The Dark Red Amulet

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phantom59
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The Dark Red Amulet

Post by phantom59 »

"The practice of Vajrakilaya blazes at the heart of the ancient Vajrayana traditions of Tibet. The wrathful heruka Vajrakilaya is the yidam deity who embodies the enlightened activity of all the buddhas, manifesting in an intensely wrathful yet compassionate form in order to subjugate the delusion and negativity that can arise as obstacles to the practice of Dharma. In fact, the practice of Vajrakilaya is famous in the Tibetan Buddhist world as the most powerful for removing obstacles, destroying the forces hostile to compassion, and purifying the spiritual pollution so prevalent in this age."--Sogyal Rinpoche

The Dark Red Amulet presents the Vajrayana practice of Vajrakilaya according to the oral transmission lineage of the great seventeenth-century treasure-revealer Tsasum Lingpa. Vajrakilaya embodies the enlightened activity of all the buddhas that subjugates delusion and negativity in order to clear obstacles to spiritual practice. The essential purpose of Vajrakilaya practice is to "discover the absolute vajra nature that will transform every duality hindrance into clear wisdom and compassion."

In this text, the renowned scholars and meditation masters Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and KhenpoTsewang Dongyal Rinpoche present the history of this lineage and the miraculous story of how Tsasum Lingpa revealed this terma teaching. Their line-by-line commentary on the short and condensed sadhanas provides an invaluable guide for practitioners to combine the skillful means of compassion and wisdom that are the foundation of Tibetan Buddhism.

Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche are co-founders and co-directors of Padmasambhava Center, based at Padma Samye Ling in upstate New York
http://www.padmasambhava.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

When he was nearly eighteen, Tsasum Lingpa dreamt that Guru Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal told him that he would have begun to reveal terma teachings at around age fifteen, or even thirteen, but due to many obstacles and hindrances he was prevented from revealing them. They said, "Now you are approaching age eighteen, and if you are unable to reveal terma teachings within three years, all your missions of this life and future lifetimes could be jeopardized! Therefore, you have to be prepared and determined to carry on and change your life."

Guru Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal gave him many empowerments and teachings in this dream. They took him by the hand and pointed to a large storehouse filled with countless jewels and precious objects and said, "There are many treasures inside, choose one!" A lady appeared (who was actually a dakini), and they told him, "She will be your companion. You and she will undertake many beneficial activities. Today you must select the terma keys you would like to take from among these treasures." He asked, "How can I choose?" and the lady told him, "Choose the keys!" Tsasum Lingpa and the lady in the dream went into the storehouse, and he took a blue key made of sapphire. She told him to take another one, and he took a red key made of ruby. The lady took a white key made of silver.

When they returned, Yeshe Tsogyal smiled and looked at Guru Padma sambhava and said, "Our son chose the right keys!" Then Tsasum Lingpa asked, "What are these keys? What is their purpose?" They said, "The sapphire key is the key of all the oceanlike tantra teachings, the ruby key is the key of the voice of the Buddha's teaching, and the silver key is the key related to the skillful means of visualization, the creation-stage practice. These three keys symbolize the three kayas of the ultimate nature. If you had chosen the yellow key, you would have become very wealthy and powerful as a universal king, but you would have had many obstacles and distractions. If you had chosen the green key, it would have benefited yourself, but not others.

Therefore, the keys you have chosen are good. Please keep them well protected." Then Guru Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal gave Tsasum Lingpa three small rolls of paper in red, white, and blue colors, telling him, "Keep these symbols of the three kayas close to you."

Guru Padmasambhava handed a dorje and drilbu (bell) to Tsasum Lingpa and said,"Keep these with you as well," and so he kept them with a lot of respect and prayed. He had been wearing multicolored thread on his ring finger, and he untied the thread and wrapped it around the three rolled papers that he received so that he could wear the three rolled papers on his ring finger. Then Guru Padmasambhava said, "Son, near the right side of the glacier mountain of Jowo Zegyal there is a mountain called Ahmye Mutri, where you will see a rock that looks as though it is jumping up in the sky. In that rocky place, you will find special instructions about that ruby key that you took, which you must reveal before the fifteenth day of this month. You must go there very quickly—if you delay, you could miss that opportunity. Soon, after one year, I will send you another message with another invitation, but in the meantime, after you reveal this, you must travel far and wide, don't stay in one place." Tsasum Lingpa then bowed with great respect to Guru Rinpoche.

At that moment wisdom dakini Yeshe Tsogyal changed into an ordinary lady's form. She gave him other instructions and teachings, and then other ladies, some wrathful, some peaceful and beautiful, gave him numerous instructions and took him to wondrous places in this dream.

And at the end Yeshe Tsogyal said, "Now you go back and we will return to Udiyana, and soon we will meet again." In his dream Tsasum Lingpa asked,"If you don't accompany me, then who will accompany me?" Yeshe Tsogyal told him, "Don't worry, you will have soon an assistant. There is a place called Tashu, and there is an emanation of the wisdom dakini from Tashu who has all the characteristics of the Ratna family. This dakini will await your arrival at the place where you are going due to your aspirations—your bodhichitta commitment. Later we will also come and help you." She and another dakini then flew up in the sky, and then Tsasum Lingpa woke up. He looked around and saw that the sun was already on the mountain's peak.
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Dharma Atma
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Whose amulet is that?

Post by Dharma Atma »

Well, thread's got no answers yet, and I think won't ever have. So I decided to ask about another thing here.
Looking through the amulets I saw one called Guru Ratna Thoethreng Tshal's amulet. Googling gave nothing, Wiki remains silent too... :shrug:
People, does anybody know who's the Guru Ratna Thoethreng Tshal?
Thanks d'avance!
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kirtu
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Re: Whose amulet is that?

Post by kirtu »

Dharma Atma wrote:does anybody know who's the Guru Ratna Thoethreng Tshal?
Thanks d'avance!
Hey! Guru Ratna Throthreng Tsal is a form of Padmasambhava. The only issue is the inclusion of Ratna, meaning Jewel.

Kirt
Kirt's Tibetan Translation Notes

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche

"Most all-knowing Mañjuśrī, ...
Please illuminate the radiant wisdom spirit
Of my precious Buddha nature."
HH Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
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Re: Whose amulet is that?

Post by Dharma Atma »

kirtu wrote:
Dharma Atma wrote:does anybody know who's the Guru Ratna Thoethreng Tshal?
Thanks d'avance!
Hey! Guru Ratna Throthreng Tsal is a form of Padmasambhava. The only issue is the inclusion of Ratna, meaning Jewel.
Blimey, kirtu! :applause:
Thank you. I didn't know that.
================
PS: Maybe once I'm a butterfly, I'll learn all these confusing details. ( :offtopic: )
Although I heard they say Nirvana stands for omni-ignorance rather than omniscience (even blissful). :juggling:
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kirtu
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Re: The Dark Red Amulet

Post by kirtu »

phantom59 wrote: When he was nearly eighteen, Tsasum Lingpa dreamt that Guru Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal told him that he would have begun to reveal terma teachings at around age fifteen, or even thirteen, but due to many obstacles and hindrances he was prevented from revealing them. They said, "Now you are approaching age eighteen, and if you are unable to reveal terma teachings within three years, all your missions of this life and future lifetimes could be jeopardized! Therefore, you have to be prepared and determined to carry on and change your life."
That Tsasum Lingpa :jumping: - a wild guy.

About three winters ago I went up to the NYC New Year's program one day and missed all the morning session because it was the first time I went to this event although I had been at the building before for a few Dharma events.

So in the evening after the afternoon practice it was suggested that I speak with Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal as he spoke English well. So I unrolled my khata, prostrated and begining speaking to the lama who I thought I had been directed to (I had actually presented khata to them both at the very end of the morning program and they had both asked me my name). This turned out to be his brother Khenchen Palden Sherab. We had a conversation for at least 20 minutes about Tsasum Lingpa and Vk practice. His brother was eyeing me somewhat but didn't say anything. I was thinking "this lama doesn't need any translation, he's speaking very well and I can understand him perfectly". His very deep encouragement that evening affected me very deeply.

Afterwards one of the students who urged me to introduce myself asked quizzically how the conversation went and how Khenchen Palden Sherab's English was. "Seemed fine to me, he gave he encouragement and lots of stories about Tsasum Lingpa".

I did take one other teaching with him the summer before his Parinirvana at the Palyul retreat center in upstate NY but was not able to speak with either lama.

After Khenchen Palden Sherab's Parinirvana it was often mentioned that although his teaching was vast and deep, he had never really learned to teach in English. I was taken aback by this because that hadn't been my brief experience. In fact his English was far better and much easier to understand that recordings I had seen of Chagdud Tulku for example. In fact Khenchen Palden Sherab seemed to be almost on par with my Sakya lamas all of whom range in various degrees of high fluency. After our conversation I would have put him at the lower end of that fluency spectrum.

However students who actually knew him well all say that he didn't speak English.

Kirt
Kirt's Tibetan Translation Notes

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche

"Most all-knowing Mañjuśrī, ...
Please illuminate the radiant wisdom spirit
Of my precious Buddha nature."
HH Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
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Re: The Dark Red Amulet

Post by Arnoud »

He was a special lama. Cool experience Kirt. I took some teachings from him in FL once. Didn't even meet personally but had some nice meditative experiences afterwards.
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Re: The Dark Red Amulet

Post by Dharma Atma »

kirtu wrote:However students who actually knew him well all say that he didn't speak English.
Yeah, lamas sometimes are able for interesting and maybe unexplained things.
I've taken a look at the photos of him and he seems to be a wise man and strong.
But in this particular case, maybe he did learn English by himself? :reading: I heard lamas usually have very good memory.
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Re: The Dark Red Amulet

Post by Adamantine »

kirtu wrote:
phantom59 wrote: When he was nearly eighteen, Tsasum Lingpa dreamt that Guru Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal told him that he would have begun to reveal terma teachings at around age fifteen, or even thirteen, but due to many obstacles and hindrances he was prevented from revealing them. They said, "Now you are approaching age eighteen, and if you are unable to reveal terma teachings within three years, all your missions of this life and future lifetimes could be jeopardized! Therefore, you have to be prepared and determined to carry on and change your life."
That Tsasum Lingpa :jumping: - a wild guy.

About three winters ago I went up to the NYC New Year's program one day and missed all the morning session because it was the first time I went to this event although I had been at the building before for a few Dharma events.

So in the evening after the afternoon practice it was suggested that I speak with Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal as he spoke English well. So I unrolled my khata, prostrated and begining speaking to the lama who I thought I had been directed to (I had actually presented khata to them both at the very end of the morning program and they had both asked me my name). This turned out to be his brother Khenchen Palden Sherab. We had a conversation for at least 20 minutes about Tsasum Lingpa and Vk practice. His brother was eyeing me somewhat but didn't say anything. I was thinking "this lama doesn't need any translation, he's speaking very well and I can understand him perfectly". His very deep encouragement that evening affected me very deeply.

Afterwards one of the students who urged me to introduce myself asked quizzically how the conversation went and how Khenchen Palden Sherab's English was. "Seemed fine to me, he gave he encouragement and lots of stories about Tsasum Lingpa".

I did take one other teaching with him the summer before his Parinirvana at the Palyul retreat center in upstate NY but was not able to speak with either lama.

After Khenchen Palden Sherab's Parinirvana it was often mentioned that although his teaching was vast and deep, he had never really learned to teach in English. I was taken aback by this because that hadn't been my brief experience. In fact his English was far better and much easier to understand that recordings I had seen of Chagdud Tulku for example. In fact Khenchen Palden Sherab seemed to be almost on par with my Sakya lamas all of whom range in various degrees of high fluency. After our conversation I would have put him at the lower end of that fluency spectrum.

However students who actually knew him well all say that he didn't speak English.

Kirt
He was a special Lama. He was probably similar to HH the Dalai Lama in that although he had the ability to speak in English he probably preferred to teach Dharma in Tibetan since it spontaneously arose for him that way, and trusted his brother to translate the essence in a better way then he could. But as your story shows, at the right time, with the right temdrel, he could speak English with ease.
Contentment is the ultimate wealth;
Detachment is the final happiness. ~Sri Saraha
Yontan
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Re: The Dark Red Amulet

Post by Yontan »

He was fond of saying his English had reached the "unchanging state." Very funny and fun man, in stark contrast to how heavy he could be. I think you're exactly right - he could converse in English, but when he started pulling scripture out it was definitely on Khenpo Tsewang to put it into English. I saw more than once, Tibetan speakers dumb-founded at how fluidly he would quote text after text, from many different POV's, to illustrate a point on multiple levels at once. Hard to imagine what all was in his head. Just the scholar-side must have been immeasurable, let alone what was witnessed when he left us.

The medium-length kila text didn't make it out of Tibet, so he and his father rewrote it from memory. Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso (Penor Rinpoche's khenpo in Bylakuppe) found a student who's family had the text on their home altar, passed it along, and Khenchen Palden used his and his father's copy to proof and edit mistakes in the other one. ;-)

If you haven't seen it, those of you close to Khen Rinpoche might enjoy this slideshow:
http://www.pbcindia.org/gallery/nunnery ... b-rinpoche" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: The Dark Red Amulet

Post by blackgaruda »

since my earlier post went missing, i thought i would do it again..

in the Dark Red Amulet book in CHAPTER 6 there was a account of a challenge between Phurba and Yamantaka yogi,

<<A Story of the Phurba Yogi
In terms of showing the activity aspect of the buddhas, it is sometimes said
that the yogis of Vajrakilaya are more powerful than the yogis of Yaman-
taka, the wrathful form of Manjushri. Vajrakilaya represents the activity
aspect of all the buddhas, and Yamantaka Heruka represents the body
aspect of all the buddhas. On the absolute level, there is no distinction
between them. However, there is a story about the differences between two
practitioners, one of Vajrakilaya and one of Yamantaka.................>>


Thus it was recounted how the master of Vajrakilaya triumphed over the other.

i checked with a Rinpoche n he mentioned the effect depends on the practitioner and not on the Deity.
Upon investigating further,
here in dharma wheel, theres a posting on Ra Lotsawa which has a different account..and Langlab Changchub Dorje and Ra Lotsawa met twice.
http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=14061
http://ralotsawa.com/44-2/
<<This is a biography of Rwa Lotsawa or Ra Lotsawa”the enlightened sorcerer” who lived at the end of the eleventh adn the beginning of the twelfth century. He introduced the practice fo Vajrabhairava or Yamāntaka into TIbet. The biography is full of fantastic events and historically important people. He also unusually kills wia th his practice a number of other lamas, including Darma Dodé the son of Marpa Lotsawa the founder of the Kagyu. It is an interesting read with very pleasant songs.
IT is presented here in a simple format without any chapter divisions, like the Tibetan and without as yet any background information on the people involved. IT has been translated with a general readership in mind. Penguin is planning to publish the biography as a companion volume to te Life of Milarepa, in w well researched translation by Brian J Cuevas.>>
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