Chapter 27 - Additional precept lineages

Again, from bsod nams lhun grub, who was a clansman of the bla ma rdo rje rgyal mtshan, the bla ma ngag gi dbang phyug grags pa obtained the Kālacakra Cycle with its branches. He looked after many disciples, and was learned in both the direct and indirect meanings of the Kālacakra.^[1] He had the faculty of attracting the minds of others with the help of rites, such as dance and song recitals, etc. He was also learned its astrology and composed a treatise (śāstra) on it. His maṇḍala rite received a great spread. The Dharmasvāmin rgod phrug ras pa used to say that once when he was listening to his exposition of the guide to the Sadaṅga-yoga, he saw the Teacher as sha ba ri dbang phyug.

Again, the se lo tsā ba gzon nu tshul khrims studied the Commentary on the Kālacakra-Tantra, (Vimalaprabhā) on two occasions with tsa mi, on one occasion with Abhaya, on one occasion with Bhāskara, and the first part of the Commentary with Abhiyukta. While both Abhaya and Mañjukīrti had been disciples of Nā-ro-pa, Abhaya had been also a disciple of tsa mi. Bhāskara was also called Bhāskaradeva, meaning "Sun god" ('od byed lha); the disciple of Śrīdhara (dpal 'dzin).

When se Io tsā ba came to Tibet, he taught the system to gnyos dar ma 'od. The latter taught it to dus 'khor ba bkra shis rin chen. The. Latter to dus 'khor ba sangs rgyas rdo rje. The latter to Śrī u rgyan pa. The latter taught it extensively basing himself on the translation by tsa mi, at la stod, yar klungs and other localities.

Snye mdo ba obtained it from grub chen pa (u rgyan pa), and, latter taught to the Dharmasvāmin rang byung ba (ran byung rdo rje) according to the translation by tsa mi.

Rgwa lo tsā ba obtained the hidden (20a) precepts of the Sadaṅga-yoga from tsa mi, as well as studied it under Abhaya. He practised meditation and attained spiritual realization (siddhi). His fame spread as far as zang sgling.^[2] Having come to Tibet, he bestowed these precepts on zhang 'tshal pa and others. He laboured for the welfare of others by bestowing initiations and precepts throughout dbus, gtsang and Lower khams. He lived to the age of 89.

Again, when the paṇḍita Vibhūticandra was preaching Grammar to about five disciples in Nepāl, there came a yogin wearing a black lion-cloth. At first the disciples wondered at him, and informed the paṇḍita. The latter understood that this was sha ba ri dbang phyug. He then requested the yogin to bestow on him the Sadaṅga-yoga, the essence of all the Tantras, and the latter bestowed it on him. The yogin stayed for 21 days, and said that he was going to Kāśmīra. When he left, the paṇḍita (Vibhüticandra) asked all the Tibetans, who had come to Nepāl: Who was the most famous kalyāṇa-mitra in Tibet at the present time? They replied that the greatest was ko brag pa. The paṇḍita then sent a Ietter to ko brag pa saying that he possessed the profound precepts of sha ba ri dbang phyug,^[3] and that he should come to receive them. Ko brag pa despatched suitable presents to the paṇḍita and his retinue, and requested the paṇḍita to visit Tibet.

When the paṇḍita reached din ri, he bestowed the hidden precepts on ko brag pa, dpyal a mo gha, g. Yung phug pa, nyeg po chos ldan, and mar ston g. Yang 'bar. The paṇḍita himself also listened to the hidden precepts preached by ko brag pa. These precepts spread greatly. The ascetic zhang when preaching the pratyāharā (restraining organs) stage of the Sadaṅga-yoga (so sor sdud pa), used to base himself on this system only.

The kha che pan chen (Śākyaśrī) bestowed on the lo tsā ba dpyal chos kyi bzang po the Commentary on the Hevajra-Tantra (brtag gnyis), composed by Nā-ro-pa, and the latter’s secret precepts on the Sadaṅga-yoga (sbyor ba yan lag drug). These secret precepts the lo tsā ba expounded in a book entitled the Key to the Casket of Precious Stones (rin po che sgom gyi Ide mig). (20b) gnyal pa hrul po, a disciple of the lo tsa (khro phu lo tsā ba), composed a commentary on it. The book exists nowadays. But the best of the initiations and precepts of Śrī-Kālacakra (originated) from the Venerable Great scholar (mkhas pa chen po) Śrī Vanaratna (dpal nags kyi rin chen).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

In the Kālacakra drang don or neya-artha means "meaning made easy", and corresponds to the utpannakrama degree; nge don or nīta-artha means "sublime meaning", and corresponds to the sampannakrauta degree.

[2]:

according to some authors-Ceylon, according to others Tāmralipiti

[3]:

in Tibetan also called ri khrod pa dbang phyug. See. A. Gruenwedel: Die Geschichten d. Vierundachtzig Zauberer/Mahāsiddhas/, p. 148.