Chapter 2 - The Ma System (rma lugs kyi skabs)

[Chandra 774; Chengdu 1020;Roerich 872.]

The "Intermediate" Lineage:

The chief precepts were those of rma, so and skam, the three, as well as the "lesser" precepts. For three years dam pa served on the monastic congregation at snyed gro of gnyal, and then proceeded to chos sgro. On his way to yar stod, he met gnyags lo tsA ba and bestowed on him (the sādhana) of Saṃvara-ekavīra (bde mchog dpa' bo gcig). Said dam pa to khu lo tsA ba: "Your (Tantric) vows have been defiled", and did not admit him (into his presence).

After that he met rma. This dam pa rma was born in the year Wood-Female-Sheep (shing mo lug 1055 A.D.) as son of one named rma smon lam at skyer sna of yar stod. This Wood-Sheep year (shing lug 1055) follows on the year of the passing of Atīśa, during which pu to ba had reached the age of 13. Rma was ordained in his youth, and was given the name of chos kyi shes rab. He obtained from his father the Pad-ma dbang chen (a rnying ma pa form of Hayagrīva). Then he studied the "Domain of Practice" (spyod phyogs), the Mādhyamaka system, the Dohā according to the "Upper" school, and the grub snying (the Cycle of Dohā).

At the age of 19, in the year Water-Female-Ox (chu mo glang 1073 A.D.) he met dam pa. When bla ma rma, having fallen ill, was living in the upper storey of his own house, he once saw a black a tsa ra (<ācārya) carrying a single garment on his shoulder. The fierce dogs (of the house) did not bark at him, but circled round him wagging their tails. Rma was surprised, and sent a servant to have a look at (the stranger). The servant came back and said that there was an a tsa ra (ācārya). Rma then understood that the a tsa ra was an extraordinary man. Then he invited him inside, and the a tsa ra entered without being shown the door. Rma then asked for the a tsa ra’s blessing, and as soon as the a tsa ra had blessed him, his illness disappeared. Rma then asked the a tsa ra to bestow a secret precept on him.

The a tsa ra said:

"I shall bestow precepts on you because of a karmic link (las 'brel) (between us) which has lasted through many rebirths."

Then the a tsa ra asked him: "What Doctrine do you know?" rma replied: "I know the Tantras of the 'Father' class (pha rgyud) and the Mahāmudrā".

The a tsa ra said:

"Yours is the Mahāmudrā of Words, but now I shall expound (to you) the Mahāmudrā of Meaning".

He then introduced him to the basic doctrine (mūla), basing himself on such words as "the stage in which the eyes remain open and the mental (flow) ceases, in which breath is stopped. This can be obtained with the help of a holy teacher (dpal ldan bla ma).^[1] A special experience was born in rma.

Then, after the lapse of 18 days, dam pa said: "Now I shall be going!" rma begged him to stay on, but dam pa did not agree. He tried to follow after dam pa, but the Teacher forbade him to come along. Rma then said: "In any case you will keep me in your grace", and dam pa replied: "This time you must go back, but next winter you may come to ‘phan yul". Rma practised meditation and his faith grew stronger.

In the winter, having taken so chung pa as his servant, he journeyed towards ‘phan yul. At byen yul he was able to clear his doubts regarding the precepts at the feet of dam pa, who bestowed on him instruction with the help of "pebbles" (rde'u) arranged in 64 ways. Rma spent three months at the residence of dam pa. At that time he met a su who was staying at rlung shod. Then rma returned to his native place, and gave up his servants and property, and became a devotee.^[2] He spent one year at the cave of rma.

After that he proceeded to mtsho rdzong of kong po brag gsum, and spent nine years there. When a great internal feud afflicted the locality, the local deity advised him to mediate in the matter (gnya' mdzad pa). He said: "I wouldn't be able". But the local deity told him "I shall help you". Rma had faith in the deity’s words, and went towards the place where fighting was taking place.

When people resumed fighting, he spread his religious robe between the two contending parties and exclaimed: "Here I shall meditate! Whosoever will disobey, may the nine kinds of misfortunes fall on him," and saying so, he went off. Wherever he went, he was followed by a great black whirlwind. The soldiers having become helpless by (the storm) ceased fighting.

He then thought:

"Now I shall be able to help living beings!"

He gathered numerous followers at dags po rdzongs kha and proceeded towards yar klungs. Rma spent three years at kyi tshang. Then having gathered numerous disciples, he stayed wherever he was asked to preach the Doctrine. He had five great "sons" (disciples): gang par gshen, shud phu lo tsA ba, bla ma she'u, sog po mdo sde, and zhang dga’ Idan pa.

Here sog po mdo sde:

(He was) a native of sho skyam. The eldest of the three brothers was lha rje sog sman. The middle one was sog po mdo sde. He was an expert in both medicine and religion. Being a disciple of the father of dam pa rma, he went to attend on ma sgom, who was staying at the cave of skyer snga.

Rma told him:

"Having met a siddha from India, I was benefitted by it, otherwise 'on the bed of a great scholar, the corpse of an ordinary human being will be found"'.^[3]

He then asked the siddha to tell him the story of his meeting with (him). He felt faith born in him and asked for hidden precepts. Rma said that because he had been a former disciple of his, he had to bestow precepts on him. Rma introduced him to the exposition, and bestowed on him the complete hidden precepts. Sog po also felt faith born in himself, and having abandoned all worldly occupations, became a devotee (sādhaka).

Later rma left dags po, and sog po went to yar mda (Lower yas klungs) to pay his homage to rma.

He then asked rma:

"O Teacher! What sort of Doctrine have you preached?"

Rma replied:

"I have preached the way of the Cittotpāda, called the stong mthun kha dor mthar rgyas".^[4]

He thought that rma must have possessed doctrines which he did not bestow, and therefore made his request.

Rma replied:

"I have given you the teachings of the Indian dam pa without adding or omitting even a single word. This present exposition which I am preaching consists of a few parts of the Teaching of dam pa and I have given them separate names, according to country and individuals."

Sog po mdo sde while residing at btsan thang met a man, aged 19, who obtained from him the complete hidden precepts. Rog shes rab 'od obtained them from that man. Again rma' disciple zhang dga’ Idan pa: (he belonged to the clan) of mchims zhang, and was born at gtsang zhal of yar stod. He obtained the Mahāmudrā doctrine from dam pa skor Ni-rū-pa, as well as the four initiations. Then he followed after rma to rgyas sman stag rtse. He bestowed spiritual guidance in the juniper forest of sngon chung gnas of byar, and removed doubts from his mind. Among his disciples were: gnyal ston dga’ chung 'bar, skyog sgom pa gtan, khu sgom jo dga', rgya dar seng, and ‘chus pa dar brtson.

Rgya dar seng ge: he was born as son of rgya lon chos 'bar at gra phyi phu. At the age of 30, an arrow struck his leg, and he proceeded to the hot springs of chu tshan kha, and there met ras pa kha kyog rdo rje seng ge, and obtained from him the Mahāmudrā. While zhang was residing at sman mo, he obtained precepts from him, and became a yogin endowed with a heavenly understanding.

His great "sons" were: dol pa dbang rgyal and shes rab me chung, called the "Two jo sras spun of stod." zhang ston jo spu and the bla ma slob chung ba were called the "Two brothers of gnyags tsha" in smad. His Lineage was continued by smyon chung of rgya in the Middle Region (bar). The latter was born in Lower rgyal (rgya smad) in chu bo ri khra snga. His name was rgya tsha 'bar. At the age of 24, he met gri khu gdong pa, who had come to chu bo ri to meditate, and became his disciple. Rgya smyon taught the doctrine of this Lineage. Three ḍākinīs introduced him to his own Mind, and an understanding, which did not differ from experience, was produced in his Mind. He was given the name of smyon pa don ldan. He taught (the Doctrine) to ri khrod pa.

Again khu sgom jo dga', who dwelt in the valley of klu mda’ tshe, had numerous disciples. He taught it to rgyal ba dkon mchog skyabs of stod lung gzhong pa steng. The latter preached the doctrine to rog shes rab 'od. Shes rab 'od obtained at that place the understanding of the Mahāmudrā. Again zhang brtsun rgyal ba bkra shis taught it to ‘chus pa dar brtson. The latter taught it to ‘chus pa brtson seng. The latter taught it to rog shes rab 'od. Now there have been two Lineages in the school of rma: that of the Word, and that of the Meaning. The exposition of the Meaning (don khrid) included 16 lag khrid or practical guides. The Lineage of the Word contained the cittotpāda, a summary (stong thun), a miscellany (kha 'thor), that "which hits the mouth and the nose" (khar phog snar phog), meaning criticism of the point of view of others, and the "extensive" (exposition, mthar rgyas).

The Chapter on the school of rma.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

the stage referred to in the above śloka represents the stage when iḍā and piṇgalā/vital breaths sink into the avadhūti, and the yogin is said to be able to contemplate the Absolute, i.e. The Mahāmudrā.

See M. Shahidullah "Textes pour l'Etude du Bouddhisme tardif" (Paris, 1928), p. 150:

mig ni mi 'dzums sems 'gog dang/rlung 'gog pa ni dpal ldan bla mas rtogs/), (R).

[2]:

Skt. Sādhaka (R).

[3]:

i.e. He would die as an ordinary human being ignorant of religion (R).

[4]:

"Summary, miscellany, extensive" (R).