Dorje+Chang+With+Explanation+4!18!2013

7/27/2019 Dorje+Chang+With+Explanation+4!18!2013

1/11

THEKARMAKAGYU LIEAGE PRAYER(The Dorje Chang Tungma)

!, ,hR-eJ-:(%-(J/-+N-=R-/-


2/11

3*3-3J.-:PR-3$R/-?$?-0R-2!:-2o.-=, ,

YAMMEDRO GO DAGPO KAGYU LAunequalled protectors of beings, the Dagpo Kagyu,

$?R=-2-:.J2?-?R-2!:-2o.-]-3-i3?, ,

SOLWADEB SOKAGYU LAMAAMKagyu lamas, I supplicate you

2o.-0-:6B/-/R-i3-,


3/11

3/-%$-$+J


4/11

&A-;%-3-;A/-&A


5/11

amo Buddha Publications 2013 The Karma Kagyu Lineage Prayer with comments Page 5

Figure 1

Dusum Khyenpa

Dusum Khyenpa was the first Karmapa

and began the Karma Kagyu lineage. He

lived from 1110 to 1193 and the lineages

900th year was celebrated just recently (in

2012).

Figure 4:

The Four Greater and and Eight Lesser linages.

These are actually misnamed because the greater lineages simply means those closest to

Gampopa and lesser means those lineages one teacher removed from Gampopa.


6/11


7/11


Figure 3

List of the Persons and deities in the Lineage Tree


8/11

Figure 5An Abbreviated Form of the Lineage Tree


Visualizing every detail of the lineage tree is difficult. So one can begin by visualizing the

major figures which are listed above and appear mostly in the central top part of the tree. Thrangu

Rinpoche says that one begins with only a vague feeling of the lineage that is very unclear. Then

gradually one can concentrate on these main figures and begin to see them with Vajradhara who is

in the center of the tree.

The persons with the black dakini hats are the 16 Karmapas. The persons with the red hats

are usually lineage holders while the Karmapas are growing up.


9/11

Figure 6

The Meaning of Vajradhara and the Lineage

by Khenpo Kathar Rinpoche

We are presently under the guidance of the teachings of fourth Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha,

who took birth in India and lived 81 years, during which time he turned the wheel of the Dharma three

times. From Shakyamuni Buddha, a nirmanakaya aspect of enlightenment, an unbroken transmission

was passed down to such great masters as Nagarjuna and Asanga, and they in turn brought the teachings

to Tibet, where the four great schools of Tibetan Buddhism developed. All these teachings originated

from the nirmanakaya aspect of enlightenment. The origin of the nirmanakaya is the sambhogakaya as-

pect of enlightenment, and the origin of the sambhogakaya is the dharmakaya. An example of the nir-

manakaya, sambhogakaya, and dharmakaya aspects is that of the clarity and light in this room

originating from the clarity and light outside the house, and the clarity and light outside the house origi-

nating from the sun. Therefore, the origin of the teachings and the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism is

the dharmakaya aspect or that of Vajradhara or Samantabhadra, the realization of the ultimate state of

enlightenment.

We are dependent upon the light outside the house to brighten this room. The clarity and light

outside originates with the sun. To realize the state of Vajradhara or Samantabhadra is to become like the

sun itself and no longer dependent upon the light outside for illumination.

It is for this reason that in all the schools of the Kagyupas, Gelugpas, and Sakyapas, the trans-

mission of lineage goes back to Vajradhara. Why it goes back to Vajradhara and not to Shakyamuni Bud-

dha is that it refers directly back to the essence of enlightenment, the origin of the light, which is the sun

itself and not just the light of the sun. It is the same in the Nyingmapa tradition, where the teachings do

not originate with Padmasambhava or Shakyamuni Buddha, but with Samantabhadra. Since the ultimate

source is the dharmakaya, all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism originated with Vajradhara or Samantab-

hadra. The activity of Vajradhara is to benefit all beings without discrimination or judgment.There is sometimes confusion in the minds of new students as to whether either Vajradhara or

Samantabhadra is superior to the other. So there is actually no difference at all between Vajradhara and

Samantabhadra.

In one sense there is no difference between the two, but we can note that there are two names.

The Sanskrit word Samantabhadra in Tibetan is kuntuzangpo, kuntu meaning ultimately and zangpo

meaning goodness. What is known as Kuntuzangpo is primordially free from any fault, stain, or

mental confusion, and therefore is not only presently pure, but also can never be defiled in the future.

The Sanskrit word Vajradhara in Tibetan is Dorje Chang, with dorje meaning indestructibility and

changmeaning permanently possessed. The quality that enlightened beings have realized is within all

sentient beings. What is known as Dorje Chang is the full realization and stabilization of the enlightened

quality within all beings.

It can be further noted that when Samantabhadra and Vajradhara are depicted in thangka paint-ings, one is shown without ornaments and garments, and the other is shown with ornaments and gar-

ments. Samantabhadra is depicted naked, without ornaments and garments, to symbolize that his state

of realization is unconditionally free from mental projection and primordially pure, as is the dhar-

makaya. Vajradhara is depicted with heavenly ornaments and garments to symbolize his capacity to

ceaselessly benefit and fulfill the needs of all living beings through the means of sambhogakaya and nir-

manakaya emanations.



10/11

In the Uttaratantra Shastra, Maitreya explains that the actual enlightened being is Samantab-

hadra or Vajradhara, and the emanation aspect of enlightenment is Shakyamuni Buddha, who appeared

on the earth. Shakyamuni Buddha himself explained that he had not spoken any words nor had he ever

given teachings, and that it was only through the karmic manifestation and karmic capacity of sentient

beings that they had heard him teach. Why Shakyamuni Buddha said that he never taught any teachings

is that in the dharmakaya or ultimate aspect of enlightenment, he never gave teachings. Shakyamuni

Buddha was an emanation and not an ultimate aspect of enlightenment. It was through the emanation or

nirmanakaya aspect of enlightenment that people heard different teachings according to their karmic ca-

pacity.

The sun and Vajradhara never actually appear on the earth, it is rather the light of the sun and the

emanation of Vajradhara that sentient beings experience through their capacity and purity of mind. For

example, enlightened beings are beyond mental conception. Like the sun, they have no wish to shine

only on this part of the world or to benefit only here or there, they just simply shine. The luminosity of

the sun is perceived in its different aspects by many beings according to their capacity. The beings who

have physical form experience the warmth of the sun and are benefited, although the sun did not pur-

posely give that warmth to benefit them. The sentient beings who have bodies experience warmth sim-

ply because they have physical form. The light of the sun enables beings to see things clearly because

they have eyes. Just as the light of the sun enables those with eyes to see clearly, it is the capacity andpurity of mind that enable beings to experience the nirmanakaya aspect of enlightenment. Vajradhara

does not actually appear on the earth.

For that reason, although Shakyamuni Buddha passed into nirvana about 2530 years ago, we are

still able to experience his blessing through our devotion, confidence, and practice because the ultimate

realization of Buddhahood, the dharmakaya or Vajradhara aspect of enlightenment, never dies. As long

as the sun is above in the sky, a temporary cloud may obscure its light, but that does not mean the sun

has lost its light; the sun is always shining. Likewise, although there is a very long lapse of time between

the passing away of Shakyamuni Buddha and our present age, if we practice diligently with faith and

confidence, we are still capable of experiencing the blessing of the Buddha because Vajradhara is still

there. The Vajradhara aspect is ceaselessly present.

The activity of Vajradhara is to benefit all beings without discrimination or judgment, just as it is

inherent in the nature of the trees that grow on the earth to burn when set on fire. The nature of anywood, regardless of where it is grown, is to burn; the nature of the activity of Vajradhara is to benefit

sentient beings, regardless of what type of living being they may be. It is not only in the Buddha-nature

of the Vajradhara aspect of ultimate enlightenment to benefit sentient beings; Buddha-nature is also in-

herent in all living beings like ourselves as well.

We can all agree that the nature of wood is that it burns; but it must meet with the cause of burn-

ing as it cannot burn itself. Although the Buddha-nature or Vajradhara aspect of enlightenment is within

all living beings like ourselves, without meeting the cause to ripen this quality, we are unable to realize

it. That is why all the teachers in all the schools emphasize the importance of the lineage gurus who have

obtained the unbroken transmission. By practicing according to their teachings, we are meeting the

cause to ripen our buddha nature.

Meeting the cause of ripening our mind is necessary to experience the enlightenment of ourmind. In the teachings it is said that one butter lamp lights another. It is like having a hundred candles.

When one candle is burning, the next candle can also be lit when it meets the flame of the first candle,

and then the third candle can be lit when it meets the flame of the second, and the same with the fourth,

and so forth. If you leave a candle on a shrine, it cannot light up without meeting a flame; it needs to

meet with such a cause.

Without knowing the meaning of the actual Vajradhara, many students new to the Dharma ask

questions such as who the father or mother of Vajradhara are, and when Vajradhara took birth. There are



11/11

other students who think that Vajradhara is a superior human being living high above in the sky. These

ideas stem from a lack of understanding of the enlightenment aspect. Because of this lack of understand-

ing, Vajradhara is believed to exist actually in physical form, abiding above us in some heavenly place,

although he is beyond words and conception. Although the state of Vajradhara is beyond words and con-

ception, it is something within ourselves which through our diligence and practice we are able to experi-

ence. Vajradhara is not anything separate or different from ourselves.

When we state that there is no physical form to Vajradhara, the argument can still be made that

we can see a dark blue human being who wears ornaments and silks and holds a bell and vajra in tangka

paintings. These are all really symbolic gestures to enable students to understand the enlightened aspect.

The dark blue color, bell, and vajra symbolize the indestructibility of Vajradhara. The dark blue also con-

notes his ceaseless activity to benefit beings, and his ornaments symbolize the preciousness of benefiting

all living beings.

Those who are familiar with the Mahamudra supplication prayer know we begin it by reciting,

Great Dorje Chang (Tibetan for Vajradhara), Telo, Naro. . . It is very important to have an understand-

ing of Vajradhara be cause everything that comes later is based on this ultimate aspect of enlightenment.

If we misunderstand anything now, then we might become confused later. We must be sure that we cor-

rectly understand the meaning of Vajradhara, so we can correctly relate to future teachings.

This teaching was given by Ven. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche at KTD, Woodstock, March 25-30, 1986. It

was translated by Chojor Radha, and edited by Tina Armond.

The words in Tibetan cannot be transliterated exactly. To get their precise pronunciation, go to

www.amoBuddhaPub.com and click on free. There you can click on the MP3 across from the Dorje

Chang Prayer and hear it sung by Thrangu Rinpoche and his monks.


Figure 7

This brief explanation is based on a much

longer book by Thrangu Rinpoche called

Showing the Path of Liberationis available at:

www.NamoBuddhaPub.comunder books.

Other resources

Also Thrangu Rinpoche gave a shorter week-

end teaching on the Lineage Prayer in Tucson

and this teaching is being published by Namo

Buddha Publications in the near future.

Thrangu Rinpoches foremost teacher Tulku

Damcho has given a set of teachings on the

Lineage prayer and the video DVD of these

teachings are available.

See www.NamoBuddhaPub.com

Dorje+Chang+With+Explanation+4!18!2013

Documents

Transcript of Dorje+Chang+With+Explanation+4!18!2013