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 5
“Then, Trisong Detsen, Emperor of the impure Tibetan lands
Instructed Trisher of the Yarlung Ba clan [114]
To carry one bre of gold dust in an ornamented bowl
And invite me, Tsokyé Dorje to come.
The messenger, as instructed,
Offered me gold dust in a golden vessel.
“Although I already knew, I asked, ‘Who are you?’
Joining his hands in reverence he replied,
‘I am Trisher of the Bami clan of Yarlung,
In Pur Gyal, [115] the kingdom of Tibet.
“‘Although formerly known as bellicose and thieving,
The Emperor of Tibet, Trisong Detsen,
Has subjugated and united all the thirty-two regions.
Now, he wishes to perform spiritual activities.
Please consider his letter of invitation.’
“Since I had received the letter, I had to go to Tibet.
I replied to him, ‘Since you are a human
With a corporeal body of flesh and blood,
You would be attacked and killed by those spirits who oppose me.
It wouldn’t be right to return there together.
“‘Tibet is the domain of demons and cannibals.
If you do not have a body of light like mine,
Free of cruel thoughts and acts — the ripening of past misdeeds —
People with normal bodies find it difficult to overcome them.
So, I will follow behind as you go ahead.
Relate this to the Emperor and take the letter to him.’
“All the gods and demons of Tibet
Would have attacked me, life and limb,
But I bound them under oaths, entrusted them with treasures,
And empowered them through magic as protectors of the Buddha’s teachings.
“After bestowing a name and a command, and sealing them with my vajra,
I placed a casket of precious treasure in their hands.
Emanating a treasury of inexhaustible enjoyments that filled space,
I commissioned them to protect the Secret Mantra teachings.
I said, ‘All you defiled gods and demons will be punished later.
My successors will invoke these bonds,
And enforce the command that you are under an oath of service
With the four types of awakened activity.’ [116]
“Then, when I reached Tibet,
The Emperor, his ministers, and subjects came to meet me
And they were ecstatic as they welcomed me.
I thought, ‘I must convert the Emperor and his subject
By displaying various miracles that will generate faith!‘
“Through myriad unobstructed miracles
The misguided Emperor and his ministers
Abandoned the afflictions and darkness of their minds.
“They listened to my commands, and with faith and devotion, they fulfilled them. Because only heretic teachers [117] inhabited this land of Tibet,
No teachers of the holy Dharma were allowed to stay there.
“The Emperor Trisong Detsen
Arranged a seat of silken cushions, piled nine high.
Then the great monarch
Prepared a golden maṇḍala
And filled it with heaps of turquoise and gems.
“He prostrated, joined his palms, and respectfully requested:
‘My kingdom is a land of demons and defiled beings.
Previously I was a ruler in the heretic tradition.
I committed evil actions, and I did not propagate the sacred Dharma.
“‘During the reign of Emperor Thori Nyantsan, [118]
Vajrapāṇi, the Lord of Secrets,
Initiated an auspicious interdependent connection
By miraculously granting him symbols of awakened form, speech, and mind.
“‘In the reign of Emperor Songtsen Gampo,
Who was cared for by Ārya Mahākaruṇa, [119]
The three supports were installed in the temple, the foundation of the teachings. The Emperor gave many instructions
For the stages of generation and completion of the secret method
To a few of his ministers, enabling them to experience bliss.
“‘Then, Emperor Tride Tsuktsen [120]
Began laying the foundations for the teaching of the holy Dharma.
However, due to the powers and curses of the heretics,
He ‘dissolved into space’ when he was twenty-eight years old.
“‘So I waged war with their rulers
From age fifteen to twenty-four,
Subjugating the thirty regions of the world.
“‘Then in my dreams, Vajra Dhātvisvarī, [121] the ḍākinī of awareness, Displayed a form like fifteen rising moons, and said:
‘Kye ma! O Dear! This evil leader’s actions
Are the accumulated causes of the sufferings of endless saṃsāra.
Your accumulated negative actions will lead you to deep, fiery prisons.
Who will rescue you from that such an inescapable, piteous time?’
“‘Though she glared at me with menacing eyes,
I said, ‘Excellent, O Compassionate One!
Pray, tell me whether this heretic kingdom of mine Is proper or improper.’
“‘In response the ḍākinī said,
‘This ‘heretic lineage’ is only the teaching of Māra, a perverted path.
As soon as its followers die, they are reborn as demons and malevolent spirits Who attack the life-force of sentient beings.
In the end they will surely fall to the Hell of Ceaseless Torment.’ [122]
“‘I said, ‘Very well then.
Since the heretic teachings are a cause for lower rebirths,
What method is there to gain liberation? What must I do?’
“‘When I asked this, the ḍākinī said:
‘Conquer all the charnel grounds and pilgrimage places
Of all of the kingdoms of the noble land of India.
When you have bound to oath all guardians of the teachings and places, and gods and demons of all that appears and exists,
And when you have banished Extremists and holders of wrong views from all kingdoms,
Then everyone will come to know bliss.’
“‘After the teacher, Sākyamuni, arrives,
The splendour of the disciples will arise from the all-encompassing space of phenomena.
“‘If you invite the one known
As Guru Pema Jungné,
You can be sure that the kingdom of Tibet Will convert to the pure Dharma.’
“‘And so, I acted in accordance with that dream.
Give me a method for converting my kingdom to the dharma
And hold me with your compassion!’
“So spoke the Emperor. In response, I advised:
‘First, in a temple, the foundation for the teachings,
Raise many supports of awakened form, speech, and mind, And train many Tibetan youths in secular knowledge.
“‘Next, commission the translations of the Indian teachings.
Although I hold the teachings and lineages of the Buddha,
And all written commentarial teachings
Have merged in me like streams in the ocean,
And I understand them all, I can not spread them.
“In order to secure the foundation of the Buddha’s teachings
You must invite Khenchen Bodhisattva, [123]
The Buddha disguised in human form,
Lord of all the learned and accomplished translators of the Noble Land,
The genuine one in whom all lineage holders place their trust,
The glorious Lord of the activity of training those to be trained.’
“In response, the Emperor said,
‘I’m not sure if I can invite the great abbot.
If it can be done, then to whom should I send the letter?
Great master, I request you foretell
Whether we have the good fortune for him to come here.’
“I advised, ‘Kye Ho!
Listen, sovereign Dharma King!
Due to the powerful past aspirations of four children
We presently have the fortune of meeting again. [124]
If the Ba from Yarlung were to invite him, that would be excellent.’
As suggested, the Ba clansman was sent to invite him to Tibet
In order to expand the extent of the Buddha’s teachings.
“Then, I, Padma Jungné, through the strength of my samādhi,
Summoned ḍākas and ḍākinīs
From the twenty-four Great Places, the thirty-two Sacred Places,
The hundred and eight Charnel Grounds, and the ten Heruka sites.
“Summoning the gods that surround the four great kingdoms,
And all the eight classes of oath-bound gods and demons
With the All-embracing Display Samādhi [125]
I appointed them as emissaries under my command.
“I bound under oath foul nāgas, māras and murderous spirits
To seize and tame the land, and raise glorious Samyé.
After that, the master and disciples performed the consecration,
And I entrusted Gyalpo Pehar as the lord of the place.
“After many young Tibetans were trained in secular sciences,
The teachings from all over India and China
Were transmitted to Tibet in their entirety.
Finally, many paṇḍits and siddhas were invited
To clarify doubts about the teachings.
“Queen Tsepong Zawa Margyan, [126]
The embodiment of the Glorious Goddess, Srī Devī [127]
Displayed various actions so that she appeared to be a follower of the heretics. Buddhists and heretics debated, and the heretics were defeated.
Finally, she produced the method for destroying the heretic tradition.
“Then, general teachings of the Secret Mantra Vajrayāna were given,
And in particular, the doctrine of the Great Perfection.
Siddhas who renounced this life, and practiced the essence
In caverns, grottoes, and desolate places
Filled all of the mountain slopes and valleys
Throughout all the lands of Tibet.
“Five hundred years in the future, in the degenerate time, holy teachers and students
Will find the circumstances for the succession of practice lineages severed.
The thirty-two blessings of the common teachings will have dissipated.
“Although practice will be undertaken, there will be no signs of accomplishment.
Therefore, I have concealed many teachings as treasures.
After my own rebirth among humans, these treasures will be revealed.
“After teaching many fortunate disciples, saying,
‘Boundless benefit will be accomplished for beings!’
I will fill all the lands of Tibet with treasure teachings.
In future times, they will be revealed, and prophecies will be foretold.
“‘Tsogyal, you are actually Khorlo Gyedeb: [128]
The consort of the one who has accomplished the Kīla of Timeless Awareness.[129]
Spread these indestructible, inexhaustible treasures far and wide,
Concealed in the womb of the five elements.
Enjoin the host of arrogant oath-bound protectors
To keep these secret from unfortunate or unsuitable people,
And to spread this inexhaustible profundity beyond depth or limit!’
After I had so ordered, I affixed the seal in accordance with the command, and hid them.
“Afterwards I hid twenty-five representations,
Making aspirations for the subjugation of the frontier barbarians
During the lives of those treasure-revealers who would discover them,
And I also applied the seal of awakened mind.
“Some of the treasure-revealers will have four wives each.
Some will be ignoble beings, others virtuous — one can’t be sure who will reveal treasures.
Therefore, I will give them to my emanations.
These were my fervent aspirations.”
This is the fifth chapter of the biography of Padma that naturally liberates on sight, on how he accomplished the benefit of beings in Tibet and expanded the reach of the teachings.
114.Trisher of the Yarlung Ba clan (yar lung sba mi khri gzher) that is Nanam Dorje Dudjom.
115. Purgyal (spur rgyal) is the archaic name of imperial Tibet.
116. The four types of awakened activity (las bzhi) are pacifying (zhi ba’i las), increasing (rgyas pa’i las), magnetizing or subduing (dbang gi las), and wrathful (drag po’i las)
117. Heretic teachers or ‘Bönpos’ (bon po)
118. Emperor Thori Nyantsan (rgyal po tho ri gnyan btsan) was the 28th Emperor of the Yarlung Dynasty.
119. Ārya Mahākaruṇa (‘phags pa thugs rje chen po) that is Avalokiteśvara.
120.Emperor Tride Tsuktsen (Khri lde gtsug bstan r. 710-755/56)
121.Vajra Dhātviśvarī (rdo rje dbyings phyug ma)
122.The Hell of Ceaseless Torment (mnar med dmyal ba)
123.Khenchen Bodhisattva (mkhan chen bo dhi satwa) that is Śāntarakṣita. 124.This is a reference to the story of the establishment of the Boudha Stūpa as told in “Liberation Upon Hearing: The History of the Great Jarung Kashor Stūpa“.
125. The All-embracing Display Samādhi (‘khor ‘das ‘ub chub rol pa’i ting ‘dzin) 126. Queen Tsepong Zawa Margyan (btsun mo tshe spong bza’ ba dmar rgyan ma)
127. Śrī Devī (dmag zor rgyal mo)
128. Khorlo Gyedeb (‘khor lo rgyas ‘debs) or Tṛptacakra, that is the consort of Vajrakumāra.
129. Kīla of Timeless Awareness (ye shes phur pa), that is Vajrakumāra.
Continues with Chapter 6 tomorrow.
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