Chapter 11 - Miscellaneous doctrines

[Full title: Miscellaneous (thor bu ba’i skabs). {Chandra 930; Chengdu 1220; Roerich 1048}.]

I have written the above account of Tantric and Suutra doctrines, basing myself on that which had been seen by me, heard (by me) from my Teachers, obtained (by me) in the biographies of other (teachers), and read in histories, but, because of my feeble mind, I was not able to relate it all.

There have been countless books, some of them believed to have been imparted by gods, such as the many profound doctrines taught by the guhyapati Vajrāpani to the mahiupidhyiya las kyi rdo rje, and the numerous teachings bestowed by the Venerable Mañjughosa on the teacher dbu ma pa.^[1]

Some of these books have been composed in the style of the Tantras by those endowed with the Yoga of the Ultimate Essence^[2] (bdag nyi de kho nyid). There exist also numerous psalms expounding (mystic) practices. One should not speak slightingly of them, because of their faulty composition, etc., unless they contradict the three moral precepts^[3] .

Because, as stated in the Vimalaprabhā:

Even through spoken idiom and broken words,
One, possessed of Yoga, is able to grasp the meaning,
Just as a swan knows how to suck out milk mixed with water.
Great Ones often place no confidence in words.
When investigating the foundation of the Absolute.
If one is able to grasp the meaning with the help of a spoken language,
What use is there of a classical language (i.e. Sanskrit)?,

I have also heard that the inmates of ri bo che possessed the exposition of many sidhanas and the Hevajra Tantra preached by one called the siddha Jñana stag lung sangs rgyas dbon.

During the period preceding the coming of Atīśa to mnga’ ris, a certain a tsa ra dmar po (the Red One) also named shes rab gsang ba, a pannddita from Oḍiyina, who had become the disciple of Ratnavajra, the Kashmirian, propagated the Tantras belonging to the Cycle of thig le (Tilaka), such as the phyag rgya chen po thig le and others, together with their commentaries and branches, and these were of benefit to the Tibetans^[4]

This pannddita having again visited Tibet in a later period, became the teacher of the sa chen. Though it is known that the precepts of the sampannakrama degree transmitted through him, continue to exist to the present day, I have not seen books on them.

An excellent practice of mystic trance, named gcig shes kun grol (Knowledge which reveals all), which was imparted by a tutelary deity to the Great Venerable man lungs pa, who had obtained a great Light in the Doctrine, was bestowed by the latter on the yar klungs lo tsa ba grags pa rgyal mtshan.

He bestowed it on snye mdoba kun dga’ don grub. The latter bestowed it on the bka’ bcu pa gzhon nu seng ge. The latter bestowed it on humm chen nam mkha’ rnal ‘byor. It was then handed down to the gun than rab 'byams pa shes rab rgyal mtshan of the present day.

The Cycle of the Tārā transmitted by Ravigupta (nyi ma sbas pa). It is said that in the country of Kashmira there had been an image of the Ta'u Tārā endowed with miraculous powers (siddhi) in the Temple of rang byung lha lnga, lepers after worshipping the image were cured of their ailment.

About that time the acarya Ravigupta (nyi ma sbas pa), who was learned in the five sciences and especially in the Tantra, was attacked by leprosy (klu'i gnod pa). He built a hut for himself to the west of the vihara, and prayed for three months.

Then the temple’s gate moved (by itself) westwards, and the Tārā said: What is your wish? and the acarya replied: I wish to be cured of leprosy. In that very moment his entire body, except for a small sore on his forehead, assumed its former appearance. He asked: What was the reason for not curing the sore on the forehead? The Tārā replied Formerly you were born as a hunter, killed animals and in the end set fire to a forest. In consequence of this, yon were reborn in Hell and this is your last rebirth of the 500 rebirths in Hell, and saying so, she bestowed cn him the sadhana, accompanied by a stotra^[5] . The Tara said With their help, one may perform any kind of magic rite. I shall grant you miraculous powers (siddhi).

After that the acarya composed a magic rite which corresponded to the twenty one sādhanas, as well as general rites and their branches. He taught it to Candragarbha. The latter to Jetari. The latter to Vāgiśvara (Ngaggi dbang phyug). The latter to Śraḍhākara. The latter to Tathāgatarakssita. The latter to Dānaśila, who bestowed it on Mal gyo lo tsa ba.

In the translation by Mal gyo the sādhanas and the magic rites were arranged in separate sections, but in the translation by the Khro phu lo tsa ba the magic rites were added in the end of each of the propitiation rites^[6] . {(20b)}

Its Lineage: the Tārā, Ānanda (Kun dga’ bo), the arhat Madhyantika (dgra bcom ri ma gun pa), Krrssnnavāsinn (Kṛśṇa’i gos can), the Kashmirian Ravigupta (Kha che nyi ma sbas pa), Rāhulaśrī, Vindaśrī, panchen sakyaśrī(bhadra). The latter bestowed it on khrophu lo tsa ba, bla chen bsod dbang, rin po che pa, tshad ma'i skyes bu and bu rin po che. Mal gyo preached it to sa chen.^[7] The latter to rtse mo^[8] .

The latter to the Venerable One (rjebtsun)^[9] , who composed many text books on the system, and taught it to ‘chims chos seng, the Dharmasvimin 'jam gsar, rong pa rgwa lo, shes rab seng ge, dpal ldan seng ge, the bla ma dam pa bsod nams rgyal mtshan, the mahāupādhyāya shes rdor pa, chos sgo ba choskyi rgya mtshan, and rgod phrug grags pa 'byung gnas. I obtained it from the latter.

In general, the cycle of the Tārā (transmitted) through different Lineages filled Tibet.

The Chapter on miscellaneous doctrines.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

dbu ma pa was the teacher of rje Tsong kha pa. He was said to have been the transmitter of Mañjughośa’s commands and teachings to Tsong kha pa. {R}

[2]:

Taṭvati {R}

[3]:

Śikssa;higher morality, higher thought and higher learning {R}

[4]:

Śri Mahāmudrātilaka nāma mahāyoginiitantrarājadhipati, Kg. r Gyud 'bum, Nos. 420-422; A tsa ra dmar po was held responsible by some historians for the corruption of certain mystic practices belonging to the Anuttara yoga {R1050} Tantra. Ati Śa came out with a condemnation of these practices. rgyal ba Inga pa i rgyal rabs, fol. 48b: But las chen kun rgyal ba /a famous historian of the sa skya pa sect, author of a large history of Buddhism in Tibet /says: The 'Red' ācārya who had translated the gsang snags thig le skor, and compelled many monks to become laymen, was a preacher of a heretical doctrine'. 'It is true, that some monks who were not his equals in understanding, misunderstood the essence of the Tantras, thus defiling their morality. But who would dare to call such a great siddhesvara as the pandita Ses rab gsan ba/in the text gsang ba shes rab/, a heretical teacher, thus causing himself to fall into the bottomless Hell? Therefore all wise men should abstain from it. {R}

[5]:

which was recited as mantra {R}

[6]:

sādhana {R}

[7]:

Kun dga' snying po. b. 1092 AD., d, 1158 A.D. {R}

[8]:

one of the five great Sa skya pa bla mas {R}

[9]:

one of five Sa skya pa bla mas{R}