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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. 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 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 . 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.

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. Abstract Nun, physician, and treasure revealer, Do Dasal Wangmo was a well-respected female master in eastern Tibet. She was the great-granddaughter of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje and the last member of his family line. Her religious affinity and familial connections allowed her to follow a contemplative, studious, and altruistic lifestyle as a monastic physician and professor of Tibetan medicine. Although briefly imprisoned and under difficult circumstances for fourteen years, she was later allowed to practice medicine and was appointed to government-funded medical schools in Kham. BDRC LINK MW1GS60403 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 10:36 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE N/A HISTORICAL PERIOD 20th Century 21st Century TEACHERS Troru Jampal Minyak Palri Gönpe Khenpo Orgyan Rangdröl Guru Sanglo Dzogchen Khenchen Yönten Gönpo Khenchen Tubten Nyendrak Adzom Gyalse Gyurme Dorje The Sixth Dzogchen Jigdral Changchub Dorje Do Rinpoche Kamsum Silnön Gyepa Dorje Tsedzin Wangmo Tulku Rangjung Tulku Drachen Drubchen Khenpo Önam Gapa Khyentse Dzogchen Khenpo Chötsa The Third Alak Senkar, Tubten Nyima Troru Khenchen Tsenam Dzogchen Khenpo Petse Rakor Khenpo Tubnor Geman Khenpo Wanglo TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Dzogchen Monastery Śrī Siṃha College Dzogchen Kyamo Hermitage Kardza Hermitage Sichuan Province Tibetan Language Institute STUDENTS Lama Dorde Tubten Chödar AUTHOR Tsangpo A Brief Biography of Jetsunma Do Dasal Wangmo The omniscient Jigme Lingpa’s incarnation was the greatly accomplished knowledge-holder Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje , the renowned son of the family. [ 1 ] Yeshe Dorje’s son, Dechen Rigpe Raltri , was born to Dzompa Kyi, the daughter of Golok Akyong Lhachen. [ 2 ] And from Rigpe Raltri and Ragshulsa Rigche Wangmo of Minyak, Kham, Do Rinpoche Khamsum Silnön Gyepa Dorje and his sister, Tsedzin Wangmo, were born. [ 3 ] DO RINPOCHE KHAMSUM SILNÖN GYEPA DORJE Sherab Mebar, a son of the refuge protector Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, was the incarnation of the elder Dodrubchen [ Jigme Trinle Öser ]. [ 4 ] Sherab’s reincarnation was the knowledge-holder Drimé Drakpa from Gutang in Gyalrong, [ 5 ] and Drimé Drakpa’s emanation was Do Rinpoche Khamsum Silnön Gyepa Dorje. DO FAMILY Since the time of the refuge protector Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje’s life, the Do family has worked for the benefit of beings everywhere in the Land of Snow through their lama encampment. Because they looked after the people of the eighteen kingdoms of Gyalrong and the Dardo Chakla king as their disciples, [ 6 ] their lama encampment became famously known as the Do Camp. [ 7 ] During the time of Khamsum Silnön Gyepa Dorje, the Do Camp significantly expanded its beneficial activities through the new establishment of Mewa Monastery and other developments. [ 8 ] Many wealthy spiritual followers came to venerate and serve them. But Khamsum Silnön Gyepa Dorje maintained a nomadic lifestyle, following the tradition of the previous lords, and moved the encampment around as he carried out his beneficial deeds. JETSUNMA DO DASAL WANGMO The sister of lord Do Rinpoche Khamsum Silnön Gyepa Dorje was Tsedzin Wangmo, considered to be the miraculous manifestation of the ḍākinī Karmendrāṇī. [ 9 ] Jetsunma Do Dasal Wangmo was born to Tsedzin Wangmo at the sacred place of Tratsang in the Machen Mountain range of Golok in 1928, the Earth Dragon year of the sixteenth calendrical cycle. [ 10 ] She worked extensively for the benefit of beings through the Dharma and the general fields of knowledge, particularly the science of healing. She was a true bodhisattva, lovingly caring for the ill with no set system for collecting payment for her medical treatments. Being essentially unattached to worldly things, Dasal Wangmo exemplified the view, conduct, and excellent character of a sublime being in every way. She never took delight in such worldly pleasures as traditional jewelry, and she intentionally cast away, destroyed, ruined, or hid the many necklaces and other ornaments she received, striving to transcend any need for fashionable attire. Since she was innately intelligent due to her training in previous lives. When she was about eight years old, she learned to spell and read from her maternal uncle, Tulku Rangjung, in only one sitting. [ 11 ] The following day, he placed the text of the Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti into her hands, telling her to read it, and she began reading it immediately. There were numerous amazing indications of her innate intelligence such as these. Later her maternal uncle, Do Rinpoche Gyepa Dorje, saw the pure realms (i.e., he passed away). The family requested that she assume responsibility for the Do Camp’s property and continue the family lineage. But she never accepted these familial obligations due to her tremendous and enduring wisdom. Usually, when washing her hair, she would appear irritated and ask, “When will it be the time to cut my hair?” So, when Dasal Wangmo was twenty-two, her precious mother knew that her daughter was all grown up and possessed the ability to analyze the path that lay before her, and her mother inquired, “Are you sure you have decided?” Since Dasal Wangmo's response was in accord with the unchanging conviction that she had always held in her heart, her mother accepted and planned to send her to Tulku Drachen of Lautang in Minyak along with a silk scarf. [ 12 ] First, she sent an official letter of request to Tulku Drachen. He replied, "I'm hesitant to perform her first hair-cutting ceremony, but I could do so if I used the hair from her brush." Thus, having brushed her hair by herself and offered it to him, the supreme Tulku Drachen imparted the vows of a laywoman of pure conduct. The following year, when she was twenty-three, Dasal Wangmo traveled to Dzogchen Monastery, where she received novice vows and the name Tubten Tsultrim Palmo from Khenchen Tubten Drak, a paṇḍita of the five fields of knowledge. [ 13 ] She honored Khenchen Rinpoche as her primary lama and stayed at the Dzogchen Kyamo Hermitage for about six years, receiving many sūtra and tantra teachings, including Longchenpa’s Seven Treasuries, Trilogy of Finding Comfort and Ease, and Yeshe Lama , in addition to Adzom’s preliminary practices, The Treasury of Precious Qualities , and Madhyamakāvatāra . [ 14 ] From Dzogchen Khenchen Jigme Yöntan Gönpo, she received instructions on the Lama Yangtik and Yeshe Lama , as well as the entrustment ceremony for the Enlightened Heart-Essence (Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje’s treasure cycle), authorizing empowerment for Primordially Pure Liberation , and other teachings. [ 15 ] She received empowerments and transmissions from the Early Translation school from Adzom Rinpoche, including the Gongpa Sangtal , Chetsun Nyingtik, and his own treasures of Divine Lifeforce and Vajrakīla . [ 16 ] She received numerous further teachings, such as the empowerment of the Natural Liberation of Grasping from the Enlightened Heart-Essence and the appropriate instructions and transmissions for the aural lineage of the ḍākinīs, oath fulfillment practices, and the preliminaries from her maternal uncle Do Rinpoche Khamsum Silnön Gyepa Dorje’s teachings. From Drubchen Khenpo Önam, she received the instructions of The Wish-Fulfilling Treasury , The Treasury of Precious Qualities , and The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas , and from Gapa Khyentse, she received the lifeforce entrustment of Gesar. [ 17 ] Dasal Wangmo relied upon several supreme beings who possessed both scholarship and accomplishment, such as her maternal uncle, the supreme Tulku Rangjung. She retained the numerous teachings of sūtra and tantra she received in her mind, which is like an ocean of milk, completely maturing her mind-stream through empowerment, transmission, explanation, and pith instructions. She obtained the textual explanations and practical instructions on the medical sciences, principally the glorious Four Tantras, from Troru Jampal, a direct disciple of Ju Mipam, and from Troru Jampal’s disciple Guru Sanglo, as well as her own mother Tsedzin Wagmo. [ 18 ] She also studied the sciences of Indian astrology and Chinese elemental calculations with Palri Lama Orgyan Rangdröl and Dzogchen Khenpo Chötsa, including the five components, five planets, and the Svarodaya Tantra , thus becoming a specialist in both medicine and astrology. [ 19 ] Moreover, under these masters, she studied all the ordinary fields of knowledge, such as philology, poetry, and grammar, and came to a [well-rounded] understanding. During the “time of change,” Dasal Wangmo went to the community of Goro in Lhagang in her fatherland of Minyak, Kham, and made the Ragshul settlement (her maternal household) her residence. [ 20 ] During the violent turbulence of these terrible times, she was forced to wear the hat of the four types of bad people, also known as the hat of gods, demons, provocative forces, and obstructors. For more than fourteen years, she experienced immeasurable suffering and torment due to conflicts, beatings, and manual labor reform. But like gold that has been set to flame, cut, and rubbed, she always displayed the true nature of an excellent being regardless of the torment of these cruel circumstances. She always trained her mind in bodhicitta and exclusively enacted altruistic deeds. Amid discord and beatings, she secretly gathered medicinal herbs and freed the destitute and ill from the suffering of unwelcomed illness. Later Dasal Wangmo was the “bare-footed doctor” of Goro village and built a Tibetan medical center in a township of Naklung. [ 21 ] Regardless of whether it was day or night, she compassionately bestowed the gift of deathless vitality to the destitute and ill, who traveled from near and far to see her. Although trapped in strife and a recipient of beatings, she was more concerned with serving and performing duties for the refuge protector Senkar Choktrul [Tubten Nyima]. [ 22 ] In 1978 when the Dege Printing House was reopening, Dasal Wangmo assisted with editing the Kangyur, Tengyur, and other collected works for Sönam Dargye. [ 23 ] Then in 1979, following the invitation from the Dartsedo district and Kardze autonomous region’s health department, she became the primary editor for the publications of the Four Tantras and the Garland of Crystal Balls at the Kardze News Office. [ 24 ] In 1981 following the enlightened intent of the refuge protector Tubten Nyima, she became an inaugural teacher at the Sichuan Province Tibetan Language Institute—initially responsible for preparing the necessary textbooks at the newly constructed school. Then in 1983, she journeyed to Lhasa in central Tibet, where she received extensive instructions and explanations on the glorious Four Tantras, as well as empowerments and oral transmissions for the Yutok Nyingtik from Troru Khenchen Tsenam. [ 25 ] When Khenpo Petse, Rakor Khenpo Tubnor, Khenpo Wanglo, and others taught on the Bodhicaryāvatāra , Gateway to Knowledge , Prajñāpāramitā, Madhyamaka, and other topics at the Tibetan Language Institute, Dasal Wangmo was not at all complacent and unceasingly received the textual instructions as if she was a student. [ 26 ] She also continued to kindly teach lessons on medicine and astrology to many students from Dzogchen, Tau, and Dartsedo, to name a few, and many lineage-holding students. Moreover, Jetsunma Do Dasal Wangmo was renowned as the actual ḍākinī emanation of Ḍākki Losal Wangmo , and from time to time, she directly perceived symbolic scripts and prophetic visions. [ 27 ] However, because of her location and circumstances, she did not widely disseminate these teachings, and some of her mind-treasures were forever lost since she was unable to tend to them. She also considered most of these teachings to be of little benefit, so she offered them into the mouth of her fire. Nowadays, those found and collected have been compiled and published. Even though Dasal Wangmo has turned eighty this year, she generously shares her allotted teachings with numerous devotees from Dzogchen, Minyak, Murhā, Drago, Golok, Serta, Mewa, Kenlho, and other places, especially the empowerments, transmissions, and entrustment for the Enlightened Heart-Essence. [ 28 ] While nurturing the destitute and ill and bestowing deathless vitality upon them, her indestructible lotus feet always remain in the essence of the seven vajra attributes.[ 29 ] COLOPHON Jetsunma Do Dasal Wangmo’s nephew, the young and humble Tsangpo, whom she lovingly cared for, composed this biography in June 2007. NOTES [1] 'jigs med gling pa, 1730–1798, BDRC P314 ; mdo mkhyen brtse ye shes rdo rje, 1800–1866, BDRC P698 [2] bde chen rig pa'i ral gri 1830–1896, BDRC P7933 ; 'dzom pa skyid, BDRC P1PD76600 ; mgo log a skyong lha chen [3] rag shul bza' rig byed dbang mo, BDRC P1PD76607 ; mi nyak, BDRC G1033 ; rdo grub 'jigs med 'phrin las 'od zer 04 khams gsum zil gnon dgyes pa rdo rje, 1890–1939, BCRD P8431 ; tshe 'dzin dbang mo, 1894–1953, BDRC P1PD76609 [4] rdo grub 'jigs med 'phrin las 'od zer 02 shes rab me 'bar, 1829–1842, BDRC P1PD76603 ; rdo grub chen 01 'jigs med 'phrin las 'od zer, 1745–1821, BDRC P293 [5] rdo grub 'jigs med 'phrin las 'od zer 03 dri me grags pa, 1846–1886, BDRC P8006 ; 'gu thang, BDRC G1PD76606 [6] chags la rgyal po; dar rtse mdo, BDRC G1135 [7] dar mdo lcags la, BDRC G1489 ; mdo sgar [8] rme dgon pa, BDRC G3217 [9] mkha' 'gro ma las kyi dbang mo [10] mgo log rma chen khra tshang, BDRC G1PD76615 [11] sprul sku rang byung [12] sprul sku sgra gcan [13] rdzogs chen dgon, BDRC G16 ; thub bstan tshul khrims dpal mo; mkhan chen thub bstan snyan grags, 1883–1959, BDRC P6958 [14] rdzogs chen skya mo ri khrod [15] rdzogs chen mkhan chen yon tan mgon po, 1899–1959, BDRC P6600 [16] a 'dzom rgyal sras 'gyur med rdo rje, b. 1895, BDRC P741 [17] grub chen mkhan po 'od rnam; sga pa mkhyen brtse [18] gso rig rgyu bzhi, BDRC WA3CN1694 ; khro ru 'jam dpal, BDRC P1PD76610 ; 'ju mi pham , 1846–1912, BDRC P252 ; dgu ru gsang lo, BDRC P1PD76616 [19] Personal communication from Tibetan doctor and astrologer Erik Jampa Andersson ( www.shrimala.com ): The five components (lnga bsdus) refer to the days of the week, lunar days, lunar mansions, yoga, and karaṇa (gza' tshes skar sbyor byed pa lnga). For more information on the five components, see: Edward Henning, Kālacakra and the Tibetan Calendar (New York: American Institute of Buddhist Studies, 2007), 40–45. The Svarodaya Tantra (dbyangs 'char gyi rgyud) is a manuscript of Śaiva origin relating to Indic astrology and astrological magic. For more information on Svarodaya Astrological Magic, see: https://www.himalayanart.org/search/set.cfm?setID=2779 ; mi nyag dpal ri dgon pa'i mkhan po o rgyan rang grol, BDRC P1PD76612 ; rdzogs chen mkhan po chos tsha [20] The “time of change” here alludes to the Cultural Revolution. khams mi nyag lha sgang go ro lha sde [21] nags lung [22] a lags gzan dkar 03 thub bstan nyi ma, b. 1943, BDRC P2362 [23] sde dge par khang, BDRC G1657 [24] shel gong 'phreng, BDRC W7516 [25] g.yu thog rnying thig, BDRC WA2DB13636 ; khro ru mkhan po tshe rnam, 1928–2005, BDRC P4779 [26] rdzogs chen mkhan po pad+ma tshe dbang lhun grub, 1931–2011, BDRC P9514 ; rwa skor mkhan po thub bstan nor bu, 1924–1987, BDRC P1272 ; dge mang khen po dbang lo [27] DAk+ki blo gsal sgrol ma, 1802–1861, BDRC P1GS138134 [28] mur hA; brag 'go, BDRC G2299 ; mgo log BDRC G1490 ; gser rta, BDRC G2302 ; kan lho, BDRC G2199 [29] These seven qualities of a vajra include: (1) invulnerability (mi chod pa), (2) indestructibility (mi shigs pa), (3) authenticity (bden pa), (4) incorruptibility (sra ba), (5) stability (brtan pa), (6) unobstructibility (thogs pa med pa), and (7) invincibility (ma pham pa). See Dudjom (2002), 33–34. Published: February 2022 BIBLIOGRAPHY Mdo zla gsal dbang mo. “Rje btsun ma mdo zla gsal dbang mo'i mdzad rnam rags bsdus.” In Gsung thor bu zla gsal dbang mo. Par gzhi dang po, Mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2007, pp. 1–8. BDRC MW1GS60403 A Brief Biography of Jetsunma Do Dasal Wangmo 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 Chöje Lingpa 1682–1720 BDRC P671 LOTSAWA HOUSE PHOTO CREDIT Chöje Lingpa was born into a noble lineage in Dagpo and later recognized as a reincarnation of several esteemed masters. He received extensive monastic training before embracing his role as a treasure revealer. He would become a prolific revealer in his own right and was considered the penultimate emanation of Gyalse Lhaje before his rebirth as Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. His life was marked by rigorous practice, visionary experiences, and the revelation of numerous esoteric teachings, including cycles related to Guru Padmasambhava, Mahāmudrā, and Dzogchen. Translated Works 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 Biography A Brief Biography: The Successive Incarnations of Tsoknyi Özer Önpo Gelek The reincarnation lineage of Tsoknyi Özer exemplified supreme devotion - illustrated by the Third Tsoknyi's offering of his burning finger as a lamp to fulfill his guru's wishes. Read 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

Son of Do Khyentse and recognized as Jigme Lingpa's son's reincarnation, Rigpe Raltri became a revered Minyak guru, transmitting the Yangsang Khandro Tugtik treasures to his own son. Abstract Rigpe Raltri was the younger son of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje. He was recognized as the reincarnation of Jigme Lingpa's son, Jigme Nyinche Özer and became a well-respected guru in Minyak. He was a lineage holder of his father's treasure cycle of The Exceeding Secret, Enlightened Heart-Essence of the Ḍākinī, or the Yangsang Khandro Tugtik, containing The Natural-Liberation of Grasping, or Dzinpa Rangdröl. He entrusted this lineage to his younger son Do Rinpoche Gyepa Dorje. BDRC LINK W1KG987 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE N/A HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century TEACHERS Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje Kalden Gyatso The Fourth Dzogchen Drubwang, Mingyur Namkhe Dorje Gyalse Zhenpen Taye Öser Patrül Orgyen Jigmé Chökyi Wangpo Pema Vajra TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Dzogchen Monastery Derge Monastery Mahā Kyilung Gyalrong Kachok Minyak Kyernang Kardza Pema Rito STUDENTS Somang Choktrül Khamsum Silnön Gyepa Dorje AUTHOR Tubten Chödar The Biography of Gyalse Rigpe Raltri The playful display of the great being Jigme Nyinche Once again genuinely manifested in the human realm. Leading all the helpless students to the city of liberation The erudite lord, Rigpe Raltri . CONCERNING THE NAMES OF HIS SUCCESSIVE LIFETIMES As mentioned in Drigung Monastery’s Golden Garland of Monastic Seat Holders [ 1 ] The Great Brahmin of India, Saraha The Dhama King, Dharmaśoka The Vidyadhara Huṃkara [ 2 ] The King of Tibet’s divine son, Mutik Tsenpo [ 3 ] Kutön Tsöndru Yangdrung (1011–1075) [ 4 ] The Third Monastic Seat Holder, Chen Ngawa Chökyi Drakpa (1175–1255) [ 5 ] Gompa Rinchen Namgyal, elder brother of The Fifteenth Monastic Seat Holder, Kunga Rinchen (1475–1527) [ 6 ] The Sixteenth Monastic Seat Holder, Rinchen Puntsok (1509–1557) [ 7 ] The Twenty-Third Monastic Seat Holder, Urnyön Chökyi Drakpa, aka Rigzin Chödrak the son of Drigung Chögyal Puntsok (1595–1659) [ 8 ] The Twenty-Fifth Monastic Seat Holder, Döndrub Chögyal, aka Könchok Trinle Döndrub (1704–1754) [ 9 ] The Twenty-Seventh Monastic Seat Holder, Könchok Chökyi Nyima, aka Könchok Tenzin Chökyi Nyima (1755–1792) [ 10 ] Drigung Gyalse, aka Jigme Tenpe Nyima (1793–1826), the son of the Omniscient Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798) [ 11 ] Dechen Rigpe Raltri, the son of the Refuge Lord, [ Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje ] (1800–1866) [ 12 ] Rigpe Raltri's previous birth, Drigung Rinchen Puntsok, was the father of the Refuge Protector [Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje’s] previous birth, Drigung Chögyal Puntsok. Based on this, one time, Rigpe Raltri was the father of the Refuge Protector. Rigpe Raltri as well as his previous births [the First Drigung Chungtsang], Urnyön Chökyi Drakpa, and [the Forth Drigung Chungtsang], Jigme Tenpe Nyima, were the sons of the Refuge Lord. Thus, Refuge Protector’s connection with Drigung and with Gyalse Rige Raltri is endowed with many essential auspicious connections. Later, it seems Raltri's reincarnation was not recognized in Do Gar. [ 13 ] However, the third incarnation of Dzong-ngön Rinpoche, Jigme Chökyi Gocha (1912–1953) recognized the reincarnation of Rigpe Raltri. [ 14 ] The reincarnation’s name was Tubten Jigme Gawa also known as Könchok Dargye. [ 15 ] In the Iron Dragon year of 1940, the sixteenth sexagenary cycle, he was born in the Beza [family] in Amdo’s Bayul district, [ 16 ] [which is located in the Chabcha prefecture in the south of the Tso Ngönpo province]. [ 17 ] His father was Tutob and his mother was Bochok. [ 18 ] At twelve years of age, he received the novice vows from Mewa Khenchen Tsewang Rigzin (1883–1958) and was given the name Tubten Jigme Gawa. [ 19 ] He then received many empowerments and instructions from Khenchen Tsewang Rigzin and others. He received generalized and specific explanations of the sūtras and tantras along with the pith instructions of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen), especially from the supreme Khenchen Tsewang Rigzin’s heart son, Könchok Rinchen (b. 1922). [ 20 ] He studied and trained in these teachings to their completion. He then restored Dzong-ngön Jigme Chökyi Gocha’s monastic seat of Orgyen Sangchen Chökhor Ling [in 1984]. [ 21 ] He died in the Fire Dog year of the seventeenth sexagenary cycle, 2006. CONCERNING HIS BIRTH Dechen Rigpe Raltri was born in the place called Pema Rito located in Golok in the Iron Tiger year, 1830, of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle. [ 22 ] He was the younger son of the precious Refuge Protector [Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje] and Akyong Bumo Dzompa Kyi. [ 23 ] His birth was accompanied by a multitude of wondrous signs. As soon as he was born, a sword made of red gold, the size of a cubit (18 inches), fell from the sky and landed in the Refuge Protector’s hand. Due to this suitable and auspicious interconnection, he was named Dechen Rigpai Reltri ("Sword of Blissful Awareness"). The top portion of the sword handle contains wondrous signs including the hand imprint of the Refuge Protector. This sword still exists in these present times. The 126th folio of the Refuge Protector’s Autobiography: The Speech of the Ḍākinī : [ 24 ] “According to the Lord Lama’s prophecy, a tulku (Sherab Mebar) was born as a new family heir in the Ox year. Another tulku (Rigpe Raltri) was born into our family in the Tiger year.” [ 25 ] Do Dasal Wangmo's work, Abridge Biographies: The Lineage of the Do Family : [ 26 ] “The son, Dechen Rigpe Raltri, was born in the Iron Tiger year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle. At that time, a red-gold sword the size of a cubit fell into the hand of the Refuge Lord, and he was named after it. He was the reincarnation of Rigzin Jigme Lingpa’s son, Jigme Nyinche.” When the Refuge Protector was staying at Drigung, Drigung Gyalse [Tenzin Chökyi Gyaltsen] (1793–1826) said: “In my next life, I will definitely come close to you.” [ 27 ] In accordance with what was said, Refuge Protector recognized Raltri as the reincarnation of Drigung Gyalse. The 111th folio of the Refuge Protector’s Autobiography: The Speech of the Ḍākinī : “Gyalse Rinpoche said, ‘At this time I thought there would be little to no need that we would be separated, but it wasn’t that way. The Lord Father, the Victor of the Doctrine, ended up giving me to Drigungpa, but that didn’t go very well.’ “ ‘In some past life as well as this one, concerning our lineage—a lineage of mantra-holders and knowledge-holders, if we were to maintain our Lord Father’s personal lineage and pay service to him, then it would become supreme. However, now that it is under the influence of others, there’s nothing we can do. Consequently, if we don’t pay service to the teachings and worldly actions in the precious Refuge Protector’s life then it will become the cause for our root guru’s intentions to be discredited. Otherwise, I don’t have the intention to stay in this place; but there is nothing I can do. Therefore, in the next life, I will certainly come to your side.’ ” Thus he made a completely pure prayer to never be separated in any lives, which created their connection. CONCERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF HIS LIFE Since there is no written biography specifically for him, I do not have the good fortune to write about all the facets of his activities here. His life story is briefly accounted in the Refuge Protector’s Autobiography: The Speech of the Ḍākinī , Do Dasal Wangmo's Abridged Biographies: The Lineage of the Do Family, Dharmavajra’s biography The Excellent Wish-fulfilling Tree: The Biography of Dharmavarja, the Sovereign Dzogchen Yogin Who Appeared in the Eastern Land, [ 28 ] and others. If I would give a brief account based on these sources, it would be the following: From his first year to his second year, the Iron Tiger year until the Iron Rabbit year, [1830–1831], it is clear that he stayed in Pema Rito in Golok because the Refuge Protector’s camp and Ḍākkima [ Losal Drölma ] (1802–1861) were there. [ 29 ] From his third to fifth year, the Water Dragon year until the Wood Horse year, [1832–1834], he stayed at the Refuge Protector’s main seat of Mahā Kyilung Monastery because the Refuge Protector and especially Ḍākkima were staying at that monastery. [ 30 ] From his fifth year to his seventh year, the Wood Horse year until the Fire Monkey year, [1834–1836], it appears that he stayed primarily at Yikhok and the mountain hermitage of Chak Kyang Decha Gyalse because the Refuge Protector’s and Ḍākkima’s camp stayed in those places. [ 31 ] From his seventh to his eighth year, the Fire Monkey year until the Fire Bird year, [1836–1837], he definitely stayed at Minyak Zhagtra Mountain and La’utang Monastery because the Refuge Protector’s and Ḍākkima’s camp was at those monasteries. [ 32 ] From his ninth year to his thirteenth year, the Earth Dog year until the Water Dragon year, it is clear that he stayed in the Mahā Kyilung monastery because the Refuge Protector’s camp and Ḍākkima, in particular, were staying at that monastery. At the end of Raltri’s thirteenth year, his older brother and [Do Khyentse’s] son, Sherab Mebar, died [in 1842]. Consequently, having seen that Raltri had a significant demonic obstacle, that year the Refuge Protector exiled him from the camp. Thus, he resembled a beggar with a walking stick, and it is uncertain where he wandered. He eventually arrived at Dzogchen Monastery where he stayed and received empowerments, oral transmissions, and instructions for many teachings of the sūtras and tantras from Dzogchen Rinpoche Mingyur Namke Dorje (1793–1870), [ 33 ] Dza Patrul Orgyen Jigme Chökyi Wangpo (1808–1887), [ 34 ] Gyalse Zhenpen Taye (1800–1855/1869), [ 35 ] Khenchen Pema Vajra (1807–1884), [ 36 ] and so forth. He was very young while he was staying there and was given clothes, necessities, and care. There Raltri experienced many hardships including the monks repeatedly and terribly mistreating him and calling him, “Flat head!” At one time he became seriously ill and on the verge of death. The Dzogchen guru’s residence took care of him including performing healing ceremonies and giving him medicines. One night during that time Raltri dreamt that his Lord Father the precious Refuge Protector and Ḍākkima arrived. They gave him a skull cup full of nectar, and he drank it in its entirety. The very next day he was free from illness. The precious Refuge Protector saw with his clairvoyance that Raltri was free from the obstacle to his life, and he came to Dzogchen Monastery to check on him. Then they both went to Khenchen Pema Vajra and received many streams of instructions for the Guhyagarbhatantra . [ 37 ] Khenpo Pema Vajra thought, “It seems that I am knowledgeable since even the Refuge Protector is listening to my teaching.” As soon as that occurred, the Refuge Protector realized it and intensely rebuked him: “I’m not receiving teachings because you are a scholar, you copper ladle head! You have an excellent Guhyagarbhatantra lineage, and we are here to receive it for the benefit of my son.” Raltri then went back to the encampment and fully received from his father the cycle of The Heart Essence (Nyingtik) [ 38 ] in general as well as the empowerments, oral transmissions, and instructions for his father’s teachings in particular. He remained there to attend his Lord Father as much as he could. When he was eighteen years old in the Fire Sheep year of 1847, Raltri and the king of Gutang along with his entourage left Minyak La’utang Monastery and headed to Lhasa in central Tibet. [ 39 ] They visited the holy places of Lhasa, such as the Jowo Śākyamuni statue and the Jowo Mikyö Dorje Statue. They also made pilgrimages to [places of the] three supports [ 40 ] as well as Samye, Tseringjong, and Drigung. He made spiritual connections [by giving and receiving teachings] and other activities. Having successfully completed the pilgrimage for the benefit of the teachings and beings, they returned to the encampment. The 214th folio of the Refuge Protector’s Autobiography: The Speech of the Ḍākinī : “As soon as he completed all of his sessions of teachings and their activities, Raltri held the name of the family lineage and then went with the king of Yutang and his entourage to Lhasa. [ 41 ] Me (Do Khyentse) and my sister (Losal Drölma) went to Mt. Zhagtra to offer a feast and praises, then we returned to our place.” [ 42 ] After traveling to monastic centers such as Dzogchen Monastery, Raltri primarily went with the precious Refuge Protector to Golok, Derge, Dzachukha, Yikhok, Minyak, Gyalmo Tsawa Rong, [ 43 ] Rebkong in Amdo, and other destinations. They benefited the teachings and beings by wandering to mountain retreats, practicing severance ( chö ) in rugged terrains, accepting disciples, and so forth. It appears that Raltri stayed and attended his Lord Father, because in the Refuge Protector’s biography of the signs of accomplishment, The Secret Biography of Khyentse Heruka: A Compilation Describing the Displays of the Signs of Accomplishment , the first sign of attainment states: “Among the six mountain ranges of Dokham, the supreme sacred place is the mountain Gyalmo Rangi Gang. [ 44 ] In that area is the sacred place of the Great Glorious One ( Palchenpo ) called Gyalmo Mudo. [ 45 ] Drubwang Rinpoche Kyebu Yeshe Dorje and his son Raltri stayed there together; they slept in the same bed. “One night in the son’s dream he experienced a magnificent blue-black deity with a wrathful expression. It had many faces and brandished various implements; it was overwhelming to behold. ‘This is the Great Glorious One .’ he thought. ‘Although, its faces and implements are unable to be distinguished—how wonderfully strange.’ As soon as he thought that, he awoke. “The Lord Father Drubwang [Yeshe Dorje] asked him, ‘Ratri, what did you see?’ Raltri told him about his dream. “[The Lord Father Yeshe Dorje] reassured him, ‘Oh good. You had a vision of the Great Glorious One , who is the principle [deity] of Mudo.’ ” The Secret Biography of Khyentse Heruka: The Compilation of the Displays of the Signs of Accomplishment , the second sign of attainment: “Once again when we arrived at Yudra’s Cave, the meditation cave of Yudra Nyinpo (8th cent.) in Gyalmo Mudo, [ 46 ] the Lord Father [Yeshe Dorje] slept in the center of the cave, and I (Raltri) slept near the entrance. After some time, a frightful spirit appeared at the entrance of the cave. It rose above me and approached the Refuge Protector. “Raltri was slightly afraid, and he pulled his head under his blanket and laid down. The pair had a conversation about the words and meaning of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen). “After a while it became quiet. I peeked out from under the blanket, but the spirit had vanished without a trace. ‘Ratri, there’s no need to be scared.’ The Lord Father [Yeshe Dorje] said. ‘The local protector of Mudo came here to listen to the teachings.’ ” The Secret Biography of Khyentse Heruka: A Compilation Describing the Displays of the Signs of Accomplishment , the fourth sign of attainment: “Again, when we stayed in a camp in Mudo, the Refuge Protector said to the monks and entourage ‘Raltri and I are going to visit the sacred site. You all stay here at the camp.’ “When we went up for a little while, we reached a cliff so high that [even] a vulture couldn’t settle on it. [Standing] on the ledge Do Khyentse said, ‘Raltri, you stay here. Do not follow me, nor go anywhere,’ and disappeared without a trace. “I (Raltri) couldn’t move, let alone go to the frightening cliff’s edge of this red rock, so I diligently focused solely on my prayers. During this period, the sun was settling upon the mountain tops, and dusk was approaching. “Meanwhile Drubwang [Yeshe Dorje] arrived back at the encampment and had a drink. When he finished, he inquired, ‘Hasn’t Raltri come back?’ The monks answered, ‘He has not returned, sir.’ “I thought, ‘I suppose the Refuge Protector isn’t coming back. Now, I will definitely die by freezing, hunger, or by falling down this cliff!’ Thus I sadly decided to stay there. “Then I heard the Lord Father’s call, ‘Raltri, come here!’ Before me, a blue rainbow appeared like a stretched-out piece of woolen cloth. Feeling happy, I sat on the rainbow and came to the Refuge Lord without any trouble at all. “The Lord Father asked, ‘Why did you stay and not come until now?’ I told the story in detail and the Lord Father responded, ‘Oh, it is great that you were able to stay in that place.’ ” The Secret Biography of Khyentse Heruka: A Compilation Describing the Displays of the Signs of Accomplishment , the fifth sign of attainment: “One day when the Refuge Protector, the Vajra-Holder [Yeshe Dorje] was staying again at La’utang Monastery he said, ‘Raltri, let’s go take in the scenery.’ When we arrived at the foot of the monastery there appeared a splendid crystal house that was beautiful to behold. Arriving at its door, a beautiful goddess appeared and invited the pair inside. “The precious Refuge Protector [Yeshe Dorje] sat upon a throne where four goddesses offered him a drink. They offered me (Raltri) some white cheese-like food with an excellent and strong taste that was greater than any human food. While Drubwang [Yeshe Dorje] was eating he said, ‘Go to the roof and look around but don’t bring back whatever you see.’ “I immediately went to the top of the house and saw all kinds of things, which were like visual illusions. There were objects representational of the enlightened body, speech, and mind that were beyond comprehension. It took a little bit of time for me to look at them all. Then I came back downstairs and Drubwang [Yeshe Dorje] was sitting there about to leave, so I accompanied him, and we began to set off. The four goddesses escorted us to the door. [While] they turned to go back, one goddess gave me an iron kīla. When she returned to the crystal house everything vanished and we were [back] at the foot of the plain. “Do Khyentse Rinpoche said, ‘Don’t tell anyone about the gifts or food, about what you saw or heard, or about things like that. This kīla is for your own allotment, so keep it at your side.’ “Later when I felt hungry, I remembered the food I had before [in the crystal house]. I went out to the plain at the foot of the monastery, but there was nothing to be seen.” The Secret Biography of Khyentse Heruka: The Compilation of the Displays of the Signs of Accomplishment , the eighth sign of attainment: “Again when Drubwang [Yeshe Dorje] was staying at La’utang Monastery with his entourage, his sister (Losal Drölma) was teaching Dzogchen to the students at the Garnang hermitage. One time as soon as the sun arose, the Refuge Protector said, ‘Raltri, go get two horses and a white mule. The time has come for us to go.’ Thus he did accordingly, and they rode the horses out to the foot of the plain. “Do Khyentse [Yeshe Dorje] said, ‘Raltri, close your eyes!’ It was as if a wind had come about and lifted us away. After a while, Do Khyentse said, ‘Open your eyes!’ “When he opened his eyes, he realized that they had appeared at the Garnang Karza hermitage as [Yeshe Dorje’s] sister (Losal Drölma) had just finished the teaching. [ 47 ] They met the students as they were being dismissed and moving about, but nobody could see the pair. However, [Yeshe Dorje’s] sister saw them. Then all of the students could see them, and they came to prostrate on the ground. “When [Raltri] looked at the sun, it was similar to when they departed La’utang Monastery. Everyone was struck by the wonder of this.” The Secret Biography of Khyentse Heruka: The Compilation of the Displays of the Signs of Accomplishment , the ninth sign of attainment: “While [Yeshe Dorje’s] sister was staying at La’utang Monastery, Drubwang [Yeshe Dorje] was staying in Palri Monastery, [ 48 ] both accompanied by their entourages. One day when the sun had reached an arm's length past midday, Do Khyentse said, ‘Raltri, go right now and get a white mule [and two horses].’ He did as he was told, and they rode out to the foot of the plain. “Do Khyentse [Yeshe Dorje] said, ‘Raltri, close your eyes,’ and I did accordingly. It was like a wind lifted me up. A moment later Do Khyentse said, ‘Open your eyes and don’t make a sound.’ I realized that we had arrived at the lower plain by La’utang Monastery. When we arrived at the monastery, the people who were wandering about such as the monks did not see us. I took the saddles and packs off our two horses and mule, then went to an empty building. “Drubwang [Yeshe Dorje] went and sat on his throne. At that moment, his sister saw him. ‘Oh, the Refuge Protector has arrived!’ She announced and all the monks came to greet him. When I looked at the sun, it was around the place time as when we left Palri Monastery. Everyone was astonished.” The Secret Biography of Khyentse Heruka: The Compilation of the Displays of the Signs of Accomplishment , the tenth sign of accomplishment: “Again Drubwang [Yeshe Dorje] arrived at Zhagtra Karmo Mountain [in Minyak] with his entourage and set up a camp in front of the mountain. “One day, when the Lord Father was alone in his tent, I was sneaking about. I raised up a side of the tent to peek in, and in front of the Lord Father was a majestic and handsome white man dressed in a white robe with a white turban. I saw him offer the Lord Father silks of the five colors. I heard their many conversations and eventually, I went back down [to my area]. “A short time later I brought some tea for the Lord Father and asked, ‘Sir, just then, there was a white man with you. Who was that?’ “‘Oh, Raltri, those eyes of yours are mischievous. You look at everything that you shouldn’t, and you see everything that you shouldn’t. But now it is alright. This is good.’ Do Khyentse pulled out a meteoric kīla from the front pocket of his robe and said, ‘This was offered to me by the deity of Zhagtra. It is for your allotment, so keep it at your side.’ He then gave it to me. It was a miraculous liberating event.” When Raltri was thirty-seven years old in the Fire Tiger year of 1866, the precious Refuge Protector [Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje] died in Dartsedo in Minyak. Then Do Drimé Drakpa (1846–1886), the assistant Özer Taye, Abu Yeshe Dorje, Gyalse Raltri, and others extensively conducted the funeral rites. [ 49 ] Most of the remaining items and tiny pearl relics ( ringsel ) were offered to the major monasteries from all directions to use as objects to support people’s faith. They proceeded to construct [memorials] including the Lord Father’s reliquary stūpa. After the passing of the Refuge Protector Yeshe Dorje, Raltri was the head of Do Gar. In the same manner of his father’s tradition, he stayed and performed the duties at the monastic seats such as Mahā Kyilung Monastery, La’utang Monastery, Garnang Karza Hermitage, and the supreme Gyalrong Kachok monastery to benefit the teachings and beings. [ 50 ] Some people said that after the Refuge Protector’s death, Raltri usually remained at the monastic seat of Minyak Kyernang Monastery. [ 51 ] It does appear that he lived at Kyernang Monastery, but it seems that his principal monastic seats were Garnang Kardza Hermitage and La’utang Monastery. [This is supported] because the 139th folio of the Gansu Nationalities Publishing House’s 1974 publication of The Biography of the Past and Future Lives of Gurong states: [ 52 ] “From the great monastery of Derge, he arrived at Rudam Orgyen Samten Chöling (Dzogchen Monastery). From there he traveled along with the supreme Khenpo Kalden (b. 1837(?)) to Karza Hermitage and then Gyalrong.” [ 53 ] Also the 140th folio: “Gyalse Raltri, along with everyone else, received many sacred teachings from the supreme Khenpo Kalden. Like a teacher and disciple who cannot bear to be apart, they went together to his homeland. The king of Gyarong Dzong Gak invited [Khenpo Kalden] to his place and in this way, where he bestowed a longevity empowerment to the king and his entourage.” [ 54 ] Thus, it clearly states at that time Raltri was living and maintaining the monastic seat of Kardza Hermitage. After the death of the Refuge Protector, it is certain that Raltri stayed for a long time at La’utang Monastery. Raltri told many prophecies to the tulkus and gurus of La’utang that this monastery needed to be moved to a new place. However, they were not able to move the monastery in a timely manner. Subsequently, once Raltri set up a tent nearby the monastery and he brought the monastery's three main supports [of the enlightened body, speech, and mind] to that tent. A couple of days after that, there was an earthquake, and the monastery was destroyed. Then in accordance with Raltri’s orders, they moved the monastery to a place with a large plain on the right side of the monastery. The remains of the destroyed ramparts and the rubble of the monastery even exist in these present times. Additionally, the gurus and monks of the monastery reported that Rāltri [later] passed away in that monastery. A stūpa made from earth and stone remains there, which is said to be the reliquary stūpa of Raltri. At the age of thirty-eight in the Fire Rabbit year of 1867, Reltri had acquired the various necessary provisions to build the Lord Father’s silver stūpa. That silver stupa was constructed at Rigzin Jigme Lingpa’s monastic seat of Tseringjong. Furthermore, the Refuge Protector’s great disciple Abu Yeshe Dorje built an extremely high reliquary at Kyernang Monastery in Minyak. It is said that the stupa was built so large to appear the size of a mountain. These days, the main temple of Kyernang Monastery was constructed at the [site] of the reliquary remains. Raltri, Abu [Yeshe Dorje], and others then stayed in one common camp. Needless to say, Raltri took to heart the great responsibility for constructing the stūpa. After the Refuge Protector’s passing, Abu stayed at Kyernang Monastery and maintained that monastic seat in particular. Even today, remnants remain of Abu’s house at Kyernang Monastery. At the age of forty-five in the Wood Dog year of 1874, Trozur Dharma Vajra became severely ill, [ 55 ] and the supreme Gyalse Raltri was invited to Minyak Senge Monastery. [ 56 ] There he performed the healing rites of such practices as Assembly of the Wrathful and Great Glorious One , The Thread-Crossing Ritual of Magön’s Army , and The Ḍākinī Who Invites or Dispels . [ 57 ] In that year, Trozur Dharma Vajra passed away. Hundreds of gurus and tulkus were invited including: Gyalse Raltri; Do Drimé Drakpa; Abu Yeshe Dorje; the throne holder of Lhagang; Awa Lama; Domlung Tulku; the throne holder of Palri; the throne holder of Kyernang; Champa Sang Ngak; Ala Dorje Gyaltsen; the throne holder of Chugmo; Kharpa Tulku; Bané Tulku; Dira Khenpo; the throne holder of Trakhar; Rashar Tulku; Garje Lama; Gyade Rabsal; Kugyab Khenpo; the throne holder of Gartar; La’utang Tulku; Chagtong Tulku; the throne holder of Chiluk; the throne holder of Kazhi; Gyade Ösal; A Tro Lama Lobzang; Kyernang Gyurme Lhundrub; Riku Tulku; Tongkor Tulku; Drapa Tulku; and Tsara Lama. [ 58 ] Gyalse Raltri, Tulku Songtsen, Tulku Rigden Dorje, and Bané Chogtrul performed the funeral rites for the guru. When offerings were being given to the gurus and tulkus of various regions, a set of one hundred and twenty-seven offerings were given to Raltri while sets of twenty-five offerings and sets of thirteen offerings were given to the other gurus and tulkus. Therefore, Gyalse Raltri was regarded to be ranked as one of the greatest gurus in the eastern direction of Minyak at that period of time. Raltri also offered silk, a woolen hat, a fox [pelt], bolts of fabric, and a horse for Dharma Vajra’s reliquary. The front of the 286th page of The Excellent Wish-fulfilling Tree: The Biography of Dharmavarja, the Sovereign Dzogchen Yogin Who Appeared in the Eastern Land composed by Dharma Vajra’s doctrine holder and attendant Ga Mipam Tenpe Gyaltsen states: [ 59 ] “Tulku Raltri came and engaged in the appropriate practice of Assembly of the Wrathful and Great Glorious One, The Thread-Crossing Ritual of Magön’s Army , and The Ḍākinī Who Invites or Dispels .” The frontside of the 340th folio states: “The master Tulku Raltri and tens of students practiced The Peaceful and Wrathful Deities: Purifying the Lower Realms . [ 60 ] The master Tulku Songtsen and tens of students practiced The Peaceful and Wrathful Deities: The Naturally Free Wisdom Mind . [ 61 ] The master Tulku Rigden Dorje and tens of students practiced The Molten Kīla . [ 62 ] The master Bané Tulku and tens of students individually performed The Great Compassionate One: The Natural Release of Suffering . [ 63 ] Through these [practices] they individually performed the fire offerings.” The back of the 346th folio states: “In total, one hundred and twenty-seven items were offered to Tulku Reltri including: silk, a statue, a text of The Root Stanzas of the Middle Way: Wisdom ( prajñā-nāma-mūlamadhyamakakārikā ), a ritual mirror, a hand-drum, bell and vajra, a mandala, a pair of vases, a pair of peacock plumes, a set of containers [for the inner offerings of] medicine and rakta, a pair of bellows, a set of seven [water] offering bowls, a pair of tormas , an incense box, a set of seven [lamp] offering bowls, a cushion cover, a golden face, [ 64 ] a bronze alloy dish, a tamboura, [ 65 ] a pair of clarinets, a pair of red conchs, a white conch, a small topmost offering bowl, [ 66 ] cymbals, fabric for clothes in the colors of black, red, green, stripped rainbow, and liquid gold, thin fabric in the colors of white, yellow, red, green, and sky blue, silk in the colors of white, yellow, red, green, and dark blue, woolen cloth in the colors of green and red, bolts of cotton cloth in the colors of white yellow, red, green, blue, and red stripped, a few blue stripped cotton clothes, six ornamental fabrics for making red monastic shirts, bolts of a blue-black wool, a yellow bolt of cloth, a bronze alloy vase, a bolt of dark red cloth, a variegated rope, a bag made of brocade, a burl wood bowl decorated with silver, a porcelain cup with the eight auspicious symbols, a porcelain dish, a pitcher for alcohol, [ 67 ] a large bowl made of zilung , spectacles, a brocade, a seat covering, a Chinese knife, a soup spoon and plate, a red knotted-string accessory for the hair, [ 68 ] black earrings, a circular piece of coral, a circular piece of turquoise, a zi stone, amber, brass, a silver reliquary box (ga’u), a pair of ornaments that people wear on their waist, [ 69 ] a pair of mala counters, bodhi [seed], a sewing needle case, a flint, a gold bracelet, Mongolian boots, a long sword, a knife for the waist, burli, [ 70 ] zangtib , [ 71 ] a bridle and [saddle] crupper, molasses, yarn with the colors of white, red, green, and dark blue, multi-colored rope for the neck [of a horse], half a bolt of blue animal hide, a woolen hat, pelts from a fox, monkey, sable, lynx, wolf, bobcat, and leopard, a brass ladle, a copper ladle, a metal flask with a cover, [ 72 ] a tea strainer, a skin-bellow, a hearth covering, a pouch for tea, a bowl used for roasted barely flour, a butter container, a set of seven dishes, a gun, a bag of gunpowder, a pair of primary boxes [used by nomads], [ 73 ] a complete saddle, a riding horse, instruments, a mule, a dzo , a female dzo , a female yak, a yak, and five ounces of silver coins, and white [scarfs offered at the end.”[ 74 ] At the age of sixty-five in the Wood Horse year, 1894, Rigpe Raltri conferred teachings, such as the empowerment and instructions for his father’s heart essence teachings, to those who kept the tantric commitment such as his noble son Do Khamsum Zilnön Gyepa Dorje (1890–1939). [ 75 ] Wondrous signs of the blessings from the empowerment arose for the disciples including his son. The back of the fifth folio of Do Rinpoche’s (Zilnön Gyepa Dorje) Autobiography: A Garland of Beautiful Flowers states: “In the Male Wood Horse Year, the Lord Father, the Dharma Lord (Reltri), opened the door to the profound maturing empowerments and liberating instructions. When the blessings had descended into my body, speech, and mind there was a transformation of perception. In the end, he physically bestowed auspicious articles and emblems to support [the blessings].” Rigpe Raltri was sixty-six years old in the Wood Sheep year, 1895, and as mentioned earlier [in this set of texts], Gurong Orgyen Jigdral Chöying Dorje (1875–1932) had entered the monastery in the Water Snake year, 1893.[ 76 ] He lived there and relied upon teachers such as Dzogchen Khenpo Kalden. At the age of twenty-one in the Wood Sheep year, 1895, he went with Dzogchen Khenpo Kalden to Karza Hermitage, and he met Raltri there. Through this, it is apparent that Raltri lived at Karza Hermitage and occupied its monastic seat at that time. When Raltri died, Do Rinpoche [Zilön Gyepa Dorje] was very young and Raltri’s wife Ragza Rigche Wangmo loved Kyernang Monastery. [ 77 ] Therefore, following his death, it is evident that Karza Hermitage, or Kardza Monastery, gradually became empty. CONCERNING HIS DEATH At the age of sixty-seven in the Fire Monkey year, 1896, Rigpe Raltri bestowed and entrusted to his son [Zilnön Gyepa Dorje] the empowerments, oral transmissions, and instructions for the entire cycle of his heart essence teachings accompanied with supplications. He then enthroned his son as the holder of the Heart Essence teachings. Later, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of that year, Raltri died and subsumed himself into the basic space of phenomena. As he passed into the state of the great noble ones, many signs occurred such as the sound of music, emanations of various light, earthquakes, and the blossoming of flowers. On the front of the 6th folio of Do Rinpoche’s Autobiography: A Garland of Beautiful Flowers , it states: “When I was seven years of age in the Fire Monkey year, my Lord Father (Rigpe Raltri) relinquished his entrustment and command as a keeper of the teachings to me along with the three Enlightened Heart-Essence (Tugtik) teachings of his own tradition and the Heart Essence (Nyingtik). He told many prophecies about the future and passed away peacefully. As he attained the state of the great noble ones, there appeared many signs such as sounds, lights, earthquakes, and even the blossoming of flowers in the winter. “Having mixed together the oral transmission of the omniscient hierarchs Marpa (1012?–1097), [ 78 ] Milarepa (1040–1123), [ 79 ] Dagpo Lhaje [Gampopa] (1079–1153), [ 80 ] and the pure visions of the treasure tradition into one stream, Raltri transmitted the direct lineage of his father to me, and I received it.” Do Dasal Wangmo's work, Abridge Biographies: The Lineage of the Do Family states: “On the thirteenth day of the victorious month (the twelfth month), when he turned sixty-seven years old, he passed into the peaceful space accompanied with the sound of “May Vairocana come." “When his body was being cremated, there were many miraculous sights such as a white cloud in the shape of a dragon floating above, an interlaced net of various colored rainbows in the surrounding environment of the earth and sky, and the simultaneous blossoming of azalea flowers.” In the beginning, you sought out study And became rich in the transmission of the sūtras and tantras. In the middle, you solely endeavored in attending your sacred father. In the end, you made a family and widely spread your father’s teachings. The hidden yogin, the supreme Dechen Reltri—I bow to you. COLOPHON None NOTES [1] ’bri gung gdan rabs gser phreng [2] The text reads et cetera. [3] Referring to Tri Songdetsen’s (khri srong lde brtsan, 742–800, BDRC P7787 ) son mu tig btsan po (mu tig btsan po, BDRC P2MS13217 ). [4] Kutön Tsöndru Yangdrung (khu ston brtson ’grus g.yung drung, 1011–1075, BDRC P3464 ) a junior disciple of Atiśa (a ti sha, 982–1054/1055, BDRC P3379 ) [5] spyan snga ba chos kyi grags pa; There are various sources that have a slight variance in the order of the monastic seat holders of Drigung Til Monastery (’bri gung mthil dgon pa, BDRC G340 ). [6] sgom pa rin chen rnam rgyal and kun dga’ rin chen [7] rin chen phun tshogs chos kyi rgyal po [8] ’bri gung chung tshang 01 chos kyi grags pa [9] ’bri gung chung tshang 02 don grub chos gyal [10] ’bri gung chung tshang 03 chos kyi nyi ma [11] This is also ’jigs med nyi byed as mentioned on the cover page. ’bri gung chung tshang 04 bstan ’dzin chos kyi rgyal mtshan and ’jigs med gling pa [12] rig pa’i ral gri and mdo mkhyen brtse ye she rdo rje [13] Around Zhagtra Mountain there is a place called Ma Khaka (rma kha ka). In that area is the place called Yu Tso (g.yu mtsho). There Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje built the Do Gar Mountain hermitage (mdo sgar ri khrod); however, it no longer exists. [14] rdzong sngon ’jigs med chos kyi go cha [15] thub bstan ’jigs med dga’ ba, or don mchog dar rgyas [16] ’be bza’ and ’ba’ yul/’ba’ rdzong [17] chab cha and mtsho sngon po [18] mthu stobs and bo chog [19] rme ba khan chen tshe dbang rig ’dzin [20] kon mchog rin chen [21] o rgyan gsang chen chos ’khor gling. He restored this in 1984 according to BDRC W20214 . [22] pad+ma ri mtho and mgo log [23] a skyong bu mo 'dzom pa skyid [24] rang rnam mkha’ ’gro’i zhal lung, BDRC W21847 [25] shes rab me ’bar, 1829–1842, BDRC P1PD76603 [26] mdo tshang gi brgyud pa’i rnam thar mdo bsdus, BDRC W1GS60403 , translated on Tib Shelf here: Abridged Biographies: The Lineage of the Do Family [27] bstan ’dzin chos kyi rgyal mtshan [28] Yul shar phyogs su byung ba’i rdzogs chen rnal ’byor pa mnga’ bdag d+harma badz+ra gyi rnam thar dpag bsam yongs ’du’i ljon bzang [29] blo gsal sgrol ma, BDRC P1GS138134 [30] ma hA skyid lung dgon, BDRC G353 [31] g.yi khog and lcags rkyang sde cha rgyal sras [32] mi nyag bzhag bra and la’u thang dgon pa, BDRC G4110 [33] rdzogs chen grub dbang 04 mi ’gyur nam mkha'i rdo rje, 1793–1870, BDRC P1710 [34] rdza dpal sprul o rgyan ’jigs med chos kyi dbang po, 1808–1887, BDRC P270 [35] rgyal sras gzhan phan mtha’ yas ’od zer, 1800–1855/1869, BDRC P697 [36] pad+ma badz+ra, 1807–1884, BDRC P6744 [37] gsang ba snying po [38] snying thig [39] ’gu thang rgyal po and lha ldan [40] rten gsum [41] yu thang, BDRC G1PD76606 [42] bzhag bra, BDRC G3500 [43] rgyal mo tsha ba rong [44] rgyal mo rong gi sgang [45] dpal chen po and rgyal mo dmu do [46] g.yu sgra phug and g.yu sgra snying po [47] gar nang kar mdza’ ri khrod [48] dpal ri’i dgon [49] mdo dri med grags pa, 1846–1886, BDRC P8006 ; ’od zer mtha’ yas, BDRC P5052 ; a bu ye shes rdo rje [50] rgyal rong khaH mchog dgon [51] mi nyag sker nang dgon [52] dgu rong gsku phreng snga phyi’i rnam thar [53] skal ldan rgya mtsho [54] rgya rong rdzong ’gag [55] khro zur d+harma badz+ra [56] mi nyak seng ge dgon [57] drag po dpal chen ’dus pa, ma mgon gyul mdos, and mkha' 'gro'i bsu zlog [58] /lo der khro zur d+harma badz+ra sku gshegs rgyal sras ral gri dang /_mdo dri med grags pa/_a bu ye shes rdo rje sogs gdan drangs/_lha sgang khri pa/_a ba bla ma/_dom lung sprul sku/_dpal ri’i khri pa/_skyer nang khri pa/_lcam pa gsang sngags/_a bla rdo rje rgyal mtshan/_phyug mo’i khri pa/_mkhar pa sprul sku/_ba gnas sprul sku/_rdi ra mkhan po/_brag mkhar khri pa/_ra shar sprul sku/_sgar rje bla ma/_rgya sde rab gsal/_sku rgyab mkhan po/_mgar thar khri pa/_la’u thang sprul sku/_cag stong sprul sku/_spyi lug khri pa/_ka bzhi khri pa/_rgya sde ’od gsal/_a khro bla ma blo bzang /_skyer nang ’gyur med lhun grub/_ri khud sprul sku/_stong skor sprul sku/_’dra pa sprul sku/_rtsa ra bla ma sogs bla sprul rgya phrag mang po gdan drangs/ [59] nye gnas sga mi pham bstan pa’i rgyal mtshan [60] zhi khro ngan song sbyong ba [61] zhi khro dgongs pa rang grol [62] khro chu’i phur pa [63] thugs rje chen po sdug bsngal rang grol [64] gser zhel [65] gsol tam [66] phud skong [67] tam bhe [68] tong skud phon dmar [69] glo zungs cha [70] bur li [71] zangs rtib [72] lcags ’gu khebs lden [73] tso sgam [74] mtha’ dkar [75] mdo khams gsum zil gnon dgyas pa rdo rje, Dates from BDRC W1KG987 , translated on Tib Shelf here: A Chronological Timetable: Lives of Do Khyentse's Familial Line . [76] o rgyan ’jigs bral chos dbyings rdo rje [77] ra bza’ rig byed dbang mo was one of Rigpe Raltri’s wives and mother of Do Khamsum Zilnön Gyepa Dorje. [78] mar pa chos kyi blo gros, 1002/1012–1097/1100, BDRC P2636 [79] mi la ras pa, 1040–1123, BDRC P1853 [80] sgam po pa bsod nams rin che, 1079–1153, BDRC P1844 Published: September 2020 Updated: July 2022 BIBLIOGRAPHY thub bstan chos dar. 2008. rgyal sras rig pa’i ral gri’i rnam thar. In mdo mkhyen brtse ye shes rdo rje’i gdung rgyud rim byon gyi rnam thar gsal ba’i me long, 317–339. pe cin: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang. BDRC W1KG987 The Biography of Gyalse Rigpe Raltri 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! 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Teacher Losal Drölma 1802–1861 BDRC P1GS138134 TREASURY OF LIVES PHOTO CREDIT Ḍākki Losal Drölma (1802–1861) was a remarkable Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, recognized for her deep spiritual achievements and her contributions to the religious legacy of her brother, the treasure revealer Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje . Born in the Golok region, she received teachings from some of the most esteemed masters of her time, including Dodrubchen Jigme Trinle Özer and others at monasteries like Drigung Til and Katok. Renowned for her visionary experiences, including manifestations ḍākinī emanations, she played a critical role in preserving and disseminating treasure teachings, earning titles such as "dharma custodian" (chos bdag ). Despite familial constraints preventing formal recognition as a tulku, she maintained significant influence in spiritual and educational spheres, serving her community, family, and lineage with profound devotion until her passing. Translated Works 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 Read Biography The Biography of Gyalse Rigpe Raltri Tubten Chödar Son of Do Khyentse and recognized as Jigme Lingpa's son's reincarnation, Rigpe Raltri became a revered Minyak guru, transmitting the Yangsang Khandro Tugtik treasures to his own son. Read Timetable A Chronological Timetable: Lives of Do Khyentse’s Familial Line Tubten Chödar A chronology of birth and death dates mapping Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje's family lineage through its key figures and connections. Read Biography A Brief Biography of Jetsunma Do Dasal Wangmo Tsangpo 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. Read Aspirational Prayer For the Long Life of Ḍākki Losal Drölma Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje Do Khyentse, writing as Tragtung Dorje, crafts a long-life prayer for Ḍākki Losal Drölma that playfully incorporates her lesser-known name Drön while praising her spiritual attainments. Read Guru Yoga, Prayer, Supplication Prayer Cloudbanks of Blessings: A Guru Yoga Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje A rare guru yoga from Do Khyentse's treasure teachings centered on a historical yoginī, revealing unique insights into female practitioners and tantric transformation in Tibet. Read Lineage Prayer A Lineage Prayer for the Natural Liberation of Grasping Gyalwang Nyima, Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje A compilation of supplication verses and transmission lineage for Do Khyentse's Dzinpa Rangdröl treasure cycle, arranged by Galwang Nyima from original revealed texts. Read Biography Abridged Biographies: The Lineage of the Do Family Do Dasal Wangmo Chronicling Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje's lineage, with special attention to his half-sister Losal Drölma - an honored teacher whose story emerges from the margins of temple narratives. Read 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

Nun, Physician & Treasure Revealer Do Dasal Wangmo 1928–2018 BDRC P1GS60402 TREASURY OF LIVES LOTSAWA HOUSE PHOTO CREDIT Nun, physician, and treasure revealer, Do Dasal Wangmo was a well-respected female master in eastern Tibet. She was the great-granddaughter of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje and the last member of his family line. Her religious affinity and familial connections allowed her to follow a contemplative, studious, and altruistic lifestyle as a monastic physician and professor of Tibetan medicine. Although briefly imprisoned and under difficult circumstances for fourteen years, she was later allowed to practice medicine and was appointed to government-funded medical schools in Kham. Biography Abridged Biographies: The Lineage of the Do Family Do Dasal Wangmo Chronicling Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje's lineage, with special attention to his half-sister Losal Drölma - an honored teacher whose story emerges from the margins of temple narratives. Read Translated Works Biography The Biography of Gyalse Rigpe Raltri Tubten Chödar Son of Do Khyentse and recognized as Jigme Lingpa's son's reincarnation, Rigpe Raltri became a revered Minyak guru, transmitting the Yangsang Khandro Tugtik treasures to his own son. Read Timetable A Chronological Timetable: Lives of Do Khyentse’s Familial Line Tubten Chödar A chronology of birth and death dates mapping Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje's family lineage through its key figures and connections. Read Biography A Brief Biography of Jetsunma Do Dasal Wangmo Tsangpo 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. Read 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

A rare guru yoga from Do Khyentse's treasure teachings centered on a historical yoginī, revealing unique insights into female practitioners and tantric transformation in Tibet. Abstract Rare indeed it is to discover a guru yoga that relies upon a historical woman. But our research has unveiled a rare gem hidden in Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje’s treasure collection ( gter chos ) — a guru yoga that transcends conventional narratives, anchored in the reverence of a historical yoginī. Join us in unraveling the secrets of female practitioners in the Tibetan world, where feminine power becomes a gateway to tantric transformation. BDRC LINK MW1PD89990 _670726 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 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 Cloudbanks of Blessings: A Guru Yoga ༄༅། ། ཀུན་བཟང་རྒྱལ་བའི་ཡུམ་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོཿ དེ་ཡང་ལྷ་ལྕམ་བློ་གསལ་དབང་མོ་ལཿ བརྟེན་པའི་བླ་མའི་རྣལ་འབྱོར་འདི་ལྟར་བྱཿ Homage to Samantabhadrā, mother of the victorious ones! What follows is the guru yoga that relies upon the divine consort Losal Wangmo. ཨེ་མ་ཧོ༔ རང་སྣང་རྣམ་དག་སྤྱི་བོའི་ནམ་མཁའ་ལཿ དག་པའི་ཞིང་ཁམས་ངོ་མཚར་བཀོད་མཛེས་དབུསཿ emaho rangnang namdak chiwö namkha la: dakpé zhingkham ngomtsar kö dzé ü Emaho! In my pure perception, in the space above my crown, Is a pure realm, marvelous and beautifully arranged. In its center སེང་ཁྲི་པད་མ་ཉི་ཟླ་བརྩེགས་པའི་སྟེང་ཿ བཀའ་དྲིན་གསུམ་ལྡན་བློ་གསལ་དབང་མོ་དང་༔ sengtri pema nyida tsekpe teng: kadrin sumden losal wangmo dang Upon a lion throne, lotus, sun, and moon, Is she who is endowed with the three kindnesses—Losal Wangmo; རྡོ་རྗེ་ཕག་མོ་དབྱེར་མེད་ཞི་འཛུམ་མདངས༔ སྐུ་མདོག་དཀར་དམར་ཞལ་གཅིག་ཕྱག་གཉིས་པཿ dorje pakmo yerme zhi dzum dang: kundok kar mar zhalchik chak nyi pa Indivisible from Vajravārāhī, she smiles, peaceful and radiant. Her form is white, red [tinged], with one face and two arms. མཉམ་བཞག་སྟེང་ན་བདུད་རྩིའི་བྷནྡྷ་བསྣམསཿ དབུ་སྐྲ་ཐོར་[473]ཚུགས་ལྷག་མའི་སྐུ་རྒྱབ་ཁེབས༔ nyamzhak teng na dütsi bhenda nams: utra tortsuk lhakme kugyab kheb These are [in the mudrā of] meditative equipoise and hold a nectar-filled bhāṇḍha. Her hair is tied in a [473] topknot, with the rest flowing down her back. དར་དཔྱངས་སྟོད་གཡོག་སྨད་དཀྲིས་རུས་རྒྱན་གསོལཿ ཡེ་ཤེས་རང་མདངས་ཐུགས་རྗེས་འོད་ཟེར་འཕྲོསཿ dar chang tö yok metri rügyen söl: yeshe rang dang tukje özer trö Her torso is draped in silk, while she wears a lower garment and ornaments of bone. Her natural radiance of primordial wisdom and compassion radiates as light rays. ཞབས་གཉིས་ཐབས་ཤེས་སྐྱིལ་མོ་ཀྲུང་གིས་བཞུགསཿ རྒྱལ་ཀུན་འདུས་པའི་ངོ་བོར་གསལ་བ་ཡིཿ zhabnyi tabshe kyilmo trung gi zhuk: gyal kün düpee ngowor salwa yi She sits with both legs crossed, [symbolizing] method and wisdom. Shining brightly, embodying the very spirit of all united buddhas, སྤྱན་ཟུང་འབྲུ་ཚུགས་བདག་ལ་བརྩེ་བས་གཟིགས༔ སྤྱི་བོར་རིགས་བདག་པདྨ་བཛྲ་དང་ཿ chen zung dru tsuk dak la tsewe zik: chiwor rikdak pema benza dang Her eyes gaze upon me with an intense expression of love. On her crown is the lord of the family, Padmavajra, ཧེ་རུ་ཀ་དཔལ་ཡབ་དང་གཉིས་སུ་མེདཿ འཁོར་དུ་རིག་འཛིན་དཔའ་བོ་མཁའ་འགྲོ་དང་ཿ heruka pal yab dang nyi su me: khor du rigdzin pawo khandro dang Indivisible from the father, glorious Heruka, While the retinue, vidyādharas, heroes, ḍākinīs, ཆོས་སྐྱོང་དམ་ཅན་སྲུང་མ་སྤྲིན་ལྟར་[474]གཏིབསཿ chökyong damchen sungma trin tar tib Dharma protectors, and oath-bound guardians amass [474] like clouds. སྤྱན་འདྲེན་ཅིང་བཞུགས་སུ་གསོལ་བ་ནིཿ Invitation and Request to Remain: རབ་འབྱམས་ཕྱོགས་བཅུའི་ཞིང་ན་བཞུགས་པ་ཡིས༔ རྩ་གསུམ་ཡེ་ཤེས་ལྷ་ཚོགས་གཤེགས་སུ་གསོལཿ rabjam chok chü zhing na zhukpa yi: tsa sum yeshe lhatsok shek su söl Those who dwell in the manifold realms of the ten directions Request the presence of the assemblies of the Three Roots and primordial wisdom deities! བདག་ལ་ཐུགས་རྗེས་བརྩེ་བར་དགོངས་ནས་ཀྱང་ཿ བྱིན་གྱིས་བརླབས་ཤིང་དགྱེས་པར་བཞུགས་སུ་གསོལཿ dak la tukje tsewar gong ne kyang: jin gyi lab shing gyepar zhuk su söl Lovingly think of me with compassion, as well as Grant me your inspiration, and please remain here joyfully! བཛྲ་ས་མ་ཡ་ཛཿ་ཏིཥྛ་ལྷནཿ benza samaya dza tishta lhen VAJRA SAMAYA TIṢṬHA LHEN ཡན་ལག་བདུན་པ་ནིཿ The Seven Branches: བླ་མ་ཡུམ་ཆེན་ལྷ་ལྕམ་སྤྲུལ་པའི་སྐུཿ བདག་ལུས་རྡུལ་སྙེད་གྲངས་ལྡན་གུས་ཕྱག་འཚལཿ lama yumchen lhacham trulpe ku: dak lü dül nye drangden gü chak tsal Lama, Great Mother, spiritual consort and emanation, I respectfully prostrate to you with a multitude of my bodies equal to the number of atoms. ཀུན་བཟང་ཕྱི་ནང་གསང་བའི་མཆོད་པ་འབུལཿ ཚེ་རབས་ལས་ཀྱི་སྡིག་ལྟུང་མཐོལ་ལོ་བཤགསཿ kunzang chi nang sangwe chöpa bül: tserab lekyi diktung töl lo shak [Like] Samantabhadra, I present the outer, inner, and secret offerings. I confess my misdeeds and downfalls of every proceeding existence. བླ་མེད་བྱང་ཆུབ་མཆོག་ཏུ་སེམས་བསྐྱེད་དོཿ བདག་གཞན་དགེ་ལ་རྗེས་སུ་ཡི་རང་ངོ་ཿ lamé changchub chok tu semkye do: dakzhen gela jesu yi rang ngo I generate the mind intent upon supreme, unsurpassable enlightenment. I rejoice in my own and others’ virtue. འགྲོ་བའི་དོན་དུ་ཆོས་འཁོར་བསྐོར་བར་བསྐུལཿ མ་ཁྱོད་མྱ་ངན་མི་འདའ་བཞུགས་གསོལ་འདེབསཿ drowe döndu chökhor korwar kül: ma khyö nya ngen mi da zhuk söl deb I request you to turn the wheel of Dharma for the sake of beings. Mother, please do not pass into nirvāṇa, but remain here. མ་གྱུར་སེམས་ཅན་དོན་དུ་དགེ་བར་བསྔོཿ magyur semchen döndu gewar ngo I dedicate this virtue for the benefit of all sentients, who have been my mothers. དེ་ནས་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས་པ་ནིཿ Supplication: ཀྱེ་མ། བཀའ་དྲིན་འཁོར་མེད་རྗེ་བཙུན་མཿ དང་པོ་འཁོར་བའི་འདམ་ནས་དྲངསཿ kyema kadrin khorme jetsün ma: dangpo khorwe dam ne drang Kyema! Jetsunma, whose kindness is uninterrupted, First, you pull [us] from the mire of saṃsāra. བར་དུ་བསྐྱེད་[475]རྫོགས་ལམ་ལ་བསླབཿ ཐ་མ་སྐྱེ་མེད་ཆོས་སྐུར་སྟོནཿ bardu kye dzok lam la lab: tama kyeme chökur tön Then, you teach the paths of creation [475] and completion. Lastly, you display as the unborn dharmakāya. ཁྱེད་ལས་རེ་ས་གཞན་ན་མེདཿ བཀའ་དྲིན་དྲན་ཞིང་མཆི་མ་འཁྲུགསཿ khye le resa zhen na me: kadrin dren zhing chima truk There is no one else whom we can place our hopes upon! Tears stream as we remember your kindness. སྙིང་ནས་གུས་པས་གསོལ་བ་འདེབསཿ ཐུགས་རྗེས་གཟིགས་ཤིག་རིན་པོ་ཆེཿ nying ne güpe sölwa deb: tukje zik shik rinpo che With sincere devotion, we offer prayers to you! Look upon us compassionately, Precious One! བདག་ཅག་ལས་ངན་མཐུ་བཙན་པསཿ ད་དུང་གཟུང་འཛིན་འཆིང་བས་བཅིང་ཿ dakchak le ngen tu tsen pe: dadung zungdzin chingwe ching The strong force of our negative karma, Keeps us shackled in chains of subject-object fixation. འཁྲི་བ་བཙན་ཐབས་མ་ཆོད་ནཿ བྱིན་རླབས་ཐུགས་ཀྱིས་དྲང་དུ་གསོལཿ triwa tsentab ma chö na: jinlab tuk kyi drang du söl If we cannot assertively break free from these entanglements, Guide us away from them with your compassionate blessings. བདེ་ཆེན་སྐུ་ཡི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་གྱིསཿ རྣལ་འབྱོར་ལུས་ལ་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབསཿ dechen ku yi kyilkhor gyi: naljor lü la jin gyi lob With the maṇḍala of your great blissful body Bestow blessing upon the bodies of yogis. ཚངས་དབྱངས་གསུང་གི་བདེན་ཚིག་མཐུསཿ སྒྲུབ་པོའི་ངག་ [1] ལ་བྱིན་ནུས་སྩོལཿ tsang yang sung gi dentsik tü: drubpö ngak la jin nü tsöl With the powerful truthful words of your Brahma-like voice, Grant potent blessings to practitioners’ voices! རྣམ་དག་ཐུགས་ཀྱི་ཡེ་ཤེས་གདངསཿ བུ་ཡི་ཡིད་ལ་རྟོགས་པ་བསྐྱེདཿ namdak tuk kyi yeshe dang: bu yi yi la tokpa kye With the radiant primordial wisdom of your completely pure mind, Generate realization in the minds of your children! སྒོ་གསུམ་སྨིན་ཅིང་གྲོལ་བ་དང་ཿ ཐུགས་རྒྱུད་དགོངས་པ་འཕོ་བར་ཤོགཿ go sum min ching drölwa dang: tukgyü gongpa powar shok May the three doors be matured and liberated, and May the wisdom-heart-continuum be transferred! ཨོྃ་ཨཱཿགུ་རུ་ཛྙཱ་ན་ཌཱཀྐི་སིདྡྷི་ཧཱུྃ༔ om ah guru jnana daki siddhi hung OṂ AḤ GURU JÑĀNA ḌĀKINĪ SIDDHI HŪṂ གསོལ་འདེབས་བསྙེན་པ་ཆུ་བོའི་རྒྱུན་བཞིན་འབདཿ མོས་གུས་ལྡན་ལ་བྱིན་རླབས་གློག་ལྟར་མྱུརཿ ཆོས་ཉིད་རང་ཞལ་མཇལ་བར་ཐེ་ཚོམ་མེདཿ ཐུན་མཐར་དབང་བཞི་ལེན་པ་འདི་ལྟར་བྱཿ Exert yourself in the recitations of this supplication like a flowing river. For the devoted, blessings are swift as lightning; there is no doubt that the actual face of dharmatā will be seen. At the end of the session, receive the four empowerments in the following manner. བླ་མའི་སྐུ་[476]ལས་ལྔ་ལྡན་འོད་ཟེར་འཕྲོཿ རང་གི་གནས་ལྔར་ཐིམ་པས་སྒྲིབ་བཞི་དགཿ lamé ku le ngaden özer tro: rang gi ne ngar timpe drib zhi dak Light rays of the five colors radiate from [476] the body of the lama. By dissolving into my five places, the four obscurations are purified— དབང་བཞི་རྫོགས་ཤིང་རྡོ་རྗེ་བཞི་རུ་སྨིནཿ སྐུ་ལྔ་ལྷུན་གྲུབ་འབྲས་བཟང་མངོན་གྱུར་ཞིང་ཿ wang zhi dzok shing dorje zhi ru min: ku nga lhündrub dre zang ngöngyur zhing The four empowerments are complete, and the four vajras are matured. The five kāyas are spontaneously accomplished, and the excellent fruition is actualized. རང་ཉིད་འོད་དམར་ཐིག་ལེ་བྱ་སྒོང་ཙམཿ སྐར་མདའ་ཆད་བཞིན་བླ་མའི་ཐུགས་ཀར་འཕོསཿ rangnyi ö mar tikle ja gong tsam: karda che zhin lamé tukkar pö As red bindu about the size of an egg, I am Ejected, like a shooting star, into the heart of the lama. མོས་གུས་སྟོབས་ཀྱིས་ཐུགས་ཡིད་གཅིག་ཏུ་འདྲེསཿ ཀ་དག་རིག་པ་བླ་མའི་ཞལ་མཐོང་ཤོགཿ mögü tob kyi tuk yi chik tu dre: kadak rigpa lamé zhal tong shok Through the power of devotion, my mind and her wisdom mix as one. May I see the face of the lama, primordially pure awareness! ཐུགས་ཡིད་བསྲེས་མཐར་ལྟ་བའི་ངང་གདངས་སྐྱོང་ལ་བསྔོ་སྨོན་བྱ་བ་ནིཿ After the mixing of minds, while in the radiance of the view, dedicate and make aspirations. དགེ་འདིས་ཕ་མར་གྱུར་པའི་མཁའ་མཉམ་འགྲོཿ འཁོར་བ་མཐའ་མེད་མདག་མེའི་འོབ་ལས་ཐརཿ gé di pamar gyurpe khanyam dro: khorwa tamé dakme ob le tar Through the dedication of this virtue, may beings, equal to space, who have been my parents, Be freed from the fiery pits of endless saṃsāra! སྟོང་ཉིད་བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་ཀྱི་རྒྱུད་བརླན་ནསཿ བླ་མ་མཁའ་འགྲོའི་གོ་འཕང་ཐོབ་ཕྱིར་བསྔོཿ tongnyi changchub sem kyi gyü len ne: lama khandrö gopang tob chir ngo May their mental continua be saturated with emptiness and bodhicitta, And may they obtain the level of lamas and ḍākinīs. བདག་སོགས་འདིར་བཟུང་བྱང་ཆུབ་མ་ཐོབ་པརཿ མོས་གུས་འགྱུར་མེད་རྡོ་རྗེའི་གོ་བགོས་ནསཿ dak sok dir zung changchub ma tob par: mögü gyurme dorje go gö ne From now on, until I and others attain enlightenment, May we don the unchanging vajra armor of devotion མཉེས་པ་གསུམ་གྱིས་ཞབས་ཏོག་མཐའ་རུ་ཕྱིནཿ སེམས་ཅན་ཁམས་ཀྱི་འགྲོ་དོན་མ་རྫོགས་པརཿ nyepa sum gyi zhabtok ta ru chin: semchen kham kyi dro dön ma dzok par And perfectly serve [the lama] in the three pleasing ways. Until the benefit of those in the realms of sentient beings is completed, བླ་མའི་ཞབས་ཏོག་ཕྲིན་ལས་ཕོ་ཉ་བཿ བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་[477]ལྡན་བརྩོན་འགྲུས་དཔལ་གྱིས་ཕྱུགཿ lamé zhabtok trinle ponya wa: changchub semden tsöndrü pal gyi chak May we who serve the lama as messengers of enlightened activity, We who have bodhicitta, [477] be enriched by the glory of our diligence ངལ་བ་ཁྱད་བསད་ལུས་སྲོག་འབེན་བཙུགས་ཏེཿ ཡུམ་ཆེན་ཐུགས་དགོངས་ཡོངས་སུ་རྫོགས་པར་ཤོགཿ ngalwa khye se lü sok ben tsuk te: yumchen tukgong yongsu dzokpar shok And, regardless of the hardships, sacrifice both body and life for The intentions of the Great Mother to be completely fulfilled! མ་དག་གཟུང་དང་འཛིན་པའི་སྒྲོགས་གྲོལ་ཅིང་ཿ འཁྲུལ་བ་རང་ཞིག་བག་ཆགས་ཟག་པ་ཟདཿ ma dak zung dang dzinpe drok dröl ching: trülwa rang zhik bakchak zakpa ze May the chains of impure subject-object fixation be undone! May delusion be destroyed, and habitual patterns and defilements be exhausted! ཟག་བཅས་ཕུང་པོ་འོད་སྐུར་དེངས་ནས་ཀྱང་ཿ བླ་མ་ཡུམ་ཆེན་ཐུགས་དང་དབྱེར་མེད་ཤོགཿ zakche pungpo ökur deng ne kyang: lama yumchen tuk dang yerme shok May the defiled aggregates dissipate into a body of light, and also, May there be no separation with the mind of the lama, the Great Mother! COLOPHON གུ་རུའི་གཟུངས་མ་ལྷ་ལྕམ་མནྡ་རཿ སྤྲུལ་བསྒྱུར་འཁྲུལ་མེད་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཌཀྐཱི་མཿ བསྐྱེད་རྫོགས་མཐར་ཕྱིན་ཆོས་ཀྱི་གསང་མཛོད་ལཿ དབང་བསྒྱུར་ཡོ་གའི་བློ་གསལ་སྒྲོལ་མ་ལཿ བརྟེན་པའི་བླ་མའི་རྣལ་འབྱོར་བྱིན་རླབ་སྤྲིན། ཟོ་དོར་བཞག་བྲིའི་སྲས་མོ་འོད་མཛེས་མསཿ ནན་གྱིས་བསྐུལ་དང་ཉེ་གནས་དད་དམ་ལྡནཿ འོད་གསལ་སྙིང་པོའི་གསོལ་བ་བཏབ་པའི་ངོརཿ གནས་ཆེན་རྒྱ་ [2] མོ་དམུ་རྡོའི་ལྟེ་བ་རུཿ ཁྲག་འཐུང་ལས་ཀྱི་རྡོ་རྗེས་སྤེལ་བའོ། ། དགེའོ། ། At the insistent behest of Özema, daughter of the chief local god of Zhagdra, And the supplication of the faithful attendant Ösal Nyingpo, At the center of the great sacred place of Gyalmo Mudo, Tragtung Lekyi Dorje composed “Cloudbanks of Blessings: A Guru Yoga that Relies Upon Losal Drölma,” master Of the secret treasury of the Dharma and perfector of creation and completion, An undeluded primordial wisdom ḍākinī who is the emanation of The Guru’s divine consort, Mandara. Virtue! མཉམ་བཞག་ཏུ་ཆོས་ཐམས་ཅད་བདེན་པ་ནམ་ཡང་མེད། སྣང་བ་ཙམ་ཡང་མེད་པ་ནམ་མཁའི་དཀྱིལ་ལྟ་བུ། རྗེས་ཐོབ་ཏུ་སྣང་ཙམ་དུ་ཡོད་ཀྱང་མི་བདེན་པ་རྨི་ལམ་ལྟ་བུ་སྒྱུར་མ་ལྟ་བུར་རྟོགས་པར་བྱའོ།། །། During meditative equipoise, all phenomena do not truly exist whatsoever, not even a mere appearance—it is like the center of space. During post-meditation, even though there are mere appearances, one should realize that, like a dream and like an illusion, they do not truly exist. NOTES [1] Recte : ngag ; 2009, 475.3: ngang ; 2015, 244.13: ngag . [2] Recte : rgyal ; 2009, 477.4: rgya ; 2015, 245.17: rgyal . Published: February 2024 NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje. 2009. bla maʼi rnal ʼbyor gyi byin rlabs sprin phung . In gter chos mdo mkhyen brtse ye shes rdo rje , vol. 5, 471–77. Chengdu: Dzogchen Pönlop Rinpoche. BDRC MW1PD89990_670726 . Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje. 2015. mdo mkhyen brtse ye shes rdo rjeʼi gsung ʼbum , vol. 5, 243–246. Chengdu: si khron dus deb tshogs pa si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang . BDRC MW3CN7920 . Cloudbanks of Blessings: A Guru Yoga 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.

Jamgön Kongtrul traces Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo's remarkable previous incarnations, revealing unexpected connections to significant Buddhist masters through history. Abstract Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye supplicates the previous incarnations of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. You might be surprised by the list of important masters he was associated with. BDRC LINK MW4PD2082 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 05:17 TRADITION Karma Kagyu INCARNATION LINE Dzogchen Kongtrul Jamgön Kongtrul Dzigar Kongtrul Zhechen Kongtrul Kalu Rinpoche HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century TEACHERS Khenchen Tubten Gyaltsen The Ninth Drukchen, Mingyur Wangyal The First Datrul, Ngedön Tenpa Rabgye The Eighth Pawo, Tsuglak Chökyi Gyalpo Sönam Lodrö The Fourth Dzogchen Drubwang, Mingyur Namkhe Dorje Karma Tegchok Tenpel Drubgyu Tenzin Trinle The Sixth Traleb, Yeshe Nyima Pema Tenpel Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo Gyurme Tutob Namgyal The Ninth Situ, Pema Nyinje Wangpo The Fourteenth Karmapa, Tegchok Dorje Chogyur Lingpa Karma Zhenpen Özer Karma Norbu Karma Ösal Gyurme Gyurme Tenzin Pelgye Rigzin Gyatso The First Gyatrul, Dongak Tendzin The Twelfth Lab Kyabgön, Wangchen Gyerab Dorje The First Tsangchen Dorje Lopön, Ngawang Chöpel Gyatso The Second Penor, Rigzin Palchen Dupa TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Kaḥtok Mindröling Dzogchen Monastery Zhechen Palyul Monastery Sekhar Gutok Dratang Densatil Tsal Gungtang Tsurpu Monastery Takten Puntsok Ling Samye Zurmang Dutsitil Dzongsar Longtang Drölma Lhakhang Dzamtang Tsechu Monastery Chöje Monastery Tsangwa Monastery Karma Monastery Pewar Reting Monastery Nenang Derge Parkhang Śrī Siṃha College Chagpori Palpung Tsetang Mawochok Alo Paljor Gang Yangpachen Trandruk Zurmang Namgyaltse Khoting Lhakhang Drak Yerpa Drak Yongdzong Lhasa Tsuklakhang Potala Samye Chimpu Tashi Dokha Tsādra Rinchen Drak Dzongshö Zangri Khangmar Maṇḍala Monastery Yarlung Sheldrak Tarde Monastery Ringul Monastery Changlung Monastery Dzö Monastery Tsogyal Latso Dzongo Monastery Kyodrak Monastery Lhadrang Monastery Namgyal Ling Pangpuk Yamalung Yilhung Lhatso Yumbu Lagang Sinpo Ri Lhakhang Hepo Ri Tashi Podrang Pemaling Lake Götang Bumpa Dagam Wangpuk STUDENTS The Fourth Shechen Gyaltsab, Pema Namgyal The Fourth Rotachetsang, Lobzang Chöjor Lhundrub The Third Dodrubchen, Jigme Tenpe Nyima Mipam Gyatso Loter Wangpo Ngawang Damchö Gyatso The Fifteenth Karmapa, Khakhyab Dorje Shākya Shrī The Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, Tubten Chökyi Dorje The Third Kaḥtok Situ, Chökyi Gyatso Gatön Ngawang Legpa Sönam Chödrub The Second Dzaḥka Chogtrul,Kunzang Namgyal Tubten Gyaltsen Özer Jamyang Sherab Chökyi Nangwa The First Gyatrul, Dongak Tenzin Rigzin Gargyi Wangchuk Norbu Tenzin Orgyen Tenzin Karma Ngedön Nyingpo Kunga Ngedön Zhabpa The Eighth Dzamtang Chöje Kutreng, Mipam Chökyi Jampa The First Tsangchen Dorje Lopön, Ngawang Chöpel Gyatso Dzongwo Kyabgön The Tenth Zurmang Trungpa, Karma Chökyi Nyinje Tubten Legshe Zangpo Tashi Chöpel Tubten Nyendrak The Fifth Shechen Rabjam, Pema Tegchok Tenpe Gyaltsen Tenzin Drakpa The First Adzom Drukpa, Drodul Pawo Dorje The Third Gurong, Orgyan Jigdral Chöying Dorje Ayu Khandro Dorje Paldron The Second Penor, Rigzin Palchen Dupa Khenchen Tashi Özer Palden Chimé Tagpe Dorje Chogyur Lingpa The Sixty-Fifth Ngor Khenchen, Dampa Rinpoche Ngawang Lodrö Zhenpen Nyingpo Könchok Paldrön Ngawang Jampel Rinchen AUTHOR Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye Generating Wonder & Glory: A Supplication to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s Successive Lives Arranged in a Rough Summary Homage to the guru! Primordial wisdom treasury of the victors and their heirs, Fathering fully-fledged buddhas in all times and dimensions, Compassionately guiding all beings who pervade the entirety of space, Blessed One, Mañjuśrīghoṣa, I supplicate you! Comprehending all phenomena with your outstanding, supreme wisdom, Lord of the Ati teachings, Mañjuśrīmitra; Attainer of the vajra body, always present for the sake of beings, Vimalamitra—I supplicate at both your feet. Great charioteer drawing the sun of the teachings to the Land of Snows, Gentle protector, Trisong Detsen; Custodian of the compendium of teachings benefiting everyone you meet, Gyalse Chogdrub Gyalpo—I supplicate at both your feet. Lord Amitābha, Dīpaṃkara, Your supreme heart son, [381] Nagtso Tsultrim Gyalwa; Avalokiteśvara’s emanation and glory of the teachings and beings in the Land of Snows, Gyalwe Jungne—I supplicate at both your feet. Ocean of amazing treasure revealers’ wheel-wielding monarch, Sovereign Nyangral Nyima Özer; Milarepa’s heart son who physically departed to Khecara, [ 1 ] Rechungpa Dorje Drakpa—I supplicate at both your feet. Called Monastic Physician throughout the Land of Snows, Prophesized by the victors, unequalled Gampopa; Crown ornament of all vajra holders in Tibet, Drakpa Gyaltsen—I supplicate at both your feet. Speech emanation of the Dharma king, lord of the eighteen treasure caches, Tamer of beings, Guru Chökyi Wangchuk; Dharma king, sole protector of all beings in the three [382] realms, Lodrö Gyaltsen—I supplicate at both your feet. Turning the unsurpassable wheel of the teachings of the effortless vehicle, Samantabhadra, Drimé Özer; Holding the treasuries of the inconceivable Magical Net, [ 2 ] Yarje Orgyen Lingpa—I supplicate you both. Omniscient sovereign of the Kadam teachings, Whose enlightened activities pervade all of space, Gendun Drubpa; Cared for by the lord of the mountain retreat and possessing the supreme accomplishment, Mahāpaṇḍita Vanaratna—I supplicate you both. Source for the ocean of all the classes of tantras, Lord of all wisdom and realization, Khyenrab Chöje of Shalu; Demonstrating magical displays for the benefit of others across the entire world, Great adept, Tangtong Gyalpo—I supplicate you both. Most outstanding holder of the explanatory teachings [ 3 ] in Tibet, Mañjuśrīghoṣa in reality, Khyentse Wangchuk; Hearing whose name protects from the dangers within existence, Supreme scholar and adept, Pema Wangi Gyalpo—I supplicate you both. Powerful holder of knowledge mantras, also known as Wangpö De, Tashi Tobgyal Khandro Yongdrubtsal; Guardian protector of the Land of Snows during the end of the age of strife, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso—I supplicate you both. Twelfth reincarnation of Gyalse Lhaje, Speech emanation of Orgyen, great treasure revealer, Chöje Lingpa [383]; Great abbot of Evaṃ, possessing knowledge, love, and capability, Jampa Namkha Chimé—I supplicate you both. Perfecting the dynamic display of the wisdom mind, Propagating the Ati teachings in all directions, Jigme Lingpa; Incomparable lord of the wheel, possessing the seven transmissions, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo—I supplicate you both. By the power of this supplication of undivided, single-pointed respect, May supreme and excellent beings Care for me in all my lives to come, And may the two benefits of self and other be perfected by my immense deeds! Protector, when you have actualized complete buddhahood, May I be the first to be born in the assembly of your retinue! Moreover, may I hold the gateways of all teachings, spread them in a hundred directions, And actualize enlightenment like you! May your teachings shine like the light of day, And may the excellent stream of your enlightened activities flow to the edges of existence! May even the phrase “degeneration of the world” never be heard, And may a new golden age of virtuous goodness pervade in every direction! COLOPHON Upon the request and gift bestowed by the glorious and great holder of the evaṃ teachings, the Dharma lord Kunga Jamyang of Ngari, the vajra student of the omniscient and precious lama [Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo], Lodrö Tayape De, wrote this supplication prayer on an auspicious day in the first half of the Month of Miracles at the great Dzongsar Tashi Lhatse Religious College. May virtue increase! NOTES Generating Wonder and Glory is found in volume one of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s Seven Transmissions Collection (Kabab Dun). Jamgön Kongtrul Lordö Taye composed the work as a prayer to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s previous incarnations, a well-known supplication style of Tibetan Buddhist biographical and devotional literature. Supplicating such prominent figures as Trisong Detsen (742–796/800), Atiśa (982–1054/55), Nyangral Nyima Özer (1124–1192), and Chöje Lingpa (1682–1720), to name a few, Khyentse Wangpo’s previous incarnations include several prominent individuals who helped shape the culture and religion of the Tibetan plateau. [1] Khecara ( mkha’ spyod ) is, first and foremost, a highly purified experience connected with spiritual accomplishments ( dngos grub, siddhi ) in Buddhist tantra. It is a manifestation in which one’s realization is a completely pure realm. Endowed with eight qualities, such as subtly of form, the higher classification of Khecara is an utterly pure realm where one can further train on the path. Associated with the realm of form, the god realm, and the human realm, this lesser state can be reached through meditative abilities or by yakṣī or siddha guides. For further reading on the topic, see Tayé, “Journey and Goal,” 346–48. [2] Māyājāla [3] The explanatory teachings refer to the Lamdre (Paths and Results) teachings of the Sakya school. Published: June 2022 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Originally published for Khyentse Vision Project Photo credit: Shangpa Network & Foundation BIBLIOGRAPHY ’jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse’i dbang po. 2013. kun mkhyen bla ma ’jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse’i dbang po’i ’khrungs rabs rags bsdus kyi gsol ’debs ngo mtshar dpal sked . In mkhyen brtse’i bka’ babs, vol. 1, 379.1–383.6. dkar mdzes bod rigs rang skyong khul sde dge rdzong: rdzong sar khams bye’i slob gling. BDRC MW4PD2082 Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé. Journey and Goal: An Analysis of the Spiritual Path and Levels to Be Traversed and the Consummate Fruition State . In Treasury of Knowledge, Books Nine and Ten. Translated by Kalu Rinpoché Translation Group. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 2011. Generating Wonder & Glory: A Supplication to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s Successive Lives Arranged in a Rough Summary 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.

Do Khyentse, writing as Tragtung Dorje, crafts a long-life prayer for Ḍākki Losal Drölma that playfully incorporates her lesser-known name Drön while praising her spiritual attainments. Abstract Composed by Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje under the not-well-known moniker of Tragtung Dorje, this tract of a text lauds her blessed abilities and creates the conditions for her long life, all the while playing off her name, one that is also less known, incorporating Drön over Dröl. BDRC LINK MW1PD89990_ 8428BE DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 01:40 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 For the Long Life of Ḍākki Losal Drölma འོད་མཚར་སྟོང་འབར་འཆི་མེད་མགོན་པོ་དང་། ། མཁའ་ཁྱབ་རྒྱལ་བའི་ཡབ་གཅིག་འཇམ་པའི་དབྱངས། ། ö tsar tong bar chi mé gön po dang kha khyab gyal wé yab chik jam pé yang Deathless Protector, blazing with a thousand wondrous lights, Mañjughoṣa, sole father of the victorious ones who pervade space, ཚད་མེད་ཐུགས་རྗེའི་གཏེར་མཛོད་པད་དཀར་འཆང་། ། མཐུ་རྩལ་སྒྱུ་འཕྲུལ་མངའ་བརྙེས་གསང་བའི་བདག ། tsé mé tuk jé ter dzö pé kar chang tu tsel gyun trül nga nyé sang wé dak Holder of the White Lotus, treasury of immeasurable compassion, Lord of Secrets, master of powerful wizardry— སྐུ་གསུམ་རིགས་འདུས་རྒྱལ་བའི་བྱིན་ནུས་མཐུས། ། བློ་གྲོས་ཟབ་དང་རྒྱ་ཆེའི་གསང་ཆེན་གནད། ། ku sum rik dü gyal wé jin nü tü lo drö zab dang gya ché sang chen né Through their potent blessings and those of the victors who embody the three-kāya families, The profound and vast secret points of the intellect (“Lo”), གསལ་བ་ཐབས་མཁས་ཚུལ་གྱིས་ལེགས་སྟོན་ཞིང་། ། སྒྲོན་མེ་ཇི་བཞིན་སྙིགས་མའི་སྡུག་བསྔལ་སྨག ། salwa tab khé tsül gyi lek tön zhing drön mé ji zhin nyik mé duk ngal mak You present, clearly (“Sal”) and skillfully, and Like a lamp (“Drön”), the dark suffering of the degenerate age, མ་ལུས་འཇོམས་མཛད་གདུལ་བྱའི་རེ་སྐོང་མ། ། འགྱུར་བ་མེད་པ་མི་ཤིགས་རྡོ་རྗེའི་ཁྲིར། ། ma lü jom dzé dül jé ré kong ma gyur wa mé pa mi shik dor jé trir You overcome without (“Ma”) exception — she who fulfills the hopes of disciples! Upon the immutable and indestructible vajra throne, ཇི་སྲིད་བསྐལ་བ་རྒྱ་མཚོར་ཞབས་བརྟན་ནས། ། གསང་ཆེན་ཆོས་ཀྱི་དགའ་སྟོན་འགྱེད་པར་ཤོག ། ji si kal wa gya tsor zhab ten né sang chen chö kyi ga tön gyé par shok May your life remain secure in this [saṃsāric] ocean, for as long as an eon, and May you distribute great secret feasts of the Dharma! COLOPHON ཅེས་པའང་དཔལ་ལྡན་རིག་འཛིན་ཆོས་བསྟན་ངོར་ཁྲག་འཐུང་རྡོ་རྗེས་སོ། ། ཞུས་སོ། ། Thus, this was made by Tragtung Dorje in response to Palden Rigzin Chöten. ཨོཾཨཱཿ ཧཱུྃབཛྲགུརུཔདྨསིདྡྷིཧཱུྃཿ ཨོཾཝཱགཱིཤྭརིམུཾཿ ཨོཾམཎིཔདྨེཧཱུྃཧྲཱིཿ ཨོཾབཛྲཔཱཎིཧཱུྃཕཊཿ ཨོཾཧཱུཏྲཱཾཧྲཱིཨཱ། སྭཱཧཱ། མངྒལཾ། ཤུབྷཾ། པདམམུསུགུསརྦཏཐཱ OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ VAJRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HŪṂ: OṂ VĀGĪŚVARIMUṂ: OṂ MAṆI PADME HŪṂ HRĪḤ OṂ VAJRAPĀṆI HŪṂ PHAṬ: OṂ HŪ TRĀṂ HRĪḤ Ā | SVĀHĀ | MAṄGALAṂ | ŚUBHAṂ | PADAMAMUSUGUSARVATATHĀ NOTES N/A Photo credit: Himalayan Art Resources Published: January 2024 BIBLIOGRAPHY Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje. 2009. Ḍākki blo gsal sgrol maʼi zhabs brtan . In gter chos mdo mkhyen brtse ye shes rdo rje , vol. 5, 479–80. Chengdu: Dzogchen Pönlop Rinpoche. BDRC MW1PD89990_8428BE . For the Long Life of Ḍākki Losal Drölma 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.

Yogi Milarepa 1040–1123 BDRC P1853 TREASURY OF LIVES LOTSAWA HOUSE Milarepa, one of the most revered figures in Tibetan Buddhism, lived during the eleventh and twelfth centuries and is celebrated as a great yogi, poet, and teacher of the Kagyu lineage. Born into a family that later fell into hardship, his early life was marked by tragedy and the pursuit of vengeance through black magic, leading to devastating karmic consequences. Seeking redemption, he turned to Buddhism and became a disciple of the great master Marpa Chökyi Lodrö. Enduring severe trials under Marpa’s guidance, Milarepa purified his past deeds and mastered profound tantric practices, including inner heat (tummo) and Mahāmudrā meditation. Renowned for his solitary retreats in Himalayan caves, he sustained himself on nettles and composed spontaneous songs of realization, inspiring countless practitioners. Milarepa's life exemplifies the transformative power of dedication, meditation, and the pursuit of enlightenment. His teachings and songs continue to resonate deeply within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. 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. 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

Teacher The Seventh Dzogchen Tenzin Lungtok Nyima Rinpoche b. 1974– BDRC P8686 PHOTO CREDIT Tenzin Lungtok Nyima Rinpoche was born in 1974 in the Baré region of lower Amdo. At the age of seven, he chose to pursue monastic life at Dzogchen Monastery. There, he was raised and educated by senior figures, including his uncle Dzogchen Pema Kalzang Rinpoche. At fifteen, he joined Śrī Siṃha College, where he formally took ordination and began advanced studies in Tibetan grammar, poetry, and Buddhism. By eighteen, he was appointed assistant professor. At twenty-seven, he took full ordination and was formally recognized with the title of Khenpo, becoming an established academic and educator within the Nyingma tradition. Tenzin Lungtok Nyima was formally recognized as the Seventh Dzogchen Rinpoche by Dogden Lama, who publicly acknowledged him during a teaching session by placing a ceremonial scarf around his neck and presenting a handwritten prophecy. 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. Read Biography Biography Of Getse Lama Jigme Ngotsar Gyatso Tenzin Lungtok Nyima Getse Lama Jigme Ngotsar Gyatso, disciple of Jigme Lingpa and founder of Kilung Monastery, spread the Longchen Nyingtik teachings while establishing his own enduring legacy. 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

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. 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