Heartbeat of the Dakini

The following was taken from the Jnanasuka newsletter:

Tsogyal Latso, in the valley of Drak on the north shore of the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra River in southern Tibet, is the birthplace of Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal, the mother of Tibetan Buddhism.  Yeshe Tsogyal was the speech emanation of Vajra Varahi.  She lived in the eighth and ninth centuries as the disciple and consort of Padmasambhava, the great Indian master who brought Secret Mantra (Vajrayana) Buddhism to Tibet.

She was entrusted with all of Padmasambhava’s teachings which she committed to memory.  She was also the chosen custodian of his treasure transmission or terma.  Her biography is available in English as Mother of Knowledge and Lady of the Lotus Born.

At the time of her birth, a nearby small lake that had existed in antiquity and had been frequented by the goddess Sarasvati, increased in size and overflowed.  Seeing this remarkable event, her father declared:

Since, when she was born the lake expanded, she shall have the name Tsogyal, Queen of the Lake.

The sacred site of Tsogyal Latso has always been a revered place of worship and pilgrimage.  In the 18th century, Rikdzin Jigme Lingpa stayed overnight at Tsogyal Latso. He slept leaning against a tree and in the morning, he saw the impression of his back on the tree.  Then in the next moment, he saw, rippling in its waters, a vision of Yeshe Tsogyal in the form of Yumkha Dechen Gyalmo.  His mind was imprinted with a secret dakini script he later decoded into the Longchen Nyingtik Yumkha Dechen Gyalmo.

“Master Padmakara took as his consort and support for sadhana the sixteen-year-old goddesslike daughter of Palgyi Wangchuk of Kharchen with the name Lady Tsoygal of Kharchen.  She was endowed with the nature of a wisdom dakini.  They remained in the profound meditation practice of Secret Mantra in the gathering hall of dakinis at the Tregu Cave of Chimphu.”  — The Lotus-Born: The Life Story of Padmasambhava

Tsogyal Latso is a revered sacred site for the Nyingma.  In the eighth century, Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal was born there and a long, long time ago, it was the abode of Vajra Varahi and Saraswati.  At Tsogyal’s birth, a spring-fed lake spontaneously expanded in size and a naga chief offered her a pillar from a sandalwood tree grown with special elixirs.

In time, the lake became known as a visionary lake. Both the lake and the tree are called la in Tibetan culture–natural forces that sustained and continue to sustain Yeshe Tsogyal’s vitality and presence in the world.  Hence the name of her birthplace–Tsogyal Latso, Life-Supporting Lake of Tsogyal.  We should also mention the two springs that flow with her secret breast milk  and are banked with white flowers that bloom in winter.  Unbelievably, all this has survived the trials of time and tragedy!

It should be no surprise that Tsogyal’s birthplace is so extraordinary.  Ultimately, she is the mother or source of enlightenment, great emptiness herself.  And on the path to enlightenment, she is the enlightened feminine principle, the wisdom dakini who is our direct line to Guru Padmasambhava’s teachings.  Furthermore, in these deeply troubled times, she is the force behind inconceivable activities that benefit beings.

The Tsogyal Latso Fund:

$22,326 raised since 2009
135 donors

To see more beautiful photos click here:  2010 Tsogyal Latso

Please bring the benefit of the nuns into your life by supporting theirs!  Make a Connection

It’s now possible to connect with Tsogyal Latso in Tibet and the nuns living there.  Whether you shop, donate, or stay in touch — you ensure that the birthplace of Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal and the nuns are cared for.

Pilgrimage to Zabbulung

From the Jnanasukha community:

When we visited Shang Zabbulung in western Tibet in 2009, the abbot requested that we translate the Pilgrimage Guide to Zabbulung.  This Tibetan text is a compilation of three texts.

A preliminary translation is now complete and we have 35 pages of wonderful information that we look forward to publishing later this year.  The following is an excerpt from the first text, which itself was extracted from the 60th chapter of Prophesies for Future Practice Places.  The speaker is Guru Rinpoche himself, advising King Drisong Detsen to practice in Shang Zabbulung:

“The sublime sacred place of Zabbulung is meaningful merely to see, hear about, think of, and touch … just seeing this place increases one’s happiness and virtuous practice.  One’s experiences and realization of meditative concentration are enhanced, positive conditions manifest spontaneously, wealth and good fortune increase, and one has numerous devoted celestial attendants.  Distractions are few, so one’s meditative concentration improves.  One is free of the eight fears, attendants gather, and all one’s wishes are fulfilled in accordance with the Dharma.  Like a fabulous wish-fulfilling jewel, whatever one needs and desires showers down like rain from the sky, and one’s fine qualities expand like the waxing moon.

The assemblies of outer and inner peaceful and wrathful deities dwell here, so it is equal to the twenty-four sacred lands.  Dakas and dakinis always gather here, so it is equal to the eight great charnel grounds.  All the buddhas of the three times watch over and bless this place, and its solid and enduring rocks are immutable, so it is the same as the center of the world, Bodhgaya.  Beings born here are noble Mahayana heroes and heroines, so it is equal to the Oddiyan Vajra Cave and to Mount Potala, which formed from light issuing from the ring of hair between the eyebrows of the Mighty Lord of the World, Avalokitesvara.  Numerous assemblies of Secret Mantra deities dwell there, making it equal to the actual Glorious Drepung.  The Wheel of Mahayana Dharma was turned there, so it is equal to the actual Vulture Peak Mountain.

The mountains are shaped like stupas, so it is equal to the actual Swayambunath.  At its center, there is a five-peaked white snow mountain, so it is equal to the actual Wu Tai Shan.  All classes of deity come before one to make offerings, so it is a spontaneously-accomplished Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Mahayana Dharma activities are constantly maintained, so it is equal to Tushita Heaven.  Resouces and treasures are bountiful here and the local deities are strict, so it is equal to the Palace of Changlochen, the buddhafield of Vajradhara.  I, Padma, practiced here, so when beings of the future practice here, they will reach accomplishment . . . Surrounded by protective foothills and rocky mountains . . . it is a sacred hidden land. . . Water, wood, and resources are bountiful; whatever one needs abounds in this supreme sacred place. . . Awareness is clear and boundless.  This is the king of all practice places, and the banner of its renown pervades the ten directions.

If you stay at this supreme sacred place for seven days, you will be inseparable from me, Padma, so you will reach the Realm of Bliss in actuality.  If you hear about the supreme sacred place of Zabbulung, you will be reborn having brought an end to cyclic existence.  If you touch the soil, stones, or wood from Zabbulung, you will be released from harm caused by minor elemental spirits.  If you lay eyes on the supreme sacred place of Zabbulung even once, you will perceive the truth of the first bodhisattva level.  If you think of glorious Zabbulung, the mamos and dakinis will grant their accomplishments.

If you spend three days in glorious Zabbulung, you will be liberated from harm caused by subtle elemental spirits.  If you stay for five days, psychotic episodes and fits will be dispelled.  If you stay for seven days, leprosy and skin infections will be cured.  If you stay for nine days, evil spells will be averted.  If you stay for eleven days, subjugating activities will be accomplished.  If you stay for fourteen days, magnetizing activities will be accomplished.  If you stay for seventeen days, enriching activities will be accomplished.  If you stay for twenty-four days, pacifying activities will be accomplished.  If you stay for an entire month, as soon as you cast off this body made of the four elements, you will reach buddhahood in the Realm of Bliss (Dewachen).  If you stay for a whole year, even if you were able to weigh them on a scale with Mt. Meru, the positive effects would be impossible to measure.  Even if you were able to count all the drops in the ocean, the positive effects of staying here would still be impossible to count.

The supreme sacred place of glorious Zabbulung is a palace of victorious great bliss.  Its fine qualities are difficult to describe or fathom—Sovereign King, do your practice here!”

All photos taken in 2009 at Shang Zabbulung; last photo is the Enlightenment Cave of Yeshe Tsogyal where she attained the rainbow body, as did her consort Atsara Sale.

Remember the Kindness

This date (January 17, 2011) marks the twenty-third anniversary of the dissolution of the physical manifestation of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche.  It’s an excellent time to remember his kindness, make offerings, and offer supplications.

His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche lived from 1904-1987.  At one time, he had vowed to benefit all beings for as long as this aeon lasted.

In his previous life, he was identified in the 18th century as Dudjom Lingpa who was a mind manifestation of Padmasambhava; Yeshe Tsogyal’s speech emanation; and Keuchung Lotsawa’s body emanation.

As Guru Rinpoche told Yeshe Tsogyal, an individual would be born who would be the Master of the 1002 buddhas of our aeon.

Among Rinpoche’s several names are Yeshe Dorje, Wisdom Vajra, a name given in a prophecy by dakinis; Jigdral, Fearless, a name given by XV Karmapa, and Dudul Lingpatsel, the name given to him by the dakinis in his role as a treasure revealer.

Other incarnations include:

1. Drukpa Kunley “the Divine Madman” (1455 – 1529)
2. Mahasiddha Saraha (the 8th century)
3. Humkara one of the eight vidyadharas of India
4. Arhat Sariputra “foremost in wisdom” under Shakyamuni Buddha

Click on his picture above for an outstanding blessing and pointing out instructions.

More info:

Download: Seed of Threefold Faith: A Supplication Based on the Liberation Story of the Great Incarnate Treasure Revealer, Jigdral Yeshe Dorje Drodul Lingpa Tsel

Texts: http://dudjom.blogspot.com/

Facebook: excellent collection of photos.

Purchase: Video teaching about His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche by Lama Tharchin Rinpoche, 2004.

Benefits of Vajra Guru Mantra

The Vajra Guru Mantra is the mantra associated with Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava.  This is a draft translation of a treasure text which explains the Vajra Guru Mantra.  It was originally concealed during the time of Padmasambhava in Tibet and later rediscovered by Karma Lingpa (14th century) who brought it forth from its place of concealment and copied it down on reams of gold.

It is simply known as “The Syllable by Syllable Commentary Explaining the Benefits of the Vajra Guru Mantra.”  It begins with an invocation and then goes into a dialogue between Yeshe Tsogyal, the spiritual consort of Padmasambhava, and Padmasambhava himself.

Yeshe Tsogyal:

In the future, sentient beings will have very short attention spans and a great many things will clutter and occupy their minds.  Their characters will be rough and difficult to tame.  They will develop many wrong views towards the sacred Dharma.  In particular, a time will come when people will cast dispersions on the Secret Mantra teaching of the unsurpassable levels of tantra.  At that time, all sentient beings will suffer heavily from disease, famine, and war.  Because of the spread of these three calamities, in particular, China, Tibet and Mongolia will experience the same kind of turmoil as an ant’s nest when it is destroyed, and the time will come for the people of Tibet to suffer greatly.

Though you have spoken at length of many skillful means to salvage what is possible from that situation, sentient beings in the future will not have the time to practice.  Even though they may have some slight inclination to practice, they will encounter many great obstacles.  Sentient beings will experience a great deal of disharmony.  They won’t be able to get along or reach any kind of accord, and in the wake of this, their behavior will become very impure.  Bad times such as this will be very difficult to avert.

That being the case, what kinds of benefits and advantages would there be for those beings in the future were they to rely solely upon the Vajra Guru Mantra as their practice?  I ask you to relate this for the benefit of individuals in the future who are not able to perceive this and therefore have to have it explained to them.

Pema Jungne replied:

Oh faithful lady, what you have said is so very true.  In the future, such times will befall sentient beings and both in a temporary and in a long term sense, the benefits of the Vajra Guru mantra can be definitely be felt.  Since my spiritual instructions and the methods of practice that I offer are immeasurable, I have hidden a great number of treasure teachings in the water, rocks, the sky and so forth.  In these evil times, even individuals with fortunate karma will find it difficult to encounter these teachings.  It will be difficult to bring together the necessary circumstances for these teachings to be revealed.  This is a sign that the collective merit of beings is on the wane.

However, at such times, if this essence mantra, the Vajra Guru mantra, is repeated as much as possible, a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times, a hundred thousand times, a million, ten million, a hundred million times and so forth, if it is repeated in holy places, in temples, next to great rivers, in areas where gods and demons abound, if it is recited in these places by tantric practitioners with pure samaya, by people with monastic ordination who maintain their vows purely, by men and women who possess faith in the teachings, if they give rise to bodhicitta on a grand scale and recite this mantra, then the benefits and advantages and energy of such practice are truly inconceivable.

This will avert all of the negative forces of disease, famine, unrest, bad harvests and all bad omens and indications in all the countries of the world, such that the rain will fall in a timely manner for the crops so there will always be a plentiful supply of water for agriculture and for human and animal life, and all regions and areas will experience prosperity and auspicious conditions.

If you would like to download the Adobe file and read all this rare treasure text then click on:  The Syllable by Syllable Commentary discovered by terton Karma Lingpa.

Here is a sample of some of the benefits of the vajra guru mantra:

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

OM AH HUNG purify obscurations arising from the three mental poisons: desire/attachment, aversion, and ignorance
VAJRA purifies obscurations which stem from anger
GURU purifies obscurations which stem from pride
PEMA purifies obscurations which stem from desire/attachment
SIDDHI purifies obscurations which stem from envy/jealousy
HUNG in a general way purifies obscurations which stem from all emotional afflictions

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

Through OM AH HUNG one attains the three kayas
Through VAJRA one realizes mirror-like pristine awareness
Through GURU one realizes the pristine awareness of equalness
Through PEMA one realizes the pristine awareness of discernment
Through SIDDHI one realizes the all-accomplishing pristine awareness
Through HUNG one realizes the pristine awareness of basic space

The merits of accumulation:

Guru Rinpoche said, “If one recites the mantra three or seven million times, one is never separate from the buddhas of the three times and one becomes inseparable from me.  All the gods and demons of existence will attend to one and offer their praises.  In the most excellent cases, individuals will attain the rainbow body, and the final level of attainment in this lifetime.  On a more middling level, at the moment of death, the mother and child aspects of radiant luminosity will meet.  At the very least, individuals will behold my face in the bardo state…”

King Trisong Detsen

Today, the Jnanasukha March issue of the Dakini Day news had an interesting article on one of the great dharma kings of Tibet.  This was a very interesting biography to read:

The second of the three most famous Dharma Kings was Trisong Detsen.  In fulfillment of a prophecy, King Trisong Detsen (790-844) ascended to the throne at the age of thirteen, four generations after Songtsen Gampo.

Across the board, he is recognized as the monolithic force that established Buddhism as the state religion of Tibet.  Traditionally, this achievement is linked to his partnership with Shantarakshita and Padmasambhava,  such that the three are referred to as khen lob cho sum — the Scholar Shantarakshita, the Dharma Master Padmasambhava, and the Dharma King Trisong Detsen.

There are Dunhuang manuscripts which recount the glory of King Trisong Detsen’s activities in establishing the complete traditions of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet.

King Trisong Detsen’s mother was Chinese.  Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal was one of his five wives.  He had three sons who were devoted to Padmasambhava and one daughter, Pema Sel, who was restored to life at the age of eight by Padmasambhava, who entrusted her with the Great Perfection cycle of Khandro Nyingthik.  She later incarnated as Terton Pema Ledreltsal (13th century), Longchenpa (14th century), and Terton Padma Lingpa (15th century).

In pursuit of his spiritual intentions, the King sought out many Buddhist teachers in China, Nepal, and India.  Most notably, at age twenty, he sent Jnanakumara to fetch Shantarakshita (aka Khenpo Bodhisattva), the abbot of Nalanda, and to bring back the heisted Shakyamuni statue.  When he tried to build a great temple like Odantapura in India, he met with heavy opposition from Bon practitioners, his ministers, and one his own wives.  The spirits of Tibet were also very displeased and to retard any progress in the construction of Samye, they embarked on a campaign of daily natural disasters such as disease, floods, storms, famines.

On Shantarakshita’s recommendation, the King sent five envoys to escort Padmasambhava, the Oddiyana vidyadhara, to central Tibet to deal with the disruptive situation.  According to His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, Padmasambhava came to Tibet in the Iron Tiger Year of 810.  Some say he was already 1,000 years old.  In any case, Padmasambhava subdued the spirits and bound them to serve the Buddhist doctrine and its followers.  As a result, the great temple of Samye, Sublime Palace of Inconceivable Self-Manifestation, was completed in five years.  It is said that during the consecration of Samye, the statues walked around discussing the Dharma!

Thereafter, using his wealth and power, King Trisong Detsen proceeded to systematically institutionalize Buddhism.  At Samye, he hosted the famous several year-long debate between Indian and Chinese Buddhism, after which he declared Indian Buddhism to be the official religion of Tibet (792).  He requested Shantarakshita to conduct the first monastic ordination ceremonies for monks and nuns.  He gathered exceptional translators such as Vairotsana, Kawa Paltsek, Chokro Lui Gyaltsen, and others to translate both sutra and mantra teachings from Sanskrit into Tibetan.  He brought a hundred and eight great Indian scholars, such as Vimalamitra and Buddhaguhya, to Tibet.  He sent others to India to receive and bring back teachings from great masters such as Shri Singha and Humkara.

He himself requested Padmasambhava to bestow the first tantric empowerment in the caves of Chimphu above Samye.  The King was the only one of Guru Rinpoche’s twenty-five mahasiddha disciples who did not attain the rainbow body.  However, he composed Dharma texts and is known for his mastery of Chemchok Heruka.

On a mundane level, he made his country prosperous and, through military exploits, he made Tibet into a superpower.  Through a treaty with the Chinese, he obtained the Lake Kokonor region (Amdo).  He ruled Kashmir, formed an alliance with Siam, and tried to expand westward into Arab lands.  In Lhasa, there is a pillar that pays homage to his military glory.

His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche said, with tears in his eyes, that:

“If one were to fill every canyon, every gorge, every hole on earth with gold as high as Mount Meru, not even a fraction of the kindness of King Trisong Detsen could be repaid!”

His death was predicted by Vairotsana whom the King, under pressure from his xenophobic ministers, had, at one time, banished from central Tibet.  Among his rebirths are Nyang Rel Nyima Ozer, Guru Chowang, Jigme Lingpa, and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo.  He is considered an emanation of Manjushri.

Tibetan Medicine and Spice 4 Life

In these degenerate times, it is easy to see that our diet is getting worse and worse every year.  In America, it is clearly evident we are getting heavier; while mental and emotional disease is on the rise.  To stay ahead of the game, one must look to the causes and conditions of these problems and know exactly what method is a suitable antidote.  Whether you practice hatha yoga, vipashana meditation, or pranayama it is wise to know the root cause of physical disease and the proper method to get back to basic health and well-being.

There is a unique Master Herbalist who calls himself MH.  He has created one serious formula called the Spice 4 Life with the more advanced formula called the 2010 Longevity Spices that I have been self-experimenting with.  When you take a tablespoon of this by mouth you can sense immediately that:

• it cleanses the lymph nodes
• and infuses the whole body with the nutrients

Within as little as three to five days you can directly see the results that the hair and nails are revitalizing and getting stronger.  MH states that:

“Cancers and all diseases most likely ALL START when the stomach fails, I have read many times the kidneys fail first, but ODDS are the kidneys failed first because the STOMACH was adding acids to the body that over whelmed the kidney function.

This is why some of the best Professors of health from Germany many, many years ago stated to HEAL THY STOMACH and you have healed thy body.

The Japanese method of an herb drank after each meal with allot of water to expand the stomach in an attempt to revitalize it propably was not a popular idea, but according to the author, a MD, he claimed he could cure all the cancers, etc.

I also found this author mentioned in the Dr. John R. Christopher informational CD of papers never put in book form by Dr. Christopher and the ONLY proof I have ever had that it works is the Theory behind the Amish Healers Formula I call Spice 4 Life or what I have ended up with that I call Longevity Spices. The Amish Healer having the patient drink a large amount of water after each meal with a spice formula that it’s base is the herb that was used by the old Japanese MD.

“IS” it “WISE” to try to restore your health this method? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a method for those who “REFUSE” to eat correctly and would otherwise eat them selves to an early grave; it is a desperate option and this is exactly the history behind the Amish Healers theory of using such a thing. The Japanese MD never wrote anything about correct eating, etc.; he was a true believer in the herb GARLIC and even built a machine that sprayed garlic juice all over your body as a cure for all diseases, etc.”

One has to admit that this is a very interesting theory.  After self-experimenting with his formula, I did some research on what the dharma had to say about health.  In one of my favorite books, “Sky Dancer: The Secret Life and Songs of the Lady Yeshe Tsogyel” I came across a relevant passage.  It says:

“The nutrition extracted from food in the stomach passes through the “vein which seizes the distilled essence” to the liver, where it is assimilated by bile, phlegm and air (the three humours). Refined nutrition forms blood, and refined blood forms flesh while the unrefined blood forms bile.” ~ p. 248

There may be a connection between what Tibetan Medicine has discovered a long time ago and what MH is presenting today.  From a physical point of view, the stomach must heal first before one can experience proper regeneration happening before their very eyes.

There are two ways to get back to health – one homeopathic and the other abiding by nature.  Homeopathy goes against nature.  However, without first “obeying nature” it is rather difficult to know what your natural health-state really feels like.

Since the physical body is just a vessel for our spiritual development it makes sense to master it in order to have a body that functions efficiently.  With the right attitude we won’t get carried away into a sort of spiritual materialism.  Therefore, we don’t want to overdo these herbs and cleanses by grasping at the needs of the body in exclusion to enlightenment.  Nonetheless, it is still beneficial to learn to handle the body in such a way that it doesn’t become an obstacle to our practice.

The order of importance:

1. Energy-work (ie. reiki and chi-kung) yields much quicker results than physical work alone.
2. Mind training (shamatha) is more important than the body and energy-work alone.
3. Advanced contemplation (vipashana) is what leads to a lasting and permanent happiness – enlightenment.

In the end, it is best to lead a simple life free from self-grasping to this physical body.  Therefore, in order to go beyond the dependency for herbs one must know what the Buddhist dharma equivalent is in relation to regenerating the body.  Under the guidance of a qualified teacher one can learn the breathwork and the proper method for this advanced type of training.  You are simply moving from outer yoga (fasting and herbs) to inner yoga (tummo-fire) practice.

If you are fortunate enough to undertake initiation and learn the yoga of inner heat (Tibetan Tummo) you have the opportunity to take care of the body with skillful means.  It will definitely strengthen the whole nervous system with single pointed concentration.  This way you are “killing two birds with one stone” by keeping the body fit as well as having a practice that progresses towards enlightenment.  I hope this inspires some people to look into this and achieve complete success on their spiritual journey.

With that said, I would encourage you to start learning what MH is doing and discover the two most important holistic doctors of the previous century: Dr. Hay and Dr. Christopher.  Even though MH gets criticized by many proud, educated people he has many PEARLS OF WISDOM to share that you will find useful.  Since he always talks about how the number 108 magically appears in his life, he seems to be inspired and guided by the Medicine Buddha himself.  He has a forum at the CureZone called: ‘Ask Barefoot Herbalist’ linked below:

http://www.curezone.com/forums/f.asp?f=626

Good Luck!
Neo