Chapter 14a - Zwa ra ba (disciple of Phag mo gru pa)

Past Life

The chief disciple (bu chen) of ‘gro mgon (phag mo grupa) was zwa ra'i skal ldan ye shes seng ge. In a former existence when he had been born at ci phug in khams, his name has been tsol pa. His family (name) was klad ru. At that time his mother (had been) dmar gza' pad ma. A yogin, learned in the Cycle of Saṃvara, came from the Nepāl Tibetan borderland, and initiated him. This yogin had a wife (jo mo) and a black servant. These he gave to him. In this country there were five brothers, and the fifth carried away his wife. He himself apprehending murder, lay down inside a granary.

The black servant told him: "One shouldn't be afraid! I can certainly kill (them all at once)."

On the palm of his hand he had the sign of a sword. He then killed (the kidnapper). "It seems that the Teacher who had initiated him was Saṃvara, the wife Ḍa ki ma (Vajravārahī), and this black servant Śrī Nātha (dpal mgon po)", thus it has been said by zwa ra ba himself.

Childhood

Zwa ra ba in this life was born at Mon 'gar. In his youth, when guarding goats, a self-produced faculty of concentrated trance was born in him after looking front a hilltop on the mountains of the monastery of phag mo gru pa. Once two meditative ascetics discussed meditation between themselves. He thought: "If this is meditation, then I also know how to meditate."

Having come to the monastery, he met ‘gro mgon, who said to him:

"In your former life you had been a great meditator, but there is still a transgression in your vows. When you were in your mother’s womb, your mother’s body felt at ease, because you had been (in the past) a good ascetic (sgom chen), and thus a natural faculty of concentrated trance was born in you. As a sign that you had transgressed your vows in your former lives, you have the habit of sleeping face downwards."

‘Gro mgon then introduced him to his own Mind and an excellent insight was produced in him. He was given the name of skal ldan ye shes seng ge.

Adulthood

Later, he founded the monastery of zwa ra dgon at Gra rabs. Scenes of his former existences were drawn by him on the upper part of the walls of his room. He worshipped profusely at phag mo gru, and erected there a large building. His disciple gyam bzang chos rje attended on him.