Freeing the Heart and Mind: Part Two: Chogyal Phagpa on the Buddhist Path

EXPLORE TWO SEMINAL SAKYA TEXTS WITH AN INCOMPARABLE TEACHER.

His Holiness the Sakya Trichen Rinpoche, the forty-first head of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, with his trademark clarity and deep wisdom here unpacks two texts by the legendary thirteenth-century Drogön Chögyal Phagpa. A founding father of the Sakya school, Chögyal Phagpa became the first imperial preceptor under Kublai Khan and thus is considered responsible for converting the Mongols to Tibetan Buddhism. His two texts presented here, A Gift of Dharma to Kublai Khan and A Garland of Jewels, which was written as advice for Prince Gibek Timur, are marvels of insight.

This volume begins with a biography of Chögyal Phagpa by Ngawang Kunga Sönam, himself an important Sakya throne holder. The two texts, written initially for royalty, are then presented in sparkling translation, each accompanied by penetrating commentary from His Holiness, who shows how their timeless lessons — how to meditate, the personal characteristics we should cultivate, and the states on the path to buddhahood — can be incorporated into our lives today.

Featuring a gorgeous full-color photo section, this book can be enjoyed either as the second volume in the course developed by His Holiness or as a standalone volume on its own merits.

His Holiness the Sakya Trichen is the revered forty-first throne holder of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, which dates back to 1073. A brilliant master, he manifests profound wisdom and compassion, and his command of English renders his teachings particularly beneficial to students in the West. In 1959 he escaped with tens of thousands of Tibetan people to India, where he continues to live and work tirelessly to rebuild the Sakya tradition.

Contents

Preface

PART ONE: Chögyal Phagpa’s Biography

1. Holy Biography of Drogön Chögyal Phagpa

Sakyapa Ngawang Kunga Sönam

PART TWO: A Gift of Dharma to Kublai Khan

2. Root Verses of A Gift of Dharma to Kublai Khan

Drogön Chögyal Phagpa

3. Teaching on A Gift of Dharma to Kublai Khan

His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Sakya Trichen Rinpoche

PART THREE: A Garland of Jewels

4. Root Verses of A Garland of Jewels

Drogön Chögyal Phagpa

5. Teaching on A Garland of Jewels

His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Sakya Trichen Rinpoche

Table of Tibetan Transliteration

Glossary

Illustration Credits

About the Author

Preface

BOTH ROOT TEXTS in this volume were written by Drogön Chögyal Phagpa, a great thirteenth-century master who lived an extraordinary and stainless life near the epicenter of world history. He was the fifth of the five great founders of the Sakya order.

Chögyal Phagpa was ten years old and a novice monk when he accompanied his uncle, the world-famous scholar Sakya Paṇḍita, to the court of Godan Khan, a grandson of Genghis. This was a fate, or an opportunity, that befell many great scholars, artists, writers, and religious teachers from the countries that lay within the ambit of the Mongolian empire. Because of their excellent qualities and through the truth of the Dharma that they spoke, within a short time the two moved from outsider status to positions of great religious authority.

At a young age, Chögyal Phagpa was himself invited to the court of Kublai Khan, another of Genghis’s grandsons. He immediately made a powerful impression upon the ruler and quickly became Kublai’s favored Buddhist teacher. Chögyal Phagpa’s influence and the power of his Dharma teachings converted the Mongols to Buddhism so thoroughly that Mongolia ultimately remains Buddhist in the Tibetan tradition to this day.

By studying the biography of Chögyal Phagpa, we can appreciate the good qualities of the master who wrote these teachings.

A NOTE ON THE TEXT

It is traditional to begin the study of a text by first studying the life of the text’s author, and so that is where this book begins. The author of this biography is Jamgön Ameshap Ngawang Kunga Sönam, also known as Sakyapa Ngawang Kunga Sönam, the twenty-eighth throne holder of Sakya. The biography was translated from the collection of biographies in Sakya Dungrab Chenmo by Venerable Khenpo Kalsang Gyaltsen and Victoria Huckenpahler. The biography in Tibetan contains a comprehensive list of Chögyal Phagpa’s compositions that has been omitted here. Those wishing this information may consult the Sakya Dungrab Chenmo.

Parts 2 and 3 are composed of root verses from Drogön Chögyal Phagpa, followed by commentary from His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Sakya Trichen Rinpoche. The first root text, A Gift of Dharma to Kublai Khan, was translated by Acharya Lobsang Jamspal and Acharya Manjusiddhartha (Jared Rhoton) and published by the Victoria Buddhist Dharma Society in 1976. It was revised for inclusion in this volume by DeWayne Dean, with thanks to the Victoria Buddhist Dharma Society. His Holiness’s teachings in chapter 3 were given at Tsechen Kunchab Ling, Walden, New York, in April 2014. They were transcribed and edited for publication by DeWayne Dean.

In part 3, the text A Garland of Jewels was translated into English in 2009 by His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Sakya Trichen Rinpoche, Lama Tashi Gyaltsen of Bhutan, and disciples from Singapore, and edited and revised by Chodrungma Kunga Chodron and DeWayne Dean in 2014. His Holiness’s teaching in chapter 5 was given at Tsechen Kunchab Ling in 2013.

This book was edited by Venerable Khenpo Kalsang Gyaltsen and Chodrungma Kunga Chodron with the expert assistance of DeWayne Dean, whose many hours of diligent effort prepared the book for publication. We gratefully appreciate the generous offerings of the Hiroshi Sonami Fund, Kirsty Chakravarty, and Jia-Jing Lee, which made this work possible.

PART ONE

Chögyal Phagpa’s Biography

Sakyapa Ngawang Kunga Sönam

1. Holy Biography of Drogön Chögyal Phagpa

SAKYAPA NGAWANG KUNGA SÖNAM (1597–1659)

SAKYA PAṆḌITA’S YOUNGER brother, Sangtsa Sönam Gyaltsen, had five consorts, the first of whom was from Tsanaidap. Her father was Surkhangi Gyatso and her uncle, Shang Gyalwa Pal. Her name was Machig Kunkyi, and her eldest son was Drogön Chögyal Phagpa, born in the Female Wood Sheep Year (1235) on the sixth day of the third month. He was born at Ngamring Lukhung when his father was fifty-two years old.

At the time of Chögyal Phagpa’s conception and birth, remarkable signs appeared. Later, while he was still very young, he showed great natural knowledge of reading and writing in diverse scripts without having been taught. He also learned other subjects without difficulty.

From a young age Chögyal Phagpa possessed the supernormal knowledge that recollects former lives. For example, when the time came to determine if he was, as was thought, the reincarnation of a famous teacher known as Satön Ripa, two of Satön’s disciples came to see him. Chögyal Phagpa was playing games with other children, but when he saw the two monks approaching, he said to them, You have come at last. They asked him, Do you recognize us? and he replied, I do, naming each of them. This dispelled their doubts and inspired them with great devotion so that they prostrated to him.

Chögyal Phagpa’s father, Sangtsa Sönam Gyaltsen, was a great practitioner of Gaṇapati. At one point Gaṇapati appeared to him and lifted him into space to the height of a mountaintop, saying, Look below. But Sönam Gyaltsen was afraid. After some time, he looked down and saw the three provinces of Tibet. Gaṇapati said, Whatever you saw, you will reign over. Because you saw the three Tibetan provinces, your descendants will rule over those lands. But because you did not look down the moment I told you to look, you will not rule them yourself. Then he placed Sönam Gyaltsen on the earth again.

For a long time Sönam Gyaltsen had no sons, and being greatly disappointed he performed special praises to Gaṇapati. At length, Gaṇapati appeared where Satön Ripa was dwelling and said to him, Sangtsa Sönam Gyaltsen is invoking me with the petition that he should command the three provinces of Tibet. He does not have the karma to rule them himself, no matter which practice he performs. A bodhisattva who has accumulated much merit and is able to dominate the vast world must therefore take birth as his son. You, Satön Ripa, possess these qualities. Please take rebirth as Sangsa’s son with the aspiration to help all Tibetan people, including those in the three provinces. Satön Ripa agreed, and in this way he reincarnated as Chögyal Phagpa.

Not long after taking birth, Chögyal Phagpa traveled with Sakya Paṇḍita to Kyidrong. While there, many members of the saṅgha who were disciples of Langripa came to visit him. Among them was a senior monk to whom Chögyal Phagpa said, My disciple, Tashi Döndrup, is present at this gathering. Tashi Döndrup immediately prostrated before Chögyal Phagpa, shed tears, and grasped his feet, crying, My teacher still remembers me! Recognizing that Chögyal Phagpa was his lama from previous lifetimes, he dried his tears and made many prostrations.

At the age of three, Chögyal Phagpa recited the elaborate Hevajra sādhana known as Lotus Born from memory. Everyone present was astonished, and they remarked, "There is no doubt that he is a true phagpa. From that time on, he was known as Phagpa, which means Holy Being," and his fame was widely proclaimed.

At the age of eight, Chögyal Phagpa recited the Buddha’s life story. At the age of nine, while his uncle, Sakya Paṇḍita, was turning the wheel of the Dharma, Chögyal Phagpa recited the second chapter of the Hevajra root tantra from memory. He also gave a profound talk at a Dharma gathering. Many scholars and other learned ones were present, yet everyone without exception was humbled by his knowledge and praised his natural good qualities and wisdom.

At the age of ten, Chögyal Phagpa journeyed to the north of Sakya where Sakya Paṇḍita was the abbot and master of ceremonies, and from him Chögyal Phagpa received novice ordination. Then he received instructions in the vinaya from the abbot of the Kyormo lungpa, Sherab Sengé.

By the time Chögyal Phagpa was seventeen, Sakya Paṇḍita had transferred to him all his teachings, his responsibilities, and also his good qualities, and he was very pleased with him. Seeing that Chögyal Phagpa had the ability to carry on his holy activities, Sakya Paṇḍita gave him his conch shell, his alms bowl, and other religious objects. He also gave him the responsibility of leading his disciples, saying, Now it is time for you to carry on the holy activities of spreading Lord Buddha’s doctrine and working for the benefit of all sentient beings. Know that you made this commitment in previous lives. So saying, Sakya Paṇḍita transferred to Chögyal Phagpa responsibility for maintaining the doctrine.

In the Year of the Ox (1253), Kublai Khan, the emperor of China, invited Chögyal Phagpa to his palace. The emperor asked him many questions that others could not answer to his satisfaction, and Chögyal Phagpa responded with such logic and reasoning that the emperor was pleased. Then Kublai Khan said, Tell me, who are considered greatest among Tibetans? Chögyal Phagpa replied, In Tibet, the greatest are the three Dharma rulers.

The emperor asked, Why do you say they are the greatest? Chögyal Phagpa replied, Songtsen Gampo was an emanation of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion; Trisong Detsen was an emanation of Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva of wisdom; and Tri Ralpachen was an emanation of Vajrapāṇi, the bodhisattva of spiritual power. This is why we consider them to be the three greatest.

Kublai Khan continued, Who is considered the bravest in Tibet? Chögyal Phagpa replied, Milarepa. Why so? asked the emperor. Chögyal Phagpa replied, Because early in his life he subjugated his enemies, but later he entered into the spiritual path and practiced the Dharma, through which he reached the highest attainment. Both these activities he accomplished within one lifetime. Therefore we consider him to be Tibet’s bravest person.

Then the emperor asked, Who is Tibet’s most learned person? Chögyal Phagpa replied, The most learned person is my teacher, Sakya Paṇḍita. Kublai Khan pursued the question. How learned is he? Tell me of his good qualities and how much you learned from him. Chögyal Phagpa replied, Sakya Paṇḍita’s knowledge is like the ocean. What I received from him is but a small measure of water from that ocean.

Later, the emperor proclaimed that he would send tax collectors to Tibet and draft its people into his armies. Chögyal Phagpa urged the emperor many times against this plan, saying, Tibet is a small country and far to the west. It hasn’t much land, lacks material wealth, and the population is sparse. The country is unable to sustain taxes, and it does not have people enough to man your armies. I beg you not to require this of them. But the emperor was adamant, and Chögyal Phagpa became discouraged.

In that case, Chögyal Phagpa said, since I, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, am here as your guest, there is no more reason for me to remain. I shall prepare to return to my own land. The emperor said, Very well, go if you wish. But Kublai Khan’s wife, Empress Chabi, said, We cannot find a Dharma teacher anywhere like Chögyal Phagpa. The previous masters who have come, Tsalpa and the rest, have not even a small portion of Chögyal Phagpa’s good qualities, nor have they performed such wonderful deeds. It is not wise to let him return to Tibet. You should discuss the Dharma with him further and come to learn more of his good qualities.

The emperor followed her suggestion and engaged Chögyal Phagpa in Dharma discussions. During one of these, Chögyal Phagpa manifested an attitude of pride. Kublai Khan asked, Why are you arrogant? What good qualities do you have? Chögyal Phagpa said, I do not have much ability. However, we Sakyapa have some higher accomplishments through our Dharma connections with the kings of Tibet, and through the teacher-disciple relationship that Tibetan masters have had with India, China, Minyak, and the Mön.

Kublai Khan replied sharply, Monk, do not tell me lies. When were the regions of Tibet under one king, and when did he rule? You are telling untruths that discredit your position as a monk. Chögyal Phagpa replied, I do not lie. Tibet has had a number of kings who, moreover, fought against China and captured two-thirds of that region, and the population became their subjects. After this, the rulers of Tibet and China established harmonious relations through royal marriages. A Chinese princess was sent to Tibet, and the Jowo Śākyamuni statue was offered to Tibet for its national shrine. These are true events. If what you say is true, Kublai Khan replied, there should be records of these things in my imperial library. Then he commanded an attendant to consult the historical records, and in this way he found that everything Chögyal Phagpa had said was true.

The emperor was gratified by Chögyal Phagpa’s knowledge. Then Chögyal Phagpa told Kublai Khan, These things, being recent, are not difficult to check in the histories. But a million years previously, there was a rain of blood here. This will also be discovered in the records. The emperor consulted the histories and found to his satisfaction that this also was true. Chögyal Phagpa further informed Kublai Khan, In previous times, the ancestors of my lineage were venerated by the kings of Minyak. They were offered a silk brocade canopy ornamented with deer horn as a symbol of the teacher-disciple connection between our lineage and the kings of Minyak. Kublai Khan then sent emissaries to the Sakya to ascertain if what Chögyal Phagpa had said was true. The canopy was found exactly as Chögyal Phagpa had described.

At length, Kublai Khan developed deep respect for Chögyal Phagpa, and the empress said to her husband, Isn’t it wise that we didn’t let Chögyal Phagpa return to Tibet? We should receive teachings from him. I have heard that the Sakyapa have unique Vajrayāna empowerments not possessed by the other schools. We must ask him to give us these. The emperor replied, You take the empowerments first. If they prove worthwhile, then I will take them also.

The empress went to Chögyal Phagpa and requested the Hevajra empowerment. She asked, What special offering should I make for this empowerment? Chögyal Phagpa replied, As a sign of appreciation for receiving this empowerment, one should offer one’s physical body, material goods, and other possessions, especially anything to which one is strongly attached. These are appropriate tokens of one’s appreciation.

The empress said, When I came to the court, my family gave me these earrings, the most valuable part of my dowry. I never remove them from my ears, but I will now offer one to you. So saying, she removed a large pearl from her ear and offered it to Chögyal Phagpa. Later, he sold it to a Mongolian merchant for a large measure of gold and one thousand measures of silver. When he returned to Tibet, he offered a portion of this wealth to a large gathering of the saṅgha at Tsang Chumik Ringmo, and with the remainder, he built a golden pagoda upon the Sakya Monastery.

After the empress received the Hevajra empowerment, she told Kublai Khan, The Dharma that I received is truly profound and extraordinary. You should receive it, too. The emperor then requested that Chögyal Phagpa give him the empowerment. Chögyal Phagpa replied, "You will probably not be able to preserve the samaya that must be taken with this empowerment, and furthermore we do not have a translator. However, I will consider your request at another time when the proper conditions are assembled. The emperor asked, What kind of samaya must I observe? Chögyal Phagpa replied, After receiving an empowerment, one should venerate the guru who bestowed it and seat him on a throne higher than one’s own. With one’s body, one must prostrate to him; with one’s voice, one should follow whatever instructions he gives; and with one’s mind, one should not go against the lama’s intent. You may not be able to do these things."

Then the empress offered a compromise. When the emperor receives the empowerments with a small gathering of his inner circle, he will seat the lama on a throne higher than his, but when there are public gatherings with palace dignitaries, their retinues, and other important persons, the emperor will sit upon the highest throne to preserve the hierarchical tradition. Regarding activities related to Tibet, the emperor should not give orders to the Tibetans without first consulting the lama. Regarding other matters, they should be made by the emperor in consultation with the lama because the lama has the nature of great compassion. However, because some people might take unfair advantage of the lama’s kindness, he, in turn, should confer on all decisions with the emperor. Chögyal Phagpa agreed to these conditions.

Then Chögyal Phagpa told Kublai Khan, In the Mongolian tradition, you would not promote a member of the military to a higher rank until he had successfully entered the field of battle. Likewise, according to our tradition, the teacher performs a deity retreat before bestowing a higher empowerment upon his students. I must therefore do a retreat before giving you the empowerment. So saying, Chögyal Phagpa entered retreat. Meanwhile, the emperor sent messengers in all directions to summon a learned translator to the palace. Then Chögyal Phagpa bestowed on the emperor of China and twenty-four members of his retinue the complete Śrī Hevajra empowerment, which is unique to the Sakya tradition. In this way, the Vajrayāna began to be established in the lands of China and Mongolia.

To show his appreciation for receiving this empowerment, the emperor made Chögyal Phagpa an offering of thirteen groups of ten thousand subjects each. One group of ten thousand is called a trikor. Within one trikor are four thousand religious communities and six thousand lay families. The emperor’s second offering consisted of a conch shell known as the holy white conch shell.

He also offered Chögyal Phagpa authority over the religious communities and the lay inhabitants of the three provinces of Tibet. The three provinces of Tibet comprised the following: the territory from the three Ngari regions of western Tibet to Sokla Kyapo, known as the Holy Dharma Province; the