The Biography of the Great Orgyen that Naturally Liberates On Sight From The Profound Secret Heart Essence of the Ḍākinī revealed by Dudjom Lingpa

Due to the length of the text, we will post each day with the final part posting on Guru Rinpoche’s Birthday, July 9th, which is the 10th Tibetan Day of the lunar calendar.Translated by Nick Schmidt, with the assistance of Samten, Stefan Mang, Ben Ewing, Lowell Cook, and Jordi Roig, 2017. Edited by Libby Hogg and Susanne Fairclough, 2018.

Chapter 6

Then I said, “While the Emperor’s life is not yet over,
And people have been benefitted
By many methods for taming beings,
You must not go elsewhere.

“When the Emperor has passed into nirvāṇa,
And the royal heir is still alive,
The future prince with requisite karma will hold the lineage.
He will practice in many such places
Blessed by siddhas,
In Tibetan lands of all four directions, as I have done:

“At Samyé, I practiced for seven human years,
And I stayed at Yamalung for five years. [130]
I was at the Yarlung Sheldrak cave for eighteen years. [131]

“I practiced at the Yerpa cave for three human years. [132]
I stayed and practiced at Tradruk for two. [133]
And for eleven months I stayed at the Kharchen cliff. [134]

“I stayed in the meadow of Mönkha for fifteen months, [135]
At Taktshang Canyon for three. [136]
And for three months I stayed at Shiktsang Canyon.[137]

“For five months I stayed at Domtshang Canyon, [138]
For three years and three months at Khamré Grove, [139]
And at Demo Pass in Kongpo for seven days. [140]

“For five months I stayed at Rongchung Dza, [141]
And for nine months in Rongchen at the Yema Cliff. [142]
For three months I stayed at Tigo Cliff. [143]

“Finally, I arrived in Kham,
Where for three days I stayed and practiced in Chamdo.[144]
At Minma I bound the queen under oath.[145]

“For a month I stayed in the Bemo Valley,  [146]
Where I bound Bethil Nagmo to oath [147]
And while I was staying at Yilong Tserma,148
I bound Soglen Nagmo to oath [149]

“‘In the future, when my teachings
Are twisted by the upsurge of Māra’s crooked teachings,
And I myself have emanated as King Gesar,
Enemies of the teachings will pervade the four directions.
Then, you must guard the teachings as you would the life of an insect.’ Besides this, I gave many other instructions.

“Then in the Sengdrak Cave of Horpo [150]
I practiced for three human years.
I granted blessings there, as well as consecrations and aspirations.
The thirty-four letters [151] arose on the cave wall,
I bound under oath the nine damsi siblings, [152]
And I captured a local nyen rock demoness.

“I sought permission
To take a girl as a consort,
And permission was given
When the rock demoness said,
‘Since I myself have come, it is allowed.’

“For three months I stayed in Mugseng Cave.[153]
I stayed for five months at Takmo Cliff [154]
And for one year at Chumig Changringmo, [155]
Where I bound the four Semo sisters to oath.[156]

“Once, towards the beginning of my year-long stay
In Rudam Nagpo Valley, [157]
During the first watch of the evening of the six day of the ninth month,
I subdued the sixteen demonic Menmo sisters [158]
With the Arrogance-Subduing Samādhi.[159]
At midnight I subdued the twelve Murderous Spirits, -[160]
At dawn I subdued nine the’urang siblings,
And I concealed twenty-five treasure caches there.

“I emanated a glorious fortress, at Dzong Tran Sangwa.[161]
There I bound to oath King Takthal of Mu, [162]
The Five Tsegyal Chukma women, [163]
The Great Nyen and the eight siblings resembling him,
And also the divine son Thökar. [164]
I entrusted treasures to them all.

“Once, in Lab, [165] on a snowy mountain
I meditated for seven days, binding to oath

The crocodile-faced demon, bear-faced demon, [166]
And their retinues of five hundred and fifty,
Appointing them all as protectors of treasures.

“Then I went to the snowy range of Tölung. [167]
When snow gods, along with the nine mātṛkā siblings Were stirring up trouble, I bound them to oath, Entrusting them with sixteen treasures.

“Then, in Dorje Yudrom, [168]
Where I stayed meditating for three days,
I mounted a turquoise dragon and bound it to oath.

“Arriving at the very peak of Dza Mountain, [169]
I subdued Taktra Namen. [170]
I stayed in that place for six months.

“In Kakong Sengé Dzong [171]
I bound sixteen nāga thels to oath, [172]
And practiced there for five months.
A Queen Mudo came, [173]
And the Tsen Düd Khala Mebar appeared, [174]
With one hundred thousand tsen troops around him.
But, by the Samādhi That Subjugates the Three Realms, [175]
I terrorized them all, bound them to oath, and appointed them as treasure guardians.

“Then I went to Shagdré Rock [176]
In the area of of Lhatse. [177]
The Great Nyen and his millions of nyen warriors
Sent down a rain of meteoric iron.

“When heaven and earth were filled with his warriors,
I subjugated them all through the practice of Blazing Wrath [178]
And bound them to oath.

“I terrorized him with a rain of various weapons,
And he panicked and vowed to serve me.
I sealed his vow by placing my vajra on his head,
And entrusted him to guard five treasures.

“Then I went to Mar.[179]
In the Bese cave, [180]
I stayed and meditated for five days,
And bound to oath all of the gods and demons of lower Ser [181]
At Dünying Tse I suppressed Māra and the damsi demons.[182]

“Then I went to Yar,
And at the Dorje Dragkar, [183]
While I was practicing for six months,
I bound Ase Mase under oath in a drum. [184]
I concealed five treasures and bound them as a protector.

“Then I went to upper Ser[ 185]
Where I bound Damchen Garwa and his retinue to oath. [186]
I bestowed blessings there for one day.

“Then I went to the place called Drong Ri.[187]
Empowering and commanding the lay practitioner Dorje Drak Tsal and his
retinue, [188]
I bound them to oath and entrusted treasures to them.
I stayed there for one month, meditating and bestowing blessings.

“I stayed for nine months at Doyi Takdzong. [189]
I bestowed blessings at the practice site of the Kagyé deities.

“Then, I concealed treasures at Marshö Ashö. [190]
I stayed inside the Medicinal Stūpa of Many Doors [191]
For one day, bestowing blessings and meditating.

“After filling the mountains and valleys
Of upper and lower Mar with daylight and darkness, [192]
I walked around, binding gods and demons under oath.

“On the golden lower plain of Ma,
After taking off my hat and sitting in meditation,
I filled the entire first mountain of Ma
With manifestations of the Peaceful and Wrathful deities.
I bound the gods and demons to oath, and performed consecrations and blessings.

“In the desolate Place of Conquerors at Sothog [194]
I practiced Manjusrī, enlightened body, for three months.

“While staying at the base of Washab Dragkar Cliff for seven days,[195]
I bound the devil Black Hala to oath.[196]

“At my dwelling place called Nāga Cave
For ten months I stayed, cultivating meditation.

“In Tsen Canyon at Kawa Karpo [197]
I stayed for one year, bestowing blessings and meditating.

“At Dza Mountain on the border between Ma and Dza [198]
I practiced for three months, blessing the place.

“Arriving at Mount Machen, [199]
I practiced for a year and six months.
I gave empowerments to the yakṣa King Gökyi Chokshuchen [200]
Along with his main consort, Drakgyal Men and his ministers, [201]
I bound them under oath, commanding them to be treasure guardians.
I established them as the principal rulers
Of the local deities of the six ridges of eastern Tibet.

“Then, when I went to Drakar Trel Dzong [202]
Chinese and Mongolian gods and demons were causing obstacles,
Filling the mountain valleys with the sounds of “Ki!” and “So!”
I sent down torrents of molten metal, flames, and weapons
And annihilated all those pernicious gods and demons.

“When they offered their lives to me, I bound them to oath,
Entrusted them with treasures, and gave them empowerments and blessing.
I practiced in that place for three years.

“In order to spread the teachings of the Buddha,
I travelled around the borderlands of Mongolia and Tibet Performing consecrations and making aspirations.

“I then went to Dungri Karpo Mountain in the east. [203]
For three years I stayed and practiced there.
In the pure realm of millions of ḍākinīs,
I bestowed blessings and performed consecrations,
And commissioned them to guard the border of China and Tibet.

“I went to Lhadrak Karpo in Rungpo, [204]
Where I stayed for one year practicing wrathful mantras,
Establishing that site as a place for wrathful activities.

“I travelled around such places, among the six ridges of eastern Tibet, Bestowing consecrations and blessings,
With the aspiration to spread the Buddha’s teachings.
Binding all of the gods and demons to oath,

I commanded them to protect the sacred teachings.
Finally, I returned to Tibet proper.”

This is the sixth chapter of the biography of Padma that naturally liberates on sight, on how he bound the gods and demons under oath in all realms of Tibet, and gave prophecy after blessing sacred places.

130. Yamalung (g.ya’ ma lung) is a hermitage near Samye.
131.Yarlung Sheldrak (yar lung shel brag)
132.Yerpa cave (yer pa’i brag)
133.Tradruk (khra ‘brug) is a temple established during the reign of Emperor Songtsen Gampo, near Seng Gong (seng dgong) in Yarlung.
134. Kharchen cliff (mkhar chen brag)
135. The meadow of Mönkha (mon kha ne’u ring)|
136. Taktshang Canyon (stag tshang rong)
137. Shiktsang Canyon (gzig tshang rong)
138. Domtshang Canyon (dom tshang rong)
139. Khamré Grove (khams ras tshal)
140. Demo Pass in Kongpo (kong yul de mo la)
141. Rongchung Dza (rong chung rdza)
142. Rongchen at the Yema Cliff (rong chen ye ma brag)
143. Tigo Cliff (ti sgo brag)
144. Cha mdo (chab mdo) is a large city in Kham.
146. Minma (smin ma)|
147. Bemo Valley (be rdo)|
148. Bethil Nagmo (be thil)
149.Yilong Tserma (yid slong tsher ma can)
150.Soglen Nagmo (srog len nag mo)
151.Sengdrak Cave of Horpo (hor po’i seng brag)
152.The thirty-four letters possibly refers to the consonants of the Tibetan alphabet.
153. The nine damsi siblings (dam sri spun dgu)
154. Mugseng Cave (rmug seng phug)
155. Takmo Cliff (stag mo’i brag)
156. Chumig Changringmo (chu mig byang ring) refers to the site of Chumig Changchub in Nepal.
157.The four Semo sisters (bswe mo spun bzhi)
158.Rudam Nagpo Valley (ru dam lung pa nag po)|
159.Menmo sisters (sman mo bcu drug)|}
160.The Arrogance-Subduing Samādhi (dregs pa zil gnon ting ‘dzin)
161.The twelve Murderous Spirits (bla rkun bcu gnyis)
162.Dzong Tran Sangwa (rdzong phran gsang ba)
163..King Takthal of Mu (dmu rgyal stag thul). Mu (dmu) is a type of demon, or the name of a clan.
164.The Five Tsegyal Chukma (rste rgyal phyug mo rnam lnga)
165.The divine son Thökar (lha phrug thod dkar)|
166.Lab is in Lhoka.\
167.The crocodile-faced demon (chu srin) and the bear-faced demon
(dred gdong can)\
168.Tölung (stod lung) is near Lhasa.\
169.Dorje Yudrom (rdo rje g.yu khrom)
170. The peak of Dza Mountain (rdza ri rtse rgyal)|
171. Taktra Namen (stag bkra gnam sman)
172. Kakong Sengé Dzong (ka kong seng ge rdzong)
173. Nāga thels are a type of earth Nāga.
174.Q ueen Mudo (rgyal mo dmu rdo)
175. Tsen Düd Khala Mebar (btsan bdud kha la me ‘bar) is a preta king.
176.The Samādhi That Subjugates the Three Realms (khams gsum dbang sdud ting ‘dzin)
177. Shagdré Rock (bzhag ‘bras rdza)
178. Lhatse (lha rtse)
179. The practice of Blazing Wrath (khro bo ‘bar ba’i brtul zhugs)
180. Mar is in Lhodrak.
181.Bese cave (be se brag phug)
182. Lower Ser (gser smad)
183. Dünying Tse (bdud snying rtse)
184. Dorje Dragkar (rdo rje brag dkar)
185. Ase Mase (a se ma se)
186.Upper Ser (gser stod)
187. Damchen Garwa (dam can mgar ba) is likely Vajrasādhu, (rdo rje legs pa), the protector who assumes the form of a blacksmith.
188. Drong Ri (‘brong ri)
189. Dorje Drak Tsal (rdo rje drag rtsal)
190. Doyi Takdzong (rdo yi stag rdzong)
191. Marshö Ashö (smar shod a shos)|
192.The Stūpa of Many Doors (mchod rten sgo mang)
193. Mar (sMar)
194. Nyenchen (myen chen)
195. The desolate Place of Conquerors at Sothog (bso thog rgyal ba’i dben gnas)
196. Washab Dragkar Cliff (Wa zhabs brag)
197.The devil Black Hala (bdud po ha la nag po)
198. Tsen Canyon at Kawa Karpo (rong btsan kha ba dkar po)
199. Ma (rma) and Dza (rDza)
200. Machen (rma chen)
201.The yakṣa King Gökyi Chokshuchen (nor bdag rgyal po rgod kyi cog zhu can)
202. Drakgyal Men (drag rgyal sman)
203. Drakar Trel Dzong (brag dkar sprel rdzong)
204.Dungri Karpo Mountain (dung ri dar po)

Continues with Chapter 7 tomorrow.