Prayer Wheels, Odd Ideas and Even Odder

Look closely at this illustration, found in a brief chapter on Tartary published in 1741. Engraved by Bernard Picart (1673-1733), it is one of many found in a 7-volume encyclopedia Religious Customs and Ceremonies of All the Peoples of the World. The large central figure is supposed to be a deified ruler of the Tartars (read into the neighboring prose and you find this is supposed to mean the Dalai Lamas, but honestly I would have taken him for Vasco da Gama). Below the smoke billowing out of his matching incense burners are two figures. Figure B is labeled as a Lama saying his prayers, while C, the one I particularly want to point out to you, turns a cylindrical instrument on his cube. To put it in plain terms, one of them is praying, while the other one is there at his service, rolling a cylinder on a cube, as if there were a division of duties.

No need to tell an intelligent person such as yourself that the Wheel of the Tibetan Buddhists isn’t that way. Making this picture even more absurd, observe how the chain-and-ball governor shoots out at an odd angle. The workings of this mechanism are entirely lost on this artist as is Newton’s discovery of 1687. But I’m not eager to belabor the fact, and the engraving is oddly inaccurate in nearly every way: the architecture, the light fixtures, the hats, the outfits, the Chinese characters. Keep looking at it and you will find more and more.

It is still, in 2024, a little too early to award ourselves a good pat on the back, as if now we are all post-colonialist and have gotten over Orientalisms’ many downsides. Well, I’m fairly certain you have one of those few intellects that entirely transcend all ethnocentrisms, but if I may speak bluntly you are not everyone. There are still people around you more than willing to selectively (and, I have to say often absurdly) make this or that aspect of the Wheels practices fit or misfit within Judaeo-Christian ideational contexts. They are likely to find the association of prayer (okay, mantra recitation) with wheel-based mechanisms both intriguing and worthy of ridicule. Instead of looking further into the matter, they find their own ideas about prayer fortified by way of the perceived contrast. This is a textbook case of confirmation bias.  

It may be best to teach your children well, and hope you will never have to defend the use of Wheels to a Baptist pastor from South Carolina. But when it does happen, use it as a chance to practice patience and empathy, while inserting a little softness and doubt into the inevitable talking points. That may prove more beneficial for the both of you than just spinning in the same tired circles.

§   §   §

To read more about what outsiders routinely call “Prayer Wheels,” see the publications listed in the 2020 Tibeto-logic blog entitled “Prayer Wheels Came from Where?” The true ulterior motive for posting today’s brief blog is just to send you to a larger bibliography that includes quite a wide variety of works about Wheels. The link is supplied below.

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Frontispiece:  For the source publication, see the links conveniently provided at Hathi Trust:

Histoire générale des cérémonies, moeurs, et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde, représentées en 243. figures dessinées de la main de Bernard Picard, avec des explications historiques, & curieuses ; par M. l'abbé Banier ... & par M. l'Abbé Mascrier.

—

Should the engraver be somewhat forgiven because some meager description of the scene was all he had to work with when the engraving (or rather etching) was commissioned? Verbal descriptions are unlikely to result in realistic portraits. As much as you might want me to go into this art history problem, I’m not equipped for it at the moment. There are a lot of books written on 18th-century book illustration, so I recommend going to find them if that’s what you want to do with your precious human rebirth.

—

Finally, if you are wondering why in the world I would put up this feeble blog, it would be because I want to tell you about a new bibliography just today hung up on the website called Tiblical under the title “Wheel Bibliography.” Go and see it by clicking here:

https://sites.google.com/site/tiblical/wheel-bibliography

and feel free to copy-paste it into a regular file on your own personal devices. You may find a good use for it in the future. I wish it to remain up there on the internet as a resource for all the humans who hope to hone their understanding of humanity.

Skepticism toward Doctors

A physician taking pulse readings

“One who out of desire for material gain merely assumes the guise of a physician is a destroyer of life.”  

— Bshad-rgyud, ch. 31.

Even if it isn’t always transparent, people who know me and know my blogs know I always write in response to events in my life. That is why I have to say right up front that I’m not experiencing any new health issues, certainly nothing life-threatening that I’m aware of. Health is the least of my worries (insert wry grin). 

It’s just that recently a family member told me about a visit to a very impatient M.D. who wished for nothing more than to chase people out of his office and cancel his appointments. It showed. So instead of carefully questioning and listening, instead of seriously seeking a diagnosis, he basically dismissed my close relative with the equivalent of ‘Go home, exercise more and stop taking up my time.’ If you think about it, I imagine you would come up with similar examples of your own, times you were manipulated or managed instead of getting the attention and care you needed.

I think we have good reasons to approach health professionals with skepticism or at least caution. After all, the human body is a set of complex systems interacting in ways that can be very difficult for anyone to predict. Just look into the chemistry that kicks into gear whenever food falls into a stomach. 

My previous General Practitioner took credit for things I did all on my own and of my own initiative. We could say that it doesn’t matter how a positive outcome actually comes about, yet what truly matters to the physician is how to take full credit for it. And I haven’t often had any of my problems resolved at their hands except minor ones like cyst removals or wound treatments. Much more frequently their advice and their medicines did nothing good. Is it because our expectations are too high, or because our ailments are so intractable? Awed by those craftily cultivated auras of authority built up out of questionable claims of success we readily hand over our power over ourselves.

At the risk of self-contradiction, we know that doctors have spent a lot of effort to accumulate what knowledge they do have, so we shouldn’t simply dismiss them. They can’t all be fake, can they? If by chance we happen to receive good treatments we are bound to appreciate it. Admit it, there are doctors located at every point along the spectrum from superbly good to unutterably bad.

While I worked on translating a 13th-century Tibetan work that criticizes bad doctors a few years ago, it didn’t occur to me to look into similar genres elsewhere. It practically goes without saying that some people everywhere would find reasons to complain about them. I only recently acquainted myself with a 1352 CE work by Plutarch, the famed classical revivalist, called Invective Against a Doctor. Petrarch’s work is framed as a critique of medicine as practiced in his day, all of it (this despite his protest*). The gist of it seems to be: That the secrets of the body are for divine intellect alone to know. Disregarding this truth, doctors mask their ignorance behind fanciful Latin terms to cheat people into thinking they know things. And if anyone brought about the deaths of as many people as they do, they would surely have to face legal punishments.

*Petrarch at one point vehemently denies he is attacking the entire profession (for the quote see the MARSH translation listed below). However, since he knows next to nothing about the life and practice of his addressee, he can in truth only speak in generalities.

I have to say, the Tibetans expressed skepticism against the bad ones for pedagogical purposes. This skepticism is not reducible to vituperative invective. They were all practicing physicians, and obviously not against the profession as a whole. They meant to convince future physicians NOT to do badly. That makes their words quite different in tone and in targeting compared to the Europe-cradled rhetorical tradition within which Petrarch figures so largely.

I would truly like to see more thinking about these kinds of issues in the various fields of Tibetology. When we compare we see things in common, and this allows the contrasts to appear all the more starkly. Is there some bigger message lurking here? Is Euro-American culture more prone to the dismissive type of cynicism and skepticism that says, Just toss the whole thing out the window? Is that some ponderous doctoral dissertation I see peeking in through the same opening? 

So many questions. And so little time. As the doctors of days gone by liked to repeat, “Life is short and the Art is long.”

They act like big know-it-alls without ever studying,

not even knowing the distinction between vital points and gsang-s,

overconfidently administering treatments.

Such physicians are simply madmen.

— The Tsangtö Teacher

Reading list for me and for you

Robert B. BAKER and Laurence B. McCullough, eds., The Cambridge World History of Medical Ethics, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge 2009). 

I can’t pretend to have read this encyclopedic tome, but for present interests I much recommend section 5: “Medical Ethics in Medieval Europe,” on pp. 373-375, part of the essay by Klaus Bergdolt, who died last year. This succinctly places Petrarch in a larger context of the European tradition.

 

BYANG-PA Rnam-rgyal-grags-bzang (1395-1475), “Advice to Physicians,” translated by Kurtis R. Schaeffer, contained in: K.R. Schaeffer, M.T. Kapstein & G. Tuttle, eds., Sources of Tibetan Tradition, Columbia University Press (New York 2013), pp. 480-484. The Tibetan title of the text is འཚོ་བྱེད་རྣམས་ལ་སྙིང་ནས་བརྩེ་བའི་མན་ངག་འཕྲུལ་གྱི་ཡིག་ཆུང་།

Andrea CARLINO, “Petrarch and the Early Modern Critics of Medicine,” Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, vol. 35, no. 3 (Fall 2005), pp. 559-582.

Stefano CRACOLICI, “The Art of Invective: Invective contra medicum,” chapter 16 contained in: V. Kirkham & A. Maggi, eds., Petrarch: A Critical Guide to the Complete Works, University of Chicago Press (Chicago 2009), pp. 255-262, 440-449. 

See p. 260, where we find that Petrarch’s use of the invective tone was likely due not only to his professed concerns about the medical treatments being done to Pope Clement VI, but also the recent devastations of the plague (from 1346 to 1353), including the death of his own son, Giovanni. His vitriol against the medical profession and its failures had reasons to run deep. It wasn’t entirely rhetorical.

Christopher CRAIG, “Audience Expectations, Invective, and Proof,” chapter 7 contained in: J. Powell & J. Paterson, eds., Cicero the Advocate, Oxford Academic (2004), pp. 187-214. Open access at Oxford Academic website: 

https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198152804.003.0008

I recommend this not only because it is freely available, but because it gives insight into the situated meanings of invective and vituperation, rhetorical moves far too familiar to us in both national and academic politics.

Dan Martin and Penpa DORJEE, “Verses on Good and Bad Physicians, Composed by the Tsangtö Teacher,” contained in: Charles Ramble & Ulrike Roesler, eds., Tibetan and Himalayan Healing: An Anthology for Anthony Aris, Vajra Books (Kathmandu 2015), pp. 529-541. 

This contains translation and discussion of 13th-century sets of verses by Gtsang-stod Dar-ma-mgon-po (BDRC no. P4987 dates him to the 11th, but no, he’s definitely 13th century). It bears an overall title that actually only applies to the initial set of verses: Arguments of Novices in the Medical Arts Rebutted, or, གསོ་བ་རིག་པ་ལ་འཇུག་པའི་རྩོད་སྤོང་།

 

David V. FIORDALIS, “Medical Practice as Wrong Livelihood: Selections from the Pali Discourses, Vinaya & Commentaries,” contained in: C. Pierce Salguero, ed., Buddhism & Medicine: An Anthology of Premodern Sources,  Columbia University Press (New York 2017), pp. 105-112.  

It seems early monk followers of the Awakened One were discouraged from practicing medicine, probably because of problematic situations that might ensue with the local lay community. Doctoring is a worldly profession, or at least has the danger of becoming one when payment is involved, making it a business unbefitting monastics. That monastics did for all that go on to practice medicine in various ways shouldn’t go without at least saying it.

Barbara GERKE & Florian Ploberger, “The Final Doubt and the Entrustment of Tibetan Medical Knowledge,” contained in: C. Pierce Salguero, ed., Buddhism & Medicine: An Anthology of Premodern Sources,  Columbia University Press (New York 2017), pp. 593-601.

If we recognize that there indeed are deplorable doctors, we can also admit there are people who should never be allowed to become candidates. This issue of unsuitable vessels who should not be entrusted with medical knowledge to begin with, is another one covered in the Four Tantras, in the final 26th chapter of the fourth tantra.

LAMA JABB, “A Poem-Song on the Perfect Tibetan Physician,” contained in: Charles Ramble & Ulrike Roesler, eds., Tibetan and Himalayan Healing: An Anthology for Anthony Aris, Vajra Books (Kathmandu 2015), pp. 419-434. 

This example is by Sun of Men (མིའི་ཉི་མ་མཐོང་བ་དོན་ལྡན་ aka ལྷ་བཙུན་བྱམས་པ་དཀོན་མཆོག་རིན་ཆེན་), a Tibetan physician who flourished in the mid-15th century, based on an incomplete citation of it in a later work (this being the reason we have no title for it). It portrays the ideal physician, ignoring the bad. The author was asked to speak about himself, and does so in a way cynics are bound to hear as boastful. The author’s medical works are said to fill eight volumes, but as of today I haven’t learned of their publication.

 

William A. McGRATH, “Reconciling Scripture and Surgery in Tibet: Khyenrab Norbu's Arranging the Tree Trunks of Healing (1952),” contained in: C. Pierce Salguero, ed., Buddhism and Medicine: An Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Sources, Columbia University Press (New York 2020), pp. 94-99. 

The translated passage from Khyenrab Norbu (མཁྱེན་རབ་ནོར་བུ་) starts out with the bad ones, then goes on to speak of the good ones. In this 20th-century treatment of the bad ones we detect the more or less direct inspiration of the 12th-century Yuthok passage (listed below), so the two ought to be compared.

 

Francesco PETRARCA, Invectives, tr. by David Marsh, I Tatti Renaissance Library (Cambridge 2003), pp. 2-179.

“You should know that I couldn’t help laughing when I read your letter. How could you more clearly prove the truth of what you deny? You abandon your own territory to wander in someone else’s domain, thus placing in the greatest danger those patients who blindly follow your advice. You promise them the fruits of good health. But although they need action rather than words, all you give them are the immature flowerets of your worthless verbiage.”  [p. 3]

“Thus, I have absolutely nothing against medicine. I have said this a thousand times, but apparently it doesn’t suffice. So if I seem to have spoken against physicians, I shout it out passionately so that the whole class of the learned may hear me. Against you alone, and men like you, have I spoken and will speak in what follows.” [p. 107] 

 

Lee SIEGEL, “How Many Vaidyas Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?  The Satire of Physicians in Sanskrit Literature,” Bulletin d'Études Indiennes, vol. 3 (1985), pp. 167-193. 

This isn’t actually available to me, but to judge from the title it might well be relevant or at the very least hilarious.

 

Nancy STREUVER, “Petrarch’s Invective contra medicum: An Early Confrontation of Rhetoric and Medicine,” MLN, vol. 108, no. 4 (September 1993), pp. 659-679.

YUTHOK Yontan Gönpo (གཡུ་ཐོག་ཡོན་ཏན་མགོན་པོ་,1127-1203), “On Physicians,” contained in: K.R. Schaeffer, M.T. Kapstein & G. Tuttle, eds., Sources of Tibetan Tradition, Columbia University Press (New York 2013), pp. 282-291.  

This is an extract from Barry Clark, The Quintessence Tantras of Tibetan Buddhism, Snow Lion (Ithaca 1995), pp. 223-233. The same chapter can be seen in an alternative English translation, together with the Tibetan text, in The Explanatory Tantra from the Secret Quintessential Instructions on the Eight Branches of the Ambrosia Essence Tantra (བོད་ཀྱི་གསོ་བ་རིག་པའི་རྒྱུད་བཞི་ལས་རྩ་བའི་རྒྱུད་དང་བཤད་པའི་རྒྱུད་), Bod-gzhung Sman-rtsis-khang (Dharamsala 2008 [2011]), pp. 281-299. 

Primarily about good physicians — and probably the most important of texts for prescribing Tibetan medical ethics and for understanding it  — you will not fail to notice toward the end a few pages on the bad ones.

§   §   §

For more on the pulse-taking diagnostic depicted in today’s frontispiece,* I think I will send you back to an old blog dated January 27, 2017, entitled, “Channels = Veins, Nerves & What, Sinews?” It could be entered into evidence in support of my tendency to take blogging inspiration from events in my life. It isn’t always all that obvious, and that could be because I’m a shy and private person, and I try not to make this all about moi, don’t I? Well, don’t I? That finger joint never fully healed. From time to time it reminds me it’s there.  

*The Tibetan label, attached to both the physician and the worm-like squiggle off to the side, reads ’then-pa mtshon-pa (འཐེན་པ་མཚོན་པ་). That means it illustrates a particular pulse of the ’then-pa kind. Now ’then-pa means drawing, drawing in nearly every sense of the English word except for the kind an artist is likely to do. So it means to draw out or draw up, perhaps pull or stretch out. I’d have to look up the corresponding passage in the Regent’s medical work to get more precise.

The Realm of Dharmas, a Treasury of Jewels, Chapter 8: The Nonduality in Bodhicitta

  

The Realm of Dharmas,

a Treasury of Jewels

by Longchen Rabjampa

 CHAPTER EIGHT

THE NONDUALITY IN BODHICITTA

[To show such a pure nature naturally-arrived-at to be of a nondual character, an illustration of how it has dawned from a single Realm, has dawned on its own and so is, in its appropriate substance, nondual.]

Everything is, in the single Realm  (the self-engendered Full Knowledge),

nondual in a substantial way.

Dualistic appearances, unimpeded, have dawned as play from its

special powers.

No duality of so-called ‘appearance’ is what we call Bodhicitta.

[Just as no matter what reflections appear on the surface of a single mirror, they are nondual with respect to the mirror, even so, since all dharmas have dawned in the Awareness continuity, they are nondual with respect to Awareness.  Just as the several dreams which HAVE dawned during a single period of sleep do not exist apart from the period of sleep, even so, sangsara/nirvana does not exist apart from the role-playing of Awareness.  Just as all the waves, big or small, do not exist apart from the water since they have emerged from [and plunge back into] the continuity of a single river, just so all dharmas appear to emerge from the continuity of the not-at-all-existing even while it is clear it doesn’t exist.  Aside from the mere appearance, there is no duality between Awareness (which is the void nature Dharma Proper) and the voidness of dharmas.]

˚

[All the dharmas which have dawned from the self-engendered Full Knowledge are situated in the unpreferential Great Levelness.  But to the yoga practitioner, they do not exist.  They are seen as void forms which appear clearly.  This is a song of praise to Realized ones when (void forms) have dawned as appearance:]

 

discarding/

Appearance/becoming and sangsara/nirvana have dawned without obtaining

on clearly comprehended Awareness beyond     transforming/transporting.

The face of the yoga practitioner beyond     subject/object dichotomies

breaks out in startled laughter   at

these appearances in the nonexistent.

[Those who are conversant with the magic business understand magic to be appearances in the nonexistent. To those with thoughts wanting to believe, the magic appears in the void-like. At those thoughts [the magicians] look on in laughter. In the unarrived-atness of accepting-rejecting good/bad, appearances have dawned unimpededly. Just so, all dharmas of sangsara/nirvana are known as the play of appearances in the nonexistent.]

˚

[There is no Dharmabody from the exact time of the appearances and, when nonexistence has dawned, the appearance of nonexistence is shown to be a mere reflected image of the Void.]

In the nothing-to-appear, the various things

dawn as appearances.

In the nothing-to-be-void, the centre/circumference

spreads out pervasively.

In the subject/object-less, ‘I’ and ‘self’

strive for distinction.

In the rootless & foundationless, rebirths appear

in chains (like mountains).

In the unpreventable & unstrivable, comfortable/uncomfortable

& accepting/rejecting deeds get acted out.

[When you reflect on the meaning of ‘Dharma Proper’, the dharma-having appearances are just a miraculous dawning.]

˚

[Now, what is not produced from inner or external dharmas is sky-like pure.  Of the two distinct manners of understanding, the first:  The appearances in the external objective realm are established as void forms, foundationless illusions.]

When you look outward, you are amazed at appearances of production & animation.

You wanted the untrue to be true, so it seems to be really true.

You wanted the unerred to be error, so it seems to be truly in error.

You took uncertainty for certainty, so it seems to be actually certain.

You took is/isn’t to be, so it seems to really be.

You took the disagreeable for agreeable, so it seems to be truly agreeable.

[In this way, the unsophisticated who are not familiar with Suchness attach their meanings to “appropriate names” in the nature of external appearances which are, substantially, merely illusory appropriate Void forms.]

˚

[So they grasp to external and internal dharmas like this: They grasp the untrue as true, the unerred as error, the uncertain as certain, that which is beyond is/isn’t as being. Because they grasp the disagreeable as agreeable…]

When various trivial objects entice your attention

you join meaningless momentary awarenesses in a chain

and thus days, months, years and lifetimes pass by.

Because the nondual is nondual, animate beings have been tricked.

[Time passes because when momentary knowledges have not recognized their appropriate substance, they form a flow of erroneous graspings.  Error enters in shortly after several momentary (knowledges) and moments into days, days into months, months into years they have error.]

[Habituated to externals, the error of beings is like this: The foundationless Awareness is situated in the sky-like pure Dharmabody.  There are merely temporary accidents so long as this is not recognized.  

The Pearl Strand says,

The sky-like Dharmabody

the temporary clouds of distraction obscure.

Even the errorless Dharma Proper

appears to thoughts as if in error,

Whatever has cause and conditioning is momentary.]

˚

[When there is sky-like Dharma Proper with no graspable objects because the external sphere is understood to be lacking, the internal grasping subject is established to be foundationless and unsupported.]

When you look back in on the pure joined-to-the-real mind,

Awareness foundationless and unsupported

(wordless, yet talked about;

unseen, yet meditated on and philosophized about),

and thoughts break out in an unbroken queue,

you have not experienced the vast spread-out-to-the-limit buoy floating freely.

It needs no retreat place.

It is utterly free-ranging,

utterly u-n-c-o-n-t-a-i-n-a-b-l-e.

[When you look at the mind, its substance is beyond recognition.  Awakening into the foundationless sky nature is the Dharma Proper of self-pure mindfulness, the Dharmabody beyond existence/nonexistence.]

˚

[Awareness where subjective and objective have been realized to be nondual is nonpreferential Great Naturally-arrived-at.  It is like this:]

When the vast sky receptive centre is levelly spread-out-to-the-limit

without being handed over to the physical body or objects or appearances,

the so-called “internal dharmas” are not held to constitute a “self”.

[Even though we have this technical term “Self-engendered Full Knowledge” for the substantiality of this Awareness where the absolute absence of subjective and objective has been realized, we are not asserting, like the Mind Only School, that “Self-awareness is self-illumined.”  There is no external/internal, so it is not arrived-at in the internal mind.  There is no self/other, so it is not arrived-at in self-awareness only.  The existence of subjective/objective is not experienced, so it is not arrived-at in their absence.  Feeling does not exist as an objective sphere of Awareness, so it is not arrived-at even in a nondual “experience”.  There is neither mind nor mental product, so it is not arrived-at “In your own mind”.  It is not illumined or unillumined, so it is not arrived-at in “self-illumination”…]

˚

[Now, so long as the nonexperience of the existence of both subjective and objective is realized, all dharmas, being unstable, dawn as a Great Total Disentanglement to the yoga practitioners.  Therefore, as a sign that the internal grasping subject has been cleared up, the external graspable objects are disentangled into spread-out space.]

When looking off toward the sphere of external appearances,

everything is flawed, irregular, unpenetrable, faulty and falling apart,

without qualities of give and take.

Appearances, sounds, memories, awareness, experiences, feelings…

are not as they were before.

“What is this?

Lunatic hallucinations?

Or am I inside a dream?”

laugh those yogis to themselves.

[When the yoga practitioners understand themselves, they are ready to understand the appearance of anything, just as a slight-of-hand expert knows his own magic shows to be untrue and, so, is in a position to understand the magical illusions of other sleight-of-hand experts as well.]

˚

[The appearances which dawn from within realization are further shown to be unreliable.]

Of friend/enemy, like/dislike, close/distant

there is no conception.

Making no difference between day and night,

a single beam,

they have wakened from the vicious circle

where mental objects are taken as definitive.

They don’t worry themselves over a

“self-engendered Full Knowledge continuity,”

being as they are beyond the encagements of accepting, rejecting,

renouncing things or using them as ethical antidotes.

When such is realized, it is nondual Full Knowledge

and they have come to the underlying meaning of self-engendered Total Good.

There is no place to turn back.                 They have come to the final ground.

[Note:  “Day” = Friends.  Like. Close.

            “Night” = Enemies.  Dislike.  Distant.]

˚

[Getting rid of the four similacra  that seem to be sheer hype.]

While not realizing levelness through the self-engendered continuity,

they are attached to the word “nonduality”.

So they are confident in their intellectual probings

of what is not at all a mental object.

This is the very embodiment of backwards thinking,

receptive centre of unaware darkness.

˚

[Precepts so that the lucky ones will realize their implicit substantiality as a spacious foundation receptive centre, level and complete.]

Therefore, the Thought Completion King learns the nondual

in the untransformed and untransported self-engendered.

The meaning of the nonduality of sangsara/nirvana,

the three realms totally released,

is the CITADEL of Dharmabody self-dawned from

the insides of its nature.

It appears sky-like pure beyond compare.

˚

[Now realizations of the ungrasping and unattached are subsumed in a single essential meaning as the spacious sky receptive centre.]

So long as one is attached to distinctions, “this and that,”

one remains in duality, the encagement of error in oneself and others.

As soon as there is no preferences for the separateness that “this” implies,

as soon as everything is a level beam with no mental objectives,

the Vajra Being pronounces,

“Nonduality is realized.” 

§   §   §

Transport back to the beginning

Seven Women, a Unique Padampa Text from Bhutan

Guru Rinpoche, with Nyangrel and so on
(see below) HAR 160.

 

• I’ve written before about how there were in the 11th-12th centuries, several popular Buddhist movements that virtually disappeared from history, yet may have had some impact. Led by laypeople, including laywomen, their memory has survived in what amounts to little more than lists, lists that represent different ways of grouping them. Despite or because of the fact that their Buddhist orthodoxy was and still could be framed in different ways, they become all the more important for historians in our contemporary world. I mean in particular historians who need to factor them into some broader understanding of the emergence of the Buddhist schools or sects that were at that very time beginning to take shape and eventually gaining broader social recognition.  And they demonstrate that women could indeed achieve leadership roles in those times.

   

While in Rome last winter, one of the Tucci Collection’s Tibetan texts seized my attention more than any other. It contained Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava’s individual teachings to seven different women.* It took me some time before I remembered that I had already encountered another text that similarly contained answers to questions asked by a set of seven women. Only in that case it was not Padmasambhava, but Padampa in the role of Teacher. It looks as if this Padampa work uniquely survives in two sets of Cutting and Zhijé teachings transmitted by Drubtob Ngödrub (Grub-thob-dngos-grub) to Nyangrel Nyima Özer and preserved in manuscripts kept at Tsakaling and Drametsé in Bhutan. Knowing that the two persons just named are the very same ones commonly awarded the lion’s share of responsibility for revealing the Mani Kambum, we might expect to find a thing or two in common.**

(*I talked about this Tucci manuscript and its parallel in Mani Kambum in a very recent blog entry, “Seven Women: The Padmasambhava Text from Rome.” **A parallel passage was found by simply searching for "bu khyo" in BUDA etext repository, nothing more mysterious than that.  Bu khyo means ‘child[ren] & husband[s].’)

The two seven-fold sets of Tibetan women have no members in common, as you may observe in this chart allowing you to compare their names with ease and to observe the total mismatch. Well, one thing that does match, and I believe this is significant, is the sevenness of the women.

Chart for comparing the names of the seven women in
the Padampa and the Padmasambhava texts

As I said, there are two existing manuscripts of the Padampa Seven Women text. Neither has been published in any form to the best of my knowledge, although both have been posted on the world-wide web (the specific titles were not cataloged or otherwise listed there, and for that reason are not accessible through any internet search tool; I've listed those titles below in Appendices A & B). Both were preserved in the eastern half of Bhutan, one in the Nyingma monastery of Drametsé, the other in Tsakaling. Here is the one from Drametsé:

The Drametsé manuscript. Full transcription appended below

The Drametsé colophon you see here below belongs to the text that comes immediately before the one on the women. 

I put it on display here because it states clearly the names of those two Buddhist masters traditionally known for revealing the Mani Kambum, but also because it says its scribing took place at the main site of Nyangrel’s activity in his later life, Mabochok ( སྨྲ་བོ་ཅོག ). I suppose this information ought to apply to all the texts in the set. As I said, complete title outlines for both of the Bhutan collections are appended below for the sake of Tibetan readers curious about what else may be found in them. Also, the seven women texts from both the Drametsé and Tsakaling manuscripts have been typed in Roman transcription below. I placed them in adjacent paragraphs for ease of comparison. I haven’t managed to supply full English translations, and I apologize for that. I hope to return to this task another time. In the meantime, feel free to try your hand at it. Or, if you believe it will return a good enough result, try the automated translation service of Dharmamitra.

Right now I will limit myself to the second of the seven women, Gyatingma, the most interesting and useful figure for making some significant points. Her name, meaning ‘China Blue,’ is listed among all the groupings of leaders of popular movements active in Tibet during the post-imperial pre-Mongol era. This lends her a special significance, even if she is scarcely traceable in the literature otherwise (try conducting a BUDA etext search for her if you like). And, as we’ll show, the teachings given to her by Padampa in this early text do indeed closely echo teachings attributed to those popular movements in subsequent polemics. Here is the passage, translated with the help of both Bhutanese manuscripts (I added underlining for emphasis):

To Zhangmo Gyatingma he said, “The view is free of expectations. Free yourself of the bondage of your thoughts. Meditate, but do it without any mental focus. Don’t settle your attention on a mental object. The conduct is free of lust and compulsion. Perform crazy actions, and abandon the social mind. The goal means to have no connection between thoughts and things. Recognize sangsara as a label, act without anxiety over outcomes, while rightly dividing thoughts and things. Persist in your Dharma practice and regardless of being a woman don’t get lost in the dharma, you need to divorce from desire and thoughts. When you become a yogini you need to do without ordinary friends. To create a rift with sangsara, you need to leave children behind and leave. A warrior woman entering the occupied zone must have cut loose all modesty and shame. If she does so, Gyatingma will become a sterling yogini.”

The most pertinent thing to observe about this passage, for present purposes, is the idea to entirely separate thoughts and things. This passage could have really served as the reference point for the 13th-century polemical passage from the Single Intention. Two of the Four Children of Pehar were women, and notice that it attributes the “disconnection of thoughts with things” idea not to Gyatingma, but to the other woman, Gyacham. We may accept that this is a simple confusion of identities, as we are so used to such switching of identities of women in these early centuries. Simply put, the Padampa Seven Women text is very likely a source for the polemic. It’s the only possible source I know of.

•

If you are interested in the broader question of popular lay Buddhist movements in pre-Mongol era Tibet, I have a few essays I could recommend. I cannot cover all of that now, so give this chart a quick look:

 

 

By tossing my various sources together I deliberately made the chart look messy hoping to reflect the uncertainty we face in dealing with such an under-documented phenomenon. I admittedly tend toward accepting the categorizations of Nyangrel, as his is the only somehow sympathetic source. Each in its own way, all the others place them outside the pale of Buddhist orthodoxy. Well, our Seven Women text, in the case of only one of the Four Children of Pehar, gives support to his positive valuation, and this may not be unexpected, knowing that all the Seven Women texts were in some way produced or transmitted by him and his circles.

Here is a translation of the passage on the Four Children of Pehar from the Single Intention:

There were four people captured by spirits by the names Shel-mo Rgya-lcam, Zhang-mo Rgya-'thing, 'O-lam Bha-ru and Bso Kha-'tham. Each of these four had their own particular philosophical claims.

The first believed that thoughts and objects are not interconnected. When Shel-mo’s husband was killed by another man, she felt great grief but did not want to weep in front of others. So she went to a cave with people carrying tsha-tsha and remained there for a long time crying. When she got exhausted, Pe-kar came from the sky and said to her,

“Do not cry. There is absolutely no connection between your thoughts and external objects. If there were, since you cry thinking about your husband, he ought to return to you as before; you cried and called out, but still no husband.”

Hearing these words, she thought about them and decided they were true. She went into a meeting at the lower end of that same valley, where a teacher was explaining Dharma to five hundred students and started dancing.

“Thoughts and things have no connection. 

The very idea must be rejected—

by teacher, student and teaching three—

that they are the least bit interconnected.”

she said as she danced, and everyone, teacher and students included, got up and started dancing all at once. They became her followers, calling the cave where she had stayed Prophecy Relic Cave.

Now I fully realize that the identities of the two women among the Four Children have been exchanged, and the teaching about thoughts and things having no connection is ascribed first to one and then the other. We just have to learn to live with this kind of problem. It’s something we see quite often in accounts of Tibetan women, the confusion between Zhama and Labdrön being only the best-known example (see Lo Bue’s essay), and these are by far the two most prominent women religious leaders of the time.

It would make sense, as much as it might seem unnecessary, to underline that what we have here are very significant early documents for women’s studies that have so far been unknown or unrecognized.* This neglect is not at all surprising, since their manuscripts have never been edited or published in ways that would have made them accessible to researchers. That’s no longer true, as of today.

(*Of course they were well hidden in monastic collections in eastern Bhutan with very limited access, and Karma Phuntso deserves the lion’s share of the credit for bringing these rare and precious texts out of their retirement.)

A lot of issues are tugging at us from the peripheries but we ought to overlook them and finish up for now. My main aim has been to point out the various “Seven Women” texts as a type of small sub-genre of early Tibetan literature. I have and will put the material out there for further study as it has significance for future histories of women and popular religious movements. I haven’t “mastered” it or analyzed it in detail, I leave the main part of that for others. 

I believe I’ve been able, in recent blogs, to demonstrate previously undetected textual relations between the Nyingma and Zhijé schools in the 12th century, and more specifically relations implicating the revealers of the Mani Kambum. I’ve suggested a few lines of research that might prove worthwhile to pursue, avenues that with luck will see their way clear to brighten our shared Tibeto-logical future of burgeoning knowledge and personal fulfillment for all...

and to all a good night.

Suggested reading

Cathy Cantwell, “Myang ral Nyi ma ’od zer (1134-1192): Authority and Authorship in the Coalescing of the rNying ma Tantric Tradition,” Medieval Worlds, vol. 12 (2020), pp. 68-79.

Daniel Hirshberg, Remembering the Lotus Born: Padmasambhava in the History of Tibet’s Golden Age, Wisdom (Somerville 2016). If you are too pressed for time to read entire books, read Cantwell’s essay or Hirshberg’s own “Nyangrel Nyima Wozer” in Treasury of Lives website.

Erberto Lo Bue, “A Case of Mistaken Identity: Ma-gcig Labs-sgron and Ma-gcig Zha-ma,” contained in: Per Kvaerne, ed., Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the 6th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Fagernes 1992, The Institute for Comparative Research in Human Culture (Oslo 1994), pp. 481-490. Look here if you need a good example of women’s identities getting mixed around.

Dan Martin, “Lay Religious Movements in Eleventh- and Twelfth-Century Tibet: A Survey of Sources,” Kailash (Kathmandu), vol. 18 (1996), pp. 23-55.

——, “The Star King and the Four Children of Pehar: Popular Religious Movements of Eleventh- to Twelfth-century Tibet,” Acta Orientalia Hungarica (Budapest), vol. 49, pts. 1-2 (1996), pp. 171-195.

Nyangrel’s History:  Nyang Nyi-ma-’od-zer, Chos-’byung Me-tog Snying-po Sbrang-rtsi’i Bcud, Gangs-can Rig-mdzod series no. 5, Bod-ljongs Mi-dmangs Dpe-skrun-khang (Lhasa 1988). TBRC no. W7972. 

Here is the passage relevant to China Blue at p. 494:

དུས་དེ་ཙ་ན་ཟར་སྟག་སྣའི་ཞང་པོ་རྒྱ་འཐིང་ལས་རྣལ་འབྱོར་སྨྱོན་ཚོ་དང་། རྩི་རིའི་འོ་ལ་འབའ་སུ་ལས་རྣལ་འབྱོར་བྱར་མེད་དང་། རུ་མཚམས་ཀྱི་རྒྱལ་བ་སྲོ་ཁ་འཐམས་ལས་མེ་ཆུ་གོ་ལོག་པ་དང་། དབུས་ཀྱི་ཤེ་མོ་རྒྱ་ལྕམ་ལས། གློང་ནག་པོ་རྒྱ་འཛམ།〔དེ་〕ལ་འཕུར་ཚོ་ཞེས་ཟེར་ཏེ། ཤངས་ཀྱི་རྣལ་འབྱོར་སྟག་ཚོ་དང་། རྫི་ལུང་གི་མགོས་ཚོས་ཁ་བསྐངས་པ་འདི་རྣམས་ལ། རྣལ་འབྱོར་ནག་པོ་དྲུག་ཟེར། ཁོང་རང་གིས་སྒྲུབ་བརྒྱུད་བཟང་པོར་བྱེད། ལོ་པཎ་གྱི་རྗེས་སུ་འབྲེང་བ་རྣམས་ནི་ཁོང་གི་དེ་རྣམས་རྡོལ་ཆོས་སུ་བྱེད། གཞན་ཡང་བོད་ཡུལ་འདིར་མཁས་པ། བཟང་བ། གྲུབ་ཐོབ། འཁྲུལ་ཞིག རྟོགས་ལྡན་ཇི་སྙེད་བྱོན་ན་ཡང་། རྣམ་ཐར་རྣམས་བྲིས་ན་སྤྲོ་བ་སྐྱེ་བར་འགྱུར་མོད་ཀྱི། བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་པས་འདིར་སྤྲོས་ན་ཡི་གེ་མང་བར་འཇིགས་པས་མ་བྲིས་སོ། བསྟན་པ་ཕྱི་དར་གྱི་ལོ་རྒྱུས་ཞབས་སུ་བཏགས་པའོ།།

• I lament — and apologize for — the momentary unavailability of the Endangered Archives Programme’s texts from Bhutan. This is due to a widely-reported Cyber Incident that created much hardship and wasted energy for so many around the globe, not only the many employees of the British Library.

§   §   §

The Frontispiece  

Said to belong to the 13th century, as it very well might, this painting has the Precious Teacher Padmasambhava as its central figure flanked by his Tibetan and Indian wives (practically mirror images of each other). The somewhat smaller figure beneath them is surely Nyangrel Nyima Özer, and if you look up in the upper right corner there is a set of three figures. The middle of the three is Padampa, with only a minimum of doubt in my mind, making it a very probable Padampa.

§   §   §

The Two Bhutan Manuscripts of the Seven Women

Note: Below please find the Drametsé manuscript typed out in black, while the Tsakaling manuscript is in blue and indented. This was done to make it easy to check one against the other (tables formatting could not be used here). I have put the women’s names in dark red for emphasis (in the Drametsé only). Both transcriptions have been checked a second time for accuracy. Abbreviated spellings have mostly been tacitly resolved, although misspellings were supposed to be given as is (notice bu-med for bud-med and the like), without always pointing them out. Occasionally corrected spellings are suggested in square brackets.

The word cho-lu, or chol-bu in the title is especially significant, as it suggests it belongs to the earliest collection of Padampa texts that was made, the no longer extant collection (called Cho[l]-lu'i skor) by Kunga done in circa 1100 CE. The Drametsé is supposed to be part 16 (as indicated by the keyletter MA) of the larger collection of Padampa-related texts.

The folios of the Tsakaling are marked with the six-syllable mantra instead of folio numbers.  The Tsakaling has a very significant colophon [6r.2] informing us it was scribed by Teacher Sengé based on the personal copy of the Great Nyang (bud med la gdams pa cho lu'i skor / rdzogs so // phyi rabs rjes 'jug la phan par gyur cig / nyang chen po'i phyag yig steng nas / ston seng ges bris / cig zhu). The Great Nyang is of course the famous Nyangrel Nyima Özer. Who else could it be?

The differences between the two manuscripts are mostly minor (they even share some otherwise very unusual misspellings). My reason for respecting the autonomy of the two texts rather than crafting a single critical edition out of them is to try and understand what the two otherwise uniquely existing texts have to do with each other. I suspect that the Drametsé was directly copied to create the Tsakaling, but may need to give the problem more thought. If so, the personal copy of the Great Nyang mentioned in the Tsakaling would be none other than the Drametsé. I’d like to know your thoughts on this problem if anything occurs to you.

 

•

 

TITLE:  MA - Dam pas bu med bdun la gdams pa'i chol lus skor bzhugs.ho [=Bud med bdun la gdams pa'i cho lu'i skor].

[scan photo no. 93, or fol. OM recto, title page] Dam pas bu med bdun la gdam pa'i chol lu'i skor bzhugs s.ho mangga lam [~Dam pas bud med bdun la gdams pa'i cho lu'i skor]. 

[1v] bla ma dam pa rnams la phyag 'tshal lo //

bla ma dam pa rnams la phyag 'tshal lo /

dam pa rgya gar de gang zag rang rgyud pa men ste // sprul pa'i sku byang chub sems dpa' yin ste / skal ldan rnams la thugs rjes gzigs pas 'gro ba'i mgon po // rnal 'byor pho mo lnga bcu tsa bzhi'i grub thob kyi bsnyan rgyud kyi gdams pa mnga' ba / 'jam dpal sgra ba'i seng ge [~smra ba'i seng ge] dang zhal mjal bas / sangs rgyas gnyis pa'i sras su gyurd pa / sgron ma [~sgrol ma] dang rje btsun ma rnal 'byor ma la rtsog pa'i mkha' 'gro ma'i lung bstan thob pa /  [2r]  mchog thun mong gi dngos grub gnyis la mnga' mnyes pa / 'dzam bu gling gi rgyan gcig po // lhag par du bod la bka' drin che ba / a tsa ra nag po chen po gzi mdangs can / chos la bar na lo tsha'i lhad med pa / rang skad du ston pa / dam pa thugs rje can de / las stod ding ri na bzhugs pa'i dus su / bud med las khyad du 'phags pa bdun /

dam pa rgya gar de gang zag rang rgyud pa men ste / sprul pa'i sku byang chub sems dpa' yin ste / skal ldan rnams la thugs rjes gzigs pas 'gro ba'i mgon po / rnal 'byor pho mo lnga bcu tsa bzhi'i grub thob kyi bsnyan rgyud yi gdams pa mnga' ba / 'jam dpal sgra ba'i seng ge [~smra ba'i seng ge] dang zhal mjal bas / sangs rgyas gnyis pa'i sras su gyurd pa / sgron ma [~sgrol ma?] dang rje btsun ma rnal 'byor ma la rtsogs pa'i mkha' 'gro ma'i lung bstan thob pa / mchog thun mo[ng] gi dngos grub gnyis la mnga' mnyes pa / 'dzam bu gling gi rgyan gcig po / lhag par du bod la bka' drin che ba / a tsar nag po chen po gzi mdangs can / chos la bar na lo tsha ba'i lhad med pa / rang skad du ston pa / dam pa thugs rje can de / la stod ding ri na bzhugs pa'i dus su / bud med las khyad du 'phags pa bdun / 

tsi mo rnam kha' gsal [~tsi mo nam mkha' gsal] /

tsi mo rnam kha' [fol. MA] gsal /

zhang mo rgya mthing ma /

zhang mo rgya mthing ma / 

jo zhwa chung ma /

ma jo zhwa chung ma / 

ma jo rje chung ma /

ma jo rje chung ma / 

ma jo rong chung ma /

ma jo rong chung ma / 

ma jo glan chung ma /

ma jo glen chung ma / 

ma jo zhang chung ma /

ma jo zhang chung ma /

skye ba sman kyang mtshan ldan mkha' 'gro mas byin gyis brlabs pa bdun gyis / gser gyi man rdal phul tshogs kyi 'khor lo mdzad nas / dam pa la phyag dang skor ba byas nas zhus pa /

skye ba sman kyang mtshan ldan mkha' 'gro mas byin gyis brlabs pa bdun gyis / gser gyi man rdal phul tshogs kyi 'khor lo mdzad nas / dam pa la phyag dang skor ba byas nas zhus pa /  ±  /  

rje rin po che sprul pa'i sku / a li ka li'i gsung / rig pa'i ye shes kyi thug[s] / bdag cag bu med 'dra ba skye ba sman pas snying rus med / [2v] las ngan pas lus la dgra yod / bya ba mang la g.yeng ba che bas / chos mi khom / 'on kyang dam pas gdam ngag tshig bzhis grol nus pa ci zhu dgos pas / gnang par mdzod ci zhes bu med bdun gyis 'grin ci du [~mgrin gcig tu] zhus pas / dam pas gdams pa re re snang pa'o //

rje rin po che sprul pa'i sku / [insert here? a li ka li'i gsung] rig pa'i ye shes kyi thug / bdag cag bu med 'dra ba skye ba sman pas snying rus med / las ngan pas lus la dgra yod / bya ba mang la g.yeng pa che bas / <chos mi khom> 'on kyang dam pas gdam ngag tshig bzhi bzhis grol nus pa gcig zhu dgos pas / gnang par mdzod cig zhes bud med bdun gyis mgrin gcig tu zhus pas / dam pas gdams pa re re snang pa'o //

tsi mo nam mkha' gsal la / lta ba phyogs lhung mtha' bral yin no // rig pa rten dang phrol la blo'i snems thag chod / sgom pa rang gsal 'dzin med yin no // 

§§  tsi mo nam kha' gsal [~nam mkha' gsal] la / lta ba phyogs lhung mtha' bral yin no / rig pa rten dang phrol la [fol. MA verso] blo'i snyems thag chod / sgom pa rang gsal 'dzin med yin no // 

sems nyid lhug pa ngos zung gcig / spyod pa shugs byung 'gag med yin no // shes pa la 'khris ma bzhag gcig / 'bras bu rang byung ye gnas yin no //

sems nyid lhag pa ngos zung cig / spyod pa shugs byung 'gag med yin no //  shes pa la 'khris ma bzhag cig / 'bras bu rang byung ye gnas yin no // 

re dogs kyi blo sol gcig / chos byed na khyim thab kyi blo ma bstang na sdug bsngal gyi brtson ra las mi thar / 'dod pa'i blo ma bstang na zas nor la chog shes med / gdung sems kyi blo ma bstang na / [3r]  bu khyo'i 'khri ba mi chod / ngo tsha dang khrel 'dzem gyi blo ma bstang na / nam mkha' gsal la rnal 'byor ma dka' por mchi 'o gsung // 

re dogs kyi blo sol cig / chos byed na khyim thab kyi blo ma bstang na sdug bsngal gyi brtson ra las mi thar / 'dod pa'i blo ma bstang na zas nor la chog shes med / gdung sems kyi blo ma bstang na / bu khyo'i 'khris mi chod / ngo tsha dang khrel 'dzem gyi blo ma bstang na / nam mkha' gsal la rnal 'byor ma dkar por mchi'o gsung //  

zhang mo rgya mthing la / lta ba 'dod pa dang bral ba yin no // blo yi 'ching pa khrol gcig / bsgom pa dmigs pa dang bral ba yin no / blo yi yul du ma bzhag gcig / spyod pa chags zhen med pa yin no // 

§§  zhang mo rgya mthing la / lta ba 'dod pa rang bral ba yin no // blo yi 'ching pa khrol cig / bsgom pa dmigs pa dang bral ba yin no / blo yi yul du ma bzhag cig / spyod pa chags zhen med pa yin no // 

smyon spyod gyis la mi'i blo thong / 'bras bu blo dngos 'brel med yin no // 'khor ba ming du shes par gyis la blo dngos gyi shan phye la re dogs med par gyis / nan tar chos byed na bud med yin yang chos la mi sto ste / 'dod pa dang blo 'brel dgos / rnal 'byor ma byed na tha' mal gyi grogs dang 'bral dgos / 'khor ba dang dbyes byed na bu tsha rgyab du 'bor dgos / dpa' mo khrom shog pa gcig byed na / ngo tsha dang khrel shor ba gcig dgos /  [3v] de tsho byas na rgya mthing ma la / rnal 'byor ma gsha' ma gcig 'ong gsung ngo //

smyon spyod gyis la mi'i blo thong / [fol. NI recto] 'bras bu blo dngos 'brel med yin no // 'khor ba ming du shes par gyis la / blo dngos gyi shan phye la re dogs med par gyis / rgyor ma byed na tha mal // nan tar chos byed na bud med yin yang chos la mi lto ste / 'dod pa dang blo 'brel dgos / rnal 'byor ma byed na tha' mal gyi grogs dang 'bral dgos // 'khor ba dang dbyes byed na bu tsha rgyab tu 'bor dgos // dpa' mo khrom shog pa cig byed na / ngo tsha dang khrel shor ba cig dgos / de tsho byas na rgya mthing ma la / rnal 'byor ma gsha' ma cig 'ong gsung ngo // § //

dam pas ma cho zhas chung ma la gdams pa / lta ba mtha' bral rten med yin no // stag chad kyi mtha' la ma bskur gcig / bsgom pa rang gsal rang 'byung yin no // bying rgod kyi dgra la ma bskur gcig / spyod pa rang shar rang grol yin no // tshul 'chos kyi skyon la ma bskur cig / 'bras bu ma bsgrubs rang 'byung yin no  // 

§§ dam pas ma cho zhas chung ma la gdams pa / lta ba mtha' bral rten med yin no / stag chad kyi mtha' la ma bskur cig / bsgom pa rang gsal rang 'byung yin no / bying rgod kyi dgra la ma bskur te / spyod pa rang shar rang grol yin no / tshul 'chos kyi skyon la [fol. NI verso] ma bskur cig / 'bras bu ma bsgrubs rang 'byung yin no / 

'dod pa'i blo ma bstang cig / chos byed na rnam rtog tsad bcad na / rig pa'i zhal mthong ste bu med rnam rtog mang / nyon mongs tsad bcad na rang grol gyi zhal mthong te / bud med nyon mongs pa rag / snang ba'i tshad bcad na / stong pa'i zhal mthong ste / bu med mngon zhen che / sems nyid tsad chod na chos sku'i zhal mthong ste / bu med bsam bsno mang / chos byed na bya mthong la [4r] bla ma'i thad du sgoms / sangs rgyas de khad kyis zhal mthong gcig gsung ngo //

'dod pa'i blo ma bstad cig / chos byed na rnam rtog tsad bcad na / rig pa'i zhal mthong ste bud med rnam rtog mang / nyon mongs tsad bcad na rang grol gyi zhal mthong te / bud med nyon mongs pa rag snang pa'i tsad bcad na / stong pa'i zhal mthong ste / bud med mngon zhen che / sems nyid tsad chod na chos sku'i zhal mthong ste / bud med bsam bsno mang / chos byed na bya mthong la bla ma'i thad du sgoms / sangs rgyas de khad kyis zhal mthong 'ong gcig gsung ngo /

dam pas jo mo rje chung ma la gdams pa / lta ba rang 'byung ye shes yin no // rang gsal sems kyi me long ltos gcig / bsgom pa 'od gsal lhan skyes yin no // rang dang lhan skyes 'grogs / spyod pa rang 'byung rgyun gnas yin no shes pa'i rtsi yis zung / 'bras bu lhan gcig skyes sbyor yin no rang ngo shes par gyis / 

§§ dam pas jo mo rje chung ma la gdams pa / lta ba rang 'byung ye shes yin no / rang gsal sems kyi me long ltos cig / bsgom pa 'od gsal lhan skyes yin no / rang dang lhan skyes 'grogs / spyod pa rang 'byung rgyun gnas yin [fol. PAD recto] no shes pa'i rtsa yis zung / 'bras bu lhan cig skyes sbyor yin no rang ngo shes par gyis / 

rje chung ma nan tar chos byed na / bu g.yas su sod na zhe sdang rtsad chod / bu mo g.yon du sod la 'dod chag[s] kyi gshis phyung / snang ba la med chug la 'dod yon rlung la skur / shel rgong glang la skor la sems la nyon mongs pa ma 'jog / nam mkha'i mthongs su sdod la / stong nyid ngang la nyol / skye rgas na 'chi'i chu bo bzhi la skyel ma tshol de [4v] ltar byas na bu med kyi lus 'di bor nas nub phyogs padma can du skye bar gda'i gsung ngo // 

rje chung ma nan ltar chos byed na / bu g.yas su sod la zhe sdang rtsad chod / bu mo g.yon du sod la 'dod chag kyi gshis phyung / snang ba la med chug la 'dod yon rlung la skur / shel rgong glad la skor la sems la nyon mongs pa ma 'jog / nam mkha'i mthongs su sdod la / stong nyid ngang la nyol / skye rgas na 'chi'i chu bo bzhi la skyel ma tshol de ltar byas na bud med kyi lus 'di bor nas nub phyogs pad ma can du skye bar gda'i gsung ngo //

dam pas ma jo rong chung ma la gdams pa / lta ba 'gyur med sdeng ldan yin no // nyam nga med par khyer / sgom pa rang 'byung rgyun gnas yin no // bying sgod grogs su khyer / spyod pa cir snang grogs shar yin no // 'gro nyal 'dug sdod skyongs / 'bras bu spangs thob med pa yin no // rang la gnas pas chog / 

§§ dam pas ma jo rong chung ma la gdams pa / lta ba 'gyur med sdeng ldan yin no / nyam nga med par khyer // sgom pa rang 'byung rgyun gnas yin no // bying rgod grogs su khyer / spyod pa cir snang grogs shar yin no // 'gro nyal 'dug sdod [fol. PAD verso] skyongs // 'bras bu spangs thob med pa yin no / rang la gnas pas chog / 

rong chung ma snying gi dkyil na 'od me long tsam gcig gda'o // de la lta nus na bla ma gcig nang nas 'char ste / bu med gti mug che / mdun gyi nam mkha' la shel gyi mchod rten gda' ste / de la lta nus na bla ma gcig phyi nas ston te / bu med mngon zhen che / byung tshor gyi rtog pa la ngos bzung 'dug gam mi 'dug bltas na / rang grol gyi slob dpon gcig 'ong bar gda' ste / bu med yab  [5r]  yeb che / bya ba thong la lta stog thong dang / bu med yin yang grol te 'ong gis gsung ngo //

rong chung ma snying gi dkyil na 'od me long tsam gcig gda'o // de la lta nus na bla ma gcig nang nas 'char ste / bud med gti mug che / mdun gyi nam mkha' la shel gyi mchod rten gda' ste / de la lta nus na bla ma gcig phyi nas ston te / bud med mngon zhen che / byung tshor gyi rtog pa la ngos bzung 'dug <gam mi 'dug> bltas na // rang grol gyi slob dpon gcig 'ong bar gda' ste / bud med yab yeb che / bya ba thong la lta stog thong dang // bud med yin yang grol te 'ong gis gsung ngo //

dam pas ma jo glan chung ma la gdams pa / glan chung ma lta ba 'gyur med sdeng ldan yin no // rig pa gtsal phyung / bsgom pa smyug ma rang gnas yin no // rnam rtog 'gag du chug / spyod pa skyes grol dus mnyam yin no // nyon mongs pa brtsan chod gyis / 'bras bu sku gsum rang gnas yin no // rang la rang ngo rtogs / 

§§ dam pas ma jo glan chung ma la gdams pa / glan chung ma lta ba 'gyur med sdeng ldan yin no / rig pa gtsal [~rtsal] phyung / bsgom pa smyug ma rang gnas yin no /  rnam rtog 'gag du chug / spyod pa skyes grol dus mnyam yin no /  nyon mongs pa brtson chod gyis [fol. ME recto] 'bras bu sku gsum rang gnas yin no / rang la rang ngo rtogs / 

glan chung ma / tshe srog tswa kha'i zil pa 'gra ba la / bu med kun chos mi dran par / 'chi bas mi 'jigs pa dpe med / sgyu lus mi stag na bun 'dra ba la / g.yu nor go log la tshis byas nas lus la stag par 'dzin pa dpe med / mi stag pa 'chi bas 'jigs pa myur 'ong pa la / las dang bya ba la yen nas / dge sbyor le lo  [5v]  'jog pa dpe med / 'jig rten 'khor ba'i sdug bsngal mthong tsam na / zhen pa rang log du mi 'gro ba / bu tsha'i sdug bsngal la rgyun du mthong ba dpe med /  rdzogs pa'i sangs rgyas rang la yod pa la / bla ma'i gdam ngag mi nyan par / bu med kyis chos mi 'ong zer ba'i dpe med / de ltar ma byed par bu med la gros thob dang / glan chung ma gsung ngo //

glan chung ma / tshe srog tswa kha'i zil pa 'gra ba la / bud med kun chos mi dran par / 'chi bas mi 'jigs pa dpe med / sgyu lus mi stag na 'un [~na bun?] 'gra ba la / g.yu nor go log la tshis byas nas lus la stag par 'dzin pa dpe med // mi stag pa 'chi bas 'jigs pa myur du 'ong pa la / las dang bya ba la yen nas / dge sbyor le lo 'jog par dpe med / 'jig rten 'khor ba'i sdug bsngal mthong tsam na / zhen pa rang log du mi 'gro ba / bu tsha'i sdug bsngal la rgyan du mthong ba dpe med / sdzog pa'i sangs rgyas rang la yod pa la / bla ma'i gdams ngag mi nyan par / bud med kyis chos mi 'ong zer ba'i dpe med [fol. ME verso] de ltar ma byed par bud med la gros thob dang / glan chung ma gsung ngo //

dam pas ma jo zhang chung ma la gdams pa / lta ba rang lugs chen po yin no // gnas lugs rang la 'dug pa ltos cig / sgom pa rang shar rten med yin no //  rig pa rten med ltos cig / spyod pa ma 'gags zhen med yin no // chags zhen btsan thab[s] su chod cig / 'bras bu ye dag ye grol yin no / rig pa'i rten phur phyung cig / 

§§  dam pas ma jo zhang chung ma la gdams pa / lta ba rang lugs chen po yin no / gnas lugs rang la 'dug pa ltos cig / sgom pa rang shar rten med yin no / rig pa rten med ltos cig / spyod pa ma 'gags zhen med yin no /  chags zhen btsan thab su chod cig / 'bras bu ye dag ye grol yin no / rig pa'i rten phur phyung cig / 

zhang chung ma 'chi ba la dad pa'i bya ra [byar?] zhog / chi 'khar [~'chi khar] 'gyod pa'i zol sog spongs / dge sbyor la  [6r]  brtson grus kyi lcag gis brobs / nam 'chi cha med 'chi khar mi 'tsher rtsi byed gos / dam tshig la rang sems la spang po tshud / dmyal bar ltung dog med / nyon mongs pa rang dgar ma gtang rdzos thob dbang po tshud / bla  ma'i gdam ngag la the tshom ma za / yid ches mos gus kyi dbang po tshud / de ltar byas na 'gyod med bder bde phyi mar kyid de / grag mo tsho chos dang 'gal ba kha na mang bar khyed par mthong na / zhang chung ma bu med kyi khang dpon gyis dang ste / nyan pa dka' bar 'ong pa 'dra na gsung ngo // 

zhang chung ma 'chi ba la dad pa'i bya ra zhog / 'chi khar 'gyod pa'i zol sog spongs / dge sbyor la brtson 'grus kyi lcag gis brobs / nam 'chi cha med 'chi khar mi 'tsher rtsi byed gos / dam tshig la rang sems la spang po tshud / dmyal bar ltung dog med / nyon mongs pa rang dgar ma gtad rjes thob dbang po tshud / bla ma'i gdam ngag la the tshom ma za / yid ches mos gus kyi dpang po tshud / de ltar byas na 'gyod med bder bde [~'di?] phyi mar [s]kyid de / [fol. HUM recto] grag mo tsho chos dang 'gal ba kha na mang bar khyed par mthong na / zhang chung ma bud med kyi khad dpon gyis dang ste / nyan pa dka' bar 'ong ba 'gra na gsung ngo //  //

bu[d] med bdun la gdams pa cho lu'i skor rdzogs s.ho // dge'o // 

bud med la gdams pa cho lu'i skor // rdzogs sho // phyi rab rjes 'jug la phan par gyur cig / nyang chen po'i phyag yig steng nas / ston seng ges bris / cig zhu /

( • | • | • )

Appendix One: Titles in the Tsakaling Manuscript Set

Tsakaling Manuscript (Tsakka glang snag tshang),

Tsakaling Thorbu 005. I don’t believe this has been made available on the website of the Endangered Languages Archive, at least not yet.

KA   Dam pa'i sku'i zhus lan me long rnam par snang ba.  fols. 1-39.  

Col. [39r.3]: e ma 'dzam gling skyes mchog rgya gar rin po che'i / sku'i zhus lan me long rnam par snang / bdud rtsi lta bu dri med zab don 'di / snying po shes rab skal ldan dbang phyug zhes /dus gsum mtshan 'dzin gangs khrod ras pa yi / phyug dpa'i steng nas rgya'i rnal 'byor pa / chu sbrul lug gi zla ba'i yar ngo la / gnam mchog seng ge'i gzims khang chen por bris / mkha' mnyam tshe cig sangs rgyas thob par shog.

BAG [? 'ig?  Vak!]   Dam pa'i gsung gi zhus lan rnam par dag pa.  fols. 1-17.  

GHUN [Guṇa]  Dam pa'i yon tan gyi zhus lan shing lo rgyas pa.  fols. 1-36.  

Col. [fol. 35v.5]: dris lan thun tshogs kyi dum bu zhes bya ba las / yon tan gyi zhus lan / dpag bsam shing gi 'dab ma nam mkha' la rgyas pa lta bu'i gdams pa / bla ma byang chub sems dpa' kun dgas zhus te / byin brlab kyi gnas mchog dpal gyi ding rir yi ger bkod pa // rdzogs so // lan cig zhu dag /

KARMA Dam pa'i 'phrin las kyi zhus lan / gags sel sgron me.  fols. 1-19.  

— Bla ma brgyud pa'i rim pa'o / bla ma brgyud pa'i rim pa'o.  fols. 1-9.

KA  Gnad kyi zhus lan man ngag 'dus pa me long rnam par gsal ba.  1-18.  

KA Zhus lan rnad sel rnad kyi sgron me [Zhus lan gnad sel gnad kyi sgron me].  fols. 1-24.   [photo no. 93]

OM  Dam pas bu med bdun la gdam pa'i chol lu'i skor [Dam pas bud med bdun la gdams pa'i cho lu'i skor]. fols. 1-6 (in place of fol. nos. we get the six syllable mantra).  

Col. [6r.2]: bud med la gdams pa cho lu'i skor / rdzogs so // phyi rabs rjes 'jug la phan par gyur cig / nyang chen po'i phyag yig steng nas / ston seng ges bris / cig zhu.  NOTE: Cho lu'i skor is the name of the original collection of Kunga.

— Rje dam pa'i skye bdun rnam thar ma la ngo mtshar gtam bdun dang bcas pa.  fols. ka-nga [using letters in place of numbers].  

—  Brul tsho drug pa'i lo rgyus.  fols. 1-8.  [at photo no. 129!]

— Gcod brul tsho drug pa.  fos. 9-32.  

Col. [fol. 32.6]: zhes pa gcod kyi gdams pa / rje dam pa rgya gar gyis / yar lungs kyi smag ra ser po can la gnang pa'o // iti / dang po gdams pa 'di la dpe med / phyis [32v] mdzad par gda'o //  // [an interesting lineage follows, in smaller letters]

— 'Dzam gling skyes mchog rgya gar rin po che'i thugs kyi zhal chems pad ma rtseg pa'o.  fols. 1-9.  

— Zhi byed snga phyi bar gsum gyi dkar chag.  fols. 1-10  [photo no. 155]

— Dam pa la pha rol tu phyin pa bcu'i go nas bstod pa.  fols. 1-3.

— Dam pa'i gsung ['Dzam gling mi'i skyes mchog gsung yin no].  fols. 1-3.

— Dam pa'i zhal thems bcu gnyis.  fols. 1-6. Is this a version of the Zhal chems?

— Brul tsho drug pa'i zhal gdams.  fols. 33-37.  

— Dam pa'i gsung rtsad po la gsungs pa.  fols. 1-4 (words in place of numbers).  Text granted by Rten ne (1127-1221) to Myang Ral pa can at Smra'o cog.  

•

Appendix Two: Titles in the Drametsé Manuscript Set

EAP105/1: Drametse Monastery Collection >

EAP105/1/3: gSung thor bu - Miscellaneous titles >

EAP105/1/3/72: dam pa'i zhus len me long rnam par snang ba

http://eap.bl.uk/database/overview_item.a4d?catId=189691;r=12237

KA - Dam pa'i sku'i zhus lan me long rnam par snang ba.  fols. 1-34 (photos 1-23).  

KHA - Bla ma brgyud pa'i rim pa.  fols. 1-9.  

Cololophon at fol. 9r.1:  i ti / nad pa la byin brlabs byed na dam po gtor ma gtang / de nas skyabs 'gro sems skyed bya / de nas gsol ba btab / de nas nad pa mi dmigs / nad mi migs 'dre mi migs / byin brlabs mi dmigs par stong pa nyid do // gang na ba'i sar shing 'am rdo'am gang yang rung ba cig gis cab / cab bya'o / des bzhi bar 'gyuro // i ti /

GA - Brul tsho drug pa'i lo rgyus.  fols. 1-8.

NGA - Gnad kyi zhus lan man ngag 'dus pa me long rnam par gsal ba.  fols. 1-18.  

Colophon fol. 18v.5: gnad kyi zhus lan man ngag 'dus pa me long rnam par gsal ba zhes bya ba / sdzogs s.ho //  //

CA - Zhi byed snga phyi bar gsum gyi dkar chag.  fols. 1-8 (but there are 2 marked fol. 2).  

CHA - Zhus lan rnad sel rnad kyi sgron me.  fols. 1-16.  

Colophon fol. 16r.1: rje btsun dam pa rgya gar gyi zhal nas legs par gsungs pa / rnad sel rnad kyi sgron me ces bya ba / bka' rgya dang bcas pa'i zab don rdzogs so / /

JA - Dam pa'i gsung gi zhus lan rnam par dag pa.  fols. 1-18.  

Cololophon fol. 16v.3: gtsung gi zhus lan rnam par dag pa zhes bya ba khyad nas 'phags pa rdzogs so //

NYA - Dam pa'i 'phrin las kyi zhus lan / gags sel sgron me.  fols. 1-18.  

Colophon fol. 18v.2: gags sel 'phrin las kyi zhus pa lan dang bcas pa rdzogsho / / mangga lam //

TA - Dam pa la pha rol tu phyin pa bcu'i [s]go nas bstod pa.  fols. 1-4.

THA - Dam pa'i gsung bzhugs s.ho / 'dzam gling mi'i skyes mchog gsung yin no.  fols. 1-3.  

Colophon: rje dam pa rgya gar gyis bon po khra tshang 'brug la gnang pa'o // a ti /   A yantra of letters is illus. on a following folio.

DA - Dam pa'i zhal thems bcu gnyis.  [Zhal chems?]  fols. 1-5.  

Colophon: rje btsun dam pa rin po che smon lam bdag gi pha mas gtso byas khams gsum 'gro ba rigs drug sems can thams cad kyi ji ltar gsung ba bzhin grub par gyur cig / bdag sogs dam pa'i drung du skye bar shog /

NA - Gcod brul tsho drug pa.  fols. 1-23.  Precepts given by Dam pa Rgya gar to Smag ra Ser po can [Sma ra Ser po] of Yar lungs.

PA - 'Dzam gling skyes mchog rgya gar rin po che'i thugs kyi zhal chems padma brtsegs pa.  fols. 1-8.  This is the well-known Ding ri brgya rtsa.

PHA - Dam pa'i yon tan gyi zhus lan shing lo rgyas pa.  fols. 1-36 (the order of fols. 12 & 13 is switched).  As you may see in the listing that follows, some of these answers were to questions asked of Padampa by women.

10r.1 rgya'i sgom ma [~rgya sgom ma]. 10r.5 ston ma dar rgyan.  11v.1 'bro lo tsha [~'bro lo tshâ ba].  11v.3 bla ma ram dge ba'i seng ge. 11v.5 rje khri pa. 15v.5 te tshems chung pa.  16r.3 dam pa phyar chung.  16r.6 ston ma byang chub dge.  17v.2 bla ma grub chung pa.  18v.1 ston pa chos kyis seng ge [~chos kyi seng ge].   22r.3 yon bdag mo rgyan ne.  24v.5 ma jo snang gsal.  26r.1 bla ma zhang gsor 'od [~gser 'od?].  

Colophon fol. 36r.5: dris lan thun tshogs kyi dum bu zhes bya ba las / yon tan gyi zhus lan dpag bsam shing gi 'dab ma mkha' la rgyas pa lta bu'i gdams pa / bla ma byang chub sems dpa' kun dgas zhus te  byin brlabs kyi gnas mchog [36v] dpal gyi ding rir yi ger bkod pa rdzogs so / /

BA - Dam pa'i gsung rtsad po la gsungs pa gcig.  fols. 1-4.  Includes a story about how the king of Purang by the name of Brtsad po Khri btsan battled the King of Bri sha (Bru sha!). They fired a catapult at the palace when a nâga tree got broken. The king came to Padampa complaining of being troubled by spirits giving him leprosy (read nad mdze in place of nas 'dze).  

[4v] Dam pa Phyar chung put this text into writing. This ends the Gdams pa Cho lu'i skor. The teacher Grub thob Dngos grub granted these teachings to Myang Ral pa can. It was scribed at Smra'o cog po. It’s especially remarkable for having the giving [to the spirits] as food practice (gcod kyi gzan skyur), a practice not known to the ZC.

MA - Dam pas bu med bdun la gdams pa'i chol lus skor [Bud med bdun la gdams pa'i cho lu'i skor].  fols. 1-6.  

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