jam dbyangs mgon po paper

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A Bronze Portrait Image of Lo-ras-pa's DiscipleTibetological Remarks on an Item in a Recent Asian Art Catalog

Dan MartinJerus al em

A pr i l 6 , 2006

The purpose of this brief communication is to add some new information,based on my own research in Tibetan-language literary sources, to thedescription of an artwork published in a rece nt art museum catalog:

Pratapaditya Pal , Art f ro m t he Hi mal ay as & C hi na (As ian Art at theNorton Sim on Mus eum , Volum e 2) , Yale Univers ity Press inassociation with The Norton Simon Art Foundation (New Havenand London 2003) . ISBN 0 300 09926 6.

Not every product of a search into the Tibetan literary sources will be ofequal interest to the general museum-going public or deserve to figureprominently in museum labels and catalogs. Still , knowledge hasconsequences even for viewers with the most strictly aesthetic interests.However striking the museum piece, we still want to know how, when,where, why and by whom it was made (in a word, 'provenance'), just as we

want to know more about the subject portrayed. Beauty and knowledgedance together, sometimes uncomfortably and awkwardly, but in the endboth prevail, perhaps gaining somewhat in the process. Not to push theanalogy too far, we might also admit that a lack of knowledge may at timesenhance the sense of the beautiful, since sometimes with art objects, aswith dance partners, a bit of enigma may form part of the attraction. Ofcourse, it may be rather tedious to read about art without being able to seeit, so I recommend getting a copy of this marvelously illustrated book rightaway. If the book is not available in local bookstores or libraries, one maydo the second best thing and view the object at its official website:www.nortonsimon.org (and once there, use their search facility to look for

"Jamyang Gonpo"). Of course those who live in the Pasadena area ought tobe able to visit the image in person.

In the published catalog, a small bronze image is labeled as "Lama JamyangGonpo (?)" (page 150 and color illustration no. 101). The illustration of theimage bears a legible inscription (which is correctly transcribed in theaccompanying description): pha 'jam dbyangs mgon po la na mo .1 Thequestion mark following the identification is justified in the text with thefollowing words:

"Despite the inscription, however, the monk remains to be

identified. Very likely he belonged to the Sakya order forthe style of the figure and design of the robes are morecommon for lamas of that order."


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A rather thorough search through the resources available to me turned uponly one historical personage known by the name 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po,and He is a disciple of Lo-ras-pa. The fuller name of Lo-ras-pa is Rgyal-baLo-ras-pa Dbang-phyug-brtson-'grus, and His dates are1187 to 1250 CE. Lo-ras-pa initiated the special transmission of the Drukpa Kagyupa ('Brug-pa

Bka'-brgyud-pa) school known as the 'Lower Drukpa' (Smad 'Brug).2

'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po was born in 1208, 3 and although we know He lived wellbeyond the age of 43, we do not know the date of His death. It may be thatHe died during His visit to Wu-t'ai Shan, the holy mountain in Chinapresided over by the Bodhisattva Maju r. His name 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po was received rather late in life. The name is explained in the followingway. He supervised a ritual performance intended to avert an attack by theMongol army, and afterward people said that He was so wise that He mustbe none other than the Bodhisattva of wisdom and eloquence, Maju rHimself (the 'Jam-dbyangs element in His name actually translatesMajughoa, yet another name of Maju r, while mgon-po means 'lord' or

in Sanskrit n tha).

Apart from His impressive studies of the Indic stra literature (in Tibetantranslation of course), He received a large variety of the most esotericVajrayna transmissions that were available in the Tibet of His day. Mostsignificantly for posterity, He was the carrier of a special transmissioncalled the Five Capabilities ( Thub-pa Lnga , or in short form Thub Lnga) . Thisesoteric teaching was the main one that set the Lower Drukpa lineage apartfrom others.4 Lo-ras-pa expanded somewhat on the words of His teacherGtsang-pa Rgya-ras-pa to create the 'root text' of this teaching. These FiveCapabilities are:

1. Being capable of [facing] death: Mahmudr (Phyag-rgya-chen-po 'chi thub) .

2. Being capable of the cotton cloth: psychic heat (Gtum-moras thub) .

3. Being capable of the tantric activities done in seclusion(Gsang-spyod-kyi ri thub)

4. Being capable of [facing] the disturbances by 'don spirits:sickness (Nad 'don-gyi 'khrug thub) .

5. Being capable of [facing] circumstances: counter

measures [or 'antidotes'] (Gnyen-po rkyen thub-pa ).

All these secret teachings are Completion Stage practices ( rdzogs rim). Theyare secret because they should not be studied by persons who are notdirectly involved in their practice. It isn't so much that it is forbidden asthat it would serve no practical purpose except to lead tomisunderstanding. Generally speaking, Completion Stage practices requirefirst completing the Generation Stage (bskyed rim) and its very complex anddemanding meditations utilizing mantra repetitions and visualizations.

Today 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po ought to be remembered not only as the main

bearer of the Lower Drukpa lineage, but also as a figure in a number of'Cutting' (Gcod) lineages that came down from Ma-gcig Lab-sgron, Tibet'smost famous woman saint. His known surviving works belong to the


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Cutting lineage5 and not to the Lower Drukpa.6 Although certainly a monk,a scholar and a contemplative who spent many years of His life in seclusion,He had a rather unusual interest in worldly subjects, as may be known fromthe titles of works of His that, unfortunately for science, have probably notsurvived. In addition to works corresponding to the typical Indic stra genres on judging humans and horses, on medicinals and astro-sciences

He is said to have written something about making Chinese stoves (Rgyathab) .

Not much is known about His life apart from the rather short biographiesfound in the Blue Annals and in Padma-dkar-po's history.7 Still , there areindications of the one-time existence of a separately titled autobiography.8If this ever becomes available, it may be possible to achieve a fullercertainty on the identity of the person behind this portrait bronze, perhapseven better understand His iconography. Meanwhile, since there is noother candidate worthy of consideration, we may feel quite sure that thecongenial Lama portrayed in this small statue is none other than the Lower

Drukpa and Cutting master of the 13th century. He was probably not aSakyapa.9

Bibliographic Key:N o te : W o r k s with co mple te c i tat io ns in the no te s a r e no t r e pe ate d he r e .

Appey, Dkar-chag Khenpo Appey (= Mkhan-po A-pad Yon-tan-bzang-po), et

al . , Dkar-chag Mthong-bas Yid-'ph rog Chos-mdzod Dbye-ba'i Lde-mig: ABibliography of Sa-skya-pa Literature (= Sa-lugs Gsung-rab Dkar-chag Rag-bsdus) ,Ngawang Topgyal (New Delhi 1987).

Bsod-nams-don-grub, Bod-kyi Lo-rgyus Bsod-nams-don-grub, Bod-kyi Lo-rgyus Dpe-tho , Bod-ljongs Mi-dmangs Dpe-skrun-khang (Lhasa 2000).

Dalai Lama V, Gsan-yig Dalai Lama V Ngag-dbang-blo-bzang-rgya-mtsho(1617-1682), Thob-yig Gangga'i Chu-rgyun , Nechung & Lhakhar (Delhi 1970-1971), in four volumes.

Dung-dkar's dictionary Mkhas-dbang Dung-dkar Blo-bzang-'phrin-las Mchog-gis Mdzad-pa'i Bod Rig-pa'i Tshig-mdzod Chen-mo Shes-bya Rab- gsal , Krung-go'iBod Rig-pa Dpe-skrun-khang (Beijing 2002).

Essen and Thingo, Gtter Gerd-Wolfgang Essen and Tsering Tashi Thingo,Die Gtter des Himalaya: Buddhistische Kunst Tibets, Die Sammlung Gerd-Wolfgang Essen , Prestel-Verlag (Munich 1989).

Gangs-can Mkhas-grub Ko-zhul Grags-pa-'byung-gnas and Rgyal-ba-blo-bzang-mkhas-grub, Gangs-can Mkhas-grub Rim-byon Ming-mdzod , Kan-su'u Mi-rigs Dpe-skrun-khang (Lanzhou 1992).

'Gos Lo-ts-ba's history 'Gos Lo-ts-ba Gzhon-nu-dpal, The Blue Annals,George N. Roerich, et al. , trs., Motilal Banarsidass (Delhi 1949/1979).

Grags-can Mi-sna Don-rdor and Bstan-'dzin-chos-grags, Gangs-ljongs Lo-rgyus Thog-gi Grags-can Mi-sna , Bod-ljongs Mi-dmangs Dpe-skrun-khang(Lhasa 1993).


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the words 'higher' and 'lower' in the lineage names have nothing at all todo with one teaching being ranked above the other .5 These Cutting works are to be found in Gcod Tshogs-kyi Lag-len sogs ["acollection of Gcod texts representing the ancient practices of the adepts of

the tradition, reproduced directly from a rare manuscript collection fromLimi, Nepal"], D. Tsondu Senghe (Bir 1985). The two titles found here are:[Zab Don Thugs-kyi Snying-po] Bsdus-don , on pp. 101-103, and Spyi 'Khrid Chen-mo , on pp. 105-197 (these same texts may be found in the Gdams-ngag Mdzod as well). Both texts supply the name of the author in the Sanskritic formManydzu-gho-sha-na-tha (i.e. Majughoantha). I have located, but notyet inspe cted, another of His Cutting works in the collection of Tibetanbooks kept in the Oriental Institute in St. Petersburg. It bears the titleDgongs-bskyod-ma , and the library number B6646/6. It is a brief text, in fivewoodblock printed folios. Padma-dkar-po, in His Gsan-yig , p. 464, confirmsthat the Lower Drukpa master and the Cutting teacher are one and the same

person, in case any doubts remain in our minds. 6 According to the Library of Congress records, both He and His teacher Lo-ras-pa cooperated in writing some or all of the three texts contained in:Dam-chos Thub-pa Lnga'i Sngon-'gro Skor, Topden Tshering, Tibetan BonpoMonastic Centre (Dolanji 1976). All the works contained in this volume arealso to be found in Lo-ras-pa, Works , vol. 2, pp. 373-554; vol. 3, pp. 1-616. Inneither publication are there clear authorship colophons, with one singleexception, which says it was composed by Lo-ras-pa. Indeed, Padma-dkar-po (Gsan-yig, p. 420) seems to attribute the main collected teachings of theFive Capabilities to Lo-ras-pa alone (Bka'-tshoms-rnams Lo-ras-kyis mdzad-pa ),

but He does attribute to 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po some works on preliminarypractices (Sngon-'gro Chen-po Khrid Lnga / Byin-rlabs sogs Mkhas-pa 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-pos rgyas-su mdzad-pa ).7 'Gos Lo-ts-ba's history, pp. 676-680, and Padma-dkar-po's history, pp.587-588. The latter, although extremely brief, at least lists for us the titlesof a few of His Cutting works: Gcod-yul Zab-don Thugs-snying and Thabs-lamRdo-rje Tshig-'byed . Most biographical reference works simply extract theirinformation from the Blue Annals account; see Dung-dkar's dictionary, p.884; Gangs-can Mkhas-grub , pp. 634-636; Grags-can Mi-sna , pp. 301-303.8 Nothing apart from the title is known: ' Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po'i Phyi Nang

Gsang Gsum-gyi Rang-rnam . It is listed in Bsod-nams-don-grub, Bod-kyi Lo-rgyus , p. 168, no. 0836 (this book does often list titles of works known onlyfrom the bibliographical literature, so there is no proof here that the bookis presently available for inspection). One might think that this couldconcern a different 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po than our Lower Drukpa master.However, Padma-dkar-po, in His Gsan-yig, p. 450, confirms that anautobiography of the Lower Drukpa master 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po did exist("Smad 'Brug-gi mkhas-pa 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po'i Rnam-thar nyid-kyis mdzad-par. . .").9 Without the help of a digital text done under the sponsorship of Carola

Roloff (Hamburg), it would have been nigh impossible to locate a passage inDalai Lama V, Gsan-yig (vol. 1, folios 287-292). Here one named 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po is credited with writing an ancillary text to particular


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teachings associated with the Dmar-po Skor Gsum ('Three Cycles of the Red[crya]'), one of the Gser Chos ('Golden Teachings') associated with theSakyapa (Sa-skya) school. The particular teachings are on Kag-chod [orBkag-'chod] 'Dod-pa'i-rgyal-po; in Sanskrit, akkirja. For a remarkablepainting of this rather rarely depicted deity, who is no doubt a Vajray na

transformation of the god of desire Kma, see Essen and Tingo, Gtter, plate100 on p. 162. This would seem to raise the possibility that there was a'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po belonging to the Sakyapa, distinct from our LowerDrukpa master. Still , He is mentioned here only as author of an ancillarytext (and moreover one that was not part of the 'common' [thun-mong ] poolof teachings on the subject), and is not listed among the lineage holders. Ibelieve He is none other than our Lower Drukpa master, who could havereceived the teachings related to this same deity via His Bka'-brgyud-papredecessor Phag-mo-gru-pa, whose connections with the Sakyapa are wellknown (the Fifth Dalai Lama indeed mentions Phag-mo-gru-pa a few timesin connection with these very teachings; see also Appey, Dkar-chag, p. 419,where both Phag-mo-gru-pa and 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po are mentioned inthe context of a bibliography of the akkirja teachings) . The Fifth DalaiLama, due to political problems with the emerging state of Bhutan ('BrugYul), was opposed to the Drukpa school in general, which is why Drukpateachings are very seldom mentioned in this work on the teachings Hereceived. Still , 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po is mentioned elsewhere in His Gsan-yig (vol. 2, folios 85-86) as author of works on Cutting, and as a member ofCutting lineages. Note 'Jam-dbyangs-mgon-po's presence in a lineagelisting for yet another teaching that descended from the Red crya at vol .2, folio 225, as well as the brief mention of the Lower Drukpa school at vol.

2, folio 151. Some of the earliest teachers of the Sakyapa traditioncomposed works related to akkirja . Clearly more research could resul t ingreat clarity, which is the reason I hesitate to rush to any conclusion ofone-hundred-percent certainty.

jam dbyangs mgon po paper

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