Wellsprings of the Great Perfection, 2

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(2:1) pp. 114- 120 "The 12 Dzog-chen Buddha-s (excerpt from the Heart-Essence of Vimala-mitra)"

p.

#

world

teacher

teaching

retinue

lifespan, in years

115

1st

perfect-palace waterlily-flower in realm of Abundant Delight

Great Vajra-dhara as Youth of Inconceivable Sublime Light

root-tantra, compiled by caelestial youth Mighty Bringer of joy & divine youth Brilliant Sun

1002 buddha-s

a-samkhyeya

116

2nd

Saha

Youth of Immutable Light

5 tantra-s (body, speech, mind, quality, activity) : in language of 5-tufted Vis.n.u

2 laks.a-s of d.akini-s

10 laks.a-s

 

3rd

Mass of Light composed of warmth & of moisture

Gentle Splendor Protector against Fear

Churning the Depths of Samsara; Peafowl with Entwined Necks; Glorious Tantra of the Resolution of the 4 Elements : in the language of 3-tufted Garud.a

6 laks.a-s of bodhi-sattva-s

1 laks.a

 

4th

place of the material womb

Youth Playful Grace

11 tantra-s (5 of mind + 6 branch-tantra-s)

5,000 yaks.a-s & cliff-dwelling raks.a-s

80,000

116-7

5th

Healing Herb Garden of Youth

Vajra-dhara the 6th

the 6 paramita-s

the 7 successive buddha-s

70,000

117

6th

Blazing Fire Mountain in charnel-ground Delighting in the Great Secret

Great Powerful Warrior Youth

father-tantra-s & mother-tantra-s

7 bodhi-sattva-s

60,000

 

7th

Raks.a Sound of Rulu

Wrathful Sage King

10 Tantra-s for Turning the Rough-Minded

1 kot.i of raks.a-s

10,000

 

8th

Vulture Peak Mountain

Sublime Golden Light

Vinaya in 10,000 sections

many s`ravaka-s

5,000

117-9

9th

at tree of enlightenment within palace of Complete Victory in land of Turquoise-Browed Sog-po-s

Lovingly Playful Wisdom

7 Studded Tantra-s

bodhi-sattva-s on the 8th bhumi

1,000

119

10th

Vulture Peak

Kas`yapa the Elder

Kriya & Anu-yoga in 75,000 parts

7 arhant-s

500

 

11th

place of the Vajra Throne

Truly Perfected Father King

definitive meaning

lords of the 3 families

300

 

12th

An-atha-pin.d.a-da’s pleasure grove

S`akya-muni

Dharma-wheel turned 12 times

4 groups

100

p. 422, n. 28 the 7 bodhi-sattva-s (retinue of 5th teacher) are :-

Vigorous Cloud

Powerful Elephant

Delightful Youth

Eminent Sama-adhi

Jewel-Bearer

Vajra-Cutter

Sun-Circle

meanings

p.

 

119

"times" = "changelessness"

 

"cleared" = "free of karmic ... obscurations"

 

"perfected" = ‘transcended meeting and parting"

120

"mind" = "primordially free"

 

"transmission" = "free from omission and [from] duplication"

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p. 121 biography (as dictated by Padma-sambhava) of Vimala-mitra

The king Dharma-as`oka had a daughter Dharma-bodhi :

"Once, while sleeping in a flower garden, she dreamed that ...

white man came and anointed her ... the liquid passed down through the crown of her head ...

After twenty-one days, ... she gave birth to a baby boy. ...

He ... was given the name Vimalamitra".

(2:2) pp. 122-151 "Seven Segments to Establish the Great History (another excerpt from the Heart-Essence of Vimala-mitra").

p.

 

124-5

The district Dhana-kos`a, in the country of Uddi-yana, "was surrounded by sandalwood forests and inhabited by the type of animal known as kos.an.a [‘rending’], whose bodies are human with bear-like faces and whose claws are ... iron spikes."

125

The women would tied their hair in two knots, one at the front and one at the back and embellish it with ... bone ornaments.

 

Su-dharma (daughter of this country’s king titled Upa-raja and of his queen Radiant Light), while asleep "in a grass hut on the island known as Covered with Golden Sand, ... dreamt that

a white man shaped out of precious crystal ... placed a crystal vase at the crown of her head ..."

When she awoke, her attendant the d.akini Serene Purn.a interpreted the dream to mean that she would give birth.

127

This boy-child, at the age of seven, astounded the erudite with his wisdom.

128

To him were given 4 names :-

Praj~na-bhava,

Pra-he[la]-vajra [/pra-hela/ ‘playful’],

Resurrected Ash-Colored One,

Serene Resurrected One.

 

He taught, on mt. Malaya, the Great Perfection in 64 laks.a-s of sections,

129

at the requaest of

Blissful World Taste (the vajra-dhatu d.akini "with three faces, wearing tiger’s skin, her four arms holding a parasol of peacock feathers, and riding tigers and lions"); and of

Yellow Bliss-Giver of Boundless Qualities (a d.akini "riding a dragon, holding a garland of lightning-bolts ...").

 

"five miles northeast of the Vajra throne ... the great charnel ground Cool Grove ... has ... in its center ... the glorious Stupa of the Descent from Heaven made from copper with gilded wheels ...

To the northeast of this charnel ground was a wishfulfilling tree Bhis.ala ... There the mundane celestial being Mighty Bringer of Joy – riding on a black tiger, holding a trident in his hand and wearing a long cape of red silk -- ... lived together with a retinue of ten million."

130

There, were various d.akini-s, some each :-

"issuing rays of sunlight from their eyes; ...

emitting thunderclaps from their mouths wile riding on buffalos; ...

riding lions, raising human corpses in their hands; ...

eating entrails while riding on garud.a-s; ...

carrying corpses on spears and riding on jackals; ...

Similarly, others were

raising their own decapitated heads in their hands; ...

had torn their own hearts out and were holding it in their hands; ...

had cut open their bodies and were holding up their entrails to be eaten".

132

"the great Sosadvipa charnel ground situated one league to the west of the Vajra Throne ... in its center was a self-appeared stupa ... It had wheels and a coral parasol and was made from precious silver. ...

There were also peculiar mundane gods ... living to the southwest. ... Among the mundane gods were

Ananda Kumara whose face was that of a lion ... His body was decoarated with garlands made from skulls and draped with a cloth of black silk. With a retinue of one hundred thousand slayer mamo-s, he was riding an ox ...

 

There, were various d.akini-s, some each :-

"riding lions with their hair hanging loose, raising up victory banners of nine stacked skulls. ...

riding on flacks of birds, holding banners of lion skin. ...

had one body but eleven heads and were eating from entrails,

133

... black women brandishing their braided hair while emitting jackals from their mouths. ...

had human bodies but with wings and ... were hurling down rainstorms ... while raising banners of tiger skin in their hands. ...

tearing the upper part of their bodies from the lower, and tearing out their lungs and heart. ...

cutting off their own limbs and tossing them in all directions."

 

Meanwhile in the region in China known as Sos.a-dvipa (So-sa glin ‘salty island’) [or else as Kos`a-dvipa (p. 422, n. 40)], "the householder Virtuous One and his wife Wise Light had a son known as S`ri Simha who ... took birth in the city called Black S^o-Am Jom. ... he studied ... with the Chinese master Hastibhala under the Tree of Enlightenment in China".

134

Having journeyed, mounted on a black camel toward the city of Golden Sanctuary to the west of the Tree of Enlightenment, and proceeded thence eastwardly in China to "the Five-Peaked Mountain, Wu Tai-shan," S`ri Simha furthermore studied Secret Mantra for 7 years under the low-caste master Bhela-kirti, before (at the instance of Avalokita-is`vara) travelling for 9 nychthemera, "one cubit above and not touching the ground," to meet with Man~jus`ri-mitra at Sos.a-dvipa.

135

From an arm (of his transfigured guru Man~ju-s`ri-mitra) extended out of a cloud, S`ri Simha received in a 1-inch casket containing a text "written with one hundred and one [varieties of] gems on paper composed of five types of precious substance."

 

Having been taught the Brilliant Essence of Gold by Man~jus`ri-mitra re-incarnate, "On Mount Mass of Cane in the charnel ground known as Fragrant Grass, Aryadeva awakened to true and complete enlightenment while his material body vanished."

137

In accordance with instruction imparted to him (by the d.akini Manifest Adornment) in his dream, S`ri Simha concealed, within a copper box beneath the balcony in the Auspicious 10,000 Gates Temple at the Tree of Enlightenment in China, the Secret Mantra teachings brought (by Man~ju-s`ri-mitra) from beneath the Vajra Throne.

 

"the Cooling charnel ground in China ... was encircled by karavira trees, and within that there were groves of cane and reed. In the middle of this ... the d.akini-s were ... flying through the sky ... blowing horns ...

Amidst all this was a mansion of piled skulls, ... and at the base were naga maidens bathing. Here S`ri Simha ... sat ... on an elephant throne and upon a celestial vis.n.u stripped naked."

 

"in Elephant Forest in the western part of India, ... the householder Blissful Wheel and his wife Bright Spirit had a son by the name Vimalamitra. And, in the city by the name Kamalas`ila in the eastern part of India, the low caste S`anti Lag-pa and his wife Virtuous Mind had a son who became known as Jn~anasutra." [Jn~ana-sutra = naga-king Nanda’s incarnation Naga-raja Patrin (‘possessing a goblet’), who studied the Mind Section under king Hastin [‘elephant’] and princess Pra-rani (p. 422, n. 42)]

138

"They [Vimala-mitra & Jn~ana-sutra] had a karmic connection from a previous rebirth, since they had been born as sons of the brahmin Sattva {cf. Sattva Yoga}, and therefore became good friends."

140

In accordance with instructions imparted to him (by the d.akini Noble Kindness in the form of a "woman carrying a water pot on her back"), Jn~ana-sutra at the 10,000 Gates, from a balcony to the northeast, "saw a creature with the head of a lion, the neck of a peacock and the head of a scorpion." This was the d.akini Cari, who then introduced him to S`ri Simha.

141

This composite animal was the d.akini Cari, who then introduced him to his master S`ri Simha.

142

S`ri Simha "would occasionally engage in the courageous conduct of retaining [holding] the breath. Occasionally he would perform the special conduct of riding on a tiger of a buffalo."

S`ri Simha "was invited by Resplendent Giving, the king of Li, so he went there on a six-legged white lioness," and while gone toward Li was tranfigured "amidst a mass of light and all the sky resounded with endless harmonies in the most melodious ways. The whole earth was quaking, trembling and shaking, and was covered with boundless heaps of flowers of

143

gold, silver and other types." Then, when S`ri Simha’s testament the Seven Spikes fell (from the sky) into the palm of Jn~ana-sutra’s hand, a (disembodied) voice instructed of whither to wend.

 

"the Bhasing charnel ground in India ... lies far to the east of the Vajra throne.

To its north is a black mountain that resembles a sleeping elephant with water flowing from its mouth.

To its south is a mountain that resembles a yellow tiger standing upright, fragrant with the scent of gors`ikha sandalwood.

To its west is a cliff that looks like a lion leaping into the sky, which as the nest of a garud.a bird.

To the east is a li tree resembling the head of a brahma god ...

In the center of this charnel ground is the Stupa of Perfect Merit cast from precious copper and iron. It life-pillar is made from snake-essence sandalwood ... On the ledges are painted layered wheels of azurite gemstones. ...

144

On the last ledge are simha, the king of trees, extending into all directions. The interwoven branches of these trees are connected by garlands and pendants resembling turquoise cords. ... Above them countless divine maidens make circumambulations."

 

"Half a league direct south is a crystal mansion ... Here dwells the black-colored Time-Line Lord [Lady] of the Dead, tossing her mane, clenching her fangs. With a huge belly and heaven-turned eyes, she is surrounded by a thousand mundane mamos.

Above there dwells Dhari the Divine Maiden, the one who sets the world in motion. She is red, naked and riding a donkey. Her bloody braids cover the earth and smoke pours from her eyes. Flames spring from her mouth and ... she is surrounded by a retinue of eight hundred maras. ...

In the east is the dark brown Learned Splendid Wisdom with five faces who rides a garud.a and ... Her braided hair coiling upward is fully enclosed in garlands of skulls. ... She wears the attire of the charnel ground and is surrounded by a retinue of one thousand pacifying d.akinis.

To the south is the d.akini Protective mind of yellow color. With one face and two arms, she rides a ganapati. Her terrifying, naked form has wings of turquoise and sapphire. ... Mouth agape, she glares with bulging eyes, and is surrounded by a thousand enriching d.akinis.

145

... to the west is the Great Blaze who is red and naked, with captivating hair. ... She rides on an antelope and is surrounded by a retinue of one thousand d.akinis of the magnetizing family.

To the North is Ever-Excellent of green color, with free-flowing hair. Her right hand holds and owl and her left raises a falcon. She rides a wolf surrounded by one thousand d.akinis of the karma family."

 

"At this time, Vimalamitra was living in the Smaller charnel ground, ... riding a blue buffalo ... From the sky he heard the voice of the d.akini Splendid Wisdom" instructing him to "go to the great Bhasing charnel ground." There, Jn~ana-sutra "emitted rays of light from the curl of hair between his eyes, extending nine hundred and ninety-five fathoms."

146

"Jn~anasutra dissolved his material body ..., departing with no physical remains left behind, and the sky was filled with lights."

147

"Vimalamitra remained ... in the city of Bhirya to the west ... Later ... living in the great charnel ground known as Brilliant ...

Vimalamitra made three copies of the manuscripts of the supreme secrets :

one set he concealed on the island Covered with Golden Sand, in the land of Uddiyana,

one set within the craggy cave known as Suvarn.advipa in Kas`mir, and

one set he placed in that charnel ground to serve as an object of veneration for the d.akinis."

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(2:4) pp. 156-160 "Shri Singha Confers the Eighteen Dzogchen Tantras".

p. 158 S`ri Simha bestowed upon Padma-sambhava :-

 

the text

for __

 

Heart Essence of the D.akini-s

instruction

 

sGra Thal->gyur Root-Tantra[, to which are appended the 17 Tantra-s of Innermost Luminosity:-]

 

1.

Tantra beyond Letters

basis

2.

Tantra of Shining Relics

signs

3.

Tantra of Self-Existing Perfection

empowerment

4.

Tantra of Point-out Instructions

 

5.

Blazing Lamp Tantra

 

6.

Tantra of Self-Manifest Awareness

 

7.

Tantra of the Mind-Mirror

Vajra-sattva

8.

Tantra of Piled Gems

 

9.

Tantra of the Union of Sun and Moon

 

10.

Tantra of Studded Jewels

 

11.

Tantra of Self-Liberated Awareness

 

12.

Pearl Garland Tantra

 

13.

Tantra of the Heart-Mirror

Samanta-bhadra

14.

Tantra of Graceful Auspiciousness

 

15.

Tantra of the Perfected Lion

 

16.

Tantra of the 6 Sphaeres

 

17.

Tantra of the Sun of the Brilliant Expanse

 

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(2:8) pp. 179-186 "The Jewel Garland Records".

p. 182 2 types of major emanations from the Densely-Arrayed realms of self-display in this Saha-world

supreme emanations of blessings

sublime emanations of wisdom

p. 182 the 3 types of supreme emanations of blessings

1st

bodily form made from 101 pretious substances

2nd

great scripture Single Child of the Doctrine

3rd

vajra of dharmata that fitteth into the hand of the 1st human beings

pp. 184-186 the 12 sublime emanations of wisdom

p.

in the place __

there appeared __

184-5

Abundant Delight

Youth of Inconceivable Sublime Light, teacher of the 17 Tantra-s of Innermost Luminosity

185

Saha world

Youth of Immutable Light

 

Mass of Light

Protector against Fear

 

Manifest Womb of Passionate Elements

Youth Playful Grace

 

Healing Garden of Youth on the southern side of mt. Su-meru

Vajra-dhara

186

the charnel ground Delighting in the Great Secret

Powerful Warrior Youth

 

Raks.a Sound of RULU

Wrathful Sage King

 

Vulture Peak mountain

Sublime Golden Light

 

Turquoise-Browed Sog-po

Lovingly Playful Wisdom

 

Vulture Peak mountain [again!]

Kas`yapa the Elder

 

Vajra Throne

Truly Perfected King

 

Kapila-vastu

S`akya-muni

p. 186 Vajra-pan.i taught to the vidya-dhara-s in the charnel ground Blazing Fire Mountain on the northern side of mt. Su-meru {/pan.i/ is ‘miser’, a name appropriate for a denizen on the northern side of mt. Su-meru, the site of the cities of Ku-vera, god of the rich}

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(2:9) pp. 188-206 "Illuminating Sunlight to Reveal the Treasury of the Pretious Dharma History"

p. 189 mind-transmission through the Conquerors [Jina-s]

p.

"__-kaya"

teaching

189

Sva-bhavika-

by revealing natural luminosity

 

Dharma-

natural liberation in actuality through inspired resplendence

 

Sam-bhoga-

through his own identity

 

Guhya-

method of great bliss

190

Nir-man.a-

by proclaiming throughout the realms of gods

pp. 190-191 the 4 dreams by [the Guhya-kaya] A-nanda-Garbha nicknamed "Noble Spirit" (he was eldest of the 501 sons of the deva Bhadra-pala) on the plateau of the 33 deva-s

p.

dream

190-1

1st – "rays of light from all the buddhas radiated into the ten directions after which the light rays and the six Munis encircled ... and finally dissolved into the crown of his head."

191

2nd – "he swallowed Brahma, Vis.n.u and Pas`upati in one gulp."

 

3rd – "the son and moon rose in the sky, and he took them both in his hands and illuminated all worlds with their light."

 

4th – "nectar showered down from the cloud-covered sky ... so that sprouts, flowers and jewel-like fruits simultaneously ripened."

pp. 192-195 realms of Vajra-sattva

p.

dir.

buddhafield

Tatha-gata

symbol of the mind

192

centre

 

"emanated Vajrapan.i from his own heart centre who raised

a wheel of self-radiating jewels"

193

east

Perfectly Subjugating Vajra

Vajra Secret [Vajra-guhya]

vajra

193 & 195

south

Jewel Light

Ratna-pada

ornament of dag-s`aka

195

west

Waterlily Mound

Waterlily Light

waterlily

 

north

Perfect Accomplishment

Perfected Brilliance

 

p. 197 empowerments conferred and instructions imparted (in the hall holding the life-pillar nade of a 9-pronged vajra, on the top floor of the Palace of Victory on the plateau of the 33 deva-s) by Vajra-pan.i to Noble Spirit

empowerment

instruction

Perfect Royal Vase

10 Miraculous Statements

3-fold Spontaneous Praesence

Encountering the 3 Kaya-s

Great Sphaere

Unchanging Mind Essence

Changeless Steadiness

Insight during Daily Activities

Immediacy of Awareness

Identifying Original Wakefulness

Non-dual Mingling

Great Seal [maha-mudra]

Vajra Statement

Regent Nomination

Pra-he[la]-vajra & disciple Man~ju-s`ri-mitra

p.

 

199

The princess-nun Paran.i [‘breakfast; perusal’] "While facing east ... saw a golden swan, who in fact was Vajrapan.i ... The swan, came flying through the sky accompanied by 4 other swans. ... the bird the Lord of Secrets had miraculously created, touched his beak three times to the princess ... The swan took flight". {cf. impraegnation of the goddess Nemesis by a divine swan (GM 62.a).}

200

"A nine-pronged vajra set with a assortment of the finest gemstones now emerged from the princess’s heart ... and became a boy-child ... Prahe[la]vajra", who is thus (pp. 202 & 190) a nirman.a-kaya.

 

"Vajrapan.i summoned the three bearers [S`aka-putrin, Naga-putrin, and Guhya-putrin – 3 sons of Upa-raja (p. 423, n. 64)] from Dams`o: [dam-s`od (p. 429)] Haven charnel ground to the southwest, and ... he entrusted them with all the tantras in completeness – the Twenty Thousand Sections of the Ninefold Space".

202

"an emanation of noble Man~jus`ri ... was born to the brahmin Glorious Sustainer of Bliss as the father and to the brahmini Kuhana [‘hypocrisy’, a mouse-goddess] as the mother. ... He was named Siddhi-garbha [‘success-embryo’] the Brahmin, as well as Samvaragarbha [‘magic-embryo’]." {‘embryo’-names are allusions to the tatha-garbha, with reminiscences of the [Vaidik] Hiran.ya-garbha (‘gold-embryo’), of rasa-ayan.a and even of Daoist al-chemy}

203

"Siddhigarbha, the senior prince of Rajahasti and some other, seven in all {cf. the "transmigrations of the 7 brahmin-s" in the Puran.a-s}, ... arrived at the Vajra Haven Cave where they met ... Prahevajra".

GM = Robert Graves : The Greek Myths. 1955.

p. 206 the 3 cycles of teachings derived from Man~ju-s`ri-mitra [‘kinsman of Man~ju-s`ri’, ordination-name of Siddhi-guhya (p. 204)]

__ Cycle

for __

Brahmin’s

distinguishing

King’s

resolving

Instruction

revealing self-liberation

___________________________________________________________

Erik Pema Kunsang (transl.) : Wellsprings of the Great Perfection. Rangjung Yeshe Publ., Hong Kong, 2006. pp. 112-206 = "Part II. From Early Treasure Masters"

http://www.rangjung.com/wellsprings/illustrations.htm illustrations from this book