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Difference between revisions of "Garab Dorje"

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[[File:Garab Dorje.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Garab Dorje]]
 
[[File:Garab Dorje.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Garab Dorje]]
[[Garab Dorje]] (Fl. 55 CE) ([[Tibetan]]:{{BigTibetan|[[དགའ་རབ་རྡོ་རྗེ་]]}}, [[Wylie]]: [[dga’ rab rdo rje]]) 9Skt. [[Prahevajra]] ([[Pramodavajra]]/[[Surativajra]]) was the semi-historical first [[human]] [[teacher]] of the [[Ati Yoga]] (Tib. [[Dzogchen]]) or [[Great Perfection]] teachings according to [[Tibetan Buddhist]] [[tradition]]. Prior to [[Prahevajra]], the [[Nyingma]] hold that the [[Dzogchen]] teachings had been expounded only in [[celestial]] [[realms]] and the [[pure lands]] ([[Sanskrit]]: [[śuddhanivāsa]]) of the [[Buddhas]], [[Devas]] and [[Nāgas]].[citation needed] The [[Bonpo]] have a different [[view]] of the entry of [[Dzogchen]] into the [[lineages]] of [[humanity]].  The [[incarnation]] of [[Semlhag Chen]], a [[god]] who earlier had been [[empowered]] by the [[buddhas]].  [[Garab Dorje]] means '[[Indestructible joy]]'  [[Garab Dorje]] (6th century BCE-second century CE)  ([[Pramoda Vajra]], [[Ga-rang Duo-jie Sheng-xi Jin-gang]], [[dga’ rab rdo rje]]): Born in [[Uddiyana]], the birthplace of [[Master]] [[Padmasambhava]]. Received the [[Great Perfection]] [[dharma]] directly from [[Vajrasattva]] [[Mahasattva]] and [[Vajrapani]] [[Bodhisattva]], which he transmitted to [[Master]] [[Manjushrimitra]] and [[Guru Padmasambhava]].  Wrote [[Golden Letters]].  
+
[[Garab Dorje]] (Fl. 55 CE) ([[Tibetan]]:{{BigTibetan|[[དགའ་རབ་རྡོ་རྗེ་]]}}, [[Wylie]]: [[dga’ rab rdo rje]]) 9Skt. [[Prahevajra]] ([[Pramodavajra]]/[[Surativajra]]) was the semi-historical first [[human]] [[teacher]] of the [[Ati Yoga]] (Tib. [[Dzogchen]]) or [[Great Perfection]] teachings according to [[Tibetan Buddhist]] [[tradition]].  
 +
 
 +
Prior to [[Prahevajra]], the [[Nyingma]] hold that the [[Dzogchen]] teachings had been expounded only in [[celestial]] [[realms]] and the [[pure lands]] ([[Sanskrit]]: [[śuddhanivāsa]]) of the [[Buddhas]], [[Devas]] and [[Nāgas]].
 +
 
 +
The [[Bonpo]] have a different [[view]] of the entry of [[Dzogchen]] into the [[lineages]] of [[humanity]].   
 +
 
 +
The [[incarnation]] of [[Semlhag Chen]], a [[god]] who earlier had been [[empowered]] by the [[buddhas]].   
 +
 
 +
[[Garab Dorje]] means '[[Indestructible joy]]'  [[Garab Dorje]] (6th century BCE-second century CE)  ([[Pramoda Vajra]], [[Ga-rang Duo-jie Sheng-xi Jin-gang]], [[dga’ rab rdo rje]]): Born in [[Uddiyana]], the birthplace of [[Master]] [[Padmasambhava]].  
 +
 
 +
Received the [[Great Perfection]] [[dharma]] directly from [[Vajrasattva]] [[Mahasattva]] and [[Vajrapani]] [[Bodhisattva]], which he transmitted to [[Master]] [[Manjushrimitra]] and [[Guru Padmasambhava]].  Wrote [[Golden Letters]].
 +
 
 +
 
 +
The [[lineage]] of [[Dzogchen]], unbroken to the {{Wiki|present}} day, is traced from the [[dharmakaya]] [[Samantabhadra]] (‘[[Kuntuzangpo]]’ in [[Tibetan]]) to the [[sambhogakaya]], represented by the [[five buddha families]] and [[Vajrasattva]], and then to the first [[human]] [[master]] [[Garab Dorje]].
 +
 
 +
It then passed to [[Mañjushrimitra]].
 +
 
 +
At the [[time]] of his [[parinirvana]], [[Garab Dorje]] ascended into the sky and dissolved into [[rainbow light]].
 +
 
 +
 
 +
Whereupon [[Garab Dorje]] was moved, and his hand reappeared, in which was a small golden casket, the size of a thumbnail, containing the [[teaching]] of [[Hitting the Essence in Three Words]], which he let fall into the hand of [[Mañjushrimitra]].
 +
 
 +
As soon as he received it, his [[mind]] became the same as the [[wisdom mind]] of his [[master]] [[Garab Dorje]].  
  
The [[lineage]] of [[Dzogchen]], unbroken to the {{Wiki|present}} day, is traced from the [[dharmakaya]] [[Samantabhadra]] (‘[[Kuntuzangpo]]’ in [[Tibetan]]) to the [[sambhogakaya]], represented by the [[five buddha families]] and [[Vajrasattva]], and then to the first [[human]] [[master]] [[Garab Dorje]]. It then passed to [[Mañjushrimitra]]. At the [[time]] of his [[parinirvana]], [[Garab Dorje]] ascended into the sky and dissolved into [[rainbow light]].
 
  
Whereupon [[Garab Dorje]] was moved, and his hand reappeared, in which was a small golden casket, the size of a thumbnail, containing the [[teaching]] of [[Hitting the Essence in Three Words]], which he let fall into the hand of [[Mañjushrimitra]]. As soon as he received it, his [[mind]] became the same as the [[wisdom mind]] of his [[master]] [[Garab Dorje]].
 
  
 
==[[Nomenclature]], {{Wiki|orthography}} and {{Wiki|etymology}}==
 
==[[Nomenclature]], {{Wiki|orthography}} and {{Wiki|etymology}}==
 +
 
[[File:Garab dorje00.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
 
[[File:Garab dorje00.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
[[Garab Dorje]] or [[Garap Dorje]] is the only attested [[name]]. The [[Sanskrit]] [[offerings]] are reconstructions. No [[Sanskrit]] [[name]] has been found in a colophon to attest to historicity. That said, [[Germano]] (1992: p.4) cited "[[Vajraprahe]]" in the "[[Reverberation of Sound|Direct Consequence of Sound Tantra]]" within the [[Nyingma Gyubum]] (NGB1 24,1) and goes on to [[state]] in the same work that [[John Myrdhin Reynolds]] (1989, 2000 revised) reverses the two words in the contraction in his translation and {{Wiki|analysis}} of a section of the [[Bardo Thodol]] from {{Wiki|Tibetan}} into English, specifically the [[Rig pa ngo sprod gcer mthong rang grol]] ([[Wylie]]) where he employs "[[Prahevajra]]". [[Germano]] (1992: p.4) holds that [[Reynolds]] lexical choice of "[[Prahevajra]]" was informed by a [[Mantra]] of a short [[Guru Yoga]] text by [[Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro]] (c.1893-1959).
+
[[Garab Dorje]] or [[Garap Dorje]] is the only attested [[name]].  
 +
 
 +
The [[Sanskrit]] [[offerings]] are reconstructions. No [[Sanskrit]] [[name]] has been found in a colophon to attest to historicity.  
 +
 
 +
That said, [[Germano]] (1992: p.4) cited "[[Vajraprahe]]" in the "[[Reverberation of Sound|Direct Consequence of Sound Tantra]]" within the [[Nyingma Gyubum]] (NGB1 24,1) and goes on to [[state]] in the same work that [[John Myrdhin Reynolds]] (1989, 2000 revised) reverses the two words in the contraction in his translation and {{Wiki|analysis}} of a section of the [[Bardo Thodol]] from {{Wiki|Tibetan}} into English, specifically the [[Rig pa ngo sprod gcer mthong rang grol]] ([[Wylie]]) where he employs "[[Prahevajra]]".  
 +
 
 +
 
 +
[[Germano]] (1992: p.4) holds that [[Reynolds]] lexical choice of "[[Prahevajra]]" was informed by a [[Mantra]] of a short [[Guru Yoga]] text by [[Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro]] (c.1893-1959).
  
 
[[Prahevajra]] or [[Pramodavajra]] ([[Tibetan]]: [[Garab Dorje]], [[Tibetan]]: {{BigTibetan|[[དགའ་རབ་རྡོ་རྗེ་]]}}, [[Wylie]]: [[dga’ rab rdo rje]]; [[Sanskrit]]: [[Prahevajra]] or [[Pramodavajra]])
 
[[Prahevajra]] or [[Pramodavajra]] ([[Tibetan]]: [[Garab Dorje]], [[Tibetan]]: {{BigTibetan|[[དགའ་རབ་རྡོ་རྗེ་]]}}, [[Wylie]]: [[dga’ rab rdo rje]]; [[Sanskrit]]: [[Prahevajra]] or [[Pramodavajra]])
 +
  
 
==Detail==
 
==Detail==
 +
 +
 
[[File:Garabdordje 12.gif|thumb|250px|]]
 
[[File:Garabdordje 12.gif|thumb|250px|]]
According to [[Tibetan Buddhism]], [[Prahevajra]] transmitted the teachings to [[Manjushrimitra]], who was regarded as his chief [[Disciple]]. [[Padmasambhava]] is also known to have received the [[transmission]] of the [[Dzogchen]] [[Tantras]] directly from [[Garab Dorje]].
+
According to [[Tibetan Buddhism]], [[Prahevajra]] transmitted the teachings to [[Manjushrimitra]], who was regarded as his chief [[Disciple]].
 +
 +
[[Padmasambhava]] is also known to have received the [[transmission]] of the [[Dzogchen]] [[Tantras]] directly from [[Garab Dorje]].
  
 
[[Prahevajra]] received the [[Empowerment]] and [[transmission]] of the [[Mahayoga]] teachings of the [[Secret Matrix Tradition]] ([[Guhyagarbha Tantra]]) from [[Mahasiddha]] [[Kukuraja]].
 
[[Prahevajra]] received the [[Empowerment]] and [[transmission]] of the [[Mahayoga]] teachings of the [[Secret Matrix Tradition]] ([[Guhyagarbha Tantra]]) from [[Mahasiddha]] [[Kukuraja]].
 +
  
 
==[[Birth]]==
 
==[[Birth]]==
 +
 
[[File:Garabdorje gr.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
 
[[File:Garabdorje gr.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
Born (as son of [[Su-dharmā]], island-dwelling daughter of [[king]] [[Upa-rāja]] of [[Dhana-koṣa]]) in the land of [[Uddiyana]], also the birthplace of [[Padmasambhava]], [[Prahevajra]] is said to have received all the [[Tantras]], [[scriptures]] and oral instructions of [[Dzogchen]] directly from [[Vajrasattva]] and [[Vajrapani]]. Alternatively, his mother is named as [[Pāraņī]], and located on the banks of [[lake]] [[Kutra]].
+
Born (as son of [[Su-dharmā]], island-dwelling daughter of [[king]] [[Upa-rāja]] of [[Dhana-koṣa]]) in the land of [[Uddiyana]], also the birthplace of [[Padmasambhava]], [[Prahevajra]] is said to have received all the [[Tantras]], [[scriptures]] and oral instructions of [[Dzogchen]] directly from [[Vajrasattva]] and [[Vajrapani]].  
  
[[Dargyay]], et al. (1977, 1998: p. 19) conveys the [[Wikipedia:Hagiography|hagiographic]] nativity of [[Garab Dorje]] as well as briefly contextualizes his mother (a [[bhikṣuṇī]] whose [[sadhana]] was [[Outer Tantras|Yoga tantra]]) and her [[parents]]; the [[dream]] holds the [[vase]] of the [[Astamangala]], the '[[Trailokya|threefold world]]', '[[Three Vajras|oṃ  ā  hūṃ]]' and [[svāhā]]:
+
Alternatively, his mother is named as [[Pāraņī]], and located on the banks of [[lake]] [[Kutra]].
 +
 
 +
[[Dargyay]], et al. (1977, 1998: p. 19) conveys the [[Wikipedia:Hagiography|hagiographic]] nativity of [[Garab Dorje]] as well as briefly contextualizes his mother (a [[bhikṣuṇī]] whose [[sadhana]] was [[Outer Tantras|Yoga tantra]]) and her [[parents]];  
 +
 
 +
the [[dream]] holds the [[vase]] of the [[Astamangala]], the '[[Trailokya|threefold world]]', '[[Three Vajras|oṃ  ā  hūṃ]]' and [[svāhā]]:
 +
 
 +
 
 +
:    The [[Lord of Secrets]] ([[gSang-ba'i-bdag-po]]) instructed the [[Holders of Wisdom]] ([[Rig-'dsin]]) in [[Dhanakośa]] in [[Uḍḍiyāna]] the contemporary {{Wiki|Swat valley}}.
 +
 
 +
There was a large [[temple]], called [[bDe-byed-brtsegs-pa]]; it was surrounded by 1608 smaller chapels. {{Wiki|King}} [[Uparāja]], and {{Wiki|Queen}} [[sNang-ba-gsal-ba'i-od-ldan-ma]] resided there.
 +
 
 +
They had a daughter called [[Sudharmā]]; she took the [[novice]] [[vows]], and soon afterwards the full [[monastic]] [[vows]].
 +
 
 +
[[Sudharmā]], together with her maidens, stayed on an [[island]] and [[meditated]] about the [[Yoga Tantra]] ([[rnal-'byor-gyi rgyud]]).
 +
 
 +
One night the [[Bhikṣuṇī]] [[Sudharmā]] dreamed that a white man had come, who was utterly [[pure]] and beautiful.
 +
 
 +
He held a {{Wiki|crystal}} vessel in his hand which had the letters [[oṃ ā hūṃ svāhā]] engraved upon it.
 +
 
 +
Three times he set the vessel upon the {{Wiki|crown}} of her head, and [[Light]] then shone from it.
 +
 
 +
While this happened, she beheld the threefold [[World]] perfectly and clearly. Not long after this [[dream]] the [[Bhikṣuṇī]] gave [[birth]] to a true son of the [[gods]].
  
:    The [[Lord of Secrets]] ([[gSang-ba'i-bdag-po]]) instructed the [[Holders of Wisdom]] ([[Rig-'dsin]]) in [[Dhanakośa]] in [[Uḍḍiyāna]] the contemporary {{Wiki|Swat valley}}. There was a large [[temple]], called [[bDe-byed-brtsegs-pa]]; it was surrounded by 1608 smaller chapels. {{Wiki|King}} [[Uparāja]], and {{Wiki|Queen}} [[sNang-ba-gsal-ba'i-od-ldan-ma]] resided there. They had a daughter called [[Sudharmā]]; she took the [[novice]] [[vows]], and soon afterwards the full [[monastic]] [[vows]]. [[Sudharmā]], together with her maidens, stayed on an [[island]] and [[meditated]] about the [[Yoga Tantra]] ([[rnal-'byor-gyi rgyud]]). One night the [[Bhikṣuṇī]] [[Sudharmā]] dreamed that a white man had come, who was utterly [[pure]] and beautiful. He held a {{Wiki|crystal}} vessel in his hand which had the letters [[oṃ ā hūṃ svāhā]] engraved upon it. Three times he set the vessel upon the {{Wiki|crown}} of her head, and [[Light]] then shone from it. While this happened, she beheld the threefold [[World]] perfectly and clearly. Not long after this [[dream]] the [[Bhikṣuṇī]] gave [[birth]] to a true son of the [[gods]].
 
  
 
==Testament of [[Prahevajra]]==
 
==Testament of [[Prahevajra]]==
  
Upon his [[Death]], [[Prahevajra]] imparted his last testament to [[Manjushrimitra]]. These three [[precepts]]n as the "[[Three Words that Strike to the Heart of the Essential Point]]" or [[Tsig Sum Nèdek]] ([[Wylie]]: [[tshig gSum gNad brDeg]]) summarize the whole of the [[Dzogchen]] teachings:
+
 
 +
Upon his [[Death]], [[Prahevajra]] imparted his last testament to [[Manjushrimitra]].  
 +
 
 +
These three [[precepts]]n as the "[[Three Words that Strike to the Heart of the Essential Point]]" or [[Tsig Sum Nèdek]] ([[Wylie]]: [[tshig gSum gNad brDeg]]) summarize the whole of the [[Dzogchen]] teachings:
  
 
*    One is introduced directly to one's [[true nature]] '''or''' "[[Direct Introduction]]." ([[Wylie]]: [[ngo rang thog tu sPrad]])
 
*    One is introduced directly to one's [[true nature]] '''or''' "[[Direct Introduction]]." ([[Wylie]]: [[ngo rang thog tu sPrad]])
 
*    One attains {{Wiki|certainty}} about this [[natural state]] '''or''' "[[Remaining without Doubt]]." ([[Wylie]]: [[thag gCig thog dug Cad]])
 
*    One attains {{Wiki|certainty}} about this [[natural state]] '''or''' "[[Remaining without Doubt]]." ([[Wylie]]: [[thag gCig thog dug Cad]])
 
*    One continues with [[confidence]] in [[Liberation]] '''or''' "[[Continuing in the non-dual state]]." ([[Wylie]]: [[gDengs grol thog du ’cha]]’)
 
*    One continues with [[confidence]] in [[Liberation]] '''or''' "[[Continuing in the non-dual state]]." ([[Wylie]]: [[gDengs grol thog du ’cha]]’)
 +
  
 
==[[Primary]] & secondary resources==
 
==[[Primary]] & secondary resources==
 +
  
 
*    [http://www.scribd.com/doc/8301525/The-Golden-Letters The Golden Letters by Vajranatha @ Scribd]
 
*    [http://www.scribd.com/doc/8301525/The-Golden-Letters The Golden Letters by Vajranatha @ Scribd]
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==Writings==
 
==Writings==
  
Though not his writings the [[tradition]] holds that the [[Seventeen Tantras]] were directly revealed to [[Garab Dorje]]. The following texts are attributed to[[ Garab Dorje]]:
+
Though not his writings the [[tradition]] holds that the [[Seventeen Tantras]] were directly revealed to [[Garab Dorje]].  
 +
 
 +
The following texts are attributed to[[ Garab Dorje]]:
  
 
*    "[[Cutting Through the Three Times]]" ([[Tibetan]]: {{BigTibetan|[[དུས་གསུམ་ཆིག་ཆོད]]}}, [[Wylie]]: [[dus gsum chig chod]])
 
*    "[[Cutting Through the Three Times]]" ([[Tibetan]]: {{BigTibetan|[[དུས་གསུམ་ཆིག་ཆོད]]}}, [[Wylie]]: [[dus gsum chig chod]])
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*    "[[Vajra Fortress]]" ([[Tibetan]]: {{BigTibetan|[[རྡོ་རྗེ་མཁར་རྫོང]]}}, [[Wylie]]: [[rdo rje mkhar rdzong]])
 
*    "[[Vajra Fortress]]" ([[Tibetan]]: {{BigTibetan|[[རྡོ་རྗེ་མཁར་རྫོང]]}}, [[Wylie]]: [[rdo rje mkhar rdzong]])
 
*    "[[Deep Immersion in Awareness]]" ([[Tibetan]]: {{BigTibetan|[[རིག་པ་སྤྱི་བླུགས]]}}, [[Wylie]]: [[Rig pa spyi blugs]])
 
*    "[[Deep Immersion in Awareness]]" ([[Tibetan]]: {{BigTibetan|[[རིག་པ་སྤྱི་བླུགས]]}}, [[Wylie]]: [[Rig pa spyi blugs]])
 +
  
 
==Famous Quotes==
 
==Famous Quotes==
 +
 +
 
{| class="wikitable" style="color:black;background-color:#f7f7e7;" cellspacing="5" border="0" text-align:left,top"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="color:black;background-color:#f7f7e7;" cellspacing="5" border="0" text-align:left,top"
 
|+
 
|+
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:It has neither [[birth]] nor [[cessation]], like [[space]].
 
:It has neither [[birth]] nor [[cessation]], like [[space]].
 
:When you realize the {{Wiki|real}} meaning of the {{Wiki|equal}} [[nature]] of all things,
 
:When you realize the {{Wiki|real}} meaning of the {{Wiki|equal}} [[nature]] of all things,
 +
 
:To remain in that [[state]] without searching<ref>Zenkar [[Rinpoche]] says that the text has a variant reading, {{BigTibetan|[[མ་བརྩོལ་]]}} meaning “without [[effort]].” However both mean without [[mental]] [[fabrication]] or manipulation.</ref> is [[meditation]].  
 
:To remain in that [[state]] without searching<ref>Zenkar [[Rinpoche]] says that the text has a variant reading, {{BigTibetan|[[མ་བརྩོལ་]]}} meaning “without [[effort]].” However both mean without [[mental]] [[fabrication]] or manipulation.</ref> is [[meditation]].  
  
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===Three Statements===
+
===[[Three Statements]]===
 +
 
 +
 
 
{{BigTibetan|[[ངོ་རང་ཐོག་ཏུ་སྤྲད། །]]<br />
 
{{BigTibetan|[[ངོ་རང་ཐོག་ཏུ་སྤྲད། །]]<br />
 
[[ཐག་གཅིག་ཐོག་ཏུ་བཅད། །]]<br />
 
[[ཐག་གཅིག་ཐོག་ཏུ་བཅད། །]]<br />
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::            [[Garab Dorje]], [[Hitting the Essence in Three Words]]  
 
::            [[Garab Dorje]], [[Hitting the Essence in Three Words]]  
 +
  
 
===[[Rigpa]] & [[Dharmakaya]]===
 
===[[Rigpa]] & [[Dharmakaya]]===
 +
 
{{BigTibetan|[[གདོད་ནས་དག་པ་དབྱིངས་ཀྱི་ངང་ཉིད་ལས། །]]<br />
 
{{BigTibetan|[[གདོད་ནས་དག་པ་དབྱིངས་ཀྱི་ངང་ཉིད་ལས། །]]<br />
 
[[རིག་པ་ཐོལ་སྐྱེས་སྐད་ཅིག་དྲན་པ་དེ། །]]<br />
 
[[རིག་པ་ཐོལ་སྐྱེས་སྐད་ཅིག་དྲན་པ་དེ། །]]<br />
 
[[རྒྱ་མཚོའི་གཏིང་ནས་ནོར་བུ་རྙེད་པ་འདྲ། །]]<br />
 
[[རྒྱ་མཚོའི་གཏིང་ནས་ནོར་བུ་རྙེད་པ་འདྲ། །]]<br />
 
[[སུས་ཀྱང་མ་བཅོས་མ་བྱས་ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ། །]]<br />}}
 
[[སུས་ཀྱང་མ་བཅོས་མ་བྱས་ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ། །]]<br />}}
 +
 
"When, from out of the [[primordially pure]] [[Dharmadhatu]],<br />
 
"When, from out of the [[primordially pure]] [[Dharmadhatu]],<br />
 
Suddenly [[Rigpa]] arises, and with it there is an instantaneous [[recognition]], it is<br />
 
Suddenly [[Rigpa]] arises, and with it there is an instantaneous [[recognition]], it is<br />

Revision as of 18:09, 29 September 2015

Garab Dorje

Garab Dorje (Fl. 55 CE) (Tibetan:དགའ་རབ་རྡོ་རྗེ་, Wylie: dga’ rab rdo rje) 9Skt. Prahevajra (Pramodavajra/Surativajra) was the semi-historical first human teacher of the Ati Yoga (Tib. Dzogchen) or Great Perfection teachings according to Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Prior to Prahevajra, the Nyingma hold that the Dzogchen teachings had been expounded only in celestial realms and the pure lands (Sanskrit: śuddhanivāsa) of the Buddhas, Devas and Nāgas.

The Bonpo have a different view of the entry of Dzogchen into the lineages of humanity.

The incarnation of Semlhag Chen, a god who earlier had been empowered by the buddhas.

Garab Dorje means 'Indestructible joy' Garab Dorje (6th century BCE-second century CE) (Pramoda Vajra, Ga-rang Duo-jie Sheng-xi Jin-gang, dga’ rab rdo rje): Born in Uddiyana, the birthplace of Master Padmasambhava.

Received the Great Perfection dharma directly from Vajrasattva Mahasattva and Vajrapani Bodhisattva, which he transmitted to Master Manjushrimitra and Guru Padmasambhava. Wrote Golden Letters.


The lineage of Dzogchen, unbroken to the present day, is traced from the dharmakaya Samantabhadra (‘Kuntuzangpo’ in Tibetan) to the sambhogakaya, represented by the five buddha families and Vajrasattva, and then to the first human master Garab Dorje.

It then passed to Mañjushrimitra.

At the time of his parinirvana, Garab Dorje ascended into the sky and dissolved into rainbow light.


Whereupon Garab Dorje was moved, and his hand reappeared, in which was a small golden casket, the size of a thumbnail, containing the teaching of Hitting the Essence in Three Words, which he let fall into the hand of Mañjushrimitra.

As soon as he received it, his mind became the same as the wisdom mind of his master Garab Dorje.


Nomenclature, orthography and etymology

Garab dorje00.jpg

Garab Dorje or Garap Dorje is the only attested name.

The Sanskrit offerings are reconstructions. No Sanskrit name has been found in a colophon to attest to historicity.

That said, Germano (1992: p.4) cited "Vajraprahe" in the "Direct Consequence of Sound Tantra" within the Nyingma Gyubum (NGB1 24,1) and goes on to state in the same work that John Myrdhin Reynolds (1989, 2000 revised) reverses the two words in the contraction in his translation and analysis of a section of the Bardo Thodol from Tibetan into English, specifically the Rig pa ngo sprod gcer mthong rang grol (Wylie) where he employs "Prahevajra".


Germano (1992: p.4) holds that Reynolds lexical choice of "Prahevajra" was informed by a Mantra of a short Guru Yoga text by Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro (c.1893-1959).

Prahevajra or Pramodavajra (Tibetan: Garab Dorje, Tibetan: དགའ་རབ་རྡོ་རྗེ་, Wylie: dga’ rab rdo rje; Sanskrit: Prahevajra or Pramodavajra)


Detail

Garabdordje 12.gif

According to Tibetan Buddhism, Prahevajra transmitted the teachings to Manjushrimitra, who was regarded as his chief Disciple.

Padmasambhava is also known to have received the transmission of the Dzogchen Tantras directly from Garab Dorje.

Prahevajra received the Empowerment and transmission of the Mahayoga teachings of the Secret Matrix Tradition (Guhyagarbha Tantra) from Mahasiddha Kukuraja.


Birth

Garabdorje gr.jpg

Born (as son of Su-dharmā, island-dwelling daughter of king Upa-rāja of Dhana-koṣa) in the land of Uddiyana, also the birthplace of Padmasambhava, Prahevajra is said to have received all the Tantras, scriptures and oral instructions of Dzogchen directly from Vajrasattva and Vajrapani.

Alternatively, his mother is named as Pāraņī, and located on the banks of lake Kutra.

Dargyay, et al. (1977, 1998: p. 19) conveys the hagiographic nativity of Garab Dorje as well as briefly contextualizes his mother (a bhikṣuṇī whose sadhana was Yoga tantra) and her parents;

the dream holds the vase of the Astamangala, the 'threefold world', 'oṃ ā hūṃ' and svāhā:


The Lord of Secrets (gSang-ba'i-bdag-po) instructed the Holders of Wisdom (Rig-'dsin) in Dhanakośa in Uḍḍiyāna the contemporary Swat valley.

There was a large temple, called bDe-byed-brtsegs-pa; it was surrounded by 1608 smaller chapels. King Uparāja, and Queen sNang-ba-gsal-ba'i-od-ldan-ma resided there.

They had a daughter called Sudharmā; she took the novice vows, and soon afterwards the full monastic vows.

Sudharmā, together with her maidens, stayed on an island and meditated about the Yoga Tantra (rnal-'byor-gyi rgyud).

One night the Bhikṣuṇī Sudharmā dreamed that a white man had come, who was utterly pure and beautiful.

He held a crystal vessel in his hand which had the letters oṃ ā hūṃ svāhā engraved upon it.

Three times he set the vessel upon the crown of her head, and Light then shone from it.

While this happened, she beheld the threefold World perfectly and clearly. Not long after this dream the Bhikṣuṇī gave birth to a true son of the gods.


Testament of Prahevajra

Upon his Death, Prahevajra imparted his last testament to Manjushrimitra.

These three preceptsn as the "Three Words that Strike to the Heart of the Essential Point" or Tsig Sum Nèdek (Wylie: tshig gSum gNad brDeg) summarize the whole of the Dzogchen teachings:


Primary & secondary resources

Writings

Though not his writings the tradition holds that the Seventeen Tantras were directly revealed to Garab Dorje.

The following texts are attributed toGarab Dorje:


Famous Quotes

Mind’s nature is and always has been Buddha.
It has neither birth nor cessation, like space.
When you realize the real meaning of the equal nature of all things,
To remain in that state without searching[1] is meditation.
༈ སེམས་ཀྱི་རང་བཞིན་ཡེ་ནས་བུདྡྷ་སྟེ༔
སེམས་ལ་སྐྱེ་འགག་མེད་པ་ནམ་མཁའ་འདྲ༔
ཆོས་ཀུན་མཉམ་ཉིད་ཡང་དག་དོན་རྟོགས་ནས༔
དེ་ཉིད་མ་བཙལ་བཞག་ན་སྒོམ་པ་ཡིན༔


Three Statements

ངོ་རང་ཐོག་ཏུ་སྤྲད། །
ཐག་གཅིག་ཐོག་ཏུ་བཅད། །
གདེང་གྲོལ་ཐོག་ཏུ་བཅའ། །
Introducing directly the face of rigpa in itself,
Decide upon one thing and one thing only,
Confidence directly in the liberation of rising thoughts.

Garab Dorje, Hitting the Essence in Three Words
Garab Dorje, Hitting the Essence in Three Words


Rigpa & Dharmakaya

གདོད་ནས་དག་པ་དབྱིངས་ཀྱི་ངང་ཉིད་ལས། །
རིག་པ་ཐོལ་སྐྱེས་སྐད་ཅིག་དྲན་པ་དེ། །
རྒྱ་མཚོའི་གཏིང་ནས་ནོར་བུ་རྙེད་པ་འདྲ། །
སུས་ཀྱང་མ་བཅོས་མ་བྱས་ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ། །

"When, from out of the primordially pure Dharmadhatu,
Suddenly Rigpa arises, and with it there is an instantaneous recognition, it is
Like finding a precious jewel in the depths of the ocean,
No-one has created it - it is just the Dharmakaya".

Garab Dorje


Footnotes

  1. Zenkar Rinpoche says that the text has a variant reading, མ་བརྩོལ་ meaning “without effort.” However both mean without mental fabrication or manipulation.

Source

rigpawiki.org