THAMS-CAD MKHYEN-PA NGA-DBANG CHOS-GRAGS DPAL-BZANG-PO'I RNAM-PAR THAR-PA PHUL-DU BYUNG-BA'I MDZAD-PA BZANG-PO'I GTAM-SNYAN LHA'I TAMBU-RA'I RGYUD-KYI SGRA-DBYANGS

The Tsang-dbyangs rGya-mtysho'i gSang-rnam (Secret Biography of Tsang-dbyangs rGya-mtsho) was composed in1757, by a Mongolian monk named Ngag-dbang lHun-grub Dar-rgyas, Dar-rgyas No-mi-han (aka lHa-btsun Ngag-dbang rDo-rje) at the monastery of Phan-sde rGya-mtsho-gling in Alashan, in modern-day Inner Mongolia. It is a curious work, purportedly being the story of the Sixth Dalai Lama, with whom the author had come into contact as a child, in the year 1716. The fact that the Seventh Dalai Lama had been born in 1708 seems to have made no impression on Dar-rgyas No-mi-han. The identity of the author and the nature of the story itself have been analysed in great depth by Michael Aris in his book Hidden Treasures and Secret Lives (Kegan Paul International, London, 1989), so I'll not dive into the murky depths here.

This is a good story, replete with yetis, headless men, zombies, smallpox and austerities. There is a great deal of humanity to be found here - clearly Dar-rgyas No-mi-han had great faith in, and affection for, this strange lama. Alongside the humanity, the personal story as recounted by the lama, there is though a good deal of rather banal narrative, detailing his journey from place to place. At the close of each section, No-mi-han descends into hagiographical overdrive, piling elaborate filigrees upon one another in his attempt to emphasise quite how extraordinary this lama in fact was.

This is very much a translation in progress (and the notes above are very much notes in progress, too). I would encourage anyone who locates errors or verbal infelicities in the text to get in touch with me, so that I might gradually refine it in due course. I hope to get the remaining material translated some time during 2003.

Please note that you can download this text in *pdf format (for which you'll need the Acrobat Reader

THE BIOGRAPHY OF OMNISCIENT NGA-DBANG CHOS-GRAGS DPAL-BZANG-PO, THE MELODY OF THE DIVINE TAMBURA

PART ONE: BIRTH, ORDINATION AND ENTHRONEMENT

1.1. INTRODUCTION

1.2. THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

1.3. HIS PARENTS, HIS BIRTH AND HIS ENTHRONEMENT


PART TWO: THE ACTIVITY AND PRACTISE CARRIED OUT TO BENEFIT ALL BEINGS

2.1. HIS TRAINING AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS DISAPPEARANCE

2.2. TRAVELLING WITH NOMADS

2.3. A BAD CASE OF SMALLPOX

2.4. JOURNEYING TOWARDS THE HEADLESS MAN

2.5. THE FAMILY WITH SMALLPOX

2.6. THE SNGAGS-PA'S FEAST

2.7. THE PATRONESS, THE THIEF, THE BLA-MA AND HIS MONKEY

2.8. A SOJOURN IN LHA-SA

2.9. A MEETING WITH DAKINIS

2.10. A VISION OF KHOR-LO BDE-MCHOG

2.11. IMPRISONMENT AND ESCAPE

2.12. TWO DEAD DOGS AND TWO YETIS

2.13. A TOUR OF SACRED SITES

2.14. THE ZOMBIES

2.15. A DISTURBING VISION

2.16. THE PRECIOUS ELEPHANT

2.17. A SOJOURN IN DVAGS-PO AND RECOGNITION



PART THREE: (forthcoming)

PART FOUR: (forthcoming)

PART ONE: BIRTH, ORDINATION AND ENTHRONEMENT

1:1. INTRODUCTION

From far off in the realm of deep peace, that holy residence, which is the original dwelling-place, where cool shade offers great compassion, the two accumulations of learning and merit, the very zenith of wonderful compassion, was born from sleep for the sake of those who need to be tamed. He, the king of three-fold Dharma, from whom emanate the light-rays of the omniscient and completely perfect Buddha, the compassion of the one who has reached his goal, the virtuous captain of the ship of endurance, was universal bLo-bzang Rin-chen Chos-grags rGya-mtsho. Although independently enjoying Dharmakayadhatu, he came to bestride the stage, taking on innumerable forms in the realm of great compassion. Protected constantly by loving Padmapani, he is the treasure of the wisdom and love, a string of blessings as one within all the Buddhas.

And when, unceasingly, he enters into humanity, with the kind root bla-ma upon his topknot, his head whirls in the rainbow light of the five wisdom families, his appearance brings to mind the young moon, his body seems ornamented, so brilliantly does it shine; and his four-faced daughter zealously gazes upon him, her lord, holding her harp of precious lapiz-lazuli. The Arya appears in the valley of the snowy land, the illusory form of Padmapani, the universal interpenetration of pure and impure things, which are attained by whomever grasps his omnipresence - in particular, for every stainless moon of total liberation, rising in the sky with its three secrets and reflected in innumerable bathing-pools below, the excellent Aryas refine the available opportunities. The mind of each being, wandering in the darkness which obscures the nature of what is here, has no chance of speaking, thinking or expressing; because of the extent of the obstacles, the noble ones came to understand that the time was not right and, even after a long delay, still they did not express their understanding. We are told that the excellent and wonderful actions of holy people of faith should be commited to paper. A succession of earnest speeches falls on the head, the story of liberation causing a bruise to appear. In this respect, intelligent witnesses generate faith in the illusory play of the Aryas.

His speech is free of the errors which lead to inharmonious action, it pleases the Buddha's children; it is a swirling cascade, juice to moisten the ears of those many wise and charming people who use language with intelligence and wisdom. By appearing in the transcendent form which is like a mirage, he wasn't simply concerned for his own benefit. This is proclaimed in the Tantra of the Divine Tambura, the Melody which Acts with great Love for Others. And in the Dam-chos Pad-dkar it says, "My spiritual children, where is the world system of the one who teaches dharma to beings, the one whose form is that of the Buddha, Mahasattva Bodhisattva, powerful Chenrezik? And, even though it exists, this world system of the one who teaches dharma to beings, the one whose form is that of the Buddha, Mahasattva Bodhisattva, powerful Chenrezik, nevertheless he teaches dharma to some beings in the form of a Pratyekhabuddha, to some beings in the form of a Sravaka, to some beings in the form of Brahma, to some beings in the form of Indra, to some beings in the form of a Gandharva, to some beings in the form of a Yaksa and to some beings in the form of Mahesvara. To the beings under the sway of the Cakravartin, he teaches Dharma in the form of the Cakravartin."

Set out in this way, samsara, that unceasing adornment which is taught as being unstable, is condensed into one single topic - it is one's own state, thoughts, temptations, circumstance and, in particular, one's destiny. Even though it's recognised by Aryas other than the completely perfect Buddha, it far transcends the visible world, a fact which is held to be true by most people who say, "It is like this". Chapter 31 of Phel-po-che states, "Just as the tenth-level Buddha has the power of an Abhisekaraja, so the pure and precious qualities proceed, in a similar way, in stages. This topography can be layed out and ennumerated in all directions; it is capable of being understood in a single apprehension by all beings but, whilst it is possible to convey the existence of the Buddha throughout space, yet his qualities and abilities could not possibly be expressed in a million kalpas."

Having attained the abhiseka of the tenth level, the name of a king or a Buddha holds more meaning for sure than just the name of the completely perfect Buddha. In Chapter 11 of Book 65 of the 1100 Sher Phyin, it asks, "How, then, is the nature of the Tathagata, the Mahasattva Bodhisattva, who resides on the tenth level, to be described? It is the complete summation of all the Mahasattva Bodhisattva's perfection, the ten powers of the Tathagata, the four fearlessnesses, the four individually perfect lineages, the eighteen uncompromised dharmas of the Buddha, the wisdom of omniscience, the elimination of all suffering which comes from desire and the total perfection of all the dharmas of the Buddha of great compassion. If you analyse it in this way, then the Mahasattva Bodhisattva who dwells on the tenth level is of the nature of the Tathagata."Moreover, "The time of action of the tenth level Mahasattva Bodhisattva completely transcends the perception of the good, it completely transcends the state of lineage, it completely transcends the level of rebuke, it completely transcends the level of seeing, it completely transcends the subtle level, it completely transcends the level which is linked to lust and desire, it completely transcends the level of understanding what has been done, it completely transcends the level of Pratyekhabuddhas and it completely transcends the Bodhisattva level. According to this analysis, the Mahasattva bodhisattva completely transcends the ninth level and, therefore, dwells on the Buddha's level."

The first chapter of the "Ornament of Clear Perception"states: "The transcendence of the ninth level is wisdom, the perfect Buddha resides on that level. That is the level of the Bodhisattva and should be known as the tenth level."This is general accords with the teaching and of Kuntuzangpo, as found in the second book of the Samadhi Wisdom-Seal Sutra: "The Bodhisattva who possesses great qualities is called 'Buddha', 'guide', 'teacher', 'Omniscient' and 'Ruler'."

So, because the liberation of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the tenth level far transcends the mental sphere of ordinary people and, in particular, those of people such as myself, the Arya 'Jig-rten dBang-phyug, during the time of difficulty and obstruction when it was hard to express his human form, became Jigs-med rDor-rje Shes-bya Kun-mkhyen; then, once again, he took on the name Ngag-dbang Chos-grags dPal-bzang-po.

An enquiry about the basic personality of bLo-bzang Rin-chen Tsangs-dbyangs rGya-mtsho would truly bring joy for innumerable aeons; although it concludes with the Buddha, the king of Ogmin 'Od-zer Kun-'phags dPal-brtsegs, it is not exhausted by the innumerable teachers who have a pure good nature; this, as well as the other qualities of Padmapani, the elder son of the Buddha 'Od-dpag-med, subjugate whatever is to be subjugated by as much meditation as is possible by the body of compassion. In our impure world, this far transcends the realm of speech, thought and action of ignorant fools such as myself who, in our great stupidity, contribute only a superficial understanding.

The noble, holy lama kept to himself all his personal details, right up to his place of birth and kept even information about his family hidden. However he behaved on the surface, his mind, which wasn't in anyway deficient, was nonetheless concealed and, even when he was being at his most candid, it was difficult to grasp what was fact and what was not. If those who had no knowledge of his story inquired of the lama where he had been born, or something about his family or, indeed, simply the year of his birth, he would say "I've been wandering around since I was young and I've forgotten both my parents and my country."

To those who would ask him about himself, he would say, "I have no name"; again, if anyone asked about his origins, he would rebuke them angrily - "I don't even know who I myself am - how on earth could you know!"And if he was asked how long it had been since he had arrived, he would say that "a mental continuum had manifested in the past, called the sNgags Ram-pa from dBu, and it was he who was called 'lama' or 'holy man'."And, as soon as he said, "May Visnu see you!", the monk to whom he spoke would have an epileptic fit.

Some perceived him as a twice-born, rather than a sprul-sku appearing as a holy saint. Others wondered whether he was one of those born many times, rather than the rebirth of the Great Fifth: when they told this story, he would neither confirm nor deny it. When asked as to the place and the manner of his birth or as to what he was doing now, again and again he blocked them, saying "don't say things like that".

He earnestly kept his promise not to tell anyone anything beyond the enumeration of the various monks from mDo-smad and elsewhere, whom he had encountered, along with the story of the monk from dBu-tsang: he took particular care to strengthen the basic ideas which underpinned the Dharma.

To those who dared not ask about his biography, what he had done up until that point, the holy man would say, "I haven't been given many specific names referring to what I am or am not like. It's like the example of a fish in water when the light is very bright. If you make a request to a bla-ma whose essence is the same as that of the highest gods, because the essence of the situation is the blessing of that god, then the bla-ma himself is the blessing of Chenrezik perceived as a being; the attainment of such a blessing results in happiness."

He also told stories to those of a pure heart and to those closest to him, of how he had gone secretly to many holy places, such as Khams, dBu-tsang, India and Nepal. Laughing and joking at times, he told of the meditation and austerities he had practised. He instructed his audience not to tell these stories others and said nothing at all to the random people round about.

Later, in old age, powerful bla-mas such as bLo-bzang dPal-ldan from Zhwa-lu, and the bla-ma of Thang-ring, Gong-ba Zhabs-drung, over and over again earnestly pointed out that, although there might have been special reasons for keeping his life secret for a brief period, he should now recount the general facts of his biography. Thus he committed to paper some of his wonderful deeds.

After his death, several of his most devoted disciples, in particular the great Vajradhara Khri Rin-po-che rGya-nag-pa, insisted that I would not be going against the deceased's wishes were I to write the extraordinary biography of this holy man. The Vajradhara Byams-pa Rinpoche asked me to write the biography and deliver it to him, such was the strength of his faith.

Nowadays, some students hope to generate the faith of others in their own bla-ma by rehearsing his many virtues; others proclaim their own greatness alongside that of their bla-mas and, though they defame others, they foolishly talk up the little they have attained. Because those with the eye of Dharma were reticent about telling this story to others who act in a less than helpful way, through their harmful exaggeration and depreciation of those who take to themselves the subtle teaching of cause and effect; and because of my own reticence around those of my contemporaries who seem better able to judge the value of this story; and, finally, because the passage of time itself created obstacles, there was a delay which prevented the holy bla-ma's narrative being written down verbatim. But, of course, whether this holy man was hampered by error or fault, or whether some obstruction to his teaching had been created, being poked in the heart by the finest of hairs would have had more effect on great Manjusri. What happened, as explained below, was for the benefit of others alone.

Similarly, he kept all his qualities secret within him, publicizing the qualities of others; thus, in the manner of holy men, he raised up the ordinary people of this dark age. Some, who had a mistaken understanding of compassion, failed to appreciate this, seeing what he did as publicising the secret qualities of holy people. Omniscient dGe-'dun Grub dPal-bzang-po said: "Now within this range of snowy mountains, the shining heroes hold the teaching for themselves as well as for others - this is a result of the depth of their sorrow."And then, we read in the biography of Kun-dga Legs-pa: "My jealousy is lost, taken away by rose-blossom; my name is changed and now I am become Government".

To some, the qualities of this holy man were hidden within while, to certain people, it was appropriate that they be externalised and nobly manifested. Now, however, only the biography is available and it's time for an explanation so as not to compromise the benefit it might have on others.

This is what he said: "The fully-perfected compassion of the omniscient Buddha-kings arises from the bKa'-gdams teaching; the seven revelations arise like the laughter of the thunder-dragon, the revelation which clarifies quiddity is heard. This explanation renders the good fortune of the snowy valley famous from the earth to the sky - sing out loud, dance!"The one who is said to be the seventh in the line of rebirths which are called the Thunder Dragon's Laughter, the fully-perfected compassion of the Buddha-king, has always secretly held the liberation of the Sixth to be a cause for amusement. In the future, it is certain that the meaning of all this will be explained by the one thousand Buddhas, their understanding mediated by faith in Manjusri.

And now, as much as there are biographies of the Mahasattva Bodhisattvas, so without exception they clearly explain and teach the multitude of Bodhisattvas who have their own mandalas in the fields of the ten directions, where reside those who see clearly the three times. So, since the power of the Aryas' minds is more amazing that those of other holy beings, who should not proclaim the stories of these great and flexible minds, this immense necklace of compassion?

And, this being so, it is said that the end of many births in the three realms, the melding of thought and the joyful mind, is only to fall asleep. The time will not be right for those who are called "the caretakers of the Dharmapalas"to proclaim the biographies of others. The teachers of the six heresies will seek to challenge the Bhagavans with illusions, again and again saying "Is it time yet?"or "When oh when will the time be right?"- and thus the two will not be unified in this matter.

At this time, when prayer is powerful and proactive, who will assure that the "great things opposition"is not reversed? The holy men taught the method of transcending the earth's boundaries and, if this opportunity to understand immediately the essence of all is so clear, then this is the way, once and for all, to complete what needs to be done.

Usually in snowy Tibet, travel is hard and frightening but, for this secret traveller, the needs of others were fundamental. Now, by bearing witness to the activity and its results, by pure faith he reached the borders. As for the biography of this glorious bla-ma, delight yourself with the discourse written on this roll of paper and, furthermore, direct what you hear towards working with your mind. As it says, "In order to protect the mind which works for the benefit of others, purify everything and remain constantly steadfast."It is now time to do just that.



1:2 THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

So, there are three parts to the story of his life. First is the explanation of where this most superior and extraordinary person was born, his entry into the religious life and how he came to be enthroned. Second, there is an account of the hardships he suffered and how he worked for benefit of others. Third, we hear how he came to mDo-sMad, how he helped people through his teaching them and, finally, how he transcended suffering.

As for the first, it says in the gLegs-bam Rin-po-che: "Although I teach with the body of a virtuous scholar...". The omniscient dGe-'dun Grub says, "I am a pandit who knows the five lineages", while noble dGe-'dun rGya-mtsho, with his elegant expositions, says that "There is no difference between myself and others". bSod-rnams rGya-mtsho, the teacher of beings of the three worlds, says, "What I teach and what others teach is one", while powerful Yon-tan rGya-mtsho, the king of blissful Dharma, says, "I am the precious origin of happiness and blessing". One after the other they appear and, finally, the revered king bLo-bzang rGya-mtsho, says in his powerful voice, "O great Garuda, flying in the sky, just as you pity those birds who stay at home, so I fly in the sphere of wisdom, and look with pity upon those whose minds are sick."In this way, these six rulers, noble and powerful bla-mas, teach the essence of reality.

The Ati Zab-don sNying-po'i Lung-bstan of the adamantine Vajradhara gTer-bdag Ling-pa points to the area in which he was to be born: "In particular, the one who acts according to the nature of reality will appear in Shampo, this side of south-western Tibet. He is the master of beings and, without a doubt, he protects them by holding to the teachings."Chapter 24 of the Lha 'Dre bKa'-thang clarifies the year as that of the water-pig and gives indications as to his paternal estate: "When wars and dissent arise from pride, and the great sorrow of humanity threatens the Dharma, an emanation of Body, Speech and Mind, a master of the teaching who acts with generosity, will arise in O-rgyan in the water-sow year."

An ancient prophecy, the treasure text of the gter-ston Chos kyi rGyal-mtshan, tells how, after a year, the one born in the year of the pig would act for the benefit of beings through a secret seal: "So, when the pig and rat arise, one born in the Year of the Pig, the son of the lord O-rgyan Padmasambhava, will appear and manifest himself, so that the teachings might be healed. While the pig and rat do not arise, he acts for the benefit of others in secret."

It's clear that he had made a secret vow for his entire life, even though these instructions were promulgated at the turn of the first year of the sDe-srid's reign.


1:3 HIS PARENTS, HIS BIRTH AND HIS ENTHRONEMENT

As for the place of birth, the second Buddha from O-rgyan, the knower of secret lands, who had granted blessings and many profound treasures, had identified it as being the three lower lands, where leaves came together overhead, where the thirteen types of grain ripened, and where grew fruit trees and groves, as well as crops of various medicinal and perfumed flowers.

At that time, the essence of the Great Fifth, with his reddish-yellow robes, his music and his dance, had established control within himself, where it was required. Thus, prayers spread forth for the generation of compassion by the Sixth in line; the governing authorities at dGa'-ldan, the palace of the universally victorious Buddha, were more powerful than was the religious community and, by strengthening the silken ropes, they established many beings on the path of the ten virtues who had previously been stuck eating the sleep-inducing nutmeg flower; this was a time when the world was free from disagreement, sickness, famine and suchlike.

The tantras, provided by the gods of 'Od gSal, recount the activities which took place between his paternal ancestors and his maternal ancestors, who were free from error; they tell also of the perfect lineage of both his mother and his father, their ability, brilliance, clarity and wisdom and their knowledge of what needed to be supported and controlled, their understanding of proportionate action, their vision as broad as the sky which perceives the fruits of such things as the cleansing of errors and the commission of virture. His father was the rebirth of Rig-'dzin Padma Ling-pa, Rig-'dzin bKra-shis bsTan-'dzin, an unsullied representative of the lineage of snags-pa; his mother was a holy woman, whose personality was clear to all and who was not one to act of her own accord, being of perfect family, lineage, appearance and name, one who had previously not borne any child, a moral woman, one whom you could invite inside, a woman with a smiling face, clear, gentle, fearless, a good-listener, wise, unshakable, not an angry person, free from pride and jealousy, not wild, but steady, not a chatterbox but forebearing and genuine, a modest person, with little desire, anger or ignorance - a woman free from error, of perfect wifely qualities. She was, as it says in the Lalitavistara, "a goddess with the life force of the Buddha's lineage, the perfection of all womanly qualities, the thirty-two qualities of the mother of a Bodhisattva".

So a son was born to this couple in the water-pig year, in accordance with the prophecies outlined above.

On the seventh day there were many amazing signs. As the first year turned, he indicated with special secret signs that he would go to reside in his own country. At this point, the sDe-srid Sangs-rgyas rGya-mtsho considered that, given the establishment of the great tree of cherished offerings, the Potala palace, it would be neither suitable nor possible to reveal the inner thoughts and instructions of the Fifth to others.

When the child was fifteen, in the so-called "powerful"fire-ox year, he was enthroned and, even though it had been necessary for twelve years to keep secret the fifth's instructions, nonetheless these years had passed under the powerful compassion of the sDe-srid; thus the accounts of previous sages are described as having been made under false assumptions.

In this fire-ox year, in Nakartse in Lahor, at the third minute of the 15th hour of the 17th day of the 9th month, in the presence of the Buddha Amitayus, the omniscient Panchen Lama bLo-bzang Ye-shes (they were successively the teacher and pupil of one another), the ascetic Vidhyadhara 'Jam-dbyangs Grags-pa, who cut through his obscurations, Zil-gnon rDo-rje, who knew the five Dharma lords, bLo-bzang Chos-grags, a man in the prime of life and the snags-pa dPon-slob 'Jam-dbyangs Chos-'phel, he requested and received the perfect essence of ordination and received the name Omniscient Tsangs-dbyangs rGya-mtsho and took on the divine qualities of perfection.

Then, in this so-called "powerful"fire ox year, in the tenth month according to the reckoning of the Mongolian healing tradition, there arose from the two directions a gathering of dakinis, assembled like clouds, together with those who turn the wheel of holy dharma. This was the festival to mark his taking hold of the dharma, of the noble mind of Tsong-kha-pa bLo-bzang Grags-pa and, in particular, of the Aryas.

During this time, at the 30th minute of the fifth hour of the twenty-fifth day, in the presence of these four excellent people, who had come from all directions, he was seated as a holy defender and a protector of beings and gods on the great dharma throne supported by the fearless lions of the perfect ferryman's great Potala mountain.

The mother which is the divine path and the natural wisdom which tames evil activity, when joined together in this sun of holy and magnificent birth, fill the earth with light and liberate those on the path of darkness". The great sound of his fame was broadcast and feasts were enjoyed in the three lands of dbUs, Tsang and Kham; in the Gang Tshe Ma De'i Chu 'Dzin, we read "The arising of the moon which is your body is the coming of the Lord of Compassion". "The Tibetan people celebrated and gathered together, it is said, like a group of owls, proud of their wisdom, making their nests in the darkness of ignorant fantasies. The Aryas, on the peaks of the land of snows, look with blessings upon this youthful sun, amidst the monastic dances, upon the lion throne within the incomparable palace of the two ferrymen, like the clarifying instruction of the seven precious rosaries of the method, as proposed by the continual monastic succession - by observing, hearing and thinking, spreading help for the benefit of beings

PART TWO: THE ACTIVITY AND PRACTISE CARRIED OUT TO BENEFIT ALL BEINGS

2:1 HIS TRAINING AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS DISAPPEARANCE



Not just once, but again and again, the Buddha and his descendants praise that holy state which beings of lesser intelligence find so hard to comprehend. From the great treasure of supreme bodhicitta, the unique and precious gate of all bliss, the Mahasattva Bodhisattva creates whatever might be desired; he thinks not about himself, but gazes rather upon all of us exhausted and unformed beings, as we drown beneath the dark waters of ignorance; deprived of the eye of wisdom, we do not see what we should accept and what we should reject. Waves of error crash upon the great ocean of samsara, where swim the fearful crocodiles of birth, sickness, old age and death.

The power of his love and compassion seeks to benefit us all, both through a myriad of miracles and through the various manifestations of the physical body which guides those who have not yet understood. So, for innumerable aeons in this imperfect world, noble Kuntuzangpo has worked strenuously, in order that beings on the endless path of good and bad rebirths might enjoy his actions for so long as Samsara remains. This is the essence of Dharma.

The gLegs-bam Rin-po-che explains the specific and general qualities of the noble holy bla-ma: "From the very top of the Potala mountain, rays of light emanate from his heart into a hundred directions; his single holy manifestation leads both high and low towards the north of Tibet."

He generated a deep and firm compassion for those in the north who were in need of guidance, just as a loving mother takes care of her sick only child. For his journey along the great highway is dressed in the armour of perseverence, a wonderful compassion, and, through the power of love, during his 25th year on the great seat in the ever-moving realm, he was beautifully adorned with the raiment of pure liberation - the four essences of the six perfections which are the cleansing and proactivity of the Buddha and his descendents; at this time, by following the customs set up by his predecessors, protecton was increased and not dissipated.

Briefly put, before many of his subjects - the ocean of dge-lugs-pa nobles of the Yellow Hat sect, such as omniscient Panchen bLo-bzang Ye-shes, Khri Rin-po-che Co-ne Tsul-khrims Dar-rgyas and dge-slong 'Jam-dbyangs Grags-pa - he listened to all the mantra empowerment and permission and explication, the fundamental instruction and the tantric explanation, the guidance of the generation and completion stages, the sutra instruction and the guidance of the condensed and expanded stages of the path. He looked in particular to his root bla-ma dge-slong 'Jam-dbyangs Grags-pa, and made great effort to listen throughout the four seasons of three years, during which time he enjoyed the four books and in their words, flowing like the Ganges.

At that time, the powerful sDe-srid really pushed dge-slong 'Jam-dbyangs Grags-pa, saying things like "If Rin-po-che doesn't put himself out and make a big effort to study the texts for which he's received empowerment, there'll be Hell to pay".

"I was young then and, when I was receiving instruction, I didn't stay still, but rather got up and wandered about. My root bla-ma would stand up and would come after me with the book in his hand. 'Please, please don't do this,' he would say, 'please sit down and listen. If you don't listen, the sDe-srid will reprimand me'. And he would join his palms together and I would do as he said, I would sit down and listen to him. Then he too would sit down before me and continue to teach me. I remember this happening on many occasions; it resulted in many things, both positive and negative, occurring to me. And my head would be filled with joy and suffering and as he said all this he would again and again hit his head with his fist and weep."

He said that he listened in total to two and one half recitations of the bKa'-'gyur - once in the presence of the sDe-srid, once in the presence of dGe-slong 'Jam-dbyangs Grags-pa and, later, half a reading in the presence of the gter-ston Ratna Ling-pa. In short, he listened to the power which brought to life all the theories of the Tibetan schools such as the Sa-skya, dGe-lugs and rNying-ma and to the liberating guidance, authorisation and explanation impartial teaching which constitute the theories and methodologies of the sutra and mantra traditions.

Later, during the winter when snow fell, the rJe-btsun would come into the courtyard and there on the snow we would practise the dGe-lugs-pa dances. He would pace out the steps of the one, three, five and multi-pointed vajra dances and then he would dance them, telling me to watch his feet. At that time, we were young and we looked on as though it were just a spectacle. We did nothing except watch, so the meaning of the dances didn't concern us.

Then, at the monastery of Po-rol-na, the sku-zhabs made a mandala from colored sand of the thirteen 'Jigs-byed. He said to me, "It would be good if you could set up a dGe-lugs sa-gar here in this monastery". The idea stayed with me and, when later the sku-zhabs transferred to another level of existence and I went to Tibet to attend the funeral rites, I asked the Seventh rGyal-dbang Rin-po-che whether he entertained any idea of establishing the gar. He replied, "I already had the intention of setting up a sa-gar at rNam-rgyal Grva-tshang, but I was unable to find a teacher for the school, even though I looked as far as mNga-ris. The tradition is still alive in Zhva-lu, so I still have an idea to set up a school according to the Bu-ston tradition. It's a shame - the seal is broken and now you can't find it anywhere in the thirteen Khri-skor, however hard you look. It could be possible to find it still in Khams, though,"he added, showing his great concern.

At that time, faith that the noble bla-ma had indeed achieved liberation came directly to me. He sat down and spoke clearly about what was troubling his mind. There is benefit to be had from what is said in the Spyod-'jug, namely "What point is there in being sad that something is not genuine?"This is the essence of the teaching. Compassionate Grags-pa Chos-phel relied on later discussions with his compassionate spiritual friends and thus greatly purified the mandala of scholars.

Even though I sought to understand his melodious discourse, the account he gave was so accomplished and pure that I was unable fully to do so. He told me now how, according to the prophecies, the time had been coming when those in the north would have had to be tamed. Some sought to alienate the sDe-srid and the Lha-bzang Qan through such politicking; because the merit of Tibet was so slight, there arose a commotion and Lha-bzang sent a letter to China which called into question the authenticity of the sprul-sku. People came to investigate what had not previously been investigated and the sprul-sku appeared, quite without artifice. They requsted him to remain seated on the throne and, from all sides, from left and right, from behind and from the front they looked him over and minutely analysed his characteristics. They said they didn't know whether or not he was truly the sprul-sku of the fifth rGyal-dbang, but that what they observed of the noble body was completely perfect; then they prostrated and returned to their own land.

After this, there was a great quarrel about what they had previously understood. The sDe-srid and the Lha-bzang fashioned an agreement, but by the time the Phyag-na Lama and Ananda had arrived, Lha-bzang had had the sDe-srid killed. At that time, the waves of dissent were growing bigger and, although that pair with all their eloquence and golden words had arrived, the Lha-bzang had become a demon and what he was saying to them seemed incoherent.

In the autumn of of the fire-pig year, the twenty-fifth year of his life, the conditions were such that he was invited to China. Today, it's said that when the friends of the Yangs-pa-can lineage came into the presence of the gods of the gNyan plain, the gods came to meet him.

Gradually they made their way north. At sTod-ru mTsho-nag an eloquent bla-ma came to them, sent by the Chinese Emperor; he fiercely reprimanded Ananda and the others, saying "You've invited the rGyal-dbang Rin-po-che here and you have no idea where he is to reside or how to serve him". They were led to understand the extent of the harm which would be done to them on their arrival in Beijing. One pleaded again and again, saying to him, "You have power over us: if you don't either go on your way or die, we'll get our throats slit."Indeed, his letter, the Emperor said, "According to your previous agreement with Lha-bzang Qan, you're going to arrive on the doorstep of the golden palace of magnificent 'Jam-dbyangs - but you'll come into the Presence and you'll not get out alive."They were very frightened and, hearing what would happen to them, he said to them, "Well, now, I'm not going to cause you harm for my own benefit, so it would be best for me to die. However,"he continued, "I'll examine the situation", and they were very happy at that.

Then the group arrived at the side of a lake. One day he said "Bring some wood"; they erected a tent with juniper-wood struts and a cotton covering in that place and he went inside and stayed there for a day. Then an old Sog-po came through the tent-flap at the place where they were staying, which was called Kun-dga' Nor. The Sog-po prostrated himself and looked on, saying "Give me your instructions"; and he gave him instructions.

Through his interpreter the Bi-dur dPon-po, he asked his guest, "What is this place called and what is your name?"

"This place is called Kun-dga' Nor"he said, "and my name is Arpalang. It means 'lion' in Mongolian. And the name of the lake means "Joy to All", and that brings fearlessness."

Then he thought to himself, "I will create an illusion, just as they suggested"and he prayed to the triple jewel and, following the clear teaching of the other excellent aspects of the Buddha, especially to dPal-ldan Lha-mo.

That evening he explained to the Bi-dur dPon-po and the guestmaster and to the Chinese officials what he intended to do. In the first watch of the night, he dressed in a yellow woollen blanket and a red woollen blanket marked with katvankas, a broad-brimmed hat, Mongolian shoes and other things - not like a king, but as the son of a mother, taking his chance in the world. He carried with him a rosary of red sandalwood, in a bag on his side he carried relics and at his waist a treasure phurbu given to him by gTer-bdag gling-pa - nothing else apart from that. Then he went to give final instructions to his retinue and his guestmaster. They were all overcome with tears and immesurable sorrow.

Then he left suddenly and turned his face to the south east.

"Immediately a fierce dust storm arose, it was as though the sky and the earth were moving. There was a moment when my head was spinning and, in the middle of the rushing wind, a spark glimmered to reveal a woman, dressed as a nomad, moving away from me. I followed this woman until, towards daybreak, she was there no longer. The whirling wind subsided and the whole world was full of dust".

It is the of greatest benefit to act for the good of others in this life. In the Kasyapa chapter, it says, "It is like this, Kasyapa: imagine the lion, the king of animals - wherever he goes, he is afraid of nothing and walks without fear. It's the same, Kasyapa, with Bodhisattvas, with their understanding and morality, their instruction and pure qualities, their limited material needs and their dwelling in the wisdom of samadhi - wherever they go, they are afraid of nothing and walk without fear."To emphasize this, it also says, "The king of beasts, the lion with his mane, is fearless wherever he goes. Similarly, the Bodhisattva goes fearlessly wherever he wishes, walking in joy, his conduct and understanding formed in wisdom."

So although the Holy One had just been cast out like a weed from government, from the great place of residence and the thirteen types of seat, he nevertheless went off unconcerned, like the fearless Indian yogis, for the benefit of those to be tamed. He was dwelling in the supreme state, a state greatly praised by the Buddhas of the ten directions and their descendants.

Oh, my bla-ma, powerful Buddha, noble youth with special characteristics, you left the ancient region, a snowy land, and wherever you travel you are unloved. Oh, my bla-ma, powerful Buddha, protector of beings with the voice of Brahma, you left behind the lineage of beings to be tamed in Tibet and prayed for some place to tame the dissolute. Previously, in the lotus lakes of the snowy valleys, the wise geese held their celebrations; nowadays there, it is as though they have been defeated, and they all live in suffering. And, just as cows drive the swarm of young bees from around the lotus lake, so your lotus-face clears the mind of desire, and now you have prepared a place for refuge and dependence. But, just as when the sun is setting in the northern continent, the day is breaking in Dzambuling, so this jewel on the head of all the wise in Tibet is rising nobly to tame myself and others in the border regions.



2:2 TRAVELLING WITH NOMADS


"So at daybreak, I came to a place between two high mountain pastures. I had never before travelled on foot: I was shattered - my mouth was dry, the soles of my feet were blistered. I rested and thought about how my status had been ruined, how I had lost my few companions, how my few possessions were spent. Thinking in this way, saddened by the idea of impermanance but liberated through the kindness of the Triple Jewel, I decided that, in order to purify my defilements, I should go off as a yogin on a pilgrimage and spend my time in meditation; this choice made me feel exeedingly happy.

"As I went on I reached a highway. There I met a group of A-rig nomads coming down from Ji-ling (Hsining). My mouth was very dry; but, although they were drinking tea, I had never begged before and so didn't ask for any. I was very unsure about begging and I remained close to where they were gathered.

"One old man came from the group and asked me, 'Monk, who are you? Would you like some tea?' I accepted the tea but I had no cup. One of the others, to whom I hadn't spoken, found a large black cup and filled it with tea and gave it to me. I hadn't before drunk from a cup belonging to another person and, even though I noticed that this one was dirty, I drank from it nevertheless. To my dry mouth the tea was infinitely sweet and delicious.

"Then they all got together and looked me over. They didn't hide their astonishment at my complexion and the inappropriate way in which I was dressed. They were clicking their tongues, saying 'Well, well, well'. Then they checked me over and said that I was too big to be human and that I was even bigger than a god. 'Where are you from?', they asked, 'and where are you going? Where are your companions?'

"I didn't want to tell them about my origins but I was very afraid to lie. Nonetheless, I thought hard and told them this: 'I was travelling along the road with some Tibetan monks when we were robbed by some thieves from mGo-log and got separated.' This was the first time I had told a lie. They were all very kind about it and their chieftan, an old man called Bande Skyabs, showed me particular kindness. Then, as they took up their loads and made ready to go, they asked, 'Do you want to come along with us?'

"I said that my legs were so sore I couldn't walk and they saddled up a male for me from a large group of spare yaks. As I rode along, the wooden saddle cut into my thighs. Never had I suffered like that and I said I couldn't go on.

"The old man took a woollen chuba and placed it on top of the saddle to pad it. Then he led the yak along by a rope, with me happily riding it, and asked the rest to take turns leading it. They were very kind, but they also found it all very amusing and said, 'He's never experienced anything like this before!'

"Although they talked a great deal, I could barely understand what they were saying. As we went along we came upon a number of other nomads and they were all chatting about me. I figured I should find a monk and exchange my red cloak for an older garment. I found a monk amongst the nomads, wearing a yellow woollen cloak. I asked him, 'Do you want to exchange your yellow woollen cloth for this cloth of mine?' He said, 'Are you quite sure?' I took my red cloak and gave it to him: he was very pleased and gave me his yellow cloak. And everyone was astonished by what I had done.

"Due to my being infected by other people's cups and clothing, my mouth and face were swollen for many days. Nonetheless, after this period of sickness my body healed and became well once again.

"Of the northern and southern routes which led into the nomads' country, the southern was the nearer but it required crossing the Machu. They doubted whether the Machu was free from ice and asked me to find out by divination. So I pretended to cast lots, asking whether there was still ice on this southern route, which I claimed that indeed there was. I added, that my success in divination was down to rMa-chen sBom-ra's favorable disposition.

"Once we had arrived in the country of the A-rig, Bande Skyabs showed great faith and his old wife was extremely happy. They asked me to stay for a few days and again and again I put off my departure, staying in all for just about two months.

"I recited the 8,000-line Praj–aparamita and explained to them the nature of cause and effect. Because of their great faith, I got them to promise not to tell anyone else about me and gave them my yellow woollen cloak as a focus for their practise. I gave all of them the precepts and they touched their heads to the fringe of my girdle. The old woman gave me new shoes and a cloak which she had sewn and I accepted some tea and a little oil and curds; I didn't accept offerings from anyone else. They were all very sad and wept when I left them.

"The old man and his son accompanied me to a place a day's journey away, where I offered a prayer and left them. Then I went off as a beggar for the first time. No patron had showed me greater kindness than had these people."

Ordinary people who don't act with clarity do not experience direct knowledge. Although the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas do act with clarity, what can they understand of Bodhisattva qualities? Against what can a person with inner understanding weigh the incomparable power of the Buddha? It is equally difficult for people other than the Buddhas and their descendants to attain the samadhi which completely clears away obscurations. But although is very hard for anyone to get the measure of this circle of illusion, you should rely upon this fine jewel of cause and effect for wise contemplation. Even this great and noble lord followed his karma, making a place to live in the three worlds and seeking out a way to communicate with ordinary people. Thus, yogis who understand the nature of things can immediately recognise all conventional images as being invalid and illusory.



2:3 A BAD CASE OF SMALLPOX

"I then reached a part of A-shul called bLa-sgang and travelled for a few days with a man I had met. We came to a village where there was a Bon monastery and then the man went off elsewhere.

"I continued alone and reached a small Bhutanese monastery, where I took some tea which was being offered at the door of the assembly hall. As I was making ready to go, a rich old monk approached me as though he had been expecting me. He fetched a seat and paid me respect. He said that this had all occurred to him in a dream the previous evening, that he had to do me homage. 'You are the man in the dream', he said. His perception was very pure. Incidentally, this man was said to be a student of Chos-dbyings Rang-grol.

"I didn't take the piece of silver or any of the gold coins that he offered, but I did take an iron pot and a little tea, oil and tsam-pa. He accompanied me on my way for a little while.

"I was exhausted. I asked the way to 'Jang but I couldn't work out how to get there. Again I turned towards rGyal-mo Rong and came to a monastery called dKar-rgya, which belonged to the Vairocana sect. In that area the sect maintained a fine cave and I stayed there for about a month, during which some excellent visions arose which were helpful to my practice.

"By the kindness of the triple jewel, many people came from around about to take care of me.

"Then I went off in the direction of Tsa-ba Rong where there was a solitary wooded valley called Dor-dge. I remained there very happily for seven months in the earth cat year. At that time, smallpox was spreading through Khams and many people were dying, leaving a great number of villages empty. My body got sick and I was unable to walk. Thinking that I had been infected by this dreadful disease, I remained lying down under a vine. The smallpox spread through my whole body without ceasing, my face and body swelled up and I could barely move my eyes to open them. I took neither food nor drink and I was tormented by hunger and thirst. The sun shone hot during the day and at night the wind was freezing cold and I endured the immeasurable suffering of those in the hell realms. For a while I was unconscious and was unaware of whether it was day or night. I prayed fervently to the bla-ma and the triple jewel to cut the ropes of my life and I continued in the belief that this would purify the evil karma of my previous existences and the sickness of this one.

"On about the tenth day, all the pustules burst and pus flowed out and stuck to my clothes. I was set upon by insects - what greater suffering could there be? I just about managed to move my hand and take a few grapes to eat. I felt much better after that.

"I was a bit better on day twenty, but still I hadn't properly eaten, my body was thin and I was unable to walk. And, even though I hadn't succumbed to the disease, I still figured that the knife of hunger would get me. At one point, I ate a little of the front leg of an animal which a raven had dumped there and my body felt a little stronger.

"Now I had eaten the meat, I wondered whether I should maybe go look at the village. So I went off rather shakily, using a stick to help me walk, but found that I couldn't go very far. I took and ate some fruit that was growing on several red trees. But eating that recatalysed the poison from my illness and I suffered a pain in my bowels so bad that I thought I was going to die.

"The fact that my karma had yet to be exhausted made it hard for my life-force to be severed. Still I thought about suffering and I was sick at heart - I couldn't even bear the suffering of such a slight illness.

"Then I managed to relax my tormented body a bit, so that I fell asleep. In a dream, twenty years had passed. A person, their body shining and clothed in gold, came to me and said, 'I have come to meet you'. From the sky, a voice, whose body I couldn't see, said, 'That fruit was poisonous: you shouldn't have eaten it'. And I heard the voice of another saying, 'It is not a mistake for a person to transform poison into medicine. Ha ha! Poison arises wherever there is something to be perceived. Although the fruit of this tree is poisonous, it is nonetheless nectar, delicious tasting food. And now it blazes joyfully, purifying the body. Leave and go celebrate!'

"Hearing this, I awoke and found my body once again healthy. Although the sun was hot, I left by the lower part of the valley, where I met with a man wearing a yellow jacket, who was resting on a large piece of amonite. My mind felt relaxe and I asked him some questions. He explained carefully to me the customs of the people in the village along the track, which he knew well. 'Now go up from here and there's a cave above the village and you can stay there. I'm can't do that right now', he said, 'but for you the conditions are right'. And then I went alone into that wild and wooded place.

"I followed his directions and came to the door of a large, black yak-hair tent. An old man came out and I said to him, 'I've had smallpox - do you want to avoid me?' But he gave me some food and didn't shun me.

"'Come inside', he called. He poured me some tea and I drank it. I fainted immediately, waking up only after a long time had passed. All the people from nearby were crying and full of compassion for me.

"I stayed with him for two days. I asked whether there was a meditation cave in the valley and they said that there was a cave on the upper slopes of the valley and a second one further up.

"'Who was living there before?'

"'gYu-sgra sNying-po, a student of Vairocana', he said. 'Word has it that Or-rgyan Rin-po-che used to live in a cave higher up.'



"Then I asked him his name and he said it was Ka-chu sKyabs.

"I went with the old man to the cave and stayed there for the evening. There were many imprints of hand and foot marks and a few holy images. The old man went back home and the following day he and his son came, bringing felt and provisions on a yak. They stayed in a cave lower down from me and brought me up a pot of boiling tea. We drank together and they went off home.

"I practised very hard and was very happy there. The quality of the food and drink the old man served me also made me extremely happy. I stayed one day in the higher cave and then returned to the lower one again, where I remained in meditation.

"One day I met a man in a narrow defile on the path I had taken before, who said that he was the local deity. 'This is a good time for you', he said. 'By all means stay here for a few months - that is, unless you have a reason not to. I will provide for all your needs.'

"So I stayed in the cave for just about three months, practising virtue earnestly at all times, day and night, and I made excellent progress.

"Then I went and stayed again for ten days in the old man's house and explained to him the teaching of cause and effect and the protective refuge which is the Dharma. His faith was great and I didn't accept his gifts. I did take a little wheat and the old man accompanied me for a day's journey. Then I set off for Tsha-kho. This old man Ka-chu sKyabs was the son of the local deity I mentioned earlier. At that time I didn't really know how to boil up tea and broth and it was the old man who taught me how."

On the banks of the Nera–dzana, the descendants of the teacher Shakyamuni practised for six years those things which are hard to do, for the benefit of themselves and of others as far-reaching as the sky. But, over innumerable kalpas, you, the royal Buddha, have built up a store of merit and taught many techniques, for the benefit of those who are difficult to subdue. Thus, people should observe such excellent methods, rather than placing their faith in the current theories on the nature of self. In this world we take care of samsaric concerns, of what has no true existence and, although the images of the world are extensive, we should strive to understand them with pure intelligence.



2:4 JOURNEYING TOWARDS THE HEADLESS MAN

"So gradually over about twenty days I passed through a series of nomadic communities, arriving at the village of Tsha-kho, where I stayed for three days. I came to the monastery at Tsha-kho, where much energy was directed towards the exclusively dGe-lugs methodology which was practised at the monastery of the elder son of the noble bla-ma of Rang-cag, chos-rje Ngag-dbang Grags-pa.

"Inside the protectors' hall there were fearful Dharmapalas and inside the cave which served as the assembly hall there were many images of Tsong-ka-pa and his descendants, amongst them the noble Ngag-dbang Grags-pa, to which I carefully paid my respects. I remained there a little over ten days.

"Then, passing through Sa-dkar, I came to rTse-mdo where I hooked up with a large number of Tibetan nomads intent on journeying to Tibet. I met a pilgrim named dPal-'bar who told me many stories about his pilgrimage. We spoke at some length about the gLang-chen shrine in China and, when I asked him whether he had ever been there, he said he was on his way.

"I said that, although I wanted to go there, I didn't know the language. And he said, 'If you're going, I could come with you.'

"So we went off together, with Dar-rtse (Ta-chien-lu) to our left. Shortly after that, we crossed a stone bridge spanning a wide river in the east. Then we came to a succession of Chinese settlements and a narrow defile, through which passed an endless stream of nomads carrying bamboo boxes filled with tea and porcelain. After ten days we arrived in a large Chinese town this side of gLang-chen.

"There was a Chinese priest in a temple there and we spent the evening with him. dPal-'bar acted as interpreter and I asked him some questions.

"'Are the gLang-chen mountains near here?'"

"'There's a monastery and a number of temples. There are lots of fountains too. The mountains are very high and there are a number of things to look at - for instance, the way the peaks rush upwards towards the moon and the sun.'"

"That evening my companion went off somewhere and I didn't know where he'd gone. The following day I searched for him but couldn't find him, so I went on alone. I came to the peak of Lang-chen mountain where I found a Chinese priest dressed in yellow robes. We went together to the top of the mountain, where we found all the temples, fountains and so forth. I stayed there for ten days, during which time the scholars looked after me with much kindness.

"Then I went on alone towards Tibet and reached the monastery in Li-thang, where I paid my respects and made offerings. Although I had reckoned on staying for some time, I in fact ended up staying just three days, since I feared that the abbot, who had been a bla-ma at Sgo-mang, might recognise me.

"After a day's journey I came to a house where there lived a man who had no head. I asked his wife and some other people how this had happened.

"She produced a necklace. 'His head was cut off about three years ago', she said, 'but still he hasn't died.'

"I was very moved by this and stayed there watching him. He beat his chest with his hand and when I asked why he did this, someone said that he was hungry. They poured a little warm soft barley mixed with tea from a pot into one of two holes which had been cut into his neck; bubbles rose up and, after a while, the food descended back into his stomach.

"It occurred to me that there were numberless beings like this and that their actions would undoubtedly bear fruit. Regarding the perfection of generosity, it says in the sutras that, in order for the Buddha and his descendants to gain enlightenment, they must give their heads a thousand times. Furthermore, it says that, because the head is the most excellent part of the body, if it gets cut off it won't heal. Think about this in terms of how generosity is usually practiced. It's said to be very hard to gauge the karma, both the mundane and the specific, of everyday people."

Noble lord, you act in the best interest of beings and you look upon those with two legs who lose their body-parts as they wander around in samsara. In much the same way, your eyes take in the wonderful play of the noble youth Nor-bzang, yet you realise it constantly to be fantasy. It's like a clear reflection in unsullied water and this is said to be how you should understand the way in which you should know your heart.



2:5 THE FAMILY WITH SMALLPOX

"At one point, I came into the Thang valley and saw a village in the distance. I went begging for alms but there was no-one around. I looked inside a house and there I found a girl of about twelve years and a boy of about nine. They were sick and seemed to be on the point of death. Their old mother lay beside the hearth, dead from smallpox and I experienced an immeasurable feeling of compassion for them.

"Straightaway I boiled up some soup for the children and gave it to them to drink. Again and again they collapsed but eventually they began to breathe a little stronger.

"I performed 'pho-ba on the old woman's corpse and said prayers to guide her spirit. Her body was rotting and I placed it in a cotton bag, making great pains not to disturb it too much. I bound the bag with rope and heaped it awkwardly on my head. It was an unpleasantly heavy load, yet I made a big effort and carried it off to a ravine some way away.

"I stayed for a while, looking after the children. After many days, a man turned up claiming to be the children's uncle. I handed them over to him and made preparations to leave. The children, weeping, grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let me go.

"I gave them everything I had and, despite my feelings for them, I left secretly by night a few days later."

As the perfect Buddha explained from his seat, when questioned by Ananda: again and again, in the previous lives through many kalpas, you were born as a fine laborer such as this - as a mother and, moreover, as a teacher. You rejected the seat of the Dharma-king gNya'-khri bTsan-po like grass on a path and you compassionately carried the rotting corpse of a woman as your witness. Oh, just as a beggar who walks through worldly places such as this, you were unknown to those above and those below and you quickly escaped. But these great Lords are not clothed with the errors of samsara: soaked in the waters of compassion, they are like the white lotus-flower growing in mud.



2:6 THE SNGANGS-PA'S FEAST

"In the fourth month of the earth ox year, I arrived in Kamaru. There I met a sngags-pa, he was wearing a black hat and a long-sleeved jacket and in his hand he carried a thigh-bone trumpet. 'I was coming to meet you', he said. 'My house is up the valley: please, do come'.

"I wasn't sure about this, but nonetheless I went with him to a vast cave in the rock, in which a large tshogs offering had been prepared. He lived alone there without any possessions. He gave a blow on his rkang-gling and we were surrounded by a number of men and women, dressed as nomads, none of whom I recognised. The feast was served and he sent them on their way.

"The sngags-pa accompanied me for a while and then went home."

At that point, he told me a little about the amazing visions of 'Khor-lo sDom-pa which he had experienced.

It is quite wonderful: those who have the body of a noble Brahmin's and those who have a sngags-pa's body serve you; the dakinis in the visible world make offerings to you; the entirety of the divine path before you is completely filled with the deities of the three mandalas such as 'Khor-lo sDom-pa; the wisdom of the Buddhas of the ten directions is mixed within you in the form of the deity; the oath-bound yi-dams pray earnestly before you.



2:7 THE PATRONESS, THE THIEF, THE BLA-MA AND HIS MONKEY

"So, little by little, I went on and, between the Shar-gangs and Nub-gangs passes I met with four bandits. Despite the fact that I didn't have much on me, they robbed me of the little tea and tsam-pa I did have. I continued to suffer great hardships until I reached the borders of Tibet.

"From the Tibetan border I decided to travel as a pilgrim, begging for alms. I had it in mind to go to Lha-sa, and on my way I met with a young woman on the path around the Ka-tshal monastery, wearing fine clothes and jewellery. She examined me closely and said, 'Pilgrim, where are you from?'

"I said I was from Khams and was on pilgrimage to Lha-sa.

"'So this is the type of pilgrim going to Lha-sa nowadays', she said with a little smile.

"I grew anxious and made to go. I was in no hurry, though, so I said to her that I would rent lodgings from her and stay for a time. She agreed and I asked her, 'Where is your home?'

"'My house isn't suitable at the moment', she said. 'There is, though, an empty hermitage on a mountain beyond that range. Go there and I will serve you.' I felt that her words were genuine and, once I had gone up into the range of mountains behind Ka-tshal, she did as she had said she would.

"She came at dusk, carrying a pitcher of water, some firewood and a little tsam-pa. 'Stay some time here', she said She told me that, once these provisions had been exhausted, she would come from time to time and replenish them.

"In the late afternoon of the second day, an old monk came by and said that he was the caretaker of the hermitage. We continued to talk and he noticed the pitcher of water.

"'That's mine', he said. 'You stole it!' He grabbed my head and slapped me a stinging blow on the cheek. 'Shame on you!' He was incandescent - though he had no reason to be. He said, 'It's all you deserve!' Then he took the pitcher and I watched him go. But as he went he slipped and tripped over a cairn, dropping the pitcher, which smashed, spilling the water. He looked around and quickly ran back to the hermitage.

Then, as I was wondering where he had gone, the woman turned up. She was very sad at the trouble she had caused. I told her, 'The owner of the pot you brought did this to me. It's quite unacceptable. I don't know what you are, but I am a human being."She said to me, "I know who you are. You are innocent - please do stay for a while", and she left me. I wondered where she had gone and I went looking for her, but there was nothing to see, and it occurred to me that she might not in fact be human.

"In the evening, I heard a sound outside the door. It was the woman, bringing water. I stayed where I was and didn't acknowledge her presence. In a dream that night I realised that she was the goddess gYu-sgron-ma

"In the heat of the following day the bla-ma from the Ka-tshal monastery came carrying a prayer-wheel in his hands; on the back of his neck he had a large goiter, caused by his previous actions. We greeted one another and he asked me who I was and where I came from.

"At that time I spoke the Khams dialect well and I said that I was a pilgrim from Khams. He remained silent and kept looking at my face. He took hold of my robe, pulling it with great force; he began to weep. 'Don't do that', I said, 'I'm a pilgrim from Kham - you're confusing me with someone else.' But he said, 'I know you from the sound of your voice'; he made obeisance to me and I made him promise not to tell anyone about me.

"I stayed in retreat for about a month on the borders of that mountain range and the bla-ma looked after my situation.

"Then the monk who had owned the water pitcher came back awkwardly and in some distress; and he apologised and asked my forgiveness.

"One day, a bla-ma invited me to his house. He had a female monkey, she was looking at me with great joy, weeping with emotion. I could see her karma and I said that, when I lived in my father's country during my childhood, she had been my sister A-ce Chos-sgron." So I asked him how he knew that.

"When I was young and living at my parents' house, behind my village there was a south-facing overhanging rock. I would sometimes go there for a while and watch the other children playing. Once, A-ce Chos-sgron came and took hold of a blessing-cord which the omniscient Pan-chen bLa-ma had given me and which I wore around my neck. I wasn't wearing any clothes and she pulled me over a flat ammonite rock and trampled and beat me as I lay on my back. As she was laying into me, the marks on my front and my back became imprinted on the rock. Suddenly she noticed this and fell to grieving over what she had done. The Bodhisattva says that, when the karma of beating ripens, that's the sort of body you end up getting. From time to time, A-ce would look at that stone and her behavior would improve.

"I told the bla-ma from Ka-tshal monastery that, once I had gone, this monkey would be so sad from thinking about me, that she would die. When she died, I said, he was to anoint her body with the ashes from a fire-offering."

The noble lady gYu-sgron-ma is your servant, she is a friend in bDe-wa-chen and performs practises such as pacification. It is the goddess Chos-kyi sGron-ma who perceives directly the fine jewel which is cause and effect and who liberates the bodies of animals. In a single moment her eyes minutely observe the actions of all those who have bodies. But who can she be, lord, other than you?



2:8 A SOJOURN IN LHA-SA

"So I came to Se-ra and 'Bras-dpung in Lha-sa and went into the mountains around Se-ra. The abbot dGe-legs rGya-mtsho recognised me and so emotional was he at our meeting that he had to go off alone into the meditation hall. He took great care of me. Then I entered the meditation hall and requested teachings from the bla-ma who, because he was in a strict retreat, had to give them to me through a hole: he didn't even know who it was who was requesting the teachings. So, for about a month, I had the good fortune to live in a hermitage in an especially beautiful valley, and to practise Dharma with an especially holy bla-ma.

"At that time I was suffering from very high blood pressure and a yogi, whom bla-ma dGe-legs rGya-mtsho trusted, managed to cure me through the power of his samadhi. This produced a singular understanding in me and I asked him many profound questions about the Dharma. The bla-ma said that it was necessary that I receive the transmission of lam-rim and 'Jam-dpal, which he proceded to give me.

"The abbot asked me to stay a little longer, but I said that I would leave since, if I stayed, I would be a hinderance to the old bla-ma and prevent him from meeting with other people. Nonetheless, the bla-ma spoke with me at length, after which I went and stayed some time at dGa'-ldan.

"In the dGa'-ldan valley there lived a faithful householder called gTsang-mdog sPo-pa, who rented me lodgings. People from round about also made offerings to me.

"I went to see the precious golden statue of dGa'-ldan. The caretaker wouldn't let me see it and I was very sad that I couldn't go and pay my respects to rje bLa-ma Tsong-kha-pa. And as I stood crying at the entrance to the meditation hall, I had a vision of Dam-can Chos-rgyal.

"Then the caretaker took an iron shovel and climbed a ladder to locate a source for offering water. As he got to the top, his foot slipped and he fell down, right on his front, and all the skin on his face was torn. He was frightened that this might have been a result of what he had said to me and ran off.

"I fell in with some pilgrims and then, thinking I should practise for a few days in a spot from where I could see the residence of the rje bLa-ma, I went to Brag-sog, where the bla-ma recognised me from before. He explained that he had, some months before, added a skylight to the upper storey of his house. I decided to do retreat and stayed there for a year. For a long time the bla-ma and another monk called dge-slong dNgos-grub took care of me with their wholesome and well-prepared food, and my merit increased.

"Then I left retreat and went southwards, accompanied by dge-slong dNgos-grub. I went to bSam-yas, Khra-'brug, 'Ol-kha and Me-tog-thang and, in the year of the iron tiger, I arrived in the area of Tsa-ri."

In Lha-sa, the glorious mandala of the gods, described as the essence of virtue and good fortune, he went joyfully to the palace of the descendant of Shak-ya, the meditation hall of the emanation of Phyag-na Padmo. In this place of precious teaching, he visited the three sources of pure fruit, 'Bras-dpung, Se-ra and dGa'-ldan and, in particular, the noble emanation of Atisha, dGe-legs rGya-mtsho. There he enjoyed the supreme feast, a rain of profound and excellent holy Dharma which benefits all those on this side of nirvana. Then he visited the mandala of dGa-ldan, the supreme residence of the 'Jam-mgon bla-ma. The king of holy Dharma served him as he practised compassionate activity. Now in this place of blessings he practised one-pointedly the profound secret mantra, perceived the faces of bla-ma, yi-dam and mkha-'gro, realised his true nature and supremely went forth.



2:9 A MEETING WITH DAKINIS

"In Tsa-ri at that time, there was a bKa'-brgyud-pa siddhi called dMar-po, who was a powerful practitioner of (rlung sems). I went to him and received the empowerment and instruction in 'Khor-lo bDe-mchog and Lu-dril. In particular I asked him to explain to me the purification of the body through the six yogas of Na-ro-pa.

"I sent dge-slong dNgos-sgrub back to his own country, at which point I conducted a solitary fast, dressed only a cotton robe. Starting with the awakening of the fire of gtum-mo, I worked with great effort through the yogas. From time to time, when the opportunity arose, I visited the bla-ma and asked him what I needed and how I might cut through my fear.

"I stayed there for a few months. One day a woman came dressed in a cotton silk robe and said to me, 'Please come to where my ladies have prepared a tshogs offering'. I went and told the bla-ma about this invitation and set off after her with one if his monks. We came to a rock, from which a door opened. The woman led the monk outside, telling him, 'You don't have to stay here'. I entered, the door closed back into the rock and I followed the woman some way along a path. Within the place where the precious tshogs was prepared were gathered many dakinis, one of whom in particular I imagined to be rDo-rje rNal-'byor-ma. The dakinis of the tshogs offering performed many songs and dances and other extraordinary things.

"After what I reckoned must have been about a day, I came out and found that I had actually been away for a week."

He saw other wonderful things at that time but I'll not write them down because of the strict instructions which he gave me.

Tsa-ri, in the white snows of Ti-se, is the excellent place to practise noble He-ru-ka. In this wild place, you fasted like Mi-la, the laughing vajra, and, wearing only a cotton robe, you depended upon bcud-len and relied upon the techniques as taught by the fine bla-ma. You contemplated the bla-ma's profound instruction and took a profound commitment. You generated the great heat which characterises gtum-mo and you attained the wisdom of wonderful heat and the supreme siddhis. You performed the highest practises such as the transforming at will of the physical body. Furthermore, rDo-rje rNal-'byor-ma prepared a supreme tshogs feast, to which you were guided by the dakinis, and there you entered into quiddity. And the dakinis showed you many wonderful visions, they sang vajra songs and danced before you. Oh, a being as excellent as you is rare in this world. Rare and excellent in its meaning, it resides within you: may you never be separated from it.



2:10 A VISION OF KHOR-LO BDE-MCHOG

"Then I went into the snow-covered mountains of 'Ol-kha where rJe bla-ma had spent time in meditation. In one of the caves which he had used, I practised both pa-lu bcud-len and rde'u bcud-len over the course of eleven months.

"One day, in the sky before me I saw a tent of the five colors of the rainbow, and rje-btsun Tsong-ka-pa was sitting there with the reddish-yellow form of 'Jams-dbyangs in his heart. Around the bla-ma were lord rGyal-tshab and the omniscient mKhas-grub, together with their eightfold retinue. I prayed to them fervently and with emotion and I brought joy to my mind from calling on the blessing of rJe bla-ma. "

And on another day, I saw the yab-yum form of bDe-mchog, complete in all details; to his right was great A-ti-sha, to his left slob-dpon Padmasambhava, rJe- bla-ma was to the front and there were many dakinis dancing around them. Then a shower of rice fell and filled the cave. I boiled it up and drank it and I became very happy.

"The power of bcud-len led to my body becoming very relaxed and, consistent with samadhi, I was able both to remember my previous incarnations and to experience direct insight and visions. But now that I've been eating impure and poor-quality food, not only has my understanding failed to increase but what I had previously gained has in fact lessened."

During that time, he didn't speak in any great detail about what else he had realised in his heart.

Where the 'Jam-mgon bla-ma practised, he performed difficult practises such as bcud-len, his life absorbed in one-pointed practise, unwavering samadhi arisen in his heart. Amid the rainbow colors of the five wisdoms, the J–anasattva, surrounded by a perfect retinue, came into the heart of this great and noble lord. In the realm of the Dharmakaya, your essence is melded with unifying wisdom and receives blessings accordaning to your different manifestations. bLa-ma, yi-dam, mkha'-'gro and dharma protectors gather like clouds, siddhis fall as a rain of rice, showing the mahasiddhi's characteristics. It is taught that, at this time, the universal displays of insight, samadhi and all outer and inner qualities are born in the mind.



2:11 IMPRISONMENT AND ESCAPE

"In the seventh month of the iron rabbit year, I decided to travel to bSam-gtan gling. I stayed around the base of the mountain for some time, practising the tantras. Then, I made my way to the top of the mountain, where I collected a pile of juniper wood and made a smoke offering. I went to the snowy peak of O-de Gung-rgyal and there, with the sky cloudless, where there was no wind and where the sun was warm, I made a great smoke offering. Then I went back down to bSam-gtan gling.

"I noticed tracks in the snow, and I wondered whether a dog had made them. From a distance, I saw what might have been a blue billy-goat. As I came closer, though, I realised that it was in fact a lion with a greenish-blue mane. I had never before seen a lion and I was amazed.

"It was very hard going on the snow. The cracks in the ice were a sharp blue-green; if I had fallen in one, I couldn't have gotten out. Little by little I came down to the snow-line, the place where the snow met the forest. When I got to bSam-gtan gling I was met by a monk, Go-lag bZang-po, who had come to meet me with another young monk.

"When they saw me, they wondered how I had made it to the summit, since no-one had previously managed to navigate the mountian face. The younger monk was shocked and said, 'What sort of person are you that you can do such a thing?' The elder said to him, 'He's a great teacher, a bla-ma with special abilities. He claims he walks upon the earth, but it's not true.'

"That evening I stayed in a cave where rJe bla-ma had stayed. The bla-ma dismissed the younger monk and took tea with me. He said that he would invite me as his guest, to give my story some credibility."

"That day, they had all seen the smoke offering I had made on 'O-de Gung-rgya; he said that, in their curiosity, they had sent a letter to Lha-sa. Next day, I went back to bSam-gtan gling and stayed there for a long time.

"At that time, Lha-bzang Qan heard that I was around and he sent out people to discover where I was. Gradually they located and surrounded me in a house on the peak of sTag-rtse rDzong in 'Ol-kha. In the end, there was a sentinel and a number of men guarding the house day and night . The fortress had two governors, a Tibetan, together with his supporters and retinue, and a Mongolian whose name was Jas-sang. The Tibetan was pleasant enough, while the Mongolian was rather prickly.

"I remained practising virtue and purification with no consideration for the rhythm of day and night. One evening, I saw a white light which lit up the whole of the inside of my house like the rising of the moon. In the sky before me I saw the white form of rDo-rje gZigs-byed, complete in every detail. The vision faded and, after just a moment, all the doors and windows opened. Although I could have left at that moment, I didn't. The watchmen all woke up from their sleep and I said, 'What sort of guards are you? You only woke up when all the doors and windows opened. Make sure you shut the doors. Don't cry now - I didn't escape'.

"After fifteen days they told me that a letter had come from the Qan. I was put on a yak and set out with twelve men for Lha-sa.

"At the foot of the dGod-dkar pass, a red dust storm suddenly arose and within it there appeared a goddess. 'Go now' she said; at that, all the men went stiff, as though like they had lost consciousness. The red wind subsided and, when I came to the foot of the dGod-dkar pass, I got the feeling that, because Lha-bzang Qan now knew where I was and because the people were exhibiting doubts, it would be best were I to go I a long way away. So I travelled day and night and arrived in Kong-yul."

In this way, for a long time, omniscient dGe-'dun rGya-mtsho dPal-bzang-po has protected the magpies whose faeces nourish the precious sands of the unvanquished Ganges. In former times, they say, King Bsam-phel dBang-po came from Rin-chen gLing, but nowadays, this family does such trifling thing that they are referred to as the family thrown on the dungheap.

Although the sun, the King without error, with his seven horses and a thousand lightrays, illuminates all the obscurations of the four continents, it fails to illuminate the shadows of the famous rock-cave in the north. The form of the Moon is more beautiful than anything, it is the excellence of the cloudless divine way which pleases the mind; nor is there any error in the Moon, as it rises over the salty lake, filled with scum.

Oh, at this time when the teaching of the Muni has become sullied, bShad-'grub's teachings stretch forth; perceiving the lies and the jealousy and deceit in the personalities of those who cling to the ones who hold the teachings, he is saddened.

If harm is not done to those who seek to help and to do good, it is easy even to replicate the activities of the Buddha. Observing well with the eyes which distinguish between lies and truth and prevent your heart from desiring fame and friendship, at the time of holiness the true meaning is realised; so dGa'-rab dBang-phyug blesses the heart of Lha-bzang Qan and the hearts also of those monastics and laypeople, both great and small, who become as demons in this world.

Whenever people come, seeking to harm the beneficial teachings found in the snowlands of Tibet, a glorious ornament arises, to transmute bad omens into blessings. At the time of the subjects of the rare and excellent king, noble dGe-'dun rGya-mtsho was pure amidst the impure vomit in the land of demons. And at the time of the five sovereign Protector Lords, the pure sDe-srid made a request to O-rgyal; in so doing, he attained the truth. Seeing the single moon of wisdom in the two bla-mas is like getting the single truth. Furthermore, in this snowy realm, even though there is no quarrel over what was previously experienced, having gone like the birds and diverted the lions. So as to lead beings who exhibit the five kinds of degeneration, the gods gave him the ability to make whatever is desired appear and he is like a King.

Even in simply an illusory combat, the yi-dam rDo-rje 'Jigs-byed, standing white with all his characteristics, tames through the method of peace. Re-ma-ti, in particular, throughout your many incarnations, the quick hero who protects like a mother, is an honest friend and guardian who fulfills all wishes.



2:12 TWO DEAD DOGS AND TWO YETIS

"In the lower area of Kong, I came to a meditation cave of O-rgyan Rin-po-che's called rGya-la Sing-dong. Here, Ge-sar of gLing had pursued a demon who had melted into a huge tree, into which Ge-sar had fired an arrow; the demon was subdued and the tree had withered, the arrow dissolving into a knot in the withered tree. When the great one from O-rgyan had pounded demons on a pile of huge ammonite rocks he had left a print of his hand and he had used the ammonite to crush together the demons' dried ribs.

"I stayed some months in the meditation cave doing a purification retreat and I became very joyful.

"Then I went on alone. It was autumn and, as was the custom among the people of Kong-po, the locals were going off into the mountains to collect the butter. The men leave their wives down below and take off with their black yak-hair tents assembling and pitching camp on reaching the mountain pastures. I saw that a rich Kong-po family - they had some two thousand mdzo-mo - had taken more than one hundred of their servants up into wilderness where there was a high hill-spur, a wide pasture and a wooded valley. I was passing along a dark path on the densely forested mountain-side when a young man from the group said that a dog had gotten loose and that I should be careful.

"Suddenly, two huge red dogs, each about the size of a three-year-old yak, came rushing up and grabbed my waist on both sides. There was nothing to hit them with and I couldn't find any stones, so I took up two handfulls of earth and threw it at them. As soon as I did this, both dogs dropped dead.

"Some men rushed up and berated me. 'You killed our dogs!', they shouted. The wounds which the dogs had made were bleeding and I couldn't move, so great was the pain. I said to the men, 'Your two dogs grabbed hold of me. I never hit them at all, let alone stoned them. I just chucked some earth at them and they died. That's what happened - these people will testify to that.'

"But there was no agreement. While some said, 'Your two companions killed the dogs by knifing them. And now they've gone', others claimed, 'He was alone, there was no-one with him'. I said, 'If I killed the dogs with a knife, how come there are no stab wounds?' But, despite the evidence before them, still they were unhappy.

"The young man who had called out to warn me before now acted with great kindness towards me. He cleaned away the blood, bound up my wounds with a scarf and carried me to his house. There, the head of the household, an old man with a moustache and yellowy-white hair, was very kind. He served me milky tea and wasn't at all concerned about the death of the two dogs. He said, 'This is a good man: he is no killer.'

"Every day, both men bathed my wounds and shared with me all they had. They cared for me for about a month. They young man was called Lo-brgya and the two people carrying knives had been Mahakala and his consort.

"When I was well enough to walk, I made preparations to go. Lo-brgya said, 'Where will you go?' and I said I was going to India. So he said, 'I'll come with you'; I said he could come if his father gave his approval. He talked with the old man and got dressed to go.

"Lo-brgya and I travelled for many days and, one day, in a far distant valley we came to the banks of a river in the middle of a dense forest. At midday, we saw two human-like creatures emerging together from the forest. They were bigger than humans and were very hairy. Lo-brgya asked me, 'What are they?' It occurred to me that I had heard stories of demons in Tibet in the old days and said that I imagined they might be demons. Lo-brgya said that they did indeed look like demons and that, although he was young and fit, he was still frightened by what I had told him. And then, suddenly, he fainted.

"As I watched, the two creatures entered the water and crossed to the wooded bank on the far side. They stripped the branches from a couple of trees the size of medium-height pillars and loaded them onto their shoulders..

"They came back across the water. I picked up Lo-brgya, and ran through three great passes. I reached the bank of a river, where I splashed Lo-brgya with some water. He came round, saw that the creatures were still following us and once again fainted. Yet again I fled, and carried him through many valleys.



"We came after a while to a mighty mountain range, where I explained in detail to a few hermits what had happened. One of them said that he had no fear that the creatures might be demons, but that they were yetis. 'You should block the entrance with some large rocks' he said. So I blocked up the door of the hermitage with many stones and, splashing Lo-brgya with water, brought him back to his senses.

"As we sat there, drinking tea with the hermits, the two yetis appeared and, from outside the hermitage one of them stuck its paw through a small hole under the door and scrabbled around. Now that Lo-brgya knew that they were yetis he wasn't afraid. He took a knife and cut off the hand which was sticking through the hole. The two creatures ran off westwards into the forest.

"We left the following day at sunrise and again the yetis followed us. We fled to the top of a steep, high mountain, from where we threw down rocks. We killed the larger yeti and hit the smaller one, who ran off.

"We travelled on and came to a valley on the border with Mon-yul, where we ran out of supplies. There was a cairn on the hill and we met with an acharya coming towards us. There were a few houses on this bare hill and some dogs ran out and attacked us. The yogi threw a couple of stones at them and the dogs ran away.

"I examined the two stones. They weren't stones, but two Chinese ingots. I wondered about this and gave the ingots to Lo-brgya. 'Take them and give them to the yogi', I said. 'Ask him whether he needs them'. He did so, but the teacher said, 'I don't need stones'. I thought that this was an example of the siddhis of gods and dakinis; we took the ingots and used them to buy provisions on our way to Mon-yul and beyond.

Those who lacked merit, because of their endless bad karma in previous lives, took on the bodies of wild dogs and drew blood from the body of the noble one. Four-faced Mahakala and his youthful Dharmapala consort freed them, in a moment, from their bad karma and they entered the Dharmadhatu. Their meeting with you transformed negative into positive and their karma became favorable; in this way, the good fortune of beings was increased. You are a hero who cares for those, who walk in the painted world, and tames them with love - such are the translucent qualities of your body. From your previous experience of innumerable kalpas, you rejoice in the nine prerequisites without exception, by practising the six perfections, such as generosity, which stretch as wide as the sky. I make homage before you.



2:13 A TOUR OF SACRED SITES

"Eventually we came into Nepal, to the village of Kho-khom, which both the Indians and the Nepalis call either Ghamarung or Ghadabhu. On the fourth day after the beginning of winter in the water dragon year, the king, queen and ministers of the village of Kho-khom were preparing to visit the pilgrimage sites in India. The two of us made a close examination of stupas such as Bya-rung Kha-shor, which were particularly famous for the strength of their blessing. Then we had a good look at the powerful self-arising lingam and, following the Nepali tradition, we made an offering of milk.

"A relative of Pham-mthing-pa had been born and done practise there. 'Ja'-ma-li had also lived there as had translators such as the Tibetan Mar-pa Chos-gyi bLo-gros. Not only noble A-ti-sha, but Indian teachers and many Indian scholars such as Dharmabodha had also practised there. More particularly, it's a place of self-arising wisdom and is one of the twenty-four power-places of the dakinis. In the tantras, it is said that yogis who dwell in this self-arising wisdom quickly to achieve attainments.

"I prayed fervently that I might obtain the circumstances required in order to practise 'Khor-lo sDom-pa. Then the Nepali king and his retinue went on pilgrimage to India and we accompanied them for a month. At the end of this time, the king gave us gold and silver in appreciation of what we had done and set off on the road north.

"We set out on the southern road and, after passing through many Indian towns and villages, we reached one day a great town. There were many people in this town who kept on looking at me. They chatted animatedly among themselves, after which some of them went away. They called over an old woman who was a soothsayer. She took me and led me into a house and stripped me naked. She looked me over and exhibited great faith. The townspeople all gathered together and prostrated themselves and served me, but we were unable to talk with them, since neither of us knew even a word of the colloquial language. I did a day's retreat in which I meditated on compassionate bodhicitta and made a good connection with them through my pure prayers.

"India principally consists of a wide plain, covered with kusha grass and full of peacocks. Although there are great highways, which we followed for some time, there was a point at which we were unable to make a path through the dense kusha grass. The path meandered amidst waterland and grasses and peacocks, where there were also many elephants and buffalo and rhinocerus and monkeys and snakes and many types of bird; great tracts of trees with thick trunks and trees bearing berries - great pine and bamboo trees and medicinal strains such as areca nut, myrobalan arjuna and nutmeg. Extraordinary things happen in India during winter too - the crashing of thunder, the falling of rain...".

In a Nepali town, a place dedicated to the dakinis who were taught by rDo-rje 'Chang, this holy place where all the Indian, Nepali and Tibetan translators and teachers come together, the great protectors brought about the circumstances to visit India. A demoness soothsayer noticed your physical characteristics and recognised you for who you were. Those fortunate ones who had been subdued exhibited their great faith and did you service, and you, lord, cherished them with compassion.



2:14 THE ZOMBIES

"A day passed and we met with some Tibetan monks on pilgrimage and travelled on with them for some days. One day we reached an empty town, where there was not a single person. All of us - master and servants - spent the day in the courtyard of a large monastery-like building in the center of the town.

"Suddenly, during the night, the temple door was flung open from within and two zombies, a male and a female, rushed out, running and jumping amongst us. My companions ran about, the two zombies pursuing them like sparrow-hawks pursuing a flock of little birds.

"Everyone except for me got hit on the face, which stung like a burning fire. They also chased after me, screaming and crazily waving their arms around. When they got close, I grabbed hold of their hair and wrestled them to the ground. I took the iron treasure-knife from around my waist and struck them with it and they lost consciousness and fainted.

"I told my companions to fetch some stones, but they were very frightened and cowered at a distance, taking no notice of what I said. So on my own I pounded the zombies with stones and they turned to dust. I called my companions over and they slowly reassembled and gazed at the spectacle. I said there was nothing to fear. They talked about this and were in no doubt that this pilgrim who had done such an amazing thing was a secret yogi with the power to tame demons. An old monk said, 'Great yogi, without someone like you around, we would have been killed by the two zombies and, for sure, our consciousnesses would have been wandering in the bar-do. There is no way to turn back if you haven't attained the true kindness of enlightenment.'

"The kong-po Lo-brgya and all the pilgrims wept and prostrated to me and I helped them all to counter their fear of the zombies. Their fear was intense and pursued them continually day and night. If you undertake the spiritual life, I told them, you make an excellent connection in this world and, more specifically, even if you only desire your own liberation from the three hells, you will truly understand the fruits of good and bad karma: it's very important to rely on a method for dealing with good and evil. If you do things in this way, meditating consistently, liberation is not so far off and, gradually, you'll be able to attain it. When the eye which hasn't attained this understanding sees a beautiful body, desire arises; and we fear and run away from whatever does not attract us.

"Mi-la-ras-pa says, 'Why should the physical body run away, when the mind does not?' I asked them whether they had any perception of what this might mean, and we spoke a lot about what can be done in this life to help after death. I forget now what I told them but, generally, I pointed out that one of the two zombies had its bones joined by sinews, while the other, who had its flesh and skin and hair was like a fearful yaksha. The one who still had its flesh, skin and hair and whose bones were dried up, was very hard to overcome. Previously I'd heard some old holy people say that zombies whose bones are joined by sinews are hard to subdue and that was definitely the case in this instance.

"Then, at sunset, in the courtyard which had before all this experienced not a moment of fear, we ate and drank and, along with my companions, I fell asleep into a blissful comfort of body and mind.

"We awoke early the following morning and, with our companions, continued on our journey. At the end of five days, we arrived at a large town. A large group of people came out and asked us where we were from. 'Two of our number - a man and a woman - died and became zombies', they said, 'And we fled and came here. Have you seen anyone on the road while you've been travelling?' It was all very bizarre One of the pilgrims from Mon who knew the Indian language acted as interpreter and explained what had happened and how the zombies had been overcome and they grew astonished and frightened. The thing about zombies is that, as soon as they touch a person on the head, that person dies. Because of their karma they were unable to do this and instead slapped my companions on the cheek. They said it was because of me, but it was good nonetheless, that the zombies only slapped us."

In previous times, the powerful victor with the seven horses lit up the sky with his activity and brought the time which overcomes darkness in this world. Shariputra says in the sKu-sked that the mantra recited here tames zombies and crushes down disputes. The victorious prince gave teachings in the joyful courtyard in the forest. And in the time of darkness, the glorious bla-ma offers up a mantra on the road to India and tames zombies. He protected his companions form fear and his fame spread throughout India and Tibet. He pacified the obstacles in his way as he wandered the holy places and he perceived all things that the yogis perceived. It is hard to find beings like this in Tibet.



2:15 A DISTURBING VISION

"At around the time of Sa-ga Zla-wa in the water snake year, we were travelling through many places of pilgrimage in the various parts of India, such as Lab-po, 'Dzum-lang and Bod. One day, we reached Vulture Peak, that place of truth where the powerful and incomparable Bhagavat taught the deep perfection of wisdom.

"Whilst there, I saw a vision, in which Vulture Peak was not a regular hill, made of earth and stones and rocks, but was instead composed of religious texts. On the top of the mountain stood the Bhagavat's throne and there were pilgrims who were treading on the books without showing any concern for what they were doing. Others came along, trampling the books and fearlessly approaching the throne, where they made prostrations and performed circumambulations. As for me, I went down the hill and stood alone, recalling the perfect qualities of the body, speech and mind of the Powerful One. I was sick at heart and felt no joy whatsoever. I made obeisance and, in a sweet voice, I sang this song:

"'Dzam-bu gLing is supreme amongst all lands and is the treasury of the holy protecting Dharma. In the marvellous country of India, birthplace of the noble teacher and guide, is Vulture Peak, dwelling-place of the son of the lord Zas-btsang. I reached this superior and wonderful place, encompassed by the wheel of profound Dharma, at the center of the completely pure mandala, during the morning, when parasols are spread wide and when I had nothing to occupy me. In a divinely-inspired vision I saw everyday people, on a mountain like the one so widely-famed, trample underfoot the holy books of Dharma. They had no concern for blessing, they made an offering of themselves by prostrating the five parts of their body and abasing themselves. May their body, speech and mind be blessed. In order to help all beings who are my mother, I have experienced in this life both happiness and sadness. From now, until I attain the great state of purity, I will follow the noble lion of the Shakyas. Whether it's best to stay put or to travel, whatever work I undertake will be done only for the benefit of beings and I pray that all beings will attain enlightenment.'

"So then Lo-brgya joined up with some pilgrims whom he had gotten to know and went off on pilgrimage elsewhere. I meanwhile went alone into the wilderness of Pu-la-ha-ri. At that time, I had the wind behind me and I managed in one day to get to a place which people in less of a hurry might have reached in seven. In all, there were five hundred scholars living at that time in Pu-la-ha-ri and I made an offering of some gold and tea to the assembly of monks. I prostrated right round the monastery and then I rented a meditation hut in an u-ta-shi, where I did a six month retreat on bDe-mchog Dril-bu Lha-lnga. I practised incessantly day and night and generated in myself a happy disposition: so it's quite true what they say, that this noble land of India is blessed by many Buddhas and that a single day of practise in Pu-la-ha-ri yields happier results than a whole year of practise in Tibet."

Although he had had more wide-ranging experiences, I'll not write more because of the instruction he gave me.

The Teacher says that the gate of the Dharma, the eight heaps and the four seats are empty of inherent existence. The most excellent of all is mentioned by the Buddha in the Sher (phyin bdun brgya ba'i) sutra. In the center of an ocean of sravakas, pratyekhasbuddhas and bodhisattvas, like a golden range hills, is the leader who is like a mountain. On Vulture Peak, he articulates the long and medium versions of the perfection of wisdom, in such a way as to teach those of both sharp and blunt senses. Amidst the wonderful holy places like this, this great noble lord illumines and clarifies the ocean of inner knowledge. The incomparable son of Zas-tsang embodies the wheel ornamented by the three secret things. With nothing to occupy you, you sang a song and made prostrations, you stood to sing a song worth one hundred thousand garlands of precious skywide prayers for the benefit of others. You prayed for all beings and libeated them. Moreover, in this place of Pu-la-ha-ri, where yogis such as glorious Na-ro-pa lived, you paid homage to 'Khor-lo sDom-pa. You remained absorbed in one-pointed yoga of the two very secret stages; you attained unwavering stability in the perfection stage. You open the door of dhuti which Rahu, persuer of the sun and moon, consumed; you attain the four joys which cascade from above and are stable below; you untie the knot at the heart's core and gain the subtle understanding.



2:16 THE PRECIOUS ELEPHANT

He then told me about how in India he had encountered the elephant called Stable on the Earth. At the time I didn't write down where it was in India that he saw it, so it's not clear in my mind now. But he did recount some wonderful things and I pray that the gods and dakinis will permit me to write what still remains in my mind.

"I travelled for many days over a vast plain, covered in kusha grass, where there was not a soul to be seen. On the eighth day of the month, I saw what seemed from a distance to be a mountain, moving along, covered in snow. I stood there, wondering whether it might be an example of what I had heard from other people - that a mountain could move and be alive.

"I drew nearer and discovered that it was in fact some kind of creature. A little nearer and I found that it was a beautiful white elephant with six tusks. It was so beautiful - it had the most gorgeous scent and from its back a five-colored rainbow rose up into the sky: really, I just couldn't look at it. It moved slowly through each area, its trunk cutting through the kusha grass which it proceded to eat. I realised that it was the Precious Elephant which is said in the scriptures to arise from the merit gathered by the Bhagavat. There in its presence, I was reminded of the qualities of the Buddha, his equanimity and his power, and that moved me greatly. My eyes filled with tears and I prostrated myself three times. For a long time I stood there, stunned, unmoving, watching the elephant. Finally, it circumambulated me once and I examined it from all angles. It produced a large pile of dung in front of me and slowly moved away.

"I then went off in the direction of Tibet and, after many days, I reached a town. At that time, since I knew the language fairly well, I was able to speak in some detail about what I had seen with an elegant and well-dressed old woman.

"She told me, 'All of us men and women here, we're all about eighty or ninety years old. Apparently, this elephant comes to India every hundred years: we've heard tell of it, but we've never seen it in the flesh. You've got very fortunate karma. It is the Precious Elephant, one of the seven symbols of royalty, which are said to come to the Buddha if he lives within a household.' Then she chuckled: 'Quite amazing', she said, 'just wonderful.'

"I went on my way and, after some months, I came to a village. There I met up with Lo-brgya and some other pilgrims and he and I then went on together towards Nepal. I did a few months' retreat, assisted by Lo-brgya, who put a great deal of effort and enthusiasm into helping me. That made me very happy - if only there were people of such kindness around now!"

If the young man lives as a householder, he is the king who teaches by turning the wheel. If he takes robes, he acheives perfect Buddhahood and is absorbed in the wellbeing of others. Those clothed in saffron teach that, if an ascetic bearing the qualities and marks of enlightenment dwells within a household, he lives by turning the Dharma wheel and his possessions are the seven symbols of royalty. The unsurpassed guide, a leader famed on land and at sea, forsook the seat of the eight queens and, taking robes, became the perfect Buddha. And now the precious elephant approaches, arisen from the supreme emanation body, an ocean of immeasurable merit: this is characterised as the perfect emanation of the Buddha. And even though we wish for happiness and good fortune in this world and especially for perfect joy in this southern continent of Dzam-bu-gling, and even though we have the two festival days and the days on which the dakinis surround us, an occasion such as this does not happen twice within the space of a hundred years. But our supreme guide is a powerful and royal refuge and, because he is superior to all others, this excellent elephant appears before him.



2:17 A SOJOURN IN DVAGS-PO AND RECOGNITION

"Then in the wood horse year we came, via gNya'-nam and Ding-ri, to my birthplace of Mon. Then we went up to Kong-po, to the Dvags-po monastic school, where for a long time we stayed in secret. At that point some people were referring to me as the Dvags-po Shabs-drung and there were now others from nearby who were calling me the Dvags-po Shabs-drung and the Dvags-po bla-ma.

"When he was living on the banks of the gTsang-po below 'Or in Dvags-po, he left a clear imprint of his body on a great piece of ammonite which stood in the dark soil on the banks of the river. On one occasion, he came under cover of darkness to the Bang-rim Chos-sde monastery, where, assisted by the elderly caretaker and a few others, he entered the demon-house and made offerings to the Dharma protectors. The entire inner part of the demon house was full of his many manifestations offering service, so much so that not one of the servants would go outside - they said it was all happening because of the false views of other people.

While he was staying in a cave near the monastery at Dvags-po, the monks at the monastery became subjected to a great deal of harm being done to them. The statue of Pe-har had split open, pouring forth a constant stream of blood, and it was this which they considered to be the cause of the monks' misfortune. A request was sent to the white-haired bla-ma from Dvags-po monastery and he had come by night with some servants. He pointed at the statue with his forefinger and was troubled, and looked straight at it even as the others stood there shaking.

The hole in the torso remained and still the flow of blood hadn't stopped. He looked and recited the names of everything, the lingam and so forth, and it closed up. He promised that there would be very little harm and, although those with him were shaking, they eventually calmed down.

They came to the the wild upper valley of 'Or and there they celebrated the bDe-mchog tshogs offering. A rain of rice fell from the sky and all the servants rushed and swept it into the hermitage. They prepared soup and offered it to everyone, including the servants. This and other things gave them all much joy.

While they were in 'Or, he wanted to perform a religious ceremony and, as he was making a point not to ignore those things which were necessary, a beautiful parcel of silver fell from the sky and landed nearby. He imagined that this was a gift from the Dharma protectors.

"And so we came into valleys such as Rong-cha-dkar in E. We stayed a month in Lab, from where Ma-gcig Lab-sgron hailed and there I protected the gcod teaching. Then we came to Chos-'khor rGyal and when we arrived at the Goddess Soul lake, the goddess clarified the teachings for us and explained it in detail from the bottom up. Then, together with Lo-brgya, we went to Lha-sa and stayed there in secret for a few months.

"Then, we made an offering of honey to the gods on the second day after mid-winter in the wood sheep year and came to Pe-har lCog; from there we came to the great gathering at 'Bras-spungs. I stayed standing at the end and suddenly the Dharma Protector singled me out from amidst the group of monks and came right up to me, brandishing a dagger. I glared angrily at the Dharma Protector for his lack of tact and, embarassed, he gestured to each of the four directions so that his action might be misconstrued."What had been so hard for him to do had been discovered and now the true nature of the noble holy bla-ma had been recognised At that moment, he looked beneficently upon the consciousness of that which exists, upon the consciousness of those with a body, upon the consciousness of those who are alive, even upon those who are not blessed with much intelligence; and, then, like the flamingo, he entered into the great ocean of the mind, elegantly ornamented and directed by the intrepid lattice of lotus.

The vajra-body which is generated by ten million meritorious actions, guided by the grey horses with their hearts of wondrous power, the sun held in the attainment of the Buddha's teaching illumines Dzam-bu-gling. When this is seen, even those who clearly see the three times, those happy lotus flowers with two hands, called "those whose smiling countenance is wonderful", the superior ones are said to gather beyond death. Emptiness, the "soothing love", arises to rival the perfect forest of blue jessamine and a collection of lotus flowers, an admixture of the five kinds of degeneration, runs to hide at the far end of the ocean of Dharmakaya. At the slightest touch of the tips of the rays of one thousand lights of sutra and mantra which is the merit of many beings, there is no rest for the holy bees which experience the glorious taste of the honey, the understanding of the instructions which encompass the lotus forest of those whose fortune is to be tamed; rather, they sing vajra songs, which tell of their understanding of these masters.

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