Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche - Eight Flashing Lances

winter 2006 | 24 | buddhadharma Khenpo TsulTrim GyamTso rinpoche is a well-Known scholar and yoGi in The KaGyu TradiTion of TibeTan buddhism who has TauGhT exTensively in The wesT for many years. This TeachinG is from a TalK he Gave in halifax, nova scoTia, in sepTember 2005, which was Trans- laTed by ari Goldfield. The sonG The eighT Flash- ing lances was Trans- laTed by Jim scoTT. The Eight Flashing Lances In this commentary on a amed yogi’s spontaneous song o realization, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso explains why Mahamudra practice makes our view, meditation, and action ree and unhindered, like a lance fashing ree in the open sky. photographs by richard misrach T he Eight Flashing Lances is a song o realization sung by Gyalwa Gotsangpa (1189–1258), who was renowned as an emanation o the lord o yogis, Milarepa. Born in southern Tibet, Gotsangpa went to central Tibet where he met his two teachers, Drogon Tsangpa Gyare and Sangye On. He wandered then rom one mountain retreat to the next, practicing meditation and bringing his realization to perection. Gotsangpa made a commitment never to medi- tate in the same place twice. I he went somewhere and stayed or a ew years, he never returned. He wandered continually to help himsel abandon attachment to any particular place. The Homages Namo Ratna Guru Gotsangpa begins the song with the Sanskrit homage Namo Ratna Guru , meaning “I pros- trate” (Namo) to “the precious” ( Ratna) “lama” (Guru). With body, speech, and mind lled with great devotion, Gotsangpa prostrates beore the precious guru. Next he oers an homage in Tibetan, which when translated into English reads: To that paragon, the dharmakaya, treasure isle And the treasure too, sambhogakaya’s range o orms Who as nirmanakaya lls the needs o beings To the precious lord I bow respectully (Opposite ) Clouds (Cirrost ratus Fibratus wit Jupiter and Mars), Why 1.26.98 – 1.27.98 6:37 p.m. – 3:07 a.m. In this opening verse, Gotsangpa pays homage to his guru, who is a paragon, a supreme bein g, an unsurpassable guide. In particular , he pays homage to the guru’s three kayas, his three dimensions o enlightenment. Gotsangpa compares the dharmakaya to a treasure isle, because the dharmakaya, the enlightened mind itsel, is the source o all that one needs and desires. The sambhogakaya, the subtle light-orm o a buddha that appears to pure disciples who are noble bodhisattvas, is like the gold, silver, diamonds, and all the other jewel s one nds on this treasure island. The nirmanakaya, the buddha’ s orm that appears to ordinary disciples as well as to noble bodhisattvas, is what ullls the needs o all wandering sentient beings. To the precious lord who embodies these three kayas, he says, I bow with body , speech, and mind lled with great respect. The dharmakaya is the ultimate dimension o enlightenment, the ultimate kaya. The sambhogakaya and the nirmanakaya are the relative dimensions, the orm kayas. Thus, you can also divide the kayas into two, the dharmakaya and the orm kaya. The dharmakaya, the true nature o reality, is inexpressible and inconceivable. The sambhogakaya and the nirmanakaya, thereore, are neces- sary because they appear in relative orms to be o benet to all disciples who have not yet realized the dharmakaya. In this verse, Gyalwa Gotsangpa pays homage to his own root guru, Drogon Tsangpa Gyare, or embodying the three kayas.

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche - Eight Flashing Lances

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