Chapter 17b - Rgod tshang pa’s Disciples

His spiritual sons were: yang dgon pa, the mahāsiddha U rgyan pa, byang gling pa, the Dharmasvāmin Ne rings pa, phu ri ba, the incomparable (mnyam med) ba ri spyil dkar ba, the Lord ma bdun pa, zhi byed mgon po, sangs rgyas khrom ras, dpal skyer shing ras pa, Śākya ras pa, 'dar ras, and others.

Ba ri spyil dkar ba

ba ri spyil dkar ba, who was equal in meditation to rgod tshang pa himself, founded a monastery on the border of 'gos yul and 'bring, laboured for the welfare of others, and meditated incessantly on the prabhāsvara. Until the present day there exists an image (of him) which does not attract dust. Phu ri ba dkon mchog rgyal mtshan and his successors phu ri ba dkon mchog rgyal mtshan, who was equal in austerities to rgod tshang pa himself, was the one who had asked rgod tshang pa to write the ro snyoms sgang 'dril (a summary of the samarasa doctrine). He founded a monastery at pha drug.

His successors (brgyud pa’i 'dzin pa) were the nirmāṇakāya bde chen seng ge, ma gcig chos sgron, and the latter’s disciple the bka' bzhi pa nam mkha' 'od zer. This latter had first become a great kalyāṇamitra holder of the four Commandments (bka' bzhi 'dzin pa) of la stod byang pa, and met there ma gcig during the recess (chor bar). He obtained precepts from her, and an excellent mind concentration was born in him.

His disciple kha rag grags rgyal ba: he was born in the year Fire Male Horse (me pho rta, 1186 A.D.). He was the table decker (gsol la ba) of spyan sna grags byang ba. He acted as head cook (ja dpon) during spyan sna kun spangs pa’s tenure, but then fled to chu bar and practised meditation. He met the bka' bzhi pa nam mkha' 'od zer and others, and obtained from them many precepts. He spent (with nam mkha' 'od zer) two terms (while the disciples had gone to hermitages)^[1] , and after returning, spent about 12 years (lo skor cycle of 12 years) at dgon rin chen gling. About that time a yogic insight was born in him.

Later, he spent a considerable time at kha rag, and became known as kha rag pa. After that he took up residence at gdan sa thel, and looked after the welfare of others. He passed away at the age of 86 in the year Iron Sheep (lcags lug, 1271 A D.). Ma bdun pa

ma bdun pa, equal in mercy to rgod tshang pa himself (sning rje rang dang mnyam pa), was also called mdo bo che pa.

Ne rings pa

Ne rings pa, who was equal in vision to rgod tshang pa himself (dag snang rang mnyam pa): his forefathers came from the eastern village of Śrī ri. Skyi ston chos brags became a disciple of rgya 'a ma can at chu mig ring mo, and lived for 115 years. His son sman tsha 'bar, became a disciple of mgo bya tsha at myang po, and founded the temple of Idum ra. He died early. His son lha rje phan pa ba rag was a disciple of ston skya.

The five sons called the "Brothers men tsha": sgrub pa zhig po of bya tshang was the fifth of them. The eldest of the five dbug gtso bar sdings pa had a son called nyi ma rgyal mtshan. He met the pan chen (Śākyaśrībhadra) in his childhood.

Ne rings was the seventh of his seven sons. His name was bde legs rgyal mtshan, and he was born in the year Wood Female Hen (shing mo bya, 1225 A.D.). At the age of 22, he heard the precepts from rgod tshang pa, and practised meditation from the year Fire Male Horse (me pho rta, 1246 A.D.). He founded the monastery of ne rings in the year Earth Female Sheep (sa mo lug, 1259 A.D.), which followed the death of rgod tshang pa. Twenty-three years after this, he passed away at the age of fifty-seven, in the year Iron Female Serpent (lcags mo sbrul, 1281 A.D.). He was recognized as a rebirth of Maitrīpa and lcog po smyon pa.. The Chapter on rgod tshang pa and his disciples.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

In ancient Tibet a ri thebs meant a term of residence in a solitary place. One ri thebs corresponded to three days, three months, three years (R).