Kodrakpa Sonam Gyeltsen

We do not know by what name the meditation master Kodrakpa was known as a child. We do know the names of his father and mother, Tsowo Gyelyung (gtso bo rgyal g.yung) and To Jema (stod rje ma). He was born in Dingri (ding ri), long famous as the region where Padampa Sanggye (pha dam pa sangs rgyas) had lived and taught for two decades until he died. Kodrakpa's clan was the one named Dong (ldong). He took lay vows as a young adult when he received Lamdre teachings of the Zhama lineage from Shangton Semigpa (zhang ston se mig pa). Later on, he heard Lojong (blo sbyong) teachings from the visiting Kashmiri pandita Shakyashri. At the same time he studied Dzogchen (rdzogs chen) with a Nyingma teacher and is said to have achieved realization of Mahamudra (phyag chen). He received the empowerments of Chakrasamvara from the Great Pandita of Nepel Ratnarakshita. It was when he took all the monastic ordinations all at the same time at age twenty-nine that he received the name Sonam Gyeltsen (bsod nams rgyal mtshan). His chief ordinator was the well-known Drigung Kagyu teacher Nyo Gyelwa Lhanangpa (gnyos rgyal ba lha nang pa).

Kodrakpa spent five years in meditation retreat at Mt. Kailash. It was there where it is said that he achieved the total knowledge that comes with enlightenment, realizing both “what there is” (ji snyed pa) and “how things are” (ji lta ba). Or, stated in terms associated with the Vajrayana, he achieved true realization of the nature of the Vajra Body (rdo rje lus). Once a naga spirit emerged above the surface of Lake Mapam (ma pham) and granted him magical feats associated with water (chu'i dngos grub). So when he founded Kodrak Monastery in Upper Nyang (myang stod) a spring broke out over the parched earth. Knowledge of him spread far and wide while he was staying at Kodrak, which is why he would be known forever after by the name Kodrakpa.

The famous Bengali teacher Vibhutichandra had first come to Tibet as part of the group of nine panditas who came with Shakyashri. Later on, he settled for some time in Kathmandu, and received a special visionary teaching on the Six-Limbed Yoga of the Kalachakra directly from the Indian master Shabari. His main concern was to locate a disciple worthy of receiving this exceptionally profound teaching, so when he heard about his former student Kodrakpa's success in meditation, he decided to invite him to Nepel for this purpose. Kodrakpa, staying at Dingri Langkhor (ding ri glang 'khor) at the time, on the other hand, realized that there would be benefits for many more Tibetans if Vibhutichandra could be persuaded to come once again to Tibet. The Bengali teacher, who was able to speak and write in Tibetan, stayed two years in Dingri, teaching Kalachakra teachings especially, before returning to Nepel. It is interesting and may seem odd that this Indian pandita received teachings from his student. One rarely hears of Indians receiving lineage teachings from Tibetans. In a similar way it is said that Ga Lotsawa (rgwa lo tsA ba) was both Kodrakpa's student and his teacher in Kalachakra.

Kodrakpa was particularly renowned for his mastery of meditation, including special techniques for overcoming the obstacles to spiritual growth. The list of his students is therefore very long. But his fame and influence went further, beyond the usual monastic and eremetical circles, such that the Blue Annals even says, “All bowed at his feet — Masters of the Old and New Tantras, kings, Mongol nobles of the imperial family, officials, landowners and others.” It is very probable that he achieved this universal fame above all on account of his spiritual songs.

These songs are not particularly ornate. Neither were they composed in the classical Indian style. They do reach occasional poetic heights in imaginative descriptions of natural phenomena. We are reminded that he spent most of his life in retreat places of outstanding natural beauty. His main poetic device lies in the regular repetitions of both sounds and words. This is appreciated in Tibetan poetry much like alliteration and rhyme in English verse. Here is a short sample from song number 38, as translated by Cyrus Stearns:

Deer, antelope, and argali.
These three were this beggar's livestock.
White grouse, pigeons, and partridges.
These three were this beggar's neighbors.
Mind watching mind.
That's this beggar's experience of practice.
Cherishing others more than myself.
That's this beggar's application of practice.

Regarded as his most important disciple at the time, even if little is known about him, is one Porog Dode Gonpo (pho rog mdo sde mgon po), dated between 1195 and 1257 in the Blue Annals. However, Yanggonpa (yang dgon pa) was the disciple who, as founder of a branch of the Drukpa Kagyu, would go on to have far-reaching influence on Tibetan Buddhist history. When Kodrakpa died in his eightieth year, it was Yanggonpa who presided over the cremation and funeral rites.

Sources

Stearns, Cyrus. 2000. Hermit of Go Cliffs: Timeless Instructions from a Tibetan Mystic, Boston: Wisdom Publications.

Roerich, George, trans. 1996. The Blue Annals. 2nd ed. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas, pp. 726-8.

Dan Martin
August 2008