Hermit of Go Cliffs: Timeless Instructions from a Tibetan Mystic

223 Pages·2000·8.7 MB·English

by  Cyrus Stearns

HERMIT OF GO CLIFFS
TIMELESS INSTRUCTIONS
from a TIBETAN MYSTIC
Translated and Introduced by
Cyrus Stearns
WisDoM PuBLICATIONS • BosToN
WISdom Publications
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Somerville MA =44
c:>.ooo Cyrus Stearns
All rights tcSCrved,
No pan of this book may be reptoduced in any form
or by any means, elcuonic or mechanical, including
photography, recording. or by any information storage
and retrieval system or rechnologies now known or later
dcvel_oped, without permission In writing from the
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l.ibra1] ofCtJngnss Cttaloging-in-Publiuthm Dt1111
Ko-brag-pa Bsod-nams-rgyal-mtshan, 117o-1249·
[Ko-brag-pa'i mgur 'bum. English and Tibetan]
Hermit of Go Cliffs : timeless instructions from
a Tibetan mystic I translated and ·
introduced by Cyrus Stearns.
p. em.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN o-86171-164-S (alk. paper).
1. Ko-brag-pa Bsod-nams-rgyal-mtshan, 117o-1249·
1. Spiritual life-Buddhism-Early works to r8oo.
3· Lamas-China-Tibet-Biography-Early works to t8oo.
4· Buddhist meditations-Early works to 18oo.
I. Stearns, Cyrus, 1949- II. Title.
BQ968.017 A3 1000
194·3'913'091-dcu
[B) 99-o8ho1
ISBN o-86171-164-s
os 04 03 01 01
6 4 1
Design: Gopa and MacBcar
Cover Photo: Samding Monastery, the home of the Samding Dorje Phagmo,
. the only incarnation line of female tcachen in TibeL Photo by Andy Quintman.
W1sdom Publications' books are prinred on acid-free
paper and meet the guidelines for the permanence
and durability of the Production Guidelines for Book
Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.
Prinred in the United StateS ofA merica
CONTENTS
List of illustrations ix
Preface and Acknowledgments xi
Introduction
I. The Tradition I
2. The Life 6
3· The Songs 14
Notes to the Introd~ction 21
THE COLLECTED SONGS ofth~ADEPT GODRAKPA 29
WHO IS PEERLESS IN THE THREE REALMS
I From when I was first a small child 33
2 I'm beggar, I'm spiritual friend 39
3 For those who act from the heart according ~o Dharma 45
4 Since I'm beggar and spiritual friend 47
5 A yogi like the sky 53
6 Homage to the masters; my spiritual fathers 59
7 The birth of faith is easy 65
8 Homage to the masters, my spiritual fathers 69
9 When there's no realization, these external appearances 73
IO This lord and master is like a guide for the blind 77
II I take refuge in the kind lord 8I
12 When clinging to a self among
the aggregates hasn't been abandoned 87
13 · The indisputable Kagyu 91
14 This youthful vitality is like a flower in spring 95
15 I'm this Langkor beggar 99
16 Homage to the precious masters' 101
17 I'm a beggar yogi 105.
x8 In saxpsara, which is like a dream and illusion 107
19 Look, my son! 109
20 Even though you are rich with gems III
21 Death is the mirror of mind Il3
22. Learning is like a design in water II7
23 Homage to the masters Il9
24 The drought of my own desires has vanished 123
25 External apprehended objects like the sky 125
26 Watching-watching the Khawo glacier
in the upper valley 127
27 Both the nightingale and I 129
28 I'm the <J.akini of the heights of the sky 131
29 At first, when I was still at home 133
30 Springs erupt in the meadows during
the three months of summer 137
31 For rulers with servants gathered as a retinue 139
32 This morning I came from the expanse of reality 143
33 No home to uphold 145
vi
34 After guarding-guarding the home 147
35 Saffron root in _the land of Kashmir 151
36 Body impermanent like spring mist 153
37 How do. you people see the show? 155
38 When this beggar wasn't old, but young 157
39 External sky empty of subStantiality and characteriStic 161
40 Now what year is the year this year? 163
41 That spacious site of Tingri 165
42 Numerous planets and stars in the sky 167
43 ~n the vast plain of emptiness 169
44 Precious lord and kind master "'171
Colophon 175
Notes to the Translation 177
Bibliography 199
Index 205
vii

ILLUSTRATIONS
I. View of the Gyirong Valley from Mt. Riwo Balbar s
(photo by Andy Quintman)
2. View looking south on the Tmgri Plains. 7
(photo by Andy Quintman)
3· Image atTragar Daso ofLhatsun Rinchen Namgyd, IS
the editor of Godrakpa's collected songs
4· Bozer Pass. The entrance to Rongshar Valley 42
in the Chubar/Drin region. Godrakpa spent time
in caves in this area. (photo by Andy Quintman)
S· Chubar Region 50
(photo by Andy Quintman)
6. Mt. Tseringma from above the village of Drinthang 9~
(photo by Andy Quintman)
7· The village and monastery ofTmgri Langkor IIO
(photo by Andy Quintman)
8. The bridge bdow Tragar Daso I 52
(photo by Nazneen Zafar)
9· Woodblocks for printing books at Tragar Daso, I74
where Godrakpa's collected songs were first published
(photo by Andy Quintman)
ix
PUBLISHER'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT
THE PUBLISHER gratefully acknowledges the generous help of the Hershey
Family Foundation in sponsoring the publication of this book.
X