Chapter 3 - Nalanda Monastery

[Full title: Nalanda [Monastery] (na landa pa’i skabs. Chandra 958; Chengdu 1258; Roerich 1080). smra ba'i seng ge rong ston chen po;—he was the scholar who opposed the dGe lugs pas (R).].

He was a Bodhisattva endowed with the power of solemn wish (smon lam gyi mthu can). He was born as son of a bon po family at the rgyal mo rong^[1] in the year Fire Female Sheep (me mo lug 1367 A.D.). In his youth he proceeded to dbus and gtsang. He studied the sciences at gsang phu. At the age of 20, he mastered the Pramāṇaviniścaya and became matchless in philosophical debates (rigs pa smra ba). He took the vows of Pratimokṣa at gro sar before dmar ston chen po. He attended on different teachers, and mastered all the Piṭakas.

Between his studies he preached the Piṭakas to many wise men in fulfilment of their wishes at many localities in South and North la stod, in Upper and Lower gtsang, and at dbu and g. Yor. He constantly preached the Abhisamayālaṃkāra and its commentary, following mainly on the method (mdzad srol) of the mahā-upādhyāya sangs rgyas dpal. He held in high esteem the "Later" Lineage of the zi byed doctrine which included hidden precepts of the above.

He, being endowed with the power of solemn wish (smon lam), nothing is said about his clashes with local deities, or about the Teacher and his disciples suffering front epidemics. Thus he did not suffer from any kind of accidents. He did not possess even the slightest attachment towards wealth and property.

He used to say:

"It is improper for a kalyāṇa-mitra to count the price of one or two measures (of grain) received from his disciples. A kalyāṇa-mitra should know how to establish a concomitance^[2] ."

He used to say to his disciples who had purified their Inner Self, that

"this bond which has no beginning, is enough for us.^[3] You may follow any kind of theories conforming to your mind."

Outwardly he seems to have concentrated on the preaching of the Doctrine only. Inwardly he practised constantly Yoga, and was able to recognize the different shades of the panca͂ -prāṇā (rlung lnga).

When the nail of his big toe fell off, it transformed itself into a pearl shell.

In the year Wood Female Hare (shing nro yos 1435 A.D.) he founded the monastery of Nālandā^[4] , and said:

"ar byang chub ye ses died while preaching the Prajñapātamitā. I shall also make my disciples remove my corpse from the preacher’s chair (chos khri)."

Once the Piṭakadhara dge ba rgyal mtshan told him that he had seen in a dream that a serious accident was to befall him during that year and that he should recite mantras and perform rites (in order to remove the evil influences).

He replied:

"I am not the subject of the ācārya dge rgyal’s prophecy. Let any kind of accidents take place! I shall live till the age of 83!”

True to his words he passed away at the age of 83 in the year Earth Female Serpent (sa mo sbrul 1449 A.D.). According to his instructions, his corpse was not to be removed from the preacher’s chair. Not more than two days must have passed between his last preaching and his death (i.e. He had passed away on the chair).

In his usual conversation he used to say:

"I shall nor become a boorish khams pa like (the present one). I shall become a devaputra drinking nectar in the heaven of Tuṣita!"

Therefore now he must be surely residing in Tuṣita.

Before his passing, into Nirvāṇa, he appointed to the Abbot’s chair the Dharmasvāmin bkra shis rnam rgyal. This one also laboured extensively for the benefit of the Doctrine, preached, erected large images, etc. He was born in the year Earth Male Tiger (sa pho stag 1398 A.D.) and passed away at the age of 61. The Dharmasvāmin dge ba rgyal mtshan was born in the year Water Male Dog (chu pho kbyi 1382 A.D.). He came to the chair at the age of 77 in the year Earth Tiger (sa stag 1458 A.D), and lived till the year Water Horse (chu rta 1462 A.D.) for five years, when he died. Bdag po rgya gar ba was born in the year Earth Female Sheep (sa mo lug 1439. A.D.), and became abbot in the year Water Horse (chi rta 1462 A.D.), at the age of 24. He acted as abbot for five years, till the year Fire Male Dog (me mo khyi 1466 A.D.). He entrusted (the abbotship) to glang thang rin po che, who appointed to the abbot’s chair the Dharmasvāmin gung ru, and himself became an ascetic.

The Chaper on the monastery of Nālandā^[5] .

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

r Gyal ron in Eastern Khans (R).

[2]:

khyab pa, vyāpti (R).

[3]:

meaning that they should not be bound by theories (R).

[4]:

'phan yul. The monastery maintains a school of philosophy. (R).

[5]:

in ‘phan yul (R).