Uhhuu
The translations presented here all relate to the practice of Dzogchen according to the ancient Bonpo tradition of Tibet known as the Zhang zhung Nyan-gyud, "the Oral Transmission from Zhang-zhung." In a previous volume, The Oral Transmission from Zhang-zhung, I have dealt with the history of the transmission of this lineage of Dzogchen teachings and practices from the remote land of Zhang-zhung, which once lay in what is now Western and Northern Tibet. As a written tradition, these teachings and practices are said to go back at least to the 8th century of our era, coming from the enlightened master Tapihritsa
and transmitted to
his disciple
Gyerpung Nangzher Lodpo, who was given permission to write them down for the first time. This transmission represents a continuous and uninterrupted lineage from that early times to the present. However, the collection known as the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud is not set out specifically for practice. Nevertheless, we are fortunate to possess a practice manual or handbook (phyag-khrid) prepared by a 13th century master of the tradition who was also the abbot of Yeru Wensakha monastery (fd. 1072), namely Druchen Gyalwa Yungdrung (1242-1290). This manual, which is named after its author, opens with Book One dealing with the preliminary practices for Dzogchen, which I have translated elsewhere as the Appendix found in The Oral Tradition from Zhang
zhung. Included here in this volume are the translations of Book
The Practice of Dzogchen in the Zhang-Zhung Tradition of T1bet
Two dealing with the practices of Trekchod and Thodgal, and Book T hree consisting of four supplementary texts dealing with the view, meditation, conduct, and fruit of Dzogchen. Also included in Part Two of this volume is a translation of the instructions for making a forty nine day dark retreat according to the Zhang-zhung tradition, a text known as The Seven-fold Cycle of the Clear Light. Although included in the published Tibetan collection, this text was not composed by the above author. In this tradition from Zhang-zhung, the practice of vision, or what is called elsewhere Thodgal, is known here as Clear Light practice ('od-gsal). But in order to enter into the practice of vision, it is first necessary to become stable in the practice of the Natural State (gnas-lugs), or the state of contemplation (mnyam bzhag), which characterised by the presence of Rigpa, or intrinsic awareness. Otherwise, one's practice will be no better than watching television and the practitioner remains in one's impure karmic vision. It is with some trepidation that these translations are presented here for publication. One cannot successfully practice the advanced methods of Dzogchen known as the dark retreat, sky meditation, and sunlight practice without the guidance of an accomplished master of Dzogchen. After the initial practice of fixation of the mind on a visible object, or what is generally known as shamatha meditation (zhi-gnas), the practitioner must receive from the master a direct introduction (rig-pa ngo-sprod), where the Natural State of the Nature of Mind is pointed out in one's immediate experience here and now. Nevertheless, Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak, and other Bonpo Lamas have been teaching their tradition for sometime to interested Western practitioners. Thus, there exists a real need for an English translation of the source texts. This is in accordance with the advice given in a vision by the goddess Sidpai Gyalmo, the special guardian to the Bonpo Dzochen tradition, to Lopon Sangye Tenzin (1928-1977) many years ago. The goddess warned that if the teachings and practices of Dzogchen were not made more widely available, the tradition would die out within a generation or two. It was Lopon Sangye Tenzin who was singularly responsible for reviving the teaching and practice of the
Preface
Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud tradition at Menri monastery in T ibet, and later in India, whereas at the time the A-tri system of Dzogchen (A khrid) was largely practiced. Of course, detailed explanations of the practices must be had from a qualified Lama. T hese translations were done over a period of time under the guidance and instruction of Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak (LTN), beginning with the dark retreat text in 1989 during the Lopon's first visit to America. It is the translator's hope that these translations will prove useful to serious Western practitioners of the Bonpo Dzogchen tradition that comes from the ancient land of Zhang-zhung. MU-TSUG SMAR-RO!
Triten Norbutse Bonpo Monastery Kathmandu, Nepal November 2011.
Part ONE The Practice Manual for the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud
The Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung As will be explained in the introduction, part of which is also found in a previous book, [ 1] the Gyalwa Chaktri represents a practice manual for the Bonpo tradition of Dzogchen known as the Zhang zhung Nyan-gyud. This is one of the four principal transmissions of Dzogchen within Bon, namely, 1.
The Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud (zhang-zung snyan-rgyud), or "the
The A-tri
Oral Transmission from Zhang-zhung," (A-khrid),
or
"the
Guiding
Explanation for the
Primordial State," drawn from the Gabpa Gukor (gab-pa dgu skor), "the Nine Cycles of Secrets," 3.
The Dzogchen Yangtse Longchen (rdzogs-chen yang-rtse klong chen), "The Great Perfection from the Highest Peak of the Great Vast Expanse," drawn from the Dragpa Korsum (bsgrags-pa skor gsum), "the Three Proclamations," and
4.
The Yetri Thasel (ye-khri mtha' -sel), or "Removing Liminations from the Primordial State," and its commentary, the Namkha
Thrul-dzod (nam-mkha' 'phrul mdzod), "the Magical Treasury of the Sky."
41
The Pract1ce of Dzogchen 1n the Zhang-Zhung Tradition of Tibet
The latter three transmissions represent Termas, or hidden treasure texts, that were concealed at one time in the past during a time of persecution and were rediscovered in a later age. In the Nyingmapa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, such rediscovered texts are of singular importance, most of them being attributed to Guru Padmasambhava who visited Tibet in the 8th century. It is said that the teachings found in these Terma texts were meant for later generations and these Nyingmapa Terma began to be rediscovered in the 11th century in Tibet and Bhutan. Two of the above Bonpo transmissions were also said to have been concealed in the 8th century by the masters Dranpa Namkha and Lishu Tagring respectively, who were contemporaries of Padmasambhava. The concealing of these texts was due to the persecution of Bon by the Central Tibetan government under king Trisong Detsan. However, the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud represents a a continuous transmission of an oral tradition (snyan-rgyud), also going back in its original written for to the 8th century of our era, coming from the country of Zhang-zhung, which lay in what is now Northern and Western Tibet. These texts are said to represent the teachings of the master Tapihritsa, who attained Buddha enlightenment in the 7th century in Northern Tibet, manifesting the Rainbow Body of the Great Transfer [2], and who transmitted the teachings to his disciple Gyerpung Nangzher Lodpo (gyer-spungs snang-bzher lod-po) in the next century. This master was also a contemporary of Padmasambhava and the Tibetan king Trisong Detsan. Thus,
this transmissions
represents what is called by the Nyingmapa tradition, Kama (bka' -rna), or a continuous transmission without interruption from the earliest times, and is, therefore, of singular importance for research into the question of the historical origins of Dzogchen. [3] The texts in question are found in the two divisions of this tradition: 1.
the Precepts Transmission (bka' -rgyud) and
2.
the Experiential Transmission (nyams-rgyud). The first collection is said to represent the Dzogchen precepts
originally communicated by the master Tapihritsa to his disciple Gyerpung Nangzher Lodpo, whereas the second collection is said to be the teachings of the various masters in the lineage of transmission drawn from their own personal experiences in meditation.
Introduction
Is
However, these two collections are not in themselves arranged in a very systematic and progressive order, but deal with various different topics pertaining to the view of Dzogchen and its practice in meditation.
In general, the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud may be
classified as Dzogchen Upadesha, or Mangagide (man-ngag gi sde), in terms of the usual Nyingmapa classification. These Upadeshas, or secret oral instructions, are said to represent the very words of the enlightened master Tapihritsa delivered on a number of occasions to his disciple Nangzher Lodpo at the Darok lake in Northern Tibet. [4] Prior to Tapihritsa, the transmission of the Dzogchen precepts were said to be entirely oral. They directly originated from the Primordial Buddha Kuntu Zangpo himself, the Dharmakaya Buddha, and then were communicated to the Sambhogakaya Buddha, Shenlha Odkar, and from him to the Nirmanakaya Buddha, Tonpa Shenrab. [5] This process represents the Direct Mind-to-Mind Transmission of the Buddhas (rgyal-ba dgongs-rgyud) without recourse to any words. Then the transmission proceeded through a line of twenty-four masters, all of whom attained the Rainbow Body of Light [6] at the end of their lives. This process represented the Symbolic Transmission of the V idyadharas (rig-'dzin brda-rgyud), because this entailed very few words and the transmission was mainly through signs and symbols. Finally, we have the Oral Transmission to Various Persons (gang-zag snyan-rgyud) when Tapihritsa communicated the Dzogchen Precepts to Nangzher Lodpo using many words. Moreover, he gave permission to Nangzher Lodpo to write down these precepts for the first time, in this case in the Zhang-zhung language on pieces of wood, paper at this time being largely unknown. In the next century the precepts where translated by Panchen Tsanpo (dpon-chen btsan-po) into the Tibetan language for his two Tibetan disciples. [7] The lineages for the Precepts Transmission and the Experiential Transmission then split apart for a time, but then they were collected and recombined by Yangton Sherab Gyaltsan of Dolpo in the 11th century, who was largely responsible for the collection in its present form. This Zhang-zhung tradition was preserved over the centuries at Yeru Wensakha monastery and thereafter at its successor, Tashi Menri monastery, in Tsang province in Central Tibet. [8] After the Bonpo Lamas fled Tibet following the completion of the Chinese Communist occupation in 1959, Lopon Tenzin Namdak re-established Menri monastery at Dolanji in Himachal Pradesh, India. Prior to this re-
The Practice of Dzogchen in the Zhang-Zhung Tradlt1on of Tibet
establishment, the A-tri system of Dzogchen practice was mainly taught and practiced at Menri. It was Lopon Sangye Tenzin (slob-dpon sangs-rgyas bstan-'dzin, 1928-1977) who was singularly responsible for reviving the teaching and practice of the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud. His principal disciple, Lopon Tenzin Namdak then began transmitting this tradition of Dzogchen to the West, in both Europe and America, beginning in in 1989. [9]
Druchen Gyalwa Yungdrung Although the texts found in this Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud collection are arranged into the four cycles of outer, inner, secret, and exceedingly secret corresponding to the view, the meditation, the conduct, and the fruit respectively, this arrangement is in fact not well suited to the actual practice of Dzogchen. This is because the texts in question deal with a variety of topics, more in terms of theoretical matters, rather than in terms of systematic practice. We must look elsewhere for that and fortunately there does exist a thirteenth century practice manual and commentary on the Dzogchen system of the Zhang-zhung Nyan gyud. This latter collection is known as the sNyan-rgyud rgyal-ba'i
phyag-khrid and was written by the illustrious Bonpo master belonging to the Dru family, Druchen Gyalwa Yungdrung. [10] Druchen Gyalwa Yungdrung (Bru-chen rgyal-ba g.yung-drung) was born into the Dru clan at Yeru Wensakha (g.yas-ru'i dben-sa kha) in Central Tibet in 1242. The Bonpo monastery bearing the same name, which was under the control and patronage of the Dru clan throughout its history, was founded by his ancestor, Druchen Yungdrung Lama (Bru-chen g.yung-drung bla-ma) in 1072. [11] It was destroyed in a devastating flood in the fourteenth century, whereafter it was rebuilt by Nyammed Sherab Gyaltsan (mNyam-med shes-rab rgyal-mtshan) and renamed Tashi Menri (bkra-shis sman-ri). Before its destruction, Yeru Wensakha became the greatest seat of Bonpo learning in Central Tibet, most of its abbots being drawn from the Dru family. According to family legend, the clan possessed this name because it originally came to Tsang province in Central Tibet from a country to the west known as Drusha (Bru-sha). Moreover, Yungdrung Lama's grandfather, Drusha Namkha Yungdrung (Bru-sha nam-mkha' g.yung-drung), [12] the patriarch of the clan, had been a disciple of the illustrious Shenchen Luga (gShen-chen klu-dga').
It was this Shenchen Luga who discovered in 1017 two large wooden boxes containing Bonpo texts, which had been buried near the ancestral seat of the Shen clan, of which he was a descendent. [13] It was principally this discovery that lead to the revival of Bon in Central Tibet in the eleventh century, this being similar in character to the revival of the Nyingmapas which occurred at the same time. In part, this renaissance was a reaction to the development of the Sarmapa, or New Tantra schools of Buddhism, that were inspired by the translation of Tantric texts recently brought out of India, many of them previously unknown in Tibet. [14] Shenchen Luga commissioned Namkha Yungdrung, together with the latter's son, to copy and record the philosophical texts (mtshan-nyid) that he had recovered from this buried library of the Shen clan, which had reportedly been concealed in the eighth century at the time of the persecution of the Bonpos by the Central Tibetan government. This large collection of hidden treasure texts became widely known as the System of the Southern Treasures (lho gter lugs). Prominent among these texts was that of the Bonpo cosmological work, the Srid-pa'i mdzod-phug, "the Source Treasury of Existence," which is extant as a root text in both Zhang-zhung and Tibetan versions. [15] The commentary to this root text, discovered at the same time, was by the eighth century Bonpo master Dranpa Namkha (Dran-pa nam-mkha'), also known to the Nyingmapa tradition, where he is made into a disciple of Padmasambhava. [16] Contained in this collection of rediscovered texts were also the Khams-chen, the large collection of the Bonpo redaction of the Prajnaparamita Sutras in sixteen volumes, and the Gab-pa dgu skor, also known as the Sems phran sde bdun, an important collection of Dzogchen texts closely related to the Zhang zhung Nyan-gyud. Thus, it was recorded in the Bonpo histories that the Dru lineage became pre-eminant in the transmission of the Bonpo philosophical tradition. [17] Druchen Namkha Yungdrung himself wrote a commentary on the Srid-pa'i mdzod-phug and his son, Khyunggi Gyaltsan (Khyung gi rgyal-mtshan), also wrote a commentary that established the philosophical and exegetical tradition of this lineage. Both father and son had listened to Shenchen expound the philosophy and cosmology of the Srid-pa'i mdzod-phug, which represents a kind of Bonpo Abhidharma text. [18] Possessing a brilliant intellect, even at a young age Druchen Gyalwa Yungdrung was expounding the philosophical and cosmological system
8 The Practice of Ozogchen in the Zhang-Zhung Tradition of Tibet
of the mTshan-nyid srid-pa'i mdzod-phug to his listeners. Thereafter he took the vows of a monk, eventually becoming a fully ordained Drangsong, corresponding to the fully ordained Buddhist monk, [19] and he was given the name of Gyalwa Yungdrung. He received many transmissions and initiations in terms of the Bonpo Tantras, but he is said to have especially exerted himself in gNas-lugs theg-chen, "the Great Vehicle of the Natural State," that is to say, Dzogchen. Being widely renowned for both his scholarship and his pure conduct of life, he eventually obtained the abbacy [20] of his family monastery of Yeru Wensakha and it is said that he ceaselessly instructed his many students and disciples in the teachings of Yungdrung Bon. According to the hagiography found in the rNam-thar chen-mo, there are five principal considerations with regard to this history of Druchen Gyalwa Yungdrung: 1.
The history of his parents and how he obtained a pure human body,
2.
How he met with his benevolent teachers who showed him great kindness,
3.
How he resided at certain special places that served as his support during his lifetime,
4.
How his virtuous qualities and his signs of realization that were ordinary manifested immediately in his present life, and
5.
How his extraordinary understanding ultimately became manifest. [21] "As for this disciple of the foregoing master (Chigchod Dadpa
Sherab), [22] within the life story of Druchen Gyalwa Yungdrung there are five topics to be considered. First, there is the history of how he obtained a pure human body from his parents to be considered. His native region was Yeru Wensakha and his clan was called Dru. His father was named Druzha Sonam Gyaltsan (Bru-sha bsod-nams rgyal mtshan) and among four brothers, he was the third son. [23] "Furthermore, because he was a Nirmanakaya (from the very beginning) who had come into this world in order to benefit beings, from his earliest childhood he possessed the various virtuous qualities. of purification. At eight years of age he explained to his listener-s the meaning of the text of the Srid-pa'i mdzod-phug. Later, in the presence of his uncle Dulwa Rinpoche, he took the vows of a pure monk and the
Introduction
