Chapter 14 - Kun spang and the founding of monastery at Jo nang

His disciple kun spangs (the ascetic) thugs rje brtson 'grus: he was born at dab phyar spang sgang in Northern la stod, in the year Water-Female-Hare (chu mo yos 1243 A.D.).^[1] (9a) In his youth he mastered the Piṭakas. He also looked after numerous monks at the monastic college of rkyang 'dur, and was famous as a proficient debater. On one occasion during his studies, he listened to the complete exposition of the Kālacakra by the All-Knowing (kun mkhyen) chos sku 'od zer. He obtained precepts, and while he practised meditations, he opened many samādhi-dvāras (gates of trance).

Once, when an accident endangered his life,^[2] kun mkhyen pa (chos sku 'od zer) perceived it, and came by himself (without being called). Kun mkhyen pa said: If you would have died this time, you would have obtained the four "bodies,^[3] and saying so, he removed the dangers threatening his life. After that he left his work as a student and preacher, and concentrated exclusively on meditation, and became, known as kun spangs pa.

He heard the different exposition of the Sadaṅga-yoga (of the Kālacakra), whatever were found in Tibet. He transferred his residence to the mountains of the North, and while meditating, he subdued by the power of his concentrated Mind many demons. He was invited to jo nang by jo mo nags rgyal,^[4] and he promised the goddess to come there after three years. When the time came, he journeyed there, founded a monastery, and looked after numerous disciples to whom he imparted both teachings and hidden precepts. Among them: byang sems rgyal ba ye shes, la stod pa dbang rgyal, mun me brag kha ba, and son pa kun rgyal are known as the "Four Sons of kun spangs pa". Byang sems rgyal ba ye shes: he was born in the year Fire-Female-Serpent (me mo sbrul 1257 A.D.). In his childhood, kar ma pa pa shi pa^[5] accepted him (as disciple) against his father’s will, taught him the kar ma pa doctrines, and looked after him (by supplying him) with (his) worldly needs. Later he proceeded to bo mo nan and listened to (the exposition) of all the basic texts of kun spangs pa, the latter’s hidden precepts, and practised (meditation) according to them.

La stod pa dbang rgyal: he practised meditation and attained remarkable results. During the same time he also composed a guide-book on the teachings of (his) Teacher, beginning with the "bar du dge ba", or second section.^[6] He improved the meditations of many (disciples) and removed their handicaps.

Mun me brag kha ba grags pa seng ge: he was born in the year Wood-Female-Hare (shing mo yos 1255 A.D.) at rgyal te thang kar in Northern gyas ru. He belonged to the glan clan. In his youth he was ordained by the phro phu rin po che bsod nams seng ge, and received the name of grags pa seng ge. Later he received the final monastic ordination in the presence of the same upādhyāya dbu ma pa ser 'bum acting as ācārya, and bu stong seng ge 'od acting as Secret Preceptor.

From phya ru ba seng ge dpal of sa skya he heard the rnam 'grel,^[7] the Treatises of Maitreya, the "Six Treatises al Nāgārjuna ' and the Tantra class were perfectly mastered by him. However he was of the opinion that meditation represented the Essence of the Doctrine, and therefore he asked kun spangs pa and byang sems rgyal ye at jo mo nang for guidance in the Sadaṇga-yoga (sbyor ba yan lag drug), and asked. Them to expound the Tantra. They said to him: Go to Rong! He then heard the Commentary on the Tantra^[8] together with its precepts from Akarasiddhi, the youngest son of rgwa lo tsā ba. He, held in high esteem meditation at the hermitage of gya' lung. Subsequently he helped many disciples by preaching (to them) the Commentary on the Tantra (Vimalaprabhā) and by giving them guidance.

Later in the year of the Tiger (stag lo 1338 A.D.), when a great snow-fall happened in the kingdom, lo be ba kun bzang acted as (his). Supporter, and settled him at brag kha. He stayed there in seclusion and recited the mantra of the Kālacakra 10,000,000 times, made 1,000,000 ablutions, and many wonderful signs took place, as for example flames assuming the form of precious stones, etc. Every day he practised meditation on the utpannakrama and sampannakrama degrees, besides the six āsanas (lus sbyong drug) of the body. He named as his four chief guide-books: the sbyor drug (Sadaṇga), the dmar khrid, the gcod, and the gzer lnga, and mainly followed their prescriptions. During the summer seclusion, he spent most of his time in the continuous practice of gcod (rgyun gcod).

He used to send all the property which came into his, hands to the monastery of his Teacher. He was endowed with the faculty of prescience, and all his prophecies concerning the future events at sa skya came true. He passed away at the age of 89 in the year Water-Female-Sheep (chu mo lug 1343 A.D.) amidst wonderful (10a) signs. After the cremation (of his remains), his body was transformed into a heap of relics.

His disciples were the Dharmasvāmin bla mo dam pa and the dka' bcu pa gzhon nu seng ge blo gros, wang mo zhu ba gzhon nu dpal, and many others. From sron pa chos dpal, a disciple of sron pa kun rgyal, brag nag pa chos skyong dpal obtained the system of sron. The bka' bcu pa gzhon nu seng ge obtained it from him.

Sron pa kun dga' rgyal has been the zu gur che^[9] of the Mongol Emperor, and was ordained by bla ma 'phags pa, who introduced him to the study of the Piṭaka. Later he obtained guidance from kun spangs pa, and obtained perfect results (in his meditation). He met Avalokiteśvara and sha ba ri dbang phyug.^[10] His precepts which were known as the "Method of sron" (sron lugs), slightly differed from others, and through them he benefitted others. Dpal ldan bla ma obtained the "Method of sron" (sron lugs) from the following three: sron pa kun dga' rgyal, his disciple chos dpal, and the mahā-upādhyāya bsod nams grags pa.

In this manner kun spangs pa laboured for a long time for the welfare of others, and then entrusted the abbotship to byang sems rgyal ye. He passed away at the age of 71, in the year Water-Female Ox (chu mo glang 1313 A.D.).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

According to the re'u mig in 1242 A.D. /chu—stag/.

[2]:

A handicap which arose during (R 772) his practice of the prānāyāma.

[3]:

The four kāyas or bodies. are: 1. svabhāva-kāya, ngo bo nyid sku, Body of Absolute Existence; 2. Jñana-dharmakāya, ye shes chos sku, Body of Absolute Wisdom; 3. Saṃbhoga-kāya, longs spyod rdzogs pa'i sku, Body of Glory; 4. Nirmāṇa-kāya, sprul sku, Apparitional Body.

[4]:

The local deity of jo nang.

[5]:

baѰśi (This is found is found in parenthesis next to the Tibetan.—ZMR (%))

[6]:

lit. "useful in the middle". Most of the Tibetan Guide-books are divided into three sections: 1. thog mar dge ba, "useful in the beginning", 2. bar du dge ba, "useful in the middle" and 3. mtha' mar dge ba, "useful in the end". The Guide-book on the Sadaṅga-yoga was divided into six branches. The first two branches/yan lag corresponded to the thog mar dge ba, the next two to the bar du dge ba, and the last two to the mtha' mar dge ba. la stod pa dbang rgyal wrote a Commentary on the last four branches of the Sadaṅga-yoga.

[7]:

Pramāṇavārtika

[8]:

Vimalaprabhā

[9]:

[10]:

One of the great mahāsiddhas.