[The letter to Kyalo Tönpa:]
To Tönpa Gyaltsen, whose virtues have manifested a white fruition:
From the milky ocean of your unceasing utterly white virtue,
The timely ripening of your excellence and aspirations is the lunar mansion.p
It increases my joy to hear that Rāhu is far from you at this time.
Here I am well. If you want the one-hundred petals of the kumuda flowerq
Of White Ling to open under your white light of the moon, releasing the prophecy,
Do not miss this moment of fortunate connection.
This letter is like a melodious song which the messenger will narrate in detail.
Conveyed in a scarf decorated with the eight auspicious symbols, this was written on an excellent month and day in Yudrug Gying Dzong. The letter, sealed in command, was sent to his home, the six prosperous valleys of Nelchag, called Kyalo Wealthy Pasture Land.
Just when the tip of the sun’s rays touched the eight provinces of Ser in Upper Ling, the six tribes of Ombu in Middle Ling, the four districts of Muchang in Lower Ling, the wealthy districts of Ga and Dru, the twelve myriarchies of Denma, the Kar and Nag chiliarchies, and the eighteen great wings of Tag-rong, like a flock of flapping birds scattering in all directions, notes were sent out to the people of Ling. The contents contained a directive to each individual: “On the morning of the fifteenth day, at the moment the mountains are wearing golden hats, you must converge at Nyida Khatröd [Conjoined Sun and Moon], the great gathering place of White Ling.”
[Thangtong Gyalpo, the priest of Ling, visits Chipön.]
Chipön thought, “The chronicles have it that there is a guru siddha named Thangtong Gyalpo, a man whose compassion is higher than the sky and whose oral instructions are deeper than the ocean. He should be invited to Ling.” But, because Thangtong was a wandering ascetic, the chief had no idea how to find him. At the very moment when he was wondering where to send the invitation, Padmasambhava appeared in the clear light sleep of Thangtong Gyalpo. He said, “Son of Noble Family, it would be greatly beneficial if you would go to Trakhar Namdzong [Falcon Castle Sky Fortress] and work for the benefit of beings in the Wishing Land of Ling.” Thangtong Gyalpo set out according to this timely prophecy.148 There, on the tenth day, just as the sun’s rays struck the tips of the mountain peaks, he arrived at the gate of the castle Shar-ri Drugdzong. Then he sang this dohār of auspiciousness:
Kind and gracious Lord Guru,
Bestower of siddhis, yidam deity,
Assembly of ḍākinīs, who dispel obstacles,
From my heart, I supplicate you to be inseparable from me.
Grant blessings so that I may accomplish my aims.
Alas! Listen, oh patron and chief!
Since it is difficult to find a free and well-favored birth in Jambudvīpa,
If one fails to accomplish the divine dharma149 that brings stable bliss,
It will be like going to an island of precious jewels
And returning empty-handed.
What is the difference between a tight-fisted rich man And a hungry ghost guarding a treasure?
Both are powerless to enjoy it—how pitiful!
If you cannot make offerings to the Three Jewels,
Partaking of your own wealth is like an old ox gulping down water.
Don’t you see there is no beginning or end?
If you don’t give alms to the needy,
Your food and wealth are like a tree rotting in water.
Don’t you see that it will bear no fruit?
Generosity is the path of merit.
Through generosity, glory and fame will flourish.
Generosity is the virtue that brings peace.
Therefore, propagate that perfectly pure generosity.
I am an ascetic who wanders many lands.
Grant me a connection with the feast offering of food and drink,
And I will seal it with dedications and aspiration prayers.
The auspiciousness of the buddhas fills the sky;
May there be the auspiciousness of exalted status.
The auspiciousness of the holy dharma pervades the midheavens;
May there be the auspiciousness of its increasing field of power.
The auspiciousness of the sangha expands across the earth;
May there be the auspiciousness of their merit increasing.
May this offering of an auspicious dohā
Make a fortunate connection with the land of Ling!
[Chipön praises his visitor, but challenges him to prove he is a good lama.]
Thus he spoke. Then Chipön thought to himself, “There’s a proverb which says,
If there is good karma in the morning, the way is easier.
If there is a warrior, the weapon is sharper.
If there is high status, the sovereignty is greater.”
He thought, “This may be the Mahāsiddha Thangtong Gyalpo singing a dohā at my door, but I’m not sure.” Gazing through the bright window ornamented with gilded latticework, he saw a man with the plaited locks of a hermit mahāsiddha coming. His goatee was so long that it came down to the middle of his chest. He was wearing a sleeveless maroon robe and a blue meditation belt around his neck for a necklace. He wore a white cotton shawl and conch shell earrings, and held a bamboo cane in his hand. To see his face would bring delight, and to hear his voice would awaken faith.
Chipön said, “Now I am certain this is Thangtong Gyalpo!
By his six powers, turquoise mane, and maturity,
He seems to be a white snow lion.
I’m sure he can wander the white peaks of the snow mountains.
The span of his six wings spreads so evenly,
He seems to be a white-breasted vulture.
I’m sure he can pierce the highest regions of the azure firmament.
By the six smiles complete on his body
He seems to be a Bengal tiger, inscribed with designs.
I am sure he can prowl the sandalwood forest.”
“In any case,” he thought, “I should approach him and make some inquiries.” So he said, “Oh Mahāsiddha, you’ve come! You must be tired!
If you don’t liberate yourself through realization on the spot
It will be difficult to benefit others with compassion.
You who sang this melodious little dohā—what land do you come from? What do you have to tell us?” and Chipön sang this song:
The beginning of the song is sung with Ala.
Thala is the way the melody goes.
Guru, yidam, and Three Jewels,
Never parting, remain as my crown ornament.
As I begin, this song is offered to you.
May all my aims be accomplished according to the dharma.
In case you don’t recognize this place,
This is the mountain pass of Traphug [Falcon Cave] in Jambudvīpa.
First, the hues of the late summer flowers,
Second, the well-fed gleam of the grazing livestock,
Third, the brilliant mind of Chipön;
This is a colorful valley of happiness and good fortune.
If you don’t recognize what kind of man I am,
I am the crest jewel of the six tribes,
The golden toils of the chieftain’s law;
I am Chipön Rongtsha Tragen.
So early this morning,
O Mahāsiddha, from where did you come?
First, with white conch shell earrings,
Second, with a white walking stick of fine bamboo,
Third, clothed in white cotton;
You seem to have come from among the white gods.
First, your blue plaited hair,
Second, your blue mustache and goatee,
Third, your blue meditation belt, worn like a necklace;
You seem to have come from among the blue serpents.
First, your dark red complexion,
Second, your dark deerskin robe,
Third, your dark red skull cup;
You seem to have come from the clan of Mukpo.
How is your confidence in the view?
How is your experience in meditation?
How is the discipline of your conduct?
[Answer well, for] according to the traditions of worldly proverbs:
A lama without noble qualities,
Is like a seagull which just hovers over the ocean.
If his honor is not thick with the blessings of compassion,
Wearing his extra robes just serves to weigh him down.
The chieftain without sovereignty,
Is like a lion stuffed with straw.
Without authentic presence to sway the people,
His arrogant pride just serves to ridicule him before everyone.
A mighty one150 with no self-control
Is like a donkey covered with leopard skin.151
If there is no accumulation of karmic power,
Vengeful forces could steal his life away.
A siddha without the view152
Is like the posture of empty armor.
Lacking control over channels and winds,
To be clad only in cotton just causes cracking oozing sores.153
Now, please answer me straightforwardly.
If the blessings of the lama are not limited,
Then will not the benefit to disciples be great?
If the chieftain is not weak in protecting life,
Will not his sovereignty cover all districts in the country?
If the exertions of daily life are not meager,
Then won’t harvest and husbandry be good?
If sealing with dedication is not meager,
Whatever is offered as the gaṇacakra feast will be sufficient.154
If this song has fallen into error, I confess.
If this has all been foolish chatter, please forgive me.
[Thangtong Gyalpo answers Chipön’s song point by point.]
Thus he requested and the Mahāsiddha answered,
On the great vast plain [thang] of my view,
I dwell as the Mahāsiddha king [rgyal po] of emptiness [stong].
Therefore I am known as Thangtong Gyalpo.
You, the powerful chief of the great districts,
While your great mouth consumes the people, their horses, and dzo,
You speak with fancy proverbs about the realization of the nature of the mind.155
A man with no table knife
Does not cut from another’s delicious meat.
A man with no property
Does not try to take another’s profits.
A man with no learning
Does not force his philosophy on others.
“Let me tell you about myself in metaphors,” he said, and he sang this dohā:
OṂ May I see the very face of the dharmakāya!
ĀḤ May I accomplish the pure realm of the sambhogakāya!
HŪṂ May I achieve the nirmāṇakāya that benefits beings!
In case you don’t know who I am,
On the center of the great bliss plain of the view,
I collect the taxes of coemergent emptiness,
Quell the mighty yoke of the five poisons,
Protect the weak from the reaches of saṃsāra.
That is why I am called Thangtong Gyalpo [King of the Empty Plain].
My view is vast and unbiased,
My meditation experience stable and still, and
My conduct free from the hope and fear of contrived rules.
[Thangtong Gyalpo describes Chipön:]
You are known far and wide by the name of Chipön,
Trustworthy elder of the world.
Even though you don’t have four faces encircling your head,
Still your pleasing speech resembles the Vedic melody of Brahmā.s
These three saffron dharma robes
Are blessed with the teacher’s noble qualities.
Where can there be anything greater than those blessings?
Imperial chief of this great district,
Through your accumulated merit, you were born as a king.
Where can greater authentic presence be found?
The Mighty One, feared by the entire kingdom,
Is considered by all to be like the Lord of Death.
If there were no karmic accumulations, what reason would there be to fear?
This illusory empty armor of the body
Is impermanent; since the flesh and bones will separate,
How can the fissured skin be worse than that?
Everything I have said is nothing but the sarcasm of my confusion, for;
If the guru does not consider the benefit of beings,
It is pointless to lead disciples to the pure realm.
If husbandry is not accompanied with merit,
It is pointless to plow and sow the field.
If the patron has no faith when he makes offerings,
It is pointless to boast that merit has been accumulated.
I am not free to stay, but must depart.
Since life is impermanent and the time of death uncertain,
It is pointless to procrastinate in the face of the dharma of men.
You, great chief, take this to heart!
Having thus spoken, he began to make preparations to depart. Chipön then thought that no matter how he observed him, by the majestic splendor of his body, the melody of his speech, the high realization of his mind, the ruddy complexion of his face, and the long goatee of his chin, he could tell that he must be who he said he was, Thangtong Gyalpo, and therefore that he must have spoken the truth. He thought, “What joy! For the six tribes of Ling the merit is in full bloom like the first month of summer. Just as the cuckoo, the guest of spring, arrives without invitation and just as multitudes of beautiful golden flowers bloom without planting, just so, auspicious connections have lined up, this authentic presence has naturally gathered, and merit has come together perfectly.”
Quickly, he went on to the silk treasury called Trinlung Chugmo [Wealthy Cloud Valley] and took the khata scarf called Padma Tongden [One-Thousand-Lotus-Fringed]. That day he didn’t send his usual male servant on the commission nor did he send his usual female servant. It was so important that the dear chief himself became the servant. Just like the proverb:
Using brocade as a hot pad rather than burning your hands
Or using sandalwood as a poker without even having a second thought.
Chipön himself approached the guru and held out the khata. Prostrating like a servant pumping bellows, he knelt down on his knees and sang this song:
If the song is led by Ala, it is free from birth and cessation.
Thala holds the meaning of the song.
Oh listen, Mahāsiddha Thangtong.
Toward a confused being such as myself,
Even the buddhas should not look down upon me.
You whose hearts are filled with love for sentient beings,
Please pull us forth from the ocean of existence.
This morning, in my confused perception,
I asked you many impertinent questions
Through this song of the magical deception of my mind.
Whatever vain frivolous words I spewed forth, please forgive me.
This white silk adorned with one thousand lotuses,
Not small in value, is prized in China and Tibet.
By this scarf may a dharma connection with the guru be made;
That is why this is called the white scarf of auspicious long-lived dharma.
This scarf will open the gate of the dear chieftain’s law,
This scarf is the very key to the law.
This is no brag, but the very truth.
The royal parasol of the sun would not be a welcome guest
If it did not protect with its warm and gentle light,
For then its circling of the four continents would be pointless.
The clouds an
d rain would not be a welcome guest
If they did not moisten the rich dark earth below,
For then the dark southern clouds amassing would be pointless.
You, the Guru, would not be a welcome guest
If you did not convert the land of Ling to the dharma,
For then your being a siddha would be pointless.
Therefore, in Shar-ri Drugdzong,
The best would be if you could consider a three year retreat.
I, Chipön, would personally provide the provisions.
Second best would be for you to turn the dharma wheel here for three months.
I, myself, would request to be your patron and provider.
Or at the least, stay and take a three-day rest.
I will see to the preparations for the gaṇacakra feast.
Relax your mind and rest in meditation.
Letting go in the ground of mind’s empty nature is best.
If you let go then the ālaya156 will rest in its own place.
Letting the lofty southern clouds float slowly by is best.
If they are left as is then the timely rains will descend.
Letting the lowly rivers’ waves roll slowly by is best.
If left as is then the ferry will cross with ease.
The restless have no marvelous qualities at all.
A restless chieftain will ruin the districts under his command.
A restless horse will throw down his rider.
A restless girl, who marries, ends up back home again.
A restless monk breaks his vows.
A restless merchant will suffer losses.
Before the mandala of the all-illuminating sun,t
What need for the firefly’s tiny lamp?
The Epic of Gesar of Ling Page 12