Biography of Tönpa Shenrab Miwo
Tönpa Shenrab Miwo was born c. 16,017 BCE near Mt. Kailash in Tibet. He was the son of Bön Thökar, King of Shang shung and his wife Gyalshema, an emanation of [the Bön goddess] Jamma. His father <rgya bon thodkar?> invited a Brahmin astrologer, who examined the boy and said he was an emanation dissimilar to other boys. He gave him the name “Tönpa Shenrab Miwo.” “Shen” was his clan name and “rab” implies “superior” or “protector.” “Miwo” means a person of great power. The understanding was that he was of a powerful class of men, born from the Shen clan <dmurus?>, and would be an unsurpassed teacher [Tönpa] or buddha. From when he was small his body held the position of a king, so he was renowned as “king of Shang shung.” Earlier the king had taken ten princesses as his wives, and from these were born ten royal children—eight princes and two princesses. Until age thirty-one he ruled over the large and small principalities of Shang shung (later these would be known as the thirty-eight principalities). He looked after the country based on the Bön principles of karmic cause and effect. He established the systems of the five disciplines, such as grammar, logic, craftsmanship and medicine, as the nine successive vehicles of Bön, thereby spreading the teachings of the Everlasting Bön<Buddha>. At the age of thirty-one he cut his own hair and went forth as a monastic, guarding the vows of monastic discipline. He performed austerities for nine years. He established the Four Bön Portals and the Fifth, The Treasury, externally the Vinayasutra, internally the secret mantra, and secretly Bön Dzokchen for the purpose of limitless beings striving for liberation, thereby guiding all beings of the six realms, as vast as space, in the path to happiness.
Ngawang Kunga Sönam Rinchen
Ngawang Kunga Sönam Rinchen was born in the year 1705. He was prophesied as the reincarnation of Dakchen Sönam Wangchuk. From his father, Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Tashi, he received many Dharma teachings of both sutra and tantra. At the age of twelve, he came to the throne of Sakya. He gave teachings of the ancestral text Gyalse Lamzang to nearly ten thousand sangha members. He honored many holy beings possessed of both learning and accomplishment as his crown ornaments, including the great learned and accomplished master Ngawang Tendzin Puntsok, his uncle the eighteenth Khyentsé Rabten, and Lhachen Khenchen Wangchuk Puntsok, and received countless profound teachings of the three baskets and four tantra classes, primarily the Presentation of Lamdre Teachings for Disciples. He received the oral transmission of the precious Kangyur from Nesar Dorje Chang. At the great monastic seat, he presided over many sadhana and offering assemblies including (De-Kye-Sang-Sum) the three tantric practices of Chakrasamvara, Hevajra, and Guhyasamaja, Naro Khachoe, and Dagmema, and through generation and completion stages and ritual procedures, he well maintained the study and practice traditions of the monastery as in the times of the previous holy masters. He went to Phenpo Nalendra, the hermitage Samten Ling, Khadruk, Samye, Ngor E-waṃ Chöden, Zhalu, and other places, extensively turning the wheel of Dharma of sutra and tantra. All his activities of the three secrets were performed solely for the sake of spreading the teachings and bringing happiness to beings. He held the throne of glorious Sakya from 1711 to 1741. At the age of thirty-seven, he passed away in the year 1741.
Khöntön Ngawang Dorje Rinchen
Khöntön Ngawang Dorje Rinchen was born in 1819. From a young age, he received teachings in the presence of his father, Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen and his brother, including the precious oral instructions of Lamdre Tsokshé, the Hundred Sadhanas, the Hundred Instructions of Bari, and all the available Dharma teachings. From the great master and accomplished practitioner, his uncle Ngawang Kunga Gyaltsen, and from Jetsunma Chimed Tenpe Nyima and others, he received the major empowerments of all tantra classes, oral instructions, blessings, and most of the old and new Dharma teachings available in Tibet. It is said that since Sachen Kunlo, no one in the Khön lineage had received such extensive teachings. At the age of twenty-five, he was enthroned on the great Dharma throne of the glorious Sakya tradition. He taught the Tubpa Gongsel for three days to the assembly. He stayed in one-pointed concentration at the great retreat places of the previous masters, performing approach and accomplishment practices for an ocean of deities, yidams, and dakinis at places like Jungdul and Gurmön Drak Dzong, and served as vajra master and ritual practitioner for the monastery’s ritual feast sections. When he performed the Purpa ritual at Paro Taktsang in Bhutan, the great torma became like wet blood, arrows penetrated rock, and when he placed a treasure vase in the lake for consecration, the lake boiled and turned copper-colored—his life story contains many such wonders. He led the monastic seat from 1843 to 1845. He passed away in 1867 at the age of forty-nine.
Kunga Nyingpo Sampel Norbu
Kunga Nyingpo Sampel Norbu was born in the year 1850. It is said that he was one in mind-stream with the great accomplished master Thangtong Gyalpo. From the age of four, he was made to be ripened in the sand mandalas of Phurpa and glorious Hevajra in front of his father, Vajradhara. From Jetsün Drubchok Kalzang Chökyi Nyima, Khenchen Vajradhara Tashi Chöpel, Jetsünma Drung Kalzang Chökyi Wangmo, and others, he engaged in hearing and studying sutra, tantra, and the sciences. When he performed the approach and accomplishment practice of Hevajra, a dakini offered him an accomplished medicinal flower made from precious non-iron substances. When he engaged in longevity practice, the great accomplished master Thangtong-pa with his retinue gave him visions. He received such visions from deities and gained mastery over the four activities from powerful dharma protectors. He engaged solely in activities in accordance with the intentions of the tantra classes, diligently attending to the monastery's sadhana offerings, great thread-cross rituals, and general religious and political services. Contemplating solely the benefit of the teachings and beings, he turned the profound and vast wheels of Dharma including the precious oral instructions of Lamdre for assembly for four complete cycles, the Thirteen Golden Dharmas, and Naro Khechari. Many learned and accomplished disciples emerged who held the secrets of his speech, including his younger brother, the master of secrets, his spiritual and biological son Drakshul Trinlé Rinchen, Ngor Khenchen Ngawang Lodrö Zhenphen Nyingpo, and the eighteenth Ngawang Kunga Khyenrab. He held the throne of glorious Sakya from 1883 to 1899. He passed away in the year 1899.
Ngawang Thutob Wangchuk
Ngawang Thutob Wangchuk was born in the year 1900. His father bestowed upon him the name Ngawang Thutob Wangchuk Drakshul Yönten Gyatso Tashi Drakpa'i Gyaltsen. Thartsé Khenchen Jampa Tendzin recognized him as the rebirth of Thartsé-wa Namkha Chimed. Kong Tulku, Drogrup Tenpa'i Nyima, and others said he was one of the five emanation bases of Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo. From his father Vajradhara, the one who conquered the great nobles of the world, Ngor Khangsar Khenchen, the holy Vajradhara Ngawang Lodrö Zhenphen Nyingpo, the accomplished lord Luding Gyalse, and others, he extensively engaged in hearing and contemplating the profound teachings of sutra and tantra, primarily Lamdre. At the age of thirty-eight in 1937, since he was requested to become the lord of both traditions of glorious Sakya, he extensively turned the wheels of Dharma of sutra and tantra for many disciples, primarily the precious oral instructions of Lamdre. When giving the blessings of Vajrayoginī to the seventh reincarnation of Amdo Dhipu Chöjé’s lineage holder together with his tutor, during the time of invoking wisdom-deity, this master displayed many signs of accomplishment such as leaping a cubit high from his seat into the sky and remaining there. Unable to bear the decline of sutra studies at Sakya due to changing times, he revitalized ritual procedures of the summer retreat, the end of the summer retreat, the bimonthly confession and the teachings of the Eighteen Great Renowned Texts. He held the throne of glorious Sakya from 1937 to 1950. He passed away in the year 1950.
Tara of Supreme Courage (21 Tara)
The body of Tara of Supreme Courage is red, radiating flames. She has one face and eight hands. Her first two hands are crossed at the crown of her head, holding a vajra and bell. The second pair of hands holds a bow and arrow. The third pair holds a wheel and a conch shell. The fourth pair holds a sword and a lasso. She has a peaceful form and sits in the full vajra posture. She is adorned with various silks and all types of precious ornaments. She has a backdrop of moonlight. This form of Tara embodies great courage and power. The multiple arms and implements symbolize her ability to perform various enlightened activities simultaneously. Her red color and radiating flames represent her passionate energy in liberating beings, while her peaceful form and moonlit backdrop indicate that this energy is tempered with compassion and wisdom.
Gonkar Yizhin Norbu (White Mahakala Wish-Fulfilling Jewel)
Gonkar Yizhin Norbu (White Protector Wish-Fulfilling Jewel): His body color is white. He has one face and six arms. His face displays a wrathful yet smiling expression, laughing heartily. He has three eyes. His mustache, beard, and hair are golden-brown and upright. His forehead is marked with a dot of sindura. At his crown sits King Akshobhya. His first right hand brandishes a curved knife in the sky. His middle right hand holds the king of jewels, a wish-fulfilling gem, at his heart. His lower right hand shakes a lion-shaped damaru drum. His first left hand holds a vase filled with jewels placed inside a kapala skull cup filled with nectar, resting on his left hip. His second left hand holds a trident. His lower left hand holds a noose. He is seated on a lotus, sun disc, and ganesa seat. He wears various colored silk garments and a tiger skin lower garment, with an elephant hide upper garment. He has a crown ornament of five dried skulls and wears a necklace of fifty fresh heads. He is beautified with precious ornaments and silk scarves. He is surrounded by millions of magnetizing dakinis in his retinue, dwelling in the center of blazing masses of fire. This deity belongs to the class of wealth deities, so he removes the suffering of poverty among sentient beings and grants the siddhi of being able to enjoy all desired pleasures. Praise verse: "Protector Yizhin Norbu, compassionate one, Your body color white like snow mountains, radiating light, You pacify all poverty of beings, Granter of siddhis of all desires, I prostrate and praise you." The mantra is: OM GURU MAHAKALA HARI NI SARVA SIDDHI JAH
Tara Victorious Over the Three Worlds (21 Tara)
The body of Tara Victorious over the Three Worlds is red. She has one face and four hands.Her first right hand holds a vajra and the second holds a sword. Her first left hand displays the threatening mudra (raised index finger) and the second left hand holds a lasso. She sits in the bodhisattva posture (with one leg slightly extended). She is adorned with various silks and all types of precious ornaments. She has a backdrop of moonlight. This form of Tara embodies power and victory over the three realms of existence (desire, form, and formless realms). Her red color represents power and magnetizing activity. The vajra symbolizes indestructible wisdom, while the sword cuts through ignorance. The threatening mudra and lasso represent her ability to subdue negative forces and gather beings for enlightenment. Despite her powerful appearance, the moonlit backdrop suggests that her ultimate nature is still compassionate and serene.
The Four Harmonious Friends
The Four Harmonious Friends: Nowadays, paintings of these can be seen at the entrances of Tibetan assembly halls and other places. In Tibetan-related societies, the widespread images and stories of the Four Harmonious Friends clearly show many teachings about social life and distinguishing between right and wrong conduct. The origin of this story is told as one of the Buddha's jataka tales in the Vinaya commentaries. While it's difficult to determine exactly when this spread to the snowy land of Tibet, it likely developed and flourished from around the time of the Tibetan kings when many Indian and Tibetan scholars translated numerous texts of the teachings and treatises into Tibetan. When introducing this in relation to the sacred dharma: These four sentient being friends developed a desire for mutual respect and service between elders and younger ones. Upon examination, the elephant said, "When I arrived here, this nyagrodha tree was the same height as my body." The monkey said it was the same height as his body. The rabbit said he had tasted the dew on the leaves at the top of this tree. The partridge said, "I dropped bird droppings on the seed from which this tree grew." Finally, they established the age order with the partridge as eldest, followed by the rabbit, monkey, and elephant, and they traveled together in this hierarchical arrangement. At that time, the partridge established the vow to avoid killing, saying "We will not kill insects and other creatures," and similarly they gradually took vows to abandon stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and intoxicants. The partridge gathered birds of his kind around him, the rabbit gathered rabbits, the monkey gathered monkeys, and the elephant gathered elephants and so forth, each gathering their own species in their retinue. By abandoning harmful behavior toward sentient beings, happiness and prosperity came to that land. This painting spread to remind people of this historical account and because it clearly demonstrates from this ancient occurrence that when there is respect for elders and love for the young, and when unity and harmony are maintained according to proper conduct, auspiciousness and prosperity come to all regions and countries. The teaching is that if we practice respecting elders, loving the young, and uniting in harmony, happiness and auspiciousness will come to our lands and communities.