Garab Dorje
Garab Dorje (T. dga' rab rdo rje དགའ་རབ་རྡོ་རྗེ་) (fl. 55 CE) was the semi-historical first human teacher of Atiyoga (also known as Dzogchen) according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
According to tradition, the Dzogchen teachings were passed from the primordial buddha Samantabhadra to the buddha Vajrasattva, who transmitted them to the first human lineage holder, Garab Dorje.
Garab Dorje then passed the teachings to his disciple Mañjushrimitra.
Padmasambhava is also said to have received the transmission of the Dzogchen tantras directly from Garab Dorje.
Instructions to Manjushrimitra
Before becoming Garab Dorje's student, Manjushrimitra heard of Garab Dorje's Dzogchen teachings, and sought a debate to defeat the heretical views. Manjushrimitra lost the debate and realized his errors. Garab Dorje then gave Manjushrimitra the complete Dzogchen empowerments, and summarized his teaching as follows:
As Garab Dorje attained paranirvana, his body dissolved into a mist of rainbow light. Manjushrimitra called to his teacher and Garab Dorje responded by handing his last teaching to Manjushrimitra, which was enclosed in a golden casket the size of a thumbnail. Inside, the three statements known as the Three Words that Strike to the Heart of the Essential Point, or Tsig Sum Nèdek, (Wylie: tshig gSum gNad brDeg) contain the whole of the Dzogchen teachings, and are a universal introduction to Dzogchen.[1]
The three statements are:
Introducing directly the face of rigpa itself. (ngo rang tok tu tré)
Deciding upon one thing and one thing only. (tak chik tok tu ché)
Confidence directly in the liberation of rising thoughts. (deng drol tok tu cha)[2]
Garab Dorje's "Three Words" are considered the essential teaching by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and the infallible key point by Patrul Rinpoche.
Notes
Sources
- Garab Dorje (n.d.), The Three Statements that Strike the Vital Point, translated by Lotsawa House, Lotsawa House
- Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche; Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche (2008), Illuminating the Path: Ngondro Instructions According to the Nyingma School of Vajrayana Buddhism, Padmasambhava Buddhist Center
Further reading
- Dargyay, Eva M. (1998) [1977]. Wayman, Alex, ed. The Rise of Esoteric Buddhism in Tibet. Buddhist Tradition Series. 32 (2nd revised ed.). Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt Ltd. ISBN 81-208-1579-3.
- Germano, David Francis (1992). Poetic thought, the intelligent Universe, and the mystery of self: The Tantric synthesis of rDzogs Chen in fourteenth century Tibet (PDF) (Thesis). The University of Wisconsin, Madison. Doctoral thesis. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-01. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
- Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche; Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche (1998). Lion's Gaze: A Commentary on Tsig Sum Nedek. Translated by Sarah Harding. Sky Dancer Press. ISBN 978-1880975046.
- Kunsang, Erik Pema (tr.) (2006). Wellsprings of the Great Perfection: The Lives and Insights of the Early Masters (1st ed.). Hong Kong: Rangjung Yeshe Publications. ISBN 978-9627341574.
- Manjushrimitra (2001). Primordial Experience: An Introduction to rDzogs-chen Meditation. Translated by Norbu, Namkhai; Lipman, Kennard. Shambhala Publications. ISBN 978-1570628986.
- Reynolds, John Myrdhin (tr.) (2000) [1989]. Self-Liberation Through Seeing with Naked Awareness [rig pa ngo sprod gcer mthong rang grol] (revised ed.). Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 978-1559391443.
- Reynolds, John Myrdhin (1996). The Golden Letters. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 978-1-55939-050-7.
Tulku Thondup (1999), Masters of Meditation and Miracles, Boston: Shambhala
External links
Garab Dorje, Tsadra Commons
Garab Dorje, Rigpa Shedra Wiki
Garab Dorje series, Lotsawa House
Garab Dorje, Wikipedia
