa mitras who had appeared in Tibet in later times, and of the yogins who had been Saints, statements are found that they had met the kalyāṇa mitras of the bka’ gdams pas.

'brom’s labours have been very extensive and lasted for a long period of time. Above I have briefly described the results of the setting into motion of the Wheel of Law by Dipaṅkaraśrījñāna.

The Chapter on the Venerable Master and his Spiritual Lineage.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Died in 1058 A.D. according to the sum pa mkhan po’s re'u mig /JASB, No. 2, 1889, p.41/.

[2]:

dharmarāja.

[3]:

Pramāṇavārtikālaṃkāra.

[4]:

Tg. tshad ma, No. 4229.

[5]:

dharmabhāṇakas.