Nalanda Translation Committee. - The Rain of wisdom: the essence of the ocean of true meaning ..., the vajra songs of the Kagyü gurus

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THE RAIN OF WISDOM

THE ESSENCE OF THE OCEAN OF TRUE MEANING

Bringing the Rain of Wisdom
The Spontaneous Self-Liberation
The Blazing Great Bliss
The Quick Path to Realization of the Supreme Siddhi
THE VAJRA SONGS OF THE KAGY GURUS

Translated by the Nland Translation Committee
under the direction of Chgyam Trungpa

2018

SHAMBHALA

BOULDER

SHAMBHALA PUBLICATIONS, INC.

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Boulder, Colorado 80301

www.shambhala.com

1980 by Diana J. Mukpo

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Main entry under title:

The rain of wisdom...

Bibliography: p.

Includes index.

1. Spiritual life (Buddhism) 2. Bka-rgyud-pa lamasTibet. I. Trungpa, Chgyam, 19391987. II. Nalanda Translation Committee. III. Title.

BQ7679.6.B3813 294.3443 80-16685

eISBN 9780834821460

ISBN 978-1-59030-901-8

Nland Translation Committee

CHGYAM TRUNGPA, DIRECTOR

LAMA UGYEN SHENPEN

LOPPN LODR DORJE HOLM

LARRY MERMELSTEIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

DAVID COX

DANA DUDLEY

CHRISTINE KEYSER

SHERAP CHDZIN KOHN

ROBIN KORNMAN

JUD LEVINSON

JOHN ROCKWELL, JR.

CATHRYN STEIN

IVES WALDO

SCOTT WELLENBACH

GERRY WIENER

Chkyi Gyatso, the eleventh in the succession of supreme Trungpa tlkus, radiates like the sun all the precious teachings of the Kagy in all the kingdoms of the world. This is evidence of his ability to incarnate according to his wish. Not only has he properly translated into English the realization songs of the great siddhas of the Practice Lineage, but in the western land of America, he has spread the teachings of the Kagy in a hundred directions.

For the tenth year anniversary celebration, I, the holder of the crown and title of the glorious Karmapa, proclaimed these good wishes of auspiciousness in the Tibetan Iron Monkey year, on the fifth day of the Vaikha month, in the year 1980, on the good nineteenth day of the fifth month. UBHAM

by Chgyam Trungpa

I am very pleased to present this translation of The Rain of Wisdom, the Kagy Gurtso. I feel highly inspired by the translation work that I and my students have done. I am realizing for the first time that the basically theistic English language has now been blessed by the Practice Lineages and is becoming a great medium for expressing the nontheistic, enlightened dharma. I and my translators have worked very hard and feel somewhat proud of what we have produced.

When I was eight my tutor recommended that I use the life of Milarepa as part of my reading practice. I remember clearly the illuminated manuscript of Milarepas life that I used. Occasionally I would look at the illustrations and try to understand the contents. Reading this text not only improved my literacy, but aroused my feeling for the Kagy tradition and my admiration of Milarepas life and his asceticism.

I wept and laughed as my reading practice went on. Sometimes my tutor thought that I was weeping because I missed my mother, or because I was trying to get out of the harsh discipline that was part of my training. I used to tell him, No, Im crying because of what I am reading. So this reading had a profound effect on me. In fact, reading this book inspired me to compose beginning-level songs myself, which at that point I did by trial and error.

The sense of dedication and exertion that is expressed in the life examples and songs of our Kagy forefathers is something one can never forget. The Practice Lineage of the Kagy tradition inspires one to become fully involved in a heartfelt connection with the teachings. From my childhood until the present day, each time I open The Rain of Wisdom and read a few passages it makes me appreciate the hardships that our forefathers endured for the sake of future generations such as ourselves.

The Kagy tradition is said to be the most stubborn and honest in following its heritage. We take delight in our heritage. Doubt, challenge, hesitationin brief, any form of second thoughtsare not regarded as obstacles, but rather as fuel to push us further and cause our devotion and heartfelt longing to blaze, to increase our intense desire to follow the example of our forefathers. So we, as Kagys, have thrived on the transmissions of our forefathers, and sustained and nourished ourselves in reading and reciting their vajra songs along with their life stories.

As for myself, the older I get, the more of a Kagy person I become. Aging in this way is wonderful. My thanks and appreciation to the forefathers.

Because of the destruction of Tibetan tradition and the disruption of the Kagy dharma by the recent Communist takeover of Tibet, out of humble duty and with the inspiration of the Practice Lineage, I have accomplished some small deeds to enable the Practice Lineage to be kindled further. Here in North America and the Western world, a group of sincere students has gathered around mededicated practitioners who are free from arrogance, students who do not lean on their Kagy religion in order to glorify their individual egos. I am immensely thankful to my students, particularly my Vajra Regent, sel Tendzin, and to the guidance of my own teacher.

Needless to say, I am thankful to the splendor and magnificence of His Holiness the sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa. His manifestation and existence are so fortunate and powerful for us in this dark age. The propagation of the Kagy dharma is always within his empire. The brilliant sunshine of His Holinesss kindness, as well as that of Khyentse Rinpoche and Dudjom Rinpoche, has encouraged me in continuing my teaching in the Western world. Through their kindness they have acknowledged my transformation from a pebble to gold, and they have given me further responsibility as vajrcrya and vidydhara in the modern world, so that I can teach continuously and further the dharma of the Practice Lineages.

Nonetheless, even with such encouragement from the present lineage fathers and my devoted students, I have been left out in the cold as full-time garbageman, janitor, diaper service, and babysitter. So finally I alone have ended up as captain of this great vessel. I alone have to liberate its millions of passengers in this dark age. I alone have to sail this degraded sasric ocean, which is very turbulent. With the blessings of the lineage, and because of my unyielding vow, there is obviously no choice.

The readers of this book should reflect on the value and wisdom which exist in these songs of the lineage in the following ways. First there are the life examples of our forefathers to inspire our devotion. There are songs which help us understand the cause and effect of karma and so illuminate the path to liberation. There are songs which give instruction in relative bodhicitta, so that we can realize the immediacy of our connection to the dharma. Some are songs of mahmudr and transmit how we can actually join together bliss and emptiness through the profound methods of coemergence, melting, and bliss. Other songs show the realization of Buddha in the palm of our hand.