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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Drukpa Kunle 1455-1529 View Khenpo Shenga 1871–1927 View The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje 1284–1339 View Śākya Śrī 1853–1919 View Nyagla Pema Dudul 1816-1872 View Sera Khandro 1892-1940 View Tsangnyön Heruka 1452 –1507 View The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin 1699–1758 View Jetsunma Tamdrin Wangmo Kalzang Chokyi Nyima 1836-1896 View Kunga Palden 1878–1944/1950 View Dza Patrul Orgyen Jigme Chökyi Wangpo 1808–1887 View Chöje Lingpa 1682–1720 View The Seventh Dzogchen Tenzin Lungtok Nyima Rinpoche b. 1974– View Rigpe Raltri 1830–1896 View The First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Özer 1745–1821 View Losal Drölma 1802–1861 View Pema Tegchok Loden 1879–1955 View Butön Rinchen Drub 1290–1364 View Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor 1910–1991 View Dudjom Lingpa 1835–1903 View Dudul Dorje 1615–1672 View Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye 1813–1899 View Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo 1820–1892 View Khenpo Ngawang Palzang 1879–1941 View The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso 1856–1875 View Guru Chökyi Wangchuk 1200/1212–1270 View Jatsön Nyingpo 1585–1656 View Döndrub Gyal 1953–1985 View Milarepa 1040–1123 View Jigme Lingpa 1730–1798 View Tsongkhapa Lobzang Dragpa 1357–1419 View Tubten Chödar b. 1969 View Do Dasal Wangmo 1928–2018 View Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje 1800–1866 View The Fifth Lelung Zhepe Dorje 1697–1740 View People Tibet's influential figures including their works and mentions across translated texts. Search Person Menu Close Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Research Tool Privacy Policy & Terms of Use SUBSCRIBE Publications Watch People Listen

Do Khyentse, writing as Tragtung Dorje, crafts a long-life prayer for Ḍākki Losal Drölma that playfully incorporates her lesser-known name Drön while praising her spiritual attainments. Abstract Composed by Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje under the not-well-known moniker of Tragtung Dorje, this tract of a text lauds her blessed abilities and creates the conditions for her long life, all the while playing off her name, one that is also less known, incorporating Drön over Dröl. BDRC LINK MW1PD89990_ 8428BE DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 01:40 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Jigme Lingpa HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century TEACHERS The Fourth Dzogchen Drubwang, Mingyur Namkhe Dorje The First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Özer Gyurme Tsewang Chokdrub Dola Jigme Kalzang Jigme Gyalwe Nyugu TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Mahā Kyilung Monastery Katok Monastery Dzogchen Monastery Tseringjong STUDENTS Losal Drölma Tsewang Rabten Nyala Pema Dudul The Second Dodrubchen, Jigme Puntsok Jungne Patrul Orgyen Jigme Chökyi Wangpo The First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Özer Ranyak Gyalse Nyoshul Luntok Tenpe Gyaltsen Özer Taye Kalzang Döndrub Pema Sheja Drime Drakpa Kunzang Tobden Wangpo Gyalse Zhenpen Taye Özer Chöying Tobden Dorje Rigpe Raltri AUTHOR Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje For the Long Life of Ḍākki Losal Drölma འོད་མཚར་སྟོང་འབར་འཆི་མེད་མགོན་པོ་དང་། ། མཁའ་ཁྱབ་རྒྱལ་བའི་ཡབ་གཅིག་འཇམ་པའི་དབྱངས། ། ö tsar tong bar chi mé gön po dang kha khyab gyal wé yab chik jam pé yang Deathless Protector, blazing with a thousand wondrous lights, Mañjughoṣa, sole father of the victorious ones who pervade space, ཚད་མེད་ཐུགས་རྗེའི་གཏེར་མཛོད་པད་དཀར་འཆང་། ། མཐུ་རྩལ་སྒྱུ་འཕྲུལ་མངའ་བརྙེས་གསང་བའི་བདག ། tsé mé tuk jé ter dzö pé kar chang tu tsel gyun trül nga nyé sang wé dak Holder of the White Lotus, treasury of immeasurable compassion, Lord of Secrets, master of powerful wizardry— སྐུ་གསུམ་རིགས་འདུས་རྒྱལ་བའི་བྱིན་ནུས་མཐུས། ། བློ་གྲོས་ཟབ་དང་རྒྱ་ཆེའི་གསང་ཆེན་གནད། ། ku sum rik dü gyal wé jin nü tü lo drö zab dang gya ché sang chen né Through their potent blessings and those of the victors who embody the three-kāya families, The profound and vast secret points of the intellect (“Lo”), གསལ་བ་ཐབས་མཁས་ཚུལ་གྱིས་ལེགས་སྟོན་ཞིང་། ། སྒྲོན་མེ་ཇི་བཞིན་སྙིགས་མའི་སྡུག་བསྔལ་སྨག ། salwa tab khé tsül gyi lek tön zhing drön mé ji zhin nyik mé duk ngal mak You present, clearly (“Sal”) and skillfully, and Like a lamp (“Drön”), the dark suffering of the degenerate age, མ་ལུས་འཇོམས་མཛད་གདུལ་བྱའི་རེ་སྐོང་མ། ། འགྱུར་བ་མེད་པ་མི་ཤིགས་རྡོ་རྗེའི་ཁྲིར། ། ma lü jom dzé dül jé ré kong ma gyur wa mé pa mi shik dor jé trir You overcome without (“Ma”) exception — she who fulfills the hopes of disciples! Upon the immutable and indestructible vajra throne, ཇི་སྲིད་བསྐལ་བ་རྒྱ་མཚོར་ཞབས་བརྟན་ནས། ། གསང་ཆེན་ཆོས་ཀྱི་དགའ་སྟོན་འགྱེད་པར་ཤོག ། ji si kal wa gya tsor zhab ten né sang chen chö kyi ga tön gyé par shok May your life remain secure in this [saṃsāric] ocean, for as long as an eon, and May you distribute great secret feasts of the Dharma! COLOPHON ཅེས་པའང་དཔལ་ལྡན་རིག་འཛིན་ཆོས་བསྟན་ངོར་ཁྲག་འཐུང་རྡོ་རྗེས་སོ། ། ཞུས་སོ། ། Thus, this was made by Tragtung Dorje in response to Palden Rigzin Chöten. ཨོཾཨཱཿ ཧཱུྃབཛྲགུརུཔདྨསིདྡྷིཧཱུྃཿ ཨོཾཝཱགཱིཤྭརིམུཾཿ ཨོཾམཎིཔདྨེཧཱུྃཧྲཱིཿ ཨོཾབཛྲཔཱཎིཧཱུྃཕཊཿ ཨོཾཧཱུཏྲཱཾཧྲཱིཨཱ། སྭཱཧཱ། མངྒལཾ། ཤུབྷཾ། པདམམུསུགུསརྦཏཐཱ OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ VAJRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HŪṂ: OṂ VĀGĪŚVARIMUṂ: OṂ MAṆI PADME HŪṂ HRĪḤ OṂ VAJRAPĀṆI HŪṂ PHAṬ: OṂ HŪ TRĀṂ HRĪḤ Ā | SVĀHĀ | MAṄGALAṂ | ŚUBHAṂ | PADAMAMUSUGUSARVATATHĀ NOTES N/A Photo credit: Himalayan Art Resources Published: January 2024 BIBLIOGRAPHY Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje. 2009. Ḍākki blo gsal sgrol maʼi zhabs brtan . In gter chos mdo mkhyen brtse ye shes rdo rje , vol. 5, 479–80. Chengdu: Dzogchen Pönlop Rinpoche. BDRC MW1PD89990_8428BE . For the Long Life of Ḍākki Losal Drölma VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Yogi Milarepa 1040–1123 BDRC P1853 TREASURY OF LIVES LOTSAWA HOUSE Milarepa, one of the most revered figures in Tibetan Buddhism, lived during the eleventh and twelfth centuries and is celebrated as a great yogi, poet, and teacher of the Kagyu lineage. Born into a family that later fell into hardship, his early life was marked by tragedy and the pursuit of vengeance through black magic, leading to devastating karmic consequences. Seeking redemption, he turned to Buddhism and became a disciple of the great master Marpa Chökyi Lodrö. Enduring severe trials under Marpa’s guidance, Milarepa purified his past deeds and mastered profound tantric practices, including inner heat (tummo) and Mahāmudrā meditation. Renowned for his solitary retreats in Himalayan caves, he sustained himself on nettles and composed spontaneous songs of realization, inspiring countless practitioners. Milarepa's life exemplifies the transformative power of dedication, meditation, and the pursuit of enlightenment. His teachings and songs continue to resonate deeply within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Song A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong Milarepa Milarepa's poetic ode to Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong exalts nature itself as the source of this retreat site's blessing power, departing from traditional focus on Buddhist masters. Read Translated Works Mentioned In Menu Close Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Research Tool Privacy Policy & Terms of Use SUBSCRIBE Publications Watch People Listen

Teacher The Seventh Dzogchen Tenzin Lungtok Nyima Rinpoche b. 1974– BDRC P8686 PHOTO CREDIT Tenzin Lungtok Nyima Rinpoche was born in 1974 in the Baré region of lower Amdo. At the age of seven, he chose to pursue monastic life at Dzogchen Monastery. There, he was raised and educated by senior figures, including his uncle Dzogchen Pema Kalzang Rinpoche. At fifteen, he joined Śrī Siṃha College, where he formally took ordination and began advanced studies in Tibetan grammar, poetry, and Buddhism. By eighteen, he was appointed assistant professor. At twenty-seven, he took full ordination and was formally recognized with the title of Khenpo, becoming an established academic and educator within the Nyingma tradition. Tenzin Lungtok Nyima was formally recognized as the Seventh Dzogchen Rinpoche by Dogden Lama, who publicly acknowledged him during a teaching session by placing a ceremonial scarf around his neck and presenting a handwritten prophecy. Biography Mura Pema Dechen Zangpo Tenzin Lungtok Nyima A genealogy of the Mura lineage through its incarnations, focusing on the Third Mura Pema Dechen's life, teachings, and key relationships, penned by Tenzin Lungtok Nyima. Read Biography Biography Of Getse Lama Jigme Ngotsar Gyatso Tenzin Lungtok Nyima Getse Lama Jigme Ngotsar Gyatso, disciple of Jigme Lingpa and founder of Kilung Monastery, spread the Longchen Nyingtik teachings while establishing his own enduring legacy. Read Translated Works Mentioned In Menu Close Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Research Tool Privacy Policy & Terms of Use SUBSCRIBE Publications Watch People Listen