A song by Tsangnyön Heruka, using the imagery of ocean, waves, and wind to point directly at the nature of mind. Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Song on the Nature of Mind Namo guru! The ocean of mind is stirred by the wind of grasping at subject and object. The childish take the waves of appearance as something to reject. For the wise, the waves are none other than the water itself. In the ultimate, there is no river and no waves. When the waves cause harm, abandon the wind. When they do not harm, they are like a fair wind for a boat. If one is willing to make use of this wind, it becomes a companion on the path. When it causes harm, the very wind itself is the means of release. You, Yogi, understand it in this way! Evaṃ COLOPHON None NOTES * “Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Vajra Song on the Nature of Mind” is a title supplied by the translators since this “song,” or doha , is untitled in the Collected Songs of Tsangnyön Heruka. BIBLIOGRAPHY Tsangnyön Heruka (gtsang smyon he ru ka rus paʼi rgyan can). rje btsun gtsang smyon he ru kas la phyi nas blangs pa’i nyams mgur . In gtsang smyon he ru kaʼi mgur ʼbum , 1 vol., 1, compiled by Godtsangpa Natsok Rangdröl (rgod tshang pa sna tshogs rang grol). BDRC MW4CZ1248 . Abstract Sung by Tsangnyön Heruka (1452–1507) in response to a student’s meditation report, this short mgur serves as a direct pointing-out instruction. Having received guidance on recognising the nature of mind, Tashi Rinchen Palsangpo reports his meditative experience to Tsangnyön, who replies in song. Through the recurring imagery of ocean, wind, and waves, Tsangnyön gives vivid expression to the relation between mind, dualistic grasping, and appearances, directing the listener to the nature of mind itself. By Tsangnyön’s own account, the highest use of mgur is to sing to realised yogins of view, meditation, conduct, and fruition, and this song stands as a succinct expression of precisely that purpose. BDRC LINK MW4CZ1248 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 01:26 TRADITION Marpa Kagyu CLAN Nyang HISTORICAL PERIOD 14th Century 15th Century TEACHERS sangs rgyas seng+ge kun dga' sangs rgyas yon tan rgya mtsho kun dga' nyi ma don grub grags pa The Second Drukchen, Kunga Peljor TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Pelkhor Chode Swayambhunath Rechung Puk Kailash Tsāri Labchi STUDENTS sna tshogs rang grol rdo rje seng+ge rin chen rnam rgyal dngos grub dpal 'bar AUTHOR Tsangnyön Heruka Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Song on the Nature of Mind 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.

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. Tibetan literature brought to you through beautifully translated publications, engaging audio narrations & immersive videos. 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. Watch Today's Picks Biography The Hook Which Invokes Blessings: A Supplication to the Life and Liberation of Knowledge-Holder Jalu Dorje Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje A self-penned biographical prayer by Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, composed at the request of Trokyab's king Namkha Lhündrub, invoking blessings through life stories. Biography The Biography of Ḍākki Losal Drölma Tubten Chödar A realized female master, Ḍākki Losal Drölma served as custodian of her half-brother Do Khyentse's treasure teachings while deepening her own spiritual attainments in Tibet's sacred sites Biography The Biography of Dzogchen Khenchen Abu Lhagang Khenpo Tsöndru Khenpo Tsöndru chronicles his teacher Pema Tegchok Loden (1879–1955), from his studies with renowned masters to his role as Dzogchen Śrī Siṃha's abbot, culminating in solitary meditation practice. Buddhist A Prayer to Lord Atiśa and His Spiritual Sons Khenpo Ngawang Palzang Khenpo Ngawang Palzang's devotional prayer to Jowo Je Atiśa and his successors captures the essence of spiritual lineage while embodying profound Buddhist devotion. 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. 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 Nyagla Pema Dudul Five Aphoristic Couplets Tsangnyon Heruka Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Song on the Nature of Mind Sera Khandro Song of the Vulture Khenpo Ngawang Palzang A Prayer to the Three Roots Tsangnyon Heruka A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje Passing Song of the First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Özer People 1452 –1507 Tsangnyön Heruka View 1745–1821 The First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Özer View 1585–1656 Jatsön Nyingpo View 1800–1866 Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje 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 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. 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

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 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 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 Guidebook Hidden Sacred Land of Pemakö Dudjom Lingpa Dudjom Lingpa maps Pemakö's sacred geography, revealing its power spots, deity abodes, and purifying landscapes through traditional guidebook wisdom and spiritual insight. See Publication Declaration Sixteen Self-Assertions Drugpa Zhabdrung, Ngawang Namgyal, Lopön Nadok The First Drugpa Zhabdrung's victory declaration of 1619, composed after defeating Tsang's ruler through ritual sorcery, helped establish Bhutan's identity while asserting his talismanic power. See Publication View More

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 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 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 Prayer Opening the Door to Prosperity: A Praise to Invoke the Sacred Commitment of the Great Shanglön Dorje Dudul Lelung Zhepe Dorje 00:00 / 05:42 Devotional praises invoking Shanglön Dorje Dudul, composed by Lelung Zhepe Dorje, describe him in great detail as a dark blue yakṣa figure adorned with jewels, holding a wish-fulfilling jewel and nectar vase, and capable of transforming into various wrathful forms. See Publication Song A Series of Spontaneous Spiritual Songs Lelung Zhepe Dorje 00:00 / 06:03 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 Namkechenma: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Guru Chökyi Wangchuk 00:00 / 04:20 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. See Publication Biography How Guru Chöwang Met the Guru at Ne Ngön Guru Chökyi Wangchuk 00:00 / 03:01 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 00:00 / 04:51 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 00:00 / 01:31 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 Biography A Brief Biography of Jetsunma Do Dasal Wangmo Tsangpo 00:00 / 10:36 A renowned female master in eastern Tibet, Do Dasal Wangmo - Do Khyentse's great-granddaughter - served as nun, physician, and treasure revealer, later teaching medicine despite political hardship. See Publication Correspondence A Letter to Hotoktu Rinpoche Tubten Chökyi Nyima 00:00 / 03:35 A mysterious letter from the Ninth Paṇchen Lama's secretary to Hotoktu Rinpoche, now preserved in a French private collection - its acquisition history remains unknown. See Publication Song A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong Milarepa 00:00 / 01:54 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 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 Five Aphoristic Couplets Nyagla Pema Dudul These five aphoristic couplets by Nyagla Pema Dundul use vivid images of natural impossibility to show that pride, confusion, and distraction obstruct liberation, emphasising that knowledge must be integrated into lived experience. Read 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. Read 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. Read Prayer A Prayer to the Three Roots Khenpo Ngawang Palzang An opening homage to the Three Roots, invoking the full refuge assembly, gurus, deities, ḍākinīs, and protectors—as they arise from the expanse of the dharmadhātu and carry out enlightened activity. Read 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. Read Song Passing Song of the First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Özer Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje At the moment of his death, the First Dodrubchen Jigme Trinle Özer sings of his conscious dissolution into each of the five buddha wisdoms, before closing with final instructions to his heart student Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje. Read Song A Spontaneous Song on Departing for Pemokö Lelung Zhepe Dorje This spontaneous song was composed by Lelung Zhepe Dorje (1697–1740) at Gyala in Kongpo in 1729, at the moment of departure from a gathered assembly of pilgrims and patrons on the threshold of the hidden land of Pemokö. Read Prayer The Outer, Inner, and Secret Practice Cycle of Zhepe Dorje Lelung Zhepe Dorje 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. Read Prayer Opening the Door to Prosperity: A Praise to Invoke the Sacred Commitment of the Great Shanglön Dorje Dudul Lelung Zhepe Dorje Devotional praises invoking Shanglön Dorje Dudul, composed by Lelung Zhepe Dorje, describe him in great detail as a dark blue yakṣa figure adorned with jewels, holding a wish-fulfilling jewel and nectar vase, and capable of transforming into various wrathful forms. Read Biography A Biography of Chöje Lingpa Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye A Biography of Chöje Lingpa by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, detailing the life of Chöje Lingpa (Rogje Lingpa), a seventeenth- to eighteenth-century Tibetan treasure revealer (tertön) known for discovering and transmitting profound spiritual treasures (terma), including teachings on Guru Padmasambhava, Mahāmudrā, and Dzogchen. Read 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. Read Biography The Great Symbolic Vision at Palpuk Ring: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Guru Chökyi Wangchuk In this 1245 dream vision at Palpuk Ring, Guru Chöwang encounters his recurring guide, a ḍākinī named Yeshe Gyen, at his childhood home - sparking profound symbolic revelations of dharmic truth. 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

Yogi Tsangnyön Heruka 1452 –1507 BDRC P442 TREASURY OF LIVES Tsangnyön Heruka (1452–1507), the “Madman of Tsang,” was one of Tibet’s most extraordinary yogins—renowned for his radical lifestyle, uncompromising devotion to practice, and enduring literary legacy. Trained as a monk but later abandoning conventional norms, he wandered as a tantric ascetic, deliberately adopting the wild appearance and conduct of the Indian siddhas to embody a path beyond social and religious constraint. A devoted follower of the Kagyü tradition and the legacy of Milarepa, he meditated in remote sacred sites such as Tsari, Labchi, and Kailāsa, where he sang spontaneous songs of realisation (mgur) expressing profound insight into the nature of mind. Despite his outwardly provocative behaviour, Tsangnyön was deeply learned, defending his conduct through scriptural authority and tantric philosophy. He is best remembered as the compiler and publisher of the Life and Songs of Milarepa , works that became foundational to Tibetan literature, as well as a pioneering figure in the use of printing to disseminate Buddhist texts. A paradoxical figure—at once wandering yogin, influential teacher, miracle-working siddha, and cultural force—his life continues to inspire as a powerful expression of realised practice lived beyond convention. Song Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Vajra 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. Read 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. Read Translated Works Mentioned In 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

Nyagla Pema Dudul 1816-1872 View Sera Khandro 1892-1940 View Tsangnyön Heruka 1452 –1507 View The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin 1699–1758 View Jetsunma Tamdrin Wangmo Kalzang Chokyi Nyima 1836-1896 View Kunga Palden 1878–1944/1950 View Dza Patrul Orgyen Jigme Chökyi Wangpo 1808–1887 View Chöje Lingpa 1682–1720 View The Seventh Dzogchen Tenzin Lungtok Nyima Rinpoche b. 1974– View Rigpe Raltri 1830–1896 View The First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Özer 1745–1821 View Losal Drölma 1802–1861 View Pema Tegchok Loden 1879–1955 View Butön Rinchen Drub 1290–1364 View Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor 1910–1991 View Dudjom Lingpa 1835–1903 View Dudul Dorje 1615–1672 View Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye 1813–1899 View Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo 1820–1892 View Khenpo Ngawang Palzang 1879–1941 View The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso 1856–1875 View Guru Chökyi Wangchuk 1200/1212–1270 View Jatsön Nyingpo 1585–1656 View Döndrub Gyal 1953–1985 View Milarepa 1040–1123 View Jigme Lingpa 1730–1798 View Tsongkhapa Lobzang Dragpa 1357–1419 View Tubten Chödar b. 1969 View Do Dasal Wangmo 1928–2018 View Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje 1800–1866 View The Fifth Lelung Zhepe Dorje 1697–1740 View People Tibet's influential figures including their works and mentions across translated texts. Search Person 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

These five aphoristic couplets by Nyagla Pema Dundul use vivid images of natural impossibility to show that pride, confusion, and distraction obstruct liberation, emphasising that knowledge must be integrated into lived experience. Five Aphoristic Couplets Just as the mind of the splenetic serpent knows nothing of freedom, Consciousness stuffed with pride finds no opportunity for liberation. Just as the sun never shines into a north-facing cave, Pure perception has no chance to dawn where mistaken cognitions reign. [1] The bee of meditation will not come away with the honey, For the frost of distraction has blighted the flowers of study and reflection. If your study and reflection do not liberate your mindstream, No matter how immense your knowledge, you'll become a rudra . [2] If erudition in the words of study and contemplation sufficed for awakening, Then why didn't this work for those unrivaled rivals, Devadatta and Sunakṣatra? [3] Those who are puffed up by their profuse knowledge of scholastic verbiage [4] Should keep these five aphoristic couplets in mind. They contain a vital point of instruction. These were the Lhangdrakpa's instructions for himself. COLOPHON None NOTES [1] This line loosely renders what would be, more literally, "In those with wrong cognition/understanding." The implication is that the pure percepetion of reality's primordial purity is thwarted by mistaken cognitions assuming apperances are good or bad. [2] The text says rūdra ( rU tra ), though the common form is rudra. Khenpo Namdrol explains the sense of rudra relevant here: The third type of rudra is essentially negative, and is a tangible being, reborn in a malignant form as a result of broken tantric commitments in previous lives. Such a rudra is usually accompanied by a retinue of other malignant beings, and as a group their main activity is to cause obstacles to the propagation of the teachings of the secret mantrayana. (Khenpo Namdrol, The Practice of Vajrakilaya, 32). [3] This line in rendered loosely for naturalness in English. It reads, more literally, "[Then] look at those unrivaled rivals...." Devadatta was the Buddha's cousin who was extremely learned but remained mired throughout his life in his jealousy, hostility, and egoism, which led him into calumny and disgrace. Sunakṣatra was another of the Buddha's cousins who served him as an attendant for decades and learned all his teachings by heart. However, he was never able to overcome his wrong views and was reborn as a preta. [4] "Scholastic verbiage" here translates thos bsam tshig , the same phrase that was translated above as "the words of study and contemplation." Where Tibetan generally relishes repeating phrases in different contexts to inspire the reader to interpretively engage, English invites translators and readers to take advantage of its rich synonymics. In the previous instance of the phrase, the emphasis was on how the words that structure religious education are not enough to bring liberation, and how they can become obstacles when focused on too much. In this second instance, the emphasis is on those who have gone wrong in overemphasizing words, so the pejorative English "scholastic verbiage" is appropriate. BIBLIOGRAPHY Nyagla Pema Dudul and Nyagla Yeshe Dorje (Nyag bla padma bdud ʼdul, and Nyag bla ye shes rdo rje). Nyag bla padma bdud ʼdul gyi rnam thar dang mgur ʼbum , pp. 231. Par gzhi dang po par thengs dang po. Khreng tuʼu: Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1998. BDRC MW21701 . Abstract This set of five aphoristic couplets by Nyagla Pema Dudul distils key points of practical instruction through vivid, everyday imagery. Each verse pairs a natural impossibility—a serpent free from anger, sunlight entering a north-facing cave, a bee gathering nectar from blighted flowers—with the inner conditions that obstruct liberation. Together, they offer a sharp critique of pride, mistaken cognition, distraction, and the limits of mere intellectual knowledge. Concluding as advice to himself, these verses emphasise that study and reflection must be integrated into one’s own mindstream, pointing to a direct and essential principle of the path. BDRC MW21701 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE None HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century TEACHERS The Fourth Dzogchen Drubwang, Mingyur Namkhai Dorje The First Tsopu Drubchen, Choying Rangdrol Pema Vajra Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje TRANSLATOR Dr. Joseph McClellan INSTITUTIONS Chagdud Orgyen Ling Kelzang Sanggye Choling Monastery Tsogyel Jomo Nyarong Gojam Gon Chodrak Gon Zhiwa Gon STUDENTS ye shes rdo rje kun bzang rnam rgyal The First Adzom Drukpa, Drodul Pawo Dorje rang rig rdo rje bcom ldan rdo rje karma bkra shis rig 'dzin gar gyi dbang phyug Lerab Lingpa Ayu Khandro Dorje Peldron AUTHOR Nyagla Pema Dudul Five Aphoristic Couplets 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.

Treasure Revealer Nyagla Pema Dudul 1816-1872 BDRC P2424 TREASURY OF LIVES LOTSAWA HOUSE PHOTO CREDIT Nyagla Pema Dundul (1816–1872) was a Nyingma treasure revealer from Nyarong in eastern Tibet. Born into a once-wealthy family that fell into hardship, his early life was marked by loss, poverty, and illness—experiences that shaped his deep commitment to the Dharma. He trained with many of the leading masters of his time, including Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, and undertook long periods of solitary retreat, during which he revealed a number of treasures. Renowned as a yogin, teacher, and composer of songs of realisation, he was also known for his radical generosity and non-attachment. According to tradition, he attained the rainbow body at the time of his passing. Song Five Aphoristic Couplets Nyagla Pema Dudul These five aphoristic couplets by Nyagla Pema Dundul use vivid images of natural impossibility to show that pride, confusion, and distraction obstruct liberation, emphasising that knowledge must be integrated into lived experience. Read Translated Works Mentioned In 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

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. Song of the Vulture Seated on the roof of her house, one month after her mother's death, Sera Khandro sees a white vulture and recognises it as the soul-bird of the ḍākinī. The sight of it calls her mother to mind, and she sings. From the womb of the vast sky's expanse, You, soul-bird of the karmically pure ḍākinī— Settle your mind and listen to my words. Where are you going, and from where do you come? I am a motherless child, an orphan. A month has passed since I lost my mother. Not knowing where she has gone, my suffering is great. O mighty white vulture! Have you seen where my mother has gone? Do you know where she now abides? I, a daughter without a kind mother, Am like a blind person abandoned on a plain, Wingless, as if fallen into the abyss. Now, with thoughts like these, I long for my mother. This body, these lovely faculties—my mother’s kindness. These ornaments and belongings—my mother's kindness. This food, these enjoyments, this wealth—my mother's kindness. My eloquent speech—my mother's kindness. My harmony with everyone—my mother's kindness. Knowing the six-syllable mantra—my mother's kindness. Meeting lamas—my mother's kindness. Such a mother, so great in kindness— Please help me so that in this life, I may meet my dear companion again. O white divine bird, hold me in your heart. After the song, her brother Phuntsok Chöphel arrived and rebuked her for singing in grief. She sang in reply: Listen, elder brother, Phuntsok Chöphel, The nature of my mind is beyond elaboration; it is free of delusion. Its unobstructed radiance displays itself in the manner of mother and child. Its indeterminate energy arises as joy, as sorrow—as anything at all. My kind mother, like a rainbow in the sky, A magical display dissolved into the expanse. I, the daughter, am just like a Mon cuckoo. [2] When the gentle autumn breeze draws in, I seek my own path. You father and son are like an unchanging swastika, [3] Fixed in one place, endowed with abundance. The vulture, like a female bodhisattva, Has skilfully lured my grieving mind. [4] This place is like a nest of poisonous snakes. Not for a single moment have I known happiness here. The happy place is the peaceful mountainside of blissful seclusion. The happy path is the blissful, divine dharma, joyous and sublime. Now, without delay, I will go on the path of great bliss! Her brother, believing her unstable, reported her behaviour to their father. He dismissed the concern, attributing it to her karma and independent nature rather than any spiritual harm. Unwilling to conform or bring trouble to the family, Sera Khandro vowed she would not go to the headman—she would wander freely, according to her own path. COLOPHON None NOTES [1] This song is drawn from within a rnam thar and is untitled. We have therefore supplied the title “Song of the Vulture” for ease of reference. [2] The cuckoo ( khu byug ) migrates south to the warm lowlands of Mon as the seasons turn. In identifying herself as a “Mon cuckoo” who seeks her own path when the autumn breeze arises, Sera Khandro makes her intention clear: like the bird, she too will depart. [3] g.yung drung , rendered here as "swastika," is an ancient symbol of permanence and immutability in both Bön and Buddhist tradition, representing the unchanging, unoriginated nature of reality. Her father and brother, settled contentedly in worldly prosperity and unmoved by any impulse toward renunciation, stand as figures of worldly permanence—precisely what the lines that follow demonstrate her leaving behind. [4] ' brid is carries a sense of strategic concealment: the one being led is not fully aware of where they are being taken, or by what means. More neutral alternatives such as "drawn" or "guided" would lose this, so we render it as "lured." The framework within which this concealment operates, however, is that of thabs (skilful means, Skt. upāya )—the method by which bodhisattvas meet beings within their own experience and lead them gradually toward liberation. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kunzang Dekyong Wangmo (kun bzang bde skyong dbang mo). Dbus mo bde ba’i rdo rje’i rnam thar . In Gsung ’bum , vol. 1 (pod dang po), pp. 95–96. BDRC W1PD108254 . Abstract Sera Khandro sang this song [1] at the age of eleven, a month after her mother had passed. It was prompted by an encounter with a white vulture she recognised as the soul-bird of a ḍākinī. Addressing the bird, she expresses her grief, longing, and devotion, before replying to her brother, who challenges her behaviour. In this response, the tone shifts from lament to resolve, as she makes clear her intention to leave and follow her own spiritual path. Together, these verses capture a pivotal moment in her life, where personal loss gives way to a decisive turning toward the Dharma. BDRC LINK MW1PD108254 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Nyingma CLAN Nub HISTORICAL PERIOD 20th Century TEACHERS Terse Drime Wozer Akye Terchen Orgyen Kacho Lingpa TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Riwoche Monastery Drak Yerpa Dartsang Kelzang Monastery Sera Tekchen Chokhorling Bennak STUDENTS sangs rgyas rdo rje The First Adzom Drukpa, Drodul Pawo Dorje The Fourth Chaktsa, Kunzang Pema Trinle 'jigs bral chos kyi blo gros 'gyur med rdo rje rdo rje dgra 'dul AUTHOR Sera Khandro Song of the Vulture 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.

Treasure Revealer Sera Khandro 1892-1940 BDRC P742 TREASURY OF LIVES LOTSAWA HOUSE Sera Khandro Kunzang Dekyong Wangmo was one of the most remarkable female treasure revealers of twentieth-century Tibet. Born in Lhasa, she resisted an arranged marriage and, following profound visionary experiences, fled to Golok to pursue a life of Dharma. Enduring extreme hardship, social opposition, and periods of illness, she nevertheless became renowned for her devotion, eloquence, and spiritual attainment. As both a consort and an independent treasure revealer, she transmitted and uncovered major treasure cycles, including teachings connected to Dudjom Lingpa and Drime Özer, as well as her own visionary revelations. Her life and writings offer a rare and powerful account of female religious agency within the Nyingma tradition. She spent her later years teaching and travelling across eastern Tibet, gathering a wide circle of disciples, and is remembered as a central figure in the modern Tibetan treasure tradition. Translated Works Mentioned In 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

This verse constitutes an opening homage likely intended as an invocation of the refuge assembly. A Prayer to the Three Roots ༄༅ །རྩ་གསུམ་ལ་གསོལ་འདེབས། ཧཱུྃྂ། ཆོས་དབྱིངས་ངང་ལས་སྒྱུ་མའི་སྐུར་བཞེངས་པ། ། དུས་གསུམ་བླ་མ་འགྲོ་མགོན་ཐུགས་རྗེའི་ལྷ། ། ཞི་ཁྲོ་རབ་འབྱམས་ཡེ་ཤེས་མཁའ་འགྲོ་དང་། ། བཀའ་བཞིན་རྗེས་སུ་སྒྲུབ་པའི་ལས་མཛད་པ། ། དམ་ཅན་རྒྱ་མཚོའི་ཚོགས་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་བསྟོད། ། Hūṃ! Within the state of dharmadhātu, you assume your illusory forms: Gurus of the three times, protectors of beings, divine compassionate ones; [2] Infinite peaceful and wrathful deities; wisdom ḍākinīs; And vast hosts of oath-bound ones who carry out the activities we command— All of you, I honor [3] and praise! COLOPHON None NOTES [1] This verse comes from an untitled work in Khenpo Ngawang Palzang’s collected writings, vol. 1, p. 337. [2] "Protector(s) of beings, divine compassionate one(s)" is an epithet of Avalokiteśvara/Chenrezi. Here, placed after "gurus," it is reasonable to understand the phrase as qualifying the gurus and, as a literary flourish, that the gurus are implictly none other than Avalokiteśvara. Thus, line two addresses the first of the Three Roots: lamas, yidams, and ḍākinīs+protectors, the latter (2/3) addressed in following lines. Moreover, in the phrase thugs rje'is lha , we render lha as divine rather than as the more common "god/deity." Lha is the equivalent of the Sanskrit deva , which is the etymological source of the English divine . It does not always entail an anthropomorphic god, as in the term lha chos , "divine dharma." [3] "Honor" for phyag 'tshal , the Tibetan equivalent of Sanskrit nāmaḥ , "homage." The term is most often rendered as "prostration/prostrate", but the term need not entail physical bowing. BIBLIOGRAPHY mKhan po ngag dgaʼ. gSung ʼbum kun mkhyen ngag gi dbang po . Par thengs 1. Vol. 1: p. 337. sNga ʼgyur kaḥthog bcu phrag rig mdzod chen moʼi dpe tshogs. Khreng tuʼu: Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2017. BDRC MW4CZ364088. Abstract This verse is an opening homage composed by Khenpo Ngawang Palzang (1879–1941). Framed by the seed syllable hūṃ , the stanza invokes the complete refuge assembly: the gurus of the three times, the infinite peaceful and wrathful deities, the wisdom ḍākinīs, and the oath-bound protectors.[1] BDRC LINK MW4CZ364088 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE None HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century 20th Century TEACHERS Lodrö Gyatso The First Drukpa Kuchen, Chöying Rölpe Dorje Nyoshul Lungtok Tenpe Gyaltsen Khenchen Gyaltsen Özer Nyoshul Lungtok Tenpe Nyima Sönam Palden Kunzang Palden The Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, Tubten Chökyi Dorje The Fifth Shechen Rabjam, Pema Tegchok Tenpe Gyaltsen Sönam Chöpel The Third Mura, Pema Dechen Zangpo Tsultrim Norbu Dorzin Namdröl Mipam Gyatso TRANSLATOR Dr. Joseph McClellan INSTITUTIONS Palyul Monastery Katok Monastery Dzogchen Monastery STUDENTS Tulku Könchok Drakpa Adzom Gyalse Gyurme Dorje Khenpo Nuden Legshe Jorden Lama Drönma Tsering Khenchen Gyaltsen Özer Tsultrim Yönten Gyatso Chatral Sangye Dorje The Fourth Chagtsa, Kunzang Pema Trinle The Fourth Drutob Namkha Gyatso, Zhepe Dorje Khenchen Tsewang Rigzin The Second Dzongsar Khyentse, Jamyang Chökyi Lodrö Botrul Dongak Tenpe Nyima Jampal Drakpa Khen Dampa Pema Ribur Tulku Gyalten Ngawang Gyatso Tromge Arik Tulku Tenpe Nyima Nyagtö Khenpo Gedun Gyatso Lama Munsel Tsultrim Gyatso Gojo Khenchen Karma Tashi Gyara Khenchen Gönpo Orgyen Chemchok Yoru Gyalpo The Third Zhichen Vairo, Pema Gyaltsen Togden Lama Yönten Lakar Togden Polu Khenpo Dorje Khunu Rinpoche Tenzin Gyaltsen Nyoshul Khenpo Jamyang Dorje Lungtrul Shedrub Tenpe Nyima Khenpo Rinpoche Sönam Döndrub Khen Lodrö Khenpo Pema Samdrub The Second Palyul Chogtrul, Jampal Gyepe Dorje The Second Penor, Rigzin Palchen Dupa AUTHOR Khenpo Ngawang Palzang A Prayer to the Three Roots 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.