A Thirteenth Century Tibetan Hymn to the Siddha Tilopa*

Fabrizio Torricelli

The name of the 10th century Bengali siddha Tillopada, variously^passing through the idioms of Northern India into Tibetan, is attested in the Tibetan hagiology (mam that) as Tillopa, Tillipa, Tellipa, Tilopa, Telopa, Tailopa or Tailikapada. All of these forms are derived from the Sanskrit tila (Tib. t il) , "sesame," and refer to his work as an extractor of sesame seed oil. We are informed by Mar pa (1012-97) in his Te lo pa'i lo rgyus (fol.4b.4) that, since he worked in thrashing sesame grains (it i l 'bru ba'i las byas),

Indians called him Tilopa, and Tibetans the Sesame-watcher ( t il bsrungs

zhabs).

Being the first human guru of all bKa'-brgyud-pa traditions, the narrative of Tilopa's life usually opens the collections of hagiographies, or "golden rosaries" (gser 'phreng) of the masters prominent in those lineages.

From the literary point of view, one of the oldest and most charming of these accounts is the rje btsun chen po T ill i pa'i mam par thar pa by rGyal thang pa bDe chen rdo rje. According to the English "Preface" to the photostat reproduction, the author was a disciple of the better known rGod tshang pa mGon po rdo rje (1189-1258), "the last guru whose biography appears in this collection." As for the manuscript, on the basis of a list (p.619) of those who had it copied, the style of the miniatures, and the dbu med script, it was probably composed in the decades spanning the 15th and the 16th century.

As we read at fol.lb.1-2, the mam thar is divided into two sections:

1. fols. lb.3-2b.l—rtsa ba'i tshig stan pa, the "original words," i.e. a hymn of 13 verses of praise, in which all the circumstances and events constituting the traditional material of the hagiographies of Tilopa are summarized;

2. fols. 2b.l-22a.3—rtsa ba'i tshig 'grel pa stan pa, the "comment upon the original words," arranged in 13 explanatory chapters, each headed by one verse of the hymn.

May these verses be an occasion to catch a new glimpse of the life of that great siddha.

* I w ish to thank my British friends Aidan Lalor and Abigail Griffiths for their

precious help in revising the archaistic style of the translation of the hymn.

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Homage to the Glorious Guru Prajnabhadra!

In the opening invocation rGyal thang pa addresses Tilopa as Prajna­bhadra (Shes rab bzang po), which is one his names. O ther mystic appella­tions (gsang mtshari) of him have been registered by rDo rje mdzes 'od (13th cent.) in his Te lo pa'i mam thar (fol.43b.l-2); they are Mahasukha- vajra (bDe chen rdo rje), Nirvikalpavajra (rTog med rdo rje), Sukhacakra (bDe ba'i 'khor lo), Kalapa, and Tilopa.

la) tilli fol.2b.2 : rje tilli fol.lb.3

Id) bla ma fol.lb.3 : rje btsun fol.2b.3

1 O Buddha, Protector of beings, O Lord Tilopa All Buddhas of the three times,Being one [with Thee] in Body Speech and Mind,O Guru, I devoutly praise Thee!

As to the title "Protector of beings" ('Gro ba'i mgon, Jagannatha), rGyal thang pa (fol.2b.4-5) recalls the authority of the Dakdrnavamahdyoginu

tantrardjavdhikatika (;mKha' 'gro rgya mtsho'i rgyud 'grel, Tdhoku no. 1419), where the thrasher of sesame Prajnabhadra is hailed by Vajrayana yogins as a protector of beings proceeded from the very being of Buddhas (sangs

rgyas nyid byoti 'gro ba'i mgon). Then, a song of realization (rtogs pa'i mgur)

ascribed to Tilopa himself with an akin autocelebration is quoted (fol.2b.5):

nga ni sangs rgyas rang ngo yin // nga ni 'gro ba'i mgon po yin / /

rGyal thang pa (fols. 2b.7-3a-l) first refers to the words of the queen of Pakinls, Vajravarahl (rDo rje phag mo), the consort of Cakrasamvara here called Bhagavat! VajrayoginI (bCom ldan 'das ma rDo rje mal 'byor ma), or Dharmakaya-jnanadakinl (Chos sku Ye shes mkha 'gro ma). She addres­ses Tilopa as the actual essence of past, future and present Buddhas; therefore, as the actual essence of Vajrasattva (rdo rje sems dpa'i ngo bo

nyid). Furthermore (fol.3a.2-3), Tilopa himself, while speaking to King

A THIRTEENTH CENTURY... 5

Simhacandra (Seng ge zla ba), claimed to be one with the Body, Speech and Mind of all Buddhas of the three times.

2 O Tilopa, as an absolute manifestation of the Buddhas,[Thou art] in particular Cakrasamvara himself:Perfect on the basis of scriptures, oral instructions and reasoning.O Sublime Incarnation, praise unto Thee!

The identification of Tilopa with Cakrasamvara (bDe mchog 'khor lo) as "particular existent" (dngos) is proved, according to rGyal thang pa, by the scriptural (lung rigs) and oral (inan tigag) traditions, as well as by reasoning (tshad ma). As for the scriptures (fol.3a.6), the Sarribarodbhava-tantratika (sdom

pa 'byung ba'i rgyud ky i rgya 'grel) is cited. Then (fol.3a.7-b.l), in the context of oral tradition, rGyal thang pa mentions the words of Dharmakaya- jnanadakinl: she is said to have confessed to her retinue on Tilopa's arrival to Uddiyana that, since he was Cakrasamvara, father of all Bud­dhas of the three times, even thunder from the sky had no power on him. A quotation from the siddha Lavapa follows as well (fol.3b.l-2), in which Tilopa, being Cakrasamvara, is pointed out as one without human teach­ers. Again, Tilopa himself professed to a self-originated (svayambhu)

Buddha, spontaneously learned w ithout any training, and Cakrasamvara as particular existent (fol.3b.2-3):

nga ni rang byung songs rgyas yin I I nga yis inkhyen pa ma slabs te I I sgra tshad rig pa rang rdol yin H nga ni bde mchog 'khor lo dngos //

From the reasoning point of view, rGyal thang pa's argument (fol.3b.3-4) runs as follows. Had Tilopa not been Cakrasamvara (bDe mchog), he would not have been able to lead all the inhabitants of Zahor—as it has been reported—to the Pakinis' land of the Great Bliss (mkha' spyod bde

chert gy i sa), i.e. to the self-liberation of the Sublime Bliss (bde ba mchog = bDe mchog).

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^ Q - s g ^ t - q f t - g V a r o f t t J 1

3 O Tilopa, as a sublime incarnation,All sentient beings of this world,By Thy great compassion [yielding] benefit and bliss,Are assisted. O Lord, praise unto Thee!

Tilopa being an absolute manifestation of the Buddhas and, in particular, of Cakrasamvara, rGyal thang pa comments (fol4a.l-3) that the spiritual mansion of Tilopa was Akanistha ('Og min). But he resolved, out of compassion (snying rje), to establish all beings in a state of great benefit and sublime bliss (phan pa cheri po dang bde ba mchog): that is w hy he acted as one able to assist (skyob pa'i nus pa dang Idan pa).

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4b) dza go fol.lb.7 : dza ko fol.4a.44c) bram ze gtsang mas fol.2a.l : bram ze dbang mas fol.4a.4

4 Sahalokadhatu; Jambudvipa;India in particular; Jago is the place,A region occupied by the Brahmaputra:Being bom in that sublime place, praise unto Thee!

As for the field of experience (zhing khams) and the place (gnas) to appear for the benefit of beings, Tilopa chose this universe, the Sahalokadhatu (Mi mjed 'jig rten), and the continent of Jambudvipa (Dzam bu'i gling) where India is.

The toponym Jago (Tib. Dza go, otherwise written Dza ko, Dza ko, or 'Jha go) is obscure. According to Taranatha (bKa'babs bdun Idan: 45) Tilopa was from Catighabo, or Catigharo, which is to be identified with the modem Chittagong. The region where the Brahmaputra runs its course would have been, as confirmed by almost all the hagiographic sources, the Bengali district of Zahor (Torricelli & Naga 1995: 64-65).

We know from all mam thars that Tilopa was bom in a brahmana family and, on account of the photic phenomena following his birth, he was

A THIRTEENTH CENTURY... 7

given the name Prabhasvara (gSal 'o/d), "Radiance."Regarding the year of his birth, we are informed by two later hagiogra-

phers, lHa btsun Rin chen mam rgyal (fol.3b) and dBang phyug rgyal mtshan (fol.7a), both disciples of gTsang smyon He ru ka (1452-1507). Although the latter did not mention any date in his T i lo pa'i mam thar,

most probably they relied on their gum 's authority in dating the birth of Tilopa to The Earth-Male-Mouse year (sa pho byi ba'i lo). According to the Tibetan computation of time and general historical considerations, 928 and 988 are both feasible. In any case, since the dating of Tilopa's time hinges mainly on that of his disciple Naropa, the problem is to ascertain whether Naropa's life-span was 956-1040 (B.P. Singh 1967; Snellgrove-Skorupski 1979-80, VoI.II: 90; Wylie 1982) or 1016-1100 (Guenther 1963: viii-ix). If we accept, as I do, the former hypothesis, Tilopa should have been bom in 928.

After his birth, brahmana sooth-sayers (bram ze mtshan mkhas) and skilled astrologers (rts i mkhan mkhas) emphasized the spiritual dignity of the infant and, analogous with the Lives of Buddha, his parents resolved to seclude him from the outer world.

5a) Ion fol.2a.l : bzhes fol.Sa.75b) lung bstan fol.2a.l : lung stan fol.5a.7; btsos fol.2a.2 : tsos fol.5a.7

5 When you were but one year old, a Dakin! commanded: "Herd cows and buffalo!"Parents, country, and so forth were revealed.O Incarnated Lord, praise unto Thee!

rGyal thang pa (fol.5b.3-4) tells that a Dakiru, in the form of a woman with the 32 marks of ugliness (bud med m i sdug pa'i mtshan sum bcu rtsa

gnyis dang Idan pa), appeared first to Tilopa's mother while she was with him, in order to dissuade the parents from uselessly attempting to protect him from danger and death. Then, she ordered that he be allowed to go out into the world, study and herd buffalo. Further instructions from the Dakini were yet to come.

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Some time later, when the young Prabhasvara/Tilopa was herding buffalo, the Dakini appeared again. She revealed to him that his spiritual fatherland was Uddiyana (Ur gyan), his father was Cakrasamvara, his mother was Vajravarahi, she was his sister Sukhada (bDe ster ma). The Dakini also revealed that his true name was Pancapani (Pan tsa ka). She then typified his herd of buffalo as the "buffalo of experience" in the forest of the Bodhi-tree. Accordingly, the Jnanadakini's oral transmission (karnatantra) beyond words (fol.6a.4-5) would come:

byang chub shing gi m gs tshal du I I nyams myong ma he legs par skyongs I I snyan

brgyud yi ge med pa'i don / / ye shes mkha' 'gros ston par 'gyur / / sprul pa'i skyes mchog e im ho //

6 Then, once commanded by the Dakinl,Bestowed with her consecration and sustaining grace,To heavenly Uddiyana, sublime place: there Thou went thanks to magic powers. Praise be!

We are told by rGyal thang pa (fols. 6a.6-7b.l) that the Dakinl appeared a third time, impelling Prabhasvara/Tilopa to go to the mansion of the Dakinls, in Uddiyana. She imparted to him the consecration (abhiseka) and the sustaining grace (adhistana) for such a deed. He had also to be pro­vided with three magical objects (rdzas) by his father a crystal ladder (shel

gy i kras pa) to ascend the manor, a jewel bridge (tin po che'i zam pa) to pass over its moat, and a stem of burdock (bye bzungs) to open the door. So magically armed (rdzu 'phrul dang Idan pa), he reached the mandala-like sacred realm of Uddiyana. He entered it, and passed three barriers guarded by three hierarchies of Dakinls corresponding to the experience structures (sku, kdya) of Nirmana (sprul sku za byed ky i mkha' 'gro ma),

Sambhoga (longs sku 'jig rten pa'i mkha' 'gro ma) and Dharmakaya (chos sku

ye shes kyi mkha' 'gro ma) respectively. Once in the presence of Bhagavati, mother of the Buddhas of the three times, Prabhasvara/Tilopa showed no respect to her, thus provoking the anger of the Dakinls' retinue (fol.7b.2-3). But Bhagavati Dharmakaya-jnanadakinl soothed them. As rGyal thang pa has already told us (fol.3a.7-b.l), she identified him as the father of the Buddhas of the three times, as Cakrasamvara i.e. Heruka (fol.7b.4-5):

A THIRTEENTH CENTURY... 9

'di ni dus gsum songs rgyas kyi // phab gyur bde mchog 'khor lo yin // 'di la mkha' la rdo rje yi // ser ba phab kyang gzhom mi nus // ces gsung nos / nga ni dus gsum sangs rgyas thorns cad kyi // yum gyur beam Idan 'das ma yin // 'di ni dus gsum songs rgyas thorns cad kyi // yob tu gyur paheruka yin no // 'di la dus gsum sangs rgyas kyi // rdo rje'i ser ba phab kyang gzhom mi nus //

7 Lady Bhagavatl Yogini Showed three symbols and, granted with the doctrine,Thou became master of all teaching,And sang an adamantine song. Praise unto Thee!

In the explanatory chapter of this cardinal verse of the hymn, rGyal thang pa relates (fol.8a.2) that Prabhasvara/Tilopa wanted the Doctrine (ichos,

dharma). But, since even a correct view (Ita ba, drsti), meditative attention to it (sgom pa, bhavani), action (spyod pa, caryd) and fruition ('bras bu, phala)

are vain in themselves, he was looking for a Doctrine, the mere hearing of which could open the doors of the Buddha experience (thos pa tsam gyis

sangs rgya ba'i chos). Bhagavatl agreed to grant such a Doctrine, on the condition that Tilopa recognize three symbols (brda). These three are better depicted in other hagiographies. Mar pa (fol.6b.4) describes them as the drawing of a sacred image for the Body (sku tsa ka li), a script for the Speech (gsung y ig Tmi), and a sacred attribute for the Mind (thugs phyag

mtshan). More detailed is the description in gTsang smyon He ru ka (fol.l2a.4), lHa btsun pa (fol.9a.6) and dBang phyug rgyal mtshan (fol.l2b.4). The sacred image would have been that of a copulating Cakrasajjivara; the script, the seven-syllable mantra of Cakrasaipvara, and the sacred attribute, a five-pointed vajra:

sku bde mchog than skyes yab yum gyi rtsa ka li gcig dang/gsung rdo rje chos byung la bai du rya'i y i ge bdun ba bris pa gcig dang / thugs bai du rya'i rdb rje rtse Inga pa gcig mams bstan /

rGyal thang pa (fol.8a.4) tells that, since Tilopa claimed to know the three symbols for Body, Speech and Mind, he requested the Wish-Fulfilling Gems (cintdmani) of tan trie transmission, Maturing Path (vipdkamdrga), and Liberation Path (muktimarga):

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sku ka ling ka'i kor mdzod na$ I I rgyud pa yid bzhin nor bu zhu / / gsung yig 'bru'i kor mdzod nas / / smin lam yid bzhin nor bu zhu // phyag mtshan thugs kyi kor mdzod nas I I grol lam yid bzhin nor bu zhu I I

At the Dakinls' objection that no transmission was possible without any previous ritual commitment (dam tshig, sainaya), Tilopa protested that he had been fully instructed by the Dakinl Sukhada before coming to Uddi­yana. They stated he had been deceived by Mara (bDud), but Tilopa disproved this and uttered a song which, for its philosophical relevance, is worth rendering in full (fol.8a.7 8b.2):

"The secret word of the Dakinl, the mind pledge (sambara); what dispels the darkness of nescience (avidya), the light of transcending awareness (jfiana); self-awareness (svasamvitti, svasamvedand), self-originated, self- irradiating: such is the key of the self-originated commitment I have!"

mkha' 'gro'i gsang tshig thugs kyi sdom / / ma rig mun sel ye shes sgron I I rang rig

rang byung rang gsal gyi / / dam tshig rang byung Ide mig yod //

"Nothing is conceived any longer; in the innate Dharmakaya of the being of thinking activity (citta), the Great Seal (mahamudra) is the precept: such is the key of the spontaneous realization I have!"

gang yang skye ba med pa yi / / sems kyi skye med chos sku ru / / lung stan phyag rgya chen po yi I I Ihun grub nyams kyi Ide mig yod / /

"A mind where there is no mental elaboration (amanasikara), cleared of the least particle of the dust of recollection (smrti); self-awareness, self­originated, self-irradiating: such is the key of the spontaneous realization I have!"

dmigs med yid la mi byed cing I I dran pa rdul tsam med pa yi / / rang nyid rang byung rang gsal gyi I I Ihun grub nyams kyi Ide mig yod / /

Since the tru th of such words could not have been inspired by Mara, but only by a Dakini (bdud m in mkha' 'gro ma ru bden), rGyal thang pa (fol.8b.3-4) tells that Vajravarahi's retinue acclaimed Tilopa as their father Bhaga- van, Cakrasamvara, Sublime Bliss and Protector of Beings, and gave him the threefold cintdmani, i.e. the Doctrines contained in the oral transmis­sion (snyan rgyud ky i chos).

Eventually, when about to leave Uddiyana, referring to himself as Prajnabhadra, he sang "I, like a bird in the sky, Prajnabhadra am going!" (fol.8b.5):

nga ni mkha la by a bzhin du / / thogs med shes rob bzang po 'gro //

When the Dakinls begged him to remain with them, he replied (fol.8b.6-7) that there was a connection with three disciples he had to take care of:

A THIRTEENTH CENTURY... 11

they were the well-known Naropa of a royal family (rgyal rigs), the brahmana (brant ze'i rigs) Riripa, and the noble (rje rigs) Kasoripa. Then he sang "O multitude of Dakinls, listen! Naropa, Riripa and Kasoripa: for the benefit of these sons, as a yogin, I am going to the monastery of Siromani." (fol.9a.l):

mkha' 'gro'i tshogs mains gsan / / ndro / ri r i / ka so ri / / bu mams don du mol 'byor

bdag / / gtsug gi nor bu'i dgon par 'gro //

While on his way back, a ninefold teaching (chos skor dgu) was granted to him by the voices of invisible Dakinls floating in the space (fol.9a.2-3):

"(1) Commitments: look at the mirror of your own thinking activity (svacitta). (2) Action: strike the water with a sword. (3) Maturing and Liberation [Paths]: loosen the knots of thinking activity. (4) The substance of commitments is to be warmed by the sun of clear cognition. (5) Intrinsic awareness (vidya): look at the torch of transcending awareness. (6) Circum­ambulate the wheels (cakra) of the [coiling] energy channels (nadt) and winds (vdyu) [through their] eyelets. (7) Sameness of taste (samarasa): look at the outer mirror. (8) Self-originated: keep the Great Seal. (9) Great Bliss (;mdhasukha): hold the jewel of the Speech."

dam tshig rang sans me long Itos / / spyod pa chu la ral gri brgyob / / smin grol sems kyi rgya mdud ching I I dam rdzas rtogs pa'i nyi ma 'de // rig pa ye shes sgron ma Itos / / rtsa rlung dra mig 'khor lo skor // ro snyoms phyi'i me long Itos / / rang byung

phyag rgya chen po chongs H bde chen gsung gi rin chen bzung / /

In response, Tilopa sang the following adamantine song (rdo rje 'i mgur)

(fol.9a.4):

"In the temple of the illusory body, such is the secret breath of formless Dakinls: once a seal of words beyond expression has been put upon it, the bird of luminous thinking activity would fly away!"

sgyu ma lus kyi 'gan rdo lar // lus med mkha' 'gro'i gsang dbugs te / / rjod med ngag

gi Icags bcug nos / / 'od gsal sems ni bya 'phur 'gro //

8a) ke ri me dpung fol.lb.4: kyi ri me spung fol.9a.5

8b) bzhugs fol.lb.4: byon fol.9a.5

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8c) 'chang fol.lb.4: om foI.9a.6; 'jal fol.lb.4: mjal fol.9a.6

8 Buming-Pyres Hill:Dwelling in that great charnel ground,Once in the presence of Vajradhara,Thou became one with him. Praise unto thee!

The verse alludes to the meditation process during which, having pro­jected oneself in the visualized form of the commitment being (samaya-

sattva, dam tsh igg i sems dpa') of a deity (istadevatd, y i dam), the actual being (jMnasattva , ye shes ky i sems dpa') merges with it (Tucci 1949: 107-110). According to the teachings of supreme tantras (anuttarayoga-tantra, m al

'byor bla med ky i rgyud), Tilopa generated himself into the samayasattva of Vajradhara. Then, he was pervaded by the timeless essence of that being of awareness, and became one with him.

1^<vq§*gJ*sr«}ai'arq2ft| e |

9b) dang fol.2a.5: 'ang fol.9b.7; kama pa fol.2a.5: dkar ma ba fol.9b.7

9c) ma tangki fol.2a.5: ma tang gi fols. 9b.7-10a.l 9d) bkha' bzhi fol.2a.5: bkha' bzhin fol.lOa.l

9 For the joy of other beings,Pengipa, Karnaripa,Mätaiigi and Lavapa:Thou relied on the[se] gurus of Four Lores. Praise be!

rGyal thang pa (fols. 9b.7-13b.4) gives a detailed report of these four transmission lineages (ibka' babs bzhi), which is possible to schematize as follows:

1. Vajrapäni (Phyag na rdo rje) Saraha -* Lüipa - ► Därikapa -* Deñgipa;

2. Sumad Samantabhadri (Su ma ti Kun tu bzang mo) - ► Thang lo pa Shing lo pa -* Karnaripa;

3. Ratnamati (Bio gros rin chen) Nägärjuna (Klu sgrub, alias Advayavajra, gNyis med rdo rje, fol.l2b.4) -* Mätanglpa;

4. Vajrapäni Dombi Heruka Lavapa.

A THIRTEENTH CENTURY... 13

The instructions relevant to each lineage are connected w ith (1) the Developing (skyed rim , utpannakramd) and (2) the Fulfilment (rdzogs rim ,

sampannakrama) Stages of the tantric practice:

1.1. Catuhpitha (rDo rje gdan bzhi);

1.2. the Transference ('pho ba, sainkrdnti) and the Entering Corpses (grortg 'jug, parakdyapraveda);

2.1. Mahdmdya;

2.2. the Dream (rm i lam, svaptia) and the Illusory Body (sgyu

lus, mdydkdya);

3.1. Cakrasamvara (bDe mchog);

3.2. the Great Seal and the Union of the Two into One (zung

'jug, yuganaddha);

4.1. Hevajra (dGes pa rdo rje);

4.2. the Radiant Light ('od gsal, prabhdsvara) and the Mystic Heat (gtum mo, canddlt).

As already observed (Nalanda Translation Committee 1986: xxxii-xxxiii; Torricelli 1993), Tilopan hagiology is fairly incoherent regarding these four lineages and their content, bu t we will find a valuable hint to reconcile some of the discrepancies, at least in terms of lineages, with dBang phyug rgyal mtshan. In fact, in his mam thar (fols. 16a.l-16b), two different lines of transmission are outlined, ordinary and extraordinary ones, where the former (thuti mongs ky i bka' babs) are relevant with rGyal thang pa's account:

1. Vajrapani Saraha Luipa Darikapa -* Dehgipa: mahdmudra;

2. Ratnamati Nagarjuna Matariglpa: pitr-tantra;

3. Sumati Samantabhadri - ► Shing lo pa Thang lo pa Karnaripa: m dtf-tantra;

4. Virupa (Bhir wa pa) - ► Pombi Heruka Bhi na sa Lavapa Indrabhuti: advaita-tantra and prabhdsvara.

Such distinction could suggest the ordinary transmissions to have been the "historical" ones, while the latter were received by Tilopa "spiritually," whether by deeper insight or because of an acquired esoteric connection.

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|*rsrsipj3^c/$e/alc;si!

10 For others' benefit,The yogin and the heretic,The magician and the barmaid:Thy power brought them to discipline. Praise unto Thee!

99 |

11 In Thy many guises,The law of cause and effect, virtue and sin, Thou revealed;Thou converted the butcher and the sorcerer,Working for the benefit of the world. [To Thee] Lord praise be!

Verses 10 and 11 refer to the conversion of eight people—seven men and one woman—owing to their meeting with Tilopa: a yogin (fols. 13b.5- 14b.6), a tirthtka (fols. 14b.6-15a.7), a maker of illusions (fols. 15a.7-16a.5), and a barmaid (fol.16a.5-b.7) in the former; a Lokayatika (rGyang phan pa) denying any empirical basis to the law of karmati (fols. 17a.4-18a.4), a butcher (fol.l8a.7-b.3), a singer, not mentioned in the verse (fols. 18b.3- 19a.l), and a powerful sorcerer (fol.l9a.l-b.l) in the latter. According to the stereotypes of the hagiographic anecdotic, each episode develops itself into a confrontation. Each confrontation ends with Tilopa's triumph and the conversion of the other. Each conversion is followed by the bestowal of instructions to the new disciple.

Apart from the hagiography composed by lHa btsun Rin chen mam rgyal which is interspersed with some long songs by Tilopa (mam mgur),

rGyal thang pa's and the other mam thars usually preserve only few lines of those instructions. However, a full record of them can be found in the tantric section (rgyud 'gret) of the bsTari 'gyur, under the title Acintya-

moMmudra (Phyag rgya chen po bsam gyis m i khyab pa): Vol.pu of the sNar thang (fols. 139b.l-148b.2) and Peking (fols. 145a.4-155a.l; Otani no.4635; 7T Vol.82, pp.38-42) editions, and Vol.zta of the sDe dge (fols. 245b.3- 253a.5; Tdhoku nos. 2305-2312) and Co ne (245b.3-253a.5) editions.

A THIRTEENTH CENTURY. 15

12 Sometimes thou appeared as a monk;Knowing grammar and logic without any studyThou converted and liberated the King and his retinue.O Incarnated Lord, praise unto Thee!

Some mam thars put the monastic experience of Tilopa even before his journey to Uddiyana. As for the monastery, it is worth mentioning what P. Niyogi (1980: 68-69), writing of the great Pinda vihara, or Pandita vihara, "in the city of Catighabo (i.e. modem Chittagong) in Bhaipgala," that "Tillopada, a contemporary of Mahlpala I of Bengal [...], a siddha, was associated with this vihara." We are told by Mar pa (fol.4a.7-b.4) that Tilopa was dwelling by a temple (lha khatig) where an uncle of his was accustomed to lecture the PrajfiaparamiM. There a Dakini instructed and exhorted him to go out into the world. Mar pa goes on to depict Tilopa's new life (fol.4b.4): at night, inviting and accompanying men to the prosti­tute Bharima's and, during the day, thrashing sesame grains. Consistent with Mar pa, Taranatha's bKa' babs bdun Idan (chap.IV) informs us that Tilopa joined the daughter of a sesame trasher and gave up his monastic life. As a sesame trasher himself, Tilopa went to many countries: among them, Uddiyana, where he received instructions from the Dakinis.

Lines 12b c allude to three episodes where the other main dramatis

persona is a King Simhacandra (Seng ge zla ba). These episodes mark Tilopa's progressive transfiguration. In the first (fols. 19b.3-20a.5), he reveals himself as an emanation of Cakrasamvara at the physical level (bde

mchog Ichor lo 'i sprul par bstan pa). In the second (fol.20a.5-b.4), he appears as Cakrasaipvara himself (bde mchog Ichor lo dngos su bstan pa). In the third which usually closes the mam thars (fols. 20b.4-21a.2), Tilopa shows him­self as the synthesis of the bodies of all Buddhas of the three times (dus

gsum gy i songs rgyas thams cad ky i sku 'dus pa), simultaneously taking many divine aspects: Cakrasamvara for the Body, Hevajra for the Speech, Mahamaya for the Mind, Guhyasamaja (gSang ba 'dus pa) for the senses, Kr§nayamari (sGra rgyud nag po) for the limbs, Vajrabhairava (rDo rje 'jigs byed) for the subtler parts of the body.

16 THE TIBET JOURNAL

|s i^ * e i§ '^ s r a * * ^ * s i^ a } |

js^q^irargqi'aagarq^i n |

13 O Great Lord Tilopa,Having shown Thy complete liberation to be immeasurable, As a Rainbow Body, Thou departed into space.For [these] deeds, I devoutly give praise unto Thee!

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Nd ro pa'i mam thar rin po che, fols. lb-68a. Photostat: Bka' brgyud gser 'phreh rgyas

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collection of verse hagiographies of the succession of eminent masters of the 'Brug-pa

Dkar-brgyud-pa tradition by Rgyal-thah-pa Bde-chen-rdo-rje, reproduced from a rare

manuscript from the library of the Hemis Monastery by the 8th Khams-sprul Don-brgyud-fli-ma, Tashijong, Palampur, 1973, pp. 16-57.

lHa btsun Rin chen mam rgyal, Sangs rgyas thorns cad kyi mam 'phrul rje btsun Ti lo pa'i mam mgur, fols. la-24a. Photostat: Rare Dkar-brgyud-pa texts from Himachal Pradesh. A collection of biographical works and philosophical treatises, reproduced from prints from ancient western Tibetan blocks by Urgyan Dorje, N ew Delhi, 1976, pp.37-83.

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A THIRTEENTH CENTURY... 17

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