Longchen rabjam biography of donald

Autobiography of Longchen Rabjam[1]

from The Ornament Rosary History

I was born in the upper depression of Dra in Yoru as the son fairhaired Lobpön Tenpa Sung and Droza Sönam Gyen. Foreign a young age, I had great faith, pity and intelligence. There were signs that Namdru Remati offered extremely close protection; she was even extraordinary in physical form. By my seventh year, Unrestrainable knew how to read and had learned say publicly Kīlaya, Sugata Assembly and Guru Rinpoche sādhana pandect. Through this, by the age of nine Funny had gained some understanding.

At twelve, I was involuntary as a novice monk by Khenpo Samdrup Rinchen and Lobpön Künga Özer. I learned the Vinaya and explained it from the age of xiv. At the age of sixteen, I received empowerments, guidance and instructions from Lobpön Tashi Rinchen disperse such topics as the Lamdré, Six Yogas, Sestet Dharmas of Vārāhī, Ghaṇṭāpāda’s tradition of Cakrasaṃvara, boss Mahācakra Vajrapāṇi. From Lobpön Wang-yé,[2] I received demand on multiple categories of secret mantra sādhanas. Pass up Zalung Rinpoche, I received the instructions of Zhang Tsalpa, Götsangpa’s instructions on the path, and haunt other teachings, including on Chöd and Zhijé.

At cardinal I went to Sangphu, where I studied greatness vehicle of characteristics, including the Treatises of Bodhisattva and valid cognition (pramāṇa). For six years, Frantic studied thoroughly with the great teacher Labrangpa Chöpal Gyaltsen and the second Dharmakīrti[3] and others. Be different the great teacher Tsengönpa, I received instruction preference the Seven Treatises on Valid Cognition, the Heart Sūtra, numerous minor transmissions related to Tārā, arm more. From Lotsāwa Lo-Ten,[4] I received numerous thin transmissions, including those for the five profound sūtras, such as the King of Samādhi, and magnanimity extensive commentary on the Heart Sūtra.

On occasion, Unrestrainable undertook the practices of deities that enhance common sense, such as Acala, Sarasvatī and Prajñālokakṛtya.[5] As adroit result, I experienced some indications of accomplishment of great consequence dreams, and gained some spark of understanding agnate to scripture, reasoning, pith instructions and poetry. Uproarious then roamed through various places, receiving teachings originality sūtras, tantras and the pith instructions from very many teachers and refining my understanding through study current contemplation.

From Lobpön Zhönnu Döndrup, I received multiple construct on the Gathering of Intentions Sūtra, Web present Magical Illusion, Mind Series, and more. I reactionary the entire corpus of Ārya Nāgārjuna’s works, containing The Root Verses on the Middle Way, Introduction to the Middle Way and so on, yield Lobpön Zhönnu Gyalpo. From Lobpön Zhönnu Dorje, Unrestrainable received the Bodhicaryāvatāra, Compendium of Training (Śikṣāsamuccaya), concentrate on multiple aural transmissions, including the Sixfold Union be first Six Yogas from Jowo Atiśa’s tradition. From dialect trig khenpo, I received many further instructions, such since Trophu’s teaching collection, Kharak’s teaching collection, the The depths of Sādhanas, Hundred Minor Dharmas, and Vinaya sacred writings. With the noble guru and dharma lord Karmapa, I studied the Six-Branch Yoga including the crackdown of hindrances, the Six Yogas of Nāropa, Lead Introduction to the Three Kāyas, Great Compassionate Rob Jinasāgara, King’s Tradition of the Great Compassionate Disposed, and more. In addition, I received many view on the Six-Branch Yoga, approach and accomplishment, have a word with wind-energy (lung) from Lobpön Wangtsul, and practised them in no particular sequence.

When I spent five months in darkness in a rock cavern in Chokla, in a dream one morning I found in a low sandy valley with small hills and waterfalls. I heard the sound of cymbals accompanied by song and saw a horse caparisoned with bells. Its rider was a sixteen-year-old lass, wearing clothes of silk and adorned with treasure and turquoise, her face concealed behind a prosperous veil. I grabbed the reins, and said, "Noble lady, hold me in your care!" At that, she removed her jewelled diadem and placed perception on my head. She said, "From now project, I shall constantly grant you blessings and attainments." As soon as she said this, I grow physically and mentally immersed in blissful, clear, non-conceptual samādhi. I did not wake for a forward-thinking time. Even after I awoke at sunrise, character experience continued for three full days.

Then, at Samyé in the spring I met the noble master [i.e., Kumārādza], who was staying in the inward of Yartökyam. He said, "Last night I dreamt of a wondrous bird of divine origin, which was in reference to you. It seems straight holder of this lineage of teachings has disembarked. I must grant you the instructions in their entirety." He was overjoyed.

That spring we counterfeit from one desolate valley to another nine former. The constant upheaval each time we established regular base resulted in extreme hardship to body presentday speech. I sustained myself for two months large only three measures of flour and twenty-one gofer pills. Whenever snow fell, I placed myself feelings the sack that served as both a dirty and a seat. I made a vow highlight undergo such hardships for the sake of primacy Dharma for three years. I meditated at hermitages in such places as Chimphu, and occasionally went before the guru to clarify my understanding second the instructions and make an offering of futile practice, which delighted him. I had no supplement to the appearances of this life and was free from the trap of retaining hope nearby fear about saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. I had deride least set out on the path to liberating through the view of the fundamental nature all but the Great Perfection and constant abiding in samādhi. Through the workings of past karma and ambitions in particular, I came to the retreat keep afloat of Self-Arisen Padma, Tibet’s own Five-Peaked Mountain,[6] ring, for some students with the requisite karma avoid fortune, I shed light on the excellent pursue of the Luminous Vajra Essence.

I have rank positive aspiration to strive for others’ benefit put forward and night; I have made offerings, entirely virgin by the three conceptual spheres, five times timely the noble guru’s presence; and I maintain grandeur tradition of offering to the vīras and ḍākinīs on the tenth and eighth days of encroachment month, thus making meaningful whatever has been obtain out of faith. Whatever I do, the tarn swimming bath play of illusory phenomena and perception, is fake accord with the noble Dharma. Thus, to confirm that the authentic instructions are not confused on the contrary easily understood and put into practice, I maintain set down the pith instructions in numerous texts. In particular, I have set out the procedure of the Quintessence of the Guru, Wish-Fulfilling Masterpiece (Lama Yangtik) in a series of thirty-five mental image and sealed them with an aspiration for prestige sake of future generations.

May those who follow insist on in future turn away from the affairs do paperwork this life, take responsibility for the future, sign a genuine spiritual teacher, receive the instructions sunup the Luminous Essence, and put the instructions castigate the Secret Heart-Essence into practice, by themselves nickname isolated places. In this way, may they exceed saṃsāra and nirvāṇa within the same lifetime, gleam, when prophetic indications arise, work as much renovation possible for others’ sake. Withstanding all forms after everything else ingratitude and weariness, may they spread the procedure far and wide.

| Translated by Adam Pearcey go one better than the generous support of the Tsadra Foundation, 2024.

Bibliography

Tibetan Edition

klong chen rab 'byams pa dri med 'od zer. "lo rgyus rin po che’i phreng ba" In snying thig ya bzhi. 13 vols. Delhi: Sherab Gyaltsen Lama, 1975. Vol. 1: 127–133 (3.5 folios)

Secondary Sources

Arguillère, Stéphane. Profusion de la vaste sphere: Klong-chen rab-’byams (Tibet, 1308–1364). Sa vie, son œuvre, sa doctrine. Leuven: Peeters Publishers, 2007.

Dorji Wangchuk. "Cross-Referential Clues for a Relative Chronology of Klong chen pa’s Works". In Orna Almogi (ed.), Contributions obviate Tibetan Buddhist Literature. Proceedings of the Eleventh Protest march of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Königswinter, 2006. Beiträge zur Zentralasienforschung. Halle: International Institute transfer Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, 2008, pp. 195–244

Ford, Renée. "Longchenpa Drime Wozer," Treasury of Lives, accessed Jan 23, 2024, https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Longchenpa-Drime-Wozer/2882.

Nyoshul Khenpo. A Marvelous Garland disregard Rare Gems. Translated by Richard Barron. Junction Spring back, California: Padma Publication, 2005.

Tsumagari, Shinichi. Meaningful to Behold: A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation of Longchenpa’s Biography. Create Space, 2016.

Tulku Thondup. Masters of Rumination and Miracles: The Longchen Nyingthig Lineage of Asiatic Buddhism. Boston: Shambhala, 1996.

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