The life of Tapihritsa
Not much is known of the life of Tapihritsa, as was the case also with his predecessors in the Zhang-zhung lineage. He was, however, born in Zhang-zhung or Northern Tibet sometime in the seventh century when Zhang-zhung was still an independent kingdom. At this time the provinces of Central Tibet (dbus-gtsang) were already under the rule of the Yarlung dynasty of Tibet. It is widely recorded in later Tibetan histories, but also in the Tun Huang documents, that the first Buddhist king of Tibet, Songtsan Gampo (627-649), conquered Ligmigya, the king of Zhang-zhung, apparently making him into a vassal without permanently occupying the country. Then it is reported that, over a century later, during the reign of the greatest Buddhist king of Tibet, Trisong Detsan, the Tibetans killed in ambush the last Ligmigya king of Zhang-zhung and the Tibetan armies moved into occupy the country to the west. Thereupon the native Zhang-zhung-pas were pressed into service as porters for the Tibetan forces as they moved further westward into Baltistan and Gilgit and northward into Central Asia.
It was especially from the master Tsepung Dawa Gyaltsan (Tshe-spungs zla-ba rgyal-mtshan) that Tapihritsa received all four cycles of precepts from the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud, and, in particular, the Experiential Transmission (nyams-rgyud) from the twenty-four previous masters. According to the tradition, it is said that some portions of the Four Cycles of Precepts (bka'-rgyud bzhi skor) may be taught to any suitable disciple or group of disciples, but certain other exceedingly secret instructions and Upadeshas are restricted in their disclosure to a single disciple within the master's lifetime. This latter is known as the Single Transmission Lineage (gcig brgyud).
The master examined the marks of his young disciple, which were outer, inner, and secret, over the course of a three year probationary period in order to determine whether or not he was a suitable vessel for the full and complete transmission. Moreover, the permission of the guardian deities of the tradition had to be sought by the master by way of divination, omens, dreams, and visions, before the transmission could be granted. Otherwise, there might be dire consequences. Then, when the transmission did actually occur, the master whispered the secret oral instructions of Upadeshas (man-ngag) into the ear of his disciple through a long bamboo tube, so that the local spirits and deities in the vicinity might not inadvertently overhear these instructions. When both the requisite signs have appeared and there existed the permission of the guardian deities, then there remained no excuse for the disciple not to enter into retreat. Going into such a closed retreat (mtshams-bcad), cutting oneself off from the rest of the world, the disciple practiced there in an isolated site, such as a cave or rock shelter, until the signs of success (grub rtags) in practice appeared.
Having received the transmissions for both the Four Cycles of Precepts and for the Meditation Experiences of the previous masters, Tapihritsa retired to a cave at the mountain of the lion rock of Tagthab (stag-thabs seng-ge'i brag) that lay to the east of Mount Kailas in Northern Tibet. Most of his twenty-four predecessors in the lineage had also made their retreats in this same region. Living alone in this cave, Tapihritsa practiced in silence for nine years. Finally, through his practice of the Clear Light, otherwise known as Thodgal, he attained the Rainbow Body of the Great Transfer, leaving no remnant of his material body behind in the cave. His later miraculous appearances to his disciples, such as Gyerpungpa and Yungdrung Gyaltsan, were due to the fact that he had realized this Rainbow Body of the Great Transfer, and so he possessed the capacity to manifest to his disciples, or to anyone else, in whatever form was suitable to the circumstances.
The Hagiography of Ponchen Taphritsa
Firstly, with respect to the history of the great master Tapihritsa who was the disciple of the previous master (Tsepung Dawa Gyaltsan), there are five considerations:
First, his father was Rasang Lugyal (Ra-sangs klu-rgyal) and his mother was Sherigsal (Shes-rig-gsal). When he was born as their son, he was given the name of Tapihritsa, which means "king" in the Zhan-zhung language just as the word rgyal-po does in the Tibetan language.
Second, because he possessed both ripened karma and good fortune, he met masters who would show him great kindness. He requested the Bon teachings from his father Rasang Lugyal and then from the great master Ponchen Rasang. In particular, when he came into contact with the Lineage of the Twenty-Four August Persons, he requested the complete Experiential Transmission, as well as the Transmission of the Precepts for Dzogchen from Tsepung Dawa Gyaltsan.
Third, he resided for some time relying upon a very special place (for the practice of meditation). In particular, he practiced ascetic conduct at the lion rock of Tagthab (stag-thabs). For nine years he practiced there uninterruptedly without speaking to anyone.
Fourth, as for the signs of his realization and his virtuous qualities that he attained during his lifetime, having realized all siddhis without exception, those which were both ordinary and supreme, he ultimately attained Buddhahood in the Body of Light without leaving any remainder of his material body behind.
Fifth, an understanding (of the Natural State) that was extraordinary became manifest within him. The realization of the Dharmakaya having become manifest for his own benefit, he thereupon emanated himself in the form of the one called Tapiradza in the Zhang-zhung language, that is to say, as a Nirmanakaya he acted for the benefit of others. He emanated himself in the guise of a young boy who embodied the Gnosis of Omniscience (for the benefit of his disciple Gyerpungpa) and, moreover, he emanated various different divine forms or bodies in an unpredictable manner elsewhere. Thereby he brought about immediately liberation in the mind-streams of his fortunate disciples and they in turn came to manifest various virtuous qualities. This brief account is all weare told about the life of Tapihritsa.
detail form John Myrdhin Reynolds - Vajranatha
