Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Lobsang Shastri
A Look at the Doctrinal Background The places associated with the Buddhas miracles came to be considered sacred and imbued with powers that generate awareness of the enlightened ones in the mind of devotees. The Collection of Sutras (Sutra-pitaka) extensively explain the immense benefits that can be derived by doing prostrations, making offerings and going on pilgrimage to these holy places. According to tantric explanations, when the Tathagata Buddha propounded the esoteric teachings of the Sri-Cakrasamvara-tantra,1 he explained how not absorbed manifestations of mandalas of the father-mother Cakrasamvara (the principal deities in the Samvara mandala), and of Vajrayogini (the viras of three cakras of body, speech and mind) from this world helps tantric practitioners attain mystical experiences and realizations. The Samputa-tantra indicates that the reason for the existence of the ten grounds of transcendental perfection, such as Pullir in the language of Mlecchas, is to go on pilgrimage there, as advised by the yoginis. These pilgrimage places are both internal and external. In the paramita tradition, the ten grounds, such as Rab tu dga ba (the joyous one), and the five paths are presented as spiritual levels of accomplishment. However, in tantra they are known by the names of sacred places. This helps to develop skills in causing external places such as Pullir, where dakas and dakinis congregate, to abide in the internal vajra-body. In recognition of their abidance and using them as paths, one causes the winds and drops, which are conjoined with the dakas and yoginis, to dissolve into avadhuti, the central energy channel. As a result one experiences realizations connected with the spiritual grounds. This helps to bring under ones control the dakas and dakinis dwelling in sacred places. It also helps gain familiarity with the practices for higher meditative stability. There are innumerable other benefits and reasons for going on pilgrimage to these sacred places.2
* This paper was presented during the Tenth International Conference on Tibetan Studies ( IATS ), Oxford 2003 titled as Pilgrimage to Jalandhar: Description and Spiritual Experiences of Tibetan and Trans-Himalayan Pilgrims. This paper was also translated into German language and published title as Pilgerreise nach Jalandhara, Tibethaus - Journal Chokor, NO.45, July 2008, p.25-33.
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Za ma tog bkod pa describes how hills and mountains in Tibet actually are bodies and abodes of Arya Lokesvara. Laden with sacredness and with carved mantras, they help practitioners accomplish the enlightened deeds of subduing and taming countless sentient beings. Guru Padmasambhava discovered hidden treasures (gter) in these mountains and also in the lakes of the central and border regions of Tibet, which he later recognized as sacred places for retreat. There-after, numerous emanations in the form of masters and disciples, endowed with the miraculous power to transform years into aeons and vice-versa, turned the wheel of the teachings in these places, thus making them one and inseparable with the primordially pure vajra land. Later, higher emanation beings opened the doors of innumerable holy places, discovered hidden treasures and created an atmosphere conducive for those masters to engage in extensive and transcendental secret practice to benefit the teachings and sentient beings. The existence and mode of appearance of these sacred places of vajra-nature proved highly beneficial for the dissemination of Buddhism. It is widely believed that these places have positive qualities that help tantric practitioners accomplish ordinary and extraordinary mystical attainments and realizations swiftly and without difficulties. Among the unending chains of sacred places blessed by the principal deities from the limitless ocean of vidhyadharas and dakinis, where masters, shining like the sun and moon, sojourned, many sacred localities, including those in the southern India, the land of Chamara, and incomparable vajra places, like Jalandhara, Jwalamukha and the Land of Zahor (Mandi), are still in existence and can be visited.3 The twenty-four pilgrimage sites are of two types, i.e., the twenty-four inner pilgrimage sites and twenty-four external pilgrimage sites. The twenty-four inner pilgrimage sites are located on different inner channels (rtsa) and the twenty-four external sites are the places subdued and blessed by Cakrasamvara.4 There are some who say that these are part of the twelve bhumis. In the Hevajra Commentary of Bla ma Dam pa Bsod nams rgyal tshan (1312-1375) an identification of inner holy sites which is similar to that of the Cakrasamvara tradition can be found.5 These holy places are called Pitha, Ksetra, Chandoha and are the sites of Anuttarayogatantra. It is said that the external pilgrimage sites originated from the vajra-body mandala. The Hevajra-tantra (Dgyes pa rdo rjei rgyud) identifies thirty-seven sacred places in the continent of Jambudvipa.6 Vajra-dakini-tantra (Rdo rje mkha groi rgyud) mentions twenty-four sacred places. Bu ston rin chen grub and Jam mgon A myes zhabs Bde mchog chos byung, as well as Pan chen Er ti ni Dpal ldan ye
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According to Ronald M. Davidson, 17 the source of the myth is in Tattvasamgraha, where Vajrapanis subjugation of Maheshvara is described. This version of the myth gained popularity and was used to establish authenticity for the Cakrasamvara texts. Besides the twenty-four sacred places, the thirty-two sacred sites, the thirty-seven sacred places, eight great cemeteries, eight glorious mountains, a hundred spontaneously-arisen caityas, eight and thirteen congregational sites of dakinis, and eighty secret caves of dakinis which are mentioned by Bri gung Jig rten mgon po,18 Brug pa Chos kyi snang ba,19 and Jam dbyangs mkhyen brtsei dbang po.20 Sa skya pandita talks about thirteen vajra-grounds.21 Key references to Jalandhara are found in the Cakrasamvara-tantra and related texts, as well as in the religious histories of Cakrasamvara by Bu ston and Jam mgon A myes zhabs, and in the biographies of Rgyal ba Rgod tshang pa, Grub thob U rgyan pa, Stag tshang ras pa, Zangs dkar khrul zhig Ngag dbang tshe ring, Rang rig ras pa, the guide book of Dge dun chos phel and lastly in the writings of the previous Karma pa and Dil mgo mkhyen brtse rin po che. The Hindu legend Padmapura discusses Jalandharapa and one of his consorts called Vrinda.22 The Sanskrit lexicon Hemakosa includes a section called Uttarkand which refers to Jalandhara, Raja-tarangini-padmapura mentions Jalandhara, while the Mahabharata epic also cites it as Trigatra.23 Ptolemys Geography, by referring to Jalandhara, was the first book in the west, which talks about this holy place.24 There is also a brief mention of Jalandhara in the travel account of Huien Tsiang (dating to 629) that includes information on the existence of Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhist temples. Jalandharas importance in Punjab and the Third Council of Buddhism that was held there are also well known.25 Finally, Kalhanas Raja-tarangini, written in the twelfth century, mentions Jalandhara and Trigatra. Regarding the literature about the most important Tibetan masters active in north-west India, a list of rnam thars by Rgod tshang pa is given in the colophon of Mthong ba don ldan nor bui phreng ba written by Sangs rgyas dar po. On this list are slob dpon Byang dpals Rtsag ris chen mo, slob dpon Dbang phyug rgyal mtshans Gnad btus sgron me and Mya ngan das chung, slob dpon Byang chub ods Dgos dod kun byung, Byang sems Sher gzhons Khyad phags bdun ma, and the biographies by Rgyal thang pa Bde chen rdo rje and Rtse brgyad pa. Presently available in print are the biographies written by Sangs rgyas dar po,26 Gnad sdud pai sgron me by Sde snod dzin pa Rin chen dpal,27 two editions of Rgod tshang pas biography by an anonymous author/authors,28 and Mgur chen gas rgyan pa by Rgyal thang pa Bde chen rdo rje.29
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Jalandhara, goes back to much earlier times. These were among the key places in India, where the study and practice of tantric Buddhism flourished. Jalandhara, one of the twenty-four pilgrimage sites of Cakrasamvara-tantra, was of considerable geographical size during earlier times. The Jalandhara kingdom had Nagarkot, or Kangra as it is presently known, as its capital. In the Mahabharata epic, this region was called Trigatra (confluence of three rivers) and later Nagarkota or Kangra. The place is recognised as the site of the female deity Mahamaye or the Mata. This region even had one or two temples built by king Ashoka, as proved by archaeology and Indian historical works which are of the view that Jalandhara is Jwalamukhi (see below). Buddhism flourished in Jalandhara during the time of King Kanishka (first or second century CE). It is said that the Third Council of Buddhism took place in Jalandhara during his reign. This place is also mentioned in the travel notes of the seventh century Chinese pilgrim Huien Tsiang of the Tang dynasty.37 There are no further references to Jalandhara till Mahmud of Ghazni in 1009.38 In 1030 it is mentioned as Nagarkota in Alberunis India.39 Jalandhara is also mentioned in the 10501060 copperplates of Chamba. Records of the life of individuals contain brief historical references to Jalandhara. One of the eighty-four mahasiddhas is of some significance to the issue under study, for he was known by the sobriquet of Jalandharapa (Drwa ba dzin). According to Bu ston (Bde mchog chos byung) and Taranatha (Bka bab bdun ldan gyi rgyud pai rnam),40 Jalandharapa received many empowerments from his teacher Rus sbal zhabs can (having the feet of a tortoise), and mastered the Four Tantras. After undertaking intense meditation at Jalandhara, he was blessed with the vision of Vajrayogini and attained enlightenment. He was named after the holy site where he meditated.41 According to Taranathas chos byung, he received the blessings of Vajrayogini and realized the Mahamudra accomplishment.42 Bka bab bdun ldan gyi rgyud pai rnam thar and Chos byung dpag bsam ljon bzang state that the mahasiddha Jalandharapa was a pioneer of the Na tha yogic tradition and that Jalandhara is one of the nine Na tha sites. The female deity is Candi and her male counterpart is Mahadeva. Jalandharapas birthplace was Nagarthotha, seemingly corresponding to Nagarkota/Kangra, as stated in the history of the eighty-four mahasiddhas.43 Bka bab bdun ldan gyi rgyud pai rnam thar, too, gives the birthplace of Jalandharapa, from whom Indrabodhi and Lwa wa pa received oral instructions
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TIBETAN AND TRANS-HIMALAYAN PILGRIMS IN JALANDHARA Tibetan and Trans-Himalayan people have a long tradition of visiting the holy places of north-west India. The Rnying ma pas preferred Uddiyana for engaging in tantric practices, while the Brug pa and Kam tshang bka brgyud pa traditions favoured Jalandhara.50 Many great beings from Tibet and the Himalaya have visited Jalandhara on foot with their walking sticks, just as ordinary pilgrims. Those whose biographies mention Jalandhara in their travel accounts are Rgod tshang pa Mgon po rdo rje (1189-1258), Karma pa Rang byung rdo rjes guru Grub thob U rgyan pa Rin chen dpal (1229-1309), Stag lung bla ma Ye shes, and Bla ma Rin chen mgon (whose pilgrimage to Jalandhara is briefly mentioned only in the biography of Khrul zhig Ngag dbang tshe ring). Three hundred years after Grub thob U rgyan pa, trans-Himalayan great masters like Stag tshang ras pa Ngag dbang rgya mtso (sixteenth century), Rang rig ras pa (seventeenth century) and Zangs dkar ba Khrul zhig Ngag dbang tshe ring (16571732 or 1717-1794) visited Jalandhara and undertook spiritual practice. A Tibetan merchant from Khams, Kha stag dzam yag, travelled to India and Nepal between the years 1944 and 1956. His travel account states that he visited Jalandhara during that period.51 The twentieth century A mdo scholar Dge dun chos phel (19051951),52 the Sixteenth Karma pa Rang byung rig pai rdo rje (1924-1982) and Dil mgo Mkhyen rtse Rin po che (1910-1991) are among those who also visited Jalandhara. The biographies and spiritual songs (mgur bum) of these spiritual masters describe the realizations they achieved in this place, the importance of the site, its geography, and the ethno-social condition at the time of their pilgrimage. Most pilgrims in the olden days used trade routes to travel to pilgrimage sites associated with the highest Yogatantra. Often their starting point was Gu ge, crossed by the Glang chen kha babs, whose source is not far from Pre ta pu ri, and following its course downstream, they went to Ri bo Gandhola (Gar sha) and Kuluta, before reaching Jalandhara. Snellgrove says that it was customary on this pigrimage to visit Rewalsar, Uddiyana and Taxila,53 but the latter locality is not included in the itineraries of the masters under consideration in this article, while Rewalsar is a later pilgrimage place. Rgod tshang pa In the biography of Rgod tshang pa by Rgyal thang pa Bde chen rdo rje, he is said to have visited holy places like Mount Kailash and Jalandhara, when he was twenty-five years old, and undertook meditation there for four years.54 One can
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On the way, Ye shes bla ma warned that an obstacle was expected to prevent them from crossing that area. Some time later, they were stopped by forty border officials (sho gam pa). Ye shes bla ma then asked one of his attendants to sing a song. The latter danced and mischievously sang a song in Tibetan, full of abusive language. The officials, thinking that he was singing their praises, were pleased and let Ye shes bla ma and his attendants pass. Thus they safely reached a cane bridge over a river between two high mountains. Here they performed a ganacakra under a rock, this being one of the places where hostile dakinis pelted the mahasiddha Lwa ba pa with a shower of large stones, which he miraculously stopped in the sky. Ye shes bla ma undertook meditation in front of a self-originated Tara in the style of Kha che for one week, without thinking of food or water, and was blessed with the vision of this deity. He also met a two hundred year old yogi, surviving on human flesh, who had achieved Mahamudra (accomplishment). Sindhura dropped from the bagha of Vajravarahi and imprints of Naropas head, body, hands and feet could be seen on a rock near the Tara statue. They performed tshogs offerings to eight dakinis who lived on a square area of ground. A huge town, one rgyang grags (approximately two miles) in size, lay ahead of them and, at night, the noise of non-human beings and jackals sent shivers down the spines of those who heard it.64 Stag tshang ras pa, also known as U rgyan pa Ngag dbang rgya mtsho (15741651), travelled to India and Kha che twice, via Mnga ris. During the first visit around 1613, he proceeded to Jalandhara and Kashmir and then returned to Mar yul (Ladakh).65 He went to Jalandhara/Nagarkota where he sang songs of spiritual realization, describing Nagarkota as the palace of Vajrayogini.66 The biography also states that U rgyan pa went to Kinnaur (Khu nu) and met the mahasiddha Bde ba rgya mtsho.67 It seems that a young grub dpon chen po Rang rig ras pa took a different route in order to proceed to Jalandhara, for his biography says that went there from Nurpur.68 Jalandhara in the Eyes of the Tibetan Pilgrims Jalandhara is recorded in the Tibetan literature as Klui mkhar (fort of the Naga) or Rna bai mkhar (fort of ears) in Vogels The History of Kangra and Kulu State, for it is said to be situated on top of the area where the Jalandhara demon allegedly buried his ears. 69 Modern Hindu pilgrimage guides to the Kangra temple mention that this area is associated with Vajratara or Vajravarahi. The temple is at present known as Brajeshwari Mata, and is situated in Kangra proper, twenty kilometers from Dharamshala.
This biography also says that Jalandhara was a kingdom whose cities were too many to be counted. Gnad bsdus sgron me states that Jalandhara is, externally, like a celestial palace and, internally, like the abode of a female deity. Rgyal ba Rgod tshang pa achieved the realization of the sameness of the three times at this pilgrimage site.75 Another description of Jalandhara is found in Lho rong chos byung. According to this chos byung, U rgyan pa went to Jalandhara, and Nagarkot is described by him as a big and prosperous city where all the women are dakinis.76 At the Langura cemetery, on a forehead-like rock sits the self-originated image of Vajrayogini (Rje btsun ma). At the Mitra cemetery is the cave of Nagarjuna. In front of it is Srisha sha, one of the eight types of tree. In the biographies of U rgyan pa, Lho rong chos byung and in most historical writings it is recorded that the geographical contour of the place is triangular (trikona).77 Later pilgrims to the holy site highlight its triangular shape. In Rgyal thang pa Bde chen rdo rjes biography of Rgod tshang pa, Jalandhara is recorded as a locality in Kha che.78 In U rgyan pas biography, Sri Nagarkota is said to be Jalandhara and also that Jalandhara is one
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of the twenty-four holy places, the mind cakra of Vajrayogini, and the crown of vajra-body. The biography of Stag tshang ras pa adds a few details about Jalandhara that are not found in the previously mentioned sources. Here was a temple of Vajrayogini in the shape of a stupa and, between two rivers, stood a wonderful statue of Vajrayogini.79 The biography of Zangs mkhar Khrul zhig Ngag dbang tshe ring (1657-1732 or 1717-1794), as was customary, mentions that Jalandhara is the crown of the twenty-four holy places and the mother of Vajravarahi. The description of this region is the same as that found in the biography of Rgod tshang pa and U rgyan pa. It further adds that the ruling king, Hari-candra, was an incarnation of Cakrasamvara. There is a hill at the confluence of two rivers, shaped like an elephant, whose trunk faces north and on whose head is a fort. On the left shoulder lies a city of five thousand families. On the right shoulder is Jwalamukhi, the abode of Vajravarahi. Going south from there one reaches Jwalamukhi, where once there were many ruins of the meditation places of yogis that were all destroyed by Muslims invaders. In a temple at that place there are flames burning among stones, and to the south of it is the holy place Bazhernad, which can be provi-sionally identified as Baijnath. To the southeast lies Di ge sar where a huge tent-sized dark-brown rock hangs in the sky. This is presently known as Chamunda. The rock was left miraculously hanging in the sky by Padmasambhava when the dakinis rained rocks on him. According to Rgod tshang pa, this place is at a distance of one arrow shot from the latter locality, while U rgyan pa and Lama Rin chen mgon po state that it is at a distance of an arrow target. Nearby it stood a life-size stone image of Vajrayogini. By the time lama Khrul zhig Ngag dbang tshe ring came to the region, Nagarkota had long been destroyed.80 Dzam gling rgyas bshad says that in the centre of this region there is a fort called Bru sha pura. Huien Tsiang in his pilgrimage guide-book to India wrote that the brothers Asanga and Vasubandhu, Dgra bcom pa chos skyob and Vishnu were born in this place. Btsan po Nomihan, however, says that he is not sure where the birthplace of Asanga and Vasubandhu is located, despite consulting their biographies. He thinks that the Vishnu born there was probably Dga byed dgra stag can. In this place stood the fort Gandhuhara and some towns, including Fekshapura and Nagara. To the east is Pushkrapati where the Buddha, in one of his previous lives, became a king and donated his eyes one thousand times. It is also the place where the holy sage Shamka, in his existence as an animal, was shot by King Tshangs sbyin, and where the Bodhisattva prince
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the city of Kangra. With the help of the travel accounts of Rgod tshang pa, his disciple U rgyan pa, Stag tshang ras pa, and Rang rig ras pa he identi-fied this as the famous northern pilgrimage place of Jalandhara, one of the twenty-four holy sites. According to him, Rgod tshang pa stayed in this place for half a year and wrote such detailed descriptions of the site that there can be no confusion in identifying the place. He further mentions that in the famous temple of Kangra there is a head-like linga which was the main object of worship during his visit. Before reaching Kangra Dge chos visited Jwalamukhi where the flames coming from the ground still existed.88 Mystical Experiences of the Tibetan Pilgrims at Jalandhara Extraordinary mental and physical experiences occurred in the Tibetan masters who visited Jalandhara, in particular in the cases of Rgod tshang pa and U rgyan pa. An extensive account of Rgod tshang pas mystical realizations at this holy place is found in his biography by Rgyal thang pa Bde chen rdo rje. Rgod tshang pa saw the inhabitants of Jalandhara not as ordinary human beings but as viras and the virinis of the subtle body helping him to attain mystical realizations. He received teachings from the bee-faced dakini deity embodied in the holy image of Jwalamukhi, performed Gcod at a cemetery near the site where the statue was kept, and participated in the tshogs (ganacakra) that the dakinis performed in a local temple while his companions (Dam pa gtsang and Yon btsun bum rgyal) were not allowed to do so. Rgod tshang pa received from mkha gro ma Gro ba bzang mo a prophecy that he would attract a great number of disciples in Tibet. He performed Guru Yoga, and was enthroned by the local viras and dakinis as the most prominent master. According to Byin brlabs chu rgyun,89 U rgyan pa travelled to Jalandhara in his defiled body. He performed the daka feast offering, achieved many realizations and heard the utterances of many demi-gods. Near the kings palace was a cemetery called Mitrasara where the enlightened yogi Mitra glu pa lived in Nagarjunas meditation hut. After holding philosophical discussions with U rgyan pa, the latter received empowerments from him, and the yogi recognized U rgyan pa as an equally realized master. U rgyan pa performed his practices at Nagarjunas hut and, one evening during his meditation, his awareness became all-encompassing, his body undefiled, and the city appeared to him as the palace of Vajrayogini. Once, due to an obstacle, he fell down and broke his teeth but the dakinis restored them to their former condition.90 U rgyan pa, with his companions Srin po gdong pa and Dpal ye shes, performed a ganacakra and prayed for a safe journey to Uddiyana.91
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Notes
The Tantra of Sri Cakrasamvara, according to Slob dpon Rdo rjes Tshig don rab gsal, was expounded by Shakyamuni Buddha to vanquish the wrathful Isvara during the Dvaparayuga (aeon of two-fold segeneration). However Tibetan masters maintained that it was taught during the Kaliyuga (aeon of strife). 2 . Jam dbyangs mkhyen brtsei dbang po, Gsang chen rdo rje theg pa phyi gyur gsar ma gtso bor ston pai zin bris sna tshogs dang mdo rgyud lung btus bcas bzhugs so, The collected works of Jam dbyangs mkhyen brtsei dbang po, vol.Nga, p.540-541. 3. Dil mgo mkhyen brtse rin po che, Bkra shis ljongs kyi gnas yig zin thun/ bde chen thig le gcig gi rol pa sogs, Collected Works, vol.Za, f.2. 4. Like the twenty-four Buddhist pilgrimage sites, the Hindus have twenty-four gods of the Agnicayana ritual in the Vedic literature. The Vedas mention twenty-four deities of the fire rituals (homavidhi), and the followers of Vishnu believe in twenty-four incarnations of Vishnu, called Vaibavavilasa (see Kazi Dawa-Samdup, Sri Cakrasamvara-Tantra, p.16). Tucci, The Temples of Western Tibet and Their Artistic Symbolism. Tsaparang (Indo-Tibetica III.2), p.44 states that the twenty-four holy pilgrimage sites of Krishna are documented in the twentieth chapter of Caitanya carita-mrta madhyalila popular with the followers of Krishna in south India and Bengal. In the Saivite documents too there is reference to the twenty-four holy sites. 5. Lama Dam pa Bsod nams rgyal mtshan, Rgyud kyi rgyal po dpal kye rdo rje i rgya cher grel pa nyi mai od zer, f.140-143. 6. Jam dbyangs Mkhyen brtsei dbang po, Gsang chen rdo rje theg pa phyi gyur gsar ma gtso bor ston pai zin bris sna tshogs dang mdo rgyud lung btus bcas bzhugs so, The Collected works of Jam dbyangs Mkhyen brtse i dbang po, vol.Nga, p.545. 7. Jam dbyangs mkhyen brtsei dbang po, Gsang chen rdo rje theg pa phyi gyur gsar ma gtso bor ston pai zin bris sna tshogs dang mdo rgyud lung btus bcas bzhugs so, The Collected Works, vol.Nga, p.540-541; Dpal khor lo bde mcog gi rnam par sprul pa dang/ yul nyi shu rtsa bzhii rgyu mtshan ces bya ba bzhugs, Snar thang rGyud grel, vol.Pu; Bde mchog chos byung by Bu ston and A myes zhabs; and Pan chen dPal ldan ye shes, Shambha lai lam yig, Pan chen dPal ldan ye shes kyi gsung bum, vol.Nya, f.13-20. See also Tucci, Temples in Western Tibet, p. 38-41; and Ronald Davidson, Reflections on the Mahesvara subjugation myth: Indic materials, Saskya-pa Apologetics, and the birth of Heruka, Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, vol.14 (2), 1991, p.197-235. 1.
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12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
than the goddess Uma. However, scholars consider the representatives as manifestations of the Buddha. Also see Bu ston, Rgyud sde spyi rnam, The Collected Works of Bu ston, vol.15; Dpal khor lo bde mchog gi rnam par sprul pa/ dang yul nyi shu rtsa bzhii rgyu mtshan ces bya ba bzhugs, Snar thang Rgyud grel, vol.Pu, f.115; and Klong rdol bla ma, Bstan srung dam can rgya mtshoi ming gi grangs, vol.Ya, f.9. Klong rdol bla ma, Bstan srung dam can rgya mtshoi ming gi grangs, Klong rdol bla mai gsung bum, Delhi 1973, vol.Ya, f.9b:3 and Klong rdol bla ma, Bstan srung dam can rgya mtshoi ming gi grangs, Klong rdol Ngag dbang blo bzang gi gsung bum, vol.2, Bod ljongs bod yig dpe rnying dpe skrun khang 1991, p. 479-481; and Zhu chen Tshul khrims rin chen, Gsang chen rgyud kyi rgyal po rnams nas bstan pai gnas yul chen po rnams kyi ngos dzin, vol.Ja. See also Shes bya kun kyab, vol.1, Mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1982, p.366-371. Bri gung Jig rten mgon po, Gnas chen dril bu ri dang ghan dho lai gnas yig don gsal bzhugs so, f.1-2; At a time when an assemblage of wrathful gods and other celestial beings including Mahesvara ruled over sentient beings, Samantabhadra is believed to have descended on to the peak of Sumeru and subjected the wrathful gods through the process of subjugation, dissolution and dissipation. He then blessed the twenty-four sacred places above, on and below the world, the thirty-two sacred sites, the eight great cemeteries, the eight glorious mountains, the hundred spontaneously-arisen caityas, the eight and thirteen congregational sites of dakinis, and the eighty secret caves of dakinis. Brug pa Chos kyi snang ba (the eighth Brug chen), Tsa ri tra ye shes khor lo i gnas kyi ngo mtshar cha shas tsam gsal bar brjod pai yi ge skal ldan dga bskyed dad pai nyin byed char ba zhes bya ba, ff.1-2. Zhu chen Tshul khrims rin chen, Gsang chen rgyud kyi rgyal po rnams nas bstan pai gnas yul chen po rnams kyi ngos dzin shes byai ltad moi me long zhes bya ba, Zhu chens gsung bum, vol. Ja, f.2b. Jam dbyangs mkhyen brtsei dbang po, Gsang chen rdo rje theg pa phyi gyur gsar ma gtso bor ston pai zin bris sna tshogs dang mdo rgyud lung btus bcas bzhugs so, The Collected works of Jam dbyangs mkhyen brtsei dbang po, vol.Nga; p. 542-543. Ronald M. Davidson, Reflections on the Mahesvara subjugation myth: Indic materials, Sa-skya-pa Apologetics, and the birth of Heruka, Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, vol.14 (2), 1991, p.197-235.
18. 19.
20.
21.
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26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32. 33.
The eight raksas occupied the eight trees and nagas took control of the eight waters. Then the twenty-four sacred places and the thirty-two sacred regions gradually developed. At that time, Sumeru and its dwellers, Mahesvara and the goddess Uma, came into being. From them arose the four manifestations of mind, speech, body and miraculous deeds. They, in turn, occupied Pullirmalaya in the east, Jalan-dhara in the north, Odiyana in the west, and Arbuda in the south. The four places were thereafter called gnas in the language of the gods. The same text also clearly mentions the twenty-four and thirty-seven sacred places, besides the twelve and thirteen grounds. Vogel, History of Kangra, p.2-3. Vogel, History of Kangra, p.5. V. Smith, Early History of India, p.81. See also Vogel, ibid. p.5. Samuel Beal (transl.), Si yu ki, Buddhist Records of the Western World, p.175, n.30. See also Cunningham, Ancient Geography of India, Varanasi, 1963, pp.115-119. Don rgyud Nyi ma (the Eighth Khams sprul) (ed.), Bka-brgyud-pa Hagiographies, vol.4, 1976, p.1-350; and Mon rtse ba Kun dga dpal ldan, Bka brgyud gser phreng, 1970, p. 293-352. Sde snod dzin pa Rin chen dpal, Rgyal ba Rgod tshang pai rnam thar gnad sdud pai sgron me, Rwa lung dkar brgyud gser phreng, vol.2, 1975, p. 73-82. Chos rje rgod tshang pa mgon po rdo rjei rnam thar, in Bka brgyud gser phreng ba ra ba dkar brgyud pa, vol. 1, 1970, p. 452-543; and Rgyal ba rgod tshang pai rnam thar in Rare Tibetan Texts from Lahul, 1974, Gemur Monastery, Lahaul, p. 1-325. Sangs rgyas dar po, Rgyal ba rgod tshang pa mgon po rdo rjei rnam par thar pa mthong ba don ldan nor bui phreng ba, Bka-brgyud-pa Hagiographies, vol.4, 1976, p.1-350. Zla ba Seng ge, Grub thob O-rgyan pai rnam par thar pa byin rlabs kyi chu rgyun, Gangtok, 1976, p.1-244. In the biography of U rgyan pa published in 1997 by the Tibet Autonomous Regions Old Texts Publishing Press, the author of the biography is given as Bsod snyom pa bsod nams od zer, the longtime disciple of U rgyan pa. Zhwa dmar Mkha spyod dbang po, Chos kyi rje rgyal ba audyana pa chen poi rnam par thar pa rdzogs ldan bdud rtsii dga ston, The Collected Works of Zhwa-dmar Mkha-spyod-dbang-po, vol. 2, Gangtok 1978, p.89-121. Stag tshag Tshe dbang rgyal, Lho rong chos byung, 1994, p.717-750. Dil mgo Mkhyen brtse rin po che, Bkra shris ljongs kyi gnas yig zin thun bde chen thig le gcig gi rol pa, vol.Za, f.1-3. This is also written on the
34.
41.
42.
43. 44.
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45.
50. 51.
55. 56.
adds that Jalandhara is indeed part of present-day Kangra district, the pilgrimage place of both Hindus and Buddhists. Karma pa Rang byung rig pai rdo rje (16th Karma pa), Khams gsum gro bai mgon po rigs kun khyab bdag rgyal mchog bcu drug pa chen po rang byung khyab bdag rig pai rdo rje mchog gi sngon gyi skyes rabs ngo mtshar pad moi dga tshal, Sikkim Edition, f.63. Btsan po Nomihan, Dzam gling rgyas bshad, p.114:4. Rtogs ldan Zla ba seng ge, Byin rlabs chu rgyun, f.23. See also Stag tshag Tshe dbang rgyal, Lho rong chos byung, p.722. Rtogs ldan Zla ba seng ge, Byin rlabs chu rgyun, Bka-brgyud-pa Hagiographies, vol.4, 1976, p.89. Karma pa Rang byung rig pai rdo rje, Khams gsum gro bai mgon po rigs kun khyab bdag rgyal mchog bcu drug pa chen po rang byung khyab bdag rig pai rdo rje mchog gi sngon gyi skyes rabs ngo mtshar pad moi dga tshal, Sikkim Edition, f.63. The Tibetan custom of writing guidebooks to tantric pilgrimage places was possibly initiated with Uddiyana ad Jalandhara in mind. Ldan ma Acharya A rag bande Jam dbyangs dbang rgyal, Zhu sgrig gnang ba tshong dpon kha stag yag nas phyi lo 1944 -1956 bar bod dang bal po rgya gar bcas la gnas bskor bskyod pai nyin deb, Delhi 1997, p.146-147. Dge dun chos phel, Rgya gar gnas chen khag la bgrod pai lam yig, Bod gzhung chos don lhan khang, 1968, p.28-29. Snellgrove, Buddhist Himalaya: Travels and Studies in Quest of the Origins and Nature of Tibetan Religion, Oxford, 1957, p.171-172. Rgyal thang pa Bde chen rdo rje, Rje rgod tshang pai rnam thar rgyal thang pa bde chen rdo rjes mdzad pa la mgur chen gas rgyan pa, Bkabrgyud-pa Hagiographies, vol.4, p.356. Vitali, The Kingdoms of Gu.ge Pu.hrang, n.571 and 671. Sangs rgyas dar po, Rgyal ba rgod tshang pa mgon po rdo rjei rnam par thar pa mthong be don ldan nor bui phreng ba, Bka-brgyud-pa Hagiographies, Vol.4, 1976, p.87. Sde snod dzin pa Rin chen dpal, Rnam thar gnas bsdus sgron me, Rwa lung bka brgyud gser phreng, vol.2, p.76-77. Sde snod dzin pa Rin chen dpal, ibid, p.73-82. Chos rje Rgod tshang pa mgon po rdo rjei rnam par thar pa, Bka brgyud gser phreng chen mo, vol.Ka, Dehradun 1970, p.495.
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72.
73. 74.
79.
80.
81. 82.
rivers: the Shab ru of Tho ling; the Pi pa sha na, the snow-mountain river of [Gar] sha; and the Me ra pe river of Sha la dza. Nearby is a stone linga lying on its back with a hole on one side and, in a temple, the self-originated stone image of Ksetrapala Jwalamukhi which also faces downwards. At the distance of one furlong, there are a hundred meditation caves, a hundred springs, and a hundred trees. From the middle of the rocks gushes water where the heretics do their ablutions. This pilgrimage place is Odi. Zhu chen Tshul khrims rin chen, Gnas chen rgyud kyi rgyal po rnams nas bstan pai gnas yul chen po rnams kyi ngos dzin shes byai ltad mo ngom pai me long, vol.Ja, New Delhi, 1973, f.218b. Gnas chen dril bu ri dang gha dho lai gnas yig don gsal, f.9. Khams sprul Don brgyud nyi ma (ed.), Bka-brgyud-pa Hagiographies, vol.4, 1976, p.89-96. Stag tshag Tshe dbang rgyal, Lho rong chos byung p.696 states: At Jalandhara, he saw dakini Gro ba bzang mo surrounded by many wisdom (ye shes) dakinis making religious offerings. The dakini said: In ten years, we will go to Tibet to work for all sentient beings. You will have eighteen thousand disciples. He realized the sameness of the three times and meditated at the site for four years. As said above, Rgod tshang pa actually stayed at Jalandhara for about five months. Sde snod dzin pa Rin chen dpal, Rnam thar gnad bsdus sgron me, Rwa lung bka brgyud gser phreng, vol.2, p.77 Stag tshag Tshe dbang rgyal, Lho rong chos byung, p.722. Zla ba seng ge, Byin rlabs chu rgyun, The Biography of U rgyan pa, f.23. Stag tshag Tshe dbang rgyal, Lho rong chos byung, p.722. Rgyal thang pa Bde chen rdo rje, Rje rgod tshang pai rnam thar rgyal thang pa bde chen rdo rjes mdzad pa la mgur chen gas rgyan pa, Bka-Brgyud-pa Hagiographies, vol.4, Tashijong, 1976, p.386. U rgyan pa Ngag dbang rgya mtsho, ibid., f.21-25, and U rgyan pa Ngag dbang rgya mtsho, Rdo rjei mgur skal ldan yid kyi mun sel, Hemis Monastery edition, f.33b. Khrul zhig Ngag dbang tshe ring, Kun du bzang poi zlos gar yid kyi bcud len, f.56b-59a. There is a similar description in Khrul zhig Ngag dbang tshe ring, Smad du byung ba ngo mtshar ba i stong, f.26a-30b. Btsan po Nomihan,Dzam gling chen poi rgyas bshad snod bcud kun gsal me long zhes bya ba, Gangtok, 1981, p.114:4. The guide book of India by Huien Tsiang was translated into Tibetan during the reign of the Emperor Qianlong between 1740-1780 by Gung Mgon po
83. 84.
85. 86.
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87. Dge dun chos phel, Rgya gar gyi gnas chen khag la bgrod pai lam yig, p.28-29. 88. Dge dun chos phel, Rgya gar gyi gnas chen khag la bgrod pai lam yig, pp.28-29. See also Huber (transl.), The Guide to India, Gendun Chophel, LTWA 2000, p.69 and Dorje Gyal (ed.), Newly Discovered Writings of Gendun Choephel, p.158. 89. Zla ba Seng ge, Byin brlabs chu rgyun, f.23. 90. Zhwa dmar mkha spyod dbang po, Rdzogs ldan bdud rtsii dga ston, The Collected Works of Zhwa-dmar Mkha spyod dbang po, vol.Kha, Gangtok, 1978, p.92:4. 91. Srin po gdong and Yon btsun bum rgyal (U rgyan pas other companion) were not allowed to go to Uddiyana despite repeated requests, and so Dpal ye shes and U rgyan pa were given one gold zho each as offerings by the two companions. 92. Grub pai dbang phyug dam pa o-di yana pa gyis pa Ngag dbang rgya mtshoi rdo rjei mgur skal ldan yid kyi mun sel zhes bya ba, Hemis Monastery, f.47. 93. Vagindravajra (ed.), Rje btsun khyab bdag chen po rang rig ras chen gyi gsung mgur dang zhal gdams chi med bdud rtsii rlabs phreng zhes bya ba, 1982, f.10. 94. Rtogs ldan Zla ba seng ge/Bsod snyoms pa Bsod nams od zer, Dpal ldan bla ma dam pa grub chen u rgyan pai rnam par thar pa byin rlabs kyi chu rgyun, Gangs can rig mdzod, vol.32, 1997, p.45.
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