Author Topic: MAGICAL LUTE’S MELODY – TULKU DRAGPA GYALTSEN’S VISIONARY WRITINGS: A SECRET BIO  (Read 7459 times)

Big Uncle

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Here's an interesting inside look at Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen's secret biography of his mystical visions that's extracted from Music Delighting The Ocean of Conquerors. Let's take a break with a good read of his mystical visions and experiences...


MAGICAL LUTE’S MELODY – TULKU DRAGPA GYALTSEN’S VISIONARY WRITINGS: A SECRET BIOGRAPHY

Namo Sri Guru Manjughoshaya!
Homage to Guru Protector Manjusri!

Protector Manjusri, sole father of all Conquerors,
Supreme leader of beings during this final period,
Three realms' King of Dharma Tsongkhapa,
Triply kind Lozang Dragpa, homage to you!


Through the power of prior ecstatic prayers to uphold the teachings of that Protector, I, who was born in the region of Kyisho, a place endowed with many auspicious qualities, a simple monk who has no Dharma, have spoken extensively about what it is like to wander in samsara, but it has not served much purpose. In particular, these days, people do not see their own faults no matter how great they are and they seize upon even the slight faults of others, exaggerate them and condemn them. In that way they accumulate negativity in relation to holy fields. I may tell you of some visions I have had of yidam deities and so forth, that occurred because of karma from previous lives and some slight power of positive imprints, but while it is good for you to have it now, common opinion will claim it is nothing but lamas' lies. There is a grave danger that this could cause some of the negatively minded brothers who see it to go to lower realms. Still, for the faithful to speak of it amongst themselves is not entirely contraindicated because it can give rise to more faith and conviction, and I am happy to be of even temporary assistance.

To relate a bit of meaning that can be understood from examining some of the dreams that I had when I was young, when I turned seven, because of imprints from previous lives, I especially liked reading and writing. One night I dreamt a white man from India arrived and taught me, from infancy, all of the fields of knowledge, on the surface of a lapis lazuli? like pecha book cover. When he showed me some golden syllables of Sanskrit written in Lentsa script, I awoke and, without forgetting them, wrote them on a piece of paper. What they said was, 'This is the masters' previous incarnation's disciple, Dharma Swami Dharmapala Matibhadra.' When I offered it to be seen they said, 'This would be incredible even if it wasn't written in Lentsa. Still, just learn to read Tibetan!' Because of that, I practiced reading the next day from high noon until evening tea, and after seven days of doing that I knew how to read everything well except for a few mantras. One day I read all of Atisha's Chochung Gyatsa, Hundred Short Teachings, in the incarnate Dharma Lord's presence, and he was very happy and gave me a packet of ten needles. The way he gave them to me seemed to indicate that my intelligence would develop to become as sharp as the tip of a needle and I thought it was auspicious. The next day I was given a pecha of Manjusri Naga Raksha practice in the Nyingma Tradition. I was told that I should finish memorizing it that day but, as a child then, I did not know how large the Nyingma text was. There were some practitioners from Tsel there who said they were followers, carrying mantric charms, frequently tasting the fermented beer from their inner offerings with their tsampa, and I wasn't comfortable with it.

In particular, once, when I was three years old, I had to stay for a long period of time in a Mongolian military camp. The food was nothing but mutton and broth from lambs that had just been slaughtered, and my food was mixed together with that of the soldiers. Because of the impurity of the food, black pustules the size of peas broke out on top of my tongue. My tongue was painful and there was some anxiety that I might even lose it. That evening I was on the roof with two young monk playmates distracted in a game of go, not memorizing texts, when someone called, 'Come give examination before the Dharma Lord!' grabbing me as my heart rose in my throat. I don't think it was one of my Gelugpa lamas. I protested, 'It was because of the impurity of the offerings! I tried to memorize but the print was so fine, I didn't get finished!'

He answered, 'In general, there are no teachings of Dharma that have not come from Buddha Shakyamuni, so there is no such thing as an unimportant piece of Dharma. If you act like this, it will cause negativity so don't say that! For that matter, all of your incarnations from Panchen Sonam Dragpa to Tulku Geleg Pelsang have been nothing but the most learned lamas. As their incarnation, it is sad if you can't memorize one small text!' and he beat me with a reed whip, scolding me fiercely. A reed splinter even stuck in my forehead and I bled profusely. He said, 'This is for your own sake! Without putting forth effort at first, how can anyone later become wise?' Thinking about what he had said, 'If one doesn't practice what is difficult and put up with hardship when one is young, one cannot do it once one becomes older, and wondering what it would be like to be an ignorant ritualist amongst savages, I developed my own self?discipline and was not scolded again. Still, at that time, I thought it was terrible that I hadn't memorized one short text in a whole day. Thinking this over and shedding a lot of tears, I went off to a remote place and sat by myself, crying. My two playmates came and comforted me saying, 'There will be a text to memorize tomorrow!' They told me to sleep but I couldn't sleep much during the first part of the night. Then many ideas started coming to me. 'Now, so that I don't disgrace my previous incarnations, even if I can not do great service to Gyalwa Tsongkhapa's Teachings, it is important that I do not harm the image of the practitioners and teachers of Dharma! Whatever happens, I am going to study with my body, heart, and mind entrusted to the Three Jewels! The Three Jewels know everything that happens to me, good or bad!'

Falling asleep with these thoughts in the latter part of the night I dreamt that a young girl dressed in white took me by the hands and said, 'Arise!' I got up and accompanied her along a translucent white path. Having gone some way, we came before a huge snow mountain that she led me around. In back of the mountain was a land she told me was the pure land of the East called 'The Joyful'. It was a wondrous realm I had never seen before. It was covered by nothing but grassy meadows, flowers and peach trees. Around the perimeter it was completely encircled with snow peaked mountains. At midlevel of the mountains, amidst pairs of winding mountain streams, the vibrato notes of flutes could be heard. At the base of the mountains there were forests of juniper and other trees and amidst those garlands of green, many brown deer with golden bells on their necks sat gazing peacefully at each other. At the tops of the trees, many birds with white heads, blue necks, yellow wings, red limbs and green tail feathers sat in samadhi for long periods of time. Their beautiful songs came out in human language. Amidst the trees a crystalline spring flowed forth babbling, its clear lapis waters falling into a crystal tub, and many beautiful children were playing and washing themselves. I said that I would also take a bath, and at that moment my body became like crystal and shined with light. One white child carrying a crystal mala said, 'It's on this path, so come!' As he took me that way, suddenly a furious wind came up. In the midst of it was a dark man with black hat and garments, riding a black horse, who pulled me up in his lap and spurred his horse onwards. As I was preparing to see if I would be able to stop and go back, from among the trees came a white man that looked old and decrepit. His hair and beard were white and oily. He took out a human thighbone trumpet that he was carrying and hit the black man with it and he and the windstorm disappeared. Instantly, I was once again on a path climbing a mountain of crystal with the white boy. At the top of the mountain was a huge palace made of crystal with a hundred columns of ruby. All the beams were lapis lazuli, the rafters, emerald, the ceiling supports were lapis and the ceiling was solid gold. Above that was a golden pagoda roof with many silver bells hanging from its fringes ringing with pleasant sounds of the Dharma. The roof was encircled with a hundred and eight cover ornaments, and on the four corners were four victory banners. On the four sides were four turrets adorned with pagoda roof of the four types of jewels, underneath of which were four doors, crystal in the east, lapis in the south, ruby in the west, and emerald in the north. Their entire surfaces were adorned with gold and silver rings, and a pair of youths holding coral clubs stood like door guardians, one to the right and left of each door. In the eight cardinal and intermediate directions were garden groves, wish?fulfilling trees, bathing pools with water as clear as crystal, and divine youths, as beautiful as flowers, sitting and bathing. After a short time, I thought a great rain of white flowers had fallen and I looked up. On a golden rooftop, in the midst of a swirling five? colored orb of rainbow light, was Gyalwa Tsongkhapa wearing a pandit's hat like the color of gold and a monk's saffron robes. His jiggling left hand trilled a golden bell and his right hand waved a five?spoked wisdom vajra adorned with a white silk. I entered the southern door. Inside the celestial mansion, on a richly jeweled throne supported by peacocks was the Buddha of past, present and future, great Vairochana, and an entourage of countless Bodhisattvas. As soon as I strewed a white flower on his body, I heard him give many vast and profound teachings. Then forty?nine rays of light emanated from his body with a Protector Amitayus on the tip of each ray. Ten of them made the mudra of sprinkling ablution water from crystal vases. That meant that I would be purifying stains of afflictions from impurities of offerings and activities for ten years. Understanding it as a sign that I should principally recite purification practices, up until the age of fifteen, in Nagmay Menjong, an isolated place called Gyasog, for several months each year, giving up all coarse food, I would do chulen, living on essence pills made from tiny pebbles, doing a thousand prostrations every day and persevering in circumambulation, Vajrasattva practice, confession of downfalls, and so forth. Many signs of purification occurred in all my visions and dreams: I would fly through the sky with many dakinis, circumambulate the snow mountain of Ode Gung Gyalxv, wash in a lake of milk, my mind felt very serene, I developed great renunciation and so forth.

To continue, ten of the Amitayus Buddhas had their hands in the mudra of supreme generosity. That was a sign that I must persevere in virtuous practice to stop many disturbances of obstructers in dream and actuality for ten years during my childhood. Twenty?nine Amitayus Buddhas' hands were in the mudra of teaching Dharma, meaning that I must persevere in Dharma benefiting others for twenty?nine years. When I think about the total number of Buddhas, forty?nine, I believe it means I will definitely live to forty?nine years of age.

After that, a hook of light came from the heart of the principal Deity and struck me in the heart and I felt great bliss in body and mind as I'd never experienced before. This seems to me to be a sign that I must go to the Joyful, that Buddhafield of the east, when I leave this life. As I experienced that, a white man who said he was from the Land of Snow invited me to come and, as I emerged from a door of the celestial palace a voice thundered from the sky, 'May the Refuge of all lifetimes be victorious!' Glancing back, where Gyalwa Tsongkhapa had been, there was now a smiling Sakya Pandita. This showed that Sakya Pandita is inseparable from my father Guru and that I view him as my kind root Guru in all of my lifetimes. It also shows that from that time onwards I had immutably stable indestructible faith.

Then a young Manjusri about sixteen years old, emanated from the Venerable One's heart and gave me a blessed tangka scroll painting. When I opened it and looked at it, it was a tangka of Heruka Chakrasamavara, meaning that I must make Chakrasamavara my yidam. Saying, 'Protect!' he gave me a gau amulet box inside of which was a stone statue of Four? Faced Mahakala, indicating that my Dharmapala is Four?Faced Mahakala. Ever since that time I have always practiced Chakrasamvara in the morning and torma offering ritual to Four?Faced Mahakala in the later part of the day, and there has always been signs of Four?Faced Mahakala, Tobtrog
Dramze, the 'Power Snatching Brahmin'xvi, averting obstacles and providing conducive conditions.

After that, the youthful Majusri gave me a transmission of Manjusri Naga Raksha sadhana that I must practice, which I memorized right in the dream. Then that Manjusri, seen as a Supreme Yidam, instantly dissolved into Lord Sakya Pandita and that Venerable One then again became Gyalwa Tsongkhapa, who disappeared in a ball of light. Again, this shows that they are of the very same nature.

Then, on the way back down the mountain, I came upon a blue pagoda?roofed city. I entered a door and there, in a four?pillared temple was the omniscient Panchen Rinpoche, just as he appears in this life, sitting upon a throne in the aspect of a Tantric master. He said,

After this life in the future, in that city of the east,
The hosts of disciples in Manjusri's pure land will grow.


This seems to be a sign that I must take birth in China after this life. He continued,

Then, in a remote dark land,
Fully light the lamp of Dharma!


This, I believe, is a sign that, after that I must take birth to the north, in Mongolia. He then continued,

In short, with a nature of love and compassion,
Perfectly accomplish vast benefit for beings.

This he said, and much more. I have wondered if that place where I was with some virtuous companions was the northern land of Shambala. As I was leaving, the black man who tried to turn me back indicated the various sorts of manifestions of mara that obstruct going to a pure land.

Later, when I was nineteen, staying at Gekasa, there was a break in ritual services and Tartars were oppressing and killing our workers. To myself, I was thinking, 'Birth can end in nothing but death. Why should I grieve over things of an impermanent mundane nature that do not benefit Dharma?' But my parents were suffering the lack of their son, so I went to see them, no matter what happened. They told me I must also take responsibility for the household. I thought that such talk could be nothing but mara greatly disturbing my parents' minds, but to alleviate their suffering and stop them from promoting this idea I said,

In general, death is the end of birth for all sentient beings. In particular, it is difficult to stop the results of previously committed karma by any means whatsoever. Remaining very depressed harms even the deceased, so do not grieve and understand it is the ripening of previous karma! As for me, I have obtained a precious human birth and took ordination from an early age and I am supposed to guard my vows and precepts as I would my very eyes. In short, the chance to practice the vast and profound teachings of Buddha is, I believe, very fortunate, and to stop now, bound by a noose of relatives in a house that is like a prison of mara, working for the sake of this life, there would be nothing but negative karma, and there could be no result other than all of us, parents and children, together, going to lower realms. Even more, this life is impermanent and there is no certainty when death will come. Even if I were to stay here to keep the family going, there is no certainty that I could fulfill all of your hopes. There is therefore not the slightest valid reason to stop me from practicing Dharma. I would rather jump in the river and commit suicide than stop practicing Dharma, so I beseech you to stop asking this of me!' and I spoke to them at length with instructions of Buddha such as asking what happened to the previous bodies of the Sugatas'.

Still they wept, saying, 'Everyone knows that is the case for ordinary Dharma practitioners! But such things are irrelevant for holy beings! Why should you leave your old parents to remain in this hut of grief?'

Sentient beings of these difficult times are so pitiable! They do not understand Dharma. They are attached to their home country. That is the very reason why sentient beings have remained wandering aimlessly in samsara up to the present. And continuing in the same way, there will never be a time when they escape from samsara. Thinking about this made me especially sad. From the point of view of having attained a precious human life, having been born the son of prosperous parents, having taken ordination at a young age, having met Buddhadharma, having seen the Refuge of all lifetimes, the body mandalas of the omniscient Panchen and his disciples, and having experienced the nectar of his speech, I was so fortunate! Yet I wondered what sort of bad karma it was that resulted in my parents grief and their insistence in wanting me to engage in such a negative course. I felt great suffering. For three days I could not sleep at night nor eat during the day. Even though I could not stop crying, I knew it was the result of previous karma and the hindrance of mara so I applied many methods to resolve the situation and beseeched the Three Jewels alone.

On the third night, I slept briefly at early dawn and had a dream. I was amidst a great army of black men with a great rain of arrows and spears raining down upon us. When the situation became critical, an ascetic with conch earrings crying, 'I have the weapon for protection!' ran amongst the armies and drove everyone away. He led me away and brought me into a white tent where my omniscient Guru was residing. He had left me there when I awoke. It was definitely a sign that Four?Faced Mahakala was protecting me from obstruction. The next day, my omniscient Guru, knowing I was destitute, sent a messenger calling for me to come. I went to him and stayed with the omniscient Panchen for about a month. The very next day after I arrived he was already kindly giving me many teachings, alleviating my despair. That time, as well, the kindness of the omniscient Guru Buddha and his disciples was extremely great. That concludes the account of what happened during that interim period.

To continue where I left off, as I was returning from that place which seemed like Shambala of the North, my two young playmates called, 'The sun is about to rise! We've even had breakfast already! You want to memorize yesterday's text, so get up!'

When I got up, I had already forgotten the scolding that the Dharma master had given me the previous day. I told the two my dream but when I told them I had already memorized the pecha from the dream, because they were children, they didn't believe me and said I was going to be scolded by the Dharma master again. Then I went before the Dharma master and told him my dream in detail. I also passed my test on having memorized the sadhana very well, which perfectly delighted him.

Concluding Verses of Summary

Even if I were to speak of my situation at length,
Telling of everything that appeared,
what purpose would it serve?
However, for those who are endowed with faith,
I answer their requests with a bit of the story
of my early life.

This is to be kept secret, not shown
To those who are not vessels for it.
So that the impetus for Dharma is not abandoned
I, Karma Vajra, composed this on the spot.

Thus, by command of the Dharma Lord Nyingtob Gyatso
Dragpa Gyaltsen quickly wrote this down.


SWASTI
For an ordinary being, a child like myself,
There is no such thing as a secret biography!
Still, so as not to ignore insistent appeals,
I'll write a few words that are like illusion's lies!

When I was little I had several visions
In which I was accompanied like a body by its shadow,
By many Acharyas, Tantric mahasiddhas;
I believe that signified Four?Faced Mahakala's protection.

In particular, when I was young there arose
Slightly hindering aspects of the Tsari field?protector,
But I always saw you there by my side
In aspects like Club Mahakala and Begtse.

When, as a child, I did retreat practice
Of Manjusri and Kurukula,
Their forms appeared very clearly
And sometimes I heard them speak.

Then, when I first laid eyes on Lhading,
At sunset, there was a rainbow in the sky
Like a swirling five?colored tent of light
In midst of which I saw Chakrasamvara's form.

Later, that day I went on pilgrimage to Gyasog,
There I saw Bhagavan Vajra Bhairava
Present in supporting and supported mandala
And fathomless experiences and visions occurred.

After that, at the lake of Chana pass
I had unprecedented inconceivable visions,
The lake appearing as a celestial palace.
My footprints were even left in the rocks, it is said.

That night, staying at Cholung, at evening tea
The whole sky directly from what we call Ripug,
Was entirely laced with rainbows and light,
Completely pervaded with no gaps anywhere.

The precious statue of Rinchen Gang
Came alive before me and bestowed a profusion of relics.

One night on retreat I dreamt that Yamantaka
And his retinue came into my retreat hut,
And Palden Lhamo in the form of an old woman
Came through the sky playing a flute.

Another time there came a nomad
Who said that he was Ode Gung Gyal.
He said, 'You give to me a torma
And I will accomplish Dharmic activity!'

One night I dreamt of a huge threatening being
Who said 'I am the lord of evil in this place!'
Who had intentions to harm everyone,
And I bound him to oath and gave him vows.

Nowadays, even when I am asleep,
Buddha Shakyamuni, Jetsun Tsongkhapa, and many others
Often come in and about my dreams
But it must be good imprints because I am not easily convinced.

Moreover, whenever I myself
Engage in giving Dharma and so forth,
There appear, not in a hidden way, but clearly
seen and heard,
Signs like rainbow orbs and showers of flowers.

In short, I believe that fame and the like
Is that which demotes a son of the gods to a mara!
As my confidence is unshakeable,
I relate this for internal circulation among the faithful.
Yet I believe it is also a virtue to keep it hidden
From those, during this end period, for whom it is unsuited.

Unable to ignore the earnest requests
Of many disciples such as Nyingtob Gyatso
And the faithful novice Jampa Kunsang
Who are practicing this unmistaken path
Unstained by bondage to the eight worldly dharmas,
I, Dragpa Gyaltsen, have written this.
Now to continue this uncommon story,
At the request of many qualified vessels.

Once when I was young, in a vision,
The aspect of Venerable Tsongkhapa
Appeared clearly mist thousand?fold light.
While it continued, I made this request:

lo dro tsung me kyen chen jam pay yang
zang pö tug kye dro la chen re sig
drag nyen tu tob bar wa sang way dag
je tsun tsong kha pa la sol wa deb

Manjusri of peerless wisdom knowledge,
Avalokiteswara, viewing beings with bodhicitta,
Lord of Secrets, blazing with power of good renown,
I beseech Venerable Tsongkhapa.

If one recites this, a hundred times a day,
I believe one will be born in Tushita.

Another time, when I was young,
An image of the Lord appeared in a vision,
And I intended to recite mig tse ma
But this is what escaped my lips:

dri me kyen rab wang chug jam pay yang
tse me tse way ter gyur chen re sig
drang me sang way dag po tsong kha pa
lo zang drag pay shab la sol wa deb

Manjusri, sovereign of stainless wisdom,
Avalokiteswara, treasure of limitless compassion,
Je Tsongkhapa, lord of countless secrets,
Losang Dragpa, at your feet I pray.

Then he smiled and vanished. I wrote it down
While his image still appeared in my mind.

After that, when I was sixteen,
The moment I first saw Olka Lhading,
At sunset, in the space before me,
Amidst orange light, the Lord Gurus'
Image appeared, coming closer,
At which time I made this prayer:

jam yang cha na dor je jig ten gon
chig tu gyur pa la ma lhag pay lha
gang chen dro way gon po tsong kha pa
lo zang drag par nying ne sol wa deb

Supreme Guru Deva, embodying as one
Manjusri, Vajrapani, and Lokeswara, Tsongkhapa,
Protector of the beings of Tibet,
To Lozang Dragpa, from my heart, I pray.

Because of making that prayer, my body and mind
Were filled with great bliss like never before.

In the tiger year I was making a silver statue of the Lord
When, one night in my residence at Drepung,
The moon of the face of the Lord Guru, Je Lama,
Appeared amidst clouds in the sky. I prayed,

je tsun la ma lo zang drag pa yi
shel kyil ji shin jal wa kel wa chog
deng ne zung te tse rab tam che du
kyo shel mig gi du tsir drel me shog

e ma trel wa shang dang shel gye shing
chen gyi kyu ring ming tsam tzo pu tze
nyen shel ring shing ser gyi dang den shel
trin pung u ne zig di shin tu tsar

Just as I have this supreme good fortune
To see Lama Lozang Dragpa's face,
From now, henceforth, in all my lives,
May I never be without the 'nectar for the eyes' of your face!

The forehead, nose and face so broad,
Adorned with long eyes, eyebrows and hair curl,
Face, golden, draped with long ceremonial white scarf,
This vision midst the clouds is extraordinarily beautiful!

I said this and drew his face just as I saw it,
And gave it to the sculptors the next day.

Then one night, an extremely clear vision
Of the Omniscient One's form appeared.
Limitless light from the heart area
Went to the east, to the region of China.
And I was given many teachings.

The following year, having met the Omniscient One in Tsang,
The day I returned, the moment I met some foreign stranger,
He transformed into boundless visions of actual living forms
Of the Omniscient Panchen in his small room, wondrous signs I saw!
At that time, my mind was filled with increasing bliss.

After that, traveling on the way toward Kham,
Arriving at the top of the Balaxxi pass,
In the eastern sphere of the sky, a gigantic form
Of the Great Compassionate One appeared for a long time.

When I arrived at a crossroads, I had several visions
Of a black woman riding a mule, following after me
And closely approaching several times;
I thought it must be Palden Lhamo.

The night I arrived near Yarlam Chagla,
I dreamt of the Omniscient Panchen, beautiful in his saffron robes,
Holding damaru and bell in his hands,
Giving me many wondrous instructions.

Again, when I came to Yerpa Lhari Nyingpo,
It was much the same as at Chagla.
In particular, I had a vision of him giving
Transmissions of Dharma to rows of people.

The night I arrived in Ratreng, having gone before
The statue of Manjusri Vajra and prayed extensively,
The statue rose in space and said,
'The lamp light of the illusory body
And the essence of all phenomena is one:
Love, compassion and bodhicitta!'

At Kyormo Lung, I was doing retreat
Of a long life Deity and, during an eclipse,
I dreamt of a young boy, red in color,
Placing one hundred beads of a coral mala
Into my hand, with a Deity on each bead.

Full moon night of Sakadawa, the year of the wood horse,
As I was doing White Tara retreat,
An exquisite Goddess on a wooden horse,
Endowed with the youthfulness of the age of sixteen,
Supported by yellow and green girls on the right and left,
And White Umbrella Deity, above, came from the south
And moved unimpededly to the space before me,
Giving instructions for stopping untimely death.
The next day I also composed a good verse
Of praise to White Tara, the Wish?Fulfilling Wheel.

Then, second month of the wood sheep year,
When I arrived at precious Olka Rinchen Gang,
That night I saw Four Faced Mahakala before me
In motion, about a hand span in height.

That night, right at Drepung
I began a White Tara retreat
And in the morning I saw the four families of yamas
Including the secret family, dancing for a long time.

Also, in retreat at Rinchen Gang,
One night, in the middle of space, I had a vision
With light and sound, of a pandit who looked like Nagarjuna,
Giving teachings to a large gathering.

During autumn, in retreat at Lhading,
Vajrasattva dissolved into my body,
And upper and lower disappeared.

One night, an Acharya carrying a scripture,
Appeared so that he could demonstrate to me
The manner in which Je Rinpoche had realized the profound.
I think it was that lord of the Madyamika teachings.

The following night, a woman riding a blue mule
Saying, 'This is my abode!' dissolved into,
And remained within the innermost altar.
I wondered if this Yudron Ma was the owner of the site.

Then, when I was doing retreat at Gyasog Pu,
Reciting Migtsema, name mantra of Je Rinpoche,
I saw his golden form dressed as the Deity of long life,
Along with an entourage including myself,
In the beautiful dance of wearing the saffron robes,
A countless number of ordained Sangha.
Having entered the door of Secret Mantra Vajrayana,
And been ripened by receiving pure initiation,
When we went to the effortlessly arisen
Peak of Vajra Bhairava's secret place,
Everyone tasted the fountain of nectar,
I also experienced it and was filled with bliss.
And when I went into the Manjusri cave
Some kind of emanated body of sound said,
'Samadhi of innate born bliss?void is most swift!'
And the whole place was filled with light.

In short, for the most part, how could all
Of these deceptive appearances be reliable?
Still, cherish this for discussion of the faithful
Kept highly secret from unsuitable vessels.

As previously requested by Guge Choje,
With added emphasis from Deden Jamkun,
And the extremely great urging
Of Kukye Lozang Tenzin Namgyal,
I, the ordinary monk, Kirti Dvanza, Dragpa Gyaltsen,
Composed these verses in this order
At the supreme isolated abode of Rinchen Gang.
The scribe was the faithful Ngawang Chozang Gyaltsen.
By virtue of this, may all become vessels for the profound path!

To continue, when I was twenty?two, during the male iron dragon year, as I slept on the night of the full moon of the first month, I dreamt of a white man who looked like a Brahmin carrying a bow and arrow, who proclaimed the following in the manner of a prophecy which I immediately wrote down the next day.

NAMO MAHAKALAYE

High on the surface of Kailash Mountain
From sphere of supreme mandala of blazing jewels,
The Deity with upper robe of pure white silk
Is ever victorious as the Protector of human beings!
This speech of the three syllables proclaimed
Is not some fabrication of my own!
Because my parents, sentient beings
Are so controlled by delusions in degenerate times, I could not bear it in my mind,
So I prayed to the sky of the Four?Faced One, And, from clouds of Maitri, Love,
Came cooling sheets of rain of compassion!

There is danger that the great fish in the outer ocean
Could jump in as far as the ring of golden mountains!
It is time to be Protector of the continents and sub?continents
And to act as a central Mount Sumeru of Refuge!

Beseech the Deity of a thousand eyes!
Persevere in your practice rituals!

East, in the belly of the body of armor,
South, is the citta, the mind, of the lord of snakes,
West, abiding in a land of moisture,
Agitated, birth will take place in the north.
Do not let up in your effort!

Under overhanging cliffs of pure unwrought gold,
Full inside with a ground mist of dakinis,
Sand of white skulls is disturbed. To mother and son
There will come a time of breaking apart.

Seek refuge in Garuda!
Within, practice Tantra intensively!
Above, clouds are gathering in the sky.
Will they not again harm the sun?

Why wonder about aspects of the constellations?
It's time to get light from spiritual practice!
The moon, which dispels darkness of the three poisons,
Is approached by mara?type Rahulas!
What did you think when you heard the drums of summer
retreat?
Don't you enjoy persevering in spiritual practice?
If you are too bound to material wealth
It may cause you to lose the wish?fulfilling jewel!
Lash all business people into the boat of spiritual practice!
It will not become a later cause for regret.
May all be virtuous!

Again, no matter what illusions arise,
They are like the words of lies!
Now, if you understand the meaning of this
Or even if you do not, always rejoice!

I, the inferior yogi, Kirti Dvanza, Dragpa Gyaltsen, wrote it down in
my small room at Kyormo Lung the next day.

As for some of the meaning of this,
Those who are learned should examine it, not me!
Although I can comment on some of it,
For the most part, I find it awesome,
And dare not talk about it at length.

SAMAYA GYA GYA

Again, that year, a sign that occurred on the night of the third of the eleventh month, the same iron dragon year of the 'High on the surface of Kailash Mountain' dream, the same man returned and said,

'The main enemies of the east are already conquered! Those of the other directions are gradually being conquered as well! Now, flying everywhere, is the great and powerful banner of renown of Buddha's teachings in general and those of Lozang Dragpa! Yet genuine benefit and happiness for beings in general is difficult to assure! In particular, from the north?eastern border there are an exceeding number of troubling spirits who are being backed by evil sorts of maras! The devas, rakshas and eight classes of worldly spirits who protect on the side of virtue are in conflict amongst themselves! The Sangha community is even going to be destroyed! Because of that, sickness, sorrow and conflict will arise! There will be a lot of frost, hail, famine and so forth and a great deal of mental depression! At that time have people make single?pointed prayers to Padmasambhava, Hayagriva, and Vajrapani! Perform rituals with emphasis on the practices of naga?torma, White Umbrella Deity, and Heart Sutra! Make prayers for the long stable life of all upholders of the teachings! You, as well, will have a bit of pain when you are thirty?seven, so heighten your practice! Having been freed of that, when you are forty?nine or fifty, you will have to go to other worlds, so cultivate altruism properly, without fear! Also, your Dharmapala called 'Lozangpa' has been staying below Neu for three years without being called! Now it has been five months since he has arrived at a cave in the Nyel region. His shape is that of a fat bellied child with red cheeks and squinting eyes but his life span is rather short. Too much talking to others, not sickness!'

Saying this, he left, without my having had a chance to question him in detail. As soon as I awoke, I wrote it down.

GYA GYA

Again, when I was twenty?three, in the year of the iron snake, on the full moon of the ninth month, he said,

NAMO
In the element of water, fire blazes from the east.
Made from crystal igniting the fire,
Is one mandala alone, with fierce constellations.
It would be good to appoint it holder of the northern direction!

Since the sun at the peak of Mount Kailash
Can rise above that great mountain,
Why do the constellations of space not emit their light?
Is it incorrect for the lotuses' growth to be delayed in the snow?

The protector of night, made from water crystal,
Is approached by many devilish Rahulas!
Those who hold the white lotus as the friend of the sun,
Will be struck so, for now, engage in virtue!

In a silver mirror of knowledge,
The state of beings of degenerate times,
And their quality of actions, in this form of letters,
Clearly appeared! How amazing!

On full moon of the ninth month of the iron rat year,
When light was obscured by wafting smoke of the fire
of eon's end,
For the sake of my own and others' efforts in accumulation
of virtue,
The holder of knowledge wrote this down.

When I was twenty six, on the tenth day of the fifth month Of the wood monkey year, it said,

HRI
At Potala Mountain's peak,
Is the new moon of Avalokitesvara's palace!
To clear away non?virtuous armies in Tibet,
The elements are, for the moment, free of obscuring clouds!

As a means to beautify the center of the four continents
of all beings,
Persevere even at the cost of your life
In that mountain from the pure land of the west
Endowed with the three secrets of Protector Amitabha!

In the three regions of the Land of Snow
Things are impermanent yet we remain unaware of it.
Rather than meaningless work, would it not be better
To protect the particular Teachings of the second Buddha?

There is a harmful wind, like a poison,
That causes destruction of mental happiness
Constantly rising. Who would wish it?
It is virtuous to seek the state of benefit and bliss.

Though things may be difficult at times,
For some agents of Manjusri's realm
In the direction of the sunrise from here,
The opportunity for virtue and happiness gradually approaches.

Again, through the power of prayers to clarify Buddha's
teachings,
And conditions conducive to accomplishment,
Receiving the compassion of the Protector of the Land of Snows,
Who else can we turn to for wisdom and love?

With this, this follower of the system of teachings
Of Buddha Shakyamuni named Dragpa, respectfully urges
All beings of these degenerate times to engage in pure virtue,
And dedicates this virtue to the flourishing of Buddha's teachings.

This was written at the Nangsel Podrang, the Palace of Light, in the male wood monkey year, tenth day of the fifth month.

HRI
Lotus?born Vajra, Padmasambhava non?dual with
Buddha Shakyamuni,
That supreme emanation of Buddha Vairochana,
And Lozang Chogyen, guide for this five hundred year period,
And all those worthy of praise, be the victorious ornament
of my crown!

In the dream appearances of Kirti Dvanza
One who prays to Heruka, the Blood Drinker,
Appeared one surpassing a mountain of four limbs,
Who called himself the Terrible Tobden Mahakala.

Then, this is what Mahakala said,

'HO! Listen, fortunate son endowed with the karma!
Now, at the end of this age of degeneration,
Because those who call us guardian protectors to action are few,
Protecting Buddha's teachings is just that much more difficult!

Evil mara types are therefore victorious,
So there are many obstacles for those upholding the teachings.
Beings' natures, as well, are bereft of happiness.
What a pity! In these final times all are fatigued!'

Thus, he gave a long cry of exhaustion
So that all the three realms seemed to shake.

Then, requesting action, I said this,

'Great Field Protector, don't harden your ears or intentions!
Before, in the presence of Arya Nagarjuna,
The vajra of samaya touched your crown,
So remember the vow you made to us and

Protect Buddha's teachings during these times!
Extend the lives of all who uphold the teachings!
Especially, for we yogis, never part from us
And accomplish actions to assist us!'

The moment I started saying this prayer,
Out of stillness he arose amidst a fierce wind
Playing a human thigh bone trumpet in his right hand,
And holding a pure skullcup in his left hand.

Wearing upper garment of silk and lower robe of Benares cotton,
He cried Ah Tsa over a hundred times for each line I spoke.
Finally it all disappeared like a rainbow in the sky,
Such a wonder occurred! May virtue and goodness flourish!

Again, in the eighth month of that year, this was bestowed:

NAMO GURU
I, Kirti Dvanza, a follower of Sakya Pandita,
Very sad about what is happening on earth,
Everywhere meeting with decline and degeneration,
Entered single?focused retreat near the top of Marimountain,
During the waxing moon of the eighth month of the
wood monkey year.
Then, as early dawn of the twenty?fifth approached,
A pleasant looking very white boy appeared saying,
'Go now, soon the time will come!'
I asked, 'Go where?' and he replied,
'To a divine garden among the six mountains in the direction of the
bull!
In order to spread the good path of the non?dual teachings,
And to ripen all the fortunate lotus?like beings,
It is time for you to move your limbs!
I wrote this down at the Gepel Mari retreat to record what he had said.
When I was twenty?nine, in the ninth month of the fire boar year, this was bestowed:

NAMO GURU
In the direction of the rising sun from here, Persevering for the sake of the welfare of beings, Like a heaped mountain of saffron,
Homage to the 'One With Five Hair Knots', Manjusri,!
In the continent named for the Tzambu tree, In the central land of Magadha,
There is a great city on a beautiful mountain To the north?east of there.
It has ten?fold virtuous signs,
The realm of Manjusri, here on earth!
There, the Protector of beings with good karma, Sporting in a dance of saffron robes,
And a second forefather of the world
Dwell together, as if emigrating to earth.
At that time, the spiritual and temporal united, Prosperity swells like lakes in monsoon!
A reflection of the body of the lord of devas
Shines like the moon at the crown of beings.
A jewel beautifying the peak of the crown
Of the Tong?khung Emperor of China.
Those with merit gather like clouds in the sky!
Rain of virtue is uninterrupted!
Meteorite metal and vajra lightning!
Sweet drums of summer sound to the ten directions!
E MA! So, who has ever seen Such an excellent system before?
Even having only heard it explained,
By striving to plant pure seeds
In the pure ground of the field of merit,
It especially ripens fruit of the three kayas.
Then Dharma and the Royal domain
Shall abide and prosper for a long time.
At that time, there will be many with wisdom Who will spread the Buddha's teachings.
Some spiritual captains who are persevering
Will go to the ocean isle of the land of the Aryas.
With wealth of vast and profound holy Dharma,
They will dispel ignorance and poverty from that land.
Sages from the Land of Snows,
Many holding the victory banner of ordination, Will also, for the sake of many beings with merit, Wander there for alms and congregate.
Just as many various forms
Are clearly reflected in a crystal mirror, So, all phenomena are illumined
In the mind of the king, lord of earth.
Like cows who follow their supreme leader, For all living beings who are followers, Acting Dharmically like the Lord,
It is time for their supreme acts!
With accumulations of such virtue,
And the desire realm devas, 'those with flower arrows', Maras are defeated without exception,
And enter into their hut of grief.
Just as the nature of the wind of Malaya
Is to be endowed with fragrance,
Likewise, all who accompany those of the two holy kayas Become endowed with realized qualities.
Still, ministers who are ignorant, Influenced by non?virtue,
Will expel you from your abode As far as to the end of the ocean!
In short, at that time, happily
Enjoying all benefit and bliss,
Free from stain of negativity,
The lotus garden of virtue fully blooms!
The signs arising from that
Are all nothing but most wonderful! With garlands of wish?fulfilling trees, That realm will be completely beautified!
Concluding verse:
Though extremely bright, like reflections
Of the the constellations in beautiful clear space,
I have set these words down to generate full conviction In all who have eyes of wisdom for truth.
Still, if some, not well trained,
Foolish people should happen to see this, Pulled by the hook of doubt,
They will shrink to hanging in uncertainty.
Like beads of good and bad just as they occurred in the world, Counted on a string of yarn of very clear words,
Made leisurely and well with ten fingers,
I offer this flow of voice as urged by some.
I dedicate all virtues such as this so that all
Who are attached to mundane concerns of this life, Shall strive in what benefits this and future lives From now until reaching highest enlightenment!
Thus, in the year called the 'all?subduing', on the eleventh day of the ninth month, this was written down at Namgyal Gang. May virtue and auspiciousness, bliss and goodness pervade everywhere!
When I was thirty?five, year of the water snake, ninth day of the eleventh month, this was bestowed:

NAMO GURU
In the year of the female water snake, eighth day of the eleventh month, passing the Sangda Bön Hermitage one night, staying at the entrance to the Chaglo pass, in the early dawn, I had an amazing dream. To record it, on top of a throne cushion of fine silk, sat the precious abbot, sovereign of the entire teachings, the omniscient great Panchen, blazing with a golden color, beautified in garments of the monk's three saffron robes. He held in his right hand a damaru of wood and pearl. In his left hand he held a vajra of white silver. I was also there in his presence, showing an expression of devotion. People were saying that he was going to demonstrate a miracle and give profound teachings of Dharma. There were many people gathered there, some of whom I recognized and others I did not. The Venerable Guru threw a white cloth up into the air, saying PHAT and looked upwards. The cloth soared in the sky circling the master in a clockwise direction and when it arrived in front of him it became two birds hovering there, one white and one black. When the black one started to fly away he played the damaru fiercely, causing the white bird to catch the black one by the tip of its tail. As it flew back toward him, the Guru raised his vajra and it could approach no further. Finally, the birds transformed into two flowers, one white, one black, which disappeared in space. The damaru was extremely pleasant with its mind?transforming powerful sound that lingered in the air afterwards for a very long time. At that point he smiled and said,
Oh! This was a teaching of Dharma by means of miraculous signs! What it means is this: The cloth symbolizes mental consciousness that is like a piece of woolen cloth blown all around by the wind. The white and black birds symbolize virtue and non?virtue. The damaru symbolizes the side of emptiness, the wisdom part, and the vajra symbolizes the side of appearance, the method part. Playing the damaru and the white bird catching the black bird and not letting it fly symbolizes the sound of profound wisdom realizing selflessness and not going under the influence of non?virtue because of being sustained by virtuous mindfulness and introspection. Stopping the black bird by raising the vajra symbolizes completely stopping all non?virtuous thoughts with the method of the vajra. The two birds finally disappearing in the aspect of a white and a black flower symbolizes that all phenomena of samsara and nirvana such as virtue and non?virtue are merely imputed with name and sign and are not truly existent even down to their tiniest particle. The sound, PHAT, symbolizes illusion?like subsequent attainment as well as making the leisure and endowments of this precious human life meaningful with an emanated dance that is non?existent like a flower growing in the middle of space without relying upon anything. Wearing the three saffron robes and sitting amidst blazing light like this means that the yogi who abides in the vows and commitments to which he has commited himself will blaze with the magnificence of bliss and goodness in this and all future lives. Oh! To summarize, this is a profound Dharma teaching that combines all of the essential points of the scriptures, so you must bear it in mind!'

I requested his blessing and he touched me on the head saying that we would meet again many times in the future. When I awoke my joy knew no bounds and I experienced immeasurable bliss both physically and mentally. I felt quite fortunate to have the imprint of such an excellent vision of the Venerable Guru, as clear as in direct perception, and remembering the profound teaching he gave. Dragpa Gyaltsen, a monk of the Shakya clan, wrote this down as a means to prevent forgetting it, on the ninth, the day I arrived at Chaglo.

When I was thirty?eight, on the third day of the third month of the fire monkey year, this was bestowed:

HRI
In Sukhavati pure land, Buddha Amitabha,
In the southwest, subduer of rakshas, Padmasambhava, And leader for the final five hundred year period, glorious Lozang Dragpa,
Indivisible, I honor as Vajradhara on my crown.
Guide of devas and humans, Arhat Upagupta,
Placed on my crown a jewel garland
Of the direct and lineage Gurus' teachings and commitments,
And words of protection for the four places dissolved into my mind.
In a city of vast royal domain, appearing yet empty, There is a good festival of samadhi, a great spectacle. For the illusory emanations in bliss?void visualization, Bodiless mind's guests, and all those attending,
An ocean of blood swirling in skullcup vessels!
Flowers of sense organs growing in a field of human blood! Smoke of burning human flesh pervading the world! Flames, from burning hair of the dead, reaching the realm of Brahma!
Heart blood scented with camphor and sandal! Emanated maidens blowing human thigh?bone trumpets! Outer, inner and secret offerings, lacking in nothing,
As objects for the senses, pervading them with bliss!
That which is merely imputedly perceived
As 'Tsongkhapa of the east's saffron?robed community',
Who protect from maras that hunt with the five arrows,
Guides endowed with wings of learning and realization
And the wish to raise those drowning in desire,
Caught in the snare of samsara, to enjoyment of the highest states.
Wouldn't it be good if, during these degenerate times, They were to flourish and completely fill this land
Of snow?mountains and endless turqoise lakes?
It is fine if the moon, in the eastern sky,
Dare not part from the sun.
Without choice, they are distant for the moment,
But they will certainly meet again amidst the blue sky.
In the south, a small firefly has taken on the burden
Of dispelling the dense gloom of that remote border region! He may take on the responsibility but will just tire himself out! May you befriend him, O sworn protectors of the Three Jewels!
Westward, the light of compassion of Amitabha and The Protectors of the world fills the whole universe! Essence of light pierces inside the lotus.
How sweet is the honey of expanding bliss!
Sustaining the north, the second conqueror's
Forest of teachings and practice grows, bright with flowers. Young bees hum with the sound of the teachings.
And even as the festival of honey expands and grows
It is protected in all directions from harmful violent winds
86
By those of power on the side of light who stop them
With an encircling curtain of white silk.
When thus protected that wind can only die down by itself.
But, amidst vast space free of projections, Massive powerful black clouds gather,
Thunder of black magic spells split the ears
And unbearable hail storms down in all directions.
Will you be a destroyer of the false ideas of ten?fold evil ones? For they have compromised the eight classes such as devas and rakshas.
In that place of mantric practitioners, especially,
Even if watch is kept constantly, throughout the six periods, In that land of blood oceans and ground of wind fueled fire, A king spirit that takes the breath, in the form of a dog,
Kills offenders, eats their flesh and drinks their blood, Consuming the three worlds with a wrathful roar.
Finally, Rahula's wandering will focus
On the stronger of the five Pehar brothers.
Extremely shrewd, with the appearance of Dorje Legpa, he is there, Agitating the waves of eight classes of devas, rakshas and so forth. Servants of the king spirit, carrying the five arrows in their hands Are losing their heroes, land and weapons,
To the deception of that partisan evil army,
Defeated in battle! Are you not the least concerned?
In the palace of Lozang's flourishing Dharma, The king of Dharma, with disciples and ministers, Is victorious in battle over the evil enemy asuras.
With perfect auspicious signs of stability in spiritual and temporal realms,
From a powerful great mountain of heaped up coal,
Flaming nails of miraculous fire constantly shoot forth,
Burning up all the brush and woods of bad karma.
Having been entrusted and enthroned as the great Dragshul, Wrathful One,
Blessings of the Three Jewels and white clouds of goddesses gather.
A great rain of white flowers of siddhis falls.
The dirt of violence in this world is stomped out.
All is auspicious for increase in the harvest of virtue and goodness.
Thus, because of being renowned (Dragpa) among all the teachers As endowed with the Conquerors' (Gyal) qualified (tsen) activities, This young Tantric monk accepted as a disciple,
Isn't he the one named Karmavajra?
During the fire monkey year, this one called 'Devaputra', 'Divine Son',
When the thirteenth constellation, chitra, was displaying itself, On the first of the twelfth month, saw emanating rays
Of light of virtue and goodness, and understood.
Because of that, the night of dark ignorance was dispelled! After dawn broke the day I realized the ultimate,
All of the countless birds enjoyed
The warm and smooth leading sun's joy and bliss!
What a vast illusory spectacle for the eyes!
For the ears there is pleasant divine music!
Experiencing good smells gives great bliss!
For the tongue, delicious nectar of undefiled bliss!
Even the blissful smooth touch of divine cloth on the body, Gives rise to bliss five times that of orgasm, how incredible!
It is a thanksgiving offering made to the six faculties of consciousness
Of all the guests present, those with physical bodies and those without.
It is very important to strive in the four activities
For the temple master and his entourage at all times,
As if you are shadow of their bodies, and to understand That this is the meaning of the drawn picture of samaya!
Thus, the Tantric yogi of Manjusri Yamantaka, Sri Bhadra Kirti Dvanza, in the male fire monkey year, on the third day of the waxing moon of the month of Chitraxxiv, among the Dharma community of Kyormo Lung, in a great cloud?like expanse of mandalas of wisdom samadhi of indivisible bliss and emptiness, Gurus, Yidams, Viras, Dakinis, and sworn Dharma Protectors, was given this and wrote it down to propogate it. May there be virtue and auspiciousness everywhere! The scribe was the bikshu Ngawang Chozang Gyaltsen.
These wondrous accounts of signs related with beseeching the Guru Deity are called the Magical Lute's Melody. I have not given too many of the prophetic verses at this point and, for the most part, they will be referred to at the very point in the story to which they apply, in the chronological order that they occurred. There are a few other writings that derive from these but they are difficult to understand and I have not included them here for fear of making it too long.
89
Teaching fortunate ones, you were a real Arya Nagarjuna and Haribhadra! Defeating opponents, you were skilled in debate like Dignaga himself!
In composition of poetic verse your were without peer,
Famed as a second Aryashura, to you I offer praise!
The meaning of what is said in this verse of praise is as follows. First, Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen had the complete qualifications for teaching— because of his pure ethical discipline his body was pure, because of his pure wisdom he was learned in scripture and reasoning, because of his pure altruism he was beneficial to others and so forth. When he gave vast and profound teachings of Sutra and Tantra to fortunate disciples, he taught the meaning of Tantric scriptures by way of the six limits, the four modes, and the seven embellishments and he gave teachings on the scriptures of Sutra by way of the five branches. And his teachings were free from all faults of speech such as laboriously elaborating simple points, leaving difficult points undecided, mixing up the order, or haphazardly teaching miscellaneous points so that they are incomprehensible, and so forth. He cited quotations from the Sutras, Tantras, and commentaries. He gave logical explanations in accordance with grammar, pramana, and incisive lines of reasoning. He instructed through the application of examples without altering Buddha's intentions. He had all of the realized qualities for teaching without exception, making his teachings so exalted that it was as if Arya Nagarjuna, one of his disciples, or the great master Haribadra was actually present.
Then, when it came to pulverizing the rock mountain of bad explanations of those who did not understand Buddha's teachings or misconceived of their meaning, he had great wisdom from birth, he was trained in grammar and pramana, and he was well studied in both Buddhist and non?Buddhist scriptures, so that, in reliance upon logic which was effective because of having all the three necessary conditions, his proofs were irrefutable. His stated reasons were free from all faults such as lack of clarity or not enough clarity. His dialectical debate had all of the beautifying adornments as well: his speech was pleasant and smooth, his use of scriptural quotations and logic was clear and sharp, he waswithout laziness or pride, he never disparaged his opponent and so forth. The way in which he rained down flaming arrows of vajra lightning to prove or refute various positions using the secret words of dialectical debate was no different than if the great being Dignaga was alive again. Thus, he was the complete master of debate.
In composition, whether of verse or prose, he was free of the fault of association with contradiction and, because of having perfect understanding of the ornaments of expression and meaning in accordance with the individual systems of south India and east India and the system that those two share in common, in his eloquent composition of lines of poetic verse he was renowned to be a second Arya Sura. Here the verse is saying, 'Praise to you who were a lord of masters, without peer in the fields of teaching, debate, and composition!’
Again, as I have said above, his lifestyle was that of a great scholar who was also a yogic siddha. We have many written biographies that describe how he served Buddhadharma through teaching, debate and composition as well as many eloquent treatises on Sutra and Tantra that he composed. This is indisputable. Yet, as explained below, in accordance with a special intent and purpose, he passed away because of conditions that suddenly occurred and, when that happened, his upper residence and everthing inside immediately started to gradually dissolve into emptiness until there was finally hardly anything left to be found there! However, we have seen, with our own eyes, the writings this great lord composed at Olga, Gyasog, Lhading, Cholung, Chokor Gyal, and so forth, when they were once being transported through Lhoka. And judging from the types of things he said, cited above, and the style of writing he used in describing his visions, the following could also be said in praise of his qualities of learning: As the saying goes,
Even if a Nepali does not eat the fruit,
He knows how it tastes from the color, alone.
In other words, we can deduce the facts from the evidence we have.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2013, 09:16:09 AM by Big Uncle »

Ensapa

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Thank you so much for sharing with us the beautiful biography of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen. It is always inspiring to read about enlightened masters. There is so many things that we can learn from this biography, aside from the obvious that it is proof that Dorje Shugden is enlightened. But what is interesting is that according to the biography, he will take rebirth in China and he has taken rebirth in China as Kangxi emperor, one of the few emperors that revitalized the culture and arts of China and it was the start of one of the most harmonious and peaceful periods of China. He also boosted the presence of Tibetan Buddhism in China during that time as well.

christine V

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Dear Big Uncle, truly appreciate this information. I guess it is not easy to even share it here.  I wonder who translate to english, i guess it is not easy to do so.
Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen's visionary writing are so clear. Reading through the line of words is similary to watching a "movie" . The description of the blissful moment, the pain H.H felt for sentient beings. The symbolic in the dreams. It is a wonderful experience. Through reading, even tho i am not to the stage that H.H was, but, these writings bring us to taste a bit of how the stages are.
Thank you for this sharing

Ensapa

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Dear Big Uncle, truly appreciate this information. I guess it is not easy to even share it here.  I wonder who translate to english, i guess it is not easy to do so.
Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen's visionary writing are so clear. Reading through the line of words is similary to watching a "movie" . The description of the blissful moment, the pain H.H felt for sentient beings. The symbolic in the dreams. It is a wonderful experience. Through reading, even tho i am not to the stage that H.H was, but, these writings bring us to taste a bit of how the stages are.
Thank you for this sharing

From his biography, it is very clear that Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen has been enlightened since the start as he first appeared in this world system as Virupa, one of the 84 Mahasiddhas, and he has been reappearing again and again as learned scholars, pandits and tantrikas as unenlightened to the common eye but in actuality he is enlightened. This biography just confirms the fact that he is and remove any doubts once and for all if he is an ordinary being or an enlightened one. Therefore his next incarnation as Dorje Shugden cannot be a demon because if he is, then it would mean that attainments and results from Dharma practice cannot be carried to the next life, and that itself negates the Buddha's teachings.

Big Uncle

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Thank you so much for sharing with us the beautiful biography of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen. It is always inspiring to read about enlightened masters. There is so many things that we can learn from this biography, aside from the obvious that it is proof that Dorje Shugden is enlightened. But what is interesting is that according to the biography, he will take rebirth in China and he has taken rebirth in China as Kangxi emperor, one of the few emperors that revitalized the culture and arts of China and it was the start of one of the most harmonious and peaceful periods of China. He also boosted the presence of Tibetan Buddhism in China during that time as well.

Yes, good observation of the text. Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen/ Dorje Shugden did take rebirth in China and he was know as Emperor Kangxi. Although emperor Kangxi himself did not practice exclusively Tibetan Buddhism but his policies set the stage for prosperity throughout the empire and allowed Buddhism to flourish.

The reign of this emperor is considered the golden era of the Qing dynasty. Trade florished along with the arts, literature and so forth as patronized by the imperial court. Also, Emperor Kangxi was modest with court expenses and ensured nothing is wasted and everything is accounted for. Although he was Manchu, he treated the Han Chinese masses justly. He built the Yong He Gong palaca for his son, which eventually became a Tibetan monastery in Beijing. Those are some of the contributions of this emperor.

Ensapa

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Thank you so much for sharing with us the beautiful biography of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen. It is always inspiring to read about enlightened masters. There is so many things that we can learn from this biography, aside from the obvious that it is proof that Dorje Shugden is enlightened. But what is interesting is that according to the biography, he will take rebirth in China and he has taken rebirth in China as Kangxi emperor, one of the few emperors that revitalized the culture and arts of China and it was the start of one of the most harmonious and peaceful periods of China. He also boosted the presence of Tibetan Buddhism in China during that time as well.

Yes, good observation of the text. Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen/ Dorje Shugden did take rebirth in China and he was know as Emperor Kangxi. Although emperor Kangxi himself did not practice exclusively Tibetan Buddhism but his policies set the stage for prosperity throughout the empire and allowed Buddhism to flourish.

The reign of this emperor is considered the golden era of the Qing dynasty. Trade florished along with the arts, literature and so forth as patronized by the imperial court. Also, Emperor Kangxi was modest with court expenses and ensured nothing is wasted and everything is accounted for. Although he was Manchu, he treated the Han Chinese masses justly. He built the Yong He Gong palaca for his son, which eventually became a Tibetan monastery in Beijing. Those are some of the contributions of this emperor.

It was during Kangxi's reign that the Han Chinese were finally treated equally and not discriminated against. The Han scholars were also given positions in the government and they appreciated that a lot and eventually Kangxi became a legend amongst the Han Chinese. He would often go incognito to actually observe the people. And such legends are classics amongst the Chinese and they are made into dramas and movies and even operas, documenting his kindness and wisdom, while showing how much that the Han Chinese appreciates him that much in China.

Dondrup Shugden

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Thank you for finding this text and sharing it here.  It is very skilful how Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen would write his secret biography in form of his dreams.  They were the teachings of huge amount of Dharma in how the dreams and visions were related.

Even his own prophecy of being born in China as Emperor Kiangxi came true.  Reading this makes the reader realises how enlightened TDG already was and to manifest as Dorje Shugden, confirms that DS is a Buddha.