Khyungtsangpa Yeshe Lama

Khyungtsangpa was born in the Tolung (stod lung) valley to parents of old and prestigious families, the Gar (mgar) and the Nub (snubs). He had one sister. As he was growing up his behavior went out of control. He loved getting into quarrels, and he never asked his father for permission to do things. He just did what he wanted. One time he took from home a fine horse, a woolen cloak and quite a bit of gold and sold it all. Since he lied to his parents about it, they sent him off to be ordained by Geshe Jayulwa (dge bshes bya yul ba), a Kadampa teacher who lived from 1075 to 1138. He begged his parents to let him return home, but they told him that unless he continued staying in the monastery he would have to pay them back for the things he had stolen. Contrary to everyone's expectations he turned out to be a very good monk.

Khyungtsangpa studied with a number of mostly Kadampa teachers, as well as a few of the famous lotsawas of his day. At first the subjects were mainly the texts of logic and Middle Way philosophy, while later he progressed to Guhyasamaja and other tantric subjects. He studied Lamdre (lam 'bras) with the widely renowned woman teacher Machig Zhama (ma gcig zha ma). Then he met the direct disciple of Milarepa named Drigom Lingkhawa ('bri sgom gling kha ba) who had just emerged from a sealed retreat. Drigom poked fun at him for coming all the way to Tsang (gtsang) to study with him, when the best teacher of the secret precepts was right there in Khyungtsangpa's home province of U (dbus). The main secret precepts given him by Drigom were on the practice of tummo (gtum mo).

With Drigom's blessings he returned to U Province to seek out Rechungpa. The night before their first meeting, Rechungpa had a dream that prophesied the arrival of a ‘sun.' For seven nights in a row, Khyungtsangpa had dream signs. Just from hearing about the first one alone — a dream of being a sea-going merchant who discovers a jewel — Rechungpa knew he would be a suitable vessel for the ear-whispered teachings (snyan brgyud). When all the initiations and secret precepts had been completed within a period of nineteen days, Rechungpa told him to go away and never come back, and to keep their teacher-student relationship a secret until his death. Afterward that he could bestow the precepts on anyone he wished, only he was in no case permitted to sell them. After hearing Khyungtsangpa's fervent wish, Rechungpa relented and agreed to a single meeting in the future.

Khyungtsangpa stayed unnoticed in retreats for several years, but then while staying at Khyungtsang the secret of his sainthood became known to the world, no doubt largely because of his miraculous powers. It is said that he could transfer his life principle into other bodies. He could move cross-legged in the sky and pass through solid objects without obstruction. They say that he never needed to relieve himself, and his blood turned entirely into milk. He developed his supersensory faculties to an extraordinary degree. He came to have many followers. As far as the transmission of the secret precepts are concerned, he did have three male disciples, but most significant for the historical continuity of the esoteric transmission was the woman Machig Ongjo (ma gcig ong jo). After Khyungtsangpa died at age 62, his body was cremated, and a number of relics appeared in the ashes.

Sources

Roerich, George, trans. 1996. The Blue Annals. 2nd ed. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas, pp. 441-443.

Gtsang smyon he ru ka. 1971. Bde mchog mkha' 'gro snyan rgyud (Ras chung snyan rgyud). Leh: S. W. Tashigangpa, vol. 1, part B, p. 95 ff.

Dan Martin
August 2008