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Menu Close Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Research Tool Privacy Policy & Terms of Use SUBSCRIBE Publications Watch People Listen Watch Explore the stories and culture of Tibet through immersive videos. BIOGRAPHICAL BUDDHIST GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS Author Tradition Historical Period View All Reset Filters Song Searching for Mind Tsangnyon Heruka This song points to the paradox that mind cannot find its own nature by searching for it, since seeker and sought are not separate. See Publication Song Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Song on the Nature of Mind Tsangnyon Heruka A song by Tsangnyön Heruka, using the imagery of ocean, waves, and wind to point directly at the nature of mind. See Publication Song Song of the Vulture Sera Khandro Sera Khandro sang this song at the age of eleven, a month after her mother’s death, following an encounter with a white vulture she recognised as the soul-bird of a ḍākinī. See Publication Song A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi Tsangnyon Heruka A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi, is a doha sung by Tsangnyön Heruka at the sacred hermitage of Labchi. See Publication Song A Series of Spontaneous Spiritual Songs Lelung Zhepe Dorje Two spontaneous songs by Lelung Zhepe Dorje: one honouring the 2nd Dzogchen Drubwang Gyurme Thekchog Tenzin, the other celebrating the experience of unobstructed, effortless awareness. Both transmit direct spiritual realization through verse. See Publication Biography How Guru Chöwang Met the Guru at Ne Ngön Guru Chökyi Wangchuk During an alchemical corpse ritual, Guru Chöwang meets Padmasambhava in a profound encounter that defies categorization as dream, vision, or reality - an event he insisted truly occurred. See Publication Biography An Extraordinary Pure Vision at Kharchu's Nectar Cave: A Dream of Guru Chöwang Guru Chökyi Wangchuk After five days of Guru Pema practice, Chöwang's pure vision atop Mt Meru reveals worldly omens and a profound teaching: all phenomena, even demons, arise from mind itself. See Publication Praises In Praise of the Goddess Sarasvatī Tsongkhapa Lobzang Dragpa Tsongkhapa's celebrated ode to Sarasvatī resonates beyond monastery walls into Tibet's artistic and literary spheres, becoming a cultural touchstone of devotional poetry. See Publication Song A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong Milarepa Milarepa's poetic ode to Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong exalts nature itself as the source of this retreat site's blessing power, departing from traditional focus on Buddhist masters. See Publication Aspirational Prayer The Magical Lasso: A Prayer of Aspiration to Accomplish Khecara Lelung Zhepe Dorje A heartfelt prayer to the ḍākinīs of three worlds, composed at Pemokö's Dudul Dewa Chenpo, seeking blessings to master the Vajrayāna path for all beings' benefit. See Publication Advice Devotion is the Highest Practice Khenpo Ngawang Palzang Khenpo Ngawang Palzang's morning devotional rings clear and true with tantra's essential message: devotion stands as the highest practice. See Publication Prayer The Vajra Verses: A Prayer of the Fierce Inner Heat Jigme Lingpa Jigme Lingpa's Longchen Nyingtik instruction on fierce inner heat practice, composed as a supplication to be sung between lineage prayers and practice commencement. See Publication View More

Discover all our translated Tibetan texts across a vast array of time periods and genres including: Buddhist, Biographical, Historical and more. BIOGRAPHICAL BUDDHIST CONTEMPORARY GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONAL MISCELLANEOUS Author Tradition Historical Period View All Reset Filters Song The Treatise That Delights the World Drukpa Kunle Asked for a proper scripture, Drukpa Kunle delivers a gloriously irreverent parody of a Buddhist treatise that turns laughter itself into a teaching. Note: this text contains explicit and crude language. Read Song A Song to Encourage Myself The Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje In this winter-retreat song, the Third Karmapa lists the freedoms and blessings he enjoys, and warns himself that if he squanders them, the fault is his alone. Read Song The Friend I Want Does Not Want Me Sera Khandro At twenty-three, Sera Khandro recounts her journey from a cherished childhood through wandering, hunger and servitude, and the struggle to remain devoted to the Dharma. Read Song I Must Have Been Drukpa Kunle After reviving the wild animals he has slaughtered to satisfy a governor’s meat tax, Drukpa Kunle answers a group of prostitutes’ request for the story of his former lives with a comic song that turns his own habits, and theirs, into evidence of absurd past births. Read Song This Foolish Song Sera Khandro Summoned to Adzom Gar in the hope of prolonging Adzom Rinpoche’s life, Sera Khandro reluctantly parts from Drime Özer and describes the sorrow of their separation. Read Song Formerly a Noblewoman Sera Khandro Returning to the community she had once called home, Sera Khandro mourns the deaths of her lama and son, her homelessness and broken relationships, before transforming her grief into renewed devotion to the Dharma. Read Song You Take Him Sera Khandro Annoyed when Dorje Yudrön praises her prospective husband’s good looks, the young Sera Khandro responds with a sharp, humorous song declaring that she has no intention of marrying him. Read Song My Only Companion Is the Blue Sky Sera Khandro A poignant and subtly defiant song in which Sera Khandro transforms sorrow, mistreatment and isolation into poetry, with the blue sky as her sole companion. Read Song Three Songs of Experience: Lavapa’s Cave and the Mad Yogins Lelung Zhepe Dorje Three songs by Lelung Zhepe Dorje combining affectionate humour, the unconventional spirituality of the mad yogin and playful reflections on the meaning of his name. Read Guru Yoga The Essential Secret Sādhana of Zhepe Dorje Lelung Zhepe Dorje A concise secret sādhana of Zhepe Dorje centred on self-visualisation, forceful yogic practice, and the recognition of all appearances as the display of mind. Read Song A Song On The Gateway of Manifold Appearances Lelung Zhepe Dorje Composed in 1718 amid violent political and religious upheaval in Tibet, this deeply personal song captures the young Lelung Zhepe Dorje’s disenchantment with worldly life, devotion, longing for hidden lands, and urgent yearning for freedom. Read Song This Little Song, I Burst Out Laughing The Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje A playful song mocking the “great meditator” whose liberation is already “right under your nose,” yet remains obscured by distraction, worldly concerns and habit. Read View More Publications A unique window into Tibet's literary treasures spanning many genres and time-periods. Menu Close Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Research Tool Privacy Policy & Terms of Use SUBSCRIBE Publications Watch People Listen

Menu Close Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Research Tool Privacy Policy & Terms of Use SUBSCRIBE Publications Watch People Listen Listen Relax and listen to engaging audio narrations of translated Tibetan texts. BIOGRAPHICAL BUDDHIST CONTEMPORARY GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONAL MISCELLANEOUS Author Tradition Historical Period View All Reset Filters Song The Friend I Want Does Not Want Me Sera Khandro 00:00 / 03:47 At twenty-three, Sera Khandro recounts her journey from a cherished childhood through wandering, hunger and servitude, and the struggle to remain devoted to the Dharma. See Publication Song This Foolish Song Sera Khandro 00:00 / 01:46 Summoned to Adzom Gar in the hope of prolonging Adzom Rinpoche’s life, Sera Khandro reluctantly parts from Drime Özer and describes the sorrow of their separation. See Publication Song Formerly a Noblewoman Sera Khandro 00:00 / 04:01 Returning to the community she had once called home, Sera Khandro mourns the deaths of her lama and son, her homelessness and broken relationships, before transforming her grief into renewed devotion to the Dharma. See Publication Song My Only Companion Is the Blue Sky Sera Khandro 00:00 / 02:21 A poignant and subtly defiant song in which Sera Khandro transforms sorrow, mistreatment and isolation into poetry, with the blue sky as her sole companion. See Publication Song Three Songs of Experience: Lavapa’s Cave and the Mad Yogins Lelung Zhepe Dorje 00:00 / 02:58 Three songs by Lelung Zhepe Dorje combining affectionate humour, the unconventional spirituality of the mad yogin and playful reflections on the meaning of his name. See Publication Song A Song On The Gateway of Manifold Appearances Lelung Zhepe Dorje 00:00 / 07:09 Composed in 1718 amid violent political and religious upheaval in Tibet, this deeply personal song captures the young Lelung Zhepe Dorje’s disenchantment with worldly life, devotion, longing for hidden lands, and urgent yearning for freedom. See Publication Song Searching for Mind Tsangnyon Heruka 00:00 / 01:16 This song points to the paradox that mind cannot find its own nature by searching for it, since seeker and sought are not separate. See Publication Song Don’t Place Your Trust in… Sera Khandro 00:00 / 02:35 A mgur of direct “pointing out” in which Sera Khandro dismantles every support of the path, revealing the already-complete unity of emptiness and luminosity. See Publication Song Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Song on the Nature of Mind Tsangnyon Heruka 00:00 / 01:26 A song by Tsangnyön Heruka, using the imagery of ocean, waves, and wind to point directly at the nature of mind. See Publication Song Song of the Vulture Sera Khandro 00:00 / 03:09 Sera Khandro sang this song at the age of eleven, a month after her mother’s death, following an encounter with a white vulture she recognised as the soul-bird of a ḍākinī. See Publication Song A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi Tsangnyon Heruka 00:00 / 01:26 A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi, is a doha sung by Tsangnyön Heruka at the sacred hermitage of Labchi. See Publication Prayer The Outer, Inner, and Secret Practice Cycle of Zhepe Dorje Lelung Zhepe Dorje 00:00 / 02:26 This text presents the outer, inner, and secret practice cycles of Zhepe Dorje, transmitted by Lhachik Nyima Zhönu—a protector deity revealed through pure vision—in 1730 and recorded in 1731. See Publication View More

Discover Tibetan literary treasures with Tib Shelf. An online library of expertly translated Tibetan primary texts spanning diverse genres, time periods, and wisdom—your gateway to the stories and culture of Tibet. Enjoy downloadable publications, immersive videos and engaging audio narrations. Primary Tibetan texts, beautifully presented through translated publications, sound and film. Song Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Song on the Nature of Mind Tsangnyon Heruka A song by Tsangnyön Heruka, using the imagery of ocean, waves, and wind to point directly at the nature of mind. Watch Today's Picks Song Arousing Desire of the Beautiful One: Simile and Meaning in Union Śākya Śrī A spontaneous karmamudra song by the yogin Śākya Śrī, uniting longing for his consort Namkha Dronma with direct recognition of rigpa. Biography Mura Pema Dechen Zangpo Tenzin Lungtok Nyima A genealogy of the Mura lineage through its incarnations, focusing on the Third Mura Pema Dechen's life, teachings, and key relationships, penned by Tenzin Lungtok Nyima. Advice Essential Advice in Three Sets of Three Butön Rinchen Drub Butön Rinchen Drup's concise text outlines ascending qualities for sages, bodhisattvas, and Mantrayāna practitioners, mirroring the progression through Buddhism's three vehicles. Supplication Prayer The Drop of Spring: A Spontaneous Vajra Song of Definitive Meaning That Supplicates the Great Charioteers of the Luminous Mahāmudrā Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo A vajra song supplicating the early Dagpo Kagyu masters while expressing aspirations for realization through the luminous Mahāmudrā path. Praises In Praise of the Goddess Sarasvatī Tsongkhapa Lobzang Dragpa Tsongkhapa's celebrated ode to Sarasvatī resonates beyond monastery walls into Tibet's artistic and literary spheres, becoming a cultural touchstone of devotional poetry. Download Biography Namkechenma: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Armed with the 'scroll of devastation' from his father, Guru Chöwang's first treasure excavation leads to a terrifying encounter with the Nine-Headed Nāga Demon, guardian of hidden teachings. Read LATEST PUBLICATIONS Drukpa Kunle The Treatise That Delights the World The Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje A Song to Encourage Myself Sera Khandro The Friend I Want Does Not Want Me Drukpa Kunle I Must Have Been Sera Khandro This Foolish Song Sera Khandro Formerly a Noblewoman People 1455-1529 Drukpa Kunle View 1816-1872 Nyagla Pema Dudul View 1699–1758 The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin View 1200/1212–1270 Guru Chökyi Wangchuk View WEEKLY QUOTES བྱང་བསྟན་ཕུག་པར་རྟ་ལྗང་ཅན་གྱི་ཟེར། ། Sun rays do not enter a northern facing cave; མི་འཇུག་དངོས་པོའི་གཤིས་ལ་བཅོས་མེད་ཀྱང་། ། The nature of such things cannot be changed. ཕྱོགས་གཞན་བུག་པར་ཤར་བའི་སྣང་བ་ཡིས། ། However, light shining through the other opening འཐིབས་པོའི་སྨག་རུམ་སེལ་བ་འབྱུང་སྙམ་བགྱིད། ། Dispels the thick darkness One can contemplate this The 5th Dalai Lama – Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (1617–1682) AUDIO NARRATION Formerly a Noblewoman Sera Khandro Returning to the community she had once called home, Sera Khandro mourns the deaths of her lama and son, her homelessness and broken relationships, before transforming her grief into renewed devotion to the Dharma. Listen CLICK PLAY TO LISTEN Publications for Download Download Download Download Download Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved. Menu Close Research Tool Privacy Policy & Terms of Use Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate SUBSCRIBE Publications People Listen Watch

Composed in 1718 amid violent political and religious upheaval in Tibet, this deeply personal song captures the young Lelung Zhepe Dorje’s disenchantment with worldly life, devotion, longing for hidden lands, and urgent yearning for freedom. Abstract Composed in 1718, when the Fifth Lelung Zhepe Dorje (1697–1740) was twenty-two years old, this deeply personal song gives voice to disenchantment, impermanence, devotion and a longing to wander through hidden lands. Its urgency becomes clearer when read against one of the most violent periods of eighteenth-century Tibetan history. Dzungar forces had seized Lhasa and killed Lhazang Khan, the Khoshut ruler who then held political power in Tibet, bringing the existing order to an abrupt end. Anti-Nyingma persecutions followed, with major monasteries destroyed and prominent religious figures executed. This song is a deeply intimate and impassioned portal into a young lama’s life at a time of profound upheaval and uncertainty. Composed, as Lelung tells us, in a rush of feeling with scarcely time to fashion the words, its spontaneous quality only heightens the beauty and emotional force of the verse. BDRC LINK MW22130 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 07:09 TRADITION Geluk Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Lelung Jedrung HISTORICAL PERIOD 18th Century TEACHERS The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso The Fifth Panchen Lama, Lobzang Yesh e Damchö Zangpo Mingyur Paldrön Chöje Lingpa Dönyö Khedrup The First Purchok, Ngawang Jampa Ngawang Chödrak Yeshe Gyatso Damchö Gyatso Losal Gyatso Lhundrub Gyatso Dungkar Tsangyang Drugdrak The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf English editing by Libby Hogg INSTITUTIONS Lelung Monastery Mindröling Ngari Dratsang Chökhor Gyal Trandruk Potala Tsāri STUDENTS Kunga Mingyur Dorj e Dorje Yom e Kunga Paldzom Lobzang Lhachok Dönyö Khedrub Polhane Sönam Tobgy e Ngawang Jampa Mingyur Paldrön The Fifth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Kalzang Pema Wangchuk Lhasang Khan AUTHOR Lelung Zhepe Dorje A Song On The Gateway of Manifold Appearances Supreme mother of the sublime ones, Vajrayoginī, Goddess Magzor, [1] guardian of the innermost secret Dharma, Noble Sovereign Tsogyal, foremost among fortunate ḍākinīs— To you three, my refuge through many lifetimes, I bow. In Lhalung, in the eastern reaches of Ölga, Before the worldly lord Great Gungyal, [2] At the foot of Ger Tso’s [3] sacred abode, assembly place of the ḍākinīs, Lies the land where successive emanations of the Lord of Secrets [4] appear— Lelung, the secret place of the ḍākinīs. Above, a beautiful celestial pavilion like swirling lapis lazuli, Youthful clouds drift and soar in billowing waves. Emerald-bright trees spread wide their boughs and leaves, And Spring, Earth’s beloved, wears flowers as her ornament. The softly flowing stream murmurs her melodious song, Birds wheel and glide in graceful dance, And wild creatures bound with joyful ease. Behind, a mountain like heaped jewels shelters the land. To the right, a soaring mountain rises like a lotus petal. To the east, the mountain reclines like a sleeping elephant. In front, a forested mountain stands in majestic splendour, As if Vaiśravaṇa himself were present here. Secret signs of many kinds are woven throughout this landscape, Vivid and clear even to the ordinary eye. Countless geomantic features for accomplishing wrathful activity Adorn every direction, crowding the entire land. Here, in this sacred hidden [5] land of serenity and splendour, For me, Zhepe Dorje, son of Garwang Dharmabhadra, [6] One who bears the name Karma, The gateway of manifold appearances opened vast and wide. Now, at the end of this wretched, degenerate age, Disenchantment rises within me. I recall the sublime lives of the Sugatas And recoil from my own ordinary ways. Again and again, a great wind of anguish stirs from within. Tears fall for those who persist in harmful ways, Whose resolve is brief, whose perseverance so quick to falter. As I reflect, my heart longs for Pema Ö, the Realm of Lotus Light. [7] Leaving behind the bustle and distraction of running a monastery, I leave kith and kin, that I might wander through hidden lands, Casting away all plans to linger long in this life. Thus, I aspired to gather provisions, shelter and clothing for the life to come. Yet my wish remained mere longing, My intentions came to nothing, and once again I fell into distraction. As I recalled this, on the fifteenth day of the fifth month of the Dog Year (1718), [8] The Lake-Born Vajra and his Consort appeared vividly in my mind. [ 9] A great wave of devotion welled up within me, And my heart ached with longing to utter a prayer. These verses poured freely from my lips. There was scarcely time to fashion the words with care. Whatever arose clear within my mind, I swiftly set down in writing. Read this again and again, and take care not to forget; Keep it ever present at the very centre of your mind. For now is the time to remember impermanence and death. From birth until now, I have lived in distraction. Twenty-two years have already passed, And it is hard to be certain that even a few remain. Who knows what will have changed by this time next year? Without even a shred of certainty That I will not die this very night, What need is there to look elsewhere? Even dear companions have passed to the next life, And the holy ones, our sole protectors, have gone to the buddha-realms. If even now I do not seek lasting refuge, What use is amassing riches, drawing close to friends and kin, Or courting the favour of others? Resolve once and for all to use your wealth and possessions for the Dharma. Make offerings to the Three Jewels and honour and support the Saṅgha. Accumulation ends in depletion. What rises high ends in a fall. Birth ends in death. Meeting ends in parting. Such is the common nature of all conditioned things— There is no way to alter it. Especially nowadays, all food, clothing and possessions Are plainly seen with one’s own eyes to be devoid of any essence. To crave them still is to be blind with eyes wide open. How good, then, to give up miserliness and use these things wisely! The aims of this life, however pursued, come easily enough; But on the long road to the next, hardship awaits. And when at journey’s end you remember, Regret will come, but far too late. So, while you still have the freedom to act, Cast aside half-heartedness, procrastination, laziness, As if there were a snake in your lap or your head were ablaze. Be like a prisoner desperate for release; devote yourself wholly to virtue. In this way, both now and hereafter, your virtuous aims will be fulfilled. A place of suffering like the hell realms Will come swiftly, before long, As the dream made clear. [10] All you with mindfulness and awareness, reflect upon this; Accept these heartfelt words of advice. Encourage others towards virtue and strive that way yourself. Make what remains of this life meaningful. The prime of youth and extensive learning, High rank and power, a retinue of servants— None of this will be of help at the final hour. So apply yourself to the essential points of practice. Earnestly make virtuous aspirations for the next life. Place your deepest trust in the Three Jewels and the deity. Reflect well on karma and its results. And you will turn towards virtue. COLOPHON Thus, the simple-minded Trinle Pema Zhepe Dorje Wangpo set these words down then and there, one morning in the Male Earth Dog Year (1718). NOTES [1] Magzor (dmag zor) , more fully Magzor Gyalmo (dmag zor rgyal mo) , is a wrathful form of Palden Lhamo ( dpal ldan lha mo , Skt. Śrī Devī ), one of the principal female Dharma protectors of Tibetan Buddhism and a deity particularly associated with the Dalai Lamas. She was also important in Lelung’s own religious practice: his collected works contain ritual texts devoted to Magzor, and elsewhere he presents Magzor Gyalmo as the inner, wrathful form of the goddess Nyi ma gzhon nu. During the Dzungar crisis he also performed extensive rites before an image of Magzor Gyalmo sent from Drepung. See Bailey 2017, 45, 150–151. [2] Gungyal (gung rgyal) is an ancient Tibetan territorial and mountain deity associated with the Ölga (’ol kha) region and with a prominent mountain bearing his name. Lelung elsewhere describes the local snow mountain as “the palace of Great Gungyal, the great deity of existence” (srid pa’i lha chen gung rgyal chen po’i pho brang) , confirming the close identification of deity and landscape here. See Karmay 1996; Bailey 2017; Hazod 2020. [3] Ger Tso (ger mtsho), also called Nyenchen Ger Tso (gnyan chen ger mtsho) , is a powerful gnyan deity who appears in Gesar traditions as Gesar’s divine or spirit-father. Lelung himself calls him srid pa’i lha gnyan chen po ger mtsho , “the great gnyan Ger Tso, a deity of existence.” Here ger mtsho’i gnas means “Ger Tso’s abode,” indicating a locality associated with the deity, although its precise geographical identification remains uncertain. See Sle lung 1983–1985a, 17–25; FitzHerbert 2016, 303; Lelung Zhepe Dorje 2021. [4] The “Lord of Secrets” (gsang bdag) is Vajrapāṇi. The Lelung Jedrung lineage is traditionally regarded as an emanation lineage of Vajrapāṇi. The First Lelung Jedrung, Lhodrak Namkha Gyaltsen, was himself considered an emanation of Vajrapāṇi, and subsequent Lelung incarnations are understood as continuing this lineage. See Loden 2013, 63. [5] It is noteworthy that Lelung explicitly describes Lelung itself as a sbas yul dam pa, a “sacred hidden land.” The surrounding description suggests more than simple geographical seclusion: he presents Lelung as a secret sacred place whose landscape displays hidden signs and ritually potent features, and immediately afterwards invokes the end of the degenerate age and his aspiration to travel through hidden lands. The passage therefore appears to draw on the wider religious conception of sbas yul, although no treasure prophecy or guide has yet been identified that presents Lelung itself as a land concealed by Padmasambhava and destined to be revealed in the manner of better-attested hidden lands such as Pemakö. On Lelung and the eighteenth-century hidden-land tradition, see Greensmith 2021. [6] Dharmabhadra refers to Damchö Sangpo (dam chos bzang po, 1677–1724), Lelung’s root guru, whom he elsewhere calls Garwang Damchö Sangpo; sras , literally “son,” here denotes a spiritual son or disciple. [7] Pema Ö ( padma ’od , “Lotus Light”) refers here to a pure realm or sacred celestial abode of Padmasambhava. Lelung’s own usage elsewhere makes this identification clear: In his Aspiration to Travel to the Hidden Land of Pemokö, Lelung prays, “May they ultimately be liberated in Pema Ö” (mthar thug padma ’od du grol bar shog) , explicitly treating it as a destination (Sle lung 1982, 518). For the published English translation, see Lelung Zhepe Dorje 2020. [8] In the Tibetan text, the date—the fifteenth day of the fifth month—is written separately beneath the line rather than incorporated into the verse, presumably to preserve the metre. We have inserted the date into the translation, since the English translation is not constrained by the Tibetan metre. [9] “The Lake-Born Vajra” refers to Padmasambhava; the accompanying consort is most likely Yeshe Tsogyal, who is invoked explicitly at the opening of the song, although she is not named in this line. [10] The date and precise referent of this dream are uncertain, but its warning of an imminent “place of suffering resembling a hell realm” is striking when read against the Dzungar invasion and anti-Rnying ma persecutions of 1717–20, followed by the Dbus–Gtsang civil war of 1727–28. Lelung recorded other prophetic dreams during these crises that prompted concrete ritual responses; see Greensmith 2021, 190–194; Bailey 2017, 43–68. BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary Sources Sle lung rje drung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje. 1982. “Sbas yul pad+mo bkod du bgrod pa’i smon lam.” In Gsung ’bum Bzhad pa’i rdo rje, vol. 7, 515–520. Kyoto: Ōtani University Library. BDRC W1CZ2744. Sle lung rje drung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje. 1983–1985a. “Dag snang ge sar gyi gtam rgyud le’u.” In Gsung ’bum Bzhad pa’i rdo rje, vol. 12, 17–25. Leh: T. Sonam and D. L. Tashigang. BDRC W22130. Sle lung rje drung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje. 1983–1985b. “Rje btsun dam chos bzang po’i rnam thar (ka).” In Gsung ’bum Bzhad pa’i rdo rje, vol. 2, 9–83. Leh: T. Sonam and D. L. Tashigang. BDRC W22130. Sle lung rje drung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje. 1985. “Nyams mgur sna tshogs snang ba’i ’char sgo.” In Gsung ’bum Bzhad pa’i rdo rje, vol. 5, 30–33. Leh: T. Sonam and D. L. Tashigang. BDRC MW22130_56BC4E. Secondary Sources Bailey, Cameron. 2017. “A Feast for Scholars: The Life and Works of Sle lung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje.” DPhil thesis, University of Oxford. FitzHerbert, George. 2016. “Constitutional Mythologies and Entangled Cultures in the Tibeto-Mongolian Gesar Epic: The Motif of Gesar’s Celestial Descent.” The Journal of American Folklore 129 (513): 297–326. Greensmith, Tom. 2021. “Prophecy and Fantastical Reality in Sle lung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje’s Journey to Padma bkod.” In Hidden Lands in Himalayan Myth and History: Transformations of sbas yul through Time, edited by Frances Garrett, Elizabeth McDougal, and Geoffrey Samuel, 185–206. Leiden: Brill. Hazod, Guntram. 2020. Review of Source of Life: Revitalisation Rites and Bon Shamans in Bhutan and the Eastern Himalayas, 2 vols., by Toni Huber. Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines 56: 293–304. Karmay, Samten G. 1996. “The Tibetan Cult of Mountain Deities and Its Political Significance.” In Reflections of the Mountain: Essays on the History and Social Meaning of the Mountain Cult in Tibet and the Himalaya, edited by Anne-Marie Blondeau and Ernst Steinkellner, 59–75. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Lelung Zhepe Dorje. 2020. “An Aspiration to Travel to the Hidden Land of Pemokö.” Translated by Tib Shelf. Tib Shelf. https://www.tibshelf.org/tibetan-translations/an-aspiration-to-travel-to-the-hidden-land-of-pemoko Lelung Zhepe Dorje. 2021. “Chapter Narrating the Pure Vision of Gesar.” Translated by George FitzHerbert. Tib Shelf. https://www.tibshelf.org/tibetan-translations/chapter-narrating-the-pure-vision-of-gesar Loden, T. P. 2013. A Drop from the Marvellous Ocean of History: The Lineage of Sle lung Pema Zhepai Dorje. New York: Tibet House US. Petech, Luciano. 1950. China and Tibet in the Early 18th Century: History of the Establishment of Chinese Protectorate in Tibet. Leiden: E. J. Brill. A Song On The Gateway of Manifold Appearances VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Milarepa's poetic ode to Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong exalts nature itself as the source of this retreat site's blessing power, departing from traditional focus on Buddhist masters. Abstract This meditative or spiritual song was composed by Milarepa (1040–1123), Tibet’s most famous yogi and poet. With an almost Wordsworthian rhapsody, Mila describes the inconceivable qualities of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong and explains why it is so favorable for meditative retreat. Strikingly, he identifies the natural world itself, rather than past Buddhist masters, as the wellspring of blessings for this holy place. BDRC LINK W1KG1252 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 01:46 TRADITION Marpa Kagyu INCARNATION LINE N/A HISTORICAL PERIOD 11th Century 12th Century TEACHERS Marpa Chökyi Lodro TRANSLATOR Patrick Dowd INSTITUTIONS Sekhar Gutok Kailash Tsāri Drakar Taso STUDENTS Gampopa Sönam Rinchen Rechungpa Dorje Drakpa Ngendzong Repa AUTHOR Milarepa A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong དེ་ནས་གྲོ་ཐང་གི་ཡོན་བདག ། རྗེ་བཙུན་གྱི་ཞལ་ལྟར་བྱུང་བ་རྣམས་ན་རེ། གནས་འདི་ལ་ཡོན་ཏན་ཅི་གདའ་ཞུ་བའི་ལན་དུ་མགུར་འདི་གསུངས་སོ།། Then, the patrons from Drotang received an audience with the Jetsun [ 1 ] and inquired, “What are the merits of this sacred place?” In response, he sang this meditative song: བླ་མ་རྗེ་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། la ma jé la sölwa dep Precious lord guru, to you I supplicate! གནས་འདིའི་ཡོན་ཏན་ཤེས་མི་ཤེས། ། གནས་འདིའི་ཡོན་ཏན་མི་ཤེས་ན། ། né di yön ten shé mi shé: né di yön ten mi shé na Do you know the merits of this sacred place? If you do not know this hallowed place’s merits, དབེན་གནས་རྐྱང་ཕན་ནམ་མཁའི་རྫོང་། ། ནམ་མཁའི་རྫོང་གི་ཕོ་བྲང་ན། ། wen né kyang pen nam khé dzong: nam khé dzong gi po drang na this is the hermitage of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong. At the palace of Namkhe Dzong, སྟེང་ན་ལྷོ་སྤྲིན་སྨུག་པོ་འཐིབས། ། འོག་ན་གཙང་ཆབ་སྔོན་མོ་འབབ། ། teng na lho trin muk po tip: ok na tsang chap ngön mo bap above amass dark, warm southern clouds while below clean blue waters flow. རྒྱབ་ན་བྲག་དམར་ནམ་མཁའི་དབྱིངས། ། མདུན་ན་སྤང་པོ་མེ་ཏོག་བཀྲ། ། gyap na drak mar nam khé ying: dün na pang po mé tok tra Behind red rocks lie beneath the vast expanse of sky; in front the meadows are awash with flowers. ཟུར་ན་གཅན་གཟན་ངར་སྐད་འདོན། ། ལོགས་ལ་བྱ་རྒྱལ་རྒོད་པོ་ལྡིང་། ། zur na chen zen ngar ké dön: lok la ja gyel gö po ding On one side, wild beasts recite their roars, while on the other, vultures, king of birds, soar. མཁའ་ལ་སྦྲང་ཆར་ཟིམ་བུ་འབབ། ། རྒྱུན་དུ་བུང་བས་གླུ་དབྱངས་ལེན། ། kha la drang char zim bu bap: gyün du bungwé lu yang len: A fine, gentle rain falls from the sky. Continuously bees buzz their melodious songs. ཤཱ་རྐྱང་མ་བུ་རྩེ་བྲོ་བརྡུང་། ། སྤྲ་དང་སྤྲེའུ་ཡང་རྩལ་སྦྱོང་། ། sha kyang ma bu tsé dro dung: dra dang dreu yang tsel jong: Wild kyangs, [ 2 ] mares and foals, dance and frolic, and monkeys, big and small, act as acrobats. ལྕོ་ག་མ་བུ་འགྱུར་སྐད་མང་། ། ལྷ་བྱ་གོང་མོ་གླུ་དབྱངས་ལེན། ། cho ga ma bu gyur ké mang: lha ja gong mo lu yang len Mother larks and chicks warble a profusion of songs with divine mountain birds singing back in kind. རྫ་ཆབ་བསིལ་མས་སྙན་པ་བརྗོད། ། དུས་ཀྱི་སྐད་རིགས་ཉམས་ཀྱི་གྲོགས། ། dza chap sil mé nyen pa jö: dü kyi ké rik nyam kyi drok The cool mountain stream musically murmurs. Such language of the seasons is an aid to meditation! གནས་འདིའི་ཡོན་ཏན་བསམ་མི་ཁྱབ། ། ཉམས་དགའ་གླུ་རུ་བླངས་པ་ཡིན། ། né di yön ten sam mi khyap: nyam ga lu ru lang pa yin I sang this joyful song and offered advice describing the merits of this sacred place, which are utterly inconceivable. གདམས་ངག་ཁ་རུ་བཏོན་པ་ཡིན། ། འདིར་ཚོགས་ཡོན་བདག་ཕོ་མོ་རྣམས། ། dam ngak kha ru tön pa yin: dir tsok yön dak po mo nam All you assembled here, patrons, ladies and gentlemen, please follow in my footsteps and behave as I have— མི་ང་ཕྱིར་འབྲོངས་ལ་ང་བཞིན་མཛོད། ། ལས་སྡིག་པ་སྤོངས་ལ་དགེ་བ་སྒྲུབས།། ཅེས་གསུངས་པས། ། mi nga chir drong la nga zhin dzö: lé dik pa pong la gewa drup abandon all misdeeds and accomplish virtue! COLOPHON None NOTES [1] An honourific Tibetan term meaning “venerable lord,” reserved exclusively for great masters. Milarepa is among the most ubiquitous holders of the term in Tibetan literature. [2] The kyang ( Equus kiang ) is a species of wild donkey native to the Tibetan plateau and is one source of inspiration for the mythical unicorn. This meditative or spiritual song ( mgur ) was composed by Milarepa (1040–1123), Tibet’s most famous yogi and poet. Tibetan literature contains a vast corpus of such spiritual songs, particularly Milarepa’s own Kagyu school, which traces the practice of singing spontaneous songs of spiritual experience back to the Indian mahāsiddhas. Known as Dohā in medieval India, this art form was held in common by both Vajrayāna Buddhists and practitioners of Hindu tantra and generally centered on the heightened inner experiences brought about through spiritual practice. What is perhaps most striking about this particular song, and a departure from the conventions of the genre of mgur , is its emphasis on the natural beauty of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong. Tibetan descriptions of sacred places ( gnas ) almost always focus on the miraculous deeds performed on location by great Buddhist masters, who thus imbue the space with blessings and sacred energy. Milarepa, on the other hand, sings entirely about the special qualities of the natural world. With an almost Wordsworthian rhapsody, Mila attributes nature itself, rather than past Buddhist masters, as the wellspring of blessings in Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong. It is the sight of the meadow awash with flowers beneath the vast expanse of sky and the sounds of frolicking wild animals beside the flowing mountain stream that makes the place so favourable for meditative retreat, not the accomplishments of past sages. When, in the final lines of the poem, he exhorts his audience to abandon misdeeds and accomplish virtue, his tone is one of heartfelt invitation rather than didacticism. It is almost as if he is saying, “The world is too much with us”; be done with worldly toil and come meditate with me beside this stream! Photo credit: Himalayan Art Resources Edited: March 2022 BIBLIOGRAPHY Mi la ras pa. Edited by Gtsang smyon he ru ka rus pa'i rgyan can. [n.d.]. Rkyang phan nam mkha' rdzong gi skor . In Mi la ras pa'i mgur 'bum, 65–66. [s.l.]: [s.n.]. BDRC W1KG1252 A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

In this winter-retreat song, the Third Karmapa lists the freedoms and blessings he enjoys, and warns himself that if he squanders them, the fault is his alone. Abstract Rangjung Dorje sang this deeply personal song during a winter retreat at Tsari in southern Tibet, probably in 1330. By then he was an established teacher and scholar whose life was increasingly divided between the solitude he valued and the public responsibilities created by his growing reputation. Having returned to retreat in Kongpo, he was already aware that this freedom might not last: within a few years he would be summoned to the Mongol imperial court. [1] Against this background, the song takes the form of an uncompromising inventory of everything Rangjung Dorje has going for him. He has obtained a precious human life, met genuine teachers, learned the Buddha’s teachings, cultivated ethical discipline and meditation, and gained both independence and the respect of others. His “nose-rope” has not fallen into another’s hands: for the moment, at least, he is free from the worldly obligations that might prevent a yogin from practising. Yet each achievement leads back to the same refrain: if he does not practise now, and instead gives way to laziness, he has only himself to blame. BDRC MW30541 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Karma Kagyu Nyingma Zhije and Chod INCARNATION LINE Karmapa HISTORICAL PERIOD 13th Century 14th Century TEACHERS Orgyenpa Rinchen Pel shes rab gzhon nu 'byung ba shes rab dpal kun dga' don grub ye shes Kumāradza Meban Rinchen Lingpa TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf English edited by Libby Hogg INSTITUTIONS Tsel Gungtang Sangpu Neutok Tsurpu Monastery Karma Gon Dechen Teng Wutai Shan Lhateng STUDENTS Yungton Dorje Pel kun dga' rgyal mtshan Longchenpa The Second Gangkar Lama, Rinchen Zangpo Zhangton Gyawo Sonam Drakpa Kumāradza Puntsok Pelzang rgyal ba dpal Yakde Paṇchen Tsondru Dargye kun dga' rdo rje dar ma rgyal mtshan The First Zhamarpa, Drakpa Sengge Gyelse Lekpa rgya ston kun dga' brtson 'grus 'jam dbyangs grags pa Barawa Gyeltsen Pelzang Meban Rinchen Lingpa AUTHOR The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje A Song to Encourage Myself Namo Guru! From saṃsāra’s ocean of suffering, You lead us to the isle of liberation. Lord Guru, supreme among refuges, Buddha, to you I bow! I, this yogi dwelling here, Have gained a perfect human life, With all its freedoms and advantages. [2] I have met the Mahāyāna lamas And am versed in the Victor’s teachings. If I do not devote myself to practice now, But succumb to laziness, I bring only harm upon myself. The three pure trainings have taken root within my mind; I know well what to adopt and what to abandon. My karma certainly bodes well for lives to come, [3] And what is to come lies in my own hands. [4] If I do not devote myself to practice now, But succumb to laziness, I bring only harm upon myself. My nose-rope has not slipped into another’s hands. [5] I crave neither food nor possessions. People everywhere hold me in esteem. I have won this freedom for myself. If I do not devote myself to practice now, But succumb to laziness, I bring only harm upon myself. I am skilled in writing on the Victor’s words; I know how to meditate on the essential points of concentration, [6] And how to dispel the faults arising in meditation. The learned sing my praises. If I do not devote myself to practice now, But succumb to laziness, I bring only harm upon myself. My partisan views have fallen away; I have cast aside meditation that seeks mere peace. My conduct knows neither recklessness nor hypocrisy; Thus, I am free from hope and fear. [7] If I do not devote myself to practice now, But succumb to laziness, I bring only harm upon myself. Saṃsāra appears like a conjurer’s illusion; Nirvāṇa, no more than a mirage. I know cause and effect arise dependently, And arising and ceasing are like combing the sky. If I do not devote myself to practice now, But succumb to laziness, I bring only harm upon myself. This song to encourage myself I sang in solitude near Tsari, While staying there in winter retreat, Practising meditation. May every fault of distraction be purified! May joyful perseverance arise in my mind! COLOPHON This was sung as a melody by Rang Dorje as a means of encouraging himself. NOTES [1] For Rangjung Dorje’s retreat in Kongpo during this period, the pressures of his growing public role, and the chronology placing this song at Tsari in 1330, see Gamble 2013, 240–41, 287–88. [2] The “freedoms and advantages” ( dal 'byor ) are the eight freedoms and ten advantages that make a human birth precious and suited to Dharma practice. Reflecting on their rarity is the first of the four thoughts that turn the mind towards the Dharma. [3] We have read nyid as nges , since nyid does not work as a verb here; legs par nges (“certain to be good”) fits both the grammar and the sense of the stanza. [4] The Tibetan reads rang la rang dbang yod pa la , literally “having mastery over oneself”. Since Rangjung Dorje understands well what to adopt and what to abandon, his karma bodes well for future lives; we have therefore rendered the line with the more idiomatic “what is to come lies in my own hands.” [5 ] The nose-rope ( sna thag ) is the rope by which a yak or other animal is led. To let one’s nose-rope slip into another’s hands is a common Tibetan idiom for losing one’s independence and being at someone else’s beck and call. Here it refers to the yogin’s independence from patrons, obligations and worldly ties, spelling it out more directly as freedom ( rang dbang ) later in the stanza. [6] The term samten ( bsam gtan ; Skt. dhyāna ) means, at its most basic, a state of deep, one-pointed concentration in which the mind is stable and calm, serving as a foundation for wisdom. Its precise sense depends on the view in question. In the Abhidharma, it denotes the meditative absorptions of the form and formless realms. In the Mahāyāna, it is the fifth perfection, a one-pointed mind that serves as the basis for special insight. In the Vajrayāna, it refers to the meditative stabilisations of the generation and completion stages. In Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen, it is refined into “non-meditation” ( sgom med ), effortless resting in the natural state of mind. Since Rangjung Dorje was a master of both Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen, and the following line speaks of dispelling faults of meditative experience (nyams) , it is probable he is using the term in this last sense. See Tsadra Foundation, “ Key Terms/Dhyāna ”. [7] The Tibetan reads 'bras bu re dang dogs pa bral , literally “the fruit is free from hope and fear”. In the traditional sequence of view, meditation, conduct and fruit, the fruit is the result of practice, which here is Rangjung Dorje’s own freedom from hope and fear regarding any outcome. We have rendered it as “Thus, I am free…” to make this clear in English. BIBLIOGRAPHY Gamble, Ruth Ellen. 2013. The View From Nowhere: The Travels of the Third Karmapa, Rang byung rdo rje in Stories and Songs . PhD thesis, The Australian National University. Rang byung rdo rje. 2006. Gsung mgur thor bu . In Rang byung rdo rje'i gsung 'bum , vol. 5 (Ca), pp. 409–411. Zi ling: Mtshur phu mkhan po lo yag bkra shis. BDRC MW30541 Published October 2026 A Song to Encourage Myself VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Asked for a proper scripture, Drukpa Kunle delivers a gloriously irreverent parody of a Buddhist treatise that turns laughter itself into a teaching. Note: this text contains explicit and crude language. Abstract In Drukpa Kunle’s biography, this episode follows one of his best-known miracles. Before a crowd of about a thousand people in Lhomon, sceptical officials demand proof of his powers. Kunle eats a goat and a cow, places the goat’s head on the cow’s bones, and creates the takin. [1] Won over, the patrons ask for a teaching that opens like a scripture, moves them to tears and laughter, and liberates upon hearing. Kunle obliges with a parody of a scholastic treatise—a mock-Sanskrit title in genital slang, a solemn division into what “will do” and “won’t do” for sex, advice on cause and effect drawn from bodily comparisons, and a finale that maps view, meditation and conduct onto sexual union. An elder in the crowd, Apa Akyok, recognises the teaching beneath the ribaldry and laughter. BDRC MW3CN15680 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Drukpa Kagyu CLAN Gya HISTORICAL PERIOD 15th Century 16th Century TEACHERS kun dga' chos kyi rgya mtsho Pema Lingpa The Second Drukchen, Kunga Peljor bsod nams mchog ldan The Seventh Karmapa, Chodrak Gyatso TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf English edited by Libby Hogg INSTITUTIONS Ralung Monastery Tango Lampar Monastery Nyel Drewule Gon STUDENTS Unknown AUTHOR Drukpa Kunle The Treatise That Delights the World The faithful patrons of Lhomon made this request: “O Lama! Please grant us a blessed Dharma teaching. We ask for one that begins with ‘In the language of India’, follows with ‘In the Tibetan language’ [2] , and is easy to read; one that from time to time moves us to tears of renunciation as we reflect on cause and effect, and which between times makes us laugh out loud. Finally, let it be a Buddha Dharma that is easy to understand and remember, one that liberates upon hearing.” Requested thus, Drukpa Kunle spoke these words: “In the language of India: Jé sha-ra-ra [cock sha-ra-ra] [3] In the Tibetan language: Stu shu-ru-ru [cunt shu-ru-ru] Namo Guru! Dak-khe-khe! [victorious thrust] This Treatise on the Rising Cock and the Slippery Cunt has two parts: the treatise on “That’ll Do” and the reasons why “It Won’t Do”. First, the treatise on “That’ll Do”: The bed is the instrument of sex; If it’s wide and comfortable, that’ll do. The knees are the envoys of sex; If they are sent ahead, that’ll do. The hands are the binding ropes of sex; If they hold her snugly, that’ll do. The hips are the labourers of sex; If they keep on grinding, that’ll do. Next, “It Won’t Do”: Though the clitoris is beautifully triangular, It won’t do as a three-whites torma for the tsen . Though arse hair is coarse and long, It won’t do as thread for sewing a sheepskin coat. Though the balls are heavy and big, They won’t do as a provisions sack for a mountain hermitage. Though the cock has hard veins and a bulbous head, It won’t do as a mallet for driving in a stake. [4] In between, the Dharma of Cause and Effect Don’t let your words be pointed like a clitoris. If your tongue is that sharp, You’ll quarrel with everyone, and all will turn against you. But conduct yourself gently, Like a cock-head at the mouth of a cunt, And you’ll get along with everyone. Don’t be a tangled mess like pubic hair. If you’re as tangled as an unruly bush, You’ll be at odds with everyone and stir up their minds. But, like balls shrinking when they leave warm water, Keep yourself small and humble, And others will treat you kindly. Don’t drift about like the whiff of a fart. If you wander about spreading your stench, You’ll be at odds with everyone and come to ruin. Instead, like a dark arsehole, It’s best to keep shut. Ema! Because the clitoris loves its pleasure, It rides up top; [5] Because the cock-head is so brave, It goes inside; Because the balls are of little use, They are left outside. The non-dual, all-pervading view Is vast and high, like the depths of a cunt. Meditation, clear, empty and free from grasping, Is red and clear like menstrual blood. Conduct, within the Six Cycles of Equal Taste, [6] Is like the joy of cunts and cocks coming together. Practise generation-stage mantra And completion-stage mind As intensely as a mating donkey. When putting these into practice, Be quicker than a mating rooster. When retreating in a sealed room, Be more tightly sealed than mating dogs. This Treatise That Delights The World Stirs the hairs of passion in young maidens, Makes old women vividly recall their past, Is what young men [7] practise even now, Is work that old men need never regret, Fills monks of pure morality with revulsion, Speaks the truth to communities and officials, And as for me, Kunga Lekpa, It is my own spiritual practice!” At these words, Apa Akyok rose from the midst of the crowd, prostrated and exclaimed: “Ha ha! Precious Lord of Dharma! Truly, through nothing more than fleeting humour and delight, you can turn the minds of all beings towards the Dharma!” COLOPHON None NOTES [1] The takin ( Budorcas taxicolor ), a large goat-antelope of the eastern Himalayas, is Bhutan’s national animal. Bhutanese tradition attributes its origin to Drukpa Kunle: challenged to prove his powers, he ate a goat and a cow, then placed the goat’s head on the cow’s bones and brought it to life. The biography calls the animal 'brong khyim tshe and says its descendants still live in Lhorong. [2] Texts translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan conventionally open by giving the title first “in the language of India” ( rgya gar skad du ), usually Sanskrit, and then “in the Tibetan language” ( bod skad du ), a formula that signals a work’s Indian origin and authority. The patrons ask for a teaching with this formal opening, and Drukpa Kunle, in his classic rascally fashion, obliges with a parody: his “Indian” title is Tibetan slang for genitalia dressed up in Sanskrit-sounding syllables. [3] “Cock” and “cunt” translate mje and stu , the plain everyday Tibetan words, rather than the polite or euphemistic terms such as pho mtshan and mo mtshan (literally “male sign” and “female sign,” i.e. penis and vagina). We use blunt English equivalents throughout because much of Drukpa Kunle’s humour comes from setting earthy language against the formal vocabulary of Buddhist scripture and scholastic treatises, and more clinical or euphemistic terms would lose that effect. They also keep the rhythm of the original: like mje and stu , they are single, punchy syllables, which preserves the cadence of lines such as mje sha ra ra and stu shu ru ru . [4] “It won’t do as a mallet for driving in a stake” translates phur pa gdab pa'i tho ba khos mi yong . Phur pa is an ordinary wooden peg of the kind used for tents or for tethering animals, but the same word also names the ritual dagger used in tantric practice, and gdab pa (“to drive in”) is the verb for its ritual use, so Drukpa Kunle might be playing on both senses. [5] “Rides up top” translates gnya' bar gzhon , literally “rides on the neck,” referring to the clitoris’s position at the top of the vulva. [6] The Six Cycles of Equal Taste ( ro snyoms skor drug ) is a cycle of Mahāmudrā instructions central to the Drukpa Kagyu ( 'brug pa bka' brgyud ), said to have been concealed by Rechungpa ( ras chung pa ) and later revealed as treasure by Tsangpa Gyare ( gtsang pa rgya ras , 1161–1211). The six are the practices of taking onto the path discursive thoughts ( rnam rtog lam 'khyer ), afflictions ( nyon mongs lam 'khyer ), illness ( na tsha lam 'khyer ), gods and demons ( lha 'dre lam 'khyer ), suffering ( sdug bsngal lam 'khyer ), and death ( 'chi ba lam 'khyer ). [7] “Young men” ( stag shar ) is a common term for a young man in his prime. Although it contains the word for tiger ( stag ), it carries no sense of the animal in ordinary usage. BIBLIOGRAPHY Rdo rje gdan pa Mi pham tshe dbang bstan ’dzin. 1988. ’Gro ba’i mgon po Kun dga’ legs pa’i rnam thar Mon spa gro sogs kyi mdzad spyod rnams . Dharamsala: Tibetan Cultural Printing Press, pp. 57–61. BDRC MW3CN15680 . The Treatise That Delights the World VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

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Senior Geluk figure Lelung Zhepe Dorje (1697-1740) recounts his extraordinary 1729 pure vision of Gesar of Ling, marking a rare intersection of Geluk tradition with Tibet's epic hero. Abstract The Fifth Lelung Rinpoche, Shepé Dorjé (1697–1740), is unusual among senior Geluk figures for having taken a personal interest in the figure of Gesar of Ling, eponymous hero of the Tibetan epic. The text translated here narrates his ‘pure vision’ of Gesar, which took place near his monastic seat at Lelung, in Olga, in 1729. Please see the full abstract in the note section of the translation. BDRC LINK W22130 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 10:07 TRADITION Geluk | Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Lelung Jedrung HISTORICAL PERIOD 18th Century TEACHERS The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso The Fifth Panchen Lama, Lobzang Yeshé Damchö Sangpo Mingyur Paldrön Chöjé Lingpa Dönyö Khedrup The First Purchok, Ngawang Jampa Ngawang Chödrak Yeshé Gyatso Damchö Gyatso Losal Gyatso Lhündrup Gyatso Dungkar Tsangyang Drukdrak The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin TRANSLATOR George FitzHerbert INSTITUTIONS Lelung Monastery Mindröling Ngari Dratsang Chökhor Gyal Trandruk Potala Tsari STUDENTS Kunga Mingyur Dorjé Dorjé Yomé Kunga Paldzom Lobsang Lhachok Dönyö Khedrub Polhané Sönam Tobgyé Ngawang Jampa Mingyur Paldrön The Fifth Dorjé Drak Rigdzin, Kelsang Pema Wangchuk Lhasang Khan AUTHOR Lelung Zhepe Dorje Chapter Narrating the Pure Vision of Gesar I pay homage, with a mind of sincere respect, to the Great Noble One, Lord of the Three Worlds, [ 1 ] and his entourages. The many tales of the Great Noble One, Gesar Dorje Tsegyel, [ 2 ] known throughout the Three Worlds, [ 3 ] are deep and hard to fathom, passing beyond our ability to comprehend. There are many different ways in which the story has come down according to a disciple’s individual karmic lot. Even today, such tales continue to be told in all directions without distinction in Dokham, Utsang, and so on. And although all these various life stories differ in style and content, they need not be considered contradictory since they are the life stories of a thus-gone one. [ 4 ] It is for this reason that there is variance. Here, not long after the [annual] grand festival to celebrate the joining of the Great Queen of Medicine, Dorje Yudronma, [ 5 ] and the Great Noble One of Ling (Gesar), at the Zangdokpelri [hermitage] in the Lelung region of the eastern land of Olga [ 6 ] [in Lhodrak, southern Tibet] in the year of the Earth Female Bird [1729 CE], an emanation of the Great Noble One (Gesar) was encountered in the form of an iron man wearing iron armour, brandishing a silk-pennanted spear. And the following life story was heard: Now in the realm of the gods above, from a primordial state of complete nothingness, a White Light, like the Victory Star, [ 7 ] arose. Being born from the Divine Wish-Fulfilling Jewel, [ 8 ] it resided in an egg-like womb of light, a light born out of its own radiance. And soon afterwards, desire arose in the breast of one daughter of the gods called Bum Okimetse, [ 9 ] and she replicated that luminous sphere. For this she was ridiculed and cursed by the gods and grew ashamed. So she went to a victorious sage of the gods and humbly beseeched him thus: “They accuse me of having done that which I have not done! They blame me for having attachments that I do not have! I just can’t take their chastisements anymore! I can dwell no longer in the realm of gods above, And nor can I go to the land of the lu water-spirits [ 10 ] below.” “So I should take a quick look at the middle world of humans. I shall take that young godling along with me [as a companion]. Is there any fault created by my going there? Great sage, please tell me; I implore you!” Thus she spoke, and the old sage of creation, born into the caste of Yungdrung Bon, [ 11 ] replied thus: “ A-ya-ya , you crowned girl, Light Garland Goddess! It is very good that you have come here, as I have been wanting to see you. Last night, beings in the land of men Had hurried dreams of various kinds. So many good signs! Such as cannot be spoken.” “ A-ya-ya ! These were signs; these were premonitions, That you, my girl, would come at this time. For now you should stay awhile longer in the land of gods, For from [your nurturing] mother’s lap, a son will be born. Call upon the god Gertso Nyenpo [ 12 ] for help But don’t dismiss your young godling, For he will be of benefit to all beings of all countries and regions.” [ 13 ] “ A-ya-ya! A godling is better than a man, Unlike other little men born of gods! Three fives make fifteen! Possible danger can come of this! Three sixes make eighteen—certainly a chance of such! O beautiful maiden, may your innermost mind be at peace.” Then the goddess Bum Okimetse went back to her own dwelling place and, [in accordance with his instructions], made offerings of female yak milk to the worldly god Nyenchen Gertso. [ 14 ] As she prayed, Gertso actually came before her and, taking her tightly on his lap, he made love to her fifteen times, inducing in her a state of great pleasure. And after a while, just as the sage had prophesied, the goddess became pregnant. Initially, a venomous black snake was born, and the gods gave it the name White-Turbaned Nele (Nele Tokar), [ 15 ] king of lu , and it went into the great ocean. Next, a red man and a red horse were born. He was named Tsen Yawa Kyachik. [ 16 ] He went to Zangthang Jangmar in the western direction, one of the five regions of the Gawa Valley in the northern part of Pemako. [ 17 ] It was a hub of pernicious harmful spirits near a town of the Chim [clan] [ 18 ] and barbarians. He stayed there as lord of gods and spirits. [ 19 ] Then a blue man wearing fine blue clothes and a blue horse were born. He was given the name Lord of Waters, Lap-born Masang (Chudak Pangkye Masang). [ 20 ] He went to the land of Lato. [ 21 ] After that, a malicious harmful spirit was born with a chin of iron and a yellow beard spiked like tongues of fire. He was respectfully given the name King of Demons (Dudje Gyelpo) [ 22 ] and, in fact, was none other than the mind-lord Indra. [ 23 ] He went to the land of Gyatri Gotri Shing [ 24 ] and was also known as Gyaje Tsenpo, [ 25 ] or the One-eyed Demon King of the Eastern Direction. Following that, a black man and a black horse were born. He was given the name Moon-faced Demon (Dudawai Gonchen). [ 26 ] He had unimaginable power and magical abilities, difficult for others to defeat. Going to the northern land of Mizhung, [ 27 ] he became a hunter. Having killed many beings by gathering their life-breath, he accumulated about a hundred thousand human and horse corpses and stayed there enjoying their flesh and blood. Subsequently, a daughter of the gods—so beautiful that a single glance nulls contentment—was born. She was given the name Charming Goddess (Lhamo Yitrok). [ 28 ] By and by, she went to the red copper plain of the tsen [ 29 ] and lived there as the wife of the noble tsen , Lutsen. [ 30 ] Then the harmful spirit Genuine Knowledge (Yangdak Shay) [ 31 ] was born, beautiful and heroic. In the Palace of Braids, [ 32 ] he joined the entourage of Vaishravana, [ 33 ] and together with the servants of this great wealth-god and lord of treasures, he stayed as the Great Protecting King of the Northern Direction. [ 34 ] Next, a being with the appearance of a sinpo demon, [ 35 ] skilled in martial arts, was born, known as Raksha Lightening-Garland (Yaksha Loktreng), [ 36 ] who in the depths of the ocean, by the power of karma, joined with the female lu Toad-headed Bloodshot-eyed (Belgo Trakmikma), [ 37 ] whose desire boiled like water. By entering into sexual union, they became husband and wife. It is said that she gave birth to the four-faced Vishnu King of Rahu. [ 38 ] Then Black Shiva (Wangchuk Nakpo) [ 39 ] was born, and staying in the land of turban-wearers, he became the protector of the Muslim regions. After that, the Red Lord of Death (Shinje Marpo Chidak), [ 40 ] the colour of blood, was born. He was also known as Bandit Bringer of Fire, the Red Lord of Life (Sokdak Marpo), or Great Abse, among other names. [ 41 ] He was the master of swift and sharp martial skills and possessed magical abilities. It is said because he had sex with his own sibling, the Charming Goddess, kith and kin were ashamed. The gods insulted them, and they were belittled by shame. Following that, the protector of China, the land of the Eastern Direction, called Lhanyen Lhaje, [ 42 ] was born. He became the protector of White Confucius. And until now, he stays in those bad regions. Then a demoness the colour of blood, with the body of a sinmo demoness and the head of a lion, was born. She was known as Red Lion-faced (Sengdong Marmo) [ 43 ] and became the wife of the demon Black Yabshar, [ 44 ] otherwise known as the Lion-faced Kunga Zhonu, the protector of the realm. [ 45 ] Next, Simultaneously Red (Chikchar Marpo) [ 46 ] was born and went to Tsaritra, [ 47 ] enjoying flesh and blood. Since he had little compassion for those mired in the passion of life, he became lord of the haughty spirits, and there he remained. After that, the one called Great Apo, [ 48 ] who resides now as a protecting god of Pemako, was born. Going to the lands of Lo Dra and Hor Ga, [ 49 ] he protects the outer, inner, and secret regions of Pemako and subregions. Then when all these fourteen elder siblings were born, the fifteenth, the Great Noble One, Gesar, King of Dralha, [ 50 ] was born. He was youthful in stature and beautiful with all the signs and characteristics [of a special being] complete, transfixing to look upon, and capable of bringing all the Three Realms [ 51 ] under his dominion. Initially, he thrice played dice [ 52 ] in the realm of gods and gained respect from all of them. Then, going to the land of humans, he again thrice played dice games, casting gambling dice, [ 53 ] and playing pebbles, [ 54 ] thereby bringing all the beings of the human realm into complete submission; he was left unrivalled. Then, having crossed to the water realm, he trice did swimming, jumping and other such games, and all the female lu lusted after him. Hence, he gained mastery over them, neutralized their viciousness, and calmed their fury. And in that way, being without rival in the Three Worlds, the Great Noble One traversed instantly through the central region [ 55 ] [of Tibet] to Serzhong Zangri. [ 56 ] In the female Earth Bird Year, the Great Noble One took care of the reincarnation of the son Gadol Gali. [ 57 ] For our benefit, he turned his horse towards the hermitage of the supreme sacred site of Zangdok Pelri [in Lelung Valley] and took the Great Queen of Medicine, Lachik Yudronma, as his consort. All lords and ministers, from the treasurer and attendant to the hen keeper and swineherd [who witnessed this], are still alive to this day. In the past, when Great Noble One came to Tibet, he visited all these places and blessed all the hermitages, mountains, and cliffs. And previously, his flying-mount-tree, [ 58 ] [the tree from which he gets his flying stick], was [considered to be] at the upper slopes of Lhunpo Dza. [ 59 ] But today it is not there, as it has been felled. And from the upper slopes of Lhunpo Dza to the area of Chabumpa, [ 60 ] the stones Gesar placed there can be seen even now. Later, the secret caves, sacred sites, and holy lakes were discovered eventually, as they were pointed out and taught in the secret transmission. COLOPHON This is the first chapter of the three-part oral instruction of the Gesar Pure Vision. NOTES [1] 'jig rten gsum. Referring to the worlds of lha ‘gods’ above, klu ‘water spirits’ below, and gnyan ‘worldly deities’ in the middle. This tripartite scheme of a vertically-ordered world is a central theme in most tellings of the Gesar epic. In this text, two or three terms are used to refer to the scheme: ‘jig rten gsum, sa gsum, and srid gsum. The first two we have translated as “Three Worlds” and the last as “Three Realms”, since it could also be interpreted as referring to the Buddhist scheme of Form, Formless, and Formless Realms (more commonly known as as khams gsum). [2] skyes bu chen po ge sar rdo rje tshe rgyal [3] sa gsum [4] de bzhin gshegs pa, tathāgata [5] Sman btsun chen mo rdo rje g.yu sgron ma is one of the bstan ma bcu gnyis, the 12 native goddesses who according to Nyingma lore were converted in the 8th century by Padmasambhava and Pelgyi Senge (dpal gyi seng ge; BDRC P4236 ) to become protectors of the tantric teachings of the Old School. [6] 'ol ga [7] The Victory Star (rgyal skar, puṣya/pauṣa) is one of the twenty-eight stars/constellations (rgyu skar nyi shu rtsa brgyad, aṣtāviṃśati nakṣatrāṇi) in the Indo-Tibetan system of lunar mansions, an ancient Indian division of the ecliptic. In the Tibetan tradition, a period associated with one of these constellations is determined by the moon’s position. If the moon was in the Victory Star at sunrise on a lunar day, that day would be considered to be ruled by that constellation. [8] lha'i yid bzhin nor bu rin po che [9] 'bum 'od kyi me tshe [10] klu (Skt: (nāga) are beings of the world below, associated with water, health, and wealth. [11] g.yung drung bon [12] lha ger mtsho gnyan po. The deity ger mtsho, in various spellings, is frequently encountered in tellings of the Gesar epic as the gnyan father of Gesar. Gnyan are a class of powerful worldly deities in Tibetan culture who inhabit the middle world, in which humans also dwell. They are often associated with mountain deities. [13] yul gling dgu'i skyes 'gro yongs [14] srid pa'i lha gnyan chen po ger mtsho. See note above. [15] ne le thod dkar [16] btsan ya ba skya gcig [17] zangs thang byang dmar gyi gling and dga' ba lung [18] 'chims [19] lha srin [20] chu bdag pang skyes ma sang [21] la stod [22] bdud rje rgyal po [23] brgya byin (“hundred sacrifices”) is the usual Tibetan name for Indra (also known as Kauśika or Śakra), king of the heaven of the Thirty-Three gods (of the desire realm). [24] rgya khri sgo khri shing [25] rgya rje btsan po [26] bdud zla ba'i gdong can [27] mi gzhung [28] lha mo yid 'phrog [29] btsan. These are non-human entities of the world characterized in Tibetan culture. They are included in the eight classes (sde brgyad) and are primarily seen as greatly powerful and nefarious beings who inhabit a specified locale. [30] klu btsan. This name is familiar from many tellings of the Gesar epic in which Lutsen is one of the hero’s main adversaries. In many tellings, he is the Demon of the North, whose beautiful wife waylays Gesar for many years. [31] yang dag shes [32] lcang lo can gyi pho brang [33] rnam thos sras, Vaiśravaṇa [34] byang phyogs skong ba'i rgyal po chen po [35] Srin po (or feminine srin mo) are a prominent class of harmful being or demon in Tibetan culture. This is the term used in Tibetan to translate the Sanskrit rākṣasa. They are human-eating and bloodthirsty. [36] rak+sha glog phreng [37] klu mo sbal mgo mig khrag ma [38] khyab 'jug gza'i rgyal po [39] dbang phyug nag po [40] gshin rje dmar po 'chi bdag [41] jag pa me len; srog bdag dmar po; ab se chen po. Among the “other names” alluded to would be beg tse and lcam sring. [42] lha gnyan lha rje [43] seng gdong dmar mo [44] yab shar nag po [45] zhing skyong seng ge'i gdong chen kun dga' gzhon nu [46] cig car dmar po [47] tsa ri tra [48] a pho chen po [49] klo gra; hor ga [50] dgra lha [51] srid gsum. This could refer to the “three worlds” (worlds above below and in the middle) or to the classical Buddhist scheme of Three Realms (usually known as khams gsum) of the Form, Formless, and Desire Realms. [52] sho [53] cho lo [54] rdo [55] dbu ru [56] gser gzhong zings ri [57] bu ga 'dol ga li'i skye ba [58] chibs phur gyi ljong shing [59] lhun po rdza'i mgul [60] bca' 'bum pa. These areas, Lhunpo Dza and Chabumpa, might be in the area of Lelung, but their exact locations are unknown to the translator and the organisation. Please contact Tib Shelf if you are aware of their whereabouts. Full Abstract: The Fifth Lelung Rinpoche, Zhepai Dorje (1697–1740), is unusual among senior Geluk figures for having taken a personal interest in the figure of Gesar of Ling, eponymous hero of the Tibetan epic. At least three texts on Gesar are ascribed to him: the one translated below and two offering texts. The text translated here narrates his ‘pure vision’ (dag snang) of Gesar, which took place near his monastic seat at Lelung, in Olga, in 1729. The vision was accompanied by a narration of Gesar’s origin ‘story’ (gtam rgyud). There are many points of interest to note about the text. Here we have an early textual attestation of the name Gesar Dorje Tsegyal, ‘Vajra Lord of Life’, the name of Gesar, which was later used by Ju Mipham in his influential elaborations of a ritual cycle centring on Gesar as protector-turned-yidam. Lelung attests that the vision took place soon after an annual festival held in his home region of Lelung, celebrating the union of Gesar and Dorje Yudronma, one of the Tenma Chunyi (‘twelve protectoresses of the teachings’), attesting to a pre-existing tradition in that region connecting Gesar to the lore around the Tantric Buddhist conversion activities of Padmasambhava. Lelung’s account of Gesar’s origins, as the 15th offspring from the union of a primordial goddess of light with a “worldly deity” (srid pa’i lha) is unusual and unique among the many tellings of Gesar’s origins. Still, it also shows interesting points of convergence with the epic storytelling traditions about Gesar, which persists in present times, especially in eastern Tibet. In particular, the identification of Gesar’s ‘worldly deity’ father as the Great Nyen Gertsho (gnyan chen po ger mtsho) is a feature often encountered in eastern Tibetan tellings of the epic. Also, Lelung’s narration of the hero’s origin is presented in the familiar three-tiered tableau of the “Three Worlds” (sa gsum, srid gsum), central to the Tibetan epic tradition and to Tibetan folk culture more broadly, of the lha (gods) above, the klu (water spirits) below, and the gnyan (worldly deities) in the middle. Unfortunately a trip to Olga, in the south-central Lhoka region of Tibet, to explore the locations in the Lelung valley referenced in the text, has so far been impossible. Many thanks to Tenzin Choephel and Ryan Jacobson for their very helpful corrections and suggestions for the translation and to Tom Greensmith for seeing the translation through to publication here. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bzhad pa'i rdo rje. 1983–1985. Dag snang ge sar gyi gtam rgyud le'u. In Gsung 'bum/_bzhad pa'i rdo rje, vol. 12, pp. 17–25. Leh: T. Sonam and D.L. Tashigang. BDRC W22130 Chapter Narrating the Pure Vision of Gesar VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

A concise secret sādhana of Zhepe Dorje centred on self-visualisation, forceful yogic practice, and the recognition of all appearances as the display of mind. Abstract This concise sādhana presents the secret practice of Zhepe Dorje, the visionary self-form of the Fifth Lelung, Zhepe Dorje (1697–1740). Visualising himself as a naked yogic figure surrounded by ḍākinīs and oath-bound protectors, the practitioner combines forceful gaze, the sounds HŪṂ and PHAṬ, bodily movement, mudrās, cries, songs, and whistles with the recognition that all appearances are the Guru’s display and ultimately the magical display of mind itself. The text was composed to clarify the practice of Pawo Tobgyal, a practitioner closely associated with Lelung. It is closely related to Lelung’s Outer, Inner, and Secret Practice Cycle of Zhepe Dorje , whose compressed secret practice contains many of the same visualisations and yogic instructions. The work concludes with an aspiration composed in connection with the printing of a collection of Lelung’s writings. MW22130_D5C80E DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Nyingma Geluk INCARNATION LINE Lelung Jedrung HISTORICAL PERIOD 18th Century TEACHERS The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso The Fifth Panchen Lama, Lobzang Yesh e Damchö Zangpo Mingyur Paldrön Chöje Lingpa Dönyö Khedrup The First Purchok, Ngawang Jampa Ngawang Chödrak Yeshe Gyatso Damchö Gyatso Losal Gyatso Lhundrub Gyatso Dungkar Tsangyang Drugdrak The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Lelung Monastery Mindröling Ngari Dratsang Chökhor Gyal Trandruk Potala Tsāri STUDENTS Kunga Mingyur Dorj e Dorje Yom e Kunga Paldzom Lobzang Lhachok Dönyö Khedrub Polhane Sönam Tobgy e Ngawang Jampa Mingyur Paldrön The Fifth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Kalzang Pema Wangchuk Lhasang Khan AUTHOR Lelung Zhepe Dorje The Essential Secret Sādhana of Zhepe Dorje E ma! All these appearances Arise from oneself, naturally luminous. This display, without inherent nature, Dawns as the ḍākinīs of the three abodes: To them I bow. Aho! Holding Zhepe Dorje as the essence of refuge, For all wandering beings without exception, as vast as space, I generate bodhicitta in order to liberate them. In the abode of the ocean of self-appearing ḍākinīs— A charnel ground, a fearsome and potent place, A grove that evokes both delight and a sense of renunciation, A realm of manifold appearances— Visualise your own awareness as the body of Zhepe Dorje, Radiant white and red in complexion, with an energetic bearing, His right hand playing the ḍamaru, Gathering the oath-bound ḍākinīs of the three abodes, His left holding a skull cup brimming with nectar, Naked, wearing a silk turban, Clad in a white cotton loincloth, [ 1] Anointed with sindhura (vermilion) at the five points, Sometimes wielding and blowing a thigh-bone trumpet, At other times, performing mudrās and assuming different postures: Sitting cross-legged, assuming royal ease, leaping, running, and so forth. His appearance shifts unpredictably in every way. His retinue consists of a hundred thousand beautiful maidens, Engaging in all manner of yogic observances with a passionate demeanour. Outside, the oath-bound Dharma protectors Spontaneously engage in the activities of the four rites. The deity in whom the samayasattva and jñānasattva are beyond union and separation Abides in the very sameness of nature. Having visualised this clearly, open the eyes wide and direct the gaze toward the sky, keeping the eyeballs motionless and the eyelashes from fluttering or blinking. Uttering “HŪṂ HŪṂ,” imagine awareness merging completely with the sky. At times, draw out [the sound of] HŪṂ as a melody and sing. If discursive thoughts proliferate, utter a fierce PHAṬ and simultaneously hurl awareness into the sky, mixing space and awareness. To generate force, imagine that, as the principal deity and entire retinue proclaim the three syllables HŪṂ PHAṬ BHYO, the sky, the earth, and all the space between quake and shudder. At the same time, leap and shake the body. Perform leaping, running, and other movements, along with various mudrās; emit fierce cries, songs, whistles, and so forth; and sustain the experience freely, however it arises. Resolve with certainty that all that appears is the display of the Guru and that this, in turn, is the magical display of one’s own mind. Resolve with certainty that the essence of mind is ungraspable, free from elaboration, and unborn. Then relax and rest. Again, visualising clearly as before, pass the days and nights in this way. At the conclusion, apart from dedicating merit, there is no need for dissolution, invitation, or the like, nor for elaborate offerings and tormas. Why? Because it is nothing more than bringing clearly to mind the maṇḍala that is spontaneously present from the very beginning. There is no coming together or separation, and the entire universe and its inhabitants are established as offering substances. COLOPHON Thus, Zhepe Dorje composed this to clarify Pawo Tobgyal’s practice. [ 2] Oṃ svasti! The account of the outer, inner, and secret realisations Of the yogic practitioner Zhepe Dorje— Upon whom Padma, the Victorious Lord who knows the three times, King Tsangpa Dungthöchen, [3] and all the other authoritative holy beings Bestowed prophecy, blessings, respite, and encouragement— And the vajra speech of the ocean of supremely secret ḍākinīs; The cycle of the Pure Vision Dharma collection, the Uncontrived Array ; The profound path of the ḍākinī Guhyajñānā, Its detailed explanation of the great completion-stage yoga, and so forth— Through the pure intention of Orgyen Chöphel, [4] These were brought to print. Through the power of the ocean of virtue thus accumulated, From now until the very heart of awakening, May the ocean of ḍākinīs of the three abodes serve as companions; With every desired aim conceived in the mind fulfilled, May all realisations of the grounds and paths be brought to perfection without exception. May all sentient beings, infinite as the reaches of space, Within the maṇḍala of the ocean of supremely secret ḍākinīs, Manifestly awaken in the celestial realm of Akaniṣṭha, And be liberated all at once into the vajra body of light. Through the compassion of the ocean of the Three Roots and Victorious Ones, And through the power of unfailing dependent origination, May every aim wished for in the mind Be swiftly accomplished without any adverse conditions. COLOPHON Thus, at the request of the printing scribes, the vidyādhara Zhepe Dorje composed this rite for sealing the aspiration with words of truth. NOTES [1] Tib. Ang rag —rendered here as "loincloth." [2] Pawo Tobgyal (Tib. Dpa’ bo Stobs rgyal ) was a contemporary practitioner closely associated with Zhepe Dorje and appears repeatedly in his writings as a requester of ritual teachings. A 1731 colophon identifies him as ’Or shod G.yu ’brug Lha rtse’i sras . G.yu ’brug Lha rtse was not a personal name but the great assembly hall situated within the residence of the rulers of Dga’-chags in the O-rong region of Kongpo (Ehrhard 2022, 80 n. 27); sras therefore appears to identify Tobgyal as a son or scion of this ruling house. In the Dag snang gnod sbyin chen po’i sgrub skor mtshon brgya’i ’phrul ’khor , Lelung states that the work was composed in the Iron Female Pig year (1731) in accordance with Pawo Tobgyal’s earnest request (Sle lung 1983–1985b, 131–142). A Guhyajñānā fire-offering ritual, Gar gyi dbang phyug gsang ba ye shes kyi mkha’ ’gro ma’i sbyin sreg gi cho ga mthong ba kun grol , was likewise written by Lelung at the joint request of Pawo Tobgyal and Trinle Dargye (Sle lung 1974–1976, 295–333). The present text was composed “to clarify Pawo Tobgyal’s practice” ( dpa’ bo stobs rgyal gyi nyams len gsal byed du ) (Sle lung 1983–1985a, 171–175). [3] Tsangpa Dungthöchen ( Tshangs pa Dung thod can ) was a protector deity with whom Zhepe Dorje appears to have maintained a particularly close ritual relationship. Lelung’s collected works preserve several compositions devoted specifically to Dungthöchen, including a rten mdos rite for Dungthöchen and his ministers, an invocation prayer, and a wrathful exhortation whose colophon calls him “the powerful chief of the war gods.” Another text records a ritual message offered directly to Dungthöchen during a deity-offering festival at Tradruk ( Khra ’brug ). Bailey likewise documents Lelung’s close relationship with the Tsangpa protector of Tradruk: in connection with his Nyingma practice in 1713 Lelung claimed that Tsangpa had prophesied his activities, and during the Dzungar crisis of 1717 he retrieved a special image of Tsangpa Karpo from Tradruk and brought it to Chökhor Gyal ( Chos ’khor rgyal ) for invocation and extensive offerings (Bailey 2017, 44–46). Lelung also names Tsangpa Dungthöchen among the major oath-bound protectors in a 1730 account (Bailey 2017, 227). [4] Orgyen Chöphel ( O rgyan chos ’phel ) is otherwise unidentified. The present text associates his altruistic intention ( lhag bsam ) with the printing of a collection of Zhepe Dorje's writings, suggesting that he served as a patron or organiser of the printing project. The concluding colophon states that Zhepe Dorje composed the present rite at the request of the par yig pa , the printing scribes responsible for preparing the written model from which the woodblocks were carved. The preceding phrase rig pa’i ’byung gnas a yi char skyes pa’i , which syntactically appears to qualify Orgyen Chöphel, is clear in the source but remains obscure in meaning and has therefore been left untranslated. BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary Sources Sle lung rje drung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje. 1974–1976. “Gar gyi dbang phyug gsang ba ye shes kyi mkha’ ’gro ma’i sbyin sreg gi cho ga mthong ba kun grol.” In Mkha’ ’gro gsang ba ye shes kyi chos skor , vol. 4, 295–333. New Delhi: Sanje Dorje. BDRC W9209. Sle lung rje drung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje. 1983–1985a. “Bzhad pa’i rdo rje’i gsang sgrub snying por dril ba.” In Gsung ’bum Bzhad pa’i rdo rje , vol. 12, 171–175. Leh: T. Sonam and D. L. Tashigang. BDRC W22130. Sle lung rje drung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje. 1983–1985b. “Dag snang gnod sbyin chen po’i sgrub skor mtshon brgya’i ’phrul ’khor.” In Gsung ’bum Bzhad pa’i rdo rje , vol. 12, 131–142. Leh: T. Sonam and D. L. Tashigang. BDRC W22130. Secondary Sources Bailey, Cameron. 2017. “A Feast for Scholars: The Life and Works of Sle lung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje.” DPhil thesis, University of Oxford. Ehrhard, Franz-Karl. 2022. “The Treasure Discoverer from Dwags-po: Two Texts on the Life of Chos-rje gling-pa (1682–1720).” Revue d’Études Tibétaines 64: 57–83. Published August 2026 The Essential Secret Sādhana of Zhepe Dorje VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

A compilation of supplication verses and transmission lineage for Do Khyentse's Dzinpa Rangdröl treasure cycle, arranged by Galwang Nyima from original revealed texts. Abstract This lineage prayer for Do Khyentse's treasure cycle of the Natural Liberation of Grasping (Dzinpa Rangdröl) is found in a liturgical compilation arranged by Galwang Nyima. The prayer comprises verses from the supplication prayer and Tröma practice as located in the revealed treasure texts as well as a short transmission lineage. BDRC LINK W26033 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 03:42 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Jigme Lingpa HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century TEACHERS The Fourth Dzogchen Drubwang, Mingyur Namkhe Dorje The First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Özer Gyurme Tsewang Chokdrub Dola Jigme Kalzang Jigme Gyalwe Nyugu TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Mahā Kyilung Monastery Katok Monastery Dzogchen Monastery Tseringjong STUDENTS Losal Drölma Tsewang Rabten Nyala Pema Dudul The Second Dodrubchen, Jigme Puntsok Jungne Patrul Orgyen Jigme Chökyi Wangpo The First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Özer Ranyak Gyalse Nyoshul Luntok Tenpe Gyaltsen Özer Taye Kalzang Döndrub Pema Sheja Drime Drakpa Kunzang Tobden Wangpo Gyalse Zhenpen Taye Özer Chöying Tobden Dorje Rigpe Raltri AUTHOR Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje Gyalwang Nyima (Editor) A Lineage Prayer for the Natural Liberation of Grasping ཀུན་བཟང་ཡབ་ཡུམ་སྟོན་པ་འོད་མི་འགྱུར། ། kunzang yabyum tönpa ö mingyur Samantabhadra and Samantabhadrā in union, Teacher of Immutable Light, [ 1 ] ཁྲག་འཐུང་གཞོན་ནུ་དཔའ་བོ་སྟོབས་ལྡན་དཔལ། ། traktung shönnu pawo tobden pal Glorious, powerful, and blood-drinking Youthful Hero, [ 2 ] དྲི་མེད་གསང་བདག་དགའ་རབ་མཚོ་སྐྱེས་རྗེ། ། drimé sangdak garab tsokyé jé Stainless Lord of Secrets [Vajrapani], Garab Dorje, the Lake-Born Lord, བདེ་ཆེན་མནྡཱ་ར་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། dechen mendara la solwa deb And Great Bliss Mandarava, to you I pray. སྦྱོར་སྒྲོལ་བརྟུལ་ཞུགས་མཐར་ཕྱིན་རཀྵི་ཏ། ། jordrol tulshuk tarchin rakshi ta Rakshita, who perfected the yogic observances of union and liberation, གྲུབ་བརྒྱའི་སྤྱི་མེས་ཕ་ཅིག་དམ་པ་རྗེ། ། drub gyé chimé pa chik dampa jé Lord Dampa, who is the sole forefather of a hundred adepts, ཌཱཀྐིའི་རྗེ་མོ་དབྱིངས་ཕྱུག་ལབ་ཀྱི་སྒྲོན། ། daki jemo yingchuk lab kyi drön Labdron, who is the lady of the dakinis and the queen of space, ཞི་གཅོད་བརྒྱུད་པར་བཅས་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། shi chö gyüpar ché la solwa deb Lineages of Pacification and Severance, to you I pray. ཨོ་རྒྱན་པད་བྱུང་བི་མའི་སྒྱུ་འཕྲུལ་གར། ། orgyen pé jung bi mé gyutrul gar Dancing illusory display of Padmasambhava of Oddiyana and Vimalamitra, ཟབ་གསང་བསྟན་པ་གཞིར་བཞེངས་སློང་མཛད་རྗེ། ། zabsang tenpa shir sheng long dzé jé Lord who brought forth the foundation of the profound and secret teachings, ཌཱ་ཀིའི་གསང་མཛོད་ཆེན་པོར་དབང་བསྒྱུར་བའི། ། daki sangdzö chenpor wang gyurwé Master of the magnificent, secret treasury of the dakinis— གཏེར་ཆེན་འཇའ་ལུས་རྡོ་རྗེར་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། terchen jalü dorjér solwa deb The great treasure-revealer, Jalu Dorje, to you I pray. མཁའ་སྤྱོད་བདེ་ལྡན་ཞིང་ན་ཝཱ་ར་ཧི། ། khachö deden shing na varahi Vajravarahi in the blissful realm of Khecara རྔ་ཡབ་གླིང་དུ་མེ་ཏོག་མནྡཱ་ར། ། ngayab ling du metok mendara And Mandarava Flower in Chamaradvipa, སླར་ཡང་བསྟན་འགྲོའི་དོན་དུ་མི་རྫུར་བྱོན། ། lar yang ten drö döndu mi dzur jön You came once again in the guise of a human for the benefit of the teachings and beings; ཡི་དམ་གྲུབ་བརྙེས་དངོས་གྲུབ་རྣམ་གཉིས་ཐོབ། ། yidam drub nyé ngödrub nam nyi tob Discovering the attainments of the deities, you gained the two accomplishments— ཡུམ་ཆེན་ཌཱ་ཀི་མཆོག་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། yumchen daki chok la solwa deb Great Mother and supreme dakini [ Losel Drolma ], [ 3 ] to you I pray. སྣང་སྲིད་དབང་བསྒྱུར་གྲུབ་བརྒྱའི་ཞལ་སྐྱིན་མཆོག ། nangsi wanggyur drub gyé shal kyin chok Supreme successor of a hundred adepts with mastery over all appearing existence; ཡེ་ཤེས་རྡོ་རྗེའི་གསང་གསུམ་བྱིན་བརྒྱུད་མཛོད། ། yeshe dorjé sang sum jin gyü dzö Yeshe Dorje’s three secrets, blessings, lineage, and treasuries— ཡོངས་ལ་དབང་བསྒྱུར་སྐུ་གསུང་ཐུགས་ཀྱི་སྲས། ། yong la wanggyur ku sung tuk kyi sé Master of them all, a son of enlightened body, speech, and mind, བདེ་ཆེན་རིག་པའི་རལ་གྲིར་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། dechen rigpé raldrir solwa deb Dechen Rigpai Reltri , [ 4 ] to you I pray. བློས་བྱས་འདིར་སྣང་ཆོས་ཀུན་སྒྱུ་མའི་ངང་། ། löjé dir nang chö kün gyumé ngang In the state where all apparent, mind-made phenomena of this life are illusory, རྨི་ལམ་ཚུལ་གཟིགས་རེ་དང་དོགས་པ་བྲལ། ། milam tsul zik ré dang dokpadral You recognized their dream-like nature and were free from hope and doubt, ང་ཁྱོད་ཕྱོགས་རིས་ཀུན་བྲལ་འགྲོ་བའི་མགོན། ། nga khyö chokri kündral drowé gön Beyond all biased distinctions between self and other—protector of beings, སྐྱབས་མཆོག་བདེ་ཆེན་འོད་ཟེར་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། kyab chok dechen özer la solwa deb Supreme refuge, Dechen Ozer, [ 5 ] to you I pray. དྲི་མེད་མཁྱེན་པའི་ལྷ་ལམ་ཡངས་པ་ནས། ། drimé khyenpé lha lam yangpa né Through the vast, heavenly path of stainless knowledge, བརྩེ་བའི་སྙིང་རྗེའི་འོད་སྟོང་འབར་བའི་གཟིས། ། tsewé nyingjé ötong barwé zi You blaze brilliantly with the intense light of love and compassion འགྲོ་རྣམས་མུན་པའི་སྨག་རུམ་སེལ་མཛད་པ། dro nam münpé makrum sel dzepa And dispel the dense darkness of transmigrating beings, ཐུབ་བསྟན་ཆོས་ཀྱི་རྡོ་རྗེར་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། tubten chö kyi dorjér solwa deb Tubten Chokyi Dorje, [ 6 ] to you I pray. སྤང་རྟོགས་རྒྱལ་བ་རྣམས་དང་རོ་གཅིག་ཀྱང་། ། pang tok gyalwa nam dang ro chik kyang Although you are experientially the same as the victorious ones in renunciation and realization, ཐུགས་རྗེས་རྗེས་འཛིན་སངས་རྒྱས་དངོས་ལས་ལྷག ། tukjé jedzin sangye ngö lé lhak In your compassionate care for disciples, you are actually superior to the buddhas— བཀའ་དྲིན་མཚུངས་མེད་བསྟན་པའི་སྒྲོན་མེ་མཆོག ། kadrin tsungmé tenpé drönmé chok Incomparably gracious and supreme lamp of the teachings, དཔལ་མགོན་བླ་མ་མཆོག་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། palgön lama chok la solwa deb Glorious protector, supreme guru, to you I pray. རླབས་ཆེན་ཐུགས་བསྐྱེད་ཟབ་ཡངས་རྒྱ་མཚོ་ལས། ། lab chen tukkyé zab yang gyatso lé Great [blessing] waves from the extensive ocean of the profound awakening mind, སྨིན་གྲོལ་གདམས་པའི་ཆུ་བོ་རྣམ་པ་བཞིས། ། mindrol dampé chuwo nampa shi The four rivers of instructions concerning maturation and liberation, སྐལ་བཟང་གདུལ་བྱའི་ཞིང་ཀུན་ཁྱབ་མཛད་པའི། ། kalzang duljé shing künkhyab dzepé Pervade all realms containing disciples endowed with good fortune— དངོས་བརྒྱུད་བླ་མའི་ཚོགས་ལ་གསོལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། ngö gyü lamé tsok la sol solwa deb Assemblies of lineage gurus, to you I pray. སངས་རྒྱས་ཀུན་འདུས་བླ་མ་ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ། ། sangye kündü lama chö kyi ku Embodiment of all buddhas, dharmakaya guru, མ་ཅིག་ཡུམ་ཆེན་དབྱེར་མེད་བཀའ་དྲིན་ཅན། ། ma chik yumchen yermé kadrinchen Inseparable from the single, gracious Great Mother, སྙིང་ནས་གདུང་ཤུགས་དྲག་པོས་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། nying né dungshuk drakpö solwa deb I fervently pray to you from the depths of my heart! འཁྲུལ་སྣང་སྙེམས་བྱེད་བདུད་བཞི་ལས་རྒྱལ་ཞིང་། ། trulnang nyem jé dü shi lé gyal shing Bless me with victory over the four maras, creators of delusional perception and pride! སྐྱེ་མེད་ཆོས་སྐུ་རྟོགས་པར་བྱིན་གྱིས་སློབས། ། kyemé chöku tokpar jin gyi lob Bless me to realize the unborn dharmakaya! རང་གི་ཐུགས་ཀའི་འོད་ཀྱིས་བསྐུལ་བས་ཕྱོགས་བཅུ་དུས་བཞིའི་སྐྱབས་གནས་རྒྱ་མཚོ་བདུད་འདུལ་ཁྲོས་མ་ལྷ་ལྔའི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་གྱི་རྣམ་པར་མདུན་གྱི་ནམ་མཁར་བཛྲ་ས་མ་ཡ་ཛཿ ཚོགས་ཞིང་མདུན་མཁར་སད་པར་བྱས་ནས་མཐར་ཛཿཧཱུྃ་བྃ་ཧོས་ཚོགས་ཞིང་རང་ལ་བསྡུ་པར་བྱའོ།། Light issues from my heart, invoking in the space before me the oceanic sources of refuge from the ten directions and three times in the aspect of the mandala of the five deities of the demon-subduing Fierce Mother [ 7 ] —Vajra Samaya Jah. The field of merit is thus awakened in the space before me. Finally, with Jah Hum Bam Hoh, the field of merit dissolves into me. COLOPHON None NOTES [1] This is an epithet for Samantabhadra. [2] This is the sixth of the twelve foundational teachers (ston pa bcu gnyis) of Dzogchen in this world-system. [3] Losel Drolma (1802–1861) was Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje’s half-sister and spiritual consort, as well as a custodian of his teachings and a respected Dzogchen teacher in her own right. BDRC P1GS138134 [4] Dechen Rigpai Reltri (1830–1896) was the second son of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje. See: Treasury of Lives [5] Dechen Ozer Taye of Tsering Jong, the residence of Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798), was a student and scribe for Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje. [6] The Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, Tubten Chokyi Dorje (1872–1935). See: Treasury of Lives [7] The Fierce Mother, or Tröma Nakmo (khros ma nag mo). Photo credit: Himalayan Art Resources Thanks to Adam Pearcey at Lotsawa House for his editing. Published: April 2021 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ye shes rdo rje. Edited by Rgyal dbang nyi ma. 1978. ' Dzin pa rang 'grol brgyud pa'i gsol 'debs bzhugs . In Gcod 'dzin pa rang grol gyi 'don cha'i skor, pp. 43–45. Paro: Ngondrub and Sherab Demy. BDRC W26033 A Lineage Prayer for the Natural Liberation of Grasping VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. 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