Chapter 23 - Mind instruction lineage (i): dung tsho ras pa

[Full title: Mind instruction lineage (i): dung tsho ras pa (sgam po pa’s disciple)]

Birth, Childhood and Novice Ordination

Dung tsho ras pa, an incarnation of skye po ye rdor (ye shes rdo rje), a disciple of the Dharmasvāmin sgam po pa^[1] : He was born as the middle son of the three sons born to father zhang sgom ‘byung gnas 'od and mother khu mo khye 'dren 'bum at gyag mkhar sngon po of yar klungs gcen pa. Since his childhood he became a disciple of spyan snga gser thog pa at gdan sa Thel.

After his hair had been cut, he obtained (instruction) in the Doctrine, and was given the name of shes rab rgyal mtshan. After this he became the disciple of a virtuous ascetic, belonging to the 'brug pa sect who was residing in his native place, and of lha sgom. He then obtained many instructions in penance (dka' thub) from 'khrul zhig khams pa at kha rag lha mtsho, who told him: "Go to the turquoise lake of ba yul. There you will achieve your purpose."

Meditation at ba yul

Following on this advice, he journeyed towards the turquoise lake of ba yul, where he found a hut on the summit of a small hill. There he practised meditation accompanied by penance. A great exhibition of demoniac power took place. From under the floor of his hut, at not a great depth, there came out first pieces of charcoal. He dug, and discovered a lump of wax. Having broken it, he examined, it, and discovered (inside) a list of hidden objects (gter gyi kha byang) buried by the Lord sgam po pa in the lake called Maṇḍal nag po, situated beyond sgam po. He understood that he was the man indicated in the prophecy who was to discover the hidden treasure, and decided to leave the place.

Final Ordination and Instruction

He could not proceed through gye because of heavy snows. Then having tied a rope to a tree, he slid down the precipice to dags po. He then crossed the gtsang po in a fisherman’s boat and reached sgam po. He took up the final monastic ordination from the rin po che rdor blo ba, and received the name of rin chen bzang po. He heard (the exposition) of the dgongs gcig (the ‘bri khung dgongs gcig, containing the main doctrine of the ‘bri khung pa sect).

Discovery of Terma

Having found out from the above mentioned list that he was to discover the hidden doctrine, in the Dark Moon between the year Wood Female Hare (shing mo yos, 1315 A. D.) and the year Fire Male Dragon (me pho 'brug, 1316 A.D.), he proceeded there on the 29th day of the 12th month of the year Wood Hare (shing yos, 1355 A.D.), in the company of an attendant. All told him that he would be unable to find the spot. But just the same he went there as directed in the guide book, and was able to find the spot. His attendant saw on the surface of the ice of the lower lake a bronze image of an ichneumon (ne'u la), yellowish in colour.

The attendant said: “It must be the chest of a dead vulture. We had better remove it." Saying so, he pushed it off with his foot.

Dung tsho ras pa then said to his attendant: "By doing such a thing on a sacred lake of the desert valley, you may get leprosy!" And having said so, he fled away. The attendant also fled, and later he sent him back to sgam po.

He then cut down a Juniper tree of a man’s height, and tied to it a white scarf, and hoisted it on the shore of the lake. He found out from the list that he was to perform a sacrifice to the (local deity) of dags lha sgam po and to a certain spirit^[2] . He did, so, and then discovered under the ice, at the depth of one cubit (khru), a stone box inside which he found an image of an ichneumon. He took it out after breaking the ligature which joined it to the box, and brought it to the shore of the lake. He then lit a fire and melted the wax, and then opened it.

Inside he found some books covered with leather from the outside, and with silk, jewels and five kinds of cereals from the inside. Inside them he found a roll of paper. He learnt by heart the text inscribed on the roll, and then placed it inside the image of ichneumon, and hid the image in a crack in the rock. The rest (of the books) he took away, and returned to sgam po. He fled away after a few days being afraid that some one might take away the things from him.

Propitiations at tsa ri and Disciples

He reached tsa ri, and intended to practise propitiations at Kā la dung mtsho during one year. He thought: “Companions only disturb me. I know this myself", and so went on. He built a hut for himself, gathered necessary provisions and spent one year propitiating.

Before the beginning of the autumn snow falls, a party of some 800 hermits came there on a pilgrimage. Some others had gone towards the upper country. One named ‘gro mgon rin chen mdzes of mtshal pa 'phyug po said to him: “You are in possession of some profound hidden doctrines (gter chos), I am asking for them!"

"Who had said so?" inquired dung tsho ras pa.

"A crow had said it" replied rin chen mdzes. Because the latter was characterized by a virtuous conduct, dung tsho ras pa bestowed on him the understanding of the precepts including the doctrine of the ekarasa (ro gcig, "one flavour" doctrine), which he did not bestow on others, and an excellent yogic insight (rtogs pa) was produced in him (rin chen mdzes). After that he also guided some 800 cotton clad ascetics (ras pa).

Later he laboured for the welfare of living beings in many regions, such as lho, gnyal, and other places. In the end, he spent a considerable time at rdza chu dar mo of grang mo. He had numerous disciples, but the holders of his Spiritual Lineage were: the bla ma khrul zhig sna'u pa, tsa ri ras pa, bye ma ras pa, dom tshang ras pa, sgrod lung pa, stag tshang ras pa, and others.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

One of 108 famous gter btons pas (R).

[2]:

btsan, a bon po term denoting a deity with a red body, originally an ancestral spirit or the spirit of a deceased king (R).