| Library / Biographies |
Longchen Rabjampa Drimé Özer Biography
Longchenpa in his meditation seatLongchenpa, also known as Longchen Rabjam, ‘Infinite, Vast Expanse of Space’, or Drimé Özer (1308-1364), was one of the most brilliant teachers of the Nyingma lineage.
He systematized the Nyingma teachings in his ‘Seven Treasures’ and wrote extensively on Dzogchen.
He transmitted the Longchen Nyingtik cycle of teachings and practice to Jikmé Lingpa, and it has since become one of the most widely practiced of traditions.
The immediate reincarnation of Pema Ledreltsa, Longchenpa is regarded as an indirect incarnation of the princess Pema Sal.1
He was born in the Tra Valley of Southern Tibet to master Tenpasung, an adept at both the sciences and the practice of mantra, and Dromza Sonamgyen, who was descended from the family of Dromtönpa Gyalwé Jungné.
Longchenpa was first ordained at the age of eleven and studied extensively with the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje.
He received not only the Nyingma transmissions as passed down in his family, but also studied with many of the great teachers of his day. He received the combined Kadam and Sakya teachings of the Sutrayana through his main Sakya teacher, Lama Dampa Sonam Gyaltsen, in addition to the corpus of both old and new translation tantras.
At the age of nineteen, Longchenpa entered the famous shedra Sangphu Neuthok, where he acquired great scholarly wisdom. He later chose to practice in the solitude of the mountains, after becoming disillusioned by the behavior of some scholars.
During his late twenties two events occurred that were to be of decisive importance in his intellectual and spiritual development. One was a vision of Guru Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal, and the other was his meeting with the great Rigdzin Kumaradza.
It was in the mountains that he met Rigdzin Kumaradza, who was travelling from valley to valley leading his students through the most difficult of circumstances.
Together with Rangjung Dorje, Longchenpa accompanied them for two years, during which time he received all of Rigdzin Kumaradza's transmissions and underwent tremendous hardship.
After several years in retreat, Lonchenpa attracted more and more students, even though he had spent nearly all his life in mountain caves.
During a stay in Bhutan (Tib. Mon), Longchenpa founded several monasteries, including Tharpaling near Bumthang, and fathered two children, his son Tulku Drakpa Özer (b. 1356), going on to become a holder of the Nyingtik2 lineage.
The events leading up to Longchenpa's parinirvāṇa3 are recorded in a text known as The Immaculate Radiance which includes these lines:
“My delight in death is far, far greater than
The delight of traders at making vast fortunes at sea,
Or the lords of the gods who vaunt their victory in battle.
Or of those sages who have entered the rapture of perfect absorption.
So just as a traveler who sets out on the road when it is time,
I, Pema Ledrel Tsal, will not remain in this world any longer,
But will go to dwell in the stronghold of the great bliss of deathlessness.”
“The figure of Longchen Rabjam stands out as one of the greatest Dzogchen masters in the Nyingma tradition, and amongst the most brilliant and original writers in Tibetan Buddhist literature. He was the author of over 200 works, of which only about twenty-five survive, and amongst which the Seven Treasuries and Three Trilogies are most well-known. It was he who brought together into a cohesive system the teachings of Vima Nyingtik and Khandro Nyingtik, on which he wrote the ‘Three Yangtik’ or Inner Essences.
As Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche explains: ‘Kunkhyen Longchenpa’s Seven Treasuries (Dzö Dun) were written to elucidate the extraordinarily profound meaning of the seventeen main Tantras of Dzogpachenpo as well as the teachings of all Nine Yanas. For the purpose of the actual practice of Dzogchen according to these Tantras, Longchenpa gathered his own termas as well as those of Chetsün Senge Wangchuk (who was later reborn as Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo) and Pema Lédrel Tsal (Longchenpa’s previous incarnation) in the form of the thirteen volume collection known as the Nyingtik Yabshyi. This Yabshyi is the practice aspect of Longchenpa’s writings, and the basis of the Old Nyingtik. In it he synthesized the Vima Nyingtik of Vimalamitra and the Khandro Nyingtik of Guru Rinpoche and explained all the practical details in the light of his own realization.’” (Sogyal Rinpoche)
“On December 23, 1363 he told his disciples: ‘Since all compounded things are insubstantial, you should devote yourself entirely to the Dharma. In particular, you should focus on achieving practical experience of the highest esoteric instructions of trekchö4 and tögal5. If sometimes you find that you don’t understand, then look minutely and meditate on The Innermost Heart Essence: The Wish-fulfilling Gem, which is truly like a jewel that grants all your desires. Then you will attain nirvana at the level where reality is exhausted.’
At the age of fifty-six, on January 24, 1364 (the eighteenth day of the twelfth month of Gyal in the Female Water Hare Year 5), Longchenpa instructed Ösel Rangdröl, Künpal, and the others who were attending him to set out offerings and leave him alone. They prepared and arranged the offerings but then asked permission to stay.
‘All right. I am getting ready to cast off this broken-down, worn-out illusory body; stay if you will, but don’t make a fuss. Be quiet, and rest in meditative equipoise.’
He then adopted the dharmakaya posture, and he set his intention to rest in the primordial expanse of dharmatā6. In accordance with the request of Vimalamitra and Ekajati, he did not transfer into the rainbow body, although he certainly could have, and had been ready to do so. In his life, he had achieved complete realization by merging his awareness in the exhaustion of all phenomena as primordial purity. Thus, at this time of passing, he displayed the attainment of trekchö, which he manifested directly in the bardo of dharmata. At that time he achieved the state of fully manifest, perfect enlightenment as a buddha. “ (Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, The Life of Longchenpa)
Writings
The Seven Great Treasuries (Dzöchen Dün)
1. The Precious Treasury of Wish Fulfillment (Yizhin Rinpoché Dzö)
2. The Precious Treasury of Pith Instructions (Mengag Rinpoché Dzö)
3. The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena (Chöying Rinpoché Dzö)
4. The Precious Treasury of Philosophical Systems (Drupta Rinpoché Dzö)
5. The Precious Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle (Thegchog Rinpoché Dzö)
6. The Precious Treasury of Words and Meanings (Tshigdön Rinpoché Dzö).
7. The Precious Treasury of the Natural State (Nelug Rinpoché Dzö).
The Trilogy of Finding Comfort and Ease (Ngalso Korsum)
1. Finding Comfort and Ease in the Nature of Mind (Semnyi Ngalso)
2. Finding Comfort and Ease in Meditation (Samten Ngalso)
3. Finding Comfort and Ease in the Illusoriness of Things (Gyuma Ngalso)
The Trilogy of Natural Freedom (Rangdröl Korsum)
1. The Natural Freedom of Mind Itself (Semnyi Rangdröl)
2. The Natural Freedom of Dharmata (Chönyi Rangdröl)
3. The Natural Freedom of Equality (Nyamnyi Rangdröl)
The Three Innermost Essences (Yangthig Namsum)
1. The Innermost Essence of the Lama (Lama Yangthig)
2. The Innermost Essence of the Dakini (Khandro Yangthig )
3. The Profound Innermost Essence (Zabmo Yangthig)
Three Cycles on Dispelling the Darkness (Münsel Korsum)
1. Dispelling the Darkness of the Mind (Chidön Yikyi Münsel)
2. Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance (Dudön Marig Münsel)
3. Dispelling Darkness in the Ten Directions (Drelwa Chogchu Münsel)
Disciples
Longchenpa’s disciples were:
• The “three learned and accomplished ones,” who became famous: Khenchen Chabdal Lhündrup,
Khedrup Delek Gyamtso of Zhoktarling, and Khedrup Chökyi Drakpa.
• His “five heart sons,” namely Dengom Chökyi Drakpa Zangpo of Dokam, Gyalsé Zangpo Drakpa
Zopa, Lama Palchok, Guru Yeshé Rabjam, and Zhönnu Sangyé.
• “The four spiritual benefactors who spread the teachings”: Tulku Paljor Gyatso, Lopön Sangyé
Kunga, Lopön Lodrö Zangpo, and Takgo Jadrel Chöjé Tashi Jungné.
• “The four accomplished yogins”: Phago Tokden Gyalpo, Naljorpa Özer Gocha, Rigdzin Ösel Rangdröl, and Jatang Sönam Özer.
Sources
• https://www.rigpawiki.org/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longchenpa
• Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, The Life of Longchenpa
Footnotes
1. Princess Pema Sal (eighth century) was King Trisong Detsen and Queen Droza Changchub's daughter. After she died at the age of eight, from a reaction to a bee sting, Padmasambhava drew a mantra on her heart, summoned her consciousness, and restored her to life. There and then, he gave her the transmission of the Nyingtik teachings. She passed away soon after. Yeshe Tsogyal concealed the teachings as terma, and centuries later, Pema Sal's incarnation, the master Pema Ledreltsal, revealed the Khandro Nyingtik cycle. His next rebirth was as the omniscient Longchen Rabjam.
Pema Ledreltsal (1248 or 1231/2-1307?) - the immediate reincarnation of Princess Pema Sal to whom Guru Rinpoche had entrusted the transmission of the Khandro Nyingtik, withdrew the terma of Khandro Nyingtik from its place of concealment at the Daklha Tramo Drak rock in the province of Dakpo, but only partially decoded it during his life. He then transmitted these teachings to his main disciple Gyalsé Lekden. Pema Ledreltsal was reincarnated as the Omniscient Longchenpa, who received the whole cycle of Khandro Nyingtik from Gyalsé Lekden, and by so doing, ensured that the authentic lineage was kept alive.
2. The Nyingtik teachings are the innermost secret teachings of Dzogchen. The Dzogchen teachings were revealed to Prahevajra (Tib. Garab Dorje) by Vajrasattva and passed down through an unbroken lineage to present day masters. Within the Dzogchen teachings, there are three categories of teachings suitable to students of different capacity. The Nyingtik is the innermost secret unsurpassed cycle of teachings of the Category of Pith Instructions; this cycle is the most direct approach for students of the highest capacity.
3. Skt. parinirvāṇa - 'final nirvana'. The final passing beyond suffering manifested by buddhas and highly realized masters at the end of their lives. Passing into parinirvāṇa is the twelfth of the twelve deeds of a buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha demonstrated passing into parinirvāṇa at the age of eighty in the town of Kushinagara, after saying, "It is in the nature of all things that take form to dissolve again. Strive with your whole being to attain perfection."
4. Trekchö is translated as ‘thoroughly cutting through’ (resistance, stubbornness, toughness and closedness), or ‘breakthrough’. The practice of trekchö reveals the view of primordial purity beyond conceptual elaboration (kadak trödral).
5. Tögal, translated as ‘direct crossing’, ‘the direct approach’ or ‘leapover’, can bring very quickly the actual realization of the three kayas in this lifetime, and thus is a more rapid way of bringing about the dissolution of the practitioner’s karmic vision. The practice of tögal brings the realization of ‘spontaneous presence’ (Tib. lhundrup), and it can only be undertaken by a practitioner who has first gained stability in the practice of kadak trekchö.
6. Skt. dharmatā: the intrinsic nature of everything, the essence of things as they are. Dharmatā is the naked, unconditioned truth, the nature of reality, or the true nature of phenomenal existence.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
