Chapter 13 - Staglungpa (iv): The manner of his daily life

The manner of his daily life: each month, from the 1st of the month till the last day of the month, he would get up early in the morning and wash. Then he would offer salutations, after which he would offer maṇḍalas and prayers.

After sunrise, his attendant would change the offerings placed before him, and address him (with the words):

"Pray break your silence! Are you in good health?"

He then would partake of food, and the attendant would report to him on the activities ("coming and going") of the monks, as well as other matters. He would not see anyone else. After finishing his food, he would keep silence till lunch time. At food time, the attendant would change the offerings, saying: "Pray break your silence", and again would inquire about his health. He then would offer him some hot soup. In case of an invitation to an important person, his attendant would convey the message. After finishing his midday food, he would mount the preacher’s seat (chos khri), and receive visitors and preach (the Doctrine). Then about tea time, they would offer him soup. He would then retire to his room and keep silence. When soup was ready, he would break silence again. The attendant would offer soup, and they would invite others, and entertain them. Later, when the number of his disciples increased, he kept silence after his mid-day food, and then mounted the preacher’s seat. He did not partake of evening tea. After making offerings, he would keep silence. The attendant would offer him tea. When visitors came, they were ushered inside. After that he would offer votive lamps, and change the offerings. After which he would partake of some soup. After that, if in good health, he would preach at great length. At the time of retiring to bed, he would offer food and then keep silence.

Such were his daily works. When of poor health, he would abstain from preaching the Doctrine. When his health was good, he would preach during the period of the increase of the moon. From the 16th till the end of the month he would not admit anyone, unless the admission was arranged beforehand. In general, after his ordination, he did not partake of either meat, or wine. He never paid visits to the tents and houses of laymen. He did not loosen his belt. While residing at phag mo gru, he never went either right, or left for a walk. Also he never absented himself, whenever phag mo gru pa recited even a single śloka. He did not permit meat or women inside his house. From yang dgon and nag tshang, they never entertained visitors with meat. In the streets of the monastery wine was forbidden, and women were not permitted to stay more than three days inside the precincts of the monastery. They were obliged to report to his residence at nag tshang on all matters, such as the boiling of soup (for the monastic congregation), the sounding of the bell (gaṇḍī), the sounding of the waking-signal (chab skad) in the morning, the blowing of the conch, the adornment of the trumpets with silver trappings (dung lung 'gyed pa) and the other activities of the monks.

Some of the wonderful visions (seen by monks): dang ra ba jo bo bgres po ("The old") of spras pa saw him as the Master of the Doctrine (i.e. The Buddha); shes rab dpal saw him in the form of the Great Merciful One (Avalokiteśvara); some saw him as Saṃvara-Sahaja (bde mchog lhan skyes^[1] ), as Vajravārahī and under numberless other forms. Numerous others saw him manifesting different bodily forms simultaneously.

‘Gro mgon (phag mo gru pa) said to him:

"There had been three Indrabuddhis, the first and the last, have been I, the middle one has been you, but the three were one by nature!"

While he was sitting on the preacher’s seat, sgom bsam saw him in the form of phag mo gru pa.

At the time of his death, he said: "I did not separate from the Sugata!" (meaning the diseased one or phag mo gru pa.) “He and I are of one mind!"

In his room he said to his nephew and attendants: "I have never separated from the Sugata", but as they could not understand the meaning of his words, he added: "I am the Sugata himself."

He was born in the year Water Male Dog (chu pho khyi 1142 A.D.). At the age of 18, he received ordination. At the age of 24, he proceeded to dbus and attended for six years on ‘gro mgon (phag mo gru pa). At the age of 29, he came to phong mdo and spent seven years at phong mdo, sa gle and thang mgo. Then three years at se ba lung. Having come to stag lung in the year Iron Mouse (Icags byi 1180 A.D.), he spent thirty years there, and gathered there numerous monks. At the time of his death, there were more than 3,000 monks. He received numerous offerings of books, gold and silver.

On three occasions he visited phag mo gru, and on the third occasion, he presented numerous offerings, such as gold and silver images, 550 books on blue (manuscripts written in gold or silver on dark blue paper) and ordinary paper, 40 pieces of gold and turquoises, 60 bricks of tea, 3,000 ceremonial silk scarves, a hundred mdzos^[2] and horses, votive lamps made of more than a hundred golden srangs, many robes (ber) and armour plates (khrab). In general, he offered at phag mo gru 283 eternal votive lamps. At the time of his death, he offered 700 books on blue paper and numberless volumes on ordinary (grey) paper, 50 ingots of gold and turquoises, 2,500 silk scarves, etc.

In the year Earth Female Serpent (sa mo sbrul 1209 A.D.), he heard the news that the books of phag mo gru had been taken away (by ‘bri khung pa) and this caused him great distress. His health even became impaired. During the winter, he preached the Doctrine and received visitors on a few occasions only. They begged him to perform rites for his health, but he refused. When he was 69, in the spring and summer of the Horse year (rta lo 1210 A.D.) he preached and admitted visitors on two or three occasions only.

In the evening of, the 16th day, which was a full moon day of the Mṛgaśīra month, he entrusted the library’s key to the ācārya dbon po and said:

"Until this time you were respected by them. Stay on in the place in which they had placed you."

The ācārya dbon po inquired:

"Pray give me the key with your own hand, and make a wish that I might benefit living beings."

He did so. On the 17th, he showed his face to the assembly, preached religion and held conversations. On the 18th he attended the congregation. He passed away during the evening tea on the 19th. On the cremation of his remains, his heart, tongue and eyes were recovered unburnt, and many relics and images were recovered (from the ashes).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

R: the form with two arms, represented with the Śaktī

[2]:

R: a crossbreed between a yak and a domestic cow