Chapter 14b - Gyam bzang chos rje (disciple of Zwa ra ba)

Birth and Childhood

He was born at dmar mo of gtsang zhal in the year Earth Female Ox (sa mo glang, 1169 A.D.) as son of father sbrang mo lcam and mother zhang Icam 'bum skyid, who was a ḍākinī. In his childhood he was taken to bya zhing, and became expert in the offerings to the Jewel (dkon mchog, ratna).

A householder once told him:

"It would be good, if you were to become a monk!"

He took up ordination in the presence of a native of gtsang known by the name of sgrin mkhan po chos ston, and was given the name of chos smon lam.

Youth

After that, he heard the exposition of the Vinaya and the bka' gdams pa doctrine from a teacher at 'chad dkar. A mystic trance was produced in him naturally.

The teacher said about him:

"This novice possesses a good power of meditation."

He then thought of becoming an ordained monk (dge slong), and received the final monastic ordination at the monastery of rgya dur at the age of eighteen, klubs dkar ba acting as upādhyāya, gong gad pa gnyal dar ma gzi brjid as ācārya, and the ācārya me char as Secret Preceptor. For five or six years he stayed with the upādhyāya and profoundly studied the Vinaya, and became known as the Vinayadhara of bsnubs.

Adulthood

At the age of 22, in the year Iron Male Dog (lcags pho khyi, 1190 A.D.), he saw (in his meditation) the funeral ceremony of the late sten pa lo tsā ba more clearly than seen by those who had attended the ceremony. At the age of 29, when his Teacher was preaching four texts at nyi zla sgang, he acted as assistant preacher and recited by heart the Prātimokṣa sūtra^[1] . He offered his upādhyāya presents, and among them the phal po che spong brgyad ma^[2] and a good armour.

The upādhyāya was pleased, and said to him:

"You will collect numerous doctrines in this life!"

At the age of 28, he became the successful steward of the monastic community of bya zhing. In that year the upādhyāya klubs dkar passed away, and he felt sad. In order to drive away his sadness, he proceeded towards gra accompanied by bos ri ba. He heard that at zwa ra there was a Living Buddha named skal ldan ye shes seng ge, that flies used to form a canopy over him, and that he was said to have been the chief disciple of phag mo gru pa. He felt faith born in him, and proceeded to zwa ra. As soon as he met the Teacher, an understanding of the Oneness of his and the Teacher’s minds was produced in him.

After that he proceeded towards gtsang, where he met zhig po bdud rtsi, and received his share of barley (nas 'gyer blangs). He also met the ācārya pra spang and gyang ro dar mgon. Again he proceeded to dbu ru. Having heard that the bla ma zhang was of a quarrelsome nature, he did not have faith in him, and therefore did not meet him. But later he felt boundless faith in (him) and accepted him as his Teacher.

He obtained the cittotpāda ceremony from brag dkar ba at brag dkar in ‘phan yul. He also obtained the "Refuge" (skyabs 'gro) from bya yul bsnubs sgom. Having gone to 'on, he met the Lord 'bri khung pa, and attended a class on the Doctrine. At the age of thirty, he gave up all worldly occupations and practised meditation at 'bum zhing.

Meeting the Guru

In the following year, he proceeded into the presence of zwa ra ba, who asked him: "Did you obtain initiation?" "I did not obtain it" he replied.

Zwa ra ba having given the necessary permission to the ācārya dbon po, the latter bestowed on him the initiation rite of the Yoginī (Vajravārahī, rnal 'byor ma'i dbang). Then numberless forms of trance were produced in him, and zwa ra ba delivered to him several auspicious prophecies. Then he settled at ra mo in the mtha' lung valley which had been indicated by the Venerable mid la to ras chung pa, and on the ridge of 'chu gu, and other places.

In the next year he went to zwa ra ba who bestowed on him the snying po phyag rgya chen po, and especially an Introduction to the "Oral Tradition" (snyan brgyud kyi ngo sprod), the upāya mārga of the "Six Doctrines" of Nāro, and some other texts. The Teacher said to him: "Now my Lineage will not become extinct!" and rejoiced.

Travels and Activity

At 'bum zhing wild rose bushes (se ba) began to flower in winter and he became famous as one who was receiving flower offerings from the Nāgas. When his father fell ill, and was about to die, zhig po bdud rtsi came there and blessed him. When he was staying at mtha' lung, an inconceivable faculty of perceiving the effects of causes, etc. Was born in him. From the ācārya gnyags sgom he obtained the "Six Doctrines" of lo ro ba (ras chung pa) and the tshe sgrub (Life prolongation rite). This snyags sgom has been an attendant of sum pa (Ras chung).

After that he journeyed towards 'o de gung rgyal (near skyi rong, a place highly venerated by tsong kha pa), but did not care to stay there, and therefore returned. He then obtained from kham bu ya le instruction in the gcod thung cig ma (name of a gcod manual still used by the adepts of gcod).

He took part in the construction of a building undertaken by zwa ra ba at phag mo gru.

Zwa ra ba said:

"You must bring timber from lho kha!"

When he failed in doing so, zwa ra ba told him:

"While you have failed to bring timber, I managed to bring some."

When he was 36, in the year Wood Mouse (shing byi, 1204 A.D.), kha che pan chen came to Tibet. Shambu undertook to act as his supporter. At the age of 38, in the year Fire Male Tiger (me pho stag, 1206 A.D.), he founded gyam bzangs. In the following Fire Female Hen year (me mo yos, 1207 A.D.) zwa ra ba passed away, and he looked after the latter’s students.

On one occasion he revealed that he had been srong btsan sgam po, and told some the story of the building of khra 'brug^[3] and the concealment of treasures consisting of precious objects and sacred books, etc.

He used also to repeat the following verse

"During the period of the last five hundred years, I (srong btsan) shall be reborn in 425 years in the kingdom of gyor po of the South in the year of the golden Great Bull (glang chen gser gyi lo). My name will be Dharmaprāṇin, and I shall preach the Holy Doctrine, saying: 'Thus said the King.’”

After the erection of the monastery, this religious king was invited by alms-givers from Upper and Lower gnyal, mtsho sna, lho brag, Eastern and Western yar klungs, to preside over religious assemblies, and they erected many preachers' seats for the preaching of the Doctrine; 45 seats were erected in lho brag, and 47 at gnyal.

He said:

"These seats were endowed with greater blessing than even caityas,"

When he presided over religious assemblies, he did not count the assemblies over which he presided in Western and Eastern yar klungs, and other places, as well as did not list the number of seats (erected).

On several occasions he sent offerings to zwa ra from out of the offerings received by him during the religious assemblies. He also had a vision of zwa ra ba with a pleased countenance and shining body. On one occasion he indicated the need for a religious assembly to avert hail in sham bu lcal. 350 white and black tents (were pitched) and 1500 ordained monks with 300 supervisors headed by the upādhyāya khu ba, and 121 nomads from gyam bzangs gathered there.

He forbade hunting in the entire area above byar og og and below sga 'dra, above dags po krongs kha and below mon 'gar mgon po gdong, beyond gro shul cha khrod and above the gangs par gser chu, beyond lho brag gtam shul and as far as yar klungs bya sa. He laboured for the welfare of others during a considerable time, and passed away at the age of 65 in the year Water Female Serpent (chu mo sbrul 1233 A.D.).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

'dul ba'i mdo, Vinayasūtra by Guṇaprabha, Tg. 'Dul ba, No. 4117.

[2]:

Buddhāvataṃsaka nāma mahāvaipūlyasūtra, Kg. phal chen, No 441.

[3]:

Name of a famous Temple, built by srong btsan sgam po (R).