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THE LAMP of CERTAINTY by 'JAM-MGON KONG-SPRUL

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THE LAMP of CERTAINTY by 'JAM-MGON KONG-SPRUL THE LAMP OF CERTAINTY by 'JAM-MGON KONG-SPRUL Translated and Annotated by JUDITH HANSON . B.A., State University, New York, 1971 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Religious Studies We-.accept'this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA May, 1975 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Depa rtment The University of British Columbia 2075 Wesbrook Place Vancouver, Canada V6T 1W5 i ABSTRACT This thesis is an annotated translation of Nges-don sgron-me3 a meditation text by the Tibetan eclectic 'Jam-mgon Kong-sprul (1813- 99). The text contains instructions and commentary on the Four Foundations, the key preliminary practices for the bKa'-brgyud tradition. These include the rituals of Taking Refuge and Engendering the Enlight• ened Attitude; Meditation and Mantra of rDo-rje Sems-dpa'; Mandala- Offen'ng, and Guru-Yoga. The translation elucidates these practices, and the footnotes explore the significance of key terms. The appendices contain inter• views with two leading Lamas, the Venerable Kalu Rin-po-che and the Venerable sDe-gzhung Rin-po-che, and reproductions of the texts trans• lated in our study. PREFACE Purpose This thesis is a study of the "Four Foundations," the preliminary meditative practices used in the bKa'-brgyud tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. While this tradition has been the subject of several studies, its preliminary practices have received little attention. Dr. H.V. Guenther^ deals extensively with the philosophical content, but not with the actual performance of either the advanced or the preliminary rituals. Stephan Beyer briefly mentions the Four Foundations, but is primarily concerned with the Tara rituals which may follow them. The present study provides a detailed description of these preliminary practices. Although this work may be useful to Western Buddhists who wish to practice these rituals, they should be performed under the personal guidance of a Lama who is qualified to deal with unforeseen problems which may arise. See The Life and Teaching of Naropa. New York: Oxford Univer• sity Press, 1963 and 1974. o See The Cult of Tara: magic and ritual in Tibet. Berkeley: University of California, 1973, pp. 26-7, 258, 433-42, 461. ii iii Background In 1972 Kalu Rin-po-che of the Karma bKa'-brgyud sect, visited Vancouver and established a Buddhist centre. Kalu Rin-po-che is con• sidered to be one of several contemporary incarnations or tulkus of 'Jam-mgon Kong-sprul, author of The Lamp of Certainty. Rin-po-che is one of the few refugee Lamas fully trained in Tibet. Born in Khams (eastern Tibet) in 1904, he was educated by his father until the age of sixteen. Thereafter, his principal teacher was Lama Norbu Don-kun-grub, a pupil of 'Jam-mgon Kong-sprul. At twenty-five Rin-po-che began twelve years of intensive meditation in an isolated retreat. Subsequently, he was in charge of the meditation center at Kong-sprul's former monastery of dPal-spungs for fifteen years. There he guided monks in the Four Foundations and more advanced bKa'-brgyuda-pa practices. In the late 1950's he fled to Bhutan where he established a monastery. A few years later he moved to northern India and established bSam-'grub Thar-byed monastery at Sonada, where he now supervises thirty monks in meditation. While touring Europe and North America in 1972 and 1974-5, Rin-po-che established approximately thirty Buddhist centres. In 1972, Dr. Shotaro Iida, my academic advisor, asked Kalu Rin-po-che to name a short Tibetan text dealing with bKa'-brgyuda-pa meditative practices. Rin-po-che recommended Nges-don sgron-me as a brief but thorough explanation—ideal for beginners. i v Dr. Iida suggested that I translate this text as an M.A. thesis. 3 I asked Kalu Rin-po-che for the authorization (lung) to read this text. Rin-po-che gave the lung for the first fifty pages (containing the Four Foundations) but withheld the final section until I should have practiced the Four Foundations. As the final section contains separate instruc• tions on Mahamudra, a higher stage of doctrine and practice which I felt incapable of translating, Rin-po-che's limitation seemed reasonable. Methods This thesis is a study of the traditional understanding of the Four Foundations. Clarification of this understanding involved the following steps: 1. Reading Nges-don sgron-me and writing a "crib." 2. Consulting Lama Tshe-dbang 'Gyur-med, through interpreters Ingrid and Ken McLeod, on problems of language, theory and practice. Lama Tshe-dbang 'Gyur-med, a native of Khams and experienced meditator, is Kalu Rin-po-che's representative at Kagyu Kunkhyab Chuling, Buddhist centre, in Vancouver. 3. Consulting Lobsang P. Lhalung-pa on these same problems with greater emphasis on higher levels of interpretation and Tibetan customs. Mr. Lhalung-pa is a Tibetan scholar of broad learning and experience. Traditional ceremony of authorization. See n. 382, below. V 4. Preparing a rough translation and footnotes on key technical 4 terms. 5. Consulting the Lama and Mr. Lhalung-pa about problems aris• ing from step 4. 6. Typing a rough draft. 7. Having Ken McLeod check this draft for literal accuracy and consistency. Mr. McLeod served as official interpreter at Kagyu Kunkhyab Chuling for three years. 8. Consulting the Lama and Mr. Lhalung-pa about problems un• covered in step 7. 9. Translating and annotating relevant sections of 'Phags-lam bgrod-pa'i shing-rta through a process similar to steps 1-8. 10. Rewriting and combining the two annotated translations. 11. Checking by readers, Professor J.I. Richardson (Indian religion and culture), Dr. Shotaro Iida (Indian and Tibetan Buddhism), and Lobsang P. Lhalung-pa. 12. Rewriting. 13. Composing introductory sections. This involved questioning Kalu Rin-po-che and sDe-gzhung Rin-po-che on the historical background i of the practices and their role in the religious life of a practitioner. sDe-gzhung Rin-po-che is the former abbot of a Sa-skya-pa monastery in With the exception of some proper names and well-known terms, all Tibetan words in this thesis have been transliterated according to Turrell Wylie's system. 5 See Appendix A for complete transcript. vi Khams, and one of today's foremost traditional Tibetan scholars. 14. Submitting introductory material to readers for comments. 15. Rewriting entire thesis. I wish to thank the persons mentioned above for their help. I also wish to thank Joan Girard and Lama Phrin-las 'grub-pa for provid• ing illustrations, and Mervin V. Hanson for criticism and encouragement. vii ABBREVIATIONS IBHEC L'Institut Beige des Hautes Etudes Chinoises JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society JRAS Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Lama Lama Tshe-dbang 'Gyur-med LPL Lobsang P. Lhalunga-pa Melanges Melanges Chinois et Bouddhique 'Phags-lam sGrub-brgyud karma kam-tshang-pa'i phyag-chen lhan-cig skyes-sbyor gyi sngon-'gro bzhi sogs kyi ngag-'don 'phags-lam bgrod-pa'i shing-rta by Karma-pa IX dBang-phyug rDo-rje and others. The liturgical text for the Four Foundations. vi i i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES xi Chapter I INTRODUCTION . 1 DESCRIPTION 1 NATURE OF A TIBETAN BUDDHIST SECT 2 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE KARMA BKA'-BRGYUD SECT .... 3 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 'JAM-MGON KONG-SPRUL . 9 DESCRIPTION OF TEXTS 13 1. Lhan-cig skyes-sbyor khrid 13 2. Nges-don sgron-me 14 a. Summary of contents of Nges-don sgron-me .... 15 3. 'Phags-lam bgrod-pa'i shing-rta 17 OTHER TEXTS DEALING WITH THE FOUNDATIONS 17 USE OF TEXTS IN PRACTICE 19 II THE FOUR ORDINARY FOUNDATIONS 20 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ... 20 TRANSLATION 23 Invocation 23 Prologue 24 1. The Precious Human Birth 25 2. Impermanence 35 3. Action, Cause and Result 40 ix Page 4. The Shortcomings of Samsara 51 Conclusion 58 III FIRST OF THE FOUR SPECIAL FOUNDATIONS: TAKING REFUGE AND ENGENDERING THE ENLIGHTENED ATTITUDE 63 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 63 TRANSLATION 64 Taking Refuge 64 Engendering the Enlightened Attitude 84 IV SECOND OF THE FOUR SPECIAL FOUNDATIONS: THE HUNDRED- SYLLABLE MANTRA OF RDO-RJE SEMS-DPA' WHICH PURIFIES HARMFUL DEEDS AND REMOVES OBSCURATIONS 103 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS . 103 TRANSLATION 104 Prologue 104 Practical Instructions 106 Commentary 112 V THIRD OF THE FOUR SPECIAL FOUNDATIONS: THE MANDALA- OFFERING WHICH PERFECTS THE TWO ACCUMULATIONS 124 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 124 TRANSLATION 127 Practical Instructions . 127 Commentary 157 Conclusion 169 X Page VI FOURTH OF THE FOUR SPECIAL FOUNDATIONS: THE GURU-YOGA WHICH RAPIDLY CONFERS BLESSING 172 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 172 TRANSLATION 174 Meditation 174 Commentary 206 Conclusion 221 COLOPHON 229 BIBLIOGRAPHY 230 Appendices A Interviews with Kalu Rin-po-che and sDe-gzhung Rin-po-che 236 B Text of Phyag-rgya chen-po lhan-cig skyes-sbyor gyi khrid kyi spyi-sdom rtsa-tshig by Karma-pa IX, dBang-phyug rDo-rje 250 C Text of folios 1-50 of Phyag-ohen sngon-'gro bzhi-sbyor dang dngos-gzhi'i khrid-rim mdor-bsdus nges-don sgron-me by 'Jam-mgon Kong-sprul 254 D Text of sGrub-brgyud karma karri-tshang-pa'i phyag-ohen lhan-oig skyes-sbyor gyi sngon-'gro bzhi-sbyor sogs kyi ngag-'don 'phags-lam bgrod-pa'i shing-rta by Karma-pa IX, dBang-phyug rDo-rje and others 289 xi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1.
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