Chapter 9 - Phagmodrupa (iv): phag mo gru pa and sgam po pa

Since the rumour that a wise khams pa was staying with sa skya pa became widely spread, the kalyāṇa-mitra zhang also honoured him. On receiving his invitation, he accompanied him. Zhang kept him (at his place), hoping that he would become the household priest of king (btsad po) bya sa and others. But phag mo gru pa abstained from flattering them, and bla ma zhang became slightly displeased with him.

Zhang was wrongly accused by some persons, and said to ‘gro mgon (phag mo gru pa):

"I have never committed this sin! But how can I quiet such talk?"

‘Gro mgon replied: "Won't you be able to quiet it down, by asking a great kalyāṇa-mitra for help?" "Well then, who is the great kalyāṇa-mitra?"

(Phag mo gru pa) replied:

"Nowadays dags po snyi sgom is the only one possessing great fame."

Zhang said:

"If you, a kalyāṇa-mitra from khams, will accompany me, we shall proceed to him!"

The two journeyed to sgam po and when they reached there, they found that the Master sgam po pa was slightly indisposed. For several days they were unable to see him. After they had met him, sgam po pa related to them many stories on religious subjects, and bestowed on them continuously (nu re) religious precepts.

One day sgam po pa said to them that it became necessary to give separate instructions to the kalyāṇa-mitra from khams. When the others had gone outside after having finished their classes on the Doctrine, sgam po pa called ‘gro mgon saying: "Come to me!" and he went (to his cell).

Sgam po pa inquired from him:

"What sort of Doctrine did you hear previously? And what sort of spiritual practice did you follow?”

‘Gro mgon related to him the manner of his (previous) studies of various precepts, and the results of his meditations. The bla ma sa chen recognized these results to be the nirvikalpaka-jñāna of the Darśana-mārga (mthong lam rnam par mi rtog pa'i ye shes^[1] ).

Sgam po said: "A, did he respect you so much!"

Phag mo gru pa said: "Yes, he did honour me!"

Then sgam po pa held in his hand a ball of parched barley flour, half of which he had eaten himself, and said:

"I swear that this (ball) is much better, than the results of yours (meditation)!”

Phag mo gru pa’s mind became very despondent, and sgam po pa said to him:

"Now go to the mountain slope over there for a walk. After finishing my preaching to others, we shall talk again."

Phag mo gru pa went towards the hill situated to the east, and reflected. After a while, all the doctrines which he had heard previously appeared to him to be similar to an outer coating or chaff, and he gained a deep insight, similar to a clear sky. He felt his wisdom similar to a lance drill in the open air (meaning that his thought could move about unhindered like the swinging of a lance).

He again rejoined sgam po pa, and the latter perceived (the change that had come over him) with the help of his prescience, and said to him:

"Now, I also could not teach you better than this. Well then, I possess some precepts on rites belonging to my method and shall give them to you for your sake."

He then bestowed on him the lhan cig skyes sbyor. He put some questions to the Teacher regarding Nature.

The Teacher said to him:

"O, you kalyāṇa-mitra, you can well understand the Doctrine, therefore I must explain to you the Doctrine."

Phag mo gru pa used to say:

"I was named (by him) a Bodhisattva of the 10th stage."

Soon after that, the Master sgam po pa passed away. Phag mo gru pa helped in the erection of a caitya at sgam pa, and spent some time with the ācārya sgom pa in, order to console him (sdug grogs mdzad pa, to act as a friend in grief. Cf. Skyid grogs).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

R: the third stage of the Path, corresponds to the first bhūmi