RETURN TO ALL PUBLICATIONS I pay homage, with a mind of sincere respect, to the Great Noble One, Lord of the Three Worlds,[1 ] and his entourages. The many tales of the Great Noble One, Gesar Dorje Tsegyel,[2 ] known throughout the Three Worlds,[3 ] are deep and hard to fathom, passing beyond our ability to comprehend. There are many different ways in which the story has come down according to a disciple’s individual karmic lot. Even today, such tales continue to be told in all directions without distinction in Dokham, Utsang, and so on. ​ And although all these various life stories differ in style and content, they need not be considered contradictory since they are the life stories of a thus-gone one.[4 ] It is for this reason that there is variance. Here, not long after the [annual] grand festival to celebrate the joining of the Great Queen of Medicine, Dorje Yudronma,[5 ] and the Great Noble One of Ling (Gesar), at the Zangdokpelri [hermitage] in the Lelung region of the eastern land of Olga[6 ] [in Lhodrak, southern Tibet] in the year of the Earth Female Bird [1729 CE], an emanation of the Great Noble One (Gesar) was encountered in the form of an iron man wearing iron armour, brandishing a silk-pennanted spear. And the following life story was heard: Now in the realm of the gods above, from a primordial state of complete nothingness, a White Light, like the Victory Star,[7 ] arose. Being born from the Divine Wish-Fulfilling Jewel,[8 ] it resided in an egg-like womb of light, a light born out of its own radiance. And soon afterwards, desire arose in the breast of one daughter of the gods called Bum Okimetse,[9 ] and she replicated that luminous sphere. For this she was ridiculed and cursed by the gods and grew ashamed. So she went to a victorious sage of the gods and humbly beseeched him thus: ​ “They accuse me of having done that which I have not done! They blame me for having attachments that I do not have! I just can’t take their chastisements anymore! I can dwell no longer in the realm of gods above, And nor can I go to the land of the lu water-spirits[10 ] below.” “So I should take a quick look at the middle world of humans. I shall take that young godling along with me [as a companion]. Is there any fault created by my going there? Great sage, please tell me; I implore you!” Thus she spoke, and the old sage of creation, born into the caste of Yungdrung Bon,[11 ] replied thus: ​ “A-ya-ya , you crowned girl, Light Garland Goddess! It is very good that you have come here, as I have been wanting to see you. Last night, beings in the land of men Had hurried dreams of various kinds. So many good signs! Such as cannot be spoken.” “A-ya-ya ! These were signs; these were premonitions, That you, my girl, would come at this time. For now you should stay awhile longer in the land of gods, For from [your nurturing] mother’s lap, a son will be born. Call upon the god Gertso Nyenpo[12 ] for help But don’t dismiss your young godling, For he will be of benefit to all beings of all countries and regions.”[13 ] “A-ya-ya! A godling is better than a man, Unlike other little men born of gods! Three fives make fifteen! Possible danger can come of this! Three sixes make eighteen—certainly a chance of such! O beautiful maiden, may your innermost mind be at peace.” ​ Then the goddess Bum Okimetse went back to her own dwelling place and, [in accordance with his instructions], made offerings of female yak milk to the worldly god Nyenchen Gertso.[14 ] As she prayed, Gertso actually came before her and, taking her tightly on his lap, he made love to her fifteen times, inducing in her a state of great pleasure. And after a while, just as the sage had prophesied, the goddess became pregnant. Initially, a venomous black snake was born, and the gods gave it the name White-Turbaned Nele (Nele Tokar),[15 ] king of lu , and it went into the great ocean. Next, a red man and a red horse were born. He was named Tsen Yawa Kyachik.[16 ] He went to Zangthang Jangmar in the western direction, one of the five regions of the Gawa Valley in the northern part of Pemako.[17 ] It was a hub of pernicious harmful spirits near a town of the Chim [clan][18 ] and barbarians. He stayed there as lord of gods and spirits.[19 ] ​ Then a blue man wearing fine blue clothes and a blue horse were born. He was given the name Lord of Waters, Lap-born Masang (Chudak Pangkye Masang).[20 ] He went to the land of Lato.[21 ] After that, a malicious harmful spirit was born with a chin of iron and a yellow beard spiked like tongues of fire. He was respectfully given the name King of Demons (Dudje Gyelpo)[22 ] and, in fact, was none other than the mind-lord Indra.[23 ] He went to the land of Gyatri Gotri Shing[24 ] and was also known as Gyaje Tsenpo,[25 ] or the One-eyed Demon King of the Eastern Direction. Following that, a black man and a black horse were born. He was given the name Moon-faced Demon (Dudawai Gonchen).[26 ] He had unimaginable power and magical abilities, difficult for others to defeat. Going to the northern land of Mizhung,[27 ] he became a hunter. Having killed many beings by gathering their life-breath, he accumulated about a hundred thousand human and horse corpses and stayed there enjoying their flesh and blood. ​ Subsequently, a daughter of the gods—so beautiful that a single glance nulls contentment—was born. She was given the name Charming Goddess (Lhamo Yitrok).[28 ] By and by, she went to the red copper plain of the tsen [29 ] and lived there as the wife of the noble tsen , Lutsen.[30 ] Then the harmful spirit Genuine Knowledge (Yangdak Shay)[31 ] was born, beautiful and heroic. In the Palace of Braids,[32 ] he joined the entourage of Vaishravana,[33 ] and together with the servants of this great wealth-god and lord of treasures, he stayed as the Great Protecting King of the Northern Direction.[34 ] Next, a being with the appearance of a sinpo demon,[35 ] skilled in martial arts, was born, known as Raksha Lightening-Garland (Yaksha Loktreng),[36 ] who in the depths of the ocean, by the power of karma, joined with the female lu Toad-headed Bloodshot-eyed (Belgo Trakmikma),[37 ] whose desire boiled like water. By entering into sexual union, they became husband and wife. It is said that she gave birth to the four-faced Vishnu King of Rahu.[38 ] Then Black Shiva (Wangchuk Nakpo)[39 ] was born, and staying in the land of turban-wearers, he became the protector of the Muslim regions. After that, the Red Lord of Death (Shinje Marpo Chidak),[40 ] the colour of blood, was born. He was also known as Bandit Bringer of Fire, the Red Lord of Life (Sokdak Marpo), or Great Abse, among other names.[41 ] He was the master of swift and sharp martial skills and possessed magical abilities. It is said because he had sex with his own sibling, the Charming Goddess, kith and kin were ashamed. The gods insulted them, and they were belittled by shame. ​ Following that, the protector of China, the land of the Eastern Direction, called Lhanyen Lhaje,[42 ] was born. He became the protector of White Confucius. And until now, he stays in those bad regions. Then a demoness the colour of blood, with the body of a sinmo demoness and the head of a lion, was born. She was known as Red Lion-faced (Sengdong Marmo)[43 ] and became the wife of the demon Black Yabshar,[44 ] otherwise known as the Lion-faced Kunga Zhonu, the protector of the realm.[45 ] Next, Simultaneously Red (Chikchar Marpo)[46 ] was born and went to Tsaritra,[47 ] enjoying flesh and blood. Since he had little compassion for those mired in the passion of life, he became lord of the haughty spirits, and there he remained. After that, the one called Great Apo,[48 ] who resides now as a protecting god of Pemako, was born. Going to the lands of Lo Dra and Hor Ga,[49 ] he protects the outer, inner, and secret regions of Pemako and subregions. Then when all these fourteen elder siblings were born, the fifteenth, the Great Noble One, Gesar, King of Dralha,[50 ] was born. He was youthful in stature and beautiful with all the signs and characteristics [of a special being] complete, transfixing to look upon, and capable of bringing all the Three Realms[51 ] under his dominion. Initially, he thrice played dice[52 ] in the realm of gods and gained respect from all of them. Then, going to the land of humans, he again thrice played dice games, casting gambling dice,[53 ] and playing pebbles,[54 ] thereby bringing all the beings of the human realm into complete submission; he was left unrivalled. Then, having crossed to the water realm, he trice did swimming, jumping and other such games, and all the female lu lusted after him. Hence, he gained mastery over them, neutralized their viciousness, and calmed their fury. ​ And in that way, being without rival in the Three Worlds, the Great Noble One traversed instantly through the central region[55 ] [of Tibet] to Serzhong Zangri.[56 ] In the female Earth Bird Year, the Great Noble One took care of the reincarnation of the son Gadol Gali.[57 ] For our benefit, he turned his horse towards the hermitage of the supreme sacred site of Zangdok Pelri [in Lelung Valley] and took the Great Queen of Medicine, Lachik Yudronma, as his consort. All lords and ministers, from the treasurer and attendant to the hen keeper and swineherd [who witnessed this], are still alive to this day. In the past, when Great Noble One came to Tibet, he visited all these places and blessed all the hermitages, mountains, and cliffs. And previously, his flying-mount-tree,[58 ] [the tree from which he gets his flying stick], was [considered to be] at the upper slopes of Lhunpo Dza.[59 ] But today it is not there, as it has been felled. And from the upper slopes of Lhunpo Dza to the area of Chabumpa,[60 ] the stones Gesar placed there can be seen even now. Later, the secret caves, sacred sites, and holy lakes were discovered eventually, as they were pointed out and taught in the secret transmission. [1] 'jig rten gsum. Referring to the worlds of lha ‘gods’ above, klu ‘water spirits’ below, and gnyan ‘worldly deities’ in the middle. This tripartite scheme of a vertically-ordered world is a central theme in most tellings of the Gesar epic. In this text, two or three terms are used to refer to the scheme: ‘jig rten gsum, sa gsum, and srid gsum. The first two we have translated as “Three Worlds” and the last as “Three Realms”, since it could also be interpreted as referring to the Buddhist scheme of Form, Formless, and Formless Realms (more commonly known as as khams gsum). [2] skyes bu chen po ge sar rdo rje tshe rgyal [3] sa gsum [4] de bzhin gshegs pa, tathāgata [5] Sman btsun chen mo rdo rje g.yu sgron ma is one of the bstan ma bcu gnyis, the 12 native goddesses who according to Nyingma lore were converted in the 8th century by Padmasambhava and Pelgyi Senge (dpal gyi seng ge; BDRC P4236 ) to become protectors of the tantric teachings of the Old School. [6] 'ol ga [7] The Victory Star (rgyal skar, puṣya/pauṣa) is one of the twenty-eight stars/constellations (rgyu skar nyi shu rtsa brgyad, aṣtāviṃśati nakṣatrāṇi) in the Indo-Tibetan system of lunar mansions, an ancient Indian division of the ecliptic. In the Tibetan tradition, a period associated with one of these constellations is determined by the moon’s position. If the moon was in the Victory Star at sunrise on a lunar day, that day would be considered to be ruled by that constellation. [8] lha'i yid bzhin nor bu rin po che [9] 'bum 'od kyi me tshe [10] klu (Skt: (nāga) are beings of the world below, associated with water, health, and wealth. [11] g.yung drung bon [12] lha ger mtsho gnyan po. The deity ger mtsho, in various spellings, is frequently encountered in tellings of the Gesar epic as the gnyan father of Gesar. Gnyan are a class of powerful worldly deities in Tibetan culture who inhabit the middle world, in which humans also dwell. They are often associated with mountain deities. [13] yul gling dgu'i skyes 'gro yongs [14] srid pa'i lha gnyan chen po ger mtsho. See note above. [15] ne le thod dkar [16] btsan ya ba skya gcig [17] zangs thang byang dmar gyi gling and dga' ba lung [18] 'chims [19] lha srin [20] chu bdag pang skyes ma sang [21] la stod [22] bdud rje rgyal po [23] brgya byin (“hundred sacrifices”) is the usual Tibetan name for Indra (also known as Kauśika or Śakra), king of the heaven of the Thirty-Three gods (of the desire realm). [24] rgya khri sgo khri shing [25] rgya rje btsan po [26] bdud zla ba'i gdong can [27] mi gzhung [28] lha mo yid 'phrog [29] btsan. These are non-human entities of the world characterized in Tibetan culture. They are included in the eight classes (sde brgyad) and are primarily seen as greatly powerful and nefarious beings who inhabit a specified locale. [30] klu btsan. This name is familiar from many tellings of the Gesar epic in which Lutsen is one of the hero’s main adversaries. In many tellings, he is the Demon of the North, whose beautiful wife waylays Gesar for many years. [31] yang dag shes [32] lcang lo can gyi pho brang [33] rnam thos sras, Vaiśravaṇa [34] byang phyogs skong ba'i rgyal po chen po [35] Srin po (or feminine srin mo) are a prominent class of harmful being or demon in Tibetan culture. This is the term used in Tibetan to translate the Sanskrit rākṣasa. They are human-eating and bloodthirsty. [36] rak+sha glog phreng [37] klu mo sbal mgo mig khrag ma [38] khyab 'jug gza'i rgyal po [39] dbang phyug nag po [40] gshin rje dmar po 'chi bdag [41] jag pa me len; srog bdag dmar po; ab se chen po. Among the “other names” alluded to would be beg tse and lcam sring. [42] lha gnyan lha rje [43] seng gdong dmar mo [44] yab shar nag po [45] zhing skyong seng ge'i gdong chen kun dga' gzhon nu [46] cig car dmar po [47] tsa ri tra [48] a pho chen po [49] klo gra; hor ga [50] dgra lha [51] srid gsum. This could refer to the “three worlds” (worlds above below and in the middle) or to the classical Buddhist scheme of Three Realms (usually known as khams gsum) of the Form, Formless, and Desire Realms. [52] sho [53] cho lo [54] rdo [55] dbu ru [56] gser gzhong zings ri [57] bu ga 'dol ga li'i skye ba [58] chibs phur gyi ljong shing [59] lhun po rdza'i mgul [60] bca' 'bum pa. These areas, Lhunpo Dza and Chabumpa, might be in the area of Lelung, but their exact locations are unknown to the translator and the organisation. Please contact Tib Shelf if you are aware of their whereabouts. ​ ​ Full Abstract: ​ The Fifth Lelung Rinpoche, Zhepai Dorje (1697–1740), is unusual among senior Geluk figures for having taken a personal interest in the figure of Gesar of Ling, eponymous hero of the Tibetan epic. At least three texts on Gesar are ascribed to him: the one translated below and two offering texts. The text translated here narrates his ‘pure vision’ (dag snang) of Gesar, which took place near his monastic seat at Lelung, in Olga, in 1729. The vision was accompanied by a narration of Gesar’s origin ‘story’ (gtam rgyud). There are many points of interest to note about the text. Here we have an early textual attestation of the name Gesar Dorje Tsegyal, ‘Vajra Lord of Life’, the name of Gesar, which was later used by Ju Mipham in his influential elaborations of a ritual cycle centring on Gesar as protector-turned-yidam. Lelung attests that the vision took place soon after an annual festival held in his home region of Lelung, celebrating the union of Gesar and Dorje Yudronma, one of the Tenma Chunyi (‘twelve protectoresses of the teachings’), attesting to a pre-existing tradition in that region connecting Gesar to the lore around the Tantric Buddhist conversion activities of Padmasambhava. Lelung’s account of Gesar’s origins, as the 15th offspring from the union of a primordial goddess of light with a “worldly deity” (srid pa’i lha) is unusual and unique among the many tellings of Gesar’s origins. Still, it also shows interesting points of convergence with the epic storytelling traditions about Gesar, which persists in present times, especially in eastern Tibet. In particular, the identification of Gesar’s ‘worldly deity’ father as the Great Nyen Gertsho (gnyan chen po ger mtsho) is a feature often encountered in eastern Tibetan tellings of the epic. Also, Lelung’s narration of the hero’s origin is presented in the familiar three-tiered tableau of the “Three Worlds” (sa gsum, srid gsum), central to the Tibetan epic tradition and to Tibetan folk culture more broadly, of the lha (gods) above, the klu (water spirits) below, and the gnyan (worldly deities) in the middle. Unfortunately a trip to Olga, in the south-central Lhoka region of Tibet, to explore the locations in the Lelung valley referenced in the text, has so far been impossible. Many thanks to Tenzin Choephel and Ryan Jacobson for their very helpful corrections and suggestions for the translation and to Tom Greensmith for seeing the translation through to publication here. NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY Bzhad pa'i rdo rje. 1983–1985. Dag snang ge sar gyi gtam rgyud le'u . In Gsung 'bum/_bzhad pa'i rdo rje, vol. 12, pp. 17–25. Leh: T. Sonam and D.L. Tashigang. BDRC W22130 COLOPHON This is the first chapter of the three-part oral instruction of the Gesar Pure Vision. Chapter Narrating the Pure Vision of Gesar ​ Abstract The Fifth Lelung Rinpoche, Shepé Dorjé (1697–1740), is unusual among senior Geluk figures for having taken a personal interest in the figure of Gesar of Ling, eponymous hero of the Tibetan epic. The text translated here narrates his ‘pure vision’ of Gesar, which took place near his monastic seat at Lelung, in Olga, in 1729. Please see the full abstract in the note section of the translation. BDRC LINK W22130 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION VIEW TRANSLATION AUTHOR Lelung Shepé Dorjé TRADITION Geluk | Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Lelung Jedrung HISTORICAL PERIOD 18th Century TEACHERS The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso The Fifth Panchen Lama, Lobzang Yeshé Damchö Sangpo Mingyur Paldrön Chöjé Lingpa Dönyö Khedrup The First Purchok, Ngawang Jampa Ngawang Chödrak Yeshé Gyatso Damchö Gyatso Losal Gyatso Lhündrup Gyatso TRANSLATOR George FitzHerbert INSTITUTIONS Lelung Monastery Mindröling Ngari Dratsang Chökhor Gyal Trandruk Potala Tsari ​ STUDENTS Kunga Mingyur Dorjé Dorjé Yomé Kunga Paldzom Lobsang Lhachok Dönyö Khedrub Polhané Sönam Tobgyé Ngawang Jampa Mingyur Paldrön The Fifth Dorjé Drak Rigdzin, Kelsang Pema Wangchuk Chapter Narrating the Pure Vision of Gesar Alongside our own publications, Tib Shelf peer reviews and publishes the works of aspiring and established Tibetologists. If you would like to publish with us or request our translation services, please get in touch , our team would be pleased to help. TIB SHELF Contact ​ 40 Okehampton London NW10 3ER ​ shelves@tibshelf.org +44 (0) 203 983 7265 Follow Us ​ Subscribe ​ Instagram Facebook ​ Support Us TIB SHELF SUBMIT A TRANSLATION SUBSCRIBE ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST

RETURN TO ALL PUBLICATIONS ཀུན་བཟང་ཡབ་ཡུམ་སྟོན་པ་འོད་མི་འགྱུར། ། kunzang yabyum tönpa ö mingyur Samantabhadra and Samantabhadrā in union, Teacher of Immutable Light,[ 1 ] ཁྲག་འཐུང་གཞོན་ནུ་དཔའ་བོ་སྟོབས་ལྡན་དཔལ། ། traktung shönnu pawo tobden pal Glorious, powerful, and blood-drinking Youthful Hero,[ 2 ] དྲི་མེད་གསང་བདག་དགའ་རབ་མཚོ་སྐྱེས་རྗེ། ། drimé sangdak garab tsokyé jé Stainless Lord of Secrets [Vajrapani], Garab Dorje, the Lake-Born Lord, བདེ་ཆེན་མནྡཱ་ར་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། dechen mendara la solwa deb And Great Bliss Mandarava, to you I pray. ​ ​ སྦྱོར་སྒྲོལ་བརྟུལ་ཞུགས་མཐར་ཕྱིན་རཀྵི་ཏ། ། jordrol tulshuk tarchin rakshi ta Rakshita, who perfected the yogic observances of union and liberation, ​ གྲུབ་བརྒྱའི་སྤྱི་མེས་ཕ་ཅིག་དམ་པ་རྗེ། ། drub gyé chimé pa chik dampa jé Lord Dampa, who is the sole forefather of a hundred adepts, ​ ཌཱཀྐིའི་རྗེ་མོ་དབྱིངས་ཕྱུག་ལབ་ཀྱི་སྒྲོན། ། daki jemo yingchuk lab kyi drön Labdron, who is the lady of the dakinis and the queen of space, ​ ཞི་གཅོད་བརྒྱུད་པར་བཅས་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། shi chö gyüpar ché la solwa deb Lineages of Pacification and Severance, to you I pray. ​ ​ ཨོ་རྒྱན་པད་བྱུང་བི་མའི་སྒྱུ་འཕྲུལ་གར། ། orgyen pé jung bi mé gyutrul gar Dancing illusory display of Padmasambhava of Oddiyana and Vimalamitra, ​ ཟབ་གསང་བསྟན་པ་གཞིར་བཞེངས་སློང་མཛད་རྗེ། ། zabsang tenpa shir sheng long dzé jé Lord who brought forth the foundation of the profound and secret teachings, ​ ཌཱ་ཀིའི་གསང་མཛོད་ཆེན་པོར་དབང་བསྒྱུར་བའི། ། daki sangdzö chenpor wang gyurwé Master of the magnificent, secret treasury of the dakinis— ​ གཏེར་ཆེན་འཇའ་ལུས་རྡོ་རྗེར་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། terchen jalü dorjér solwa deb The great treasure-revealer, Jalu Dorje, to you I pray. ​ ​ མཁའ་སྤྱོད་བདེ་ལྡན་ཞིང་ན་ཝཱ་ར་ཧི། ། khachö deden shing na varahi Vajravarahi in the blissful realm of Khecara ​ རྔ་ཡབ་གླིང་དུ་མེ་ཏོག་མནྡཱ་ར། ། ngayab ling du metok mendara And Mandarava Flower in Chamaradvipa, ​ སླར་ཡང་བསྟན་འགྲོའི་དོན་དུ་མི་རྫུར་བྱོན། ། lar yang ten drö döndu mi dzur jön You came once again in the guise of a human for the benefit of the teachings and beings; ​ ཡི་དམ་གྲུབ་བརྙེས་དངོས་གྲུབ་རྣམ་གཉིས་ཐོབ། ། yidam drub nyé ngödrub nam nyi tob Discovering the attainments of the deities, you gained the two accomplishments— ​ ཡུམ་ཆེན་ཌཱ་ཀི་མཆོག་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། yumchen daki chok la solwa deb Great Mother and supreme dakini [Losel Drolma ],[ 3 ] to you I pray. ​ ​ སྣང་སྲིད་དབང་བསྒྱུར་གྲུབ་བརྒྱའི་ཞལ་སྐྱིན་མཆོག ། nangsi wanggyur drub gyé shal kyin chok Supreme successor of a hundred adepts with mastery over all appearing existence; ​ ཡེ་ཤེས་རྡོ་རྗེའི་གསང་གསུམ་བྱིན་བརྒྱུད་མཛོད། ། yeshe dorjé sang sum jin gyü dzö Yeshe Dorje’s three secrets, blessings, lineage, and treasuries— ​ ཡོངས་ལ་དབང་བསྒྱུར་སྐུ་གསུང་ཐུགས་ཀྱི་སྲས། ། yong la wanggyur ku sung tuk kyi sé Master of them all, a son of enlightened body, speech, and mind, ​ བདེ་ཆེན་རིག་པའི་རལ་གྲིར་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། dechen rigpé raldrir solwa deb Dechen Rigpai Reltri ,[ 4 ] to you I pray. ​ ​ བློས་བྱས་འདིར་སྣང་ཆོས་ཀུན་སྒྱུ་མའི་ངང་། ། löjé dir nang chö kün gyumé ngang In the state where all apparent, mind-made phenomena of this life are illusory, ​ རྨི་ལམ་ཚུལ་གཟིགས་རེ་དང་དོགས་པ་བྲལ། ། milam tsul zik ré dang dokpadral You recognized their dream-like nature and were free from hope and doubt, ​ ང་ཁྱོད་ཕྱོགས་རིས་ཀུན་བྲལ་འགྲོ་བའི་མགོན། ། nga khyö chokri kündral drowé gön Beyond all biased distinctions between self and other—protector of beings, ​ སྐྱབས་མཆོག་བདེ་ཆེན་འོད་ཟེར་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། kyab chok dechen özer la solwa deb Supreme refuge, Dechen Ozer,[ 5 ] to you I pray. ​ ​ དྲི་མེད་མཁྱེན་པའི་ལྷ་ལམ་ཡངས་པ་ནས། ། drimé khyenpé lha lam yangpa né Through the vast, heavenly path of stainless knowledge, ​ བརྩེ་བའི་སྙིང་རྗེའི་འོད་སྟོང་འབར་བའི་གཟིས། ། tsewé nyingjé ötong barwé zi You blaze brilliantly with the intense light of love and compassion ​ འགྲོ་རྣམས་མུན་པའི་སྨག་རུམ་སེལ་མཛད་པ། dro nam münpé makrum sel dzepa And dispel the dense darkness of transmigrating beings, ​ ཐུབ་བསྟན་ཆོས་ཀྱི་རྡོ་རྗེར་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། tubten chö kyi dorjér solwa deb Tubten Chokyi Dorje,[ 6 ] to you I pray. ​ ​ སྤང་རྟོགས་རྒྱལ་བ་རྣམས་དང་རོ་གཅིག་ཀྱང་། ། pang tok gyalwa nam dang ro chik kyang Although you are experientially the same as the victorious ones in renunciation and realization, ​ ཐུགས་རྗེས་རྗེས་འཛིན་སངས་རྒྱས་དངོས་ལས་ལྷག ། tukjé jedzin sangye ngö lé lhak In your compassionate care for disciples, you are actually superior to the buddhas— ​ བཀའ་དྲིན་མཚུངས་མེད་བསྟན་པའི་སྒྲོན་མེ་མཆོག ། kadrin tsungmé tenpé drönmé chok Incomparably gracious and supreme lamp of the teachings, ​ དཔལ་མགོན་བླ་མ་མཆོག་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། palgön lama chok la solwa deb Glorious protector, supreme guru, to you I pray. ​ ​ རླབས་ཆེན་ཐུགས་བསྐྱེད་ཟབ་ཡངས་རྒྱ་མཚོ་ལས། ། lab chen tukkyé zab yang gyatso lé Great [blessing] waves from the extensive ocean of the profound awakening mind, ​ སྨིན་གྲོལ་གདམས་པའི་ཆུ་བོ་རྣམ་པ་བཞིས། ། mindrol dampé chuwo nampa shi The four rivers of instructions concerning maturation and liberation, ​ སྐལ་བཟང་གདུལ་བྱའི་ཞིང་ཀུན་ཁྱབ་མཛད་པའི། ། kalzang duljé shing künkhyab dzepé Pervade all realms containing disciples endowed with good fortune— ​ དངོས་བརྒྱུད་བླ་མའི་ཚོགས་ལ་གསོལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། ngö gyü lamé tsok la sol solwa deb Assemblies of lineage gurus, to you I pray. ​ ​ སངས་རྒྱས་ཀུན་འདུས་བླ་མ་ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ། ། sangye kündü lama chö kyi ku Embodiment of all buddhas, dharmakaya guru, ​ མ་ཅིག་ཡུམ་ཆེན་དབྱེར་མེད་བཀའ་དྲིན་ཅན། ། ma chik yumchen yermé kadrinchen Inseparable from the single, gracious Great Mother, ​ སྙིང་ནས་གདུང་ཤུགས་དྲག་པོས་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། nying né dungshuk drakpö solwa deb I fervently pray to you from the depths of my heart! ​ འཁྲུལ་སྣང་སྙེམས་བྱེད་བདུད་བཞི་ལས་རྒྱལ་ཞིང་། ། trulnang nyem jé dü shi lé gyal shing Bless me with victory over the four maras, creators of delusional perception and pride! ​ སྐྱེ་མེད་ཆོས་སྐུ་རྟོགས་པར་བྱིན་གྱིས་སློབས། ། kyemé chöku tokpar jin gyi lob Bless me to realize the unborn dharmakaya! ​ ​ རང་གི་ཐུགས་ཀའི་འོད་ཀྱིས་བསྐུལ་བས་ཕྱོགས་བཅུ་དུས་བཞིའི་སྐྱབས་གནས་རྒྱ་མཚོ་བདུད་འདུལ་ཁྲོས་མ་ལྷ་ལྔའི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་གྱི་རྣམ་པར་མདུན་གྱི་ནམ་མཁར་བཛྲ་ས་མ་ཡ་ཛཿ ཚོགས་ཞིང་མདུན་མཁར་སད་པར་བྱས་ནས་མཐར་ཛཿཧཱུྃ་བྃ་ཧོས་ཚོགས་ཞིང་རང་ལ་བསྡུ་པར་བྱའོ།། ​ Light issues from my heart, invoking in the space before me the oceanic sources of refuge from the ten directions and three times in the aspect of the mandala of the five deities of the demon-subduing Fierce Mother[ 7 ] —Vajra Samaya Jah. The field of merit is thus awakened in the space before me. Finally, with Jah Hum Bam Hoh, the field of merit dissolves into me. [1] This is an epithet for Samantabhadra. [2] This is the sixth of the twelve foundational teachers (ston pa bcu gnyis) of Dzogchen in this world-system. [3] Losel Drolma (1802–1861) was Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje’s half-sister and spiritual consort, as well as a custodian of his teachings and a respected Dzogchen teacher in her own right. BDRC P1GS138134 [4] Dechen Rigpai Reltri (1830–1896) was the second son of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje. See: Treasury of Lives [5] Dechen Ozer Taye of Tsering Jong, the residence of Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798), was a student and scribe for Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje. [6] The Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, Tubten Chokyi Dorje (1872–1935). See: Treasury of Lives [7] The Fierce Mother, or Tröma Nakmo (khros ma nag mo). ​ Photo credit: Himalayan Art Resources Thanks to Adam Pearcey at Lotsawa House for his editing. ​ Published: April 2021 NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY Ye shes rdo rje. Edited by Rgyal dbang nyi ma. 1978. 'Dzin pa rang 'grol brgyud pa'i gsol 'debs bzhugs . In Gcod 'dzin pa rang grol gyi 'don cha'i skor, pp. 43–45. Paro: Ngondrub and Sherab Demy. BDRC W26033 COLOPHON None A Lineage Prayer for the Natural Liberation of Grasping ​ Abstract This lineage prayer for Do Khyentsé's treasure cycle of the Natural Liberation of Grasping (Dzinpa Rangdröl) is found in a liturgical compilation arranged by Galwang Nyima. The prayer comprises verses from the supplication prayer and Tröma practice as located in the revealed treasure texts as well as a short transmission lineage. BDRC LINK W26033 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION VIEW TRANSLATION AUTHOR Do Khyentsé Yeshé Dorjé Gyalwang Nyima (Editor) TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Jigmé Lingpa HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century TEACHERS The Fourth Dzogchen Drubwang, Mingyur Namkhé Dorjé The First Dodrubchen, Jigmé Trinlé Öser Gyurmé Tséwang Chokdrub Dola Jigmé Kalsang Jigmé Gyalwé Nyugu TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Mahā Kyilung Monastery Katok Monastery Dzogchen Monastery Tseringjong STUDENTS Losal Drölma Tséwang Rabten Nyala Pema Düdül The Second Dodrubchen, Jigmé Püntsok Jungné Patrül Orgyen Jigmé Chökyi Wangpo The First Dodrubchen, Jigmé Trinlé Öser Ranyak Gyalsé Nyoshül Luntok Tenpé Gyaltsen Öser Tayé Kalsang Döndrub Pema Shéja Drimé Drakpa Künsang Tobden Wangpo Gyalsé Shenpen Tayé Öser Chöying Tobden Dorjé Rigpé Raltri The Lineage Prayer for the Natural Liberation of Grasping Alongside our own publications, Tib Shelf peer reviews and publishes the works of aspiring and established Tibetologists. If you would like to publish with us or request our translation services, please get in touch , our team would be pleased to help. TIB SHELF Contact ​ 40 Okehampton London NW10 3ER ​ shelves@tibshelf.org +44 (0) 203 983 7265 Follow Us ​ Subscribe ​ Instagram Facebook ​ Support Us TIB SHELF SUBMIT A TRANSLATION SUBSCRIBE ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST

Alongside our own publications, Tib Shelf peer reviews and publishes the works of aspiring and established Tibetologists. If you would like to publish with us or request our translation services, please get in touch , our team would be pleased to help. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British library with the International Standard Serial Number - ISSN 2754-1495 TIB SHELF Contact ​ 40 Okehampton London NW10 3ER ​ shelves@tibshelf.org +44 (0) 203 983 7265 Follow Us ​ Subscribe ​ Instagram Facebook ​ Support Us RETURN TO ALL PUBLICATIONS The sky, blue and clear Sunlight, warm and gentle Earth, vast and wide Flowers, beautiful and charming Mountains, high and mighty… … Ema — Yet what’s even more wonderful still is this waterfall, cascading off the steep cliff face, right in front of us Look! It’s bubbly waves, pure and pristine With spheres of light, the eyes of a peacock feather the tuft of a parrot patterns of silk brocade the rainbow-like bow of Indra[ 1 ] Listen! The sound of its current, clear and euphonic the melody of youth, the songs of the gandharvas[ 2 ] the voice of Brahma the voice of Sarasvati the tune of the cuckoo ­Kye —this is not an ordinary, natural waterfall, no a mighty and majestic expression a fearless heart undaunted courage flourishing and thriving body elegant and lavish adornments pleasant and beautiful songs This is— the waterfall of youth, the youth of snowy Tibet This is— the courage to be creative the expressions of struggle the music of youth within the Tibetan youth of the nineteen-eighties Kye! Kye! Ah, youthful waterfall waterfall of youth How did such fearless courage —undaunted self-confidence —unimpaired splendor —and inexhaustible strength blossom within you? Indeed, the rains falling from the heavens during the three months of spring the springs gushing forth from the earth during the three months of summer the essence of frost and hail during the three months of autumn the quintessence of the ice and snow during the three months of winters and yet still glacial water—mineral water—slate water—water from forests marshes—mountains—valleys—ravines—and gullies In brief, —water of auspiciousness —water of goodness —water of wishes fulfilled —water with the eight qualities[ 3 ] —water of abundance One hundred and eight different rivulets Hundreds of thousands of different types of water As you are the one river of their unity You dare to cascade off craggy precipices As you are the one river that gathers them all You are brave enough to jump off cliffs into gorges With your courage to collect the different waters of innovation Your intellect is vast, your body strong, and your splendor great With your lack of arrogance and freedom from conceit Your flow is long and current fierce As you have removed impurities and possess the capacity to extract the quintessence Your body and mind are pure while the glorious qualities of your youth flourish O waterfall, You are the witness to history You are the guide to the future Within each of your crystal-clear drops of water The highs and lows of snowy Tibet are inscribed And inside each droplet of your spray The rise and fall of the cool land of snows are contained Without you, How are we to temper the steel of the sword of grammar? Without you, How are we to sharpen the razor of craftsmanship? Without you, The tree of medicine cannot flourish, The flowers of logic and fruit of the inner sciences cannot possibly ripen Perhaps— Within this crystal-like mind of yours The wounds of history The ailments of battle The boils of blind faith And the dust of conservatism might possibly be found Nevertheless, Since you possess the majesty of youth and naturally present glory The frost of the three months of winter will never —have a chance to place your mind within the recess of glaciers The razor blazes of stormy winds might slash —your stream a hundred times, yet how could it ever actually be severed? The reason— The head of your river is linked with the snows And your river’s mouth mixes with the oceans Thus, your long flow of history Has granted us splendor and honor The beautiful sound of the flow of your generations Has granted us encouragement and strength Have your heard—O waterfall! Of these questions of the youth of snowy Tibet? When the stallion of poetry is suffering of thirst, what shall we do? When the elephant of composition is suffering of heat, what shall we do? When the lion of poetic synonyms is oppressed by malevolence, what shall we do? When the young child of drama is left behind as an orphan, how shall we take care of him? When the paternal inheritance of astrology is left behind, empty, who will uphold it? When the young man of science is taken as a groom, how will he be welcomed? When the daughter of craftsmanship is taken as a bride, who will be the husband? Yes, indeed—O waterfall! Your answers which come from music, clear and pristine, beautiful and charming, —We hold in our hearts, like an image carved in stone Surely It is not suitable for the past that blazed with thousand brilliant lights to substitute the present And how could yesterday with its taste of salt ever quench the thirst of today? When the life-force that is ripe for the times Does not fit the lifeless corpse of history, difficult to find, It’s impossible for the pulse of improvement to beat And the heart blood of advancement cannot flow Even more so are the steps on the way forward Hey, waterfall! From your waves shimmering and glistening And from your spray scattering to and fro— Our strength —The strength of the new generation of snowy Tibet has been symbolized From your gurgling, flowing current, And the bubbling sound of your flowing water Our dreams, —the dreams of the new generation of snowy Tibet, are manifest Conservatism, cowardice, blind faith, and laziness… … These have no place whatsoever in this generation of ours Backwardness, barbarism, darkness, backwards customs… … There is no room, whatsoever, for these in our century Waterfall, O waterfall! Our mind flows with your movement and Our blood, as well, courses alongside your currents Although on the path of the future The twists and turns may be greater than before, Nevertheless, there is no chance for the youth of Tibet to be afraid We will certainly forge a new path forward For each and every one of our people Look! The squadron lined up, those are the new generation of Tibet Listen! This steady song is the footsteps of the youth of snowy Tibet A great, luminous path Responsibility with glory Joyful livelihoods Songs of struggle Have not vanished within the youth of the waterfall, And even more so, the waterfall of youth does not decline This— This is the waterfall of youth emerging from the voices of the young generations of snowy Tibet! This— The waterfall of youth flowing in the minds of the youth of snowy Tibet ​ ​ Introduction: ​ The tragic yet prolific life of Döndrup Gyal (1953–1985) was one of the foremost catalysts for the birth of modern literature in Tibet. Having grown up during the Cultural Revolution, Döndrul Gyal was one of the first Tibetans to attend Chinese universities upon the post-revolution opening-up and reform. Not only did studying with renown Tibetan and Chinese scholars at the Central Nationalities Institute in Beijing honed his writings skills and gave him access to a new world of literature, it also shaped his progressive vision for the Tibetans. It was this combination of literary skill and innovative thinking that Döndrup Gyal would soon become famous for. Unfortunately, his progressive views and innovative statements also made him a target for criticism and ostracization in the highly conservative Tibetan society of the day. This, in addition to strained relationships with colleagues and local officials, as well as marital problems with his wife Yumkyi, contributed to his eventual suicide in 1985. Despite his short life of only thirty-two years, his collected works contain six volumes of poetry, fiction, analytical essays, and more which are still studied today. ​ Written under his penname, Rangdrol (self-liberated), Waterfall of Youth is said to be the very first free-verse poem written in Tibetan. To be sure, there is debate whether the Songs of Milarepa and other Tibetan folk literature may equally constitute free-verse poetry. Despite this, it would be impossible to claim that the form and content of Waterfall of Youth were not unique and innovative for its time. ​ The form of the poem is that of a waterfall. As you read down the page, you can see the sometimes gentle, sometimes violent, flow of the waterfall of youth visually cascading down the page. Indeed, when you read the poem, the cadence of the lines is reminiscent of the flow of a waterfall or the current of a river. This form would have previously been most difficult to capture in Tibetan writing given that the majority of books were written or printed on long, narrow rectangular manuscripts. Likewise, the non-native punctuation—namely ellipses and em-dashes—used by Döndrup Gyal here are perhaps one of the very first instances in Tibetan literature. Despite this radically new form, much of the content echoes of the the Tibetan literature of old. We can see the influences of Indic aesthetics that have so deeply impacted Tibetan literature also present in Waterfall of Youth with deities like Indra and Sarasvasti and animals like elephants and peacocks. Likewise, the five major and five minor fields of traditionally learning form the basis of the questions the youth of Tibet ask the waterfall. Yet, at the very same time, the impact of the political slogans of the day are readily utilized by Döndrup Gyal. Words like conservatism, blind faith, laziness, backwardness, and so forth are all likely words newly created by the communist translation efforts. This blending of tradition and innovation, Buddhist and political terminology, is what has made Waterfall of Youth a timeless poem for Tibetans. This legacy is constantly being reinterpreted too. The words of the poem have been turned into lyrics for a rap song by Tibet’s famous hip-hop artist, Dekyi Tsering. Likewise, numerous parodies have been composed such as Waterfall of Beer and so forth. ​ To date, there are two existing English translations—one by the historian Tsering Shakya and the other by the recently deceased Tsering D. Gonkatsang. Nevertheless, both of these translations leave much to be desired as Shakya’s translation occasionally omits lines and Gonkatsang’s seems to forgo the waterfall stylized formatting. The below translation aims to address these issues by capturing both the tone and resonance while still presenting Döndrup Gyal’s vision in an accessible way. May the waterfall continue to flow onwards! [1] The bow of Indra (dbang po'i gzhu or brgya byin gzhu ) is a poetic synonym for a rainbow. [2] The gandharvas are a class of being in the Indo-Tibetan cosmology and are said to be the musicians of the god realms. [3] Water possessing the eight qualities is traditionally said to be sweet, cool, smooth, light, clear, pure, soothing to the throat, and beneficial to the stomach. ​ Published: September 2021 ​ BIBLIOGRAPHY Don grub rgyal. 1997. Lang tsho'i rbab chu. In gsung 'bum don grub rgyal, edited by dbyangs can sgeg pa'i blo gros, Par gzhi dang po par thengs dang po, vol. 1, pp. 160–167. Mi rigs dpe bskrun khang. BDRC MW18123 Notes Waterfall of Youth Abstract Written under his penname, Rangdröl (self-liberated), Döndrup Gyal's Waterfall of Youth is a free-verse poem written in Tibetan. The form of the poem is that of a waterfall. As you read down the page, you can see the sometimes gentle, sometimes violent, flow of the waterfall of youth visually cascading down the page. The cadence of the lines is reminiscent of the flow of a waterfall or the current of a river. BDRC LINK MW18123 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION VIEW TRANSLATION AUTHOR Döndrup Gyal TRADITION N/A INCARNATION LINE N/A HISTORICAL PERIOD 20th Century TEACHERS N/A TRANSLATOR Lowell Cook INSTITUTIONS Central Nationalities Institute in Beijing Waterfall of Youth TIB SHELF SUBMIT A TRANSLATION SUBSCRIBE ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST

RETURN TO ALL PUBLICATIONS Alongside our own publications, Tib Shelf peer reviews and publishes the works of aspiring and established Tibetologists. If you would like to publish with us or request our translation services, please get in touch , our team would be pleased to help. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British library with the International Standard Serial Number - ISSN 2754-1495 TIB SHELF Contact ​ 40 Okehampton London NW10 3ER ​ shelves@tibshelf.org +44 (0) 203 983 7265 Follow Us ​ Subscribe ​ Instagram Facebook ​ Support Us The lord of the wheel of the infinite ocean of the three roots, The sole refugee of limitless sentient beings, The unrivalled knowledge holder of the three times, I supplicate at the feet of Tsoknyi Öser. ​ THE FIRST INCARNATION ​ The first Tsoknyi Öser was born in a place called Dewa Tang, Kyodrak in the twelfth sexagenary cycle of the Fire Snake Year, 1737, to a father named Kharpa Puntsok. Having been endowed with the characteristics of the excellent ones from a young age and with a great interest in virtuous activities, he went on pilgrimage to central Tibet. Thus, he met the Thirteenth Karmapa Düdül Dorjé (1733/34–1797/98)[1 ] and received many spiritual instructions. [At that time,] the Karmapa recognised him as the emanation of Chöjé Lingpa (1682–1720)[2 ] and performed many activities including this prophecy: “Since your future disciples and beneficial activities are in Kyodrak, go there and benefit them. In the future, you will be more valuable than others for the Barom teachings.” As such, the Karmapa bestowed upon him the name Tsoknyi Öser. Having returned home, he received the complete instructions of the liberating methods of the victorious Barom tradition from Saljé Chödrub Senggé. Subsequently, as there had only been black yak-haired tents in the encampment of Kyodrak, he built a fort called Pur Khang in 1779. There he conducted meditational practices, rituals, and offerings. ​ In the Wood Dog Year, 1785, of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle, Tsoknyi Öser constructed Kyodrak Monastery’s new assembly hall along with the representations of the enlightened body, speech, and mind. His enlightened activities spread and flourished: He established the tradition of Chöjé Lingpa’s revealed treasure teachings. He became the object of worship for the people of China, Tibet, and Mongolia. He [built] innumerable and invaluable representations of the enlightened body, speech, and mind and established retreat centres at multiple hermitages. In brief, he greatly spread and proliferated the teachings of both theory and practice such as the dances, mask dances, and melodies in accordance with the traditions of previous knowledge holders. As such, Kyodrak Monastery installed him on the vajra throne, and everyone highly respected him as a great being and holder of the teachings. ​ THE SECOND INCARNATION ​ The second Tsoknyi was born to a father named Wön Tenzin Norbu and a mother named Sönam Drönma who was the chieftainess of Tsang Sar. He was recognised by the Fifth Dung Kar Śrī Bhadra of Kyodrak, who named him Karma Tsewang Künkhyab. He achieved the primordial wisdom of the aural lineage as he was primarily focused on meditation practice. ​ Due to his yogic observances, he established everything he saw or heard onto the path of liberation. Certain aspects such as the dates of his birth and death are not available. In the end, he died at the age of sixty[3 ] and attained the rūpakāya, the form body. ​ THE THIRD INCARNATION ​ The third incarnation was born with a number of wondrous signs in the lower part of the Sengge district in Kham in the Earth Male Mouse year, 1828. His father was named Orgyen Gönpo and his mother Drongza Lhamo Dröl. ​ Shugu Tendar, a monk from Kyodrak, knowledgeable in medicine and astrology, named him saying: “Since this child has good astrological signs, the name Tashi Tsegon should be given to him.” ​ Since he was the descendent of the dignitary Lhagyari, a royal lineage of the dharma kings of Tibet, from a young age everyone called him Lhabu, the Divine Son. ​ When an elder guru of Khang Né Monastery conferred the empowerment of Vajrakīla, the guru encouraged those who knew the mantra to recite the approach mantra for Vajrakīla and for those who did not, to recite the approach mantra for Vajrapāṇi. The Lord Lhabu, also, made a mala of kyerpa wood (berberis aristate ) and performed over ten million prostrations and recitations of the approach mantra. Since he meditated on a protection circle, he was free from obstacles. ​ From a young age, he had visions of Yeshé Gönpo, Padmasambhava, and Banak Genyen amongst others. Even while playing, he acted only in conformity with the doctrine. Frightened by the shortcomings of cyclic existence, he developed renunciation in his heart. In his dreams, he had many visions of Yeshé Chokyang, the Dharma Protector of Primordial Wisdom. From the fully ordained monk Ralo Tarlam of Kyodrak Monastery, he learned the way to posit the view and received experiential instructions on the way of meditating on Avalokiteśvara and Padmasambhava. Due to this, when he became slightly older, he already had a great propensity for the doctrine. ​ On a number of occasions, he had pure visions of such things as sights, sounds, and awareness appearing as deity, mantra, and dharmakaya. When Karma Döndam Jigdral Wangpo, the reincarnation of Nedo Karma Dechen, gave instructions on the Cutting Through (trekchö ) and Leaping Over (tögal ) meditational practices of the Peaceful and Wrathful Karling cycle to his father and some other people, [Lhabu] joined them. Consequently, his view was enhanced, and he realised the avenues through which the six lamps shine forth. After that, due to an unfathomable amount of blame and loss, the relatives, servants, mother and son left home and wandered to many different places. When they arrived in Tsari, he said there were ḍākinīs enjoying a tantric feast and they instructed him: “Yogin, eat this human flesh!” Two ḍākinīs stuffed human flesh into his mouth immediately saturating his mind and body with bliss. These were only some of the marvellous things that occurred. [While there], he visited the majority of the sacred sites in Ü and Tsang in central Tibet and then once again returned home. ​ At the age of twenty-two in the Earth Bird Year, (1849), a strong attitude of renunciation enveloped his mind. He went to the Fifth Trülshik Mahāpaṇḍita, Palden Gyurmé Tsewang Trinlé, the victor of all the directions, and in the temple of Do Ngak Shedrub Ling he firstly took refuge and then the fundamental precepts. He changed his appearance and clothing and was given the name Ngawang Tsoknyi. A person of good faith offered him auspicious articles and yoghurt. He filled his bowl with the yoghurt and gave butter and cheese in return. With those actions, many auspicious doors were made. ​ In the sixth lunar month, when the newly founded tradition of the first great accomplishment ceremony of The Eight Pronouncements: The Assembly of the Sugata was established, he was appointed as the leader of the practice sessions. Knowing that his guru and Padmasambhava were inseparable, he developed overpowering devotion. After that, for about two years, he memorised [texts] and even performed such activities as assisting around the monks’ quarters and fetching water. All the lamas and monks treated him lovingly due to his kind nature. He received numerous instructions, oral transmissions, and empowerments of Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen from A Deu Rinpoche and Yongdzin Lama Tenwang and engaged in their accompanying preliminary practices and purifications. ​ When Tsoknyi was twenty-four, the Refuge-protector A Deu Rinpoche peacefully passed away. In order to fulfil his guru’s aspirations, he [set] the ring finger of his right hand [on fire] as an offering lamp. He was fully ordained by Tenpé Nyima of Taglung Monastery and was bestowed the name Mipham Loden. He received a great number of oral transmissions and empowerments including The Hundred Transmissions of Mitra (Mitra Gyatsa ). Since Tenpé Nyima introduced him to the main practice of Mahāmudrā, he developed the faith that perceives the guru as a real buddha, and blessings entered him. ​ The moment he met Rigzin Chögyal Dorjé (1789–1865/59),[4 ] in particular, an unbearable and blazing devotion arose, and their minds mixed as one. At different times when it was suitable, he received many empowerments, oral transmissions, and instructions including the instructions of the preliminary and main practices of Mahāmudrā of the glorious Drukpa [Kagyü tradition], the profound instructions of the [Dzogchen] rüshen practice, or the preliminary practice of differentiation, of the Peaceful and Wrathful Karling cycle along with the introduction of the main practice, the empowerment and instructions of the co-emergent Cakrasaṃvara and the two-faced Vajravārāhī, the supportive teachings for the Six Yogas of Nāropa, various oral instructions, numerous cycles of the aural transmission, and the profound treasure of The Wrathful Sky-Blue Guru (Guru Drakting ). ​ Furthermore, he relied upon many gurus including the incarnation of Vima, Karma Tengyé Chöpel, and the Seventh Chögön, Chökyi Nyinché as well as extensively receiving teachings of maturation and liberation. He reciprocally gave various suitable empowerments and oral transmissions to and from Trülshik Kyabné Trinlé Gyatso, Nagpo Togden, and Guru Pünchö, etc. ​ In the Iron Pig Year (1851) at the age of twenty-four, he entered into strict retreat. After nine months had passed, despite running out of provisions, he was able to remain for about four years through engaging in immeasurable austerities. ​ One time, when Rigzin Chögyal Dorjé had arrived at the meditation room of his retreat hut, the Lord Chögyal Dorjé bestowed upon him the profound treasure of The Wrathful Sky-Blue Guru , which he himself had extracted from Nyengyal Dorjé Khyung Citadel. He also conferred the empowerment, oral transmission, and instructions of The Guru White Jambhala: The Deity of Wealth (Lama Nor Lha Dzam Kar ). ​ In the catalogue of vajra prophecies it says: “At that time in Tibet when a short period of happiness like the glimpsing of the sun, a custodian of the teachings, a hidden yogi who is the emanation of Muné Tsenpo (8th–9th century) named Gaṇa will invoke an emanation of mine from eastern Ü named Dharmasūrya Candrabhadra. This emanation is a custodian of the doctrine and special transmissions and possesses the wisdom eye.” According to that prophecy, he is indicated as being that very custodian of the doctrine. ​ The [guru] prophesied: “I offer this advice to you in place of retreat provisions. Put them into practice and you will not remain in your current state. You will have disciples, fame, students, and patrons in addition to power, wealth, and unrivalled authority.” ​ The Lord [Tsoknyi] replied: “I have renounced this life. From a primordial state that is able to be content and has little desires, I focus the depths of my mind on the dharma. The depth of the dharma is to live as a beggar, the depth of living as a beggar is to live that way until death, and the depth of living that way until death is to entrust myself to a mountainous hermitage. In doing so, like Milarepa, I wish for a life untainted by the stains of the eight worldly concerns. The ordinary accomplishments are of no need.” ​ The [guru] replied: “Even if you say you want it to be like that, you should wait and see how it turns out.” As such, Tsoknyi mixed excrement and urine together, smeared and spread it all over the meditation cave. This was greatly auspicious, and it increased his followers and enlightened activities as it was prophesied. ​ When he was practicing the approach and accomplishment phases of The Wrathful Sky-Blue Guru there were many great signs including the guardians of the teachings actually displaying their forms, the eight classes of gods and rākṣasas displaying magical machinations, tumultuous noise, and a cacophony of sounds. Rid of intimidation and fear, he overpowered these challenging signs through the sheer brilliance of his vajra-like concentration. As an indication of this, they offered their life and heart to him. All of those who beheld lineages of the dharma, accepted him as one who dispels all adverse conditions and accomplishes any and all favourable conditions. ​ From then onwards, his enlightened activities flourished even further: Humans congregated during the day and gods and demons assembled during the night. In the evenings and mornings, clothes and food were gathered. As all those were accumulated, the guru’s prophecy came to be true. ​ When he performed the approach and accomplishment of the principal and retinue deities of Guru Orgyen: The Deity of Wealth: The White Jambhala, he had visions of the assembly of deities. One day, in particular, a stream of melted butter flowed down from the support beam of his meditation room and, in a single stroke, made his clothes and belongings very greasy. He himself even declared: “Due to engaging in severe austerities and the interdependency from accomplishing the White Jambhala , my successive students will not be impoverished as they will have food, clothing, and resources.” This can even be seen directly today. ​ Generally, without any effort, he would have pure visions of whichever deity he practiced, as well as having visions of various other deities. He even composed an instructional text for The Wrathful Sky-Blue Guru . He newly constructed a retreat centre called Khachö Chödzong Dechen Rabar. Since he practiced The Three Bodies of the Guru (Lama Kusum ), for seven years, the remaining beneficial karma from his past lives of Langdo Lotsawa Könchok Jungné (8th century)[5 ] and Ratna Lingpa (1403–1479)[6 ] was activated. ​ All the physical yogas of the vajra body clearly arose in the mirror of his mind, which are contained in his mind-sadhana practice. In his pure vision, the wisdom body of Ratna Lingpa often took care of him, disclosing to him the secretly sealed [teachings] of the five kinds of secret instructions along with the physical yogas and giving him the secrets of the open and direct instructions. In this way, Ratna Lingpa was his companion on the path and his primordial wisdom flourished [due to this relationship]. There are numerous wondrous narratives such as those. [Through this] he received the name Pema Drimé Öser. ​ In the Wood Monkey Year, (1884), Jamgön Kongtrül [Lodrö Tayé] (1813–1899)[7 ] bestowed upon him the cycles of the aural lineage concerning the path of skilful means, and he also received the complete instructions of the five stages of Ratna Lingpa’s The Exceptional Assembly of the Accomplishment of the Enlightened Mind (Tugdrub Yangdü ). He was particularly praised as “Tsoknyi, the lord of the accomplished ones.” [Jamgön Kongtrül] also received many teachings from the Lord [Tsoknyi]. ​ After that, he eventually came to Kyodrak by passing through Gadzo, Palshung, Tamkha, and Kyadzo. Since Lama Sal [Ga Rinpoche], Ten [Nying Rinpoche], Dung [Kar Rinpoche], and his father’s family had a profound patron-priest relationship, their good intentions integrated as one in both spiritual and temporal affairs. ​ In particular, the Lord accepted Dungkyé Rinpoche Rigzin Düdjom Dorjé, who was the supreme guru of the previous lifetimes, to be the emanation of Barom Darma Wangchuk (1127–1194?).[8 ] He recited the seven-syllable mantra of Cakrasaṃvara hundreds of millions of times. He received the six dharmas of Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen from Chögyal Dorjé. Through engaging in the practices, he actually discovered the signs of accomplishment. ​ From this unrivalled and excellent being [Chögyal Dorjé], who had visions of a multitude of deities and so forth, he received the Barom Mahāmudrā cycle of teachings concerning the six dharmas of The Lord of Bliss (Degon ), Tulku Mingyur Dorjé’s (1645–1667)[9 ] pure vision teachings of The Sky Teachings (Namchö), and The Unified Oral and Treasure Teachings (Karter Sungjuk ), written by the doctrine holder Chödak Chagmé Rinpoche (1613–1678),[10 ] which is an ancillary text to the mind treasures [of Mingyur Dorjé]. He received all of their empowerments and oral transmissions in their entirety. He also offered long-life prayers of the gurus as well as some of the empowerments and oral transmissions in return. ​ Upon the invitations of his paternal relative Sowang Pün, his former enemy Rakshu Tsewang Dargé, Surmang Ati, and others, he gave instructions and spiritual advice, establishing them in the doctrine. Then he went into a strict retreat in the cave of Khyungtra having taken upon himself a tantric commitment. Banak Genyen, the protector of that sacred site, offered its life and heart to him, and Tsoknyi accepted him at his word. Then Banak Genyen gave him a key for the enlightened activities of magnetisation, and Tsoknyi was able to compose a profound meditational practice of that treasure protector [Banak Genyen]. With a seal of secrecy, he offered it to the gurus, abbots, and masters of Kyodrak Monastery, where the text can still be found. ​ His experience and realisation thrived. He went to U, Tsang, and other destinations where he combined his beneficial works for sentient beings and for the practice. Finally, at the age of sixty-one on the twenty-ninth day of the fourth month of the Earth Mouse Year, 1888, he peacefully passed away. ​ He had a great number of students including the Ninth Gyalwang Ngedön Tenpé Nyiché, the Sixth Jé Khamtrül Tenpé Nyima, the Sixth Trülshik A Dé Gyalsé, Tari Ngawang Chöjor, Togden Ngawang Gelek, Gechak Togden Ngawang Tsangyang Gyatso, Jamé Chöpal Gyatso, Jamtrül Tenpé Gyaltsen, Dru Jamyang Drakpa, Dompa Lama Püntsok Chögrub, Taru Togden Chöying Namdak, Lang Ngawang Lhündrup, Geshé Tenzin Sangpo, Künkhen Tsewang Namgyal, Ngor Khen Künga Tenzin, Nagpo Tertön Garwang Yeshé Rölpa, and Ngawang Namgyal Tenpa. THE FOURTH INCARNATION ​ The fourth Tsoknyi, Lhagyal Dorjé, was born in the Chugru family of Kyodrak. He was recognised by the great treasure revealer Barwé Dorjé and gave him the name Tsoknyi Lhagyal Dorjé. Numerous historical accounts were lost during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) including his biography and the dates of birth and death. So, there is no clear account of him. ​ THE FIFTH INCARNATION ​ Foremost adept in the Land of Snows, Heart son of the lineage of Marpa, Mila, and Dakpo, Regarded as the reincarnation of Chöjé Lingpa, Tsoknyi Öser, I revere you full-heartedly. Although I do not possess the skills to write The outer, inner, and secret biographies of this excellent being, With the help of ancient records and oral narratives of the older generations My fingers felt at ease in penning them into words. ​ The birthplace of the fifth incarnation, Tsoknyi Öser Karma Khyenrab Lodrö Chökyi Döndrub,[11 ] was in Kyodrak,[12 ] which is divided into two [areas called] Nang and Sog.[13 ] His birthplace was in the upper Sog district. ​ This virtuous and auspicious sacred place has adopted its name because it is “where the dharma robes of Guru Rinpoche once dried,” as well as a place where a statue of Dorjé Drolö miraculously appeared. This marvellous sacred place was also predicted in the religious song of the great treasure revealer, Barwa Dorjé,[14 ] which says, “In this auspicious and virtuous place of Tranang Tashi valley,[15 ] there will be congregations of young men and horses.” In this place, where greatly accomplished ones have visited, the son, Karma Khyenrab Lodrö Chökyi Döndrub, was born on the twenty-eighth day of the eleventh month the Earth Bird Year, 1969, to his father Sé Pema and his mother Yesa Geyang.[16 ] ​ During the turbulent times,[17 ] the retreat master Alho Nyingjé of Pedong[18 ] and other practitioners had no choice but to dig for caterpillar fungus to pay tax. When they arrived at the mountain, Alho Nyingjé continuously meditated. His student Sé Pema (Tsoknyi’s father) provided different kinds of service for him, including digging for fungus to cover both their taxes. At that time, Lama Anying stayed at Khong Yerpo,[19 ] where his mind dissolved into the sphere of reality (i.e. he passed away). ​ One day, Alho Nyingjé made plans to come to the place known as Gepa Yangshar Yechok Shingkyong Yabyum (Parents of the Local Protectors of the Steep Cliff Facing East).[20 ] When his student Sé Pema arrived, he was not there. But Alho Nyingjé arrived after a short wait. Sé Pema asked, “Where did you go? I have been waiting for you here.” Alho Nyingjé answered along with providing a prophecy, “I fell asleep for a short while. When I fell asleep, I dreamt that you would have a son who will be a great help for the Barom teachings, but I am not sure that others will believe this.” Similarly, many noble beings prophesied in the same way. ​ Furthermore, in the past, when Dungtrül Rinpoche came to Khatsa Traba,[21 ] Sé Pema helped him to set up his residence. When Dungtrül Rinpoche arrived at the monastery, he said to Sé Pema: “Your eldest son is the heart of your family. He is a superior being, but do not tell others.” Thus, he recognised him as Tsoknyi Rinpoche, but no one was informed for five years. ​ When Situ Pema Wangchok Gyalpo[22 ] visited Kyodrak before 1958, he was strongly requested to recognise the reincarnation of Tsoknyi Öser, but he said, “There is no need to hurry now because in the future there will be someone who will certainly benefit the Dharma and sentient beings. As the saying goes, ‘although the gold is under the earth, its light shines in the sky.’ We can recognise him at a later time.” As such, based on the prophecies made by the Karmapa Düdül Dorjé now the karma and aspirations had ripened in time. ​ When Saljé Rinpoche was on a strict retreat at Samten Chöling, Tsoknyi had an audience with him and received advice. Many natural, auspicious interdependent connections occurred during this audience, such as when Tsoknyi reached the top of the ladder, Saljé Rinpoche was carrying a full bowl of white yoghurt. Saljé Rinpoche said, “Tashi delek, come inside.” When Tsoknyi was prostrating three times, Rinpoche hurriedly said, “Please sit down.” Tsoknyi sat on the cushion, and the student and master had a long conversation beginning with inquiring about each other’s well-being. During lunchtime, some Taiwanese and Hong Kong students of Saljé Rinpoche were also present. When Saljé Rinpoche said, “Tsoknyi Rinpoche,” Tsoknyi said, “I have not used that name, and I am not willing to use it! There is a danger that it will produce pride in me.” Saljé Rinpoche said, “It was a slip of the tongue, but it has created good interdependent connections.” After that, Saljé Rinpoche offered another bowl of white yoghurt to him and said, “I am offering this to Tsoknyi with the aspiration that he receives complete instruction and benefits all sentient beings.” Tsoknyi remarked, “This is like the old story of the village girl Lekyima offering yoghurt to the Buddha, the Bhagavān. Because she offered yoghurt, she was blessed with peace throughout the three times and the realisation of the pure essence of the supreme wisdom. Hence with this aspiration, I’ll drink it all without leaving any behind.” ​ From a young age, he possessed many excellent signs. For example, when the monastery was first granted approval,[23 ] many people used to gather in the dance hall, and the numbers were immense. Due to the small size of the hall, queues formed outside. Having moved through in file, he made it inside without any difficulties. This was the first time he heard the sounds of Dharma, and his mind was filled with joy due to his previous karma. After a brief moment, he and his father reluctantly had to leave due to overcrowding. However, in his heart, his desire to join prayer gatherings became like that of a thirsty person discovering water; yet since it was impossible, he could do nothing but cry. His mother said, “Don’t do that. Those people also need to join [the prayer gathering]. If you learn how to read, you will be able to become a monk.” Upon hearing these comforting words and from the incredible joy he felt, it seems that his karmic propensities awoke. Thus, he went to learn to read and write. [In relation to this] his father let the young boy sleep with him in his bed. Every morning his kind-hearted father chanted Shaking Samsara from the Depths [24 ] prayer and every evening The Kīla Prayer . As a result, the young boy learnt The Kïla Prayer easily even before learning to read. Moreover, he had delightful experiences and dreams. However, I fear there would be too many words, so I shall not write them here. ​ While he was offering his hair[25 ] to Saljé Rinpoche of Kyodrak in 1982, Rinpoche asked, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Tsültrim Nyima.” Rinpoche replied, “Usually, we change the name when we perform the hair-cutting ceremony, but your name is good, so let us leave it as it is.” This was the moment he entered the Buddhist tradition. On that spring day, there was a bit of drizzle and fog had gathered on top of the sacred mountain of Gardzé.[26 ] On that distant mountain, he saw the Dzachu river, resembling a turquoise dragon ascending into the sky, and grass sprouting on the grounds of Kyodrak Monastery. Consequently, he stated that it was a difficult place to forget since he was very fortunate to have had that opportunity. ​ Then, having enrolled in the monastery, he studied the monastic education programme in its entirety—learning ritual dances, musical instruments, and other disciplines. He also received a lot of exceptional instructions on [the paths of] means and liberation. From Jamyang Lodrö Rinpoche,[27 ] he received the cycles of teachings of the Barom tradition and empowerments and pith instructions. He received many empowerments and pith instructions from Saljé Rinpoche, who is endowed with the three types of kindness, and Dungtrül Rinpoche.[28 ] He received precepts of renunciation and the name Tsültrim Sangpo and also received the empowerment of The Kīla of the Secret Essence [29 ] from the Abbot Karma Jampa Yönten or Do Dé Rinpoche.[30 ] Moreover, he received various empowerments and transmissions from Sanggyé Tenzin,[31 ] over the course of a month. In particular, Rabjor Rinpoche[32 ] and Tsoknyi received the empowerment and instructions of the single lineage. On top of that, he received teachings on the medical sciences and The Four Tantras with its empowerment from Wön Gelek and Rabpel.[33 ] He received the details of the [medical] practices for those tantras from Wön Gelek. He also received teachings on astrology and other instructions from the chant master and vajra master of the monastery, Abbot Karma Orgyen, and education on Tibetan grammar, A Guide of the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (Bodhicaryāvatāra ), and other teachings from abbots and masters. From the yogi Yeshé Rabgyé,[34 ] he began to learn Nāropa’s Six Yogas of the path of skilful means and the Barom tradition’s practice of Mahāmudrā of the path of liberation. Having combined the methods of the profound instructions of the paths of skilful means and liberation with study, contemplation, and meditation, he engaged in a strict, solitary retreat of three years, three months, and three days at the Barom Meditation Centre. After his retreat came to an end, he stayed at the meditation cave of Tseril[35 ] for several years and received empowerments of Cakrasaṃvara and Mahākāla from Sanggyé Drakpa.[36 ] He became a fully accomplished excellent scholar having relied upon various non-sectarian great beings and having integrated study, contemplation, and meditation. ​ As the Refuge-lord Saljé Rinpoche often had many excellent and wondrous dreams and signs, he recognised the Fifth Tsoknyi Rinpoche and named him Karma Khyenrab Lodrö Chökyi Döndrup.[37 ] Later, Tsoknyi visited the sacred sites of India and Nepal. He has come back to his fatherland three times since 2001. Keeping the monastery and its people in mind and with a pure intention, he constructed a five-story temple at Kyodrak Monastery that is comparable in size to a seven-story building. It has a gilded roof complete with a gold ornament and victory banner and seventy-eight rooms to accommodate about five thousand monks. Moreover, he built a three-story meditation hall called Chabti Serpuk[38 ] with a gold ornament above its assembly hall. Along with this hall, he also built seventeen monk’s quarters called Yabeb Khang[39 ] and a monastic college containing an assembly hall and eighty monk’s quarters. ​ He made donations towards the construction of Serphug Namtsang assembly hall,[40 ] which is the abode of the renunciate Tsültrim Tarchin. He donated 300,000 Yuan towards [recovery projects after] the Yushul earthquake. He gave donations to the Serta monks and nuns for their prayers. He also donated clothes to the region of Yushul and offered 500 Samten Bülchung[41 ] to the meditators. He sponsors the twenty-ninth pūjā every year and donates money to the monks. With Khen Jiga[42 ] he sponsors the food and other facilities for the monks at the monastic college. He also diligently accumulates funds for Barom’s Prayer Festival. Other than that, he donates thermoses and quality incense to the abbots, retreat masters, and great meditators and clothes to the needy. Each and every year he strives in gathering the accumulations. ​ The religious centres he has built with great effort for the benefit of others are Taiwan Dharma Centre, Barom Tegsum Chökhor Ling, Macao Dharma Centre, Ngedön Tegchen Ling, and the England Dharma Centre, Künpan Jampa Ling. Furthermore, he is currently visiting many countries, including Singapore, Macao, Honkong, Guato, and Mauritius to give teachings, rescue animals, and advise people in need. ​ May all be virtuous! [1] karma pa 10 bdud 'dul rdo rje, BDRC P828 [2] chos rje gling pa, BDRC P671 [3] This is a scribble error as the dates between the First Tsoknyi and the Third Tsoknyi does not make this possible. [4] chos rgyal rdo rje, BDRC P1711 [5] lang gro dkon mchog 'byung gnas, [6] rat+na gling pa, BDRC P470 [7] 'jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas, BDRC P264 [8] 'ba' rom pa dar ma dbang phyug, BDRC P1856 [9] gman chos mi 'gyur rdo rje, BDRC P659 [10] karma chags med, BDRC P649 [11] tshogs gnyis 'od zer karma mkhyen rab blo gros chos kyi don 'grub [12] skyo brag [13] nang sog [14] 'bar ba' rdo rje [15] bkra nang bkra shis lung pa [16] se pad+ma; g.yes bza' dge g.yang [17] Cultural Revolution [18] pad sdong a lho snying rje [19] a snying bla ma; khong g.yer po [20] gas pa g.yang shar g.yas phyogs zhing skyong yab yum [21] dung sprul rin po che; kha tsha pra ba [22] ta' sit u 11 pad+ma dbang mchog rgyal po, 1886–1952, BDRC P925 [23] This is approval is from CCP after the cultural revolution. [24] 'khor ba dong sprug [25] This is when the lama cuts the first tip of the hair before the individual becomes ordained. [26] gar mdzad ri [27] 'jam dbyangs blo gros [28] dung sprul [29] gsang thig phur pa [30] byams pa yon tan / mdo sde rin po che [31] sangs rgyas bstan 'dzin [32] rab 'byor rin po che [33] dbon dge legs; rab 'phel [34] ye shes rab rgyas [35] tshe ril [36] sangs rgyas grag pa [37] karma mkhyen rab blo gros chos kyi don grub [38] chab bsti gser phug [39] ya 'bebs khang [40] gser pug rnam tshang 'du khang [41] bsam rten 'bul chung [42] mkhan 'jig dga' ​ Published November 2020 Edited September 2021 NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY Dbon dge legs. 2020. Grub pa'i sa mthor gshegs pa'i skyo brag tshogs gnyis 'od zer sku phreng rim byon gyi rnam thar mdor bsdus bzhugs so . London: Tib Shelf P005 COLOPHON None A Brief Biography: The Successive Incarnations of Tsoknyi Öser Abstract These introductory biographies of the successive reincarnations of Tsoknyi Öser invite us to the land of liberation by establishing their enlightened lifestyles as examples. The text highlights the significance of devotion towards a spiritual master as, for example, the Third Tsokyni lighting his ring finger on fire, offering it as a lamp to fulfil his guru's aspirations. ​ English | བོད་ཡིག Tib Shelf P005 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION VIEW TRANSLATION AUTHOR Wönpo Gelek TRADITION Barom Kagyü INCARNATION LINE Chöjé Lingpa Tsoknyi Öser HISTORICAL PERIOD 18th Century 19th Century 20th Century 21st Century TEACHERS The First Incarnation: The Thirteenth Karmapa Düdül Dorjé Saljé Chödrub ​ The Second Incarnation: n/a ​ The Third Incarnation: Ralo Tarlam Karma Döndam Jigdral Wangpo The Fifth Trülshik Mahāpaṇḍita, Gyurmé Tsewang Trinlé A Deu Rinpoche Yongdzin Lama Tenwang Taglung Tenpé Nyima Rigzin Chögyal Dorjé Karma Tengyé Chöpel The Seventh Chögön Chökyi Nyinché Trülshik Kyabné Trinlé Gyatso Nagpo Togden Guru Pünchö Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Tayé Lama Salga Rinpoche Ten Nying Rinpoche Dungkar Rinpoche TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf Rachael Griffiths Michael Elison INSTITUTIONS Kyodrak Monastery STUDENTS - A Brief Biography: The Successive Incarnations of Tsoknyi Öser TIB SHELF SUBMIT A TRANSLATION SUBSCRIBE ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST

An Aspiration to Travel to the Hidden Land of Pemoko A prayer to take rebirth in the hidden sanctuary of Pemako, where obstacles such as sickness and conflict are scarce or nonexistent and favourable conditions may aid progress on the Dharma path. Lelung Zhepai Dorje Aspiration Prayer Chapter Narrating the Pure Vision of Gesar The Fifth Lelung Rinpoche, Zhepai Dorje (1697–1740), is unusual among senior Gelug figures for having taken a personal interest in the figure of Gesar of Ling, eponymous hero of the Tibetan epic. The text translated here narrates his ‘pure vision’ (dag snang) of Gesar, which took place near his monastic seat at Lelung, in Olga, in 1729. Please see the full abstract in the note section of the translation. Lelung Zhepai Dorje Pure Vision Translated Works Persons The Fifth Lelung Jedrung, Lobzang Trinle (1697–1740) on being recognized as the reincarnation of the Fourth Lelung Jedrung, Gendun Chogyel had his hair cutting ceremony carried out by The Sixth Dalai Lama (1683–1706) in 1702. Later the treasure revealer Choje Lingpa (1681–1720/1722) prophesied that Lelung would be the one to receive and propagate a terma focussed on a peaceful and wrathful form of Avalokiteśvara. is collected works total some forty-six volumes. In 1740 he passed away at the age of forty-three was posthumously declared to be the protector deity Drakshul Wangpo who is focused on subduing the spirit Dorje Shugden. He left behind his collected works of forty-six volumes. PEOPLE PAGE DUPLICATE 1697–1740 BDRC P675 TREASURY OF LIVES LOTSAWA HOUSE PHOTO CREDIT ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST

Eleventh Day, Ninth Month, Water Pig Year These letters were purchased and are now conserved in a private collection in France. The means of the initial acquisition is unknown. The recipient(s) of the letters are currently unidentified, and their connection with the Thirteenth Dalai Lama is undetermined. We are happy to receive any information concerning these letters. The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso Correspondence Translated Works If you have a translation submission for this author or translated text mentioning him, please contact us. TBC TBC TBC Mentioned In Dalai Lama The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso, was forced into exile due to the British invasion led by Colonial Francis Younghusband in 1904. He fled to Mongolia and proceeded to Beijing. Shortly after his return to Lhasa, the Chinese invaded Tibet, and he had to escape once again, this time to Darjeeling, returning in 1912. Following the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, he declared Tibet's independence in 1913 and brought in an era of political and social reform. The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso 1876–1933 BDRC P197 TREASURY OF LIVES LOTSAWA HOUSE PHOTO CREDIT ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST

RETURN TO ALL PUBLICATIONS ཨེ་མ་ཧོ། emaho Emaho! ​ དག་པ་རབ་འབྱམས་དབུ་་མའི་གྲོང་ཁྱེར་ན།། dakpa rabjam umé drongkhyer na In the city of the infinite purity of the central channel ​ སེམས་ཀྱི་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཆོས་སྐུའི་ངོ་བོ་ཉིད།། sem kyi dorjé chökü ngowo nyi Is the vajra mind, the essence of the dharmakaya. ཕུང་པོ་ཁམས་དང་སྐྱེ་མཆེད་གདན་གསུམ་ལྷའི།། pungpo kham dang kyemché den sum lhé The aggregates, elements, and sense-fields are the deities of the three seats. ​ རྣམ་རོལ་རྩ་བརྒྱུད་བླ་མར་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས།། namrol tsa gyü lamar solwa deb I supplicate their manifestations— the root and lineage gurus. ​ རླུང་སེམས་དབྱེར་མེད་ཞུ་བདེའི་ཙཎྜ་ལཱི།། lungsem yermé shudé tsendali May Chandali, the melting bliss of inseparable energy and mind, ​ འཁོར་ལོ་ལྔ་ཡི་དཔའ་བོ་མཁའ་འགྲོའི་གྲོང་།། khorlo nga yi pawo khandrö drong Bring delight to the cities of the dakinis and heroes in the five chakras ​ ཚོགས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོའི་འདུ་བས་མཉེས་བྱས་ནས།། tsok kyi khorlö duwé nyé jé né Through the gatherings of the tantric feast, ​ དབང་དང་དགའ་བཞིའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་རོས་གང་ཤོག། wang dang ga shi yeshe rö gang shok And may I be suffused with the experiences of the empowerments and the primordial wisdom of the four joys. ​ ཁྱད་པར་མཆོག་གི་གཏུམ་མོས་འཁོར་ལོ་བཞིའི།། khyepar chok gi tummö khorlo shi In particular, may the supreme fierce inner heat, ​ རླུང་སེམས་ལས་རུང་དྷུ་ཏིའི་རྩ་མདུད་རྣམས།། lungsem lé rung dhuti tsa dü nam Make pliable the energy and mind within the four chakras, and as the knots of the central channel ​ ཚོགས་དང་སྦྱོར་མཐོང་སྒོམ་པའི་ལམ་དུ་གྲོལ།། tsok dang jor tong gompé lam du drol Are released as the paths of accumulation, unification, seeing, and meditation, ​ ས་བཅུའི་རྒྱུན་མཐའ་གཙུག་ཏོར་རྩེར་སྨིན་ཤོག། sa chü gyün ta tsuktor tser min shok May energy and mind ripen at the crown protuberance, the conclusion of the ten stages. ​ ཉོན་མོངས་རླུང་སེམས་འཁོར་བའི་རང་བཞིན་ནི།། nyönmong lungsem khorwé rangshyin ni With the afflictions, energy, and mind— the nature of cyclic existence, ​ རྣམ་གྲོལ་ཞི་བ་ཡེ་ཤེས་རླུང་མཆོག་གིས།། namdrol shiwa yeshe lung chok gi Brought under control through the supreme, utterly free and peaceful primordial wisdom energy, ​ རང་དབང་གྱུར་ལས་རྩ་ཁམས་ཡི་གེའི་སྤྲིན།། rangwang gyur lé tsa kham yigé trin May the channels and elements be spontaneously perfected ​ འཁོར་ལོ་ཚོགས་ཆེན་ས་ལ་ལྷུན་རྫོགས་ཤོག། khorlo tsokchen sa la lhün dzok shok On the stage of the Great Cloud Mass of Rotating Syllables.[1 ] ​ ས་མ་ཡ། Samaya ​ རྫོགས་རིམ་ལམ་གྱི་མདོ་ཆིངས་ཀུན།། རྡོ་རྗེའི་ཚིག་རྐང་འདིས་གྲོལ་བྱེད།། These vajra verses disclose all the most essential points related to the path of the completion stage. རྒྱ་རྒྱ་རྒྱཿ Seal — Seal — Seal [1] This is the thirteenth of the sixteen stages according to the Nyingma system of inner tantras. See: Rigpawiki Sixteen Bhumis ​ With thanks to Khenpo Sonam Tsewang and Han Kop for their assistance as part of the Longchen Nyingtik Project , 2020. Thanks to Adam Pearcey at Lotsawa House for his editing. ​ Published: November 2020 NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY 'Jigs med gling pa mkhyen brtse 'od zer. 1973. Klong chen snying gi thig las: Gtum mo'i gsol 'debs rdo rje'i tshig rkang . In Klong chen snying thig gi chos skor, vol. 3. p. 52. New Delhi: A 'dzom chos sgar par khang: Ngawang Sopa. BDRC W21024 COLOPHON None The Vajra Verses: A Prayer of the Fierce Inner Heat Abstract This supplication, filled with instruction for the completion stage practice of fierce inner heat, was written by Jigme Lingpa in his renowned work of The Heart Essence of the Great Expanse, or Longchen Nyingtik. It is traditionally sung after the lineage supplication and before the fierce inner heat practice. BDRC LINK W21024 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION VIEW TRANSLATION AUTHOR Jigmé Lingpa TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Dzogchen Khyentse Pakchok Khyentse Gonchen Khyentse HISTORICAL PERIOD 18th Century TEACHERS Longchenpa Drime Ozer Ngawang Lobzang Pema Nawang Kunga Lekpa Chokyi Drakpa Pema Chokdrub Tenzin Yeshe Lhundrub Pel Gonpa Mon Dzakar Lama Dargye The Third Shechen Rabjam, Peljor Gyatso Drime Lingpa Tukchok Dorje TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Tseringjong Zha Lhakhang Boudhanath Pelri Tekchen Ling Samye Chimpu STUDENTS Kunga Rinchen Changchub Dorje Jigme Ngotsar Gyatso The First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Ozer Gyurme Tsewang Chokdrub Jigme Losel The First Gurong, Namkhai Jigme Jigme Gyelwai Nyugu Kunga Lekpai Jungne Longchen Rolpa Tsel Ngawang Tenzin Dorje Pema Tsogyel Kunga Pende Gyatso Sangye Zangpo The Second Chaktsa Tulku, Kunzang Tenpai Nyinje Jigme Gocha The Third Dzogchen Drubwang, Ngedon Tenzzin Zangpo Namkha Tsewang Chokdrub The First Petseling, Drubtob Namgyel Lhundrub Jigme Kundrol Namgyel The First Khatok Situ, Choki Senge The First Chaktsa Tulku, Kunzang Ngedon Wangpo ​ The Vajra Verses: A Prayer of the Fierce Inner Heat Alongside our own publications, Tib Shelf peer reviews and publishes the works of aspiring and established Tibetologists. If you would like to publish with us or request our translation services, please get in touch , our team would be pleased to help. TIB SHELF Contact ​ 40 Okehampton London NW10 3ER ​ shelves@tibshelf.org +44 (0) 203 983 7265 Follow Us ​ Subscribe ​ Instagram Facebook ​ Support Us TIB SHELF SUBMIT A TRANSLATION SUBSCRIBE ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST

RETURN TO ALL PUBLICATIONS དེ་ནས་གྲོ་ཐང་གི་ཡོན་བདག ། རྗེ་བཙུན་གྱི་ཞལ་ལྟར་བྱུང་བ་རྣམས་ན་རེ། གནས་འདི་ལ་ཡོན་ཏན་ཅི་གདའ་ཞུ་བའི་ལན་དུ་མགུར་འདི་གསུངས་སོ།། Then, the patrons from Drotang received an audience with the Jetsun [1 ] and inquired, “What are the merits of this sacred place?” In response, he sang this meditative song: ​ བླ་མ་རྗེ་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། ། la ma jé la sölwa dep Precious Lord Guru, to you I supplicate! ​ གནས་འདིའི་ཡོན་ཏན་ཤེས་མི་ཤེས། ། གནས་འདིའི་ཡོན་ཏན་མི་ཤེས་ན། ། né di yön ten shé mi shé: né di yön ten mi shé na Do you know the merits of this sacred place? If you do not know this hallowed place’s merits, དབེན་གནས་རྐྱང་ཕན་ནམ་མཁའི་རྫོང་། ། ནམ་མཁའི་རྫོང་གི་ཕོ་བྲང་ན། ། wen né kyang pen nam khé dzong: nam khé dzong gi po drang na this is the hermitage of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong. At the palace of Namkhe Dzong, ​ སྟེང་ན་ལྷོ་སྤྲིན་སྨུག་པོ་འཐིབས། ། འོག་ན་གཙང་ཆབ་སྔོན་མོ་འབབ། ། teng na lho trin muk po tip: ok na tsang chap ngön mo bap above amass dark, warm southern clouds while below clean blue waters flow. ​ རྒྱབ་ན་བྲག་དམར་ནམ་མཁའི་དབྱིངས། ། མདུན་ན་སྤང་པོ་མེ་ཏོག་བཀྲ། ། gyap na drak mar nam khé ying: dün na pang po mé tok tra Behind red rocks lie beneath the vast expanse of sky; in front the meadows are awash with flowers. ཟུར་ན་གཅན་གཟན་ངར་སྐད་འདོན། ། ལོགས་ལ་བྱ་རྒྱལ་རྒོད་པོ་ལྡིང་། ། zur na chen zen ngar ké dön: lok la ja gyel gö po ding On one side, wild beasts recite their roars, while on the other, vultures, king of birds, soar. ​ མཁའ་ལ་སྦྲང་ཆར་ཟིམ་བུ་འབབ། ། རྒྱུན་དུ་བུང་བས་གླུ་དབྱངས་ལེན། ། kha la drang char zim bu bap: gyün du bungwé lu yang len: A fine, gentle rain falls from the sky. Continuously bees buzz their melodious songs. ​ ཤཱ་རྐྱང་མ་བུ་རྩེ་བྲོ་བརྡུང་། ། སྤྲ་དང་སྤྲེའུ་ཡང་རྩལ་སྦྱོང་། ། sha kyang ma bu tsé dro dung: dra dang dreu yang tsel jong: Wild kyangs ,[2 ] mares and foals, dance and frolic, and monkeys, big and small, act as acrobats. ​ ལྕོ་ག་མ་བུ་འགྱུར་སྐད་མང་། ། ལྷ་བྱ་གོང་མོ་གླུ་དབྱངས་ལེན། ། cho ga ma bu gyur ké mang: lha ja gong mo lu yang len Mother larks and chicks warble a profusion of songs with divine mountain birds singing back in kind. ​ རྫ་ཆབ་བསིལ་མས་སྙན་པ་བརྗོད། ། དུས་ཀྱི་སྐད་རིགས་ཉམས་ཀྱི་གྲོགས། ། dza chap sil mé nyen pa jö: dü kyi ké rik nyam kyi drok The cool mountain stream musically murmurs. Such language of the seasons is an aid to meditation! ​ གནས་འདིའི་ཡོན་ཏན་བསམ་མི་ཁྱབ། ། ཉམས་དགའ་གླུ་རུ་བླངས་པ་ཡིན། ། né di yön ten sam mi khyap: nyam ga lu ru lang pa yin I sang this joyful song and offered advice describing the merits of this sacred place, which are utterly inconceivable. ​ གདམས་ངག་ཁ་རུ་བཏོན་པ་ཡིན། ། འདིར་ཚོགས་ཡོན་བདག་ཕོ་མོ་རྣམས། ། dam ngak kha ru tön pa yin: dir tsok yön dak po mo nam All you assembled here, patrons, ladies and gentlemen, please follow in my footsteps and behave as I have— ​ མི་ང་ཕྱིར་འབྲོངས་ལ་ང་བཞིན་མཛོད། ། ལས་སྡིག་པ་སྤོངས་ལ་དགེ་བ་སྒྲུབས།། ཅེས་གསུངས་པས། ། mi nga chir drong la nga zhin dzö: lé dik pa pong la gewa drup abandon all misdeeds and accomplish virtue! [1] An honourific Tibetan term meaning “Venerable Lord,” reserved exclusively for great masters. Milarepa is among the most ubiquitous holders of the term in Tibetan literature. [2] The kyang (Equus kiang) is a species of wild donkey native to the Tibetan plateau and is one source of inspiration for the mythical unicorn. ​ ​ This meditative or spiritual song (mgur) was composed by Milarepa (1040-1123), Tibet’s most famous yogi and poet. Tibetan literature contains a vast corpus of such spiritual songs, particularly Milarepa’s own Kagyü school, which traces the practice of singing spontaneous songs of spiritual experience back to the Indian mahasiddhas. Known as Dohā in medieval India, this art form was held in common by both Vajrayana Buddhists and practitioners of Hindu tantra and generally centred on the heightened inner experiences brought about through spiritual practice. What is perhaps most striking about this particular song, and a departure from the conventions of the genre of mgur, is its emphasis on the natural beauty of Kyangpen Namkhé Dzong. Tibetan descriptions of sacred places (gnas) almost always focus on the miraculous deeds performed on location by great Buddhist masters, who thus imbue the space with blessings and sacred energy. Milarepa, on the other hand, sings entirely about the special qualities of the natural world. With an almost Wordsworthian rhapsody, Mila attributes nature itself, rather than past Buddhist masters, as the wellspring of blessings in Kyangpen Namkhé Dzong. It is the sight of the meadow awash with flowers beneath the vast expanse of sky and the sounds of frolicking wild animals beside the flowing mountain stream that makes the place so favourable for meditative retreat, not the accomplishments of past sages. When, in the final lines of the poem, he exhorts his audience to abandon misdeeds and accomplish virtue, his tone is one of heartfelt invitation rather than didacticism. It is almost as if he is saying, “The world is too much with us”; be done with worldly toil and come meditate with me beside this stream! ​ Photo credit: Himalayan Art Resources ​ NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY Mi la ras pa. Edited by Gtsang smyon he ru ka rus pa'i rgyan can. [n.d.]. Rkyang phan nam mkha' rdzong gi skor . In Mi la ras pa'i mgur 'bum, 65–66. [s.l.]: [s.n.]. BDRC W1KG1252 COLOPHON None A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong ​ Abstract This meditative or spiritual song was composed by Milarepa (1040–1123), Tibet’s most famous yogi and poet. With an almost Wordsworthian rhapsody, Mila describes the inconceivable qualities of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong, and explains why it is so favourable for meditative retreat. Strikingly, he identifies the natural world itself, rather than past Buddhist masters, as the wellspring of blessings for this holy place. BDRC LINK W1KG1252 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION VIEW TRANSLATION AUTHOR Milarepa TRADITION Marpa Kagyu INCARNATION LINE None HISTORICAL PERIOD 11th Century 12th Century TEACHERS Marpa Chokyi Lodro TRANSLATOR Patrick Dowd INSTITUTIONS Sekhar Gutok Kailash Tsari Drakkar Taso STUDENTS Gampopa Sonam Rinchen Rechungpa Dorje Drakpa Ngendzong Repa A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong Alongside our own publications, Tib Shelf peer reviews and publishes the works of aspiring and established Tibetologists. If you would like to publish with us or request our translation services, please get in touch , our team would be pleased to help. TIB SHELF Contact ​ 40 Okehampton London NW10 3ER ​ shelves@tibshelf.org +44 (0) 203 983 7265 Follow Us ​ ​ ​ Subscribe ​ Instagram Facebook TIB SHELF SUBMIT A TRANSLATION SUBSCRIBE ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST

RETURN TO ALL PUBLICATIONS The great spiritual friend[1 ] widely known as The Third Mura Pema Dechen Sangpo (b. 19th cent)[2 ] an actual emanation of Avalokiteśvara, was a direct disciple of both Khenchen Pema Vajra (1807–1884)[3 ] and Patrül Jigmé Chökyi Wangpo (1808–1887).[4 ] The basis for his emanation is as follows: In the presence of our Teacher [Buddha Śākyamuni], there were the bodhisattva mahasattva, the supremely noble, Avalokiteśvara, and Mahākālika[5 ] of the [sixteen] elder arhats. Here in the Land of Snow, from the twenty-five disciples,[6 ] the king and subjects, the great adepts and heart heirs of the Second Buddha Orgyen were Kyeuchung Lotsawa (b. 8th cent.)[7 ] and Nyak Jñānakumāra.[8 ] Having appeared as sequential [incarnations] such as the magical display of the great treasure revealer Taksham Nüden Dorjé (b.1665)[9 ] as well as [at times] unexpectedly,[10 ] [the stream of incarnations] greatly increased the benefit and welfare of beings as well as the teachings. THE FIRST INCARNATION RITRÖ RIGDZIN GYATSO ​ The first incarnation Ritrö Rigdzin Gyatso (b. 18th cent)[11 ] was born in the land of Nak Shö.[12 ] He completed his studies [relying upon] many spiritual friends such as the great treasure revealer Nyidrak Tülku. Thereafter, due to the ripening of his aspirations to acquire students at the appropriate time in Upper Dza in Do Kham, he was greatly inspired to firmly plant the victory banner of practice at Kilung Gödam Hermitage,[13 ] where he stayed for a long while. ​ During this period Getsé Lama Jigmé Ngotsar (18th cent.)[14 ] and [Ritrö Rigdzin Gyatso] mutually taught one another as guru and student. With a single intention, they built a monastery together and established the single monastic seat [of Kilung Hermitage, which later became known as Kilung Monastery]. Furthermore, the newly built the famous great stone edifice known as the Mura Maṇi Wall for the common splendour and merit of the beings in the Snowy Land of Tibet—which can [still] be seen to this day. ​ After Getsé Lama Jigmé Ngotsar passed into the pure lands, the First Lord Mura maintained the seat [of Kilung Monastery] by himself. Innumerable students congregated there as he turned the wheel of the doctrine. [During his life] he extensively spread the teachings of the theory and practice, [eventually] passing away in peace. ​ THE SECOND INCARNATION PÖNPO GYURMÉ CHÖDAR ​ The second lineage incarnation Pönpo Gyurmé Chödar (18th cent.)[15 ] was born in the Gotsa Dragen home,[16 ] which was part of the Getsé settlement. The Fourth Dzogchen Drubwang [Mingyur Namkhé Dorjé] (1793–1870)[17 ] recognised and installed him on the dharma throne of the monastic seat. As he reached a respectable age, he had an extreme dislike of watching over the monastic preparations, which were fraught with distractions. [Rather], he would single-pointedly practice [meditation]. ​ Since he had completely enveloped his mind with bodhicitta, even habitually sinful and pernicious people would instinctually adopt beneficial and altruistic conduct simply by meeting this lord or hearing his voice. ​ [Furthermore] wherever he resided, the vicious animals living around that region would not engage in anything harmful to [any] sentient being. In these ways, he attained mastery, living the liberating life of a conqueror’s heir. ​ At the end of his life and the completion of his practice, he actually passed into the primordially pure inner space, the royal capital of the dharmakāya. ​ THE THIRD INCARNATION MURA PEMA DECHEN SANGPO ​ In concordance with what was mentioned earlier [regarding] emanations appearing as one or many, simultaneously or instantaneously[18 ] in accordance with the specific dispositions and inclinations of sentient beings, the third incarnation the kind and glorious Mura Pema Dechen was the last to arrive. Once again, he intentionally took birth as a spiritual friend of all vajra holders possessing the three [vows], as in the latter half of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle (18th cent.) in a Getsé settlement situated in Dzachuka, Do Kham, he took birth into a divine house where many sublime beings had been born. ​ As soon as he spoke, he recited the six-syllable [Maṇi] mantra. He possessed the nature [of someone] totally beyond that of an ordinary person as his heart was filled with immeasurable love, compassion, and various other [qualities]. Drubwang Dzogchenpa Mingyur Namkhé Dorjé [recognised] and decided that he was the unmistaken incarnation of the previous [Mura] and installed him on the monastic seat. ​ Having arrived at Rudam Orgyen Samten Chöling (Dzogchen Monastery),[19 ] the source of scholars and accomplished ones, he received teachings from many virtuous friends such as Dzogchen Yishin Norbu, Gyalsé Shenpen Tayé (1800–1855),[20 ] Patrül Jigmé Chökyi Wangpo, Khenchen Pema Vajra, etc. He received prātimokṣa, bodhisattva, and tantric vows,[21 ] instructions and guidance on the great scriptures of sūtra and tantra, the maturation and liberation instructions of the oral traditions and treasure traditions of the old and new schools, and the instructions and advice on the Dzogchen Heart Essence (Nyingtik) cycles. He became a lord of scholars and adepts through completing his studies. ​ He particularly served Khenchen Pema Vajra as his special lord of the [tantric] family. Even after the Lord [Pema Vajra] passed into the pure land, [Pema Vajra’s] wisdom body protected and blessed Pema Dechen. He made a profound, powerful, and truthful aspiration to never be separated from [Pema Vajra] for many lives to come. This apparent aspiration can be inferred as it is contained in his supreme secret biography. ​ The signs of Mura’s attainment include squeezing stones with his bare hand, possessing unobstructed clairvoyance, and other such marvels for which all sentient beings bowed down at his feet. At his monastic seats of Kilung Monastery and Rudam [Dzogchen Monastery’s] Śrī Siṃha College, he turned the wheel of the doctrine of the limitless ripening instructions of both the oral and treasure teachings. In particular and from time to time [he taught]: Yeshé Lama , or The Unexcelled Wisdom , the instructional guide of the secret Dzogchen Heart Essence teachings, and Purifying the Six Intermediate States of the completion stages. ​ His direct disciples and holders of his lineage included: The Fifth Drubwang Tubten Chökyi Dorjé (1872–1935),[22 ] Khentrül Déga,[23 ] Chadral Künga Palden (1878–1944),[24 ] Jamgön Mipam Rinpoche (1846–1912),[25 ] Abu Lhagyal or Pema Tekchok Loden (1879–1955),[26 ] Khen Sécho, Jigmé Yönten Gönpo (1899–1959),[27 ] Khen Chimé (19th cent.–20th cent.),[28 ] and many great beings who hold the Dzogchen teachings. Many spiritual friends came including Shechen Gyaltsab Pema Namgyal (1871–1926),[29 ] Khenchen Yönten Gyatso,[30 ] Takla Könchok Gyaltsen (1859–1943),[31 ] Khenchen Künzang Palden (1862–1943),[32 ] Khenchen Tubga Rinpoche, Ngawang Palsang or Ngakchung (1879–1940),[33 ] Mewa Khenchen Tséwang Rigdzin (1883–1958),[34 ] and Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentsé (1910–1991).[35 ] ​ In the present age, [as for] all the lineage of the six bardo transmissions, it appears that there is nothing that is not connected with this lord. He is featured in various supplications for the lineage gurus of our own Heart Essence tradition. He came to be an unrivalled tradition holder of the greatly secret Heart Essence. ​ He encouraged all the men and women from higher and lower Dzachuka up to north Golok to give up negative deeds and engage in virtuosity, and he turned the wheel of the doctrine for Maṇi [recitation] and practice. Thus, he transformed the entire area into a land of complete virtue. [Furthermore] he extensively renovated the Maṇi Stone Wall that his previous incarnation had built becoming one hundred-fold more extensive. [Lastly] he built many [virtuous structures] including stupas in the surrounding area. ​ The continuation of his activity for the spontaneous accomplishment of the two-fold benefit will never diminish [and instead] will continue throughout his future lives. [Finally] he temporarily displayed the manner of peacefully passing away into the primordial inner space, the expansive wisdom mind of Samantabhadra. [1] dge ba'i bshes gnyen, kalyāṇamitra [2] pad+ma bde chen bzang po, BDRC P8693 [3] mkhan chen pad+ma badz+ra, BDRC P6744 [4] dpal sprul 'jigs med chos kyi dbang po, BDRC P270 [5] dus ldan chen po [6] This is referring to the 25 disciples (rje 'bangs nyer lnga) of Padmasambhava. [7] khye'u chung lo tsA ba, BDRC P3AG56 [8] gnyags dznyA ku mA ra, BDRC P6525 [9] stag sham nus ldan rdo rje, BDRC P663 [10] The meaning here is that the emanations of the mind-stream of Mura Pema Dechen arose sequentially, but in some cases emanations would appear at any point in time devoid of and sequence. [11] ri khrod rig 'dzin rgya mtsho, BDRC P2JM457 [12] yul nag shod [13] kiH lung mgos zlam, BDRC G3955 [14] dge rtse bla ma 'jigs med ngo mtshar, BDRC P2881 [15] mu ra sprul sku 02 dpon po 'gyur med chos dar, BDRC P8LS13175 [16] mgo tshwa sba rgan [17] rdzog chen gru dbang 04 mi 'gyur nam mkha'i rdo rje, BDRC P1710 [18] See point 10 [19] rdzogs chen ru dam o rgyan bsam gtan chos gling, BDRC G16 [20] gzhan phan mtha' yas 'od zer, BDRC P697 [21] These correspond to the vows of the three vehicles. [22] rdzogs chen grub dbang 05 thub bstan chos kyi rdo rje, BDRC P701 [23] bde dga', BDRC P6960 [24] mkhan chen kun dga' dpal, BDRC P4996 [25] mi pham 'jam dbyangs rnam rgyal rgya mtsho, BDRC P252 [26] a bu lha sgang pad+ma theg mchog blo ldan, BDRC P6955 [27] 'jigs med yon tan mgon po, BDRC P6600 [28] mkhan chen 'chi med ye shes, BDRC P6959 [29] zhe chen rgyal tshab 04 'gyur med pad+ma rnam rgyal, BDRC P235 [30] dge mang mkhan chen yon tan rgya mtsho, BDRC P6961 [31] stag bla dkon mchog rgyal mtshan, BDRC P00KG03790 [32] mkhan chen kun bzang ldan, BDRC P6962 [33] ngag dbang dpal bzang, BDRC P724 [34] mkhan chen tshe dbang rig 'dzin 01, BDRC P6306 [35] dil mgo mkhyen brtse bkra shis dpal 'byor, BDRC P625 NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY bstan 'dzin lung rtogs nyi ma. 2004. Mu ra sku phreng gsum pa pad+ma bde chen bzang po . In Snga 'gyur rdzogs chen chos 'byung chen mo, pp. 627–630. Pe cin: Krung go'i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang. BDRC W27401 COLOPHON None Mura Pema Dechen Sangpo Abstract This is a short biographical history of the Mura lineage including previous incarnations culminating in a longer biography of the Third Mura Pema Dechen. Written by Tenzin Lungtok Nyima it clearly describes some of the key moments, activities, teachers, and students of the Mura lineage. ​ English | བོད་ཡིག BDRC LINK W27401 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION VIEW TRANSLATION AUTHOR Tenzin Lungtok Nyima TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE - HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century TEACHERS Dzogchen Mingyur Namkhé Dorjé Dza Patrül Orgyen Jigmé Chökyi Wangpo Jigmé Ngotsar Pema Vajra Pema Tekchok Loden Gyalsé Shenphen Tayé Wözer Könchok Drakpa TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Dzogchen Monastery STUDENTS Takla Könchok Gyaltsen The Fourth Shechen Gyaltsab, Gyurmé Pema Namgyal Mipam Gyatso Ngawang Norbu Batur Khenchen Tubga The Fourth Lingla, Tubten Trinlé Gyatso Dilgo Khyentsé Tashi Paljor Khenchen Tséwang Rigdzin Yönten Gönpo Pema Tekchok Loden Batur Khenpo Tubten Chöpel Tubten Nyendrak Choktrül Déga Gemang Khenchen Yönten Gyatso Kunsang Palden The Fifth Dzogchen, Tubten Chökyi Dorjé Künga Palden Khenpo Ngakga Sönam Chöpel Ngawang Palsang Khyungtrül Pema Trinlé Gyatso ​ Mura Pema Dechen Sangpo Alongside our own publications, Tib Shelf peer reviews and publishes the works of aspiring and established Tibetologists. If you would like to publish with us or request our translation services, please get in touch , our team would be pleased to help. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British library with the International Standard Serial Number - ISSN 2754-1495 TIB SHELF Contact ​ 40 Okehampton London NW10 3ER ​ shelves@tibshelf.org +44 (0) 203 983 7265 Follow Us ​ Subscribe ​ Instagram Facebook ​ Support Us TIB SHELF SUBMIT A TRANSLATION SUBSCRIBE ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST

The Formation of the Outer Container The Formation of the Outer Container is a description of the formation of the universe according to Buddhist cosmogony. Drigung Konchok Tendzin Chokyi Lodro Cosmogony The Ruby Garland: A Genealogy of Genghis Khan The Ruby Garland is a genealogy of the Tibetan clans Barchung and Ju, descended from Genghis Khan. It might be the only Tibetan historical document that holds a clear account of Buddhism's existence in Mongolia during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). Parallel historical narratives can be found in the official historical records of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Shi (明史). Gyurme Pema Chogyel Genealogy A Letter to Hotoktu Rinpoche This letter is purportedly from the secretary of the Ninth Paṇchen Lama to Hotoktu Rinpoche. It was purchased and is now conserved in a private collection in France. The means of the initial acquisition is unknown. We are happy to receive any information concerning this letter. The Secretary of The Ninth Paṇchen Lama, Tubten Chökyi Nyima Correspondence Eleventh Day, Ninth Month, Water Pig Year These letters were purchased and are now conserved in a private collection in France. The means of the initial acquisition is unknown. The recipient(s) of the letters are currently unidentified, and their connection with the Thirteenth Dalai Lama is undetermined. We are happy to receive any information concerning these letters. Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso Correspondence A Chronological Timetable: Lives of Do Khyentse’s Familial Line This concise table features birth and death dates for essential individuals connected with Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje's familial line. Tubten Chodar Timetable ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST

An Aspiration to Travel to the Hidden Land of Pemokö A prayer to take rebirth in the hidden sanctuary of Pemakö, where obstacles such as sickness and conflict are scarce or nonexistent and favourable conditions may aid progress on the Dharma path. Lelung Shepé Dorjé Aspiration Prayer Chapter Narrating the Pure Vision of Gesar The Fifth Lelung Rinpoche, Shepé Dorjé (1697–1740), is unusual among senior Gelug figures for having taken a personal interest in the figure of Gesar of Ling, eponymous hero of the Tibetan epic. The text translated here narrates his ‘pure vision’ (dag snang) of Gesar, which took place near his monastic seat at Lelung, in Olga, in 1729. Lelung Shepé Dorjé Pure Vision The Magical Lasso – A Prayer of Aspiration to Accomplish Khecara This aspirational prayer, composed at the request of Trinlé Losal, calls upon all the ḍākinīs of the three worlds to grant their blessings, so that the practitioner may complete the vajrayāna path and bring benefit to all beings. It was composed at the camp of Düdül Dewa Chenpo, the heart dharmacakra of Pemokö, the supreme emanated realm of Akaniṣṭha. Lelung Shepé Dorjé Aspiration Prayer Translated Works Persons The Fifth Lelung Jedrung, Lobsang Trinlé (1697–1740), on being recognized as the reincarnation of the Fourth Lelung Jedrung, Gendün Chögyal, had his hair cutting ceremony carried out by The Sixth Dalai Lama (1683–1706) in 1702. Later the treasure revealer Chöjé Lingpa (1681–1720/1722) prophesied that Lelung would be the one to receive and propagate a terma focussed on a peaceful and wrathful form of Avalokiteśvara. His collected works total some forty-six volumes. In 1740 he passed away at the age of forty-three and was posthumously declared to be the protector deity Drakshül Wangpo who is focused on subduing the spirit Dorjé Shugden. The Fifth Lelung Jedrung, Lobsang Trinlé – Shepé Dorjé 1697–1740 BDRC P675 TREASURY OF LIVES LOTSAWA HOUSE PHOTO CREDIT ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST

RETURN TO ALL PUBLICATIONS * Dates have been shifted back one place to align with European calculation. ​ Photo credit: BDRC W1KG987 Published April 2021 ​ NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY Thub bstan chos dar. 2008. Mdo mkhyen brtse ye shes rdo rje'i gdung rgyud rim byon gyi 'khrungs rabs re'u mig . In Mdo mkhyen brtse ye shes rdo rje'i gdung rgyud rim byon gyi rnam thar gsal ba'i me long, pp. 449–450. Pe cin: Krung go'i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang. BDRC W1KG987 COLOPHON None A Chronological Timetable: Lives of Do Khyentse’s Familial Line Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje Thirteenth Cycle Iron Monkey Year 1800 Fourteenth Cycle Fire Tiger Year 1866 66 – NAME DATE OF BIRTH DATE OF DEATH LIFESPAN* ANNOTATION Losel Drolma Thirteenth Cycle Water Dog Year 1802 Fourteenth Cycle Iron Bird Year 1861 59 Not of familial line Khaying Drolma Fourteenth Cycle Water Sheep Year 1823 Fourteenth Cycle Wood Tiger Year 1854 31 – Sherab Mebar Fourteenth Cycle Earth Ox Year 1829 Fourteenth Cycle Water Tiger Year 1842 13 – Gyelse Reltri Fourteenth Cycle Iron Tiger Year 1830 Fifteenth Cycle Fire Monkey Year 1896 66 – Somang Choktrul Fourteenth Cycle Wood Hare Year 1855 – 80+ – Drime Drakpa Fourteenth Cycle Fire Horse Year 1846 – 40+ Not of familial line Gyepa Dorje Fifteenth Cycle Iron Tiger Year 1890 Sixteenth Cycle Earth Hare Year 1939 49 – Tsedzin Wangmo Fifteenth Cycle Wood Horse Year 1894 Sixteenth Cycle Water Snake Year 1953 59 – Dasel Wangmo Sixteenth Cycle Earth Dragon Year 1928 – – 80 years old as of this year Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje 13th Cycle Iron Monkey Year 1800 14th Cycle Fire Tiger Year 1866 66 – NAME DATE OF BIRTH DATE OF DEATH LIFESPAN* NOTES Losel Drolma 13th Cycle Water Dog Year 1802 14th Cycle Iron Bird Year 1861 59 Not of familial line Khaying Drolma 14th Cycle Water Sheep Year 1823 14th Cycle Wood Tiger Year 1854 31 – Sherab Mebar 14th Cycle Earth Ox Year 1829 14th Cycle Water Tiger Year 1842 13 – Gyelse Reltri 14th Cycle Iron Tiger Year 1830 14th Cycle Fire Monkey Year 1896 66 – Somang Choktrul 14th Cycle Wood Hare Year 1855 – 80+ – Drime Drakpa 14th Cycle Fire Horse Year 1846 – 40+ Not of familial line Gyepa Dorje 15th Cycle Iron Tiger Year 1890 16th Cycle Earth Hare Year 1939 49 – Tsedzin Wangmo 15th Cycle Wood Horse Year 1894 16th Cycle Water Snake Year 1953 59 – Dasel Wangmo 16th Cycle Earth Dragon Year 1928 – – 80 years old as of this year Abstract This concise table features birth and death dates for essential individuals connected with Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje's familial line. BDRC LINK W1KG987 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION VIEW TRANSLATION AUTHOR Tubten Chodar​ TRADITION Nyingma Drigung Kagyu HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century 20th Century 21st Century People Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje Losel Drolma Khaying Drolma Sherab Mebar Gyelse Rigpai Reltri Somang Choktrul Drime Drakpa Gyepa Dorje Tsedzin Wangmo Dasel Wangmo INSTITUTIONS Maha Kyilung Monastery Katok Monastery Dzogchen Monastery Tseringjong Drigung Til Monastery Derge Monastery Gyelrong Kachok Minyak Kernang Kardza Hermitage Pema Rito Yarlung Pemako ​ ​ TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf TBC TBC TBC TBC A Chronological Timetable: Lives of Do Khyentse’s Familial Line Alongside our own publications, Tib Shelf peer reviews and publishes the works of aspiring and established Tibetologists. If you would like to publish with us or request our translation services, please get in touch , our team would be pleased to help. - ISSN 2754-1495 TIB SHELF Contact ​ 40 Okehampton London NW10 3ER ​ shelves@tibshelf.org +44 (0) 203 983 7265 Follow Us ​ Subscribe ​ Instagram Facebook ​ Support Us TIB SHELF SUBMIT A TRANSLATION SUBSCRIBE ALL PUBLICATIONS BIOGRAPHICAL GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTIONAL BUDDHIST