Author & Poet Döndrub Gyal 1953–1985 BDRC P5110 TREASURY OF LIVES TREASURY OF LIVES Döndrub Gyal is considered the first modern Tibetan poet to break through traditional Tibetan formalist elements. He is widely regarded in Tibet as the founder of modern Tibetan toetry. An accomplished scholar, writer, poet, and patriot, he committed suicide in 1985 when he was only 32. Poetry Waterfall of Youth Döndrup Gyal Döndrup Gyal's free-verse poem, written as Rangdröl, visually cascades down the page like a waterfall, its rhythm and form mirroring the flowing dynamics of youth. 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 prayer aspiring to rebirth in Pemokö, a sacred hidden land where dharmic conditions flourish and worldly obstacles dissolve - composed by Lelung Zhepe Dorje. An Aspiration to Travel to the Hidden Land of Pemokö རྩ་གསུམ་ཀུན་འདུས་པདྨ་ཐོད་འཕྲེང་རྩལ། tsa sum kündü pema tö treng tsal Embodiment of the Three Roots, Pema Tötrengtsal, དཔའ་བོ་མཁའ་འགྲོའི་ཚོགས་དང་བཅས་པ་རྣམས། pawo khandrö tsok dang chepa nam Together with the gatherings of heroes and ḍākinīs , བདག་གི་སྨོན་པ་འགྲུབ་པའི་དཔང་པོ་རུ། dak gi mönpa drubpé pangpo ru Come here unimpededly and remain ཐོགས་མེད་གཤེགས་ལ་འདིར་བཞུགས་དགོངས་སུ་གསོལ། tokmé shek la dir shuk gong su sol Witnessing me as I make this aspiration, I pray. བདག་གཞན་སྐྱེ་འཕགས་ཀུན་ཀྱི་དུས་གསུམ་དུ། dakshen kyé pak kün kyi dü sum du Through whatever collections of virtue that accumulated throughout the three times by myself བསགས་པའི་དགེ་ཚོགས་ཇི་སྙེད་བགྱིས་པ་དང་། sakpé gé tsok jinyé gyipa dang And others, all ordinary beings and noble ones, རིག་འཛིན་མཁའ་འགྲོའི་ཐུགས་བསྐྱེད་བདེན་སྟོབས་ཀྱིས། rigdzin khandrö tukkyé den tob kyi And the power of the truth of the bodhicitta resolve of the vidyādharas and ḍākinīs , སྨོན་པའི་དོན་འདི་ཐོགས་མེད་མྱུར་འགྲུབ་ཤོག mönpé dön di tokmé nyur drub shok May the aim of this aspiration be quickly accomplished without impediment! གངས་ཅན་སྐྱེ་དགུའི་བསོད་ནམས་ཞིང་མཆོག་ཏུ། gangchen kyegü sönam shing chok tu In this supreme meritorious realm of the people of the snow mountains, པདྨས་བྱིན་བརླབ་སྦས་གནས་ཀུན་ཀྱི་མཆོག pemé jin lab bé né kün kyi chok Supreme among all the hidden lands blessed by Padmasambhava is མཁའ་སྤྱོད་གཉིས་པ་པདྨོ་བཀོད་འདི་ཡི། khachö nyipa pemo kö di yi This second Khecara, Pemokö— ངོ་མཚར་སྣང་བ་གཏན་ལ་ཕེབས་པར་ཤོག ngotsar nangwa ten la pebpar shok May we see its wondrous marvel in actuality! འབྱུང་བཞིའི་གཡང་བཅུད་སྣོད་ཀྱི་དགེ་བཅུ་རྒྱས། jung shi yang chü nö kyi gé chu gyé In the environment of the essential wealth of the four elements, the ten virtues increase, and ལོ་ལེགས་སྐྱ་རྒྱལ་འདོད་དགུ་ངང་གིས་འདུ། lo lek kya gyal dögu ngang gi du The grain of a good harvest and everything one could desire naturally come together ནད་ཡམས་འཁྲུགས་རྩོད་དུས་ཀྱི་ཆད་པ་ཀུན། né yam truktsö dü kyi chepa kün Even the names of the calamities of contagious disease, strife, and war are not heard— མིང་ཡང་མི་གྲགས་རྟག་ཏུ་ཤིས་པར་ཤོག ming yang mi drak taktu shipar shok May there be this constant auspiciousness! ཀླ་ཀློ་མི་རྒོད་གཅན་གཟན་འབུ་སྦྲང་སོགས། lalo migö chenzen bu drang sok Barbarians, savages, carnivorous wild beasts and insects and the like, མཆུ་སྡེར་མཆེ་བ་ཅན་ཀྱི་གདུག་རྩུབ་དང་། chu der chewachen kyi duktsub dang With their menacing claws, fangs, and beaks, as well as གནས་སྲུང་སྡེ་བརྒྱད་མཁའ་འགྲོའི་ཆོ་འཕྲུལ་སོགས། né sung dé gyé khandrö chotrul sok The sorcerous tricks of the local guardians, the eight classes of spirits, and the ḍākinīs — གཟུགས་མེད་འཚུབ་མའི་བར་ཆད་ཞི་བར་ཤོག zukmé tsub mé barché shiwar shok May all unseen disruptive obstacles be pacified! སྐྲངས་འབུར་ཤུ་ཐོར་ཚད་ནད་རྐང་འབམ་དང་། trang bur shu tor tsé né kang bam dang May swollen protrusions, abscesses, inflammatory diseases, elephantiasis, དམུ་ཆུ་གྲང་བ་ཆུ་སེར་ལ་སོགས་པའི། mu chu drangwa chuser lasokpé Edema, cold natured illnesses, lymphatic disorders, and all such illnesses འབྱུང་བཞིའི་ནད་དང་དུག་རླངས་རྒྱུན་ཆད་ཅིང་། jung shi né dang duk lang gyünché ching Of the four elements and infectious vapours, དོན་གཉེར་ཅན་ཀུན་བགེགས་མེད་བགྲོད་པར་ཤོག dönnyer chen kün gekmé dröpar shok Be eliminated and all who possess ardour travel without obstruction! གངས་ཅན་བོད་ཀྱི་སྐལ་ལྡན་ཀུན་འདུ་ཞིང་། gangchen bö kyi kalden kün du shing May the fortunate ones of snowy Tibet come together བཤད་སྒྲུབ་ཐུབ་བསྟན་སྙིང་པོ་དར་བ་དང་། shedrub tubten nyingpo darwa dang And spread the essential teachings of theory and practice, ཁྱད་པར་རྡོ་རྗེའི་ཐེག་པའི་མྱུར་ལམ་ལས། khyepar dorjé tekpé nyurlam lé Particularly, by the swift path of the Vajrayāna , སྦས་གནས་གྲུབ་ཐོབ་ཕོ་མོས་གང་བར་ཤོག bé né drubtob po mö gangwar shok May the hidden land be filled with male and female accomplished ones. གང་ཞིག་གནས་འདིར་བགྲོད་པ་ཙམ་བགྱིས་མོས། gangshik né dir dröpa tsam gyi mö Whoever merely aspires to reach this place— སྡིག་སྒྲིབ་ཉེས་ལྟུང་དྲི་མའི་ཚོགས་དག་ནས། dikdrib nyetung drimé tsok dak né Their accumulated stains of misdeeds, obscurations, faults, and downfalls will be purified, ཉམས་དང་རྟོགས་པ་ངང་གྱིས་འབར་བ་དང་། nyam dang tokpa ngang gyi barwa dang And by the natural blazing of experience and realisation, རྩ་རླུང་ཐིག་ལེ་སྨིན་ཅིང་གྲོལ་བར་ཤོག tsa lung tiklé min ching drolwar shok May the channels, winds, and essences ripen and be liberated! གནས་འདིའི་སྒོ་འབྱེད་བཞད་པའི་རྡོ་རྗེ་དང་། né di gojé shepé dorjé dang May the intentions of the ones who opened this hidden land, Zhepe Dorje and རྒྱལ་ཡུམ་ལྷ་གཅིག་རྡོ་རྗེ་སྐྱབས་བྱེད་ཀྱི། gyalyum lha chik dorjé kyab jé kyi The mother of the victorious ones Lhachik Dorje Kyabje, [ 1 ] ཐུགས་ཀྱི་བཞེད་པ་ཇི་བཞིན་འགྲུབ་པ་དང་། tuk kyi shepa jishin drubpa dang Be accomplished just as they were made. བསྐལ་པ་རྒྱ་མཚོའི་བར་དུ་ཞབས་བརྟན་ཤོག kalpa gyatsö bardu shabten shok May they both live for an ocean of eons! གསང་མཆོག་མཁའ་འགྲོ་རྒྱ་མཚོས་ལུང་བསྟན་པའི། sang chok khandro gyatsö lungtenpé Those prophesied by the vast multitudes of supremely secret ḍākinīs , སྣ་འདྲེན་དཔའ་བོ་དཔལ་རྒྱལ་རྗེ་འབངས་ཀུན། na dren pawo pal gyal jebang kün The guide, the heroes, the glorious king, the lord and his subjects, གནས་སྐབས་མངོན་མཐོའི་ལེགས་ཚོགས་ཀུན་རྒྱས་ཤིང་། nekab ngön tö lektsok kün gyé shing For the time being, may all excellent things of the higher realms increase for them, and མཐར་ཐུག་པདྨ་འོད་དུ་གྲོལ་བར་ཤོག tartuk pema ö du drolwar shok May they ultimately be liberated in the [Palace of] Lotus Light! མཁའ་འགྲོ་རྒྱ་མཚོས་རྟག་ཏུ་གྲོགས་མཛད་ཅིང་། khandro gyatsö taktu drok dzé ching May the hosts of ḍākinīs always offer companionship, དམ་ཅན་སྲུང་མས་འཕྲིན་ལས་སྒྲུབ་པ་དང་། damchen sungmé trinlé drubpa dang The oath-bound protectors accomplish their enlightened activities, and ཇི་ལྟར་བརྩིས་པའི་ལས་ཀྱི་བྱ་བ་ཀུན། jitar tsipé lé kyi jawa kün Every deed and action, just as they have been divined, བསྟན་འགྲོའི་དོན་ཆེན་ཁོ་ནར་འགྱུར་བར་ཤོག ten drö dön chen khonar gyurwar shok Result only in great benefit for the teachings and beings! གནས་འདིའི་ཕྱོགས་སུ་ངལ་བ་བརྟེན་པ་ཀུན། né di chok su ngalwa tenpa kün May all the weary ones who strive to reach this place རྟག་ཏུ་བླ་མ་མཁའ་འགྲོས་རྗེས་བཟུང་སྟེ། taktu lama khandrö jezung té Always be watched over and accepted by the guru and ḍākinīs , and ཐུགས་རྗེའི་བྱིན་རླབས་སྙིང་ལ་འཇུག་པ་དང་། tukjé jinlab nying la jukpa dang The blessing of compassion enter into their hearts, འདི་ཕྱིའི་དོན་རྣམས་ངང་གིས་འགྲུབ་པར་ཤོག di chi dön nam ngang gi drubpar shok So they naturally accomplish the benefit of this life and the next! སྤྲུལ་པའི་གནས་འདིའི་རྟེན་འབྲེལ་འགྲིག་པའི་མཐུས། trulpé né di tendrel drikpé tü May all the invading enemies of snowy Tibet be averted གངས་ཅན་བོད་ཀྱི་མཐའ་དམག་ཀུན་བཟློག་ཅིང་། gangchen bö kyi tamak kün dok ching By the power of the auspicious interdependence of this emanating place, and སྐྱེ་དགུ་ཐམས་ཅད་བོད་ཞིང་སྐྱིད་པ་དང་། kyegu tamché bö shing kyipa dang May all the beings of the land of Tibet be happy, and ཐུབ་པའི་བསྟན་པ་དར་ཞིང་རྒྱས་པར་ཤོག tubpé tenpa dar shing gyepar shok The doctrine of the Buddha flourish and spread! ངན་སོང་གསུམ་གྱི་སྡུག་བསྔལ་ཀུན་ཆད་ཅིང་། ngensong sum gyi dukngal kün ché ching May all the suffering of the three lower realms cease, and ཁམས་གསུམ་འོག་མིན་ཞིང་དུ་འབྱོངས་པ་དང་། kham sum womin shing du jongpa dang The three realms attain the perfection of Akaniṣṭha ! ཇི་སྲིད་ནམ་མཁའ་ཟད་པར་མ་གྱུར་བར། jisi namkha zepar magyurwar May the ornamented wheels of the three secrets blaze གསང་གསུམ་རྒྱན་གྱི་འཁོར་ལོ་འབར་བར་ཤོག sang sum gyen gyi khorlo barwar shok For as long as space remains! COLOPHON ཅེས་ལའང་དཔའ་བོའི་ཁྱུ་མཆོག་འོར་ཤོད་ཨོ་རང་གི་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཆེན་པོ་དཔལ་རྒྱལ་གྱིས་སྦས་ཡུལ་ཆེན་པོ་པདྨ་བཀོད་མགྲིན་པ་ལོངས་སྤྱོད་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོའི་ཆ་ལས་གནས་ནང་སྡིངས་ཀྱི་སྒྲུབ་སྡེ་པདྨ་འོད་གླིང་གི་འདུས་པ་རྣམས་ལ་རྒྱུན་དུ་བཙུགས་ཆོག་པ་དགོས་ཚུལ་གྱིས་བསྐུལ་མ་མཛད་པ་བཞིན་རིག་པ་འཛིན་པ་བཞད་པའི་རྡོ་རྗེས་བག་ཡོད་ཅེས་པ་ཆུ་མོ་གླང་གི་ལོ་སྤྲེའུ་ཟླ་བའི་དཀར་ཕྱོགས་ཀྱི་གྲལ་ཚེས་དགེ་བར་པདྨ་ཡང་སྡོང་གི་ཁང་བུར་ཤར་མར་སྤེལ་བའི་ཡི་གེ་པ་ནི་རྡོ་རྗེ་གསང་བདག་གོ། Thus, the great householder Palgyal[ 2 ] of the supremely heroic Orshö Orang family requested Zhepe Dorje on behalf of the monks of the Pema Ö Ling retreat center in the sacred place of Nang Ding, which is the aspect of the throat cakra of enjoyment in the great hidden land of Pemakö , for an essential [prayer] that would be suitable for regular use. Accordingly, in the quaint residence of Pema Yangdong Dorje on the virtuous day of the first half of the Monkey month in the Female Water Ox year (1733) called Incautious[ 3 ], the vidyādhara Zhepe Dorje clearly dictated [this prayer] to the scribe Dorje Sangdak. NOTES [1] Lha gcig rdo rje skyabs byed, BDRC P2CN4771 [2] Personal Communication – Franz-Karl Ehrhard (2018). Orshö Orang were landed nobility in eastern Kongpo and important benefactors (sbyin bdag) specifically to Chöje Lingpa (1682–1720). The transliteration for this textual line is: dpa' bo'i khyu mchog 'or shod o rang gi khyim bdag chen po dpal rgyal gyis. [3] The term for the female Water Ox is bag med (pramādin). Although it is a rendering of a negative verb of existence—med pa, it is commonly written with a positive verb of existence—yod pa, lending to a rendering of bag yod. [4] For more information about the life of Lelung Zhepai Dorje see Tom Greensmith” The Fifth Lelung Jedrung, Treasury of Lives . Photo credit: Lelung Dharma Centre Thanks to Adam Pearcey at Lotsawa House for his editing. Published: December 2020 BIBLIOGRAPHY Lelung Jedrung Zhepe Dorje (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. 大谷大学图书馆. 京都市. BDRC W1CZ2744 . Abstract A prayer to take rebirth in the hidden sanctuary of Pemakö, where obstacles such as sickness and conflict are scarce or nonexistent and favourable conditions may aid progress on the Dharma path. BDRC LINK W1CZ2744 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 04:32 TRADITION Geluk | Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Lelung Jedrung HISTORICAL PERIOD 18th Century TEACHERS The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso The Fifth Panchen Lama, Lobsang Yeshé Damchö Sangpo Mingyur Paldrön Chöje Lingpa Dönyö Khedrup The First Purchok, Ngawang Jampa Ngawang Chödrak Yeshé Gyatso Damchö Gyatso Losal Gyatso Lhündrup Gyatso Dungkar Tsangyang Drukdrak The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Lelung Monastery Mindroling Ngari Dratsang Chokhor Gyal Trandruk Potala Tsari STUDENTS Kunga Mingyur Dorj e Dorje Yom e Kunga Paldzom Lobsang Lhachok Dönyö Khedrub Polhané Sönam Tobgyé Ngawang Jampa Mingyur Paldrön The Fifth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Kalzang Pema Wangchuk Lhasang Khan AUTHOR Lelung Zhepe Dorje An Aspiration to Travel 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.

Sera Khandro sang this song at the age of eleven, a month after her mother’s death, following an encounter with a white vulture she recognised as the soul-bird of a ḍākinī. Song of the Vulture Seated on the roof of her house, one month after her mother's death, Sera Khandro sees a white vulture and recognises it as the soul-bird of the ḍākinī. The sight of it calls her mother to mind, and she sings. From the womb of the vast sky's expanse, You, soul-bird of the karmically pure ḍākinī— Settle your mind and listen to my words. Where are you going, and from where do you come? I am a motherless child, an orphan. A month has passed since I lost my mother. Not knowing where she has gone, my suffering is great. O mighty white vulture! Have you seen where my mother has gone? Do you know where she now abides? I, a daughter without a kind mother, Am like a blind person abandoned on a plain, Wingless, as if fallen into the abyss. Now, with thoughts like these, I long for my mother. This body, these lovely faculties—my mother’s kindness. These ornaments and belongings—my mother's kindness. This food, these enjoyments, this wealth—my mother's kindness. My eloquent speech—my mother's kindness. My harmony with everyone—my mother's kindness. Knowing the six-syllable mantra—my mother's kindness. Meeting lamas—my mother's kindness. Such a mother, so great in kindness— Please help me so that in this life, I may meet my dear companion again. O white divine bird, hold me in your heart. After the song, her brother Phuntsok Chöphel arrived and rebuked her for singing in grief. She sang in reply: Listen, elder brother, Phuntsok Chöphel, The nature of my mind is beyond elaboration; it is free of delusion. Its unobstructed radiance displays itself in the manner of mother and child. Its indeterminate energy arises as joy, as sorrow—as anything at all. My kind mother, like a rainbow in the sky, A magical display dissolved into the expanse. I, the daughter, am just like a Mon cuckoo. [2] When the gentle autumn breeze draws in, I seek my own path. You father and son are like an unchanging swastika, [3] Fixed in one place, endowed with abundance. The vulture, like a female bodhisattva, Has skilfully lured my grieving mind. [4] This place is like a nest of poisonous snakes. Not for a single moment have I known happiness here. The happy place is the peaceful mountainside of blissful seclusion. The happy path is the blissful, divine dharma, joyous and sublime. Now, without delay, I will go on the path of great bliss! Her brother, believing her unstable, reported her behaviour to their father. He dismissed the concern, attributing it to her karma and independent nature rather than any spiritual harm. Unwilling to conform or bring trouble to the family, Sera Khandro vowed she would not go to the headman—she would wander freely, according to her own path. COLOPHON None NOTES [1] This song is drawn from within a rnam thar and is untitled. We have therefore supplied the title “Song of the Vulture” for ease of reference. [2] The cuckoo ( khu byug ) migrates south to the warm lowlands of Mon as the seasons turn. In identifying herself as a “Mon cuckoo” who seeks her own path when the autumn breeze arises, Sera Khandro makes her intention clear: like the bird, she too will depart. [3] g.yung drung , rendered here as "swastika," is an ancient symbol of permanence and immutability in both Bön and Buddhist tradition, representing the unchanging, unoriginated nature of reality. Her father and brother, settled contentedly in worldly prosperity and unmoved by any impulse toward renunciation, stand as figures of worldly permanence—precisely what the lines that follow demonstrate her leaving behind. [4] ' brid is carries a sense of strategic concealment: the one being led is not fully aware of where they are being taken, or by what means. More neutral alternatives such as "drawn" or "guided" would lose this, so we render it as "lured." The framework within which this concealment operates, however, is that of thabs (skilful means, Skt. upāya )—the method by which bodhisattvas meet beings within their own experience and lead them gradually toward liberation. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kunzang Dekyong Wangmo (kun bzang bde skyong dbang mo). Dbus mo bde ba’i rdo rje’i rnam thar . In Gsung ’bum , vol. 1 (pod dang po), pp. 95–96. BDRC W1PD108254 . Abstract Sera Khandro sang this song [1] at the age of eleven, a month after her mother had passed. It was prompted by an encounter with a white vulture she recognised as the soul-bird of a ḍākinī. Addressing the bird, she expresses her grief, longing, and devotion, before replying to her brother, who challenges her behaviour. In this response, the tone shifts from lament to resolve, as she makes clear her intention to leave and follow her own spiritual path. Together, these verses capture a pivotal moment in her life, where personal loss gives way to a decisive turning toward the Dharma. BDRC LINK MW1PD108254 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Nyingma CLAN Nub HISTORICAL PERIOD 20th Century TEACHERS Terse Drime Wozer Akye Terchen Orgyen Kacho Lingpa TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Riwoche Monastery Drak Yerpa Dartsang Kelzang Monastery Sera Tekchen Chokhorling Bennak STUDENTS sangs rgyas rdo rje The First Adzom Drukpa, Drodul Pawo Dorje The Fourth Chaktsa, Kunzang Pema Trinle 'jigs bral chos kyi blo gros 'gyur med rdo rje rdo rje dgra 'dul AUTHOR Sera Khandro Song of the Vulture VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

A mysterious letter from the Ninth Paṇchen Lama's secretary to Hotoktu Rinpoche, now preserved in a French private collection - its acquisition history remains unknown. A Letter to Hotoktu Rinpoche I offer this at the feet of the incomparable glorious protector of the doctrine and beings, the venerable lord and excellent being, Hotoktu Rinpoche. [ 1 ] In these exceedingly virtuous times, I [hope] your supreme body, the singular eddy flowing from the pure conduct of your primordial and immense resolve to attain enlightenment and the source of precious jewels, is entirely brilliant. Moreover, the garland of your incomparable, marvellous deeds brings about the benefit and welfare of the teachings and beings in an all-pervasive manner, as if it is rising to the summit of existence. We are grateful for your loving care! I am also well, both mentally and physically. We humbly request that the precious emanation of the supreme protector, [the Paṇchen Lama], take up all the lifestyles of previous reincarnations and diligently engage in studying and conducting deeds beneficial for religious and secular matters. The main point of this letter is connected with an enquiry made by the head personal attendant Nomin Han . [ 2 ] Here, we have made good preparations for the long-life offering to the refuge protectors, victorious lords, father and son (the Paṇchen Lama and the Dalai Lama) and to serve and venerate the sangha. However, it has not been possible to obtain permission to do this in the last three years. Hence, [the Panchen Lama], like a thirsty person desires water, very much wishes to visit you. However, in addition to his old age, recently, from the beginning of the second month, he has developed an illness that is combined with phlegm, blood pressure, and bo disease. [ 3 ] It is increasingly worsening. Not only that, but the divination that was conducted last year indicated that the obstacles of his sixty-second year would be significant. This divination also indicated that there would be a slightly greater obstacle on the way. Subsequently, we do not have the hope that he will recover for a while or for you both to come together. At this time, the treasurer, master, and servants were specially delegated to offer gifts without delay to everyone, especially the government, in reciprocity with the gifts received. Apart from that, we have no choice but to take leave for a few years until his health is completely restored. Also, as the head personal attendant himself has [already] sent a separate detailed letter requesting permission to serve you, the Excellent Protector, when you come to Tibet, if you are definitely going to come, I hope his request will be answered with a positive result. Please keep us informed of your visit and, as per your wishes, we can choose and appoint suitable and new personal attendants. Please keep [these words] in the deep expanse of your mind. In the future, for the excellent benefit of the doctrine and beings, please spontaneously establish your precious feet in the everlasting nature. Moreover, may your enlightened resolve and beneficial activities be even better than before, and from that state, may you also keep your compassionate deeds uninterrupted like the Ganges river. I send this request and my regards along with a pair of ceremonial scarfs. [ 4 ] Sent on an auspicious date. COLOPHON None NOTES [1] If the letter is from the secretary of the Ninth Paṇchen Lama, then Hotoktu Rinpoche is khal kha rje btsun dam pa 08 ngag dbang blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma, or rje btsun dam pa ho thog thu rin po che, 1870/1871–1923/1924, BDRC P4945 [2] byabs khrus mkhan po no min han [3] 'bo nad [4] lha rdzas Photo Credit: Wikipedia Published: September 2021 BIBLIOGRAPHY paN chen bla ma 09 thub bstan chos kyi nyi ma (purported). Date unknown. Private Collection. London: Tib Shelf W003 Abstract This letter is purportedly from the secretary of the Ninth Paṇchen Lama to Hotoktu Rinpoche. It was purchased and is now conserved in a private collection in France. The means of the initial acquisition is unknown. We are happy to receive any information concerning this letter. TIB SHELF W003 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 03:35 TRADITION Geluk INCARNATION LINE Paṇchen Lama HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century 20th Century TEACHERS The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso Ngawang Tsültrim Dönden Tenzin Wanggyal TRANSLATORS Rachael Griffiths Tib Shelf INSTITUTION Tashilhünpo Monastery STUDENTS Pema Chok Palsangpo The Fifth Jamyang Shepa, Lobsang Jamyang Yeshé Tenpé Gyaltsen Jigme Trinle Gyatso Lobsang Lungtok Jikmé Tenpé Gyaltsen Ngawang Tsültrim Dönden Jigme Tenpé Gyaltsen The Fifth Maṇipa, Lobsang Chöpel Gyatso AUTHORS The Secretary of The Ninth Paṇchen Lama Tubten Chökyi Nyima A Letter to Hotoktu Rinpoche 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 Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Song on the Nature of Mind Tsangnyon Heruka A song by Tsangnyön Heruka, using the imagery of ocean, waves, and wind to point directly at the nature of mind. See Publication Song A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi Tsangnyon Heruka A Madman’s Meditation Experiences: A Song from Labchi, is a doha sung by Tsangnyön Heruka at the sacred hermitage of Labchi. See Publication Song A Series of Spontaneous Spiritual Songs Lelung Zhepe Dorje Two spontaneous songs by Lelung Zhepe Dorje: one honouring the 2nd Dzogchen Drubwang Gyurme Thekchog Tenzin, the other celebrating the experience of unobstructed, effortless awareness. Both transmit direct spiritual realization through verse. See Publication Biography How Guru Chöwang Met the Guru at Ne Ngön Guru Chökyi Wangchuk During an alchemical corpse ritual, Guru Chöwang meets Padmasambhava in a profound encounter that defies categorization as dream, vision, or reality - an event he insisted truly occurred. See Publication Biography An Extraordinary Pure Vision at Kharchu's Nectar Cave: A Dream of Guru Chöwang Guru Chökyi Wangchuk After five days of Guru Pema practice, Chöwang's pure vision atop Mt Meru reveals worldly omens and a profound teaching: all phenomena, even demons, arise from mind itself. See Publication Praises In Praise of the Goddess Sarasvatī Tsongkhapa Lobzang Dragpa Tsongkhapa's celebrated ode to Sarasvatī resonates beyond monastery walls into Tibet's artistic and literary spheres, becoming a cultural touchstone of devotional poetry. See Publication Song A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong Milarepa Milarepa's poetic ode to Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong exalts nature itself as the source of this retreat site's blessing power, departing from traditional focus on Buddhist masters. See Publication Aspirational Prayer The Magical Lasso: A Prayer of Aspiration to Accomplish Khecara Lelung Zhepe Dorje A heartfelt prayer to the ḍākinīs of three worlds, composed at Pemokö's Dudul Dewa Chenpo, seeking blessings to master the Vajrayāna path for all beings' benefit. See Publication Advice Devotion is the Highest Practice Khenpo Ngawang Palzang Khenpo Ngawang Palzang's morning devotional rings clear and true with tantra's essential message: devotion stands as the highest practice. See Publication Prayer The Vajra Verses: A Prayer of the Fierce Inner Heat Jigme Lingpa Jigme Lingpa's Longchen Nyingtik instruction on fierce inner heat practice, composed as a supplication to be sung between lineage prayers and practice commencement. See Publication Guidebook Hidden Sacred Land of Pemakö Dudjom Lingpa Dudjom Lingpa maps Pemakö's sacred geography, revealing its power spots, deity abodes, and purifying landscapes through traditional guidebook wisdom and spiritual insight. See Publication Declaration Sixteen Self-Assertions Drugpa Zhabdrung, Ngawang Namgyal, Lopön Nadok The First Drugpa Zhabdrung's victory declaration of 1619, composed after defeating Tsang's ruler through ritual sorcery, helped establish Bhutan's identity while asserting his talismanic power. See Publication View More

Discover Tibetan literary treasures with Tib Shelf. An online library of expertly translated Tibetan primary texts spanning diverse genres, time periods, and wisdom—your gateway to the stories and culture of Tibet. Enjoy downloadable publications, immersive videos and engaging audio narrations. Tibetan literature brought to you through beautifully translated publications, engaging audio narrations & immersive videos. Song 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 Biography The Hook Which Invokes Blessings: A Supplication to the Life and Liberation of Knowledge-Holder Jalu Dorje Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje A self-penned biographical prayer by Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, composed at the request of Trokyab's king Namkha Lhündrub, invoking blessings through life stories. Biography The Biography of Ḍākki Losal Drölma Tubten Chödar A realized female master, Ḍākki Losal Drölma served as custodian of her half-brother Do Khyentse's treasure teachings while deepening her own spiritual attainments in Tibet's sacred sites Biography The Biography of Dzogchen Khenchen Abu Lhagang Khenpo Tsöndru Khenpo Tsöndru chronicles his teacher Pema Tegchok Loden (1879–1955), from his studies with renowned masters to his role as Dzogchen Śrī Siṃha's abbot, culminating in solitary meditation practice. Buddhist A Prayer to Lord Atiśa and His Spiritual Sons Khenpo Ngawang Palzang Khenpo Ngawang Palzang's devotional prayer to Jowo Je Atiśa and his successors captures the essence of spiritual lineage while embodying profound Buddhist devotion. Song Song of the Dharma Dance Śākya Śrī Song of the Dharma Dance draws on the imagery of Tibetan ritual cham dance to guide an assembly of vajra siblings through successive Dzogchen contemplative instructions toward the recognition of great awareness-emptiness. 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 Śākya Śrī A Song of the Great Perfection Śākya Śrī Arousing Desire of the Beautiful One: Simile and Meaning in Union Śākya Śrī Song of the Dharma Dance Sera Khandro Don’t Place Your Trust in… Nyagla Pema Dudul Five Aphoristic Couplets Tsangnyon Heruka Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Song on the Nature of Mind People 1853–1919 Śākya Śrī View 1745–1821 The First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Özer View 1585–1656 Jatsön Nyingpo View 1800–1866 Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje View WEEKLY QUOTES བྱང་བསྟན་ཕུག་པར་རྟ་ལྗང་ཅན་གྱི་ཟེར། ། Sun rays do not enter a northern facing cave; མི་འཇུག་དངོས་པོའི་གཤིས་ལ་བཅོས་མེད་ཀྱང་། ། The nature of such things cannot be changed. ཕྱོགས་གཞན་བུག་པར་ཤར་བའི་སྣང་བ་ཡིས། ། However, light shining through the other opening འཐིབས་པོའི་སྨག་རུམ་སེལ་བ་འབྱུང་སྙམ་བགྱིད། ། Dispels the thick darkness One can contemplate this The 5th Dalai Lama – Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (1617–1682) AUDIO NARRATION 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. 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

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

A short Dzogchen song of realization by Śākya Śrī, in which the master points to the natural liberation of all experience within the expanse of dharmatā. A Song of the Great Perfection A ho! Homage to the lama, Samantabhadra, the very nature of self-knowing awareness. Saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, empty in themselves—whatever arises is sameness itself. Ati, the Great Perfection, lies beyond the reach of conceptual mind. Rest in effortless self-liberation, O Dzogchenpa! Mind itself, groundless, empty yet luminous, is the expanse of dharmatā. Whatever dualistic thoughts may arise—past, present, or future— Never straying from the expanse of dharmatā, they are liberated in their own place. Rely on authentic mindfulness, O Dzogchenpa! Mindfulness, its object, and the one who is mindful are free from concrete grasping. Mind and its objects are purified into the expanse of dharmatā. The five poisons, freed from the root, are an unbroken stream of primordial wisdom. Liberation upon arising, without bias or partiality—is this not so, O Dzogchenpa? Appearances have no objective reality; one's own mind is without intrinsic nature. Saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are non-dual, beyond the sphere of subject and object. Everything is ineffable—empty and luminous, beyond the ordinary mind. Awareness and the expanse, without meeting or parting—is this not so, O Dzogchenpa? Within the primordial expanse, gain stability in rigpa. For the Sky Yogin, unceasingly, All days are exhausted into the expanse free from grasping. Abide in the natural state, O Dzogchenpa! COLPHON Thus this was sung as a song of personal experience by the Great Perfection Sky Yogin, the Venerable Śākya Śrī. NOTES None BIBLOGRAPHY Kathog Situ Chökyi Gyatso. Togden Shakya Shri: The Life and Liberation of a Tibetan Yogin. Translated and compiled by Elio Guarisco. 2nd ed. Arcidosso, Italy: Shang Shung Edizioni, 2011. Togden Shakya Shri (rTogs ldan shākya shrī). gSung ʼbum shākya shrī. 1 vols. Kathmandu: Khenpo Shedup Tenzin And Lama Thinley Namgyal, 1998. pp.700-701. BDRC MW23563 . Abstract In this brief song of spiritual experience (nyams mgur ), the Drukpa Kagyü and Dzogchen master Śākya Śrī (1853–1919) sings of the view of Ati, the Great Perfection. Across five verses he points to the empty, luminous nature of mind itself, the self-liberation of whatever arises within the expanse of dharmatā, and the dissolution of subject and object, mindfulness and its object, and the five poisons into primordial wisdom. Each verse turns to address the practitioner directly—"O Dzogchenpa!"—calling them to rest in effortless self-liberation and abide in the natural state. BDRC MW23563 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Nyingma Kagyu INCARNATION LINE N/A HISTORICAL PERIOD 18th Century 19th Century TEACHERS Mipam Gyatso Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye bstan pa'i nyi ma pad+ma dri med 'od zer ye shes snang ba TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Dzogchen Monastery Swayambhunath Boudha Stupa Drugu Gon Namo Buddha STUDENTS kun lha bstan 'dzin bsod nams rgyal mtshan bsod nams bzang po Lama Monlam Rabzang Ngawang Tenzin Gyatso The Tenth Drukchen, Mipam Chokyi Wangpo Tokden Orgyen Tenzin Tersey Tulku Pelling Ani Wangdzin AUTHOR Śākya Śrī A Song of the Great Perfection VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Treasure Revealer Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor 1910–1991 BDRC P625 TREASURY OF LIVES LOTSAWA HOUSE Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor (1910–1991) was a prominent Tibetan Buddhist master of the Nyingma tradition, renowned as a scholar, treasure revealer, and teacher. Born into the illustrious Dilgo family in Kham, he was recognized as a reincarnation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo , although his father initially resisted acknowledging his tulku status. Trained under esteemed masters such as Shechen Gyeltsab and Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, he became a central figure in preserving and revitalizing Tibetan Buddhism. Despite political turmoil, he fled to Bhutan and India in 1956, where he continued teaching and established Shechen Monastery in Nepal as a hub of Nyingma practice. An influential teacher to many renowned lamas, his extraordinary energy and dedication to the Dharma endured until his passing. His reincarnation, Dilgo Yangsi, continues his spiritual legacy. Biography The Wondrous Light of Lunar Nectar Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor chronicles the life of Chatral Kunga Palden (1878-1944) in this luminous biographical account. 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

Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor chronicles the life of Chatral Kunga Palden (1878-1944) in this luminous biographical account. The Wondrous Light of Lunar Nectar The one who seized the citadel of the awakened intent of primordially pure space, And who met everyone with spontaneous compassion to the greatest degree— In remembrance of this yogin of the essential, supreme vehicle, I will compose this biography devoid of embellishment or understatement. This sacred lord guru ( Kunga Palden ) was born near the glorious Sakya monastery of Galenteng , which was founded by Ga Anye Dampa near Chögyal Derge Lhundrub Teng Monastery. Although he was initiated into a religious life, he conducted himself in a rough manner. He would wrap stones with animal hide held by a yak-haired rope and keep this [weapon] around his waist, as he would constantly engage in fighting. Once when he was on his way home after evening group practice, he saw a mountain surrounded by a grassy meadow with mist rolling in. Atop this mountain sat two small, white retreat houses. At this sight, he thought over and over about how he must live such a life in retreat. In fact, he went to a monastery where he attended a literacy teacher and stayed in retreat on the Element Taming [Vajrapāṇi]. During breaks, he read the biography of venerable Milarepa, and continuously recollected: “Now, I must rely upon a qualified guru in order to perfectly accomplish the doctrine.” He continued to attend his teacher but received the following reprimand: “Other people can complete the recitations for the Element Taming [Vajrapāṇi] in one month, but you are distracted with these texts and have not even accomplished the recitations in two months!” Despite this scolding, he continued to read Milarepa’s biography and other texts. He completed enough recitations for the thousand-armed (Avalokiteśvara) and performed a fire offering ritual. Then, over and over again, he asked himself: “Which guru should I properly rely on?” He heard about Patrul Rinpoche’s life story, and as some others were about to seek him out, he decided to go too. Without telling anyone else, Kunga Palden confided in his mother that he would be leaving for Dzachuka to meet Patrul Rinpoche. With tears in her eyes, his mother looked and did not say anything. Kunga grabbed some travel provisions, and while he was leaving his mother broke down in tears. He reached the valley of Dza Mamo Khar [ 1 ] in Dzachukha when Patrul Rinpoche was teaching on the Bodhicharyāvatāra . He arrived and received the [last] chapter concerning dedication. Then he received the [entire] Bodhicharyāvatāra from Mura Chogtrul Pema Dechen Zangpo although he did not gain a stable understanding. When he received teachings on [Nāgārjuna’s] A Letter to a Friend from Gemang Önpo Orgyen Tenzin Norbu, he gained a stable understanding, and so he thought: “I've become a suitable vessel to rely upon this guru.” He was certain about this, and he said he never hoped to receive empowerments, instructions, or advice from any guru other than Gemang Önpo Orgyen Tenzin Norbu. Ön Rinpoche said: “Look over a text and you might gain some knowledge. In general, study is important at the outset.” Ön Rinpoche took care of him for a few years and Kunga Palden studied texts. “But I had great hopes of practicing meditation,” he said, and he frequently requested [teachings]. “At that time,” Kunga told me, “I practiced the Sakya Time of the Path without interruption, [ 2 ] and I did my best to dedicate the tormas while using my ritual bell and hand drum.” Besides this, he enthusiastically and diligently received, studied, and practiced Longchenpa’s Trilogy of Natural Ease (Ngalso Korsum) and the Seven Treasuries, [Ngari Paṇchen Pema Wangyal’s] Ascertaining the Three Vows , Bodhicharyāvatāra , The Root Stanzas of the Middle Way: Wisdom , the Teachings of Maitreya , the empowerment of the two main volumes of the Heart Essence of the Great Expanse (Longchen Nyingtik), creation stage practices, the practice of the channels, winds, and the physical yogas, The Unexcelled Primordial Wisdom ( Yeshe Lama ), The Three Phrases that Hit the Key Points , and much more. In particular, since Ön Rinpoche reached the end of practice within one lifetime, he bestowed the empowerment, profound instructions, and oral transmission of the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the Guru’s Inner Essence ( Lama Yangtik Yizhin Norbu ). On the day that there was an exchange of gifts in reciprocity for the teachings, Ön Rinpoche received a fine hanging-scroll of the omniscient Longchenpa from my old father Dilgo Tashi Tsering. Rinpoche said: “This is a good interdependence,” and he gave it to the lord guru, Kunga Palden. Ön Rinpoche instructed: “Now there is no need for you to apply yourself to studying texts. You only need to go to the mountains on retreat and practice your meditation. Whatever you find to eat, eat it. Whatever clothes you come across, put them on. Food that others may offer, rituals for the dead, and bestowing empowerments—there is no need for such things. Go meet Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and exclusively receive the essential instructions for [Longchenpa’s] Finding Rest in Illusion then stay in a retreat near [Khenpo] Zhenga’s place.” “Nothing can compare to receiving the essential instructions on Finding Rest in Illusion from my root guru, Ön Rinpoche,” thought Kunga Palden. “However, since it's my guru’s command, I must meet Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo and receive the teaching as my guru instructed.” Thinking this, he left for his homeland. Along with a few monks from Galen Monastery , he went to Dzongsar to meet Jamyang Khyentsé Rinpoche, who gave the Hévajra Gyu lam empowerment as well as the blessings and instructions for Khecara in an extensive manner. Between his explanations of the instructions, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo gave supplementary and additional talks. “These days, in the current times, there are many prideful people who say they have renounced [cyclic existence] and are free from activities. If foreigners came to Tibet and said that they must abandon the Three Jewels, they would immediately agree with them. I am in a state of bustling distraction, but still, if they were to place my head on the threshold, bring an axe and say: ‘If you don’t abandon the Three Jewels, we will cut your throat with this axe!' I wouldn’t abandon the Three Jewels even with my words. I would gladly answer them. These days there are Buddhist practitioners who have no substance at all, only great renown.” When other friends were about to depart [the teachings], they made many promises to continuously practice the Hevajra Time of the Path and complete the fundamental recitation total for Khecara. Kunga Palden told me: “In the past, I practiced the Time of the Path and made torma offerings [to the deities], but it's been several years since I stopped. I promised that I would practice The Guru’s Inner Essence in a mountain retreat.” Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo said: “A kha kha, I have conferred empowerment and instructions for Hevajra and Khecara on you, and I take any wrongdoings of this upon myself. It was the wrong occasion,” as he pulled on his cheek. “Or, I could consistently recite the Aṣṭa Chö Rok [ 3 ] and the three OṂ(s) thirty-three times a day,” Kunga Palden replied. “Do whatever you like." “I will continuously recite the approach [recitations] for Aṣṭa and Khecara,” Kunga answered. Having offered the text and the essential instructions for Finding Rest in Illusion , Kunga Palden requested the instructions and oral transmission. “You can receive them from your root guru as I do not know the instructions for Finding Rest in Illusion ,” replied Khyentse Wangpo. “He never gave me the teachings,” Kunga Palden confessed. Then he stayed in a lonely mountain retreat without any bustling distractions. Kunga Palden received the empowerment and instructions for the Guru’s Inner Essence and practiced without interruption the guru yoga of [Longchenpa’s] Stages of Guru Practice: The Ocean of Attainments and the guru yoga of the smaller aural transmission of the Natural Manifestation of Primordial Wisdom . He exclusively practiced the inner guru yoga that is devoid of elaborations. On the tenth day of the waxing and waning phases of the month, he offered extensive tantric feasts. He accepted whatever clothing and other valuable provisions were given as offerings. Whatever offerings people gave for the dead or for the living, whether great or small, he used them to make woodblocks for texts such as The Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish and A Hundred Deeds , and he placed them in the Dzogchen Monastery’s printing house. He lovingly protected the wild animals and the various birds by using methods such as the conservation law of sealing the mountains and valleys. He accepted a great amount of salt, which he gave to the wild animals. Through such actions, he nurtured wild animals in the manner of livestock. Kunga Palden had disciples who were a calling distance or about a league away in all directions. He made his students enter thatched meditation huts to practice only unelaborate meditation in silence. He advised his students not to collect food offerings or keep any texts other than the Guru’s Inner Essence , the Seven Treasuries, and the cycle of the Heart Essence of the Great Expanse. Kunga Palden did not even have a hand drum or a ritual bell for performing ceremonies. He collected a lot of supplies for ritual feast offerings and delicious foods and drinks which he generously gave to the birds, wild animals, and the poor. When many ordinary people gathered, he taught them the essential points about karmic causes and results, taking refuge, generating the intentional mind of awakening, and the four causes of the Blissful Realm in a concise and easily understandable manner. He thus encouraged them to engage in virtue. At some point, he developed a sickness of the white channels which caused him weariness. Due to this he exclusively engaged in the practice of removing obstacles in the body, as found in the Guru’s Inner Essence. He did not take any other treatment or medicine, and he was freed from the sickness. He taught, “By supplicating the guru, vital provisions will come naturally even if you are staying in a pleasant mountain retreat. In places without water, you can say, ‘Let water arise here!’ Then, when you dig for it, water will emerge.” In his familial line there have been many who did not live long, but since he practiced the longevity practice of the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the Guru’s Inner Essence , he was able to live for more than seventy years. “At the time of engaging in the longevity practice, one needs to hold the wind in the center of the heart. Doing so ensures there is no chance for obstructions of the life-sustaining wind to come about. I came to the firm conviction concerning daily work that other than supplicating my root guru, Önpo, there is no need for such things as divination, astrological calculations, or predicting good and bad days,” Kunga Palden clarified. “In Galenteng, there is a lord called the 'Steward of Derge Khangsar.' His fortress became empty and inside there was a room where absolutely no light could get in, so I went there to engage in a hundred-day dark retreat of the Guru’s Inner Essence . “In the first vision, there appeared a great ravine in which a thickening darkness amassed from above and below, and you could not see the end of it. In its center was a small stone the size of two feet. There I stood, crouched. When gusts of upturning and swirling winds came, all of the long prairie grass swayed back and forth with whistling sounds— shu . I kneaded some barley flour into dough and ate it. Then I had the impression that gray flour became scattered from the rim of my small cup. Although I was in a comfortable position, fear prevented me from becoming completely relaxed. “Again, I was in that ravine, and there came an intense roaring sound— ur ! —as hail clouds rolled in. They enveloped my illusory body and carried me into the surrounding space. As soon as that happened, I recalled that my mind was integrated with the guru’s mind, and I felt a shiver of happiness. At once the anxiety returned, although it was not a shock to me. “Many pure and impure visionary realms appeared, and inside a round orb of light ( tigle ) about the size of a fingernail were all the beings of the six classes organized [according to their] happiness and suffering. Their arrangement was not mixed together, but it was clear and complete. I thought: ‘Is it not like that one saying? On a single particle there are countless [other] particles filled with buddhafields in which buddhas enact their activities.’ From all this, a trusting faith arose in me. “Later on, since going into dark retreat, I thought the visions of leaping-over ( tögal ) would be enhanced, but I did not experience any increase.” Kunga Palden said. When I (Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche) received the final instructions of the Guru’s Inner Essence , Kunga Palden told me about his visions in dark retreat as additional explanations for practicing the dark retreat yogas. “I have explained to you how the dark retreat visions appear so that after this when you come to practice the dark retreat yogas, you will find this very beneficial. That's why I have shared them with you,” Kunga Palden said. “ Dzogchen Khenpo Lhagyal and my own virtuous students have stayed in that place for one hundred days and practiced. However, they did not have harsh experiences. In general, it probably varies according to the differences in peoples’ channels, winds, and essences." He also said: “When [Önpo was teaching the] profound instructions for the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the Guru’s Inner Essence , he praised its great blessing. To his students who were exerting themselves in their retreat, Lord [Önpo] said, ‘In general, if there is no study, then contemplation and meditation will not develop properly. Unless one has looked into the Root Stanzas of the Middle Way: Wisdom , in particular, one will not comprehend the atemporal, natural rest of cutting-through (trekchö). Therefore, it is very important to study the Root Stanzas of the Middle Way: Wisdom .’ ” When the Dharma lord Patrul Rinpoche gave teachings for the textual traditions of sūtra and tantra, he never had the custom of keeping texts with him; however, he remained inseparable from one volume of the Guru’s Inner Essence until he died at the age of seventy-nine. “As for myself, I received the empowerment and instructions from the lord guru, Ön Rinpoche. Then, at that time, I did my best in my practice, yet there was not even the slightest depth to my realization, view, or meditation. But discursive concepts such as ‘Have I been deceived by these instructions?’ never occurred to me,” Kunga Palden confided. That is all he said. Other than this, he did not tell any of his students how the sign of heat on the stages and the paths arose in his mind. The Lord’s close friend, Khenpo Dralo of Dza Gyal Monastery practiced the approach recitations for the essential sections of the secret practice of the protectors and guardians of the Guru’s Inner Essence . As a result, he received a lot of veneration and offerings and came to be known as a companion of the protectors. He knew that this was the help of the protectors, and he clarified his position to them: “I did not engage in your practice for the benefit of this life. I am practicing for the sake of the supreme spiritual attainment.” By saying this three times, he ended up with fewer visitors. “When I initially stayed alone in my retreat, I did not need to meet anyone in person. All I had to do was practice day and night, and I was content. Yet, as soon as I had the name of Guru Kunga Palden many people assembled. They never allowed me to be completely free, as I constantly had to engage in various activities that would connect people to the teachings,” he recalled. Khenpo Zhenga Rinpoche said: “I spent my entire life teaching the sutras and tantras, but whenever Kunga Palden asked questions concerning the profound points of view and meditation, I could not answer immediately. I had to think about it carefully. I suppose the wisdom from his meditation had unfolded.” Jamgön Dorje Chang Chökyi Lodrö Rinpoche (Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö) said: “I received both the instructions and transmission for the Guru’s Inner Essence from Guru Kunga Palden, and he also explained many excellent profound points on practice.” During the later years of his life, he stayed in the retreat place called Nepu in front of the Ziltrom glacier, which became his residence, and Palpung Situ Pema Wangchok (1886–1952) also attended him there. Later Kunga Palden was protected by the compassionate refuge of Drubwang Dzogchen Tubten Chökyi Dorje, and he came to stayed at the upper meditation cave of Tsering Jong [near Dzogchen Monastery]. He uninterruptedly turned the wheel of the Dharma of the essential maturing [empowerments[ and liberating [instructions] of the supreme vehicle and the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the Guru’s Inner Essence in particular to the majority of abbots and tulkus of Dzogchen Monastery. There he died and many amazing sights occurred such as tiny pearl-like relics ( ringsel ) arising from his bones. When I (Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche) reached my eleventh year my legs were burned, and I came close to death. At that time the holy guru Kunga Palden performed the ablution ritual, conferred the layman’s vows, and carried out a longevity practice for a month. In particular, he granted an elaborate and detailed explanation of the whole of the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the Guru’s Inner Essence , beginning with the Stages of Guru Practice: The Ocean of Attainments right up to the final inventory. I also received practical guidance from him on the channels, winds, and physical yoga practices of the Heart Essence of the Great Expanse. He told me that I should focus on practice as my main activity and, as a supplement to this, grant instructions to those who seek the teachings. He also gave me his own copies of the Seven Treasuries, which he had studied for his entire life, and his personal copies of the Trilogy of Natural Ease and cared for me with immeasurable compassion. COLOPHON Therefore, I, Maṅgala Śrī Bhūti ( Tashi Paljor ) have written this brief biography, which is devoid of embellishment or understatement, at my retreat place. May all beings set out upon the direct path of the supreme, sovereign vehicle, and may this text become a cause for them to follow the path as found in this glorious guru’s life of liberation. NOTES [1] Dza Patrul Rinpoche reconstructed this Maṇi stone wall, which was first constructed by Samten Puntsok (bsam gtan phun tshogs). [2] Time of the Path ( lam dus ) is the common name for the daily Hevajra sādhana, which must be practiced regularly without interruption. [3] This is a root mantra found in the practice of Hevajra. Thanks to Adam Pearcey at Lotsawa House for his editing. Published: July 2020 Edited: April 2025 BIBLIOGRAPHY Tashi Paljor (bkra shis dpal ’byor. theg pa mchog gi rnal ’byor pa bya bral kun dga’ dpal ldan gyi rnam thar ngo mtshar bdud rtsi’i snang ba . In gsung ’bum/_rab gsal zla ba , vol. 1, 621–636. Delhi: Shechen Publications, 1994. BDRC W21809 . Abstract The Wondrous Light of Lunar Nectar is a biography of Chatral Kunga Palden (1878–1944) written by Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor. BDRC LINK W21809 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 18:42 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE N/A HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century 20th Century TEACHERS Pema Tegchok Loden The Third Mura, Pema Dechen Zangpo Orgyen Tenzin Norbu Mipam Gyatso Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo Patrul Orgyen Jigme Chökyi Wangpo The First Adzom Drugpa, Drodul Pawo Dorj e The Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, Tubten Chökyi Dorj e TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Galenteng Dzogchen Monastery Dzongsar Derge Gonchen STUDENTS Rigdzin Wangyal Lobzang Palden Tenzin Nyandrak Könchok Zangpo Pema Damchö Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor Tsewang Rigdzin Norbu Tenzin Chimé Yesh e Tenzin Gyaltsen Jigme Lodrö The Eleventh Tai Situ, Pema Wangchok Gyalpo Togden Jampa Tendar Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Wangchuk AUTHOR Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor The Wondrous Light of Lunar Nectar 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 Tsöndru chronicles his teacher Pema Tegchok Loden (1879–1955), from his studies with renowned masters to his role as Dzogchen Śrī Siṃha's abbot, culminating in solitary meditation practice. The Biography of Dzogchen Khenchen Abu Lhagang The birthplace of the glorious and kind Khenchen Pema Tegchok Loden , also known as Dzogchen Khen Lhagyal or Lhagang, was in the Dzogchen Drogri valley. The names of his parents, his birth year, and other details are unknown. [ 1 ] Both Dzogchen Khenpo Chimé Rinpoche and Khenpo Chönam Rinpoche were his nephews, as was a monk called Wangchuk Tsering, who was proficient in the scriptures. [ 2 ] When two of his younger nephews were recognized as the emanations of Do Rinpoche, Khenchen Tegchok said: “Whether or not they are emanations, they should become monks. It is customary in our family lineage for there to be proper monastics.” As this indicates, he was certainly born into a family lineage with a naturally good [standing]. There is a reliable account reported by two senior disciples that Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo had a clear indication in a dream while he was staying at Dzogchen Monastery that Pema Tegchok Loden was one of the emanations of the great paṇḍita Vimalamitra, who appears in Tibet once every hundred years. [ 3 ] Dokham’s crown ornament of scholars and adepts, Patrul Jigme Chökyi Wangpo , had four disciples who were superior to himself. [ 4 ] Pema Tegchok Loden’s exceptional gurus included one of these, Önpo Tenga, or Orgyen Tenzin Norbu, who surpassed his teacher in the [philosophy of] the Middle Way, as well as his direct disciple Dzogchen Khenpo Zhenga, or Khenchen Zhenpen Chökyi Nangwa. [ 5 ] The master also had a mutual guru-disciple relationship with the great destroyer of delusion Galen Lama Kunga Palden . [ 6 ] He served at the lotus feet of many particularly noble, spiritual mentors including the Fifth Dzogchen Tubten Chökyi Dorje and Jamyang Mipham Chogle Namgyal, as well as listening to and contemplating sūtras and tantras along with the general fields of knowledge. [ 7 ] He thus became a lord of scholars. In particular, he acquired a clear understanding of [Dharmakīrti’s] Seven Treatises (Dedun) and the root texts and commentarial literature of the sūtras. He became known as an exceptional scholar of valid cognition, authoritative in exposition, debate, and composition. For eight years he served as the abbot of the main Dzogchen Monastery and Śrī Siṃha College. He continued his enlightened activities by primarily explaining and propagating the thirteen great classics of Indian [Mahāyāna philosophical] scriptures, as well as the sūtras, tantras, and fields of knowledge. Thereafter, he devoted the remainder of his life to practice in what is known as the Yamāntaka Meditation Cave, a cave near Dzogchen Monastery where the long mantras of Vajrakīlaya and Yamāntaka as well as the seed syllable of Yamarāja naturally appeared. This is also where the Dharma lord Patrul Rinpoche wrote The Words of My Perfect Teacher: An Instructional Manual for the Preliminary Practices of The Heart Essence of the Great Expanse ( Longchen Nyingtik ) and conducted a long retreat, imbuing the cave with blessings. Pema Tegchok travelled twice to Dzogchen Monastery when others requested him to do so and it was of some significance for the benefit of the teachings. But besides these two occasions, he never left and stayed exclusively in seclusion in that sacred place. He had a square bed with a blanket, which was perfectly suitable for his cross-legged posture. He strove in meditation and never fully loosened his belt [to sleep]. He owned only a tea kettle, a bag for roasted barley flour, and some baskets, and never accepted any common worldly provisions. He devoted himself solely to the conduct through which one renounces all things and is freed from activities. When people gave him offerings on behalf of the dead, he would never accept large donations, only small ones, and even these were used as offerings for such things as celebrating the anniversary of the omniscient master, making feast offerings and so forth—he would not use them to fund his own resources. He never ate meat. During the summer, he would sit naked and offer his blood to the blood-drinking insects of the forest. When the moon shone at night, he would place his yogic meditation pad upon a boulder and practice the physical yogas, so much so that the boulder even grew smaller as a result. Between sessions, he boundlessly bestowed the nectar of profound instructions on faithful people from all directions, gaining countless disciples, including abbots and tulkus who preserved and upheld the doctrine of the victors and hermits who had given up life’s concerns and were free from activities. Even Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen Rinpoche said recently that he was Pema Tegchok’s student and that it was from him that he received the entirety of the Dzogchen Heart Essence’s (Nyingtik) instructional cycles. So exceedingly profound was his mind that the depth of his realization is difficult to comprehend. Still, we can consider what I believe to have been the core of his practice: all the instructions and profound advice from the textual tradition of the Omniscient One (Longchenpa Drimé Özer) and his heir ( Jigme Lingpa ), [ 8 ] the creation stage practices of the three yogas based upon the three roots of the Heart Essence of the Great Expanse, and the completion stage practices of winds according to the aural lineage based upon the primordial wisdom deity ( jñānasattva ) from the Assembly of Vidyadharas ( Rigdzin Dupa ), as well as the Four Works of the Heart Essence (Nyingtik Yabzhi), especially the Guru’s Inner Essence ( Lama Yangtik ) and the Heart Essence of the Ḍākinī (Khandro Nyingtik), as well as the Unexcelled Primordial Wisdom ( Yeshe Lama ), and the Seven Treasuries, especially the Treasury of the Dharmadhatu ( Chöying Dzö ). In any case, he became a great lord of realization, and at that time he was the source for clearing up misconceptions of [meditative] experiences and realizations for the majority of scholars and adepts in his vicinity including Zhechen Kongtrul Rinpoche. [ 9 ] As a sign that his material body had been liberated into a body of light, he never cast a shadow. As an indication of his accomplishment of the supreme inner heat ( tummo ), his water offerings never froze even in the bitter cold of winter, and people who came within his vicinity could feel the naturally arising heat within a bowshot of his dwelling. Since his training in discipline was as pure as the inner space of a lotus bulb, the sweet fragrance of discipline also permeated for about a bowshot. These signs were directly apparent. There were also well-known stories about the effectiveness of his blessings, such as how his protection cords could fend off weapons and prevent infant mortality. In brief, he was like a great moon of a Dharma teacher, in whom the qualities of scholarship, standing as a reverend monk, signs of accomplishment, kind deeds, and other sacred qualities were all fully complete. He was a crown ornament among myriad wish-fulfilling scholars and adepts, the primordial Buddha Samantabhadra manifesting in the form of a spiritual master, inseparable from the omniscient Drime Özer (Longchenpa). Having reached the full extent of his life and practice, he became fully enlightened within the space of peace. COLOPHON None NOTES [1] More information about the life of Khenchen Pema Tegchok Loden , including his dates and the names of his parents, has become available since this biography was written. For a full biography that incorporates the latest findings see Ryan M Jacobson, “Pema Tekchok Loden,” Treasury of Lives. [2] ’chi med ye shes, 19th c.–20th c., BDRC P6965 ; chos nam, 20th c., BDRC P2JM398 . [3] ’jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse’i dbang po, 1820–1892, BDRC P258 . [4] dpal sprul o rgyan ’jigs med chos kyi dbang po, 1808–1887, BDRC P270 . In addition, Nyoshul Lungtok Tenpe Nyima ( rmyo shul lung rtogs bstan pa’i nyi ma , 1829–1901/2) is said to have surpassed his teacher in view, Gyalrong Tenzin Dragpa ( rgyal rong bstan 'dzin grags pa , 1847/8–c.1921) surpassed his teacher in logic and epistemology, and Minyak Kunzang Sönam (mi nyag kun bzang bsod nams, 1823–1905) surpassed him in teaching the Bodhicaryāvatāra . [5] o rgyan bstan ’dzin nor bu, 1841/51–1900?, BDRC P5055 ; gzhan phan chos kyi snang ba, 1871–1927, BDRC P699 . [6] kun dga’ dpal ldan, 1878–1944, BDRC P6963 . [7] rdzogs chen grub dbang 05 bstan chos kyi rdo rje, 1872–1935, BDRC P701 ; mi pham rgya mtsho, 1846–1912, BDRC P252 . [8] klong chen rab ’byams pa dri med ’od zer, 1308–1364, BDRC P1583 ; ’jigs med gling pa, 1730–1798, BDRC P314 . [9] zhe chen kong sprul pad+ma dri med, 1901–1960, BDRC P744 . Photo Credit: Pema Tsel Paintings & Orgyen Khamdroling Thanks to Adam Pearcey at Lotsawa House for his editing. Published: July 2020 Edited: March 2025 BIBLIOGRAPHY Tubten Tsöndru (thub bstan brtson ’grus). rdzogs chen mkhan lha rgyal lam lha dgongs su grags pa’i mkhan chen pad+ma theg mchog blo ldan dpal bzang po’i rnam thar. In gsung ’bum/_thub bstan brtson ’grus , vol. 1, 67–72. Bylakuppe: Nyingmapa Monastery, 1985?. BDRC W10200 . Tubten Tsöndru. rdzogs chen mkhan chen a bu lha sgang gi rnam thar . In mkhan chen thub bstan brtson ’grus kyi gsung ’bum , vol. 2, 225–228. Lhasa: Bod ljongs bod yig dpe rnying dpe skrun khang, 1985. Abstract Khenpo Tsöndru's brief biography of his own teacher Pema Tegchok Loden (1879–1955), alias Khenchen Abu Lhagang, tells how he studied under some of the most illustrious masters of his day before serving as abbot for eight years at the famed monastic college of Dzogchen Śrī Siṃha and then retiring to a nearby cave, focusing on meditative practice. BDRC LINK W10200 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE N/A HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th–20th Century TEACHERS The Fourth Sechen Gyaltsab, Pema Namgyal The Third Dodrubchen, Jigme Tenpe Nyima Mipam Gyatso Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo Kham Tsang Drukgyal Orgyen Tenzin Norbu Lungtok Tenpe Nyima Khenchen Pema Vavra Sönam Chöpel Zhenpen Chökyi Nangwa Yönten Gyatso Kunzang Palden Kunzang Dechen Dorje Purtsa Khenpo Akön The Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, Tubten Chökyi Dorje The Third Mura Pema Dechen Zangpo TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Dzogchen Monastery Śrī Siṃha College Dzogchen Yamāntaka Cave STUDENTS Kunga Palden The Third Mura, Pema Dechen Zangpo Chönam Rigdzin Wangyal Ngawang Norbu Tubten Nyima Gyurme Ösal Mewa Khenchen Jampal Khenchen Tsöndru Tenzin Chözang Tsewang Rigdzin Pema Kunzang Rangdröl Pema Kalzang Khenchen Könchok Rinchen Tubten Legshe Chökyi Jungne Botrul Do Ngak Tenpe Nyima The Sixth Dzogchen Drubwang, Jigdral Jangchub Dorje Drogön Yeshe Dargye The Fourth Mura, Pema Norbu Adzom Drugpa Tubten Pema Trinle Tubten Chökyi Dragpa Jamyang Sherab Gyaltsen The Third Gemang, Garwang Lerab Lingpa AUTHOR Khenpo Tsöndru The Biography of Dzogchen Khenchen Abu Lhagang VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

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