Contributions to Tibetan Studies 6 Hevajra and Lam’bras Literature of India and Tibet as Seen Through the Eyes of A-mes-zhabs Bearbeitet von Jan-Ulrich Sobisch 1. Auflage 2008. Buch. ca. 264 S. Hardcover ISBN 978 3 89500 652 4 Format (B x L): 17 x 24 cm Gewicht: 616 g Weitere Fachgebiete > Religion > Buddhismus > Tibetischer Buddhismus Zu Inhaltsverzeichnis schnell und portofrei erhältlich bei Die Online-Fachbuchhandlung beck-shop.de ist spezialisiert auf Fachbücher, insbesondere Recht, Steuern und Wirtschaft. Im Sortiment finden Sie alle Medien (Bücher, Zeitschriften, CDs, eBooks, etc.) aller Verlage. Ergänzt wird das Programm durch Services wie Neuerscheinungsdienst oder Zusammenstellungen von Büchern zu Sonderpreisen. Der Shop führt mehr als 8 Millionen Produkte. General introduction to the transmission of the Hevajra teachings In the following, I would like to provide an introduction to this study of the Hevajra teachings (and subsequent to that to the Path with Its Fruit teachings) that is accessible to both those who do read the Tibetan language and those who do not. I have therefore abstained in these two introductory chapters from using the regular Wylie transliteration of Tibetan names, and I have translated an abbreviated form of all titles of Tibetan works mentioned. I am sure that all names, which I have rendered here in an approximate phonetic transliteration, will be easily recognizable to the expert. To ensure, furthermore, the expert’s recognition of the translated titles of works, I have added the Tibetan abbreviated form of titles in Wylie transcription in brackets. For all bibliographical references, please refer to the main part of the book. Page and footnote numbers within the text of these introductions in pointed brackets and smaller script provide references to the respective passages of Part I and II of this book. *** Hevajra is the most prominent tantric deity in the practice of the Sakyapas. This is conspicuous above all in the Path with Its Fruit (lam ‘bras) cycle, the most important tantric teaching of the Sakyapas, but also apparent when one investigates the extant collected writings of the great Sakyapa writers, such as those of the great founding fathers,1 and of subsequent masters such as Ngorchen Künga Zangpo (1382-1456) and Gorampa Sönam Senge (1429-1489).2 Ame Zhab (1597-1659), too, has authored, compiled and edited commentaries, literary histories and liturgies pertaining to the Hevajra cycle that add up to almost a thousand folios. Among these is a small work of ten folios that is of great interest to anyone interested in literary history, namely the NOTES ON HOW TO ENTER INTO THE WRITINGS OF THE SAKYAPAS (henceforth “NOTES”),3 which, despite its title, focuses almost entirely on Hevajra literature up to the first half of the thirteenth century, both of Indian and Tibetan origin. This brief but indeed supremely important work is the composition of Chöpal Zangpo (15th c.), which is based on the teachings of Ngorchen Künga Zangpo, and preserved and (perhaps) edited by Ame Zhab. The NOTES throws interesting light on one approach to primarily tantric teachings among the Sakyapas during Chöpal Zangpo’s time, i.e. the early 15th c., and, representing the teaching of the great Ngorchen Künga Zangpo, it is certainly an authoritative approach. Central to it was a thorough introduction to the scholar’s equipment, i.e. basic linguistic instructions, an overview of the Buddha’s teachings in general, a specific introduction to the tantric teachings, and, finally, a full overview of the scholar’s activities of teaching (chad pa), writing (rtsom pa), and debating (rtsod pa). This introduction was set forth with the help of some of the masterpieces of the early Sakya tradition by the great Slob-pön, Sönam Tsemo, and his nephew, Tibet’s first Pandita, Künga Gyaltsen, namely the ENTRANCE GATE TO THE DHARMA (Chos la ‘jug pa’i sgo) and the SYSTEMATIC PRESENTATION OF THE TANTRA SECTION (rGyud sde spyi’i rnam par gzhag pa) of the former and the EXPLICATION THAT INTRODUCES THE YOUNG ONES WITHOUT DIFFICULTIES (Byis pa bde blag tu ‘jug pa’i rnam bshad) and the ENTRANCE GATE FOR THE WISE (mKhas pa rnams ‘jug pa’i sgo) of the latter. It was furthermore thought suitable to round 1 Five masters are often referred to as the “five former Sakyapa [masters]” (sa skya gong ma lnga), namely (1) Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092-1158), (2) Lobpön Sönam Tsemo (1142-1182), (3) Jetsün Dragpa Gyaltsen (1147- 1216), (4) Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen (1182-1251), and (5) Phagpa Lodrö Gyaltsen (1235-1280). 2 Throughout the book I will, in most cases, give dates of persons only at their first occurrence and in the index of names. 3 The full Tibetan title is: NOTES FOR THE CORRECT EXPLICATION OF HOW TO ENTER INTO THE WRITINGS OF THE VENERABLE SAKYAPAS: OPENING WIDE IN A HUNDRED DIRECTIONS THE DHARMA-GATES TO WHICH ALL BEINGS OF TIBET ARE GUIDED. 2 HEVAJRA AND LAM ‘BRAS LITERATURE off training in the principal tantric teachings of the Sakyapas with the study of two further works by Sakya Pandita, the first viewed as a means for dispelling wrong views and doubts, namely his CLEAR DIFFERENTIATION OF THE THREE VOWS (sDom gsum rab dbye), the second seen as a means for preparing the ground for skillful investigation and debate, namely his TREASURE OF VALID KNOWLEDGE AND LOGIC (Tshad ma rigs gter). <pp. 21-22> It is perhaps also interesting to note what were perceived as being the principal tantric transmissions in the fifteenth century at Ngor. The NOTES refers to “four great transmissions,” all of which occurred during the new translation period. These are the transmissions of Drogmi Lots¹va Sh¹kya Yeshe (993-1074/1087), Mal Lots¹va Lodrö Dragpa (11th c.), Lama Yöntan Tsültrim (11th c.), and Bari Lots¹va Rinchen Drag (1040-1112). Drogmi Lots¹va’s speciality was the so-called “nine path-cycles” (lam skor dgu), of which the “Path with Its Fruit” cycle, together with the instructions of the “three Hevajra tantras,” was the most important one. From among these, the NOTES focuses exclusively on the Hevajra teachings. <p. 21> The concern of the NOTES is chiefly a bibliographical one. Beyond the mere bibliographical listing of titles, however, the NOTES also provides us with other interesting information, some of it well known, some not, and some of it rare and unique. The text tells us, for example, that the Hevajra teachings are subdivided into eight sections, namely into the “six great chariot systems” (shing rta’i srol chen po drug) plus two systems of pith instructions (man ngag lugs), i.e. together eight transmissions. The “six great chariot systems” of the Hevajra teachings are, in short, the cycles of (a) Ðombîheruka, (b) Tsokye Dorje (Saroruhavajra), (c) Nagpo Damtshig Dorje (Kåšòa Samayavajra), (d) Sh¹ntipa (Ratn¹karaœ¹nti), (e) Nyendrag Zangpo (Yaœobhadra?), and (f) Nyime Dorje (Advayavajra/Maitrîpa/Avadhûtipa). <p. 30> The two systems of pith instructions are those of N¹ropa and Virûpa.4 Of the “six great chariot systems,” the Sakyapas followed four, namely those of Ðombîheruka (a), Tsokye Dorje (b), Nagpo Damtshig Dorje (c) and Nyime Dorje (f—but the latter got lost quite early). Of the pith instructions they followed Virûpa’s system. In other words, they possessed five (later four) of the eight transmissions. Three of these transmissions were passed on by Drogmi. Two of these are known as “distant lineages” (ring brgyud <p. 77 ff.>). They are Virûpa’s “system of pith instructions” (man ngag lugs) and the “system of commentaries” (‘grel lugs), which also originated with Virûpa (system (a) in the above schema). Virûpa’s “system of pith instructions” was passed on to Slob-dpon Nagpo (K¹òha) and finally to Drogmi. The “system of commentaries” was passed on to Ðombîheruka and then through some intermediates to Mithub Dawa (Durjayacandra), whose codifying activities provided the system’s name, and eventually to Drogmi. The third transmission (system (b) in the above schema), also found among the “great chariot systems,” originated with Vil¹syavajra and was passed on to Yenlag Mepa and Tsokye Dorje (i.e. Saroruha, who is treated in the Sakyapa tradition as being the same as 4 I deal with the Indian tradition primarily from a Tibetan perspective. Since the names of Indian masters are a matter of considerable confusion, instead of adding to the confusion by giving my own inexpert reconstructions, I will provide the names here as I found them in my sources, i.e. in Tibetan, unless I mention them in a more general context, or the Tibetan version of the name is a transcription of an originally Sanskrit name, such as in the cases of Indrabhûti or Ðombîheruka (and in such cases I try to follow the standard Sanskrit orthography). In the case of Indian text titles I will provide abbreviated Sanskrit versions in brackets. GENERAL INTRODUCTION: HEVAJRA LITERATURE 3 Padmavajra) and eventually reached to Drogmi. A “great chariot system” practiced by the Sakyapas (but not transmited by Drogmi) originated with Nagpo Damtshig Dorje, was passed on to Nagpo Zhiwa Zangpo (Kåšòa Œ¹ntibhadra) and eventually was passed on to Sachen Künga Nyingpo. In contrast to these “distant lineages” there also existed a “close lineage” (nye brgyud <p. 77 ff.>) that was directly transmitted from Virûpa to Sachen Künga Nyingpo in visions. <pp. 30-32> distant lineage distant lineage Tsokye Dorje’s system of close lineage “system of pith “system of pith transmission initiation of instructions” commentaries” Nagpopa Vajradhara Vajradhara Vajradhara Vajradhara Jñ¹nað¹kinî Jñ¹nað¹kinî Vil¹syavajra Nair¹tmya Virûpa Virûpa Yenlag Mepa Nagpo Damtshig Virûpa Dorje Lobpön Nagpo Ðombîheruka Tsokye Dorje Nagpo Zhiwa (K¹òha) Zangpo ..