KUNKHYEN LONGCHEN RABJAM

Описание: Künkhyen Longchen Rabjam is revered as one of the greatest masters and scholars in the Nyingma tradition. He was an incarnation of Princess Pemasal, the daughter of King Trisong Detsen. Before she passed away at the age of eight, Guru Rinpoche entrusted her with the mind-mandate transmission of the Khandro Nyingthig, sealing it within her awareness. He also gave her the secret name Pema Ledreltsal. After many incarnations she was reborn as the tertön Pema Ledreltsal (1291-1319?), who revealed the Khandro Nyingthig as ter. He was subsequently reborn as Longchenpa, who would fulfil both Guru Rinpoche and Vimalamitra’s intent, through his activity of holding and propagating the Khandro Nyingthig and the Vima Nyingthig teachings.

Longchen Rabjam was born in 1308, in Tötrong, in the Tra Valley in south Central Tibet. His father was the master Tenpasung, a tantric yogi of the Rok clan, while his mother was Dromza Sonamgyen, who was descended from the family of Dromtönpa Gyalwé Jungne. When he was conceived, his mother dreamt of a great lion, bearing a dazzling sun and moon that radiated a swirling mass of light that was absorbed into her body. At his birth, the female protector Remati appeared as a wrathful black woma8n, brandishing a sword and baring her fangs. She took the infant in her arms, declared, “I will protect him!”, and handed him back to his mother before disappearing. Remati would appear frequently throughout Longchenpa’s childhood, watching over him.

At that time he was named Dorje Gyaltsen. As a child he was naturally blessed with all the noble qualities of a bodhisattva, such as faith, compassion and wisdom. Even when he was still very young, he would describe things as if recalling previous lifetimes.

At the age of five he began to study under the guidance of his father, and had no difficulty mastering whatever he turned his mind to, such as learning to read and write by merely being shown the letters. When Dorje Gyaltsen was seven, his father bestowed the empowerments, explanations and  pith instructions for the Eight Sadhanas cycle entitled The Gathering of Sugatas; and cycles focusing on Hayagriva, Vajrakila, and the peaceful and wrathful forms of Guru Rinpoche. He began to study the Dharma and other subjects such as medicine and astrology in great depth. When he was nine he learned the meaning of the Prajnaparamita Sutra in Twenty Thousand Verses and the Prajnaparamita Sutra in Eight Thousand Verses, by reciting these texts aloud a hundred times each.

At twelve he was ordained as a novice monk at Samye Monastery and was given the name Tsültrim Lodrö. He began studying the Vinaya and by the age of fourteen he had both written a commentary on this subject and could teach it to others. He had already earned a reputation as something of a scholar. At sixteen he studied with the teacher Rinchen Tashi and others and received the empowerments and instructions of the Lamdre cycle, the Six Yogas of Naropa, Vajravarahi, Chakrasamvara, The Kalachakra Tantra and most of the other tantric cycles of the Sarma schools. He received the teaching cycles of the Tsalpa school; Gotsangpa’s teachings on the path; the Zhije of Padampa Sangye; and the Chöd school of Machik.

At nineteen Tsültrim Lodrö went to the famous Sangphu Neuthang (a great centre of learning, established in 1073 by a disciple of Atisha). With many different khenpos and masters he studied the great Buddhist treatises and commentaries concerning Vinaya, Valid Cognition, Logic, Middle Way, Prajnaparamita and many other subjects. He then received empowerments and instructions on the Inner Tantras of Anuyoga, Mahayoga and Atiyoga of the Nyingma lineage.

He travelled and studied with many masters of both Nyingma and Sarma traditions, attending the great shedras and receiving teachings, initiation and instruction in all aspects of Sutra and Tantra. One of his main Lamas and contemporaries at this time was the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje.

Tsültrim Lodrö completed his study and training in the entire range of fields of inquiry. He mastered the empowerments and instructions of the Nyingma and Sarma Vajrayana traditions, as well as many major and minor root texts and explanatory commentaries of Sutra and Tantra. His vast knowledge also included subjects such as Sanskrit, grammar, poetics, composition, and astrology.

Throughout his studies he also applied himself assiduously to meditation training and retreats on the Creation and Completion phases. In particular he attained realisations and received visions related to Manjushri, Sarasvati, Achala, Vajravarahi, and Tara.

His studies and meditative accomplishments revealed his unimpeded wisdom and opened the door to the treasury of his speech, so that he gained a reputation as a great scholar, becoming known by the name Samye Lungmangpa (Master of Scriptures from Samye).