CHAPTER 15

KARMA GLING PA:

TREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

HENKBLEZER

A DREAM
'I have been 'seeing' peculiar dreams lately. It would not be appropriate to
recount them here in full, but allow me to say this much, an ancient
prophecy and auspicious signs coincided. In my dreams I clearly saw
fragments of a text, the 'Bar do thos grol chung ba'.1 My 'Thos grol chung
ba' is a yang gter, a re-discovered treasure. With this treasure I revealed
again an old kernel of the Bar do thos grol chen rno cycle2 that had been
-

lost for many centuries. The Bar do thos grol chen rno is said to have been
revealed for the first time by the illustrious visionary Karma gling pa
(fourteenth century AD) at the sGam po gdar, a mountain nar his
birthplace in Dwags po? in old Tibet close to six centuries ago, from a
secret cache hidden by the great saint Padmasambhava.4 Thanks to the
support of a suitable consort I now have been able to render most of this re
discovered treasure into Tibetan. In this dark age, when the sun of the
Good Doctrine is in eclipse, I humbly submit this treasure-text and
fervently pray that it may be of benefit to all sentient beings! '
Now, if I were to introduce my present finds thus, would this encourage
you, my academic colleagues, to take seriously what follows at all?
Probably not! Let me try again.

EDITING A TEXT
If I tell you that the text I present in Appendix III is a compilation of the
passages that the Man ngag snying gi dgongs pa rgyal ba'i bka' zhes bya
ba'i rgyud (MNg)5 shares with (two texts from) the Bar do thos grol chen

rna

(BTh),6 and point out that these passages, when compiled, yield a fairly
readable (Bar do thos grol-like) text - as you can verify by reading
Appendix lIe then I presume there is a real chance that a good percentage
of you might feel inclined to give some credence to my words when I

KARMA GUNG PA: TREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

subsequently suggest that the compilation presented in the appendix below

might well represent an old core or source of the BTh as we know it now.
Please rest assured, I am far from blaming anyone for adopting a
sceptical attitude towards claims of unusual or miraculous revelations of

gter ma-s (nor was I exposed to too much sunlight during fieldwork in
India). There is a curious point, however, that, by means of the prelude I
have used, I tried to bring to your attention. For a textual scholar a
disclosure like the above dream-account would be tantamount to academic
suicide, while conclusions based on text-historical and text-critical analysis

(gter
stan) like Karma gling pa, in his community, the acceptance of his work
would, if properly executed, be fully acceptable. For a treasure-finder

and, more in general, his respectability seem to have accounted to quite

opposite standards. He was respected precisely for his visionary powers and
the miraculous nature of his discoveries and not for his skill at reworking
existing material. While, as I shall argue in this article, at least as far as
some of the discussed BTh-texts attributed to him are concerned, he actually
seems to have done something very much similar to what I did for the
appended collation: cut, paste, and edit existing material!8

MATERIAL USED

rNying ma or the 'old' traditions of Tibetan Buddhism (and, of

'Bon ' traditions as well) the phenomenon of purportedly
hidden and later (re- )discovered treasures or gter ma s is quite common. The
rNying ma gter ma s usually are, one way or the other, traced back to the
legendary figure of Padmasambhava (eight century AD), that is, they are

Especially in

course, in Tibetan

said to have been concealed by him or by one of his associates for later
discovery (usually by purported re- 'incarnations' of his disciples). The
technicalities of concealment and revelation need not be discussed here.9
For this paper I shall focus on texts from one specific treasure-cycle,
which is available in many diverging compilations, the

Kar gling zhi khro

cycle(s). Several core-texts of these cycles have been attributed to Karma

gling pa - hence its name, 'The (Cycle on) Peaceful and Wrathful Deities
(according to) Karma gling pa'. The

gter stan and gter ma -cycle are

traditionally dated to the fourteenth century AD, though I should like to

emphasize here that both the historical accuracy of this attribution and the
exact composition of the 'core-texts' still remain to be established.lO

Kar gling zhi khro-cycles, especially on one

Chos nyid bar do 'i gsa I 'debs11 thos grol chen mo (ChB) (which can
be grouped together with the Srid pa bar do 'i ngo sprod gsal 'debs thos grol
chen mo (SB)12 they are considered to constitute the core of what is often
In the course of my work on

text, the

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HENKBLEZER

styled the

Bar do thos grol chen mo , BTh) - it became quite apparent that

this so-called revealed treasure might well have been a digest ,of earlier
material on the subject, which, perhaps, was even expanded later at the
hands of commentators and redactors. In this article I shall be concerned
with localizing some of this source-material (mainly that which was
incorporated into the
whoever compiled the

ehB) in earlier sources that Karma gling pa - or

ehB might have used. I shall limit myself to textual
-

correspondences, the issue of a more general affiliation and convergence in

(rDzogs chen I 3) -theory will be the subject of another study.

This article will focus mainly on a comparison of the ehB and SB with
the MNg . 14 Here I shall not again discuss the Bar do 'phrang sgroI gyi smon
lam,ls another Kar gling zhi khro (and Bar do thos grot) text, in this respect.
But some correspondences with a text from the rNying ma 'i rgyud bcu
bdun,16 the Nyi ma dang zla ba kha sbyor ba chen po rgyud (Nyi zla kha
sbyor),17 will also be mentioned briefly. Both texts have already been
discussed elsewhere in a similar context.18 However that may be, by far the
most fascinating and tantalising text for this comparative exercise is no
doubt the MNg .

MNg , as far as I am presently aware, is extant in two major

rNying ma 'i rgyud 'bum ,19 a shorter version
of eight chapters (Taipei! mTshams brag) and a longer one of thirteen
(gTing skyes) or fourteen (Taipei! mTshams brag) chapters. The longer
The

recensions, both contained in the

versions merely contain extra chapters beyond the eighth. The most

mTshams brag edition

skyes and the long mTshams brag edition

significant variant readings occur between the short

and the longer versions. The gTing

show only minor, usually negligible, variant readings. Unfortunately, at

rNying ma'i rgyud 'bum collections. The

MNg is classified under the Man ngag gi sde . It comes with a Sanskrit-title
( Upacittajayatantrasamatinama -- short version! Upacittajayasamatitantra
nama - long versions), thus suggesting it is a translation?O All versions
present I have no access to other

come without reference to date or author and so far I do not yet have any
clue as to its possible inclusion in earlier

rNying ma'i rgyud 'bum

compilations. More than half (of the short version and approximately one
third of the long ones) consists of phrases shared almost

ehB and, to a lesser degree, also with the SB .

verbatim with the

The absence of any explicit marker of a date is, of course, the main
obstacle in this comparison. As far as my information now goes, I am afraid

I can only submit the not so very enlightening statement that the MNg might
be earlier than the

BTh texts, but that it might also be later. As for now we

obviously have to go by internal criteria. Judging by its contents, there are

good cases to be made for

both scenarios, there is no conclusive evidence

pointing in either one direction or the other. Actually, the general picture

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KARMA GLlNG PA: 'TREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

both in the
and the BTh suggests instead thattheir authors have been 'drinking' at

that emerges is that the scattered nature of the shared passages

MNg

the same fountain. One of the main reasons it is difficult to ascertain a date
on the basis of internal criteria is because the several versions of the MNg do
not seem to be homogenous products in themselves. Instead they appear as
somewhat rough-edged collations. Several points of extension and insertion
present themselves when studying the contents of the various chapters.
Since the seams of collation are easier to discern if we take a brief look at
the correspondences of the MNg with the two

BTh texts, I include a

conspectus of the shared material in Appendix II.

AN

(ATYPICAL) EXAMPLE

The number and also the nature of the matching passages will become
sufficiently clear by studying Appendix II. The scope of this article does not
permit me to present detailed analyses for all matching phrases, allow me
therefore to elaborate just one of the less clear and more problematic
sections of correspondence below.
In general, the MNg and the

ehB feature their shared phrases in similar

contexts and, apart from smaller or larger omissions and an occasional

reversion?l the order and fabric of the presentation also remain alike. In the

srid pa'i bar do22 sections of the MNg and the SB , however, the passages
that show correspondence seem to move around a little more, that is,
relative to the order of appearence in the

SB or MNg successively. The

remarkably brief description in the MNg does not present much material that

does not also appear in the SB. Needless to say, the SB , which is much more

voluminous, obviously contains a quite a large amount of non-matching

material. I think that considering the rather concise nature of the MNg here,
this does not allow us to conclude that the 'extra' material of the

SB should

be interpolation. A more revealing feature of the correspondences is, indeed,

SB , one has, at
SB. In the SB itself these passages

that when tracing the material that the MNg shares with the
times, to jump back and forth in the

appear in related contexts but nonetheless more or less discrete paragraphs.

In order to clarify the exact nature of these 'movements', allow me to
analyse in some detail a section of the MNg, starting after the description of
the 'judgement scene', where the order in the MNg and

SB is different. The

general match, by the way, is much less close or literal here than in previous
sections. This supports the perceived difference in history and provenance
of the contents of the
elsewhere (in brief, the
speculation) .23

ehB and SB , which has already been discussed

ehB probably represents a more recent layer of

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HENKBLEZER

srid pa 'i
bar do?5 Its 'introductory part' has no direct correspondence in the SB

After its description of Yama,24 the MNg continues discussing the

(though there is a general affinity to the subject discussed there):26
Then, again, in the

bar do of becoming, (his) senses are complete27

and his (faculty of) discrimination is seven times sharper than at

present.28 He sees all those on the other side,29 on this side30 he does
not see those that do not belong to his own class.3! His awareness is
without support, lifted up like a feather in the wind.
The part (immediately) following this, however, does match the SB fairly
well. For reasons of clarity it is better to divide this MNg passage into three
(contiguous) parts. First MNg 1 :32
Awareness, straddling the horse of breath, becomes unstable33 and
languid.34 While it is all over the place, scrambling for a body, and
relatives and family are weeping, it realizes: 'I'm dead, what shall I
do?' It is overcome by tremendous suffering, like a fish stretched out
on hot sand. Awareness is without support. It moves unobstructed by
rocks, houses, and the like. It says to all those weeping: 'Don't cry,
for I'm here!' Since they do not hear it, it realizes: 'Seems I'm dead!',
that really hurts. '"
Note that the description repeats itself, suggesting collation.
Secondly MNg2:35
... Thinking: 'If (only) I could obtain a body, wouldn't that be great!' it
is all over the place scrambling for (a body).
Thirdly MNg3:36
The terrible suffering in the

bar do of becoming will continue for

twenty-one days.
The MNgl corresponds to parts of

two passages in the SB. Tracing the

matching phrases from MNgl we have to jump to and fro from one SB
passage to the other. Please note that after the corresponding Yama
passages(!)37 in the ChB and SB, the text that the SB shares with the MNg
'continues' four pages back38 (that is, relative to the order of the brief
compilation in the MNg). First SBlb:39

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KARMA GLING PA: TREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

Straddling the horse of breath, as it were , carried by the moving wind

of karma , you proceed unstable and languid. You say to all those
weeping: 'I'm here , don't cry!', but since they do not perceive that,
you realize: 'I'm dead!' and experience a tremendous suffering - do
not create suffering like that!
The second passage (SB 1 a) continues with thematically strongly related
material that is also present in MNg1:40
. . . , though you speak to your close relatives , no answer comes your
way , you see relatives and family weep and realize: 'I'm dead, what
shall I do?', and experience a tremendous suffering , like a fish
exposed41 on hot sand, even though you now create suffering (thus) , it
is of no use .
Note well that this passage , SB l a , precedes SB 1 b in the SB .
MNg2 corresponds to a passage from the SB (SB2) for which we have to
jump ahead four pages in the SB: 42

Once again seeing your home (land) , family , relatives , your own
corpse etc., you now realize: 'I'm dead,43 what to do?' Your mental
body again becomes depressed,44 and , as you think: 'If I (only) could
obtain a body now , wouldn't that be great!', you notice you are all
over the place scrambling for a body .
MNg3 corresponds to a passage from the SB (SB3) , which now again jumps
to the 'later' section of SB1 , SBl b (and not the 'earlier' one , SB l a) :45
In general, the suffering of the bar do of becoming is said to continue
for twenty-one days, yet, because of the influence of karma (this) is
not completely certain.

Most of the above passages from the SB - SB 1 a , SB 1 b , and SB2 - are

appended to a commentary on a verse quoted from ' a tantra ' , introducing
the qualities of the mental body of this intermediate state , that is , pertaining
to the srid pa 'i bar do . Though SB 1 (a&b) and SB2 are thematically
connected to the subject matter introduced by the verse quoted and its
commentary , they are not part of the commentary proper. The tantric verse
(I have not tracked the source) apparently is already attested in the Abhi
dharmakoa(bhiiya) (AbhK(Bh) III, vss . 13_14: 46

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HENKBLEZER

[SB, ka, p .7 2 , l1.l-4J de yang rgyud las%

sngon 'byung srid pa'i sha gzugs can(1)%
dbang po kun tshang thogs med rgyu(2)%
las kyi rdzu 'phrul shugs dang ldan(3)%
rigs mthun lha mig dag pas mthong (4) % zhes gsungs pas% ...
Which , if we refer it back to the Sanskrit original- cf. AbhK(Bh) m , vs . 1314, see Swami S astri (1981),47 Vol .II , p.419,1.11- p . 424,1.16, and Pradhan
(1975),84 p . 123 , l.2 1 - p . 125,1.18:

eklikeplid asliv aiatparvakiilabhavlilq1i1}. (1)1

sa punar marar;lit purva upapattikar;lit paral}. //13//
sajlitisuddhadivyliqidrSyal}.(2) karmarddhivegavlin(3) I
sakalliqo 'pratighavlin(4) anivartyal; sa gandhabhuk 111411
cf. a Tibetan translation of AbhK(Bh) m, vs . 13-14 in the Peking Edition of
the Tibetan Tripitaka,49 p . 119,2,11.3-5:
de ni 'phen pa gcig pa'i phyirl Isngon dus srid 'byung sha tshugs can(I)1 I
de ni 'chi ba 'i sngon rol tel lskye ba 'i skad cig phan chad dol I
rigsmJhun U7amig dagpas mthong (2Y /las kyird2Jt 'phnilshugsdang ldar(3y I
dbang po kun tsang thogs med ldan(4)/ Imi zlogs(f) de ni dri za 'ol I

- could be translated as follows (note that going by the Tibetan rendering

only we would here , as so often, arrive at a different translation!):
With regard to this there is said in a tantra:
He50 bears the form of the phase (after birth and) before death,
(His) organs of sense are complete , he knows no obstruction,
He is endowed with the swiftness of supernatural power by karma ,
He is visible for (other) beings of his lass and with the divine eye . ...

A BRIEF COMPARISON
The basic I'tructure of the MNg and its correspondence with the two BTh
texts , as we can deduce this from the appended conspectus , can be
condensed into the following points:

1. The first chapter of the MNg seems to present a more elaborate quotation
of material that was also used for the ehB , it suggests a shared source rather
than a scenario of borrowing one way or the other. But then, if there were to
be a relation of borrowing , the MNg would seem to be the more likely

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KARMA GUNG PA: TREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

source here . This chapter could very well be read independently from the
rest, not even necessarily as embedded in the context of an after-death
phase.
2 . The peaceful and wrathful deities (zhi khro) are 'listed' twice in Chapters
Two to Five . The descriptions in the second listing , however brief, match
those in the ehB better (almost literally) . The descriptions of the peaceful
(Chapter Five) and wrathful deities (Chapter Four) are reversed in the
second listing . The two diverging descriptions suggest a different source.
The MNg does not seem to provide enough 'space' to allow both
descriptions of the zhi khro-malJala to live comfortably or at all peacefully
together, the repetition strongly suggests it is an unwanted by-product of
compilation. I should like to point out that in many Kar gling zhi khro and
BTh editions the peaceful and wrathful deities are contained in separate
texts ,5l they need not necessarily be seen as an original unit . Please note that
the Rig 'dzin or Vidyadharas do not appear in the MNg. Considering what I
now know about the development of the kar gling zhi khro-malJala,52 I
should like to interpret this as a sign for greater antiquity of the MNg
malJalas.53 Lastly , I should like to record here that the description of the
wisdom lights in Chapter Two , which here precedes the (first) description of
the peaceful deities ,54 in similar terms also appears in the Nyi zla kha sbyor.
3. In general, if there were to have been a scenario of borrowing between
these texts (which I myself doubt) , it seems as if much (but not all, see the
next point) of the shared material in Chapter Six would have derived from
BTh texts rather than the other way round . Especially the srid pa 'i bar do
descriptions in the MNg look like a jumbled cut-and-paste digest of phrases
from the SB or a similar text (which at this point seems more likely) . It
would be rather improbable that the more 'complete ' (NB . not in the sense
of elaborated or more ornate!) descriptions of the SB would derive or could
be meaningfully (re)constructed from the few , somewhat loosely connected
phrases in the MNg , that is to say , that anyone could construe the text as we
now have it in the SB by lifting the minimal bunch of phrases contained in
the MNg , scattering them and giving them the wider, often slightly
diverging , context they have in the SB . The MNg on the other hand could
easily be construed by presenting a digest of some SB phrases . The different
order in the MNg (that is , relative to the order in the SB) seems especially to
point to a mnemonic convergence of phrases in a brief description of a srid
pa 'i bar do by someone familiar with a SB-like text . But I hasten to add that
such a mnemonic convergence might also have occurred in the composition
of the SB . Again, the nature of the convergences suggests to me that both do
not apply , but then, if a process of borrowing were to have occurred
between these texts , the former option would seem to be somewhat more
likely I think, that is , when I look at this particular section .

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HENKBLEZER

4. An absolutely fascinating point in the sixth chapter of the MNg , but one
which serves to confuse the picture considerably , is that the discussion of
the chos nyid bar do 5 S jumps to that of the srid pa 'i bar do in the middle of
an , again , almost verbatim identical description of the appearance of gShin
rje chos kyi rgyal po , Yama Dharmaraja 5 6 , in such a way that the MNg
presents one coherent description of Yama' s appearance! That is to say , the
MNg is free from the awkward split reference to Yama that the BTh has in
its descriptions in the ChB (the wrathful deities as a whole appearing in his
form) and SB (the well-known 'judgement-scene ' ) . The MNg definitely
presents a more convincing and maybe also more authentic narrative of
Yama. This might, my preliminary perceptions presented above notwith
standing , argue for a greater antiquity or at least originality of the undivided
story, or, in any case , for a single (and now I mean, without a disjointed
narrative structure) source for the Yama passages in the BTh texts . Needless
to say , this seamless connection of chos nyid and srid pa 'i bar do
descriptions in the MNg does give us some reason to assume that part of the
ChB and , at least, the fIrst part of the SB as we know it now , might
originally have been one text. Whether this would be a text that Karma gling
pa (or some later editor) used for a BTh or whether this maybe actually was
Karma gling pa's treasure , which was subsequently enlarged by intervention
of later editors , is impossible to establish at this point. However that may b e ,
i t would b e fascinating , t o say the least, t o be able t o lay hands on more
textual evidence for such a coherent Yama-in-the-beyond narrative .
Unfortunately , s o far , I have not been able t o locate i t thus far i n older
Buddhist and Hindu literature .
The MNg might, in an earlier form, well have ended here , that is , at Chapter
Six , with the srid pa 'i bar do description. After the srid pa 'i bar do
description, the MNg continues with further material that is not, or only in
starkly deviating form, included in the BTh (as we have it now). The seventh
chapter discusses a 'khrul pa'i bar dO ,5 7 the eighth the three evil destinies .
Chapter Eight seems to form a natural conclusion to the MNg recensions as
we now have them, the further chapters in the longer versions , both from
point of view of content and style , strongly suggest that they are additions .
In Chapters Nine to Twelve we fInd brief discussions of other bar dOS:5 8
a rang bzhin gyi bar d059 in Chapter Nine; a ting nge 'dzin gyi bar doW in
Chapter Ten; a rmi lam gyi bar d061 in Chapter Eleven; and, once again(!) , a
more extensive description of the chos nyid kyi bar do in Chapter Twelve .
The chos nyid bar do-description in Chapter Twelve provides detailed
explanations of the signifIcance of the deities presented in the previous
chapters , which , as mentioned above , together with other 'earlier' sections ,
also deal with chos nyid (bar do) experiences . In these last, probably

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KARMA GLING PA: TREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

appended, chapters of the MNg we fmd a short list of four bar dos deviating
from the six listed in the ChB . 62 In Chapter Nil;le , for instance , we find a
separate listing of these four bar do s ,63 which are then discussed in the text.
I should like to note' here that the srid pa 'i bar do and the 'khrul pa 'i bar
do , which are discussed at great length in Chapter Six and Seven, are not
mentioned in the list in Chapter Nine . This discrepancy underlines even
more clearly that the Chapters Nine and those which follow it were added
later from a different source .

PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS

When compared to the BTh, earlier sections of the MNg suggest derivation
from a common source. But some later parts especially might, in view of the
nature of the matching phrases, well have been extracted or remembered
from BTh-texts or similar material , rather than the other way round. If the
MNg were later than the BTh, there is not much doubt that a BTh as we have
it now or a precursor of it was indeed incorporated into the MNg. If, and as
far as I can see now , this is highly speculative , (part of) the MNg predates
the BTh texts, it would contain very important material , (similar to that)
which the redactor(s) - let us assume(!) Karma gling pa - would have been
most likely to have used for his (their) BTh texts; that is to say , considering
the astounding number of shared phrases and ideas, the MNg would either
have been used for the. composition of the ChB and SB or reflect (part of) the
. contents of another source used for this purpose.
Whatever the relative dating of the MNg may be, based on the evidence
available so far , I think I may tentatively conclude that a scenario where
both the MNg and the two BTh texts drew upon a similar stock of material is
the most likely one . I do not see any strong arguments in favour of the
hypothesis that the MNg and the BTh as we have them now would have
been ' communicated' directly , and in the unlikely case that this would have
been so , I would certainly not prefer to support a derivation of the BTh from
the MNg in the first place. As may have emerged from what I have already
said , I seriously question the homogeneity of the MNg texts, and I also
suspect that at least the later sections of the hypothetically older core of six
(or eight) chapters of the MNg are a digest of (a text or texts) similar to the
BTh , but then, I must concede that the MNg also contains more original
elements (the Yama narrative).
In general, the BTh especially , which is much longer - and thus contains
much more material than the MNg, when it features 'extra' text in the
context of the more or less tighly woven passages that it shares with the
MNg, more often than not this material consists of further explanations

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HENKBLEZER

addressed to the deceased, making the option of interpolation quite likely.

The

Mng , especially the short version, seems much closer to a hypothetical

BTh , its 'extra' material - except for the standard

common source than the

phrases pertaining to the narrative question-and-answer structure of the

chapters, of course - usually do not suggest it to be interpolations, especially
in the first chapter.
An evaluation of both the amount and the nature of the material that the

ChB derives from other sources, especially as evident in the passages shared
with the MNg , suggests that Karma gling pa, traditionally styled a
discoverer of hidden treasures endowed with special visionary and magical
powers, as a

gter ston , might, at least as far as the ChB is concerned, be

regarded as a creative editor rather than as a visionary revealer of

Padmasambhava's hidden teachings. This only confirms my impression that

an important aspect of gter rna traditions might well be that they grants the
gter ston , or should I say author, more liberties in his work of editing and

reworking earlier material without necessarily having to drop the reference

to an authoritative figure or source. As long as the reshaping of older
material is considered to be authentic in the sense of true to the perceived
spirit of the authority to which it refers, it apparently still deserves to be
styled a '(re)discovery' of an old teaching.
Judging by the information that I have been able to 'unearth' so far, a

ChB (cum
SB) , as well as for the first chapters of the MNg , might well be what I
presented as the 'Bar do thos grol chung ba' below in Appendix ill.
possible form of this hypothetical 'earlier material' used for the

Please note that so far we have simply assumed, as a likely scenario, that

was the editor of the BTh . I should like to state

BTh as we have it now would be a product of later
editing based on Karma gling pa's gter rna which after all, also considering
the editorial patchwork that, for instance, the ChB appears to be, is not all
that unlikely - then, as far as my information now goes, the old core of such
an extended 'BTh ' that was supposedly discovered by Karma gling pa (but

Karma gling pa actually

explicitly that if the

nothing is certain at this point) might well have been a text similar to the

'Bar do thos grol chung ba ' . In that case it WOUld, of course, be most likely
MNg indeed is later than Karma gling pa. At the moment I am not

that the

aware of any conclusive evidence to support this no doubt interesting

possibility.
I shall definitely come back to this issue as more information becomes
available. I suspect this to take some time, as the process of discovery of
crucial 'missing' links and clues usually only serves to confirm the
tantalising level of serendipity involved in such wilful or 'co-ordinated'
search efforts. As for now, the hypotheses I have attempted to support

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KARMA GUNG PA: TREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

above , do not allow me to draw any more definite conclusions , lest this , my
dream, turn into an ugly nightmare as I wake up to more information.

ApPENDIX I, SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION

For a general (and fairly late) picture of how Karma gling pa was perceived,
I should like to refer briefly to information contained in the gTer ston brgya
rtsa 'i rnam thar rin chen bai q.urya 'i phreng mdzes . 64 This is a collection of
biographies of treasure-finders or gter stons , composed by the first 'Jam
mgon kong sprul , that is 'Jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas also
called Padma gar dbang yon tan rgya mtsho ( 1 8 1 3-99) . It is contained in his
Rin chen gter mdzod chen mo , 65 which is basically a large collection of gter
ma texts , it is one of the five encyclopaedias (in Tibetan called mdzod) that
the first 'Jam mgon kong sprul collected.
S omewhere in the fourteenth century , that is , in the sixth hexagenary
cycle , anywhere between the years 27 and 87 , Karma gling pa was born as
the eldest son of Grub chen Nyi zla sangs rgyas , in Khyer grub , in the
uplands of Dwags pO.66 He was a tantric adept, said to be endowed with
special psychic powers , like the capacity to imbibe knowledge directly .
According to tradition he was a reincarnation of the translator Klu'i rgyal
mtshan of Cog ro , who is said to have been a contemporary of King Khri
sron Ide btsan (676-704) .67
At the age of fifteen, a purportedly ancient prophecy and auspicious
signs coincided and at that time Karma gling pa extracted several concealed
texts , so-called gter mas or treasures , from the sGam po gdar, a mountain
near his birth-place in Dwags po , which is said to have the peculiar shape of
a dancing deity (lha bran) . Herewith he became a gter ston , a treasure
finder, hence his place in Kong sprul ' s 'Beauteous Rosary of Precious
B eryl' . Amongst the texts he is said to have unearthed were teachings
concerning the peaceful and wrathful deities of Padma,68 as well as the now
much celebrated Zhi khro dgongs pa rang grol cycle , a cycle of texts of the
' self-liberated' or rang grol-type,69 in this case , texts pertaining to
' contemplating peaceful and wrathful deities ' (zhi khro dgongs pa) .
These hidden texts allegedly discovered by Karma gling pa are said to
have been concealed six centuries earlier by the eighth-century legendary
saint and rDzogs chen champion Padmasambhava (Padma 'byung gnas) ,
who , in rNying ma circles , is considered to be a second Buddha, something
like the founding father of Tibetan Buddhism .70 The prophecies regarding
gter ston Karma gling pa allegedly also originate with Padmasambhava.
Karma gling pa did not live very long . The reasons given for this are
worth mentioning . He is said to have 'departed to another realm' at a tender

303

HENKBLEZER

age because 'the connection with the consort prophesied for him was not
auspicious' , that is to say , he could not get ( or keep) the right' spiritual
female companion.? 1 Despite this , he apparently did manage to produce
some offspring . He entrusted the cycle concerning the padma zhi khro to his
fourteen disciples, who thereby became masters of his doctrine (chos bdag) .
The Zhi khro dgongs pa rang grol cycle, however, he transmitted ex
clusively to his son, Nyi zla chos rje. Nyi zla chos rje was carefully
instructed that for three consecutive generations the cycle should be
transmitted to one person only . After three generations , it w as Nam mkha'
chos kyi rgya mtsho who spread the teachings of the Zhi khro dgongs pa
rang grol cycle in the provinces of dBus , gTsang , Khams and especially in
the southern and northern districts of mDo khams. The transmission of
empowerment, oral tradition, and commentary (dbang, lung, and khrid)
have remained intact over the centuries and the teachings have continued to
spread until this very day. The Bar do thos grol chen mo section of this
cycle became especially widely known and practised in Tibetan Buddhism,
and can be found in many sects of Tibetan Buddhism nowadays .
A few of these Bar do thas grol texts were introduced to the English
speaking world in 1927 under the somewhat idiosyncratic and inaccurate
title 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' in a pioneering translation by Lama
Kazi Dawa-Samdup , edited by W.Y. Evans-Wentz . It might be interesting
to mention that an original annotated typescript by Evans-Wentz is at
present kept in the library of the Kern Institute in Leiden , the Netherlands.
Soon after their introduction in the English language these Bar do thos grOi
translations became what they still are today , the single most popular groUt
of translated Tibetan Buddhist texts in 'The West' .

304

APPENDIX II, CONSPECTUS OF CORRESPONDENCES BETWEEN THE MNG AND THE eHB AND SBi

w
o
U\

Man ngag snying gi dgongs pa rgyal

ba'i bka' zhes bya ba'i rgyud

Chos nyid bar do'i gsol 'debs thos grol

chen mo & Srid pa bar do'i ngo sprod
gsal 'debs thos grol chen mo

Taipei-edition,Vol. LVI (Tib.Vol.pa),

no. 4766 (= gTing skyes no.84?),pp.
3 1 1/580(6) - 31 5/607(5),eight chapters;
see also no.4781 (= gTing skyes no.
84?),pp. 342/795(2) - 349/843(3),four
teen chapters plus concluding verses;
except for minor variant readings this
text is identical with the Dilgo Khyentse
gTing skyes-edition,Vol.V,pp. 3 14352,Thimphu 1 973,which,however,
stops at the thirteenth chapter.

kal

khal

gal

nga l
skorl

cal
NB. the Taipei texts are print-identical
with the mTshams brag editions.
1233

Bar do thos grol chen mo ,

Kalsang Lhundup (1969)
[ChB , text kha , and SB gal
bar do thos grol chen mo ,
Library of the Kern Institutei
[ChB, text ka & kha]
Bar do thos grol chen mo ,
Library of the Kern Institute,
Nr. 28.452.4 [ChB, text kha]
gSang ba ye shes kyi chos
phrin las Ie lag dang 'pho ba
man ngag , Shuh et al. (1985),
Nr. 235iii [ChB, text jo]
Bar do thos grol chen mo ,
IASWR Microfiche R 285,
Tachikawa ( 1983/88),Nr.

Nyi ma dang zla ba kha sbyor ba chen

po gsang ba'irgyud ces
. bya ba bzhugs
Text Ma from the rNying ma'i rgyud
bcu bdun, Vol.III, reproduced from the
A 'dzom-blocks by Sanje Dorje,pp.
153-233,New Delhi 1973

Taipei-edition,Vol. LVI (Tih.Vol.pa),

no. 4766 (= gTing s kyes no.84?),pp.
311/580(6) - 315/607(5)

w
o
0\

Irgya gar skad du I u pa tsitta

II@I
dza ya tan tra I sa ma ti na ma I bod
skad du I man ngag snying gi dgongs pa
rgyal ba'i bka' zhes bya ba'i rgyud
Isangs rgyas 'od mi 'gyur ba La phyag
'tshaL lol I'di skad bdag gis bstan [581]
pa'i dus gcig na I rgyal ba 'od kyi phung
po chen po ye shes kyi gzhal med khang
na I rigs lnga'j sangs rgyas dang I
dbang phyug gi dkyil 'khor 'od gsal ba'i
dgongs pa fa bzhugs sol I'di skad bdag
gis thos pa dus gcig na I rgyaL ba rdo rje
sems dpa' ye shes kyi gzhi nas I thugs rje
rang byung gi d kyi/ 'khor dang I sku
dang ye shes 'du 'bra I med pa 'i dgongs
pa la bzhugs sol I
De'i tshe gsang ba'i bdag pos 'di skad
ces zhus soll kye kye bcom ldan 'das sku

[ChB , text ka & kha]

[ka 4] 01]1% zab chos zhi khro dgongs
pa rang grol las% chos nyid bar do'i
gsol 'debs thos grol chen mo bzhugs
soil

dang ye shes 'du 'bral med pa'i dgongs

pa gsung du gsol/ zhes zhus sol lbcom
ldan 'das kyis bka' stsal pa I kye gsang
ba'i bdag po / sangs rgyas chos kyi sku
de sku dang ye shes kyi Ius su bzhugs
pas mtshan ma'i Ius med dol Ikye gsang
ba'i bdag po I sangs rgyas kyi sku la
mtshan ma'i gzugs med pa de yin nol I

w
o
-....)

Khyod rna yengs par nyon cig- /rang gi

shes rig gi ngo bo stong sang nge ba 'di /
dngos po dang rntshan rna ei'i ngo bor
kyang rna grub par stong sang nge 'dug
pa 'di ka ehos nyid kun tu bzang rno yin
nol l

... [p o 10, 1.19 - p. 11, 1.13] kye [nga

254] rigs kyi bu khyed rang gi da lta'i
shes rig gi ngo bo stong sang nge ba
'di% dngos po dang rntshan rna kha
dog [ka 11] ei'i ngo bor yang rna grub
par [kha-ka 8] stong sang nge ba 'dug
pa 'di ka ehos nyid kun tu bzang rno
yin no%

Rang gi rig pa 'di stong sdo rtsa na stong

pa phyang ehad du rna song bar / rang gi
rig pa sang nge sal le ba 'di rig pa kun tu
bzang po yin no/ /

khyod kyi shes rig 'di stong pa de tsarn

na stong pa phyal ehad du rna song bar
rang gi shes rig rna 'gags [ga 7] par sal
Ie sing nge % wal le ba% 'di ka rig pa
sangs rgyas kun tu bzang po yin no%

Rang gi rig pa ngo bo stong [582] pa

dang / rang gi shes pa wal le ba 'di

rang gi rig pa dngos po eir yang rna

grub pa'i ngo bo stong pa dang % rang

v.>
o
00

dbyer mi phyed par 'dug pa de / sangs

rgyas chos kyi sku yin not /

gi shes rig wa ler gsal bar 'dug pa 'di

gnyis dbyer mi phyed par 'dug pa 'di ka
sangs rgyas chos kyi sku yin no% ...

Rang gi rig pa ma 'gags par gsal ba 'di I

sangs rgyas su ngo shes nas I rang gis
rang la longs spyod pa 'di I longs spyod
rdzogs pa 'i sku yin nol lrang gi shes pa
sdang nge gsal le ba 'di I sangs rgyas
yin par rang gis ngo shes pas rang
sangs rgyas yin nol lgzhan la bstan pas
gzhan sangs rgyas pa de I thugs rje
sprul pa 'i sku yin nol l kye gsang ba 'i
bdag po I rang gi rig pa gsal le hrig ge
chos kyi
gsal ba 'i ngos nasi
dbyings kyi ye shes yin nol l rang gi rig
pa gsal stong dbyer mi phyed pa 'i ngos
nas I mnyam pa nyid kyi ye shes yin nol
l rang gi rig pa de rang shes kyi shes rab
ma dgags pa 'i ngos nas I so sor rtogs
pa 'i ye shes yin nol lrang gi rig pa thogs
pa med pa 'i ngos nas / bya ba grub pa 'i
ye shes yin nol Irang gi rig pa wal le ba
'di sangs rgyas kyi sku yin not Irang gi

rang gi rig pa gsal stong dbyer med

'od kyi phung po chen por bzhugs pa
'di la s kye 'chi med pas sangs rgyas 'od
mi 'gyur ba 'di ka yin no% [nga 255]
de ngo shes pas chog go%

rig pa ma 'gags par gsal le gsal ba 'di

sangs rgyas ehos kyi sku yin no/ sangs
rgyas kyi sku dang ye shes 'du 'bral med
par bzhugs pa yin no/ /kye gsang ba 'i
bdagpo /
Rang gi shes rig gi ngo bo stong sang
nge ba 'di I sangs rgyas su ngo shes na I
rang gi rig pa'i [583] mdangs Ia Ita ba de
sangs rgyas kyi sku dgongs pa Ia 'jog pa
yin no/ zhes gsungs sol I
w
o
'0

Man ngag snying gi dgongs pa rgyal

ba'i bka ' zhes bya ba 'i rgyud las! sku
dang ye shes 'du 'brat med pa gleng
II
gzhi 'i le 'u ste dang po '0/1

de nas yang gsang ba 'i bdag pos 'di skad

ees zhus sol /kye kye beom ldan 'das
sangs rgyas kyi sku dang I ye shes ji ltar
bzhugs pa lagsl zhes zhus sol /beom ldan
'das kyis bka ' stsal pa /

rang gi shes rig gi ngo bo sang nge ba

'di sangs rgyas su ngo shes nas rang gi
rig pa Ia rang Ita ba de% sangs rgyas
kyi dgongs pa Ia 'jog pa yin no%

kye gsang ba'i bdag pO khyod nyon cig

I

[NB. moved from ka 34,1.20 - ka 36,

1.15] kye rigs [ka 35] kyi bu rigs lnga
yab yum de dag gi thugs ka nas ye shes
bzhi sbyor gyi 'od zer shin tu phra la
dangs pa% nyi ma 'i 'od zer ba thag
sbrel ba lta bu re re khyod kyi snying
khar 'char du 'ong ste

[po 122,1.6 - p. 224,1.4] de'i tshe rang

gi snying ga nas 'od shin tu phra ba
zhig 'char tel de sku thams cad [223]
kyi thugs kar 'brei te 'char rol /de la
rang gis shes pa zin tel mi rtog pa 'i
bsam gtan la rang bzhin gyis gnas sol
/de ni rig pa 'od la 'jug pa zhes bya stel
snang ba de kun kyang rab tu 'phrigs
par mngon par 'gyur tel snying ga 'i zer
thag de la yang I thig Ie phra mo
grangs med pa 'char ral Ide nas yang
rang gi snying ga nas 'od kyi zer thag
tshon skud bsgril ba tsam zhig 'char tel
de nas sku de thams cad rang gi lus la
thim pa snyam byed pa 'i snang ba
'char tel de ni 'od rig pa La tshuL 'jug ba
zhes bya'ol Ide 'i tshe skyes bu rnams
kyis yid ches pa ma pang bu 'jug pa Lta
bu'i thabs mchog tu dran par bya'ol I

sems can thams cad la rang gi snying gi

dkyil na chos kyi dbyings kyi ye shes
mthing kar bzhugs sol I

de yang dang po mam par snang

mdzad kyi thugs ka nas chos kyi
dbyings [nga 294] kyi ye shes dkar la
gsal ba% bkrag 1a nyam nga ba'i 'od zer

yang rang gi snying ga nas 'od kyi thag

pa shin tu phra ba zhig 'char tel de'i
steng gi nam mkha' 1a gyen du zug par
snang ngo I Ide la rang gi mig gis rna

w
,....
o

long Ita bu'i ye shes sku mdog dkar

por bzhugs so! !

me

w
.....
.....

mnyam pa nyid kyi ye shes sku mdog

ser por bzhugs sol I

so sor rtogs pa'i ye shes sku mdog dmar

por bzhugs sol /

gyi snam bu zhig khyod rang gi snying

ga dang 'breI mar 'char du 'ong ngo %
'od zer gyi snam bu de'i nang du thig Ie
dkar po zer dang ldan pa% me long
kha sbub pa tsam shin tu gsal ba bkrag
la 'tsher ba% de yang rang bzhin gyi
thig Ie lnga lngas [ga 26] brgyan pa%
de'i mtha' dang dbus med par thig Ie
dang thig phran gyis brgyan pa 'char du
'ong ngo %

rdo rje sems dpa' thugs ka nas me long

Ita bu'i ye shes mthing Ia gsal ba snam
bu'i steng du thig Ie mthing ka g-yu'i
phor pa kha sbub pa tsam thig Ie dang
thig phran gyis brgyan pa 'char du 'ong
ngo %
rin chen 'byung Idan gyi thugs ka [kha
ka 29] nas mnyam pa nyid kyi yes [ca
ka 23] ser Ia gsal ba snam bu'i steng
du% thig [nga 295] Ie ser po gser gyi
phor pa kha sbub pa Ita bu'i thig Ie thig
phran dang bcas pa 'char du 'ong ngo %

yengs par bItas pasl Isnang ba de dag

rna 'dres parI shin tu rgya che bar 'char
tel de yang dang po mthing ga'i snam
bu'i steng du thig Ie zer dang ldan pa
me long kha sbub pa tsam shin tu gsal
Ia 'chor bal de Ia yang rang bzhin gyi
thig Ie Inga Ingas [224] brgyan pa'ol I

yang de'i steng du dkar po'i snam bu'i

steng du thig Ie shin tu gsal ba gong
dang 'dra ba 'char rol I

ser po'i snam bu'i steng du/ yang thig Ie

gong dang 'dra bar 'char rol I

de'i steng du yang dmar po'i snam bu'i

steng dul thig Ie gong rna ltar 'char rol I

bya ba grub pa'i ye shes sku mdog ljang

khur bzhugs sol I

w
,......
N

snang ba mtha' yas kyi thugs ga nas so

sor rtogs pa'i ye shes dmar la gsal ba
snam bu'i steng du % thig Ie dmar po
'od zer dang ldan pa dper na byi [ka 36]
ru'i phor pa kha sbub Ita bu% ye shes
kyi gting mdangs dang ldan pa% shin
tu gsal la 'tsher ba de yang rang bzhin
gyi thig Ie lnga lngas brgyan pa% de'i
mtha' dbus med par thig Ie dang thig
phran gyis brgyan pa 'char du 'ong ngo
% de mams kyang khyod rang snying
kha dang 'breI mar 'char du 'ong ngo %
kye rigs kyi bu de mams kyang khyed
raug gi rig pa'i rang rtsal las shar ba yiu
te% gzban [nga 296] zhig nas 'ong ba
rna yin pas% de mams la chags par rna
byed la% skrag par yang rna byed
par% mam par mi rtogs pa'i ngang la
lhod la shog cig% de'i ngang la sku
dang 'od zer thams cad khyod rang la
thim nas sangs rgyas par 'gyur ro%
kye rIgs kyi bu bya ba grub pa'i ye shes

de'i steng du 'od zlum po shin tu gsal

ba zhig gdugs ltar 'char rol Ide dag
kyang ye shes lnga'i snang ba stel

bya ba grub ba'i ye shes kyi rtsal rna

rdzogs pas mi snang ngo I Ide ni ye
shes bzhi sbyor gyi snang ba zhes bya
stel rdo rje sems dpa' khong seng gi
lam zhes bya'ol

kyi 'od ljang gu ni khyod kyi rigs pa'i

ye shes kyi rtsal rna rdzogs pas rni
snang ngo % kye rigs kyi bu de mams
ni yes bzhi sbyor gyi snang ba zhes bya
ste% ega 27] rdo rje sems dpa' khong
seng gi lam zhes bya'o%
rang gi snying gi dkyil na sangs rgyas
thams cad kyi mes po I sangs rgyas 'od
rni 'gyur ba chen po chos kyi phung po
chen por bzhugs sol I
t.i>
......
u.>

(Cf. [NB. moved from: ka 11,11.8-11]

rang gi rig pa gsal stong dbyer med 'od
kyi phung po chen por bzhugs pa 'di la
skye 'chi med pas sangs rgyas 'od rni
'gyur ba 'di ka yin no% [nga 255] de
ngo shes pas chog go%)
[NB. moved from: ka 33,1.20 - ka 34
1.20] kun tu [ka 34] bzang po dang %
kun tu bzang mo dang % sangs rgyas
thams cad kyi spyi mes kun bzang yab
yum gnyis kyang 'char du 'ong ngo %
longs sku 'i lha tshogs bzhi bcu rtsa
gnyis rang gi snying kha 'i nang nas
phyir thon nas% khyod rang ega 25]
[nga 292] la 'char du 'ong bas khyod
rang gi dag pa 'i snang ba la 'char ba
yin pas ngo shes par gyis shig% kye
rigs kyi bu zhing khams [ca-ka 22] de

V>
......
.j:>.

ye gsang ba'i bdag po rang gi mig rdo

rje sems dpa'i me long la beug nas ltas
pas I sangs rgyas 'od mi Igyur ba'i sku
eha 'phra la dangs pa I gsal la 'tsher ba
I rang bzhin [584] gyis bkra la nyams
nga ba mdzes pa'i 'od zer 'phro ba I
mngon sum du me re re 'ehar rol lkye
rdo rje 'dzin pa ehen po rang gi snying
gi dkyil na I rig pa kun tu bzang po'i
gdangs las I mtshan nyid 'dzin pa'i kun
tu bzang po sku mdog dkar por bzhugs
sol !chos nyid kun tu bzang po'i gdangs
las I mtshan nyid 'dzin pa'i kun tu bzang
mo sku mdog mthing khar bzhugs sol
Ikun bzang yab yum gnyis rang gi snying
gi dkyil na 'ad skur bzhugs sol I

dag kyang gzhan zhig na yod pa rna yin

te% snying gi nang nas da ltar phyir
than nas khyod la shar ba yin no% sku
de rnams kyang gzhan zhig nas 'ong ba . [po 222,11.4-6] sku de dag kyang mi ehe
rna yin te% khyod rang gi rig pa'i rang bal mi ehung bal eha mnyam pal rgyan
dang I kha dog dang I bzhugs tshul
rtsal la ye nas grub pa yin pas de ltar
dang I gdan khri dang I phyag rgya
yin par ngo shes par shes par gyis
dang beas tel sku de dag kyang lnga
shig% [kha-ka 28]
lnga'i gzugs kyis khyab pal lnga tshan
kye rigs kyi bu sku de dag kyang mi ehe re re La 'ad kyi mu khyud dang beas pal
ba% mi ehung ba% eha mnyam pa%
yab kyi 'dzin pa'i rigs dang I yum gyi
rgyan eha lugs kha dog bzhugs tshuL
eha 'dzin pa'i rigs dang I sems dpa'
dang % gdan khri rang rang gi phyag
dang I sems rna dang I dkyil 'khor
thams ead geig la rdzogs par gnas sol I
rgya dang [nga 293] beas te% sku de
dag kyang lnga Lnga'i zungs gis khyab
pa% Inga tshan re re La 'ad Lnga'i mu
khyud dang beas pa% yab kyi eha 'dzin
pa'i rigs kyi sems dpa' dang % yum gyi
eha 'dzin pa'i rigs kyi sems rna dang %
dkyil 'khor thams ead dus geig La
rdzogs par 'ehar du 'ong pas% de
khyod kyi yi dam gyi lha yin pas ngo
shes par gyis shig%

NB. Here the

peaceful deities
are mentioned
after the wrathful
ones! Summary of
the maTJ4ala
[po 597,1.7-p.
599,1.5] N.B. best
match with ChB.

[po 17,1.12 - p. 39,1.15] N.B. matches

second (summarizing) description
MNgbest.

[po 587,1.5 - p .
593,1.3] N.B.

[p. 595,1.2-p .
597,1.5] N.B.

poorer match with

ChB.

though
summarising, best
match with ChB.

[po 47,1.19 - p. 61,1.2],N.B. matches

second (summarising) description
MNgbest.

[po 584,1.3-p.
587,1.4] N.B.

poorer match with

ChB.
u;>
VI

......

de nas yang gsang ba'i bdag pos 'di skad

ees zhus sol lkye beom ldan 'das bar do'i
khro bo'i sku rnams kyi 'char tshul
gsung du gsol/ zhes zhus so! !beom ldan
'das kyis bka' stsal pa I kye gsang ba'i
bdag po I mal gyi tha mar ni nyal I gos
kyi tha ma ni gon I zas kyi tha rna ni za I

Ul
0'1

.......

skom gyi tha ma ni 'thung I gtam gyi tha

ma ni smraba'i dus su rang la 'chi ba'i
sdug bsngal 'ong ngo I lrang gi dbugs
ngar ngar phar 'gro tshur 'gro byed pa'i
tshe I nye ba dang 'brei pa kun nged
bcugs byed zer nas gdung ba'i smre
sngags bton pa'i dus su ngas sdug rtsir
byas pa la snyam nas nor rdzas 'dor ba'i
sdug bsngal 'ong ngo I Ida res mi thar
'dug pa ji ltar byed snyam pa'i sdug
bsngal mi bzod [594] pa 'ong ngo I
Isnga ma'i Ius dang mi 'dra bar song nas
rang gi lag mgo mi theg- lice yang mi
'gyur bar song ba ni I dus su Ius kyi
nyams so bri ba'i sdug bsngaZ 'ong I
nga shi nas chir skye nas snyam nas I
phung po nying mtshams sbyor ba'i sdug
bsngal 'ong ngo I lkye gsang ba'i bdag
po I sems can thams cad 'chi ba dang I
nyin mtshan med par tshe la rku ba'i mi .
sdod par 'gro'ol Ida res shi nas 'dir mi
'ong bas mi ldog par 'gro'ol Isang nang
par mi 'chi ba'i dpang po med pas
mgyogs por 'gro'ol/eha med pa'i yul du

'gro bas rngyogs por 'gro'ol Idaji ltar

byed snyarn nas snying rni dga'ol Igshin
rje skungs par 'gro bas 'jigs pa che'ol
Iskyel rna rni rnyed pas rngon skyabs
rned dol ILas dge sdig gnyis Las rni shong
ba 'phangs dog go-/

V.l
--l
......

kye gsang ba'i bdag po I rang gi serns

glo ba'i nang nas dbugs sna sgor chad
pa'i tshe I chos nyid dag pa'i snang ba
'phra Ia dangs pa I gsal la 'tsher ba I rang
bzhin gyis bkra la nyarn nga ba I sos ka'i
thang la Srrllg rgyu rgyu ba ltar me re re
'ong ngo I de Ia rna 'jigs shig- I
'od kyi nang tharns cad nas chos nyid
kyi rang sgra 'brug stong Idir ba tsarn
sgra drag Ia ldir che ba 'ong ngo I Ide la
rna dngangs shig- I'od las zer rntshon
cha'i char bab pa 'dra ba sna tshogs
[595] pa zing zing 'ong ngo I Ide la rna
skrag cig- Ikye gsang ba'i bdag po I da
Ita ngo rna sprad na I bsgorn bsgrub ci
ltar byas kyang sangs mi rgya'ol Igdarn
ngag dang rna sprad pas 'od kyis 'jigs I
sgras sngangs I zer gyis skrag go-

[NB. moved from ka 16,1.8 - ka 17,

1.7] chos nyid dag pa'i snang ba phra la
dangs pa% gsal la [nga 259] 'tshor ba%
rang bzhin bkrag la nyarn nga ba% sos
ka'i thang la smig rgyu rgyu ba bzhin
du me re re 'char du 'ong ngo % de la
rna 'jigs shig% rna skrag cig% rna
sdangs shig%

de ni khyod rang gi chos nyid kyi rang

rndangs yin pas ngo shes par gyis
shig% 'od kyi nang nas chos nyid kyi
rang sgra drag la Idir che ba% 'brug
stong dus gcig la Idir ba tsarn du Idi ri
ri 'ong ngo % de yang khyod rang gi
chos nyid kyi rang sgra yin pas de La
rna 'jigs shig% rna skrag cig% rna
sdangs shig% khyod La bag chags yid

Igdarns pa'i gnad rna shes na I sgra 'ad

zer gsurn ngo rna shes par 'khor bar
'khyarn mol I ...
.. continued in second column khro bo'i
lhaabove.

t.
.....
00

kyi Ius zhes bya ba zhig yod kyi% gdos

bcas sha khrag gi Ius ni med pas sgra
'od zer gsum gang byung yang %
khyod [nga 260] Ia gnod pa mi yong
ste% khyod [ka 17] la 'chi rgyu med
do% khyod rang gi [kha-ka 1 3] rang
snang du ngo shes pa rkyang bas chog
go% bar do yin par shes par gyis
shig% kye rigs kyi bu% de Har rang
snang du ngo rna shes na% mi yul du
bsgorns bsgrubs ci Har byas kyang da
1ta'i gdarns pa 'di ngang rna 'pbrad na%
'ad kyis 'jigs so% sgras sngangs so%
zer gyis skrag go% gdarns pa'i gnad 'di
rna shes na% sgra 'od zer gsurn ngo mi
shes pas 'khor bar 'khyarn rno%

kye gsang ba'i bdag po / rang gi rang

snang sku dang ye shes kyi zhing khams
ngo shes par gyis shig- I
kye kye rdo rje 'dzin pa chen po rang
'chi ba'i tshe 'khor ba'i ru log nas snang
ba tharns cad 'od dang skur 'char rol I ...

[NB. moved frorn ka 17,11.10-12] de'i

tshe 'khor ba'i [nga 261] ru log nas
snang ba tharns [ca-ka 11] cad 'od dang
skur 'char ro%

... continued in second column zhi ba'i

Ihaabove.
zhi ba dang khro bo'i sku che ste I che
ba nam mkha'i mtha' dang mnyam mol
I'bring ri rab tsam gyis khengs nas 'char
rol lzhag Ingar snang srid thams cad 'od
dang skur 'char rol Isnang ba thams cad
'od dang skur 'char ba de rang rig pa'i
mdangs su ngo shes pasl Irang 'od dang
sku Ia gnyis su med par thim nas sangs
rgya'ol I
w
.......
\0

[po 6 1,1.2 p . 62,1.7] kye rigs kyi bu%

zhi ba dang khra bo'i sku de mams
kyang che ba ni nam mkha' mtha' dang
mnyam pa% 'bring mams ri rab tsam
du% tha rna yang rang Ius bco brgyad
brtsegs pa tsam 'byung bas de la rna
skrag cig% snang srid thams cad 'ad
dang sku ru 'char ro% snang ba thams
cad 'od dang sku ru 'char ba de rang rig
pa'i rang mdangs ngo shes pas% rang
mdangs [nga 336] rang 'ad dang sku
gnyis su med par thim nas sangs. rgyas
so%
-

bu khyod mthong snang 'jigs skrag gi

snang ba gang byung yang rang snang
du ngo shes par gyis shig% [ga 46] 'od
gsal rang rig rang mdangs su ngo shes
par gyis shig% de lta r ngo shes na da
lta rang la sangs rgyas pa la the tshom
med do% skad cig gcig gis rdzogs
sangs rgyas% zhes bya ba de da res
'byung ba yin no% yid la dran par gyis

shig% kye rigs kyi bu%

rang gis da Ita ngo rna pbrod na I zhi ba'i

sku rngon [600] po nag por shar I khro
bo'i sku gshin rje ehos kyi rgyal por shar
nas I rang snang bdud du song nas 'khor
bar 'khyarn mol /kye gsang ba'i bdag po
I rang snang ngo rna shes na bskal par
ehos byas kyang sangs mi rgya'ol Irang
snang ngo rna shes na shi rna thag tu
ehos nyid bar dor gshin rje ehos kyi
rgyal po'i skur 'char rol Igshin rje ehos
kyi rgyal po sku ehe ba ni narn mkha'
dang mnyarn pa I 'bring ba ri rab tsarn
mol Ide yang ya sos rna rnehu mnan pa I
mig shel mig tu yod pa I skra spyi bor
beings pa I gsus pa ehe ba I ske pbra ba !
lag na khram shing thogs pa I kha nas
rgyob sod kyi sgra sgrogs pa I klad pa
'thung ba I rngo Ius 'grel ba I don snying
'don pa I de Ita bus 'jig rten gyi kharns
tharns cad khengs nas 'ong ngo I I

NB . Here the text jumps to the SB, ka

ra,ng gis da Ita ngo rna shes nas skrag

na% zhi ba'i sku tharpd mngon po nag
bo'i skur shar ro% [kha-kha 17] khro
bo'i sku tharns cad [ea-kha 14] gshin
rje ehos kyi rgyal po'i sku ru shar nas
rang snang bdud du song nas 'khor bar
'khyarn rno% kye [nga 337] rigs kyi
bu% rang snang ngo rna shes na% bka'
rndo rgyud thams cad [ka 62] la mkhas
shing bskal par ehos byas kyang sangs
mi rgya'o% rang snang ngo shes na
gnad geig dang tshig geig gis sangs
rgyas so% rang snang ngo rna shes na
shi rna thag tu ehos nyid bar dor gshin
rje ehos kyi rgyal po'i skur 'char ro%
gshin rje ehos kyi rgyal po sku ehe ba
ni narn mkha' dang mnyarn% 'bring po
ni ri tsarn gyis 'jig rten gyi kharns
khengs nas 'ong ngo % de yang yaso%
sa rnehu mnan pa% mig shel mig tu
yod pa% skra spyi por beings pa%
gsus pa ehe ba% ske pbra ba% lag na

80, 1. 1 5 - 8 1 , 1. 1 0.

khram shing thogs pa [nga 338] kha

nas rgyob sod kyi sgra sgrogs pa%
klad pa 'thung ba% mgo Ius phral ba%
don snying 'don pa% de Ita bus 'jig rten
gyi khams khengs nas 'ong ngo %

NB . the MNg continued with a

passage corresponding to the SB, ka
80 , 1.1 5 - 8 1 , 1.10.iv

W
tv
......

de'i tshe lhan cig skyes pa'i 'dres sdig pa

byas tshad bsags nas rde'u nag po 'dren
du 'ong ngo / Ilhan cig skyes pa'i lhas
dge ba byas tshad bsags nas rde'u dkar
po 'dren du 'ong ngo I Ide'i dus su rang
shin tu bred pa I dngangs pa I skrag pa /
'dar ba byas nas I ngas sdig pa rna byas
zer nas rdzun zer rot Ider gshin rje na re
I ngas las kyi me long la dri yi zer nas /
las kyi me long bstan nas I dge sdig
thams cad me long gi nang du khra lam
gyis gsal bar [601] byung bas I rdzun
by as pas rna phang par gshin rjes I ske la
thag pa btags nas drud de ske 'breg
/snying 'don I rgyu rna bzeng I klad pa
ldag- /khrag 'thung I sha za I rus pa mur

de ni lhan cig skyes pa'i lhas dge ba

byas tshad thams cad bsags nas rde'u
dkar po 'dren du 'ong ngo % mnyam
por 'ong ba'i 'dres kyang sdig pa byas
tshad thams cad bsags nas rde'u nag po
'dren du 'ong ngo % de'i dus su khyod
shin tu bred pa dang % dngangs pa
dang % skrag pa dang % 'dar bar byas
nas ngas sdig pa rna [ka 81] byas zer
nas rdzun smras kyang % der gshin
rjes na re ngas las kyi me long blta'o
zer nas% me long la bltas pas dge sdig
thams cad me long nang du bkra lam
me% gsal lam gyi byung bas% rdzun
byas kyang rna phan nas% gshin rjes
ske la thag pa btags te khrid nas% ske

I yang zhag lnga 'chir mi sdod dol Ilus

dum bur gtubs kyang sos sol Iyang gtubs
pas sdug bsngal chen po zhag Ingar 'ong
I
ngo l

'bregs% snying 'don% rgyu rna phyung

% klad pa bldag% khrag 'thung % sha
za% rus pa rnur yang % 'ching mi btub
pas% Ius dum bur gtubs kyang yang
sos nas 'ong ngo % yang yang gtubs
pas sdug bsngal chen po 'ong bas%

de tsam na rde'u dkar po bgrangs nas

'ong kyang % khyod rang ma zhed
cig% rna skrag cig% rdzun ma zer%
gshin rje la ma skrag cig% khyod rang
yid Ius yin pas bsad pa dang gtubs pa
byung yang 'chi rgyu ni med do%

Ul
N
N

de nas yang srid pa'i bar ma do la I

dbang po tshang ba shes rab da Ita bas
bdun 'gyur gyis che ba/ pha rol thams
cad mthong ba / tshur la rang gi rigs
min pa mi mthong ba I rig pa rten med
pa / bya sgro rlung gis bteg pa Ita bur /

[NB . ka 76, 11 .3-9] khyod g-yo ba las

kyi rlung gis khyer ba Ita bu'i

dbugs kyi rta la zhon nas rig pa phyo

lang lang pa 'ong ngo I itharns cad du Ius
tshol du 'gro bas I nye drung bza' tshos

dbugs kyi rta la zhon nas% phyad

phyod lang lang 'gro zhing % ngu ba
kun la nga 'di na yod rna ngu byas

ngus nas I nga shi nas 'dug pa ji ltar bya

snyarn pa I sdug bsngal drag po nya bye
tshan la bres pa Ita bu 'ong ngo I lrig pa
rten dang bral bas I ri dang khang khyirn
la sogs pa la thogs pa rned par 'gro- Ingu
ba kun la nga 'di na yod pas rna ngu zer
rol Ide rna thos pas nga shi nas 'dug pa
'dra'o snyarn nas I sdug bsngal shin tu
che'ol I

kyang % de khong tshos rna tshor bas

nga shi nas 'dug snyarn nas sdug bsngal
shin tu che ba zhig da Ita khyod la yod
de% khyod de Ita bu'i sdug bsngal rna
byed cig% nyin rntshan rned par ston
narn skya 'od Ita bu'i skya tharn me pa
zhig rgyun du 'ong ngo %
[NB . cf. ka 75 , ll .I2-17] khyod kyis
nye ba dang 'breI ba tsho la gtarn srnras
kyang gtarn Ian rni 'ong ba dang % nye
ba dang bza' tshang ngu ba rnthong
bas% nga shi 'dug pas ci ltar byed
nyarn nas sdug bsngal drag po nya bye
tshan la bsgro ba Ita bu'i sdug bsngal
zhig khyod la da Ita yod pas% da
khyod rang sdug bsngal byas kyang
phan pa rned do%

ngas Ius cig thob na ci rna rung snyarn

nas tharns cad du tshol du 'gro'ol Isngar
gyi Ius de yod pa snyarn du yang yod
dol !

[NB . ka 79 , ll. lO- IS] rang gi yul 'khor

nye du rang gi ro la sogs pa yang
rnthong nas% da ni nga shi par 'dug pas
ci drag snyarns te% yid Ius de nan Itar
skyob yang 'byung ste% da Ius cig thob
na ci rna rung snyarn nas% tharns cad
du Ius tshol du 'gro ba'i snang ba khyod
la 'ong ngo %

W
tv
W

brag dang sa rdo thams cad kyi gseb tu

'tshang ngo / /

srid pa'i b ar [602] dor shin tu sdug [NB . ka 7 6 , 11 . 1 5 - 1 6] phal cher ni%
bsngal ba la zhag nyi shu rtsa gnyis 'ong srid pa bar dor sdug bsngal bzhag nyi
ngo / Irnan ngag snying gi dgongs pa shu rtsa gcig 'ong bar gsungs te% las
rgyal ba'i bka' zhes bya ba'i rgyud las I . kyi dbang gis gcig tu rna nges so%
srid pa'i bar d o bstan pa'i le'u ste drug
II
pa'oll
w

KARMA GUNG PA: TREASURE FiNDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

APPENDIX III, BAR DO THOS GROL CHUNG BA

* * * [p o 5 8 1 , 1 .6 p . 582, 1 . 1 : ] khyod ma yengs par nyon cig- lrang gi shes fig

gi ngo bo stong sang nge ba 'di I dngos po dang mtshan ma ci 'i ngo bor
kyang(I) ma grub par stong sang nge 'dug pa 'di ka chos nyid kun tu bzang
mo yin nol lrang gi rig pa 'di stong sdo( I) rtsa(!) na stong pa phyang chad
du ma song bar I rang gi rig pa sang nge sal le ba 'di rig pa kun tu bzang po
yin nol lrang gi rig pa ngo bo stong [5 82] pa dang I rang gi shes pa wal Ie
ba 'di dbyer mi phyed par 'dug pa de I sangs rgyas chos kyi sku yin nol I . . .
[p o 5 8 2 , 1.7 p . 583 , 1 . 1 : ] rang g i shes rig gi ngo b o stong sang nge b a 'di I
sangs rgyas su ngo shes na I rang gi rig pa 'i [5 83] mdangs la Ita ba de
sangs rgyas kyi sku dgongs pa la 'jog pa yin nol zhes gsungs sol I . . . [p o 5 8 3 ,
1 .3 p . 583 , 1 .6:] <kye gsang ba 'i bdag po> khyod nyon cig- Isems can
thams cad la rang gi snying gi dkyil na chos kyi dbyings kyi ye shes mthing
kar bzhugs sol Ime long Ita bu 'i ye shes sku mdog dkar por bzhugs sol
Imnyam pa nyid kyi ye shes sku mdog ser por bzhugs sol Iso sor rtogs pa 'i ye
shes sku mdog dmar por bzhugs sol Ibya ba grub pa 'i ye shes sku mdog
ljang khur bzhugs sol lrang gi snying gi dkyil na sangs rgyas thams cad kyi
mes po I sangs rgyas 'od mi 'gyur ba chen po chos kyi phung po chen por
bzhugs sol I . . [p o 594, 1.2 - p. 595 , 1 .3 : ] <kye gsang ba 'i bdag po I> rang gi
sems glo ba 'i nang nas dbugs sna sgor chad pa 'i tshe I chos nyid dag pa 'i
snang ba 'phra la dangs pa I gsal la 'tsher ba I rang bzhin gyis bkra la nyam
nga ba I sos ka 'i thang la smig rgyu rgyu ba ltar me re re 'ong ngo I de la
ma 'jigs shig- I 'od kyi nang thams cad nas chos nyid kyi rang sgra 'brug
stong ldir ba tsam sgra drag la ldir che ba 'ong ngo I Ide fa ma dngangs
shig- I 'od las zer mtshon cha 'i char bab pa 'dra ba sna tshogs [595] pa zing
zing 'ong ngo I Ide la ma skrag cig- I<kye gsang ba 'i bdag po I> da Ita ngo
ma sprad na I bsgom bsgrub ci ltar byas kyang sangs mi rgya 'ol Igdam ngag
dang ma sprad pas 'od kyis 'jigs I sgras sngangs I zer gyis skrag go- Igdams
pa 'i gnad ma shes na I sgra 'od zer gsum ngo ma shes par 'khar bar 'khyam
mol 1 * * * [p 595 , 1 .3 - p . 597 , 1.4:] <kye gsang ba 'i bdag po I> dpal chen
bud dha he ru ka zhes bya ba sku mdog smug nag- Idbu gsum pa I phyag
drug pa I zhabs bzhi pa I zhal g-yas dkar ba I g-yon dmar ba I dbus smug
nag la I 'od kyi phung po 'bar ba I spyan dgu sdang mig tu gzigs pa I smin
ma glog bzhin 'khyug pa I mche ba zangs yag 'bar ba l a a dang ha ha la 'i
sgra skad can I bshug pa 'i sgra chen po sgrogs pa I dbu skra dmar ser gyen
fa 'khyil zhing 'phro ba I nyi zla dang thod skam gyis brgyan pa I sbrul nag
dang thod skam gyis dbu beings pa / rkan sgra dang stug bcom dang I 'ur
sgra dang stug bcom dang I 'brug stong fdir ba I rdo rje 'bar ba 'i spu gseb
nas ye shes kyi me 'bar ba I khyung gis 'degs pa 'i gdan fa brkyang bskum du
bzhugs pa I yum dang zhal sbyar nas rang gi klad pa 'i nang nas than nas
-

325

HENKBLEZER

rang la de skad Itar 'char rol Ide la rna 'jigs [596] shig- I 'khrag 'thung rdo
rje'i rigs sku mdog sngo nag yang(!) yum la zhal sbyar nas I snga rna bzhin
du klad pa 'i shar nas rang la 'char rol /de la rna 'jigs par brad pa skyed cig
Ikhrag 'thung las kyi rigs yab yum sku mdog ljang nag- lrang gi klad pa 'i
byang nas than nas rang la 'char rol Ide la rna 'jigs shig- Ishar nas ke 'u ri
dkar rna than noi liho nas rtse 'u ser rna 'than nol Inub nas spra mo dmar rna
I byang nas pe ta Ii nag rna I shar lho pu ka si dmar ser I lho nub nas karma
ri ljang nag- Inub byang nas tsan dha Ii ser skya I byang shar nas sman sha
Ii mthing nag- Ignas kyi ke ri brgyad rang gi klad pa 'i nang nas 'than nas
rang fa de ka ltar 'char rol Ide la rna 'jigs shig- Ide'i phyi rol gyi shar na I
lho na bya tri mu ka dmar rna rta mgo can I nub na sri la mu ka nag rna wa
mgo can I byang nas shwa na mu ka mthing nag spyang mgo can I shar lho
nas dhi ta mu kha ser rna bya rgod can I lho nub nas skarn ska mu kha dmar
nag kangka 'i mgo can I nub byang nas kha kha mu kha nag rna bya rag mgo
can ! byang shar na hu lu mu ka(!) rkang khra 'ug pa 'i mgo can I rang gi
klad pa 'i dkyil na yul gyi phra men brgyad rang la 'char ral Ide la rna 'jigs
shig- lrang gi klad pa 'i [597] shar nas stag gdong lcags kyu rna I lho nas
phag gdong zhags pa rna I nub nas seng gdong lcags sgrog rna I byang nas
sbrul gdong dril bu rna I sgo rna bzhi rang gi klad pa 'i dkyil nas than nas
rang la 'char rol Ide ngo shes pa gyis shig- Irang gi klad pa 'i nang nas
khrag 'thung lnga bcu rtsa brgyad than nas rang la 'char ba 'i dus su ! rang
gi rig pa 'i mdangs las I rang shar ba 'i rig pas I rang khrag 'thung gi sku
dang gnyis su med par thim nas sangs rgyas sol Ida Ita ngo rna sprad na
khrag 'thung gi lha thams cad gshin rje ru mthong nas Ikhrag 'thung gi lhas
'jigs sol Idngangs sol lskrag go- Ibrgyal lol Irang snang bdud du song na I
'khor bar 'khyam mol I . [p o 597 , 1 .5 - p . 599 , 1.6:] <kye kye rdo rje 'dzin pa
chen po> rang 'chi ba 'i tshe 'khor ba 'i ru log nas snang ba thams cad [p o
5 97 , 1.7] 'ad dang skur 'char rol Inam mkha ' thams cad 'ad kha dog mthing
gar 'char rol Imthing ka rnam par dag pas rig pa 'i mdangs dkar po las I
rnam par snang mdzad kun [598] tu 'ad sku mdog dkar po seng ge'i gdan la
bzhugs pa I phyag na 'khor 10 rtsibs brgyad bsnams pa I yum nam mkha '
dbyings phyug rna dang zhal sbyar nas bzhugs sol I'byung ba sa thams cad
'ad mthing kha I rdo rje mi bskyod pa phyag na rdo rje rtse lnga pa bsnams
pa I glang po che 'i gdan la yum sangs rgyas spyan dang zhal sbyar nas I
byang chub sems dpa ' sa 'i snying po dang byams pa mai tri gnyis I sems rna
la sem dang mii Ie gnyis kyis bskor nas sangs rgyas kyi sku drug 'char rol
I 'byung ba chu thams cad 'ad ser po I rin chen 'byung ldan phyag na nor bu
rin po che bsnams pa I rta mchog gi gdan la bzhugs pa I yum mii rna ki dang
zhal sbyar nas I byang chub sems dpa ' nam mkha 'i snying po dang kun tu
bzang po gnyis I sems rna grrti rna dang nir ti rna gnyis te I sangs rgyas kyi
sku drug tu 'char ra/ I'byung ba me thams cad 'ad dmar po I snang ba mtha '
.

326

KARMA GLING PA: 'fREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

yas phyag na padma bsnams pa I rma bya'i gdan la yum gos dkar mo dang
zhal sbyar nas I byang chub sems dpa' spyan ras gzigs dang 'jam dpal gnyis
I sems ma pushpe ma ma dang dhii pe gnyis kyis bskor nas sangs rgyas kyi
sku drug tu 'char rol I'byung ba rlung thams cad 'od liang khu I don yod
grub pa phyag na rdo rie rgya gram bsnams pa I nam [599] mkha' lding gi
gdan la yum dam tshig grol ma dang zhal sbyar nas bzhugs sol lbyang chub
sems dpa' phyag na rdo rie dang sgrib pa rnam par sel ba gnyis I sems ma a
10 ke dang gan dhe ma gnyis kyis bskor nas sangs rgyas kyi sku drug tu
'char rol lsgo ba khro bo rnam par rgyal ba dang I gshin rie gshed dang I
rta mgrin dang I khro bo bdud rtsi 'khyil pa dang I sgo ma lcags kyu ma
dang I zhags pa ma dang I lcags sgrog ma dang I dril bu ma'ol I dbang po
brgya byin dang I thag bzangs ris dang I shakya seng ge dang I seng ge
rab brtan dang I kha 'bar ma dang I chos kyi rgyal po dang I kun tu bzang
mo dang I longs sku rang gi lha bzhi bcu rtsa gnyis rang gi Ius la 'char ro!
1 * * * [p o 599, 1.6 - p . 60 1 , 1.2:] zhi ba dang khro bo'i [p o 599 , 1 .6] sku che ste I
che ba nam mkha'i mtha' dang mnyam mol I'bring ri rab tsam gyis khengs
nas 'char rol Izhag lngar snang srid thams cad 'od dang skur 'char rol
Isnang ba thams cad [p o 599 , 1.7] 'od dang skur 'char ba de rang rig pa'i
mdangs su ngo shes pasl lrang 'od dang sku la gnyis su med par thim nas
sangs rgya'ol 1* * * rang gis da Ita ngo ma phrod na I zhi ba'i sku mgon
[600] po nag por shar I khro bo'i sku gshin rie chos kyi rgyal por shar nas I
rang snang bdud du song nas 'khor bar 'khyam mol l<kye gsang ba'i bdag
po I> rang snang ngo ma shes na bskal par chos byas kyang sangs mi
rgya'ol lrang snang ngo ma shes na shi ma thag tu chos nyid bar dor gshin
rie chos kyi rgyal po'i skur 'char rol Igshin rie chos kyi rgyal po sku che ba
ni nam mkha' dang mnyam pa I 'bring ba ri rab tsam mol Ide yang ya sos
ma mchu mnan pa I mig shel mig tu yod pa I skra spyi bor beings pa I gsus
pa che ba I ske phra ba 1 lag na khram shing thogs pa I kha nas rgyob sod
kyi sgra sgrogs pa I klad pa 'thung ba I mgo Ius 'grel ba I don snying 'don pa
I de Ita bus 'jig rten gyi khams [p o 600 , 1.5] thams cad khengs nas 'ong ngo I
1* * * de'i tshe lhan eig skyes pa'i 'dres sdig pa byas tshad bsags nas rde'u
nag po 'dren du 'ong ngo I Ilhan cig skyes pa'i lhas dge ba byas tshad bsags
nas rde'u dkar po 'dren du 'ong ngo I Ide'i dus su rang shin tu bred pa I
dngangs pa I skrag pa I 'dar ba byas nas I ngas sdig pa ma byas zer nas
rdzun zer rol Ider gshin rie na re I ngas las kyi me long la dri yi zer nas I las
kyi me long bstan nas I dge sdig thams cad me long gi nang du khra lam
gyis gsaI bar [60 1 ] byung bas I rdzun byas pas ma phang par gshin ries I
ske la thag pa btags nas drud de ske 'breg- Isnying 'don I rgyu ma bzeng I
klad pa ldag- Ikhrag 'thung I sha za I rus pa mur I yang zhag lnga 'chir mi
sdod dol Ilus dum bur gtubs kyang sos sol Iyang gtubs pas sdug bsngal chen
po zhag Ingar 'ong ngo II . . . [p o 60 1 , 1.4 - p . 602, 1 . 1 : ] dbugs kyi rta la zhon

327

HENKBLEZER

nas rig pa phyo lang lang pa 'ong ngo / /thams cad du Ius tshol du 'gro bas /
nye drung bza ' tshos ngus nas / nga shi nas 'dug pa ji ltar bya snyam pa /
sdug bsngal drag po nya bye tshan la bres pa Ita bu 'ong ngo / /rig po. rten
dang bral bas / ri dang khang khyim fa sogs pa la thogs pa med par 'gro

nas 'dug pa 'dra 'o snyam nas / sdug bsngal shin tu che 'o/ /ngas Ius cig thob
na ci ma rung snyam nas thams cad du tshol du 'gro 'o/ /* * * srid pa 'i bar
[602] dor shin tu sdug bsngal ba la zhag nyi shu rtsa gnyis 'ong ngo / /* * *

NOTES

2
3
4

7
8

The Lesser (Cycle Styled) 'Released by Hearing when in the

Intennediate State(s) ' , See Appendix III.
The fonn in which the BTh-cycle has reached us might well have
changed over the centuries .
Dwags po is located in south-west Khams , roughly 200 kilometres east
south-east of Lha sa.
For the non-specialist reader who is not very familiar with Karma gling
pa and the literature discussed, I shall briefly present some data and
context and meanwhile also introduce some key tenns and names that
might facilitate reading this article in Appendix I .
'The Proclamation of the Victorious One (the Buddha) , the Deepest
Meaning of the Essence of the Secret Instruction. ' The passages are
extracted without emendations from one of the Taipei-editions , to wit,
Vol. LVI (Tib .Vol .pa) , no . 4766 (= gTing skyes no . 84?) , pp .
3 1 1/5 80(6)-3 1 5/607(5) , this edition features eight chapters and is print
identical to the mTshams brag -edition ; other editions will be described
below .
The Great (Cycle Styled) 'Released by Hearing when in the
,
Intennediate State(s) .Kalsang Lhundup ( 1 969) , Vol . kha : Zab chos zhi
khro dgongs pa rang grol las% chos nyid bar do 'i gsol 'debs thos grol
chen mo and ga: Zab chos zhi khro dgongs pa rang grol las% Srid pa
bar do 'i ngo sprod gsa[ 'debs thos grol chen mo .
Or the (roughly) corresponding passages in translation , referred to in
the notes .
Though , of course, technically speaking , I work in a reverse direction,
i.e . , I here attempt to extract the source-material that he , or (a) later.
editor(s) , incorporated into the BTh .

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KARMA GLING PA: TREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

10

11

12

13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

32
33

I shall content myself here with referring to several of the well

informed discussions that have been published so far , see B ibliography ,
Secondary Sources , Gyatso, Neumaier, Prats , Thondup and others .
These issues will not be addressed in this article , I should like to
mention , however, that we can look forward to a detailed and in-depth
study of the transmission history of the Kar gling zhi khra by Bryan
Jare Cuevas that will most likely challenge the traditional claims
regarding this treasure-cycle .
The Great 'Released by Hearing(-Text) ' : A Clarification of (or
Reminder when in) the Intermediate State of (the Confrontation) with
Reality as it is . Some editions feature gsal 'debs (prayer) instead of gsal
'debs (guidance , clarification, reminder?) in their title .
,
The Great 'Released by Hearing(-Text) : A Clarification or Reminder
when Brought Face to Face with the Intermediate State of Becoming
(Being Reborn) . See Bibliography , Tibetan Sources ; for further
bibliographical references see Blezer ( 1 9 97) , p . 1 3 3 , 1 3 9 .
Great Perfection.
See Bibliography , Tibetan Sources , Buddhist. My thanks go to Bryan
Jare Cuevas for pointing me in the direction of this interesting text.
The Prayer Liberating from the Perilous Passage through the
Intermediate State .
The Seventeen Tantras of the rNying ma pas .
The Secret Tantra of the Great Union of Sun and Moon .
See Blezer ( 1 997) , pp . 85-8 and p . 90 .
The Hundred Thousand Tantras o f the rNying m a pas .
This claim is difficult to verify at this point (see following) .
See the second description o f the malJeJala .
Intermediate state of becoming (or being Teborn) .
Blezer ( 1 997) , see especially pp . 4f. (for further references) .
MNg no . 4766 , p . 599 1 .6 - p . 60 1 , 1.2.
MNg no . 4766 , p . 60 1 , 1 .2 - p. 602 , 1 . 1 .
MNg no . 4766 , p . 60 1 , 1l.3f.
I .e . , unimpaired.
I .e . , than ordinarily , when alive .
I .e . , in the 'physical world' , the ' world of the living ' .
I .e . , in ' the beyond' .
I .e . , do not correspond to his destined realm of rebirth (see Blezer
(1 997) , pp . 20f, esp . n. 97) , we would have expected ' on this side he is
invisible ta those that do not belong to his own class ' .
MNg no . 4766 , p . 60 1 , 11 .4-6 .
Read: phyad phyad (cf. SB) .

329

HENKBLEZER

34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44

45
46
47

48
49
50
51
52
53

Read: lang long or lang nge long nge .

MNg no . 476 6 , p . 60 1 , 1l .6f.
MNg no . 4766 , p. 60 1 , 1 .6 - p .602 , 1 . l .
I .e . , in the ehB, ka, p. 6 1 , 1 . 1 6 - p . 62 , 1 .7 and SB p. 80 , 1 . 1 5 - p. 8 1 , 1 . 1 0 .
I .e . , from the SB , ka, p . 8 1 , 1 . 1 0 to p . 7 6 , 1 .3 .
SB , ka, p . 7 6 , ll J-9 .
SB, ka, p . 7 5 , ll. 1 2- 1 7 .
Read: bsgres p a , naked.
SB, ka, p . 7 9 , 1l . 1 0- 1 5 .
Read: shi bar.
The readings in edition ka and ga (f.8v, ll Jf.) are probably mistaken , a
tsheg is missing: yid [us de nan ltar skyol2. (kyang , de?) yang 'byung ste
(the mental body earnestly wards that (gloomy pondering) off, (yet) it
arises again?) . Probably this reading has to be emended to: yid Ius de
nan ltar skyo ba yang 'byung ste . This variant is supported by edition ca
(f. 8 , 1l .4f) , kha (f.8v, 1 .5 , NB . only Inv .No . 2740/H 1 2 has the SB , 27401
H 1 9& 1 87 are incomplete and do not have it) , and the Zab chos zhi khro
dgongs pa rang grol las// bar do thos grol chen mo , Delhi 1 995 , pp .
1 5 8 , 1.5 . Please note that the Dharamsala edition (Zab chos zhi khro
dgongs pa rang grol las bar do thos grol gyi skor, Dharamsala n . d .
( 1 994?) , p . 208 , 1 .5) i s basically just a n emended version of edition kha.
The Dharamsala edition was printed from the same , yet 'repaired' ,
physical blocks that the three block-prints from the Johan van Manen
collection (2740/H 1 2 , 1 9 & 1 87 , kha-prints) were once produced from .
SB , ka, p. 7 6 , 1l . 1 5 - 1 6 .
Attributed to Vasubandhu , to be dated somewhere around the fourth or
fifth century AD .
Abhidhaimakosa & Bhaya (AbhKBh) of Acarya Vasubandhu with
SpUtartha Commentary of Acarya Yasomitra, two volumes , critically
edited by SwamI D. S astri, in B auddha Bharati Series-5 & 6 , Varanasi
1 98 1 .
Abhidharmakosabhayam of Vasubandhu , edited by P . Pradhan , in
Tibetan Sanskrit Works Series , Vo1 .VIII , Patna 1 975 .
Suzuki , D .T . , ed. ( 1 956) , The Tibetan Tripitaka, Peking Edition ,
Tokyo/Kyoto 1956 .
I.e . , the intermediate stateibeing .
See for instance the subdivision into two volumes in the texts listed in
Appendix III .
See Blezer ( 1 997) , esp . section 1 .2 , pp . 39-66.
Please note that in the long versions of the MNg the colour of rNam par
snang mdzad is blue in both descriptions , thus making the colour of

330

KARMA GLING PA: TREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

54

55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63

64
65
66
67

both the Tathagata and the light from which he appears the same , i . e . ,
blue (mthing kha) . The colour o f the corresponding wisdom light of
chos kyi dbyings kyi ye shes, is also blue here , in contrast to the ChB
ka-kha-ga-ca, but in accordance with the ChB-nga. Thus it is not, as in
ChB-ka-kha-ga-ca, reversed relative to the description of the peaceful
deities . See Blezer ( 1 997) , pp . 92f, esp . n. 289 , discussing different
conventions of associating Tathagata , wisdom, direction, and hence
colours) .
Please note , in the BTh this section is appended after the description of
the peaceful deities and is followed by a summarizing discussion of the
six realms .
Intermediate state of (the confrontation with) reality as it is .
Yama Dharmaraja, the Lord of Death.
Intermediate state of ' straying ' .
Intermediate states.
Intermediate state of the natural or, in this case , ordinary state (of
waking consciousness/ existence) .
Intermediate state of meditative absorption.
Intermediate state o f the dream.
See Blezer (1 997) , p. 3 6 .
Taipei edition, Vol. LVI (Tib Vol . pa) , no . 478 1 , p. 829 , 1.6 - p. 8 3 0 ,
1.2: ky e gsang ba 'i bdag p o / phyi rabs ky i gang zag rnams l a b a r do
bzhi 'i gsang lam phye la ston cig- /'di bstan pa'i tshe zag pa med pa 'i ye
shes bzhugs pa / me long gsum gyis [830] gtan la 'babs te nang gsal du
'char ral Ikye gsang ba 'i bdag po / rang bzhin gyi bar do dang / ting
nge 'dzin gyi bar do dang I rmi lam gyi bar do dang I chos nyid kyi bar
do bzhi la ngo sprad dol I.
The Lives of the Hundred Treasure-Finders , a Beauteous Rosary of
Precious B eryl .
Great Encyclopaedia of Precious Treasure-Texts , see VoU , pp . 29 1 7 5 9 , for Karma gling p a ' s biography see especially , pp . 537f.
Literally , dwags po 'i yut gyi stod khyer grub , p. 5 3 7 , 1 .3 .
Cog ro Klu'i rgyal mtshan' s name is as connected with the translation
of (amongst others) the important Aryamitabhavyuhanamamahayana
sutra into Tibetan , that is , with Arnidist doctrines . This Cog ro Klu'i
rgyal mtshan and a party which he led together with another translator,
sKa ba dpal brtsegs of the 'Bro-family , is said to have been sent to India
by King Khri srong Ide btsan at behest of Nyang ting nge 'dzin bzang
po, in order to procure rDzogs chen-teachings (about which some more
will be said soon) , by inviting the rDzogs chen-master Vimalamitra to
Tibet (see Dargyay [ 1 977a] , pp . 57f. and [ 1 977] , pp . 44-7) .

33 1

HENKBLEZER

68

Padma Refers to the figure Padmasambhava who , as we shall soon see ,

is said to have concealed these texts , but also to the central gure in
Amidism the Buddha of the Western paradise , Amitiibha, who presides
over the lotus or padma-family .
69 In the strictest sense , rang grol texts would be characterized by the
implementation of a profound doctrine , stating that all appearances are
liberated in themselves , that is to say , liberation is present in all
perception and experience and is not to be sought for anywhere else.
Such a reference in the title already marks the rDzogs chen influence or
provenance for these texts . rDzogs chen might be introduced as a more
direct approach in tantric Buddhism, in which the possibility of
instantaneous enlightenment is emphatically promoted , there are some
similarities with Chinese Chan . In a strict sense it is an approach to
practice rather than a school , and as such rDzogs chen adepts appear
throughout all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, though they definitely are
most numerous among adherents of the old sect of Tibetan Buddhism,
the rNying ma school , but they also appear among the bKa ' rgyud pas ,
the oral transmission-lineage, and they moreover are , and always have
been, very numerous among 'Bon po s , traditions that are not B uddhist ,
but in the form one can meet them now , nonetheless i n doctrine and
practice corne very close to rNying ma Buddhism . Though originally
referring to a most profound rDzogs chen tenet, the designation ' rang
grot' or ' self-liberated' soon seems to have turned into a fashionable
ID , attached to many a ritual rDzogs chen text more profound in title
than in content.
70 He is generally respectfully and affectionately referred to as Guru Rin
po che (Precious Teacher) .
7 1 Literally , lung nas hstan pa 'i gzungs ma dang rten 'brei m a grigs pas
zhing khams gzhan du gshegs so (p . 537 , 1 .6 - p. 5 3 8 , 1 . 1 ) , it seems that
'Jam mgon kong sprul is trying to be subtle here . We can expect a fuller
more spicy account regarding this covert reference and the, perhaps ,
quite tragic events underlying it from my esteemed colleague , Cuevas ,
who is currently studying all the available biographical material of
Karma gling pa, I shall not anticipate on his work here .
72 Please note that in the texts presented below I tried to maintain the
orthographic peCUliarities and mistakes of the originals , without
attempting to emend them. Critical editions have been (and partially are
in the process of being) prepared, but since this apparatus is not
relevant to our present concern and the nature of the present publication
does not allow me to clutter my text with a small forest of footnotes ,
'

332

KARMA GLING PA : TREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

the quite lengthy annotation is not included here . Also note the
following conventions used for the editions:
ordinary shad
/.
%
gter shad
other shad
shad absent (mainly after ka and rjes 'jug ga)
part omitted from MNg
***
part omitted also from BTh
dbu '
@
indication pages , lines , etc .
[]
small print passage taken out of its original context
Since the text presented in the ' Bar do thos grol chung ba' corresponds
fairly accurately to passages from the ChB and SB , which have been
translated many , many times , allow me to refer to the corresponding
English rendering from one of the more recent and widely spread
translations in Fremantle , F. and ChOgyam Trungpa ( 1 975) . Her (their)
translation was apparently made under consideration of accessibility to
a larger public of non-specialists , it seems especially geared to the style
and ('psychological' ) terminology used by ChOgyam Trungpa
Rinpoche and the (then) Vajradhatu sangha. In short, their translation is
rather free and does not claim to meet academic standards . I trust it may
nonetheless serve to give those people that do not read Tibetan and
have not been thoroughly introduced to the often technical terminology
used when translating esoteric Tibetan material a general idea of what
is discussed in the passages that I compiled in the 'Bar do thos grol
chung ba' .
Compare as follows:
MNg no . 4766 [p o 5 8 1 , 1.6 - p. 582, 1 . 1 ], cf. Fremantle ( 1 975), p. 37 , 11 . 1 2-20;
MNg no . 4766 [p o 5 8 2 , 1 .7 - p . 583 , 1 . 1 ] , cf. Fremantle ( 1 975) , p . 3 7 , 11.23-26;
MNg no . 4766 [p o 583 , 1 .3 - p. 5 8 3 , 1 .6] , cf. much more elaborate passage
from the ChB rendered in Fremantle ( 1 975) , p. 5 1 , 1 . 1 7 - p. 5 2 , 1 . 1 5 , cf.
also the corresponding passage in the Nyi zla kha sbyor , translated in
Orofino ( 1 985) , p. 47 , 11. 1 4-3 3 ;
MNg no . 4766 [p o 594, 1 .2 - p . 595 , 1.3] , cf. Fremantle ( 1 975) , p . 4 1 , 11 . 1 -22 ,
cf. also Blezer ( 1 997) , pp . 1 2 1 -4;
MNg no . 4766 [p o 595 , 1 .3 - p . 597 , 1 .4] , cf. the much more elaborate
description (with interpolations) of wrathful deities rendered in
Fremantle ( 1 975) , p . 60 , 1.6 - p . 68 , 1 . 1 0 ;
MNg no . 4766 [p o 597 , 1.5 - p . 5 9 9 , 1.6] , cf. the much more elaborate
description of peaceful deities (here including descriptions of the six
realms) rendered in Fremantle ( 1 975) , p. 41 , 1 .26 - p. 5 0 , 1 . 3 6 ;

333

HENKBLEZER

MNg no . 4766 [p o 5 9 9 , 1.6 - p . 60 1 , 1 .2] , cf. Fremantle ( 1 975) , p . 8 6 , 11 . 1 1 - 1 8

and p . 86 , 1 .24 - p . 87 , 1 .6;
,
MNg no . 4766 [p o 60 1 , 1 .4 - p . 602 , 1 . 1 ] , cf. Fremantle ( 1 975) , p . 77 , 11.2- 1 5
and p . 7 4 , 1 . 3 3 - p . 75 , 1 . 1 , cf. also p . 7 4 , 11 .24-7 and p . 75 , l .3 -5 .
73 Johan van Manen Collection, Inv .No . 2740/H 1 87 , 1 2 , 1 9 .
7 4 Microfilms o f the cycle mKha ' 'gro gsang b a y e shes kyi rgyud are
preserved in the ' Staatsbibliothek PreuBischer Kulturbesitz Berlin ' .
This gter ma-cycle is also extant in the library of the Kern Institute in
Leiden (no systematic catalogue-number) as a xylographic reprint of
block-prints from the library of Dudjom Rinpoche .
75 Note that the order of the two deities in the MNg and the SB is reversed .

REFERENCES
TIBETAN SOURCES

rNying ma 'i rgyud bcu bdun , Collected Nyingmapa Tantras of the Man ngag
sde Class of A ti yo ga (rDzogs chen) (reproduced from a set of prints
from A 'dzom blocks preserved in the library of bDud 'joms Rin po che
by Sanje Dorje) , three volumes , edited by Sanje Dorj e , New Delhi
1 973-77:
Nyi ma dang zla ba kha sbyor ba chen po gsang ba 'i rgyud, Vol .III ,
pp . l 53-23 3 .
rNying ma 'i rgyud 'bum-section of the Taipei edition of the Tibetan
Tripitaka (Taipei 1 9 9 1 ) :
Taipei-edition , Vol . LVI (Tib .Yol .pa) , no . 4766 (= gTing skyes no .
84?) , p . 3 1 1/5 80(6) - 3 1 5/607(5 ) , eight chapters ; see also no . 478 1 (=
gTing skyes no . 84?) , pp . 3421795 (2) - 349/843(3), fourteen chapters
plus concluding verses; except for minor variant readings this text is
identical to the Dilgo Khyentse gTing skyes-edition , Vol .V , pp . 3 1 4-52 ,
Thimphu 1 973 , which, however, stops at the thirteenth chapter; NB . the
Taipei-texts are print-identical to the mTshams brag -editions .
Karma gling pa (fourteenth century AD) , Kar gling zhi khro , see Kalsang
Lhundup ( 1 969) , for further bibliographical references see Blezer
( 1997) , p. 1 3 3 :
Chos nyid bar do 'i gsa I 'debs thos grol chen m o (ChB) , pp . 4-6 9 .
Bar do 'phrang sgroi gyi smon lam, p . 1 1 5 - 1 6 .

334

KARMA GLING PA: TREASURE FINDER OR CREATIVE EDITOR?

Srid pa bar do 'i ngo sprod gsal 'debs thos grol chen mo (SB) , pp . 70109 .
Rin chen gter mdzod chen mo compiled by 'Jam mgon kong sprul blo gros
mtha ' yas ( 1 8 1 3 -99) , mKhyen brtse edition based on the sTod lwi
mtshur phu -re daction supplemented with texts from the dPal spUlis
redaction and other manuscripts (IASWR-microfiche-edition)
gTer ston brgya rtsa 'i rnam thar rin chen bai urya 'i phreng mdzes,
VoU, pp . 29 1 -75 9 .
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