Chapter 3e - The Life Story of the Ācārya 'Phags pa

Now the ‘ācārya 'phags pa. He was the eldest of the six sons born to bsod nams 'bar, a sister of the kalyāṇa-mitra mon (%)^[1] . At the age of 17, he took up ordination in the presence of pu to ba, and heard the bka 'gdams pa doctrine, and the Five Treatises of Maitreya Asanga. With the kalyāṇa-mitra zhang 'dul he studied the Vinaya, the basic sutras together with the precepts. After the death of this teacher, he became a Vinayadhara, and gathered about 300 disciples.

He also studied under phu chung pa, spyan snga and glang ri thang pa.

At gra thang he heard the Mādhyamika (system) from the kalyāṇa-mitra rgya. He applied himself with great earnestness towards the purification of his Mind, but his meditation was handicapped. He asked about^[2] it pu to ba and other teachers, but derived no benefit. After zhang po mon had given him [14a] the initiation into the Saṃvara system according to the method of rma, and into that of the Venerable Lady Vajravārahī^[3] , this benefitted him greatly.

Again he proceeded into the presence of pu to ba and spent with him ten years. Pu to ba having died, he followed for six years after glan ri than pa. Then for three years, he resided with mon.

The kalyāṇa-mitra mon having passed away, 'phags pa’s health became afflicted. His disciple named brngog brtson seng was sent to la stod in search of the system of rma. He heard that one called the consort of rma, and one called his attendant, the two, were said to possess the precepts and the two were especially known to be learned in the Doctrine of the "Path & Fruit" (lam 'bras). At first he sent presents through brngog and asked to be received. Later 'phags pa himself went, there, and obtained the precepts from lha rje ma (ma gcig zha ma) and her brother.

Then he proceeded to dbus, and again went there to convey presents. Then again, he returned and for three years he meditated at mtsho lung of rong. He recited 13,000,000 mantras of Saṃvara. He also resided for two years at each yang dben (%)^[4] and 'gar brag (%)^[5] , where he also recited mantras. He also met the teacher lo ro ras chung pa. The teacher told him: "You have as your father and uncle two Buddhas! You, yourself are a Bodhisattva!"

When he was 66 in the year Iron-Female-Sheep (lcags mo lug—1151 A.D.), he said that when he was 17, he took up ordination, and attended on 15 teachers, including the three brothers (sku mched gsum) and others, and he added: "I did not transgress even a single word of their advises", saying so he passed away. After his funeral rites, many relics, rainbows and lights appeared.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

"mon" is Tibetan, correct? (KMB)

[2]:

[typo '(' before 'about' removed from Roerich–KMB] (%)

[3]:

[typo '(' before 'Vajravārahī' removed from Roerich–KMB] (%)

[4]:

Style? (KMB)

[5]:

Style? (KMB)