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Jigme Lingpa Biography
Jigme LingpaJigme Lingpa (1730–1798) also known as Khyentse Özer (Rays of Compassion and Wisdom) was born on 6 February 1730, the anniversary of Longcenpa's death, in the Yarlung Valley of Tibet.
He was a tertön1 of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, regarded as a great scholar and visionary, who discovered the Longchen Nyingtik cycle of teachings and practice through a series of visions from the great fourteenth century master, Longchenpa.
The Longchen Nyingthik eventually became the most famous and widely practiced cycle of Dzogchen teachings.
At age six Jigme Lingpa went to Nyingma Pelri Osel Tekchenling monastery, in Chonggye. At age thirteen he started studying with Ngawang Lozang Pema, an incarnation of Yeshe Tshogyal, who named him Khyentse Özer. He received the empowerments and transmissions of the “Point of Liberation” and the “Gathering of the Guru's Intention” from Neten Kunzang Özer.
At age thirteen Jigme Lingpa met his Guru, Rikdzin Thukcok Dorje, and received “Mahāmudrā, Liberation through the Vision of Pristine Cognition.” He went on to study with a number of other teachers training in both Nyingma kama and terma as well as the new translation traditions (Sarma).2
Other tutors from whom he received teachings included the great treasure-finder Trime Lingpa, Zhangom Dharmakīrti, Trupwang Śrīnātha of Mindröling, Tendzin Yeshe Lhündrup, Thangdrok-ön Pema Chokdrup, and Mön Dzakar Lama Targye.
At age 28, Jigme Lingpa entered a three year secluded retreat at Gokang Tikle Nyakcik hermitage and practiced the three stages of creation and perfection of the “The Bindu of Liberation, the Spontaneous Liberation of the Mind,” a terma discovered by Trengpo Drodül Lingpa, a.k.a. Sherab Özer (1517-1584) and obtained the special signs of "warmth" (Tib.: drod).3
Still not satisfied with the achievements, he went to Samye Chimpu and for another three years retreat concentrated on the essential attainment, in the cave of Sangcen Metok. He had visions of Longchenpa and received his blessings and achieved the truth of the Great Perfection (Tib.: Dzogchen, Skt: Mahāsandhi) and started to transmit its profound meanings to fifteen of his disciples.
Returning to his homeland, he restored the hermitage of Pel Tsering-jong and living as a hidden yogi, he gave teachings to disciples coming from Tibet, India and Bhutan, like “The Innermost Spirituality of Longchenpa.”
Jigme Lingpa never fully ordained, living as a tantrika. He may have had several consorts, including a woman from the Dabden Yungdrung clan, known as Yungdrung Kyilwa, and a nun named Tsang Gyangru Pelding Jetsunma. He never publicly acknowledged the patrimony of his only known son, Nyinche Wozer, who was born late in his life.
He repeated the consecration of Samye and when the great Gurkha army, which was hostile to the teaching, advanced upon Tibet, he successfully performed the rites for the aversion of war.4
Prefiguring Jamgon Kongtrul's creation of the Five Collections, Jigme Lingpa gathered Nyingma texts that had become rare, starting with Nyingma tantras held in the manuscript collection of the Mindröling Monastery.
This collection of the Nyingma tantras led to the amassing of the Nyingma Gyübum ("Collection of Nyingma Tantras") for which Getse Mahapandita wrote the catalogue, proofread and arranged for its printing by soliciting the expensive and labor-intensive project of carving the woodblocks for the woodblock printing.
The wood block carving was achieved through the patronage of the royal family of Derge of Kham, who favored and honored Jigme Lingpa. Getse Mahapandita also arranged for the printing of texts by Jigme Lingpa and Longchenpa. Getse Mahapandita proofread the works of Jigme Lingpa, Longchenpa and the Nyingma Gyübum.
Jigme also wrote a nine-volume history of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and other works. His non-sectarian presentation of the Madhyamaka (Middle Way view) follows Je Tsongkhapa's system.
A major precursor of the Rimé movement, Jigme Lingpa had many distinguished disciples in all four lineages. The first Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Dodrupchen Jigme Trinle Ozer, became his main lineage-holder. In Bhutan his tradition is held by successive incarnation of the Padtselling Tulku and Jigme Kündröl Namgyel. Both Druptop Namgyel Lhündrup, 1st Padtselling Tulku (1718-1786) and Jigmé Tenpé Gyeltshen, 2nd Padtselling Tulku (1788-1850) were disciples of Jigme Lingpa.
Under the queen Tsewang Lhamo’s sponsorship, Jigme Lingpa oversaw between 1794 and 1798 the printing of his edition of the Nyingma Gyubum (“The Hundred Thousand Tantras of the Nyingma school”), a compilation of all Nyingma tantra, in twenty-eight volumes.
On Friday 12 October 1798 (third day, ninth month, earth horse), during his seventieth year, Jigme Lingpa passed away at his own seat, the hermitage of Namdrol Yangtse in Tshering Valley. His immediate reincarnations include the three masters Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje (1800-1866; body incarnation), Dza Patrul Orgyen Jigme Chokyi Wangpo (1808-1887; speech), and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892; mind incarnation).
Writings
• Narrative History of the Precious Collected Tantras of the Ancient Translation School, the Ornament Covering All Jambudvipa;
• Innermost Spirituality of Longcenpa;
• The Vajrakila according to the Tradition of the Tantra;
• The Treasury of Precious Qualities (Yönten Dzö);
• Nyingma Gyubum;
• Detailed Commentary on the Lama Gongdü;
• Staircase to Akanishtha;
• Yeshe Lama (a summary of the Vima Nyingtik).
Sources
• Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, Dudjom Rinpoche
• https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Jigme-Lingpa
• https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Jikme_Lingpa
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jigme_Lingpa
Footnotes
1. Tertön is a term within Tibetan Buddhism meaning a person who is a discoverer of ancient hidden texts or terma. Many tertöns are considered to be incarnations of the twenty five main disciples of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), who foresaw a dark time in Tibet. He and his consort Yeshe Tsogyal hid teachings to be found in the future to benefit beings. A vast system of transmission lineages developed. Scriptures from the Nyingma school were updated by terma discoveries, and terma teachings have guided many Tibetan Bon and Buddhist practitioners. The Termas are sometimes objects like statues, and can also exist as dharma texts and experiences. Tertöns discover the texts at the right time and place. The teachings can be relatively simple transmissions as well as entire meditation systems. Termas are found in rocks, water and the minds of incarnations of Guru Rinpoche's students.
2. The Sarma, "New Translation" schools of Tibetan Buddhism (Gelug, Sakya, Kagyu, Jonang) classify tantric practices and texts into four categories or "doors" of entry. They are classified according to the capacity of persons who they were taught for, as well as according to the strength of how they use desire (kama) and the specific types of methods they employ. This classification represents the main body of tantras in the Kangyur and was accepted by most Indian and Tibetan Sarma masters. The four classes of tantra are:
• Kriya Yoga (Tib. bya ba, Action yoga) - These were taught for practitioners of lower ability who have an inclination for performing many external ritual activities. The level of desire they use is said to be similar to a couple laughing together. It includes various practices for deities such as Medicine Buddha, "the eleven faced" Chenrezig and Vajrapani. In action tantra, there are numerous ritual actions to be done before the yogi sits to meditate. These involve the use of mudras and mantras in various acts of purification and protection such as ritual bathing, the sprinkling of scented water and the creation of a circle of protection. There are also various prescriptions dealing with eating, drinking, and clothing. According to Jamgön Kongtrül, in Kriya Yoga, one relates to the deity as a subject relates to their lord and only meditates on an external deity (not on oneself as being the deity).
• Charya Yoga (spyod pa, Performance yoga) - Meant for practitioners of middle ability. According to Tsongkhapa, it is for "those who balance external activities and internal meditative stabilization without relying on very many activities." The level of desire they use is said to be similar to a couple gazing into each other's eyes. It includes practice lineages for the Mahāvairocana Tantra, for the Vajrapāṇi Initiation Tantra and for Manjughosha. According to Kongtrul, in this type of practice, "the deity is like a sibling or friend."
• Yoga Tantra (rnal’byor) - Meant for practitioners of high ability who "mainly rely on meditative stabilization and rely on only few external activities." The level of desire they use is said to be similar to a couple holding hands or embracing. Yoga refers to the union or yoking of method and wisdom. One sees one's body, speech, and mind as inseparably united with those of the deity. Some Vajrasattva practices fall under this category, as well as the Tattvasaṃgraha Tantra and the Vajraśekhara Tantra.
• Anuttara Yoga Tantra (rnal ’byor bla med, Unexcelled or Highest Yoga) - Meant for practitioners of the highest ability who do not rely on external activities. It uses the highest level of desire, karmamudra (sexual union) and is thus also designated the “tantra of union of the two.” It is also distinguished in that in some cases, an actual person can act as one's consort. This category includes all the "Yogini" type tantras (also known as "father & mother") in which one finds fierce deities in sexual union, including Kālacakra, Hevajra, Cakrasaṃvara, Guhyasamāja, etc. According to Kongtrül, only Highest Yoga includes both the generation and completion phases. Kongtrül also states that this is the type of practice most emphasized in the Himalayan regions.
Deity yoga (Sanskrit: devata-yoga) is the main method in Buddhist tantra and it is found in all four classes of tantra. It relies on the imagination to visualize a Buddhist deity (usually a Buddha). In Action, Performance and Yoga Tantra (known as "the lower tantras"), practice is divided into yoga with signs (where the focus on is the deity's appearance and emptiness) and yoga without signs (which is mainly concerned with meditation on emptiness). Meanwhile, in the higher yogas of Anuttarayogatantra, practice is divided into two stages, the generation stage (Skt.: utpatti-krama) and the completion stage (Skt.: niṣpanna-krama).
3. Through the power of being actually blessed by the master Mañjuśrīmitra he fully comprehended the pristine cognition which may be exemplified, the pristine cognition which arises in consequence of instrucuon and empowerment. It forms the basis for the realisation of the "genuine pristine cognition which is the object of exemplification" […]
Through the practice of the inner heat (gtum-mo) the blissful warmth (Tib. bde-drod) descends through the central channel, giving rise to the four successive delights (dga'-ba bzhi).
In the crown centre, it gives rise to Vairocana's pristine cognition of delight (dga '-ba'i ye-shes) and the vase empowerment (Skt. kalaśābhiṣeka) is received through which this delight is united or coalesced with emptiness (stong-pa).
In the throat centre it gives rise to Amitabha's pristine cognition of supreme delight (mchog-dga'I ye-shes) and the secret empowerment is received through which this supreme delight is coalesced with great emptiness (stong-pa chen-po).
In the heart centre it gives rise to Aksobhya's pristine cognition free from delight (dga'-bral ye-shes) and the empowerment of discerning emptiness cognition is received, through which this absence of delight is coalesced with extreme emptiness (shin-tu stong-pa).
And in the navel centre it gives rise to Ratnasambhava's pristine cognition of co-emergent delight (lhan-skyes dga'-ba'i yeshes) and the empowerment of word and meaning is received through which this co-emergent delight is coalesced with total emptiness (thams-cad stong-pa). Therein the recognition of the four delights dissolve as they arise.
Finally, the blissful warmth gives rise, in the secret centre, to Amoghasiddhi's inconceivable pristine cognition (bsam-gyi mi-khyab-pa'i ye-shes) and the empowerment of the expressive power of awareness is received. (Dudjom Rinpoche)
4. Janet Gyatso, states that: “Jigme Lingpa's Nyingma affiliations led sometimes to his participation in the sort of tantric activities that have long been criticized by more conservative Buddhists. He was himself ambivalent about some of these activities: ...he regretted the black magic he performed during the Gurkha war. Jigme Lingpa even admits that the ancient ordinance of Lha Lama Shiwa O and Changchub O, which famously censured the indulgences of Nyingma practitioners, might have been merited. And yet he reports with a certain pleasure taking part in a drunken communal feast (gaṇacakra) or being given beer at the house of the Nyingma master Kumārarāja (1266-1343) ...” (Gyatso, Janet (2001). Apparitions of the Self: The Secret Autobiographies of a Tibetan Visionary. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1796-8., page 140)
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