Chapter 10 - Phagmodru Lineage (v): rin po che grags ye

[Full title: Phagmodru lineage (v): rin po che grags ye (1240-1288, abbot in 1281)]

Rin po che grags ye was born in the year Iron Male Mouse (Icags pho byi ba 1240 A.D.). In his youth he met the Lord spyan snga ba. He learnt reading and writing at the monastery of zla dgon, after which, on instructions of rgyal ba, he proceeded to phag mo gru, and received ordination. He attentively listened to the exposition of the Doctrine, and then proceeded to sa skya to ‘gro mgon 'phags pa. He became known as a very wise man, because he was able to learn by heart every morning texts of the length of the Prajñāpāramitā-sañcayagāthā (mdo sdud pa), after reading them once only. At the age of 12, he heard the exposition of the hidden Doctrine, and practised meditation. At the age of 42, in the year Iron Female Serpent (lcags mo sbrul 1281 A.D.), he occupied the chair, and remained abbot for eight years. He passed away at the age of 49, in the year Earth Male Mouse (sa pho byi ba 1288 A.D.).

During this Iron Serpent (lcags sbrul 1281 A.D.) year, the year of grags ye’s coming to the abbot’s chair, Mongol troops invaded Tibet, and attacked bya rog rdzon. The dpon chen kun dga' bzang po was killed by the Mongols. In the year Water Horse (chu rta 1282 A.D.) which followed it, the mahāsiddha u rgyan pa drew the Chronological Tables of the Doctrine (bstan rtsis) at bsam yas. The mahāsiddha’s coming to gdan sa thel also falls in the time of rin po che grags ye pa. It was a Sheep year (lug lo 1283 A.D.), the third year since grags ye pa’s coming to the chair. In that year kar ma pa shi passed away, and sa grags seng ba was born. In the next year, Wood Ape (shing spre 1284 A.D.) rang byung rdo rje was born.