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Returning to the community she had once called home, Sera Khandro mourns the deaths of her lama and son, her homelessness and broken relationships, before transforming her grief into renewed devotion to the Dharma. Abstract Born into a prominent family in Lhasa, Sera Khandro fled an arranged marriage at fifteen to pursue the Dharma in eastern Tibet, where she endured poverty, servitude and rejection. Her troubled years with Gara Gyalse (mgar ra rgyal sras) at Bennak (pan nag) ended amid conflict, and in 1924 an epidemic claimed both her five-year-old son, Rigdzin Gyurme Dorje (rig 'dzin 'gyur med rdo rje), and her lama and partner, Drimé Özer (dri med 'od zer), leaving her homeless with her surviving daughter. Several years later, she returned with her daughter to the encampment where much of this former life had unfolded. She had come to prepare an accurate copy of Dudjom Lingpa’s (bdud 'joms gling pa) teachings. With the help of Dorje Sung (rdo rje srung), she obtained the necessary manuscripts from Tulku Dorje Dradul (sprul sku rdo rje dgra 'dul) and spent over a month checking them. Once the work was complete, the familiar surroundings awakened the full weight of her losses, and she sang the work translated here under the title supplied by the translators as “Formerly a Noblewoman”. The song transforms her grief over bereavement, homelessness and broken relationships into a contemplation of impermanence and renewed devotion to the Dharma. BDRC MW1PD108254 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 04:01 TRADITION Nyingma CLAN Nub HISTORICAL PERIOD 20th Century TEACHERS Terse Drime Wozer Akye Terchen Orgyen Kacho Lingpa TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Riwoche Monastery Drak Yerpa Dartsang Kelzang Monastery Sera Tekchen Chokhorling Bennak STUDENTS sangs rgyas rdo rje The First Adzom Drukpa, Drodul Pawo Dorje The Fourth Chaktsa, Kunzang Pema Trinle 'jigs bral chos kyi blo gros 'gyur med rdo rje rdo rje dgra 'dul AUTHOR Sera Khandro Formerly a Noblewoman Then, following the advice of Tsuldor’s younger brother, Dorje Sung [1] , I sent my attendant Tsuldor to Tulku Dorje Dradul to explain why we needed to borrow the manuscripts. The Tulku was pleased and kindly lent us all the texts we required. We remained there for over a month, carefully proofreading and comparing the manuscripts. Once this work was complete, the surroundings and all that had happened there in the past weighed heavily upon my heart, and I sang this bewildered song of grief: Alas, the conditioned phenomena of samsara! How disheartening these state of affairs are! Once, I was a woman of noble birth; Now everyone sees me as someone to be shunned. Promises once made were like knots tied in silk; Now they are but beautiful apparitions in the sky. All the pleasures once arrayed before me Now only further my suffering. The companions in sacred vows With whom I was once close— Helplessly parting from them is a cause of sorrow. The local people and retinue I once knew Now resemble a two-faced damaru. Seeing that all deeds and activities Are by nature subject to change, Who could bear such suffering as mine, A girl who has become an object of pity? Alas, alas, O Three Jewels! I have no hope or reliance for this life or the next. Friendless and alone, how wretched I am! Homeless, I am cast out like a dog to the ends of the earth. With no one to stand by me, I am scorned and reviled by all. Though my intentions were good And my conduct in harmony with the Dharma, Adverse circumstances contrary to the Dharma Arose with full force. My protector, my most kind Lama, Has passed into the pure realm. My only son has been led away By the grim Lord of Death. We, a helpless mother and child, Have been banished to a foreign land. Those endowed with merit gather together, Their splendour and happiness are like the higher gods. Yet my own lot is the ground of every suffering. Everything I had once gathered Now reveals itself as a teacher of impermanence. The mountain behind is impermanent; Its grass and trees wither away. The valley is impermanent; It becomes a pika’s burrow. Houses are impermanent; They crumble into ruins. Disciples are impermanent; They journey to other lands. Families are impermanent; They part and scatter from one another. Faced with such displays of impermanence, The depths of my heart are crushed by sorrow. Alas, alas, conditioned things! Whatever I reflect is without essence. Whatever I ponder is like a magical illusion. Endless activities are like patterns traced with incense smoke. If I abandon the eight worldly concerns, Samsara’s iron shackle, And practise the sacred Dharma, I will find great meaning in this very life. By this, the Lama’s kindness is repaid. By this, the wishes of retinues and disciples are fulfilled. By this, the twofold benefit of self and others is accomplished. Therefore, with body, speech, and mind, I strive in the Dharma. Though I have no worldly affairs, My mind is at ease. Though cast out from the ranks, I have achieved my own purpose. Though despised by everyone, I triumph over all. Though banished to the borderlands, My mind has come to certainty. I behold the true face of the unchanging natural state. I realise self-awareness as inseparable from the Lama. In compassion, no distinction remains between near and far. Blessings will fill the vessel of the three doors. What doubt is there that I will swiftly arrive At the royal seat of Dharmakaya Samantabhadra? Saying this, I stayed there, healing my own mind. At that time, we went to the previous hermitage where Dorje Sung was, as he had said, “You, mother and son, come here.” When we arrived, all the displays of past occurrences and the many future possibilities that arose in my mind, I rested in equanimity. COLOPHON None NOTES [1] Dorje Sung (rdo rje srung) was the younger brother of Sera Khandro’s attendant, Tsultrim Dorje (tshul khrims rdo rje), and helped arrange her access to the manuscripts required for this work. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kunzang Dekyong Wangmo (Kun bzang bde skyong dbang mo). Dbus mo Bde ba’i rdo rje’i rnam thar . In Gsung ’bum , vol. 1 ( pod dang po ), pp. 484–486. BDRC MW1PD108254 . Published September 2026 Formerly a Noblewoman 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.

Key sections of the Tibetan Charter detailing the exile government's organizational structure - translated for historical documentation of this significant constitutional document. Abstract A translation of pertinent and interesting sections of the Tibetan Charter, a document setting out the organisation structure of its government. This translation is purely for a historical presentation. LINK DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION N/A INCARNATION LINE N/A HISTORICAL PERIOD 20th Century 21st Century TEACHERS N/A TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTION Government STUDENTS N/A AUTHORS Tibetan Government in Exile The Charter of the Tibetans In Exile For over one thousand years the three regions of Tibet were ruled by forty-three successive Tibetan familial kings. Beginning with the first king Nyatri Tsenpo in the second century [BCE] and [finishing with] U Dum Tsenpo in the ninth century [CE]. [During this time], the kingdom of Tibet’s military power and rule became one of Central Asia's most powerful. For this reason, it is included within the three countries of comparable strength: China, Tibet, and Mongolia. Tibet developed its own independent language and grammar from that time and was considered the second Noble Country (India) in all respects to dharma, sciences, and social civilization. In the ninth century Tibet collapsed into a fragmented state and lost its capacity to remain united. It lacked a well-organized political administrative power, and there were only ruling regional chieftains. Drogon Chogyel Pakpa (1235–1280) established a priest-patron relationship with the Great Hor in the 1260s, once again reviving a political power that pervaded Tibet's three regions in their entirety. However, shortly after this period, not only were they unable to protect the borderlands, but Tibet’s reigning party frequently changed over the next three hundred and eighty years with Pakdru, Rinpung, and Tsangpa ruling respectively. For these reasons, [a set of] laws and administrative power could not reach all of Tibet. Due to numerous domestic dissensions, Tibet’s prevailing political power dramatically diminished. From the moment His Holiness, the Great Fifth [Dalai Lama] (1617–1682), founded the Gaden Podrang Government in 1642, the tradition [which acknowledges] the successive incarnations of the Powerful Victor, [the Dalai Lama], as the leaders of the spiritual and political affairs of Tibet was inaugurated. The Tibetan political administration was correspondingly stabilized, Buddhist teachings flourished in a non-sectarian manner, and Tibetan people happily enjoyed a life of freedom. The tradition in which the incarnations of the Powerful Victor, [the Dalai Lama], gradually acquired political-administrative activities upon reaching a suitable age was established. At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, a general secular approach and international foreign relations had not adequately developed. Additionally, not long after the Great Thirteenth [Dalai Lama] had accepted his authority over the political administration, powerful adverse conditions forced him to flee to Mongolia, China, and India. In conjunction with resettling himself in the country [of Tibet], he re-enforced Tibet’s position of power and made a [significant] declaration. In harmony with the observations of the international environment during his recent [forced] journey, he brought about outstanding achievements by exerting himself to create ways that bring comfort to Tibetan people and approaches for firmly establishing a political administration, modern education, and other institutional reforms. The main point is that for nearly four hundred years, Tibet’s political administration, [the Gaden Podrang], has been able to stably govern. In 1949 the Chinese Red Army began their violent invasion of Tibet. In 1950 when the situation in Tibet became critical, His Holiness, the Great and Supreme Fourteenth [Dalai Lama] (1935–) had to [prematurely] accept the responsibilities of the political administration even though he was only sixteen years old. Under the force of the People’s Republic of China, in 1951, Tibet had to sign the so-called Seventeenth Point Agreement. While the government of Tibet tried to abide [by the settlement] for eight years, the Chinese governmental authorities disregarded the articles of the agreement and violently suppressed the Tibetan people. As such, His Holiness, the Great and Supreme Refuge-Protector [the Dalai Lama], and the Cabinet Ministers had to relocate the Tibetan Administration to the Yulgyel Lhuntse District. There they maintained their declaration that the [Chinese government] had pressured them to sign the Seventeen Point Agreement. Immediately upon arriving in exile on 18th April 1959 in the city of Tezpur, India, [His Holiness and the Cabinet Ministers] held a press conference during which they reasserted the declaration that repudiated the Seventeen Point Agreement. All Tibetans in Tibet and diaspora continue to believe and recognize that the legitimate Tibetan Administration is wherever His Holiness [the Dalai Lama], the Great and Supreme Refuge-Proctor, and his Cabinet Ministers reside. Upon the formation of the Tibetan Administration in Exile in India, which was under the leadership of the His Holiness [the Dalai Lama], the Great and Supreme Refuge-Protector granted a legitimate democratic system, which had been his long-held wish. Subsequently, the democratically elected body of the Tibetan Parliament was established in 1960. In 1961 they prepared the constitution's fundamental principles for the future Tibetan [nation] and announced the constitution in 1963. In 1991 His Holiness [the Dalai Lama], the Great Refuge-Protector, converted the Tibetan Parliament into a proper legislative assembly. Accordingly, the eleventh Parliament established the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, which His Holiness the great [Dalai Lama] approved on 29th June 1991. This transformed the Tibetan Administration in Exile to accord with a modern democratic system possessing a written constitution. In 2001 following the wishes of His Holiness [the Dalai Lama], the Great and Supreme Refuge-Protector, the people directly elected a Prime Minister. This was significant progress in the development of democracy. In the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile there are conditions which establish the successive incarnation of His Holiness [the Dalai Lama], the Refuge Protector, as the director of the government and the leader of the nation. However, His Holiness saw multiple long and short-term objections, necessities, and reasons for the Tibetan people not to rely on a sole person [as the head of the government]. To ultimately develop a democracy from that time onward, on 14th March 2011, His Holiness [the Dalai Lama], the Great and Supreme Refuge-Protector, did not accept the responsibilities of the political and governing administrations. Furthermore, he irrevocably and firmly declared to the [parliamentary] assembly that the leader of the political and governing administrations should be a democratically elected representative. To accomplish this [goal], the framework of the Charter would need to be amended. An appeal was put forward for him to reconsider [his declaration], but he did not accede and returned the request. Moreover, based on the eleventh chapter of the currently existing Charter, His Holiness [the Dalai Lama], the Great Refuge-Protector, gave his permission to amend the Charter and pass his responsibilities over secular affairs to the elected leaders. These leaders’ capacity to serve and be the representatives of all Tibetan people in Tibet and abroad was confirmed on 29th May 2011. Chapter 1 Fundamental Principles Article 1 - Refuge-Protector— The Symbol of Tibet and the Tibetan People The destined deity of Tibet is Avalokiteśvara who is His Holiness the Fourteenth [Dalai Lama], the Victor of the three realms and the Great and Supreme Refuge-Protector. He is the commander of the universe’s peace and the master of all the teachings of the victorious [buddhas] upon the Earth. He is the Refuge-Protector of all Tibetans, the unsurpassable leader, and a guide for moral behaviour. He is the identity of the Tibetan people, the symbol of their unity, and the sovereign spokesperson of all Tibetans. Those conditional factors have been established through the historical events over the centuries and by the culture and aspirations of sovereign Tibetans. Therefore, he intrinsically possesses the responsibilities and the authority enumerated below. 1. He shall give counsel, advice, and encouragement on any matters of the Tibetan people and the procedures of Central Tibetan Administration including the development of the Tibetan peoples’ welfare, thoughts and conduct, the preservation and promotion of Buddhism, culture, and sciences, and the methods that accomplish the main goal of Tibet. 2. Whenever His Holiness [the Dalai Lama], the Great Refuge-Protector, sees the necessity, or upon the request from the leaders, he shall state his judgment concerning the prominent matters of the Tibetan people, society, Buddhism, and politics to the parliament and cabinet as grounds for investigation. 3. For the Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan people, he shall meet and discuss with international leaders and various important people. His Holiness shall bestow the title of the representative of His Holiness [the Dalai Lama], the Great and Supreme Refuge-Protector, to the official representatives and specified representatives who have been appointed by the cabinet. (continued) Chapter 4 (continued) Article 28 - His Holiness and the Summoning of the Cabinet Meetings Withdrawn (Continued) Article 31 - Council of Regents Withdrawn Article 32 - Chairman of the Council of Regents Withdrawn Article 33 - Duties and Powers of the Council of Regents Withdrawn Article 34 - Dissolution of the Council of Regents and Removal of Regents Withdrawn Article 35 - Term of Office and Salary of the Council of Regents Withdrawn (continued) Chapter 5 (continued) Article 43 - His Holiness [the Dalai Lama]’s Annual Address and Communications to the Tibetan Parliamentary Assembly Withdrawn Article 44 - Rights of the President and the Admission of Cabinet Ministers in the Sessions of the Tibetan Assembly The President and Cabinet Ministers have the right to take part in the sessions of the parliamentary assembly and the sessions of the standing committees. They have the right to deliver speeches, engage in debate, and propose the agenda. However, they do not possess the right to vote [in the assembly]. (continued) Chapter 6 (continued) Article 68 - Obtaining the Judgement from the Supreme Justice Commission Withdrawn (continued) Article 70 - Office of the Judicial Administration Withdrawn Chapter 8 Electoral Procedures Article 96 - Tibetan Central Election Commission There shall be an independent Tibetan Central Election Commission for the discharge of duties pertaining to the election of the members of the Tibetan Assembly, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Assembly, and the Auditor General as well as any other election responsibilities regarding referendums on major issues involving the interest of Tibetan citizens. Article 97 - Chief Election Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission, Their Responsibilities and Power 1.a. Whenever the Tibetan Central Election Commission requires a Chief Commissioner due to its vacancy, the Supreme Justice, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and the President are to set up a special committee comprised of three people specifically assigned to select candidates. The proposed candidates should be at least double [the vacancy] and voted upon in parliament. Whosesoever wins the majority shall be recognized as the selected Chief Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission. Otherwise from time-to-time, the cabinet can appoint the necessary members after consulting with the Chief Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission. 1.b. Whenever there is the need to appoint a Chief Commissioner for the Tibetan Central Election Commission when the parliament is not in session, with more than two-thirds majority, the standing parliament can appoint a Chief Commissioner from amongst the candidates proposed by the aforementioned selection committee. 2.a. Whenever there is the need for an election of the President and the Members of Parliament, two additional Election Commissioners are required in the Tibetan Central Election Commission beginning from the official announcement for commencing the election up until the time of declaring the final results. The Supreme Justice, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and the President are to set up a special committee comprised of three people specifically assigned to select candidates. The proposed candidates should be at least double [the vacancy] and voted upon in parliament. Whosesoever wins the majority shall be recognized as the selected additional Election Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission. Conversely, it is sufficient for the parliamentary assembly to decide [and appoint an additional Election Commissioner] with a majority [vote] as long as the committee mutually supports the chairman of the Public Service Commission and the Tibetan Audit Commission. 2.b. Whenever there is the need to appoint an additional Election Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission when the parliament is not in session, with more than two-thirds majority, the parliamentary standing committee can appoint an additional Election Commissioner from amongst the candidates proposed by the aforementioned selection committee. 2.c. Before entering into their responsibilities, the Chief Election Commissioner and the two additional Election Commissioners of the Tibetan Central Election Commission must take an oath before the Supreme Justice Commissioner per the main points settled in the law. 3. From the appointment of the additional Election Commissioners of the Tibetan Central Election Commission until the declaration of the final electoral results, all the electoral procedures shall be decided by the Chief Election Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission and the two additional Electoral Commissioners either through a unanimous or majority decision. The Chief Electoral Commissioner shall be in charge of the committee of the electoral commission. 4. The duties and powers of the Election Commission and framework of their procedures and functions shall be implemented as determined by the parliamentary assembly. 5. Per articles of this charter, the Tibetan Central Election Commission shall formulate the regulations of the general election, which shall be implemented as determined by the parliamentary assembly. 6. The Tibetan Central Election Commission shall investigate and resolve all irregularities or discrepancies involving election procedure. If the decision made by the commission is disapproved, the matter may not be brought before any other Justice Commission except the Supreme Justice Commission. 7. Any irregularities or discrepancies involving election procedure in separate Tibetan settlements may be investigated and resolved by the Local Election Commission. If the decision made by the Local Election Commission is disapproved, the matter may be brought before the Tibetan Central Election Commission. If the matter remains unresolved, the matter may be referred to the Supreme Justice Commission. Article 98 - Salary of the Chief Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission (continued) 3. If only one person is acting as the Chief Election Commissioner and the additional Election Commissioner, then there is no need to determine a separate salary, allowances, pension, and other privileges. If another person is appointed in addition, the salary, allowances, and other privileges are comparable to the Chief Commissioner’s other than the pension. Article 99 - Term of the Chief Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission 1. The term of the Chief Commissioner shall be [set to] five years unless a resolution calling for the removal of the Chief Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission is approved by more than two-thirds majority of the parliamentary assembly, or the term of the Chief Commissioner shall be [annulled] upon reaching the age of sixty-five, whichever the case may be. (continued) Chapter 9 (continued) Article 101 - Composition of the Public Service Commission 1. The Public Service Commission must function with a Chairperson and two to four Committee Members. Whenever there is a vacancy, the Supreme Justice, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and the President set-up a special committee comprised of three people specifically assigned to select candidates. The proposed candidates should be at least double [the vacancy] and voted upon in parliament. Whosoever wins the majority shall be recognized as the selected Chairperson or a Committee Person of the Public Service Commission. 2. Whenever there is the need to appoint a Chairperson or Committee Member for the Public Service Commission when the parliament is not in session, with more than two-thirds majority, the standing parliament can appoint a new Chairperson or Committee Member from amongst the candidates proposed by the aforementioned selection committee. 3. Before entering into their responsibilities, the Chairperson or Committee Member of the Public Service Commission must take an oath before the Supreme Justice Commissioner per the main points settled in the law. (continued) Article 103 - Rules of the Procedures and Functions of the Public Service Commission The formulated framework of procedures of the Public Service Commission shall be implemented as determined by the parliamentary assembly. (continued) Chapter 10 (continued) Article 107 - Composition of the Tibetan Audit Commission 1.a. Whenever the Tibetan Audit Commission requires an Auditor General due to its vacancy, the Supreme Justice, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and the President are to set up a special committee comprised of three people specifically assigned to select candidates. The proposed candidates should be at least double [the vacancy] and voted upon in parliament. Whosoever wins the majority shall be recognized as selected Auditor General of the Tibetan Audit Commission. 1.b. Whenever there is the need to appoint an Auditor General of the Tibetan Audit Commission when the parliament is not in session, with more than two-thirds majority, the standing parliament can appoint an Auditor General from amongst the candidates proposed by the aforementioned selection committee. 2. Before entering into their responsibilities, the Auditor General of the Tibetan Audit Commission must take an oath before the Supreme Justice Commissioner per the main points settled in the law. (continued) Chapter 11 (continued) Article 112 - Referendum Withdrawn Article 113 - Transitional Provisions Withdrawn Article 114 - Infrastructural Reorganisation Withdrawn (continued) Appendix No 1. A - Oaths for the Duties of the President and the Cabinet Ministers President: Since I, ( name ), have been elected as the President of the Tibetan Administration, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of the President in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, and favouritism. Cabinet Minister: Since I, ( name ), have been elected as a Cabinet Ministers of the Tibetan Administration, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of a Cabinet Ministers in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, and favouritism. I make this firm oath with the Three Jewels as my witness. Or I solemnly swear. Appendix No 1. B - Oaths of Confidentiality President: I, ( name ), will never directly or indirectly disclose to anyone the confidential matters related to the duties of the President unless the government has decided to make an announcement for the interest of Tibet and the Tibetan people. Cabinet Minister: I, ( name ), will never directly or indirectly disclose to anyone the confidential matters related to the duties of the Cabinet Ministers unless the government has decided to announce them for the interest of Tibet and the Tibetan people. I make this firm oath with the Three Jewels as my witness. Or I solemnly swear. Appendix No 2 - Oaths for the Duties of the Members of Parliament Since I, ( name ), have been elected as a member of the (XX) Tibetan Parliament, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of the members of the parliament in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, and favouritism. I make this firm oath with the Three Jewels as my witness. Or I solemnly swear. Appendix No 3 - Oaths for the Duties of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker Speaker: Since I, ( name ), have been elected as the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of the Speaker in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, and favouritism. Deputy Speaker: Since I, ( name ), have been elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of the Deputy Speaker in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, and favouritism. I make this firm oath with the Three Jewels as my witness. Or I solemnly swear. Appendix No 4 - Oaths for the Duties of the Supreme Justice Commissioner and the Members of the Justice Commission Supreme Justice Commissioner: Since I, ( name ), have been elected as the Supreme Justice Commissioner of the Central Tibetan Administration, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of Supreme Justice Commissioner in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability and wise discernment with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, and favouritism. Members of the Justice Commission: Since I, ( name ), have been elected as a member of the Justice Commission of the Central Tibetan Administration, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of a member of the Justice Commission in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability and wise discernment with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, and favouritism. I make this firm oath with the Three Jewels as my witness. Or I solemnly swear. Appendix No 5 - Oaths for the Duties of the Chief Election Commissioner and the Additional Commissioners Chief Election Commissioner: Since I, ( name ), have been elected as the Chief Election Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of Chief Election Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, and favouritism. Additional Election Commissioner: Since I, ( name ), have been elected as an additional Election Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of an additional Election Commissioner of the Tibetan Central Election Commission in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, and favouritism. I make this firm oath with the Three Jewels as my witness. Or I solemnly swear. Appendix No 6 - Oaths for the Duties of the Chairperson and Committee Members of the Public Service Commission Chairperson: Since I, ( name ), have been elected as the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, and favouritism. Committee Member: Since I, ( name ), have been elected as a Committee Member of the Public Service Commission, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of a committee member of the Public Service Commission in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, and favouritism. I make this firm oath with the Three Jewels as my witness. Or I solemnly swear. Appendix No 7 - Oaths for the Duties of the Auditor General of the Tibetan Audit Commission Since I, ( name ), have been elected as the Auditor General of the Tibetan Administration, with faith and trust in the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, I will fulfil all duties and obligations of the Auditor General in accordance with the fundamental principles of the charter. I will serve to the best of my ability and wise discernment with sincerity and pure intentions devoid of self-centred partiality, apprehension, favouritism. I make this firm oath with the Three Jewels as my witness. Or I solemnly swear. The above charter contains all the amendments made up until 6th February 2020. COLOPHON None NOTES None BIBLIOGRAPHY See link above The Charter of the Tibetans In Exile 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.

This text presents the outer, inner, and secret practice cycles of Zhepe Dorje, transmitted by Lhachik Nyima Zhönu—a protector deity revealed through pure vision—in 1730 and recorded in 1731. Abstract This text presents the outer, inner, and secret practice cycles of Zhepe Dorje, transmitted by Lhachik Nyima Zhönu—a protector deity revealed through pure vision—in 1730 and recorded in 1731. The three-tiered practice system offers progressive visualisation methods: the outer practice presents Zhepe Dorje as a monastic teacher, the inner practice depicts him as a tantric master, and the secret practice reveals him as a naked ascetic. BDRC LINK MW22130 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 02:26 TRADITION Geluk | Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Lelung Jedrung HISTORICAL PERIOD 18th Century TEACHERS The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso The Fifth Panchen Lama, Lobzang Yesh e Damchö Zangpo Mingyur Paldrön Chöje Lingpa Dönyö Khedrup The First Purchok, Ngawang Jampa Ngawang Chödrak Yeshe Gyatso Damchö Gyatso Losal Gyatso Lhundrub Gyatso Dungkar Tsangyang Drugdrak The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Lelung Monastery Mindröling Ngari Dratsang Chökhor Gyal Trandruk Potala Tsāri STUDENTS Kunga Mingyur Dorj e Dorje Yom e Kunga Paldzom Lobzang Lhachok Dönyö Khedrub Polhane Sönam Tobgy e Ngawang Jampa Mingyur Paldrön The Fifth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Kalzang Pema Wangchuk Lhasang Khan AUTHOR Lelung Zhepe Dorje The Outer, Inner, and Secret Practice Cycle of Zhepe Dorje Namo ḍākinī ye! I received the outer, inner, and secret practice cycles of Zhepe Dorje from Lhachik Nyima Zhönu in the Iron Male Dog year (1730). E ma! For Zhepe Dorje, there are outer, inner, and secret explanations. For those wishing to accomplish the outer practice, Visualise Zhepe Dorje in monastic attire, Seated in a lama’s teaching posture, In a place that is either the sangha's joyous garden Or atop the stupa's tiered chambers— Before a Dharma wheel with a retinue of renunciants, Surrounded by many śrāvakas— Make supplications with deep yearning and clear resonance. For those wishing to accomplish the inner practice, Visualise Zhepe Dorje in the form of a master of mantra, Appearing in any attire, free from convention. His dwelling places are forest groves, riverbanks, Solitary abodes, rocky mountains, villages, and so forth. Visualise [him] in various forms and surrounded by a diverse retinue, Seated in the centre of the gaṇacakra gathering— Then make feast offerings, Fire offerings, water offerings, and others. [179] For those wishing to accomplish the secret practice, Visualise Zhepe Dorje as a naked ascetic Engaged in the conduct of invoking blessings. Bearing many implements—thigh bone trumpet, ḍamaru, bell, and conch shell, Surrounded by a hundred thousand beautiful young women, He binds ḍākinīs, ging, and lang as servants [1] Proclaiming HŪṂ PHAṬ BHYO, His abodes are haunted places and charnel grounds, where he roams. Meditate on maintaining the yogic observances, Take up the HŪṂ song and raise awareness, Dispatch with PHAṬ and mix space and awareness, Proclaim fierce cries, longing songs, and whistles. Colophon Thus, having received authorisation, this was written down in the Miracle Month of the Iron Female Pig year (1731). This completes the great chapter of Zhepe Dorje's practice cycle. NOTES [1] Ging (ging) and lang (glang) are classes of spirits in Tibetan Buddhism—ging often depicted as fierce skeletal figures and lang as messenger spirits. Published: January 2026 BIBLIOGRAPHY Sle lung rje drung Bzhad pa’i rdo rje. 1983–1985. Bzhad pa’i rdo rje’i phyi nang gsang gsum gyi sgrub skor . In Gsung ’bum Bzhad pa’i rdo rje , vol. 12, 193–195. Leh: T. Sonam and D. L. Tashigang. BDRC MW22130_1813C6 The Outer, Inner, and Secret Practice Cycle of Zhepe Dorje VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Butön Rinchen Drup's concise text outlines ascending qualities for sages, bodhisattvas, and Mantrayāna practitioners, mirroring the progression through Buddhism's three vehicles. Abstract As potent as it is pithy, this short text outlines three sets of qualities required respectively by sages, bodhisattvas, and practitioners of the Mantrayāna. There is obvious overlap in the advice contained at each level, particularly ascending from the initial to the final qualities, which mirrors the central training of the three Buddhist vehicles essential to the Tibetan tradition. The work was composed by the fourteenth-century Sakya master Butön Rinchen Drup, one of Tibet’s most prodigious scholars and the abbot of Shalu Monastery. BDRC LINK W1PD45496 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 01:05 TRADITION Sakya INCARNATION LINE None HISTORICAL PERIOD 13th Century 14th Century TEACHERS Shongtön Dorjé Gyaltsen Sönam Drakpa Drakpa Shönnu Nyima Gyaltsen Yönten Gyatso Palden Senggé Sönam Senggé Rinchen Senggé Sanggyé Yeshé Tsültrim Palsang Sönam Gön Drakpa Gyaltsen Chö Palsangpo TRANSLATOR Patrick Dowd INSTITUTIONS Shalu Nartang Tsal Gungtang Nyang Tarpaling Sakya Monastery Ripuk Hermitage STUDENTS Drakpa Sherab Lama Dampa Sönam Gyaltsen Choklé Namgyal Rinchen Namgyal Palden Tsültrim Rinchen Sangpo Gyalwa Rinchen Jangchub Tsémo Püntsok Palsang Déchen Chöpal Drakpa Gyaltsen Gyatso Rinchen Shönnu Sönam Chökyi Palwa Jamyang Rinchen Chö Palsangpo Chökyi Gyaltsen Sönam Paldrub Sherbum Dönyö Palsang Yeshé Döndrub Rinchen Sanggyé Gön Gyalwa Chokdrub Tsültrim Nyingpo Rinchen Namkha Chokdrub Rinchen Tséwang Jamyang Karpo Kyabchok Pal Sönam Drub Döndrub Pal Degyal Rinchen Kyab Yakdé Paṇchen Tsöndrü Dargyé Gönpo Pal Drubpa Palsangpo Yungtön Dorje Pal Lodrö Gyaltsen AUTHOR Butön Rinchen Drub Essential Advice in Three Sets of Three ན་མོ་བུདྡྷཱཡ། Namo Buddhāya! སྡིག་པ་ཆུང་ཡང་དུག་བཞིན་བསྲུང་། ། དཀའ་ཡང་དགེ་བ་འབད་པས་བསྒྲུབ། ། རྩ་བ་བདག་འཛིན་རྣམ་རྟོག་གཞོམ། ། འདི་གསུམ་ལྡན་ན་མཁས་པ་ལགས། ། To guard against even the smallest misdeed as if it were poison, To endeavour to accomplish virtue even when it’s difficult, To thoroughly destroy concepts at the root of self-clinging, To be endowed with these three is to be a sage. གཞན་གྱི་སྡིག་སྡུག་བདག་གིས་བླང་། ། བདག་གི་དགེ་བདེ་གཞན་ལ་གཏང་། ། སྟོང་ཉིད་སྙིང་རྗེ་རྟག་ཏུ་བསྒོམ། ། འདི་གསུམ་ལྡན་ན་བྱང་སེམས་ལགས། ། To take on oneself the misdeeds and sufferings of others, To give to others one’s own virtue and happiness, To constantly meditate on emptiness and compassion, To be endowed with these three is to be a bodhisattva. ཅིར་སྣང་སྒྱུ་མ་ལྷ་སྐུར་ཤེས། ། དྲན་རིག་བདེ་གསལ་མི་རྟོག་པ། ། བྱིན་རླབས་བླ་མའི་རྣལ་འབྱོར་བསྒོམ། ། འདི་གསུམ་ལྡན་ན་སྔགས་པ་ལགས། ། To know that whatsoever appears is the illusory body of the deity, To be mindfully aware of bliss, clarity, and non-thought, To meditate on guru yoga, the wellspring of blessing, To be endowed with these three is to be a Mantrayāna practitioner. COLOPHON གནད་ཀྱི་གདམས་ངག་གསུམ་ཚན་གསུམ་འདི་ནི་ཆོས་རྗེ་ཐམས་ཅད་མཁྱེན་པ་བུ་སྟོན་རིན་པོ་ཆེས། དྭགས་པོ་རིན་ཆེན་ལ་གནང་བའི་གདམས་པ་ཡིན་ནོ། ། “Essential Advice in Three Sets of Three” was composed by the All-Knowing Dharma Lord, Butön Rinpoche, and delivered to Dakpo Rinpoche. NOTES Photo credit: Himalayan Art Resources Published: June 2021 BIBLIOGRAPHY Rin chen grub. 2008. Dwags po rin chen la gnang ba'i gdams pa . In Gsung 'bum/ rin chen grub (bris ma). 28 vols. Beijing: Krung go'i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang, vol. 26, pp. 429–430. BDRC W1PD45496 Essential Advice in Three Sets of Three 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.

This song points to the paradox that mind cannot find its own nature by searching for it, since seeker and sought are not separate. Abstract Tsangnyön Heruka, the famed “Madman of Tsang,” sings here of the paradox of seeking the nature of mind: the seeker and what is sought are not separate. Beyond thought and description, mind’s true nature is revealed through meditation and simply resting as it is. BDRC LINK MW4CZ1248 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 01:16 TRADITION Marpa Kagyu CLAN Nyang HISTORICAL PERIOD 14th Century 15th Century TEACHERS sangs rgyas seng+ge kun dga' sangs rgyas yon tan rgya mtsho kun dga' nyi ma don grub grags pa The Second Drukchen, Kunga Peljor TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf English editing by Libby Hogg INSTITUTIONS Pelkhor Chode Swayambhunath Rechung Puk Kailash Tsāri Labchi STUDENTS sna tshogs rang grol rdo rje seng+ge rin chen rnam rgyal dngos grub dpal 'bar AUTHOR Tsangnyon Heruka Searching for Mind Homage to the Guru. You who wish to see the very nature of mind, listen here! Just as a blade, however sharp, cannot cut itself, And an eye, however clear, cannot see itself; Just as fire cannot scorch itself, nor water drench itself, Just so, mind cannot find its own nature by seeking it, As both finder and seeker are none other than mind itself. Yet describing its characteristics in this way Is like claiming to have seen the sky And then describing its edge and centre, its shape and colour. The natural state of mind is beyond thought, expression, and example. Through the power of the blessings of the lineage, And through the fruition of meditation, The true nature of primordial wisdom Will certainly dawn from within. Without entertaining conceptual judgements Concerning saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, Rest in the state in which There is neither coming nor going. Evaṃ. COLOPHON None NOTES * “Searching For Mind” is a title supplied by the translators since this song is untitled in the Collected Songs of Tsangnyön Heruka. BIBLIOGRAPHY Tsangnyön Heruka (gtsang smyon he ru ka rus paʼi rgyan can). rje btsun gtsang smyon he ru kas la phyi nas blangs pa’i nyams mgur . In gtsang smyon he ru kaʼi mgur ʼbum , 1 vol., 1, compiled by Godtsangpa Natsok Rangdröl (rgod tshang pa sna tshogs rang grol). BDRC MW4CZ1248 . Searching for Mind VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Khenpo Ngawang Palzang's morning devotional rings clear and true with tantra's essential message: devotion stands as the highest practice. Abstract In this succinct text, a practice a devotee resounds in the early morning, Khenpo Ngawang Palzang strikes a central point of Buddhist tantra and rings the ever-sounding bell in the belfry of devotion. BDRC LINK MW22946 _6A9C9F DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 01:11 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE None HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century 20th Century TEACHERS Lodrö Gyatso The First Drukpa Kuchen, Chöying Rölpe Dorje Nyoshul Lungtok Tenpe Gyaltsen Khenchen Gyaltsen Özer Nyoshul Lungtok Tenpe Nyima Sönam Palden Kunzang Palden The Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, Tubten Chökyi Dorje The Fifth Shechen Rabjam, Pema Tegchok Tenpe Gyaltsen Sönam Chöpel The Third Mura, Pema Dechen Zangpo Tsultrim Norbu Dorzin Namdröl Mipam Gyatso TRANSLATOR Dr. Joseph McClellan INSTITUTIONS Palyul Monastery Katok Monastery Dzogchen Monastery STUDENTS Tulku Könchok Drakpa Adzom Gyalse Gyurme Dorje Khenpo Nuden Legshe Jorden Lama Drönma Tsering Khenchen Gyaltsen Özer Tsultrim Yönten Gyatso Chatral Sangye Dorje The Fourth Chagtsa, Kunzang Pema Trinle The Fourth Drutob Namkha Gyatso, Zhepe Dorje Khenchen Tsewang Rigzin The Second Dzongsar Khyentse, Jamyang Chökyi Lodrö Botrul Dongak Tenpe Nyima Jampal Drakpa Khen Dampa Pema Ribur Tulku Gyalten Ngawang Gyatso Tromge Arik Tulku Tenpe Nyima Nyagtö Khenpo Gedun Gyatso Lama Munsel Tsultrim Gyatso Gojo Khenchen Karma Tashi Gyara Khenchen Gönpo Orgyen Chemchok Yoru Gyalpo The Third Zhichen Vairo, Pema Gyaltsen Togden Lama Yönten Lakar Togden Polu Khenpo Dorje Khunu Rinpoche Tenzin Gyaltsen Nyoshul Khenpo Jamyang Dorje Lungtrul Shedrub Tenpe Nyima Khenpo Rinpoche Sönam Döndrub Khen Lodrö Khenpo Pema Samdrub The Second Palyul Chogtrul, Jampal Gyepe Dorje The Second Penor, Rigzin Palchen Dupa AUTHOR Khenpo Ngawang Palzang Devotion is the Highest Practice [1] ཐོ་རེངས་མལ་ནས་ལྡང་བའི་དུས། ། In the early morning, as you rise from bed, recite: དུས་གསུམ་སངས་རྒྱས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་ངོ་བོ་དཔལ་ལྡན་རྩ་བའི་བླ་མ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་མཁྱེན་ནོ། ། dü sum sang gyé tam ché kyi ngowo penden tsawé la ma rin po ché khyen no Glorious, precious root guru, essence of all the buddhas of the three times, please think of me! བདག་གི་རྒྱུད་བྱིན་གྱིས་བརླབ་ཏུ་གསོལ། ། dak gi gyü jin gyi lap tu söl Please bless my mindstream! ལུས་ལ་བདེ་བ་སྐྱེ་བར་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས། ། lü la dewa kyewar jin gyi lop Please bless me with bliss born in my body! ངག་ལ་ནུས་པ་འབར་བར་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས། ། ngak la nü pa barwar jin gyi lop Please bless my speech to blaze in its own command! [ 2 ] སེམས་ལ་རྟོགས་པ་འཆར་བར་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས། ། sem la tok pa charwar jin gyi lop Please bless me with the dawning of realizations in my mind! ཚེ་འདི་བློ་ཡིས་ཐོང་བར་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས། ། tsé di lo yi tongwar jin gyi lop Please bless me to give up thoughts of this life! ངེས་འབྱུང་བློ་སྣ་སྐྱེ་བར་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས། ། ngé jung lo na kyewar jin gyi lop Please bless me with an attitude of renunciation! བདག་འཛིན་འཁྲུལ་བ་འཇིག་པར་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས། ། dakdzin trülwa jik par jin gyi lop Please bless me to demolish the confusion of self-clinging! བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་མཆོག་སྐྱེ་བར་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས། ། jang chup sem chok kyewar jin gyi lop Please bless me with supreme awakened mind! COLOPHON ཞེས་བླ་མ་ལ་མོས་གུས་ཕུར་ཚུགས་སུ་བྱའོ། ། This was written in fervent devotion to the guru. NOTES [1] There seems to be a play on the word lama ( bla ma ), which means both guru and “highest.” In the title, “Devotion” is placed next to lama with no grammar particle clarifying the relation. Such juxtapositions usually indicate apposition. In between lama and practice/path ( lam khyer ), there is a genitive particle making “highest” the qualifier of “practice.” The short colophon arranges “devotion” and lama a little differently, where lama is given first in the accusative case, followed by devotion. In this arrangement, the meaning is clearly “devotion to the lama/guru.” [2] This line is rendered loosely, simply for stylistic reasons. The general meaning is unambiguous. A literal translation could be “Bless potency/power/mastery to blaze in my speech.” When we refer to someone with excellent skill in speech, we often say they have great “command.” Published: September 2022 BIBLIOGRAPHY mkhan po ngag dgaʼ. mos gus bla maʼi lam khyer . In gsung ʼbum ngag dbang dpal bzang , 1: 628–29. khreng tu’u. BDRC MW22946_6A9C9F . Devotion is the Highest Practice 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.

Sera Khandro sang this song at the age of eleven, a month after her mother’s death, following an encounter with a white vulture she recognised as the soul-bird of a ḍākinī. Abstract Sera Khandro sang this song [1] at the age of eleven, a month after her mother had passed. It was prompted by an encounter with a white vulture she recognised as the soul-bird of a ḍākinī. Addressing the bird, she expresses her grief, longing, and devotion, before replying to her brother, who challenges her behaviour. In this response, the tone shifts from lament to resolve, as she makes clear her intention to leave and follow her own spiritual path. Together, these verses capture a pivotal moment in her life, where personal loss gives way to a decisive turning toward the Dharma. BDRC LINK MW1PD108254 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 03:09 TRADITION Nyingma CLAN Nub HISTORICAL PERIOD 20th Century TEACHERS Terse Drime Wozer Akye Terchen Orgyen Kacho Lingpa TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Riwoche Monastery Drak Yerpa Dartsang Kelzang Monastery Sera Tekchen Chokhorling Bennak STUDENTS sangs rgyas rdo rje The First Adzom Drukpa, Drodul Pawo Dorje The Fourth Chaktsa, Kunzang Pema Trinle 'jigs bral chos kyi blo gros 'gyur med rdo rje rdo rje dgra 'dul AUTHOR Sera Khandro Song of the Vulture Seated on the roof of her house, one month after her mother's death, Sera Khandro sees a white vulture and recognises it as the soul-bird of the ḍākinī. The sight of it calls her mother to mind, and she sings. From the womb of the vast sky's expanse, You, soul-bird of the karmically pure ḍākinī— Settle your mind and listen to my words. Where are you going, and from where do you come? I am a motherless child, an orphan. A month has passed since I lost my mother. Not knowing where she has gone, my suffering is great. O mighty white vulture! Have you seen where my mother has gone? Do you know where she now abides? I, a daughter without a kind mother, Am like a blind person abandoned on a plain, Wingless, as if fallen into the abyss. Now, with thoughts like these, I long for my mother. This body, these lovely faculties—my mother’s kindness. These ornaments and belongings—my mother's kindness. This food, these enjoyments, this wealth—my mother's kindness. My eloquent speech—my mother's kindness. My harmony with everyone—my mother's kindness. Knowing the six-syllable mantra—my mother's kindness. Meeting lamas—my mother's kindness. Such a mother, so great in kindness— Please help me so that in this life, I may meet my dear companion again. O white divine bird, hold me in your heart. After the song, her brother Phuntsok Chöphel arrived and rebuked her for singing in grief. She sang in reply: Listen, elder brother, Phuntsok Chöphel, The nature of my mind is beyond elaboration; it is free of delusion. Its unobstructed radiance displays itself in the manner of mother and child. Its indeterminate energy arises as joy, as sorrow—as anything at all. My kind mother, like a rainbow in the sky, A magical display dissolved into the expanse. I, the daughter, am just like a Mon cuckoo. [2] When the gentle autumn breeze draws in, I seek my own path. You father and son are like an unchanging swastika, [3] Fixed in one place, endowed with abundance. The vulture, like a female bodhisattva, Has skilfully lured my grieving mind. [4] This place is like a nest of poisonous snakes. Not for a single moment have I known happiness here. The happy place is the peaceful mountainside of blissful seclusion. The happy path is the blissful, divine dharma, joyous and sublime. Now, without delay, I will go on the path of great bliss! Her brother, believing her unstable, reported her behaviour to their father. He dismissed the concern, attributing it to her karma and independent nature rather than any spiritual harm. Unwilling to conform or bring trouble to the family, Sera Khandro vowed she would not go to the headman—she would wander freely, according to her own path. COLOPHON None NOTES [1] This song is drawn from within a rnam thar and is untitled. We have therefore supplied the title “Song of the Vulture” for ease of reference. [2] The cuckoo ( khu byug ) migrates south to the warm lowlands of Mon as the seasons turn. In identifying herself as a “Mon cuckoo” who seeks her own path when the autumn breeze arises, Sera Khandro makes her intention clear: like the bird, she too will depart. [3] g.yung drung , rendered here as "swastika," is an ancient symbol of permanence and immutability in both Bön and Buddhist tradition, representing the unchanging, unoriginated nature of reality. Her father and brother, settled contentedly in worldly prosperity and unmoved by any impulse toward renunciation, stand as figures of worldly permanence—precisely what the lines that follow demonstrate her leaving behind. [4] ' brid is carries a sense of strategic concealment: the one being led is not fully aware of where they are being taken, or by what means. More neutral alternatives such as "drawn" or "guided" would lose this, so we render it as "lured." The framework within which this concealment operates, however, is that of thabs (skilful means, Skt. upāya )—the method by which bodhisattvas meet beings within their own experience and lead them gradually toward liberation. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kunzang Dekyong Wangmo (kun bzang bde skyong dbang mo). Dbus mo bde ba’i rdo rje’i rnam thar . In Gsung ’bum , vol. 1 (pod dang po), pp. 65–66. BDRC MW1PD108254 . Published April 2026 Song of the Vulture VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Ancient Buddhist scriptures from the Collection of Precious Qualities reveal how collective karma shapes our universe's formation and every world system within it. Abstract The Formation of the Outer Container is a description of the formation of the universe according to Buddhist cosmogony. BDRC LINK W20820 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 04:15 TRADITION Kagyu INCARNATION LINE N/A HISTORICAL PERIOD Unknown TEACHERS Unknown TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTION Unknown STUDENTS Unknown AUTHOR Drigung Konchok Tendzin Chokyi Lodro The Formation of the Outer Container As it says in the Noble Verses on the Collection of Precious Qualities [ 1 ] concerning the formation of the outer container, the foundation of the earth and the mountains: “The wind [element] depends on space and aggregations of the water [element] depend on the wind [element]. This great earth, supporting sentient beings, depends on the water [element].” Furthermore, the former constituents of that world system, having been destroyed by fire, water, and wind of an eon then for twenty intermediate eons, will all together become nothing. It is after this [period of time], the constituents of the world system will form .[ 2 ] The initial cause of this world system depends upon the collective karma of sentient beings. Known as the Pure Mind, [ 3 ] it is a white space that radiates light and develops into a sizable container [ 4 ] capable of supporting a three-thousandfold world system .[ 5 ] Atop that space forms a wind mandala, and a blue rippling wind rises forth known as the Great Churning Wind. [6] The All-Pervading Wind [ 7 ] spreads it in all directions amassing like fog in the sky. The Wild and Rough Wind [ 8 ] noisily scatters that wind like clouds in the sky, which is collected by the Colossal Gathering Wind, [ 9 ] becoming vast and thick. Through the burning of the fire that spreads from the orange Ripening Fire Wind, [ 10 ] the wind mandala becomes smooth with an even surface. The multi-coloured Wind of the Dividing Wind [ 11 ] rises up in a rush, dispersing the wind mandala, and the Churning Wind mixes it into its proper formation. The colour of the wind takes the aspect of a sapphire jewel, shaped like a crossed vajra and surrounded by a round rim. As for its size, its thickness is 1,600,000 yojanas [ 12 ] and has an immeasurable width. Since its inherent quality is solid and firm, it supports the [elements] such as water. A water mandala forms on top of that, and clouds possessing the essence of gold gather in the space above the wind mandala. A stream of rain descends about the size of a chariot’s axel. From its swirling centre a shape like a full circular moon forms called the Calm and Clear Water .[ 13 ] As for the size of the water mandala, its thickness is 120,000 yojanas and has an immeasurable width. On top of that a golden foundation forms: The Churning Wind arises from the wind mandala that is underneath the water, churning the water mandala. Out of the cream that is produced from the churning of the water mandala, a golden foundation is established, like the ice that forms on a lake. It is square with a yellow gold-like hue, as for the size, its thickness is 220,000 yojanas and has an immeasurable width. Mountains, oceans, and continents form on top of that. Moreover, in the space above the golden foundation clouds of various constituents amass, and a stream of water descends from them for a significant duration. After this, the Gathering and Sorting Wind [ 14 ] separates the elements: a billion Mt. Sumerus are established from the best elements, a billion mountains of the seven rings are established from the mediocre elements, and billions of iron mountains of the outer rim, billions of the four continents, and billions of the sub-continents are established from the inferior elements. The manner of this formation is stated in the sutra. In that way, when the four continents and sub-continents are formed with the inferior elements, the head of the four great rivers and the great Mt. Kailash are also established in the centre of the southern Jambudvipa [continent]. This should be known. COLOPHON None NOTES [1] ārya prajñāpāramitāratnaguṇasaṃcayagāthā [2] According to Buddhist cosmology, the cycle of the world system consists of four periods: 1. eon of formation (chags pa'i bskal pa, vivartakalpa), 2. eon of abiding (gnas pa'i bskal pa, vivartasthāyikalpa), 3. eon of dissolution ('jig pa'i bskal pa, saṃvartakalpa), and 4. eon of nothingness (stong pa'i bskal pa, saṃvartasthāyikalpa). The Abhidharmakośabhāṣya (Chos mngon pa'i mdzod kyi bshad pa), attributed to the famous master Vasubhandu (c. 4th–5th CE), states that each of the four eons consists of twenty intermediate eons (bar bskal pa, antarakalpa). This initiatory section of the text describes the cycle of these four eons. For more information see: The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism 2014: kalpa. [3] yid rnam par dwangs pa [4] snod [5] A three-thousandfold world system is the largest universe or cosmological container capable of containing upwards of a billion world systems each with their own central Mt. Sumeru and geological and continental structures. For more information see: The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism 2014: trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu [6] rnam par srub byed kyi rlung [7] kun tu khyab byed kyi rlung [8] rtsub 'gyur gyi rlung yam [9] rnam par sdud byed kyi rlung [10] smin byed me'i rlung [11] 'byed byed rlung gi rlung [12] Yojana – An ancient Indic measurement of distance said to be the distance that a pair of yoked oxen can travel in a single day. There are various modern measurements estimating this distance ranging from four to ten miles. For more information see: The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism 2014: yojana. [13] zhi ba gsal dag [14] 'byed sdud kyi rlung BIBLIOGRAPHY 'Bri gung chos kyi blo gros. 1998. Phyi snod sa gzhi ri bcas chags tshul . In Gnas yig phyogs bsgrigs, pp. 136–139. Khreng tu'u: Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang. BDRC W20820 The Formation of the Outer Container 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.

The first guidebook to Pemokö, revealed as a treasure by Jatson Nyinpo, prophesies future degeneration and identifies this sacred hidden land as a sanctuary. Abstract The Guidebook to the Hidden Land of Pemokö is a revealed treasure text included in Jatson Nyinpo’s Embodiment of the Precious Ones, the Konchok Chidu. It is a prediction text about the future degenerate times and purportedly the first guidebook to the hidden land of Pemoko. BDRC LINK W1KG3655 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 14:14 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE N/A HISTORICAL PERIOD 16th Century 17th Century TEACHERS Namkha Jigme Chade Tertön Tsultrim Gyaltsen Mipam Lodr ö The Tenth Karmapa, Chöying Dorje TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTION Bangri Jogpo STUDENTS Dudul Dorje Sonam Gyatso Natsok Rangdröl Namkha Jigme Lodrö Nordan The Sixth Zharmapa, Chökyi Wangchuk The Fifth Drugchen, Pagsam Wangpo The First Drigung Chungtsang, Chökyi Dragpa The Third Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Ngakgi Wangpo Chökyi Gyatso Norbu Gyenpa Pema Mati AUTHOR Jatsön Nyingpo The Guidebook to the Hidden Land of Pemokö Emaho! One such as I, the Lake-Born Padmasambhava, meandered throughout India like a river for 3028 [years] and stayed in the region of U in central Tibet for 111 years. In Chamara, [ 1 ] the country of the rakshasa demons, I led the red-faced [cannibals] to the Dharma. I established all beings in happiness. Even still, forty eons in the future, famine, and poverty will arise from desire, proliferating war will arise from hatred, different forms of pestilence will arise from delusion, and various torments will arise from the three poisons in equal measure. At that time, sentient beings will have no opportunities for happiness, and the Turkish armies will invade every direction. Alas! What a surging wave of misery! Although it might be possible to escape to the sixteen greater and lesser hidden lands, due to the power of negative karma, very few will escape. The wealthy will be caught by the noose of avarice, and those who have heirs will deceive one other. The elderly will lose the will to travel, children will be unable to find the path, and animals will just up and die. Such is the ripening of negative karma for beings without refuge! As a sign of the ripening of such karma for beings devoid of a protection, there will also be these outer, inner, and secret bad omens: sudden avalanches will occur on Mt. Kailash, lightning and hail will destroy the region of Ngari, earthquakes will destroy the borderlands of Tibet and China, heretical doctrines will multiply in Nepal, and samaya-breakers, maras, and elemental spirits will overrun U and Tsang. In the region of Dokham, destructive wildfires will burn alive tens of thousands of sentient beings, causing [the survivors] to wander the scorched earth. There will be many mad dogs and crazed people in the lands of Jar, Dak, and Nyal. Suffering and pestilence will blanket Drak, Long, and Nyang. Many multifarious maladies will steam forth from the mouths of the people of Hor and Mongolia. The majority will die as medicine will prove ineffective. Provocations and elemental spirits from the east, wild men, predatory animals, and barbarians from the south, poisonous commerce of warfare from the west, and Hor, Mongols, and Turks from the north—all these will spread! Countless bolts of lightning as well as hailstones and meteorites will descend from the vast sky. Multiple earthquakes will shake the ground. Bright stars and white lights will appear over and over again, and the red light of the god of fire will fill the sky. Orchards and crops will be blighted and bear no fruit. Due to famine, generations of families will repeatedly face ruin. Rain will fall sporadically, and there will be great depressions and caverns in the earth. The ground will collapse, rock faces will subside, rivers will overflow, and there will be many wildfires. When all these things occur, the signs of illness will arise: people will be physically stunted and possess a great desire for destructive actions. They will debauch themselves as much as possible. All of this will appear like the rising of a storm. At that time, various kinds of [cultural] ornamentation and weaponry will spread, there will be a great trend of new people, new languages, and new fashion. The jewellery and attire of the borderlands will spread into the centre of the country, while the appearance of the ordained living in the centre of the country will disperse to the borderlands. At that time, the appearance of both sutra and mantra practitioners will be in disarray, new doctrines will arise like a whirling blizzard, and unusual treatises will pervade the land. Confidence in the Mahayana will fade in the face of individual fabrications of sophistry. Demonic emanations appearing in the guise of dharmic practitioners will become ubiquitous while individuals who attain accomplishment will be as rare as stars in broad daylight. At that time, most beings will be under the power of Mara. Towns will be lawless like a mala with a broken cord. There will be no compensation for murder or maiming [a member]. Wicked individuals will win arguments, and robbery and stealing will be rife. What spiritual friends there are will have short lives, the meaning of meditation will go unlearned, and people will learn to be competitive in arts and technology. [ 2 ] Some people, seeking to destroy their delusion, will eat human flesh and solely devote themselves to the misguided conduct of depriving beings of their lives. At that time, an emanation of Gyalwa Chokyang (8th cent.) [ 3 ] will be born on the north-east border and will gain widespread fame. All who hear of him will be led to Sukhavati (Dewachen), by the very same [emanation] Vajradharmadhatu. The teachings will be confused [as the perplexed people] won’t understand the [correct] ordering of them. Internally the people will be in disarray, and externally they will [appear] Chinese. These will be the secret signs of their appearance. At that time, all the countryside will be in complete turmoil! All men and women, lay and ordained, and livestock will be distraught! Even the eight classes of gods and demons, the non-humans, will be upset. As there will be external fighting, internally the mind will be conflicted! The channels and winds will be muddled, as if one had drunk poison, and people will lack self-confidence. This is definitely the magical ploys of demons. After that, there will be an emanation of Nine Gonpo demon brothers, bearing the name Duk Lung because of whom a singular act harmful to the whole of Tibet will arise. For these reasons there exist the sixteen great hidden lands. Concerning the great place Pemoko [ 4 ] : east of Samye there is a valley called Dakpo, and if you follow the river, there is a valley that resembles a prone scorpion. Atop the tip of the tail sits a site called Gyala, which is the extraordinary supreme sacred site of Yama, Lord of Death. From there you can continue to follow the river, or, alternately, going towards Kukar pass is also acceptable, where there is the great charnel ground, Tsenmo Mebar. In the east, it is similar to a gathering of wildlife with a base [shaped] like upward climbing scales. Behind there is a mountain in the shape of an open flower, resembling a brandished weapon. About seven furlongs away is a place where the gods and [ravenous] rakshasas gather. There are many large and small border stones, and then the four doors to the sacred site. At Drangtsi Drak, perform a hundred feast offerings, make smoke offerings, and declare the power of the words of truth. Then there is the so-called Ziknang Drak, which reveals the reflection of all who gaze upon it. Then there is a great eddy in the river and a large tree about two arm spans in width, with a fragrance like incense and a pungent flavour. You will be able to make a bridge by felling it. There are many such big trees, so sharpen your tools. There is a stone stupa as big as Mt. Meru then, there is a place called Rabtroling. All visions that are seen will appear as if they are real. There are [also] many stone crossings. Then you will arrive at Namdak Jatson Ling, a place which appears to be endowed with the eight auspicious signs [ 5 ] and the eight articles. [ 6 ] The smell of incense billows everywhere and the streams murmur with the sound of the rulu [mantra]. This is a place where meditative concentration arises spontaneously. Then there is a small mountain pass called Jokpama, where the path has the shape of the syllable bhyo , the earth has an eight-petalled lotus, and there is an eight-spoked wheel in the sky. The surroundings feature the eight auspicious symbols and the eight auspicious articles. To the east of the place called Gumik Lingtse is Namdak Kopa as well as Melong Kochung, to the south is Palden Kopa as well as Yonten Kochung, to the west is Pemo Kopa as well as Pemo Kochung, to the north is Lerab Kopa as well as Drakpo Kochung, and in the centre is Taye Kopa. The area of the Five Kochen is one hundred and eighty furlongs, and the Four Kochung extend for thirty-five furlongs. The perimeter is surrounded by snow and rock, and a rain of flowers falls continuously from the sky. When the seasons change, if one flees the four places—China, Jang, Lo, and Kong—then one will be satisfied by escaping to the place [of Pemoko]. Each and every area is sealed by mountain passes, rivers, and cliffs. There will be no risk of conflict or strife. At that time, the emanation of the Guru will gradually show the path. Remember [me] Orgyen at all times and recite the Guru Pema Siddhi [Hum mantra]. This will clear away obstacles and adversity. I will appear vividly to those who have undoubting faith in me and longingly keep me in the centre of their hearts. Continuously sing heartfelt supplications and I will also come as sundry sounds. Visualise [me] either above the crown of your head or in front of you, and you will be able to perceive me directly. Let everyone during the five hundred [degenerate] years humbly beseech me, Padmakara, and take refuge in me. Compared to other Buddhas, my compassion is swift. Even if we do not meet in this life, I will certainly dispel suffering in the intermediate state. For me, there is nothing more than the welfare of beings. Whatever one wishes will be spontaneously accomplished. Amongst the sixteen hidden lands, whoever hears of or recalls this great Pemoko, their karmic obscurations will be purified. Even walking or riding seven steps in its direction will certainly result in being born there. Performing seven full prostrations while visualising this [place] will lead to becoming a Non-Returner and no longer wandering in cyclic existence. Whoever surely arrives here will obtain the indestructible rainbow body. Even drinking a single drop of water or eating a pinch of herb will pacify sufferings such as chronic illness and clear dulled sense faculties. The elderly too will take on youthful forms. Those with bad karma, who do not recall the excellent dharma, will, by virtue of travelling to this sacred site, become self-liberated accomplished ones. Consuming the earth and stones of this place, even at the end of one’s [karmic] lifespan, will extend life by hundreds and thousands of years. If feeling cold, wear the union of fire and wind as clothing. If thirsty, enjoy ambrosial water. If hungry or destitute, live on corn, the five kinds of cereal, and the fruits from trees. There is no physical pain or mental suffering, and there is no need for conflict or sloth. The primordial wisdom of the [union of] emptiness, luminosity, and the self-blazing warmth of bliss will arise. The majority of fruit is about the size of a horse’s head, unhusked wheat and barley grains the size of an apricot stone, and radishes and turnips [so large] people can barely lift them. There is no need to grind salt as the food is comparable to nectar and equal in potency to the sustenance of the gods. The channel of clear intelligence will open, clairvoyance and the four immeasurables like love and compassion will arise, and in six months a body of light will be spontaneously accomplished. How amazing! How amazing that the victorious ones of the three times have such powerful prayers of aspiration and such capacity! One such as I, the Lake-Born Padmakara, concealed many texts as treasures in mountains and valleys. I concealed many sacred substances, representations of body, speech, and mind. I hid a mixture of many excellent teachings for protecting, repelling, and killing. In the future may those treasures be taken out by a [heart] son. There will be many obstacles when Jatson, the emanation of [Myang] Tingdzin Zangpo (8th cent.), [ 7 ] fulfils his own and others’ aims. At that time an emanation light ray of Takra Lugong (d. 782) [ 8 ] will appear disguised as a [heart] son, and there is a risk that he will cause obstacles. Practice firm samadhi which blazes forth with the powers of subjugation and wrathful activity. An emanation of the evil minister Tramik will appear in the guise of a spiritual friend and through his cunning disparage others and eventually cause disputes. At such a time, entreat the Lord of Great Compassion (Avalokiteśvara). There will be an emanation of the demoness Zanglak, who will adopt a beautifully fine form and cause obstacles to your practice, vows, and samaya. Look at her with intelligence as she could be seen as a demoness or a goddess. An emanation of Tsenmar Raru will appear in the guise of a nobleman pretending to be your patron and eventually take hold of your life. It is crucial that you dedicate yourself to the ablution of Ucchuṣma, king of the wrathful (Trogyal Metsek). You will come across about seven manifestations of red-faced Te'u Rang dwarves, who will provide bad, unclean food and disparage you. Develop compassion towards them and transform them through that relationship. Furthermore, at that time since the three poisons will be expressed so strongly, gradually spread and cherish the profound treasures. Simultaneously, as a result of propagating empowerments and oral transmissions, there will be many samaya transgressors and you must absolutely look after them at all times as well as strive in your own practice. Do not drink maddening alcohol and avoid low caste women. Travel the path of secret mantra and be diligent. Whatever happiness or suffering befalls you, recall [Guru] Orgyen, and all those with whom you come into contact, however significant or insignificant, will be satisfied. Even amongst manifestations, this heart son [ 9 ] is the foremost emanation. For example: among all the different kinds of blood, he is that of the very heart. Among celestial bodies in the sky, he is the essential sun and moon. Among the best medicines, he is the special, all-conquering one. Among jewels, he is that which fulfils all wishes and desires. Among treasure revealers, he is the discoverer of the most supreme and rarest treasure. Fortunate ones, supplicate him. In this vidyadhara’s heart centre, light energy blazes in the branch channels to form a triangle, the auspiciousness of which is externally apparent. The ferocity of his exalted mind is akin to the games of children— one moment divine, the next demonic. [However] his conduct is faithful to the Three Baskets [of the Buddhist teachings]. As for his meditation, he practices Mahamudra, Dzogchen, and Madhyamaka, and his view arises as the non-referential view, free from the extremes [of nihilism and eternalism]. He immediately remembers that he has no time for distractions. Suffering unbearably, eyes wet with tears, unfriendly yet maintaining samaya—all of this is the magical display of his channels. A person possessing such karma is one in a hundred. This heart son of Padma will be surrounded by plenty of fortunate ones with the right karma. However, since there are many with bad karma and forsaken samaya, dakinis who are the essence of the sky, protect him! Samaya. The seal of the words of the Buddha, the seal of the nectar of the excellent dharma, the seal of the aspirational prayers of the sangha. Seal! Seal! Seal! The seal of the compassion of the gurus, the seal of the blessings of the deities, the seal of the entrustment of the dakinis, the seal of the power and force of the dharma protectors. Seal! Seal! Seal! COLOPHON Concerning both the concise and extensive guidebooks of Pemoko, which is one of the sixteen hidden lands, the treasure revealer Jatson Nyingpo brought forth [this guide] from the Guru Rinpoche Practice Cave in the valley of Kongpo. NOTES [1] Cāmara can be identified as Sri Lanka [2] The text reads gzo rigs which we have interpreted as a spelling error for bzo rig. [3] rgyal ba mchog dbyangs, BDRC P2JM167 [4] There are two variations of the spelling of this hidden land: Pad+mo bkod and Pad+ma bkod. We have followed the form that Jatson Nyingpo uses [5] The eight signs include the lotus (padma), the endless knot (dpal be’u, śrīvatsa), the pair of golden fish (gser nya, suvarṇamatsya), the parasol (gdugs, chattra), the victory banner (rgyal mtshan, ketu), the treasure vase (gter gyi bum pa, dhanakumbha), the white conch shell (dung dkar, śaṅkha), and the wheel ('khor lo, cakra). [6] i.Right-coiling conch shell (dung dkar gyas 'khyil), ii. Yogurt (zho) iii. Durva grass (rtsa dur ba) iv. Vermilion (li khri) v. Bilva fruit (shing tog bil ba), vi. Mirror (me long) vii. Bezoar (gi wang) viii. White mustard seed (yungs dkar). [7] myang ting 'dzin bzang po, BDRC P3827 [8] stag gra klu khong, BDRC P10MS16952 [9] At this point the treasure text is describing Jatson Nyingpo as the heart son. Thanks to Adam Pearcey at Lotsawa House for his editing. Published: November 2020 BIBLIOGRAPHY Jatsön Nyingpo ('ja' tshon snying po). 1979. sbas yul pad+ma bko kyi lam yig . In: Gter chen rig 'dzin 'ja' tshon snying po'i zab gter chos mdzod rin po che , vol.1, 445–460. Konchog Lhadrepa. Majnukatilla, Delhi. BDRC W1KG3655 . The Guidebook to the Hidden Land of Pemokö 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.

Teacher Khenpo Shenga 1871–1927 BDRC P699 TREASURY OF LIVES LOTSAWA HOUSE PHOTO CREDIT Khenpo Shenga (1871–1927) was one of the great Buddhist scholars and teachers of eastern Tibet. A master of both the Nyingma and Sakya traditions, he became renowned for his deep knowledge of the Indian Buddhist classics and for his role in transforming monastic education. As the nineteenth abbot of Śrī Siṃha College at Dzogchen, he established the study of the thirteen great Indian texts as the foundation of the curriculum, and his commentaries on these works became influential textbooks in monasteries throughout Tibet. Khenpo Shenga taught widely across Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim and is said to have helped establish or teach at nearly one hundred monastic colleges. His students included many of the most influential Buddhist teachers of the twentieth century, including Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro and the Eleventh Tai Situ Pema Wangchok Gyelpo. Alongside his scholarly work, he was an important teacher of Dzogchen and composed extensively on philosophy, tantra, biography and songs of spiritual experience. Miscellaneous Types of Spiritual Songs Khenpo Shenga A brief and vivid account of the different kinds of spiritual songs and the experiences from which they arise. 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

A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi, is a doha sung by Tsangnyön Heruka at the sacred hermitage of Labchi. Abstract “A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi” [1] —a title supplied by the translators—is an untitled doha drawn from the Precious Collected Songs of the Jetsun Tsangnyon Heruka, sung in Labchi. Arising within the context of a teaching encounter following the bestowal of empowerment and instruction to his heart-disciple, the song unfolds through a series of striking reversals: Tsangnyön speaks of confused meditative striving—delusion upon delusion—through the recognition of self-arising wisdom, free from elaboration, to the realisation of nonmeditation, in which all experience dawns as meditation and the five poisons arise as ornaments. The song culminates in one of Tsangnyon’s most arresting images: the learned cannot explain the ultimate nature of phenomena, the simple cannot, but the charnel ground corpses can. An expression of Mahāmudrā realisation in the doha tradition. BDRC LINK MW4CZ1248 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 01:26 TRADITION Marpa Kagyu CLAN Nyang HISTORICAL PERIOD 14th Century 15th Century TEACHERS sangs rgyas seng+ge kun dga' sangs rgyas yon tan rgya mtsho kun dga' nyi ma don grub grags pa The Second Drukchen, Kunga Peljor TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Pelkhor Chode Swayambhunath Rechung Puk Kailash Tsāri Labchi STUDENTS sna tshogs rang grol rdo rje seng+ge rin chen rnam rgyal dngos grub dpal 'bar AUTHOR Tsangnyon Heruka A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi Emaho! Victorious Hevajra is One’s own mind—primordially pure. Neither empty nor non-empty— It abides in a state free from elaboration. That self-arising primordial wisdom, without elaboration, I’d not recognised it before—while meditating on the path; I’ve come to understand this was delusion meditating on delusion. Now being free from the meditating intellect, When I wish to meditate, meditation is obscured by meditation itself. But with the great realisation of nonmeditation, everything dawns as meditation— While ordinary beings are fettered by wisdom itself— For the yogi, the five poisons arise as ornaments. The ultimate nature of phenomena, beyond arising and cessation, The learned don’t understand it, so I asked the simple-minded—they know not either! I questioned the corpses in the charnel grounds; What they explain is the ultimate nature of phenomena. These are a madman’s meditation experiences in the snowy mountains of Labchi. Evaṃ, written down in words—how wonderful! Evaṃ COLOPHON None NOTES [1] “A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi” is a title supplied by the translators since this “song,” or doha , is untitled in the Collected Songs of Tsangnyön Heruka, sung at the sacred Kagyu hermitage of Labchi. BIBLIOGRAPHY Tsangnyön Heruka (gtsang smyon he ru ka rus paʼi rgyan can). rje btsun gtsang smyon he ru kas la phyi nas blangs pa’i nyams mgur . In gtsang smyon he ru kaʼi mgur ʼbum , 1 vol., 1, compiled by Godtsangpa Natsok Rangdröl (rgod tshang pa sna tshogs rang grol). BDRC MW4CZ1248 . A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi 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 poignant and subtly defiant song in which Sera Khandro transforms sorrow, mistreatment and isolation into poetry, with the blue sky as her sole companion. Abstract Written at Bennak Monastery in 1913, My Only Companion Is the Blue Sky, a title supplied by the translators, gives voice to Sera Khandro’s profound isolation during her troubled relationship with Gyalse Pema Namgyel (gyal sras pad+ma rnam rgyal) [1]. Earlier that year, she had presented him with chests containing Treasure texts she had revealed. Gyalse dismissed the possibility that a woman in the present age could be a genuine treasure revealer, and from then on she recorded her revelations in secret. One day, Sera Khandro went to gather firewood on the nearby mountain of Solung Drakar, a sacred place associated with her own Treasures. There she encountered a demonic female apparition and subdued it. Consequently, she was late returning home and delayed serving Gyalse his tea. He struck her and threw her outside. BDRC LINK MW1PD108254 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 02:21 TRADITION Nyingma CLAN Nub HISTORICAL PERIOD 20th Century TEACHERS Terse Drime Wozer Akye Terchen Orgyen Kacho Lingpa TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf English Editing Libby Hogg INSTITUTIONS Riwoche Monastery Drak Yerpa Dartsang Kelzang Monastery Sera Tekchen Chokhorling Bennak STUDENTS sangs rgyas rdo rje The First Adzom Drukpa, Drodul Pawo Dorje The Fourth Chaktsa, Kunzang Pema Trinle 'jigs bral chos kyi blo gros 'gyur med rdo rje rdo rje dgra 'dul AUTHOR Sera Khandro My Only Companion Is the Blue Sky Then, because I took a long time carrying wood back to the house, I was late in serving tea to Gyalse. As a result, he beat me and threw me out. Overwhelmed with sorrow, I sang this bewildered song: Here in Bennak, [ 2] sorrow’s grove, Wretched company circles round. As I sing this foolish song of woe, A crow caws, ‘A-Qiu.’ [3] My cruel companion’s face— Like a shifting shadow on a rocky mountain. Our home, a dark hollow cave— A breeding ground for sickness, cold, and blight. For me, a beggar woman far from home, My sole companion is the blue sky. Never mind practising the true Dharma, Even these daily quarrels never cease. Now I am neither servant nor master. Leaving such drudgery behind, I’ll go wandering through the land. At my singing, Gyalse demanded gruffly, ‘What are you on about? Go boil the tea!’ When I went back into the house, his anger had subsided, and he simply asked, ‘What kind of song were you just singing?’ I replied, ‘I sang this’. Here in Benyak’s joyful grove, [4] The man who holds the fine steed— [5] His mood fickle as the three summer [6] months, Ever shifting between light and dark. Though the turquoise dragon [7] from the south Is wild and deft in all her arts, At times [even she] is powerless to act— For when the driving wind of karma has spent its force, Whatever one may do, Karma alone will steer the course. At that time, the local people too were extremely hostile toward me, calling me a demoness. For my part, I kept a humble, low profile and maintained strict secrecy while transcribing the profound treasure teachings. COLOPHON None NOTES [1] Gyalse Pema Namgyel (mgar ra rgyal sras padma rnam rgyal), the son of the treasure revealer Gara Tertön Pema Dündul Wangchuk Lingpa (mgar ba gter chen pad+ma bdud 'dul dbang phyug gling pa), was Sera Khandro’s consort during her years at Bennak. Their relationship was deeply troubled: he opposed her activities as a treasure revealer and attempted to prevent her from writing and teaching. See Jacoby, Sarah H Love and Liberation: Autobiographical Writings of the Tibetan Buddhist Visionary Sera Khandro (New York: Columbia University Press, 2014), 54–61. [2] Bennak (Wylie: pan nag ; here spelled ban nag ) is a Nyingma monastery of the Pelyul tradition in present-day Pema County, Golok, founded in 1824 (Jacoby, “Bennak”). The spelling pan nag also permits a pun meaning ‘bad’ or ‘negative monk.’ We have retained Bennak as a place-name in our translation while noting the wordplay here. [3] The crow’s cry is written ཨ་ཥིའུ (a Shi’u). The letter ཥ (Sha) is usually used in the transcription of Sanskrit words. Here it takes the sound of ཁ (kha) , so ཨ་ཥིའུ is read as ‘A-Qiu’. This unusual spelling represents the crow’s non-human cry, which we have rendered onomatopoeically. [4] Benyag (pan yag ) deliberately alters the earlier spelling pan nag . Pan yag suggests ‘good or virtuous monk’. Repeating the song in Gyalse’s presence, Sera Khandro thus disguises her earlier criticism as praise. ‘Sorrow’s grove’ becomes ‘joyful grove’. Although we have not translated ‘good monk’ separately, this sense should be understood as part of the wordplay. [5] The horse imagery is a veiled reference to Gyalse, who was born in the horse year. [6] The text reads sos gsum , taken here as ‘the three summer months’ (from sos ka , the warm season). The metaphor of unsettled, ever-changing weather holds whether one reads spring or summer. [7] The ‘turquoise dragon’ (g.yu 'brug) refers covertly to Sera Khandro herself, who was born in the dragon year. BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary Source Kunzang Dekyong Wangmo (Kun bzang bde skyong dbang mo). Dbus mo Bde ba’i rdo rje’i rnam thar . In Gsung ’bum , vol. 1 ( pod dang po ), pp. 196–197. BDRC MW1PD108254 . Secondary Sources Jacoby, Sarah H. “Bennak.” The Treasury of Lives . Accessed 27 August 2026. https://treasuryoflives.org/institution/Bennak . Jacoby, Sarah H. Love and Liberation: Autobiographical Writings of the Tibetan Buddhist Visionary Sera Khandro . New York: Columbia University Press, 2014 Jacoby, Sarah H. “Women and Wit in Tibetan Buddhist Literature.” Journal of Tibetan Literature 2, no. 1 (2023): 181–203. https://doi.org/10.58371/jtl.2023.52 . Published September 2026 My Only Companion Is the Blue Sky 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.