12. The resurgence of the bka'-ma lineage in Central Tibet

Rig-'dzin gTer-Mag gLing-pa:

Rig-'dzin gTer-bdag gLing-pa (1646-1713) from Dar-rgyas Chos-gling in Gra-nang, was the son of gSang-bdag Phrin-las Lhun-grub. His studies of the doctrine covered all extant transmitted precepts of the Ancient Translation School, including the cycle of the Magical Net. In his thirteenth year, he memorised the Guhyagarbhatantra and received its oral exegeses from his father. Later, he mastered the scriptures of the gNubs tradition, the Zur tradition and of Rong-zom Paṇḍita; bCom-ldan Rig-pa'i Ral-gri's Definitive Order of the Tantrapiṭakas (bcom-ldan ral-gri'i spyi-rnam): and other texts. In particular, he is said to have obtained unimpeded powers of intellectual analysis by diligently investigating the scriptures of kLong-chen Rab-'byams-pa.

gTer-bdag gLing-pa restored the “distant lineage of transmitted precepts”, exemplified by the mdo-sgyu-sems-gsum, at sMin-grol-gling, which he himself founded in 1659 at a time of decline in Central Tibet.^[1] Indeed, It is due to his efforts and to those of his successors that the “distant lineage” has continued as a living tradition. He transmitted the Collected Tantras (rGyud-'bum). to Dalai Lama V, Sangs-rgyas rGya-mtsho, Rig-'dzin IV Padma Phrin-las of rDo-rje Brag, rDzogs-chen Padma Rig-'dzin 'Gyur-med Theg-mchog bTan-'dzin, Kah-thog rGyal-sras bSod-nams lDe'u-btsan, and a multitude of other students from Tibet and Khams.^[2] The closest students were his younger brother Lo-chen Dharmaśrī, his sons Padma 'Gyur-med rGya-mtsho, Zhabs-drung Yid-bzhin Legs-grub, Drin-chen Rin-chen rNam-rgyal; and his daughter, rJe-btsun Mi-'gyur dPal-sgron.

Lo-chen Dharmaśrī:

The translator Dharmaśrī (1654-1718) was fully ordained by Dalai Lama V, and given instruction by his elder brother, gTer-bdag gLing-pa, in the works of kLong-chen-pa, Rong-zom-pa, and those of the Zur lineage. He received the entire mdo-sgyu-sems gsum and their root—the Collected Tantras of the rNying-ma-pa (rnying-ma rgyud-'bum). Subsequently, he taught the Guhyagarbhatantra on behalf of about sixty members of the community at sMin-grol-gling, and eight times he conferred the empowerment of the peaceful and wrathful deities of the Magical Net. In order to perpetuate the distant lineage of transmitted precepts and close lineage of treasures he composed the eighteen volumes of his Collected Works (bka'-bum), including commentaries on the mdo dgongs-pa 'dus-pa and the Magical Net. When, in particular, he heard his brother deliver an oral exegesis of the Guhyagarbha which combined the sPar-khab Commentary (Guhyagarbhamahātantrarājaṭīkā, P. 4718) and gYung-ston-pa's Commentary (gYung-tik, NMKMG. Vol. 28), he understood the overt and hidden meanings of that tantra and composed a voluminous series of texts, collectively known as the sgu-'phrul skor-gyi yig-cha. NMKMG. Vols. 11-12, 32-34). Among them are two authoritative commentaries on it according to the “distant lineage”—dgal gsang-ba'i snying-po de-kho-na-nyid nges-pa'i rgyud-kyi rgyal-po sgyu-'phrul dra-ba spyi-don-gyi sgo-nas gtan-la 'babs-par 'byed-pa'i legs-bshad gsang-bdag zhal-lung. NMKMG. Vols. 33-34, pp. 881, which appraises the role of this tantra within the rNying-ma tradition as a whole, and the dpal gsang-ba'i snying-po de-kho-na-nyid nges-pa'i rgyud-kyi 'grel-pa gsang-bdag dgongs-rgyan. NMKMG. Vol. 32. pp. 365, which provides definitive readings for the root-verses themselves.^[3] There are also extant commentaries on the latter by his student, O-rgyan Chos-'phel (b. 1676). viz. the dpal-gsang-bdag dgongs-rgyan-gyi spyi-don yan-gyi bshad-pa'i zin-bris bla-ma'i man-ngag rin-chen 'phreng-ba which was composed in 1730, and the dpal-gsang-ba'i snying-po de-kho-na-nyid nges-pa'i rgyud-kyi rgyal-po gsang-bdag dgongs-rgyan-gyi bsdus-don sa-bcad nor-bu'i 'phreng-ba (NMKMG. Vol. 32).^[4]

In sMin-grol-gling, the “distant lineage” was transmitted in the following succession:

- Lo-chen Dharmaśrī;
- rGyal-sras Rin-chen rNam-rgyal;
- mKhan-chen O-rgyan bsTan-'dzin rDo-rje;
- Khri-chen Phrin-las rNam-rgyal;
- Khri Padma dBang-rgyal;
- Khri Sangs-rgyas Kun-dga';
- mDo-sngags bsTan-'dzin Nor-bu;
- 'Gyur-med Phan-bde'i 'Od-zer;
- bDud-'joms 'Jigs-bral Ye-shes rDo-rje.

Among them, 'Gyur-med Phan-bde'i 'Od-zer, c. 1924, composed a commentary on the Guhyagarbhatantra entitled zab-don sgo-brgya 'byed-pa'i lde'u-mig (NMKMG. Vol. 36).^[5]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

In the seventeenth century, and Increasingly in the eighteenth century, the propagation of the bka'-ma lineage was concentrated in east Tibet. When the lineage had all but disappeared in the central region, gTer-bdag gLing-pa and his brother Lo-chen Dharmaśrī became responsible for its restitution. See NSTB, Book 2, Pt. 5. pp. 498-506.

[2]:

On Dalai bLa-ma V, see NSTB, Book 2, Pt. 5. PP. 424-425. Pt. 6. pp. 614-620; and on Rig-'dzin IV, ibid.. Pt. 5. PP. 477-479.

[3]:

These texts have both been repeatedly consulted in the course of the present research, the first for background information and the second for its presentation of the Tibetan text.

[4]:

These commentaries on the gsang-bdag dgongs-rgyan are published in Commentaries on the Guhyagarbha Tantra and. other rare Nyingma Texts from the Library at Dudjom Rinpoche, vol. 1.

[5]:

He is an important recent figure in the lineage of the transmitted precepts and a teacher of bDud-'joms 'Jigs-bral Ye-shes rDo-rje. See NSTB. Book 2. Pt. 6. p. 499,