Biography of Jigmed Lingpa (1729-1798)

Jigmed Lingpa (1729-1798) was leading the light to treasure re-discoverers or tertons, great meditator, spent many years in retreat and re-discovered the terma-hidden text-of Longchen Nyingthig, the Heart Essence of Vase Expanse. The practice of Longchen Nyingthig emerges as the foundation cycle of practices for Dzogchen teachings of our time. Jigmed Lingpa was the forerunner of non-sectarian movement with students from all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Longchen Nyingthig tradition energized the non-sectarain (Ris-med) movement and symbolized in the person of Jigmed Lingpa.

The first Dodrupchen, Jigmed Thinley Odzer, was his heart-son and main lineage-holder of Longchen Nyingthig. Followed by Jigmed Lingpa tri-reincarnations,

• Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, 1800-1859 (Mind incarnation)
• Patrul Rinpoche, 1808-1887 (Speech emanation)
• Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, 1820-1892 (Body emanation)

He wrote and published a nine-volumes history of Nyingma starting with Nyingma Tantra which were held in the library of the Mindroling Monastery. It also includes important mind treasures texts.

Spiritual Biography of The Omniscient Vidyadhara Jigmed Lingpa

The great Dzogchen yogi, the Omniscient Jigmed Lingpa was born near the Palri Monastery at Chongye, U-Tsang province of Tibet, in the morning of the day of the 12th Tibetan month in the year of the female earth birth (1729 AD), the auspicious parinirvana day of Omniscient Longchen Rabjampa. His father Choeji Monlam was of the same clan as Longchen Rabjam, the lord of the victorious ones; and his mother Yanlag Chogden, a flower of the family of Dosip Tenkhangpa, was descended from the lineage of longngam, the minister of King Drigum Tsanpo. The son of the couple, marked with lotus, brought glory and fortunate for the people of the snowy land.

At a young age, he showed the awakening of the potential of the past by clearly remembering his previous incarnations, Choeji Lingpa and Terchen Sange Lama. Choeje Lingpa was the joint incarnation of Pandita Vimalamitra, Dharma King Trisong Deutsen and Gyalse Lharji. At the age of six, he entered the monastery and offered his crowd hair to the supreme Tulku Ngawang Kunga Lobsang Padma. He was then given the name, Khyentse Oser. Later in the presence of Ngawang Kunga Legpai Jungne, he took the novice, the first percepts of training.

Henceforth, through his experience of the three sunlight of stainless practice of the three precepts, he clarified more and more the teachings of the Victorious One, the scriptures and the realizations, which are like the golden Mt. Meru itself. Here follows an account of his intentions and transmissions and pith instructions from many masters with a magnificent sense of responsibility for benefiting others.

At thirteen, Jigmed Lingpa received the Great Seal Primordial Wisdom Liberation upon seeing root empowerment, the Spontaneous Accomplishment of All wishes, and other ripening empowerment and liberating instructions from Drubwan Thugchog Dorje. He then venerated Thugchog Dorje as his supreme root teacher so that he was later protected and blessed even by Thugchog Dorje’s primordial wisdom body.

In addition, from Drung Damchoe Losel Wangpo, Jigmed Lingpa recieved the King of Tantras, the Guhyagarbha, and from Thegchog Lingpa the twofold Tsedag (Amitayus-Holder of Life), as well as Hayagriva, Vajrakilaya and many other empowerments and transmissions of Choeje Lingpa. As time passed, he pleased many masters, including Terchen Drimed Lingpa, Shangom Dharmakirti, Minling Drubwang Shrinatha, Tenzin Yeshe Lhundrup, Thangdrog Won Padma Chogdrup, Mon Dzakar Lama Dhargye and others, in the three ways and received not only the Kama (the transmitted teachings) of the early Translation School and most of the ripening and liberating ‘upper and lower’ Terma, the treasure teachings of Nyangral Nyima Odzer and Guru Chowang but many empowerments and oral transmissions of various lineage of the new Schools of Secret Mantra.

While conventional knowledge come to him naturally without specific training, the manner in which Jigmed Lingpa diligently and single pointedly focused on the application of inner practice is as follows.

At the age of twenty-eight, beginning from the ‘miracle month’ (the first Tibetan month) of the Fire-Ox year, at Thigle Nyagching Retreat Center of his monastery, Palri, Jigmed Lingpa stayed alone, his body isolated, in strict retreat for three years. At this time, by primarily practicing the development stages and completion stages of Terchen Sherab Odzer’s profound treasure teaching “Dolthig Gongpa Rangdol” (Liberating Point of the Essential Self Liberating Intention).

He was spiritually enriched through extraordinary experiences and realizations. In addition, after completing the mantra recitation of the innumerable deities he attained the confidence of the stage of full Maturation Vidyadhara.

Due to the effectiveness of the yogic exercises of the keys points of the body-the channel, energies and essential drops-along with the stages of visualization, the channel knot of the chakra of enjoyment at Jigmed Lingpa’s throat was released. Because of this, from the vastness of his mind marvelous and lucid expositions of many excellent scriptural teachings composed to elucidate all the crucial points of the ocean like dharma precepts of sutra and tantra-the vast and profound-sprang forth as dharma treasure. The expressions of these teachings are in perfect rhetoric and poetry.

After perfectly accomplishing the ritual practice and recitation of Lama Gongdu, the neighing sound of a horse came from the crown of Jigmed Lingpa’s head. The spiritual master of Ogyen, Guru Padmasambhava appeared to him and conferred the symbolic crown of the name Padma Wandchen. Acharya Manjushrimitra blessed him in actuality and he not only actualized the illustrative example wisdom, but also attained the authority over appearances and mind. As an indication of this, in the valley of Tsering Jong, Jigmed Lingpa planted a piece of charcoal and a magic tree grew and flourished. Although miraculous sign abounded, for the fear of writing too much this is a mere summary without elaboration.

On one occasion, in a clear light appearance, at the Jarung Khashor Stupa in Boudhanath, Nepal, a wisdom dakini in manifest from conferred upon him the Longjang, the dakini’s symbolic word. Thus he achieved the power over the great dharma treasures of the Innermost Essence of Dzogpachen and instantly passed to the exalted level of a scholar and master. Not content with this alone, he went to the Great Secret Flower Cave at Samye Chimphu for a further three-year’s of diligent practice. During this time, in general, his pure perceptions were innumerable. In particular, at three occasions, he was accepted personally by the primordial wisdom body of Longchen Rabjam. Thereby a thought comprehension of Longchenpa’s enlightened body, speech and mind was transferred to Jigmed Lingpa, and he actualized the primordial wisdom of the path of exalted beings. At this same place, for the first time, he opened the wide door of his ripening and liberating mind treasure to a group of fifteen fortunate disciples, thus creating and becoming the sole spiritual guide of the Longchen Nyingthig division of the Dzogpachenpo.

Next, in what manner did he perform the teachings and his vast deeds to benefit others beings through his enlightened activity?

The profound treasure teachings of Terton Guru Chowang, the Kari Schulman (Answer to Kari’s question), says:

“Within change, my emanation will carry out benefit; No one will know who he is but someone will come for whom explanations simply arise; at the foothill of Chin bar or to the south of Songstsen Gampo’s tamp; A monastery with a stupa of the descent from heaven may come into existence.”

Thus, according to the meaning of the vajra prophesy, it actually happened. Based on auspicious coincidence, Jigmed Lingpa himself went to the place and at Tsering Jong, which is to the south of the red crematorium of the great King Songsten Gampo, he established the retreat center Pema Osel Thegchog Ling (Land of Lotus Clear Light Supreme Vehicle), the residence and the residents together.

This new establishment gradually attracted innumerable fortunate disciples from the country of snow, and from the lands to the south and southwest, including India. To them, Jigmed Lingpa taught the general Kama and Terma Teachings of the Nyingma tradition and the special new versions of Nyingthig teachings. Thus he led them through the ordered stages of ripening and liberation.

He saved many sentient beings from certain death with no hope for karmic ripening, practicing the generosity of granting protection from fear and thereby creating happiness. As as support for the fortunate beings to accumulate vertue, at Samye Monastery he offered a golden wheel of dharma and also he constructed and consecrated a silver Maiterya Buddha, that liberates beings by just seeing it.

Through his wrathful activity, Jigmed Lingpa truned back a Gurkha the army that was approaching Tibet, successfully protecting both the doctrine and the country’s sovereignty. In gratitude, the 8th successive incarnation of the Lord of Dharma, Dalai Lama, and his Prime Minister Tatsag, presented an extensive offerings.

He experienced as especially unbearable that the marvelous enlightened activities done from the immense kindness and aspirations of the “Ken-Lop-Chos-Sum” (Abbot Shantarakshita, Acharya Padmasambhava and Dharma King Trisong Duetsen), were near extinction. In the 13th Rabjung Cycle, Female Iron Hare Tibetan Royal Year, (1771 AD), he made preparation to collect in one place whatever remained of the set of pechas(text) of the Nyingma Gyu Bum of Ogyen Mindroling Monastery. Starting on the first day of the third Tibetan month of the Male Water Dragon year of the 13th Rabjung Cycle (1772 AD), he sponsored writing the whole collection. Initially, the beginning first five pages were written with an ink made of five precious metals and the other twenty-five volumes with the black ink. Having fully finished all parts of the offering, it was absolutely perfect completed on the fifteenth day of the sixth Tibetan month of the same year.

Jigmed Lingpa composed a catalogue of all the Niangua Tantra as presented through the perfect systems of the logic, entitled “The Ornament that pervades the Horizon of the World; Narration of Realization of the precious Ngagyur Gyudbum (The Hundred Thousand Tantras of the Early Translation School)”. As it appeared in the light of scriptural knowledge and logic, all the darkness of mistaken conception was completely removed.

In addition, he composed nine volumes of perfect and elegant tests including “Illuminating the root Text of Longchen Nyingthig”, and mind treasure; the empowerments and instruction on the Tantric tradition of Phurba based on the compiled teachings given by Lonchen Palgi Senge, and the root text and explanation of Yonten Dzod (The treasure of Enlightened Attributes), which had appeared in the form of a mind treasure through the blessing of the Omniscient One, Longchen Rabjampa.

A Khenpo from Sera Mey Monastery used to think that the Nyingma tradition had only some tantric rituals of throwing torma and zor, but when he saw Yonten Mzod, the extraordinary text composed by Jigmed Lingpa, he was really astonished, inspired and enormous respect arose in him by depth of philosophy it presented. Later the Khenpo relied upon him as his spiritual guide.

Jigmed Lingpa had many disciples from all the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism including the four Jigmes (i.e., Dodrup Jigmed Thinley Odzer, Dza Jigmed Gyalwai Nyugu, Mon Khedrup Jigmed Thinley Kundol and Barchung Jigmed Gocha), Dodrag Rigzin Chenpo, Sakya Tharchen Ngawang Palden Chokeyong’s brother, the two Tulkus of Drikung, the Choeje’s (Supreme Head) of Galden Shartse and Jangtse monastery of Gelugpa tradition and so on.

After fulfilling his extensive activities of the three wheels (study, meditation and service), on the third day of the ninth Tibetan month, 13th Rabjung Cycle, Earth Harse Year, 1798 AD, at Tsering Jong retreat called the pinnacle of liberation, at the age of 70, he passed away to Padma Od, the pure land of Guru Rinpoche.