Chapter 18 - ’Gos gzhon nu dpal’s’ teacher: Sangs rgyas rin chen pa

My Teacher sangs rgyas rin chen pa obtained (the Doctrine) from him. He was born in the year Earth-Female-Hare (sa mo yos 1336 A. D.) at sne'u mkhar as son of mkhas grub chos dpal pa, holder of the Lineage of scholars and meditation.

Possessed of the spiritual heritage (gotra) of the Mahāyāna, in his childhood he never quarrelled with his playmates. From his youth, he listened to the exposition of numerous secret doctrines (gter chos) of his ancestors, such as the exposition of the Hevajra-Tantra (brtag gnyis) according to the method of rngog, the (Vajra)kīla (phur bu), and Hayagriva Cycles of the "Old" believers (rnying ma), the bla ma gsang 'dus,^[1] and other texts.

After that he journeyed to rtses thang and attended on chos seng pa, the Great, and the ācārya 'od zer dpal pa, studied the Prajñapāramitā, and took part in philosophical debates. After that he took up the study of the Pramānavārtika.

While he was memorizing the Commentary, he felt a desire to hear the (exposition) of the Kālacakra. He then obtained from the lo chen byang chub rtse mo on one occasion the complete text of the Great Commentary on the Tantra (Vimalaprabhā), and on another occasion half of the text. He obtained the complete text on two occasions from the lo tsā ba nam mkha' bzang po.

From the Dharmasvāmin phyogs pa the complete initiation of the Kālacakra, and twice the exposition of the Great Commentary of the Tantra, as hidden precepts the Sadaṅga-yoga, and the Sevasādhana (u rgyan bsnyen sgrub).

From the Dharmasvāmin phyogs pa's disciple rtogs ldan sngo nal ma ye shes rgyal mtshan he obtained the Commentary on the Tantra (Vimalaprabhā) together with notes by phyogs las rnam rgyal.

From the ācārya 'jam sgeg he obtained the Śrī Paramārthasevā^[2] and the lta 'dod mdor bstan.^[3]

From yar 'brog kha ba lung pa zhang ston bsod nams grags pa he obtained the Commentary on the Tantra (Vimalaprabhā) together with notes by kun mkhyen chen po. From ri ston blo chen 'od he obtained the translation of the Commentary on the Tantra by lo brags pa, which was handed down from man lungs pa and the lo tsā ba grags pa rgyal mtshan, and the Sekoddeśaṭikā of Nā-ro-pa.

When kun mkhyen then po came to lha sa, he took up the final monastic ordination in his presence, and obtained from him several of the lesser doctrines. Among these he held in high esteem the method of phyog las rnam rgyal. After that he consecrated himself to meditation.

During his practice of the Sadaṅga-yoga, he suffered during nine years from a disease and felt the upper and lower parts of his body burning as if scorched by glowing charcoal. However he did not interrupt his meditation. Having been relieved of his affliction, his meditation greatly improved. He preached the exposition of the Commentary on the Tantra (Vimalaprabhā). He constantly gave guidance to numerous disciples in the practice of the Sadaṅga-yoga, who included priests and laymen, males and females. During a considerable time he laboured for the welfare of others. He passed away at the age of 86 in the year Wood-Male-Dragon (shing pho 'brug 1424 A.D.). He attended on the Blessed Maitreya in the Abode of Tuṣita, which had been the abode of his former incarnations.

I obtained from him the complete initiation rite of the Kālacakra, as given in the book on the maṇḍala (12b) rites composed by kun mkhyen chen po (shes rab rgyal mtshan). I also obtained the text of the Great Commentary on the Tantra (Vimalaprabhā), the guide-book on the Sadaṅga-yoga, the Sekoddeśa with the commentary by Nā ro pa, as well as other commentaries (on the Kālacakra) by Bodhisattvas.^[4]

The rin po che bsod bzang ba also studied thoroughly the Kālacakra with its branches and secret precepts under the Dharmasvāmin phyog las rnam rgyal and the scholar nya dbon. During a considerable time he looked after disciples by bestowing on them guidance, expositions and initiations. He also composed a text-book on initiation rites (dbang sgrub)^[5] and became the Teacher of all great men. The Dharmasvāmin de bzhin gshegs pa and mthong ba don ldan also became his disciples. This yogeśvara who had attained the stage of a scholar and a siddha, passed away at the age of 93 in the year Water-Female-Ox (chu mo glang 1433 A.D.). His disciple the dka' bcu pa pad ma bzang po ba expounded on many occasions the commentary on the Tantra (Vimalaprabhā), as well as composed a large commentary on the Vimalaprabhā.

Further, the Dharmasvāmin chos bzang nyi ma, a disciple of rin po che bsod nams bzang po, founded the hermitage of g. Ya' snang, and upheld the Doctrine by preaching the Kālacakra, as well as by meditation. There appeared many adepts (sādhakas) who concentrated solely on the practice of the Sadaṅga-yoga.

Again, 'jam dbyangs chos kyi mgon po ba, a disciple of kun mkhyen chen po, took over the chair of g. Yag sde pan chen,(%) and for a long time preached the Kālacakra. He had many learned disciples, including ‘jam dbyangs rin rgyal ba and others. Having come to the monastic college of rtses thang, he preached the Commentary on the Tantra (Vimalaprabhā) to many piṭakadharas, of whom the best student (gsan pa po)^[6] was the mahā-upādhyāya rin po che rgyal mtshan bzang po.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A rnying ma book.

[2]:

Tg. rgyud, No. 1348

[3]:

Tga rgyud, No. 2304

[4]:

i.e. by the kings of Śambhala,

[5]:

dbang sgrub means the first (R 781) part of' the initiation rite, which precedes the introduction of the disciple into the maṇḍala.

[6]:

lit. "a hearer."