Chapter 2 - Amoghapaśa (i): Bari

Bari: he was a native of khams pa sdom tshang and was born in the year iron Male Dragon (lcags pho 'brug 1040 A.D.). The Venerable mid la was born in the same year.

A paṇḍita from Kasmira having come to Khams, he heard from him the Abhidharma (mngon pa) and the Lesser recension of the zhal gnyis ma^[1] .

He had the intention of going to India. Having obtained about seventy golden srangs, he took the gold with him and proceeded towards dbus.

At the age of {(7b)} 15, he met AtiŚa at snye thang and requested his blessing. (Atiśa) fortold him: Go to the residence of rdo rje gdan pa! Accidents will not befall you.

Having gone to la stod dpal thang, he came across about a hundred sheep which were led away to be slaughtered. He felt pity towards them and bought them off paying for each one golden zho. He presented them to the monastery on the condition that they were to be kept alive.

Having come to Nepal, (he had to choose) between the two roads (leading to India), the short but dangerous road, and the long, but safe road. His tutelary deity indicated him to proceed by the short road, and that danger would not present itself.

He had a vision of Avalokiteśvara in his dream in the night preceding the crossing of the Ganges. At Kośalakrama^[2] he met tsa mi (sangs rgyas grags pa). He twice offered him a golden zho, Tsa mi showed him an image, which had been consecrated by the Buddha and fashioned by Viśvakarman. The image proved similar to the one he had seen in his dream. On seeing the image, an excellent transit meditation was produced in him.

During his stay in India, Ārya Avalokiteśvara appeared constantly, and delivered to him many discourses.

He also saw the vision of a yogini who advised him to return. He also saw Ārya Avalokiteśvara in tears and asked: What was the affliction? The Bodhisattva replied: Shin stang chan has captured sixty prisoners who are tormented in a prison pit by snakes and frogs, and are weeping from pain. In the morning he ascertained the fact, and having presented a golden srangs to the king, begged him to set the prisoners free. The king said: Unless I get one golden srangs for each prisoner, I shall not release them! He freed the captives after paying the sixty golden srangs. He also called a medical practitioner to treat their wounds inflicted by snakes and torture. He paid him one golden srangs, and thus acquired the great fame of a Bodhisattva.

Again he saw Avalokiteśvara in tears, and {(8a)} when he asked: What was the affliction? the Bodhisattva replied: Bandits carried away the gold which belonged to rgyus lo tsa ba, and the latter is full of grief. Following this indication, he proceeded in the morning to the house of rgyus lo and inquired as to what had happened. The lo tsa ba said: Such is my sad fate! He gave him two golden chos and pleased him.

When he was preparing to go to Tibet, he saw in a dream numerous pretas who said to him O great lo tsa ba! On your way to Tibet, dangers will not befall you! Present an offering to us, and then go! He then offered a gtor ma and rice comprising eleven men’s loads.

With the remaining gold he entertained numerous natives of mnga ris (who had come to India). They said (to him): The paṇḍita Parahita has come to mnga ris and is preaching the Five Treatises of Maitreya (byams chos sde lnga); and the Six Treatises of the Mādhyamaka system (dbu ma rigstshogs drug). He journeyed to gung thang via Nepal. Then from Lower gro he proceeded to spu hrangs and obtained the Six Treatises of the Mādhyamaka system from the paṇḍita (Parahita).

After that he went to worship (the images) of Avalokiteśvara (Mahākarunnika), Manjuśrī and Tārā, which were formerly brought by the lo tsa ba rin chen bzang po. That night in a dream he was told that he should repair the big toe on the foot of the Tārā. He brought a (piece of) gor shi sha^[3] with gold, and repaired the damage. After that he again journeyed to India and obtained from rdo rje gdan pa (tsa mi) numerous doctrines, such as the Cycle of Avalokiteśvara and others.

Then he again returned to Tibet. He laboured for the welfare of living beings in many upper and lower countries.

He had numerous disciples to whom he imparted the Cycle of Avalokiteśvara. In particular he preached the Cycle of Avalokiteśvara to snubs phag mo lungpa, nye gnas lho pa and mkhang pa thang pa of gung than.

The siddha Zhang zhung obtained (it) from the above three. Skyema grags tshul obtained it from him. The latter (preached it) to klu sgrub. The latter to the bla ma dka’ bzhi pa. The latter to don zhags pa shes rab brtson 'grus. The latter to don zhags pa sangs rgyas rin chen.

He became the upādhyāya of si tu dge blo ba at ‘tshal. Because of this he became, known as the maha upādhyāya sang rin pa, He met rgyal tsha, the upādhyāya of spyan yas. At spyan yas he looked after disciples with the help of the Cycle of Ārya Avalokiteśvara.^[4]

After that he travelled through the upper and lower regions.

Later at the time of his passing into Nirvana, he said: Convey me to spyan yas, the strictest monastic college. On reaching spyan yas, he passed out.

His remains are preserved until the present day inside a clay stupa.

The ācārya gzhon nu smon lam obtained from him the Cycle of Amoghapaśa. From him the maha upādhyāya sangs rgyas ‘bum dpal obtained (it).

His uninterrupted Lineage exists to the present day.

Again, one named Da Bodhisattva, who was a nephew of AtiŚa, and was a Bodhisattva of this Bhadrakalpa, personally obtained (the Doctrine) from Ārya (Amoghapaśa).

There was a scholar named paṇḍita Śrīdhana, who used to worship the Mahabodhi (image) during the day, and at night used to meditate in a cemetery. When he received an invitation to Nepal, the lo tsa ba ‘phags tshul of mnga’ ris, and byang sems zla rgyal obtained from him the initiation and blessing, as well as the Cycle of Ārya (Avalokiteśvara).

He {who?} offered seven golden srangs, having borrowed them from other people. The paṇḍita said: This will do (for one journey). He then proceeded with the lo tsa ba to India.

From the Bodhisattva he obtained the Doctrine of the siddha zhang zhung pa. From him skye ma grags tshul. From the latter the blama ‘jam dpal rgyal mtshan. From the latter zhig po kungrol. From the latter lo mo ba sangs rgyas ston pa. From the latter sangs rgyas dbon po. After him gzhon nu blo gros. Then grags pa rgyal mtshan. Then grags pa bzang po. Then the bla ma rdo rje rgyal mtshan. He called his chief doctrine AmoghapaŚa. He benefitted many laymen and monks, and became famous.

Again from byang sems zla rgyal–nying phug pa, skye ma grags tshul, the siddha dkon mzhog grasg, sangs rgyas jam rgyal, thugs rje rgyal mtshan, chos kyi rgyal mtshan, skyes mchog klu sgrub, dka' bzhi pa dkon mchog glon nu, jam dbyangs thugs rje shes rab, kun mkhyen yon tan mgon po, the bla ma gzhon nu byang chub, and sangs pa kun mkhyen. Again, gran po lun pa, bla zhen pa, 'chims nam mkha' brags, bsod nams ye shes, the upādhyāya grags pa gzhon nu, the maha upādhyāya bsod nams grags, rgyal sras thogs med pa, the Dharmasvamin rgya ma ba, yon tan 'od, and kun mkhyen shangs pa. The latter bestowed it on me.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Vārahii {R}

[2]:

the ferry of Kośala {R}

[3]:

Skrt. gosirsa, a kind of sandal wood {R}

[4]:

i.e. by preaching to them the Cycle of Ārya Avalokiteśvara {R}

Other Tibetan Buddhism Concepts:

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Discover the significance of concepts within the article: ‘Amoghapasa (i): Bari’. Further sources in the context of Tibetan Buddhism might help you critically compare this page with similair documents:

Bodhisattva, Tutelary deity, Passing into Nirvana.

Concepts being referred within the main category of Buddhism context and sources.

Abhidhamma, Gamge, Great fame.