Chapter 8 - The Tsembu Instruction

[Full title: The Tsembu Instruction (dmar khrid tshem bu lugs kyi skabs). {Chandra 925; Chengdu 1213;Roerich 1043}.]

The doctrine known as the Clear Exposition of the Siddha tshem bu pa (grub thob tshem bu pa dmar khrid) also belongs to the Cycle of the Great Merciful One (Mahākaruṇika). Nairātmā bestowed it on the siddha gnyan tshembu pa named dar ma ‘od zer. He was born at Shad sgo dar. He did not accept the monastery of ston mo lung, and others which were offered to him by rngog btsun dkar mo, practised meditation only on the mountain of g. Yas ru, and attained spiritual realization.

He had six disciples to whom he imparted precepts. He bestowed them on a kalyanānamitra of ‘bring mtshams lchim lung and on the scholar of the yul la monastery. These two also attained spiritual realization, and later sent on three occasions offerings to him.

He also bestowed (precepts) on his younger brother spyil po dbang phyug grags and on his attendant che brag pa, as well as on rnog btsun dkar mo. These also attained spiritual realization with the help of this doctrine.

Spyi bo lhas pa byang chub ‘od studied many suutras and Śastras, but he did not know how to practise them combined. He therefore went to lha sa to pray to the Lord (jo bo), and there he met gnyan tshem bu pa, and understood him to be a siddha. He made his request to him, and the Teacher understood him to be a suitable vessel (snyod ldan) and bestowed on him the phyi theg pa lam rim spungs kyi don khrid and the nang gsang sngag skyi dmar khrid.

He practised according to them, and attained spiritual realization. He imparted them to byang chub tshul khrims, the upādhyāya of stag bde brag dmar.

The latter bestowed them on the Bodhisattva lha btsun pa, the upādhyāya of phyi ‘brum dgon gsar. The latter on zhang kun spangs pa. It became one of the great guide books of the jonangpas.

This (Doctrine) spread in all directions, and great was the benefit. Some of the methods of exposition appear to agree with those of Mahamudra. In other texts it was described as agreeing with the pratyahara (restraining the organs, sor sdus) of the Saddaṅga yoga.

Also there existed a Lineage of the dmarkhrid (detailed exposition) of the Cycle of the Great Merciful One (Mahākaruṇika). The nun Lakssmi (dge slong ma dpalmo) imparted it to dpal gyi bzan po (Śrībhadra). The latter on rinchen bzang po (Ratnabhadra), who imparted it to Atiśa.

The latter bestowed it on yol chos dban. The latter on Rog ston. The latter on rtse ston lo sras. The latter on zhang ston chos dbang. The latter on phra ston zhig po. The latter on rnal ‘byor skyabs se. The latter on rin po he ne mig pa. The latter on the upādhyāya rin byung. The latter on the upādhyāya sangs gzhon. The latter on the bla ma kun brsod pa. The latter transmitted it to mkhas grub chos dpal, father and son.

The Chapter on the dmarkhrid (detailed {(17b)} exposition) of the method (lugs) of tshem bu pa. The Chapter on the Cycle of the Great Merciful One (Mahākaruṇika).