Shri Singha
Shri Singha was born into a good family in Sokhyam somewhere in Chinese Central Asia. In his youth he studied with the Acharya Haribhala and after three years he was an accomplished scholar. Then the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara appeared to him, and advised him that if he really wanted to attain Buddhahood he should go to the Sosaling cremation ground in India. But Sri Singha procrastinated, thinking that first he should study the Chinese system. So he went to Manjushri's Wutaishan abode in Szeshuan in China proper and there he became a Bhiksu for thirty years and studied the tantras. Then Avalokiteshvara again appeared to him, and gave him the same advice. By virtue of his accomplishment as an Awarene-Holder, Shri Singha then speed-walked to the Sosaling cremation ground, and there he met Manjushrimitra, who accepted him as his disciple and gave him his entire Dzogchen instruction over twenty-five years. When Manjushrimitra achieved a body of light Shri Singha received the master's final testament and meditating with those instructions he realized the essential meaning of Dzogchen.
Shri Singha was able to withdraw the texts Manjushrimitra had hidden in the rock near Bodhgaya and divided the Secret Precept series of instruction into outer, inner, secret and uttermost secret cycles, graduated according to the heightening lack of conceptual elaboration. These four were to be accessed through the four Dzogchen empowerments - elaborate, simple, very simple and most simple. Upon his return to China he hid the first three cycles, which all had some degree of conceptual content, in the pinnacle chamber of the Bodhi Tree temple, and according to indications from the Dakinis the final cycle in a pillar in the Auspicious Temple. He then retired to the Silying cremation ground where he stayed in meditation and taught the demonic beings who honoured him.
Shri Singha's primary meditation activity was to live in cremation grounds transforming himself into the various forms through which he could teach, fearlessly playing with the Dakinis and evil spirits. His disciples were Vimalamitra and Jnanasutra. Finally, on his way from the Bodhi Tree Temple to visit the King of Khotan he achieved rainbow body and gave his last testament to Jnanasutra.
