Book Review: Prayer Flags: The Life and
Spiritual Teachings of Jigten Sumgon – translated by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen
(Snow Lion Publications, 1984, 1986)
This is a great biography and summation of the teachings
of the Dharma Lord Jigten Sumgon, a key figure in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of
Tibetan Buddhism. Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen has written many good books – I would
highly recommend his book – The Great Kagyu
Masters – as an excellent text related to the Kagyu lineages and his
translation and commentary of Gampopa’s Jewel
Ornament of Liberation. I have had the opportunity to do some practice and
study in this Drikung Kagyu lineage myself.
The forward to the book notes that this work represents
all three types of Tibetan religious literature: the spiritual biography, the
spiritual realization song, and religious discourse. In the introduction Khenpo
Konchog Rinpoche gives the Kagyu lineage beginning in India with Tilopa
(988-1069) who received teachings directly from the primordial buddha
Vajradhara. Tilopa taught Naropa who then taught the Tibetan Marpa the
Translator. Marpa’s student was the famous Tibetan yogi Milarepa. Milarepa
taught Gampopa (1079-1153) and Gampopa became the progenitor of the Dakpo Kagyu
lineages, branches off the main lineage. These first branched to the four elder
schools: Barom, Karma, Tselpa, and Phagdru. From the Phagdru branched the eight
younger schools: Drikung, Taklung, Drugpa, Trophu, Yelpa, Martsang, and Yasang.
Jigten Sumgon (1143-1217) was a student of Phagmo Drupa, the progenitor of the
Phagdru school, but is also considered founder of the Drikung school which is
considered both an elder and a younger school.
The main study and practice of Drikung tradition includes
The Fivefold Profound Path of Mahamudra,
and The Six Yogas of Naropa. The Gong Chig is the main philosophical text
as are The Essence of Mahayana Teaching
and The Stages and the Path of Both Sutra
and Tantra Form.
The book begins with The
Life of Gampopa. Gampopa was the main student of the famous yogi Milarepa.
Milarepa had dreams foretelling of his future protégé. Gampopa was born in
Central Tibet. He married and had two children. He was distraught when his wife
and children died in an epidemic and resolved to become a monk. He was trained
in sutra and tantra and became part of the Kadampa lineage of monks and lay
people. He studied the teachings of Atisha. Then he heard about the yogi
Milarepa from three beggars and was very intrigued. He asked them what practices
Milarepa engaged in and who was his teacher. His teacher was Marpa the
Translator whose teacher was the Indian pandita Naropa, they said, and he
practiced the Six Yogas of Naropa from the Hevajra Tantra. He then had a prophetic
type of dream and sold his house and belongings and went in search of Milarepa.
A woman told him that Milarepa stated that his destined student was coming from
Central Tibet to meet him. Gampopa became full of pride. Milarepa sensed that
Gampopa was full of pride and refused to meet him for a few weeks. When they
met Milarepa gave him a skull cup full of nectar that contained alcohol,
Gampopa was unsure about this as it was forbidden since he was a monk but drank
it. This signified to Milarepa that Gampopa would eventually become the lineage
holder. Gampopa practiced and attained signs of success whereby Milarepa taught
him new practices. After more signs of success Milarepa sent him back to
Central Tibet and told him that he would walk the “dangerous path of psychic
power” and would need to be very careful. Before he left Milarepa gave him a
‘special’ teaching which was simply showing him the callouses on his buttocks
from sitting in lotus posture for long hours. Then he left for Central Tibet.
After Milarepa died a messenger brought Gampopa his robe and staff. He then
meditated diligently for six years realizing that all of samsara and nirvana are
but dreams and illusions. After this he gave teachings and united the streams
of teachings of the Kadampas and the Mahamudra that Milarepa taught. Gampopa
manifested many miracles and finally passed away in the year 1153 CE.
Next is the life of Phagmodrupa. He is described here as
the main student of Gampopa. He was born in Eastern Tibet. He became a novice
monk at age 9 after his parents died. When he was 22 he journeyed to Central
Tibet and studied Prajnaparamita, logic, and Madhyamika at monasteries there.
After an incident where he took part in stealing a yak he resolved to purify
his negativity at the urging of a teacher. At 25 he was fully ordained as a
monk. He then studied the vinaya, Kadampa texts, and Chakrasamvara Tantra. He
had many other teachings and teachers. He heard about Gampopa and went to see
him for teachings. Gampopa instructed him to “sit on that rock and concentrate
on your mind without creating a form.’ Doing this he actualized the meaning of
Mahamudra. He remained there with two others: Dusum Khyenpa (the first Karmapa)
and Gompa Shawaton. These three became known as the Three Men from Kham and
manifested miraculous powers. After Gampopa’s death Phagmo Drupa built a large
monastery and gained many students. He became the head of all the streams of
Kagyu lineages. He stated that Phadampa Sangye, Gampopa, and Sachen Kunga
Nyingpo had been his teachers for many lifetimes and that he also received
visionary teachings from the great Brahmin Saraha, Asanga, Shantideva, Chandrakirti,
other mahasiddhas and from yidams such as Vajrayogini. His schedule for the last
12 years of his life was to meditate in the morning and give profound teachings
to mature students’ minds in the afternoon during the waxing moon. During the
waning moon he taught the three types of vows: vinaya, bodhisattva, and
Vajrayana, and also “opened the way to liberation and a higher form of life,” He
died from being poisoned by a deluded man but took it on himself to liberate the
assailant. At his death he taught:
“All compounded things are by nature impermanent.
Therefore one should make ready the butter and the juniper branch [for the
funeral rites]. Do not be attached to wealth; such attachment is the root cause
of suffering. Do not follow bad or worldly friends. Practice with bodhicitta,
combining loving kindness and compassion. Do not look for faults in others.”
“Do not worry about me. I am like a small flying bird. I
will be in the eastern buddha-field of Akshobya under the name Bodhisattva
Stainless Discrimination. I will be the source and happiness and peace to
all beings. Therefore, all of you who
have faith in me pray to that place.”
His death was attended by miraculous signs which inspired
his students.
Now comes the life of Jigten Sumgon, the main student of
Phagmodrupa. Phagmodrupa had stated that his main student would be an upasaka
that had attained the 10th level of a bodhisattva. His past lives
are recounted: as a chakravartin king that attained enlightenment and as great
bodhisattvas including of the great Nagarjuna. He was born in Tibet to a great
practitioner of the deity Yamantaka. He learned this practice from his father
and began reading and writing at age 4.
Jigten Sumgon was said to be predicted in many sutras. In
one a being from the northern snow ranges named Ratna Shri was predicted. In
another he was an incarnation of the famous early Tibetan king Trisong Detsen.
His father died young and he helped to support the family by reciting sutras. He
learned many teachings at an early age including all the Kadampa teachings and
many Tantric empowerments. His mind was stirred when hearing about Phagmodrupa
so he traveled from Kham (eastern Tibet) to central Tibet to meet him. He
arrived at Phagmodru monastery at midnight. When the guru met him he stated
that now all of his students were now present. The teacher gave him the
two-fold bodhisattva vow and the name Bodhisattva Ratna Shri.
Phagmodrupa compared his main students Jigten Sumgon: who
would continue the Drikung school, Taklung Thangpa, who would begin the Taklung
Kagyu school, and Lingje Repa, who would begin the Drukpa Kagyu school. The
signs revealed that Jigten Sumgon would generate vast dharma activity and would
be his main successor. He attended Phagmodrupa for two years, getting all of
his teachings. Signs appeared at the death/paranirvana of Phagmodrupa that
indicated Jigten Sumgon as successor. He gave away his belongings and had a
memorial stupa built for his guru. Later he learned the Four Yogas of Mahamudra
from Dakpo Gomtsul (nephew of Gampopa). After a patroness promised three years
of provisions he went to Echung Cave to retreat for three years. In this
retreat he gained a rough understanding of the outer, inner, and secret aspects
of interdependent origination. Later he would become known as a master of interdependent
origination.
“He then realized that the cause of wandering in samsara
is the difficulty prana has in
entering the avadhuti [central
channel], and so he practiced on prana, saw many buddhas and bodhisattvas face-to-face,
and had visions of his mind purifying the six realms.”
He then went on pilgrimage but obstacles and maras would
come, especially as he contracted leprosy. Resolved to die alone with the
confidence of the bardo teachings he meditated on compassion and Chenrezig and
great compassion arose. Then his sickness went away and he attained Buddhahood.
Then he resolved to teach those bereft of dharma. After a vision of the Seven
Taras he resolved to become a fully ordained monk. He also gave up eating meat.
Then he traveled north after a vision of his teacher told him to and performed
many miracles and gave many teachings. According to a vision he originated a type of stupa with many doors. He had many
visions and magical experiences with yidams, teachers, and dakinis, and attained
ordinary and extraordinary siddhis.
Lord Jigten Sumgon had many students, excelling in
different aspects of dharma including philosophy, vinaya, translation, kadampa
tradition, yoga, and tantra. He had so many disciples (55, 525) that they were
patronized by the King of the Nagas. His main yidam practice was Chakrasamvara
of Five Deities. He compiled many teachings on 150 topics and with 40
appendices. These became known as Gong
Chik and would be the main philosophical teachings of the Drikung Kagyu
tradition.
Other stories of his miracles include a fierce giant naga
king coming to him for teachings and a Ceylonese arhat gave a messenger a white
lotus to take to Tibet to give to Nagarjuna, who he found was Jigten Sumgon in
current incarnation. One time a great scholar came to debate Jigten Sumgon but
when he encountered him he recognized him as the Buddha. He became his student
and later would write a famous commentary on his teachings. Jigten Sumgon was
said to gather an astonishing 180,000 students. The first Karmapa, Dusum
Khyenpa, visited him and recognized him as Buddha. He received teachings from
Jigten Sumgon and saw the entire Drikung region as a great mandala of Chakrasamvara.
After considerations, he chose Gurawa Tsultrim Dorje as
his dharma successor. When he passed away into paranirvana he displayed many
signs including his heart turning to gold after cremation which indicated his
enlightenment. He is said to now abide in the Eastern Great All-Pervading
Buddha-Field with those devoted to him.
Now we come to some selections of his spiritual
teachings. First is a prayer to the Drikung lineage gurus. This is standard for
Tibetan Buddhist traditions. This particular prayer includes the places where
each lineage master dwells or dwelled where alive. Beginning with the
primordial Buddha, Vajradhara to Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, Milarepa, Gampopa,
Phagmodru, and Jigten Sumgon, down to the current Drikung Kyabgon, Chetsang
Rinpoche. The Chetsang and Chungtsang incarnations alternately assume the role
of lineage head, as the title Drikung Kyabgon. Each of the lineage holders is
supplicated for blessings. The movement of so-called ‘blessing energy’ from
realized beings to sincere but as yet unrealized beings is a key feature of
tantric lineages. This includes especially one’s root guru as one’s supreme
teacher to be supplicated. In the manner of the Mahayana, which tantra or Vajrayana
is a subcategory, the blessings are also extended to all sentient beings of the
six realms of existence.
Next is a short song called The Song on Attaining Enlightenment which recounts Jigten Sumgon’s attaining
enlightenment at age 25 at the Echung Cave. He declares that the boundaries
between meditation and post-meditation for him have disappeared and that he has
complete understanding of the cause and effect of interdependent origination. At
the end he declares that “I am {now} a lord of yogins.”
Next is The Song of the Five Profound Paths of Mahamudra, another short song. Here he
declares the requirements for realization: genuine compassion for others, a
body stabilized as the yidam, a mind of devotion to the guru, attending to the mind
without preconception, and aspiration and dedication of merit to others.
The Song at Tsa-Uk
Dzong Drom recounts a spontaneous song to inspire his disciples at this
particular place. He was apparently worried that he would become a mere
lecturer and become worldly or be misunderstood as worldly. Thus, he repeats
the phrase: “I, a yogin, remain in solitude.”
Supplication to the
Kagyu Gurus for the Mist of Great Blesssings is given as a requested song
to end a bad drought. A sort prose introduction from Karmapa Mikyo Dorje (8th
or 9th Karmapa I believe) confirms that the “Great Drikungpa” was
considered an incarnation of the great Nagarjuna. Here he calls on mist,
clouds, lightning, rain, wet ground, and growing grains as well as supplicating
the lineage gurus.
The Song of the Six
Confidences was sent by Jigten Sumgon in response to Taklung Thangpa’s
offerings to give him teachings from their guru Phagmodrupa that he did not get
while the guru was alive as Taklung Thangpa began to see Jigten Sumgon’s great
dharma activity. The confidences refer to his confidence in the teachings of
his guru Phagmdru. They include the unity of view, meditation, and action, the
unity of guru, one’s mind, and Buddha, the unity of parents, yidams, and the
six types of beings, the unity of sutras, tantras, and their commentaries, the
unity of this life, the next, and the bardo, and continuous devotion to the
guru.
The next one also comes from the Echung Cave. It is his Supplication to Tara. This has always
been a favorite for me so I give it in full:
In the unborn
Dharmadhatu
abides the Reverend
Mother, the deity Tara.
She bestows
happiness on all sentient beings.
I request her to
protect me from all fears.
Through not
understanding oneself as
Dharmakaya,
one’s mind is
overpowered by the kleshas.
Our mothers,
sentient beings, wander in samsara.
Please protect
them, Deity Mother.
If the meaning of
dharma is not born in one’s heart,
one just follows
the words {of conventional meaning}.
Some are deceived
by dogma.
Please protect
them, Perfect Mother.
It is difficult to
realize one’s mind.
Some realize, but
do not practice.
Their minds wander
to worldly activities.
Please protect
them, Deity Mother of Recollection.
Non-dual wisdom is
the self-born mind.
By the habits of
grasping at duality,
some are bound, no
matter what they do.
Please protect them,
Deity of Non-Dual Wisdom.
Although some abide
in the perfect meaning,
they don’t
understand the interdependence of cause and effect.
They are ignorant
of the meaning of objects and knowledge.
Please protect
them, Omniscient Deity Mother.
The nature of space
is free from elaboration.
Nothing is
different from that.
Still,
practitioners and disciples {don’t realize this}.
Please protect
them, Perfect Buddha Mother.
The Song that
Clarifies Recollection is next. The text was composed by Shila Ratna from
the teachings of Jigten Sumgon. Jigten Sumgon gathered his students in a meadow
behind the monastery to perform miracles. All but one, Rinchen Drak, were able
to comply. He then suddenly died from shame. The undertaker tried to cut his
body up for the vultures but the knife would not cut the skin. Then Jigten
Sumgon put his walking stick on the heart center of the corpse and sang the
song. It is about the illusory nature that is untrustworthy. The eight worldly dharmas
(pleasure, pain, infamy, fame, loss, gain, praise, and blame), the temporary affection
of friends and relatives, the growth and decline of the four elements of the
body, the gathering and consumption of wealth, the joy and suffering of samsara,
the bias of disciples, self-cherishing, the instruction of non-effort, the
obstacles of maras and error, and the three limitless kalpas – are all revealed
as illusory, as lies. After this song encouraging non-attachment Rinchen Drak’s
body was cut open and found to be full of relics.
The Fivefold Profound
Path of Mahamudra: The Practice of the Essence of Tantric Teaching is the
next subject. This is a key Drikung teaching. First, he gives common obstacles
to gaining enlightenment from Tantric Buddhist practice. Motivation is very important.
If worldly goals, fear of death, and spiritual status are motivations then realization
will be weakened. Lack of devotion and confidence can also hinder. Samadhi
without understanding how things arise in the mind through interdependent origination
will be lesser and not sufficient. Mastering “self-awareness” and connecting to
the blessings of lineage are very important.
“The teaching of experience and realization from
Vajradhara (Dorje Chang) is unbroken to the present time. The path of the
buddhas of the three times, the practice and intentions of the Kagyudpa lamas,
the heart of the Tripitaka, and the essence of the four tantras are the
fivefold profound path.”
The first suggestion is to give up any concern for this
life, go to a solitary place, and sit with back straight in lotus posture. Then
cultivate the supreme motivation of bodhicitta. This motivation to benefit
others begins in a relative way but must become the core motivation for every
action. Next is yidam practice, or deity yoga. “The skandhas, dhatus {elements}, and ahyatanas are the five buddhas, the five goddesses, and the
bodhisattvas from beginningless time.” Then one practices guru yoga with the
goal of joining one’s body, speech, and mind with that of the guru. The guru is
most important and should be seen as the essence of the embodiment of all the
buddhas. In tantra devotion to the guru is indispensable. Mahamudra meditation
is next and may be difficult to understand for some of us. He quotes from several
tantras. From the Hevajra Tantra:
“Not meditating with the mind
Is actually meditating.
If one realizes dharmata {the nature of suchness} –
Non-meditation is meditation”
One should meditate with effortless awareness on the
nature of mind, remaining in the state of ‘unborn dharmata.’ In Mahamudra “one
must remain in the state of non-duality of tranquility meditation so that the dhyana mind and the active mind are inseparable.
Any relative or wisdom merit attained should be dedicated to all sentient
beings. As Maitreya said in the Abhisamaya
Alamkara:
“This special way –
Sharing merit through non-conceptualization,
Without expectation –
Is the most excellent of deeds”
All experiences, both negative and positive should be
realized as non-dual with the non-conceptual mind. Thus, all conflicting emotions
can be transformed onto the path to enlightenment. Conflicting thoughts and
emotions are not separate from the unborn dharmata. He now quotes from the Chandra Prakasha Sutra:
“Whatever is born from conditions
Is unborn because it has no real birth.
Whatever depends on conditions is shunyata. {emptiness}
Whoever actualizes shunyata has awareness.”
Sickness should also be transformed onto the path. If one
sees illness as induced by demons then one should cultivate compassion for
these entities and see them as illusory appearances. In describing the three
poisons he turns to Tibetan medicine. Blood and bile come from attachment, air
and catarrh (mucus) come from aversion, and phlegm comes from ignorance. From
an ultimate view standpoint sickness should be accepted and be a cause for
cultivating bodhicitta. In the same way as one transforms conflicting emotions
and sickness onto the path, one should transform the experience of death onto
the path. He gives some imagery related to Powa practice – transferring one’s
consciousness as a red syllable HUNG from the navel up the central channel and out
of the Brahma aperture at the top of the head into the heart of the guru’s
wisdom body.
In such a way, by practicing all five practices, which
encompass all techniques, one may become enlightened.
Finally, there is an appendix about Ach’i Chokyi Drolma, an emanation of Vajrayogini, the embodiment of
the wisdom and activities of all the buddhas. According to a prophecy in the Chakrasamvara Tantra, the leader of the
karma-dakinis will come to the area of the Ti-dro cave in Drikung. Centuries
before, Padmasambhava was said to practice in that cave, spending more time
there than anywhere in Tibet. A girl was born in the 11th century
with auspicious signs and when she grew up she went to Kham and married a yogi.
She was Ach’i Chokyi Drolma. They had four sons who practiced the dharma as
scholars. She performed some miracles and attracted followers. She brought them
to a cave with many hidden treasures and termas and transformed a human corpse
into a feast offering. Those who could partake of the feast were granted the
ordinary and supreme siddhis. After this she flew to a buddha-field on her blue
horse (often how she is depicted) without leaving her body. She was the
great-grandmother of the Dharma Lord Jigten Sumgon, although often called
grandmother (Ach’i). One of his yogis requested that he teach how to practice this
wisdom dakini and dharma protector and so Jigten Sumgon composed a practice
text for the practice of Ach’i Chokyi Drolma which is a common practice even
today among Drikungpas.
For Vajrayana Buddhists, especially those connected with
the Drikung lineage and school, this book is an indispensable aid to dharma
practice.
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