Redmda' ba Buddhist Yogi-Scholar of the Fourteenth Century: The Forgotten Reviver of Madhyamaka Philosophy in Tibet

492 Pages·2009·58.14 MB·English

by  Carola Roloff

the watermark
Contributions to Tibetan Studies
Edited by David P. Jackson and Franz-Karl Ehrhard
Volume 7
WIESBADEN 2009
DR. LUDWIG REICHERT VERLAG
Redmda' ba
Buddhist Yogi-Scholar of the Fourteenth Century
The Forgotten Reviver of Madhyamaka Philosophy in Tibet
by
Carola Roloff
WIESBADEN 2009
DR. LUDWIG REICHERT VERLAG
Roloff
Redmda' ba
Gedruckt mit Unterstutzung des Tibetischen Zentrums e.v., Hamburg
Bibliografische Information der Deutschen N ationalbibliothek
Die Deutsche N ationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen
Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet tiber
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© 2009 Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag Wiesbaden
www.reichert-verlag.de
ISBN: 978-3-89500-693-7
Das Werk einschlieGlich aller seiner Teile ist urheberrechtlich geschutzt.
Jede Verwertung auBerhalb der engen Grenzen des Urheberrechtsgesetzes
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sondere fur Vervielfaltigungen, Dbersetzungen, Mikroverfilmungen und
die Einspeichemng und Verarbeitung in elektronischen Systemen.
Printed in Germany
In memory of
my teacher
Ven. Geshe Thubten Ngawang (1932-2003)
and my mother
Gerda Roloff (1934-2004)
Homage to Chos rje gZhon blo ba by rJe Tsong kha pa
~'ll S·i!l·e-r~~·t.l~·lQ~·?fa,E.e-r·t.l~·lS~~·l
l£jt:ll~·i!l·Q~·Q~·t:Il~~·~~·~~·~~·t:IlSt:ll~·l
t:Il~~·:o~·e-rfl~·t.l~·~t:Il·~~·~l·e-rla,·Q·l
t:Il~~·~~~~·~Q~·a,y·~t:Il·a,iSa,y·arll
Lord of stainless wisdom, MafijusrI,
Huge treasure of great objectless compassion, Avalokitesvara,
Crown ornament among scholars of the land of snow, Redmda' ba,
gZhon nu blo gros, I pay homage to you.
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS XI
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS XII
LIST OF TABLES XII
INTRODUCTION I
purpose of the Study 2
Overview 7
Limiting of the Topic and Methodology 8
Modelling of Red mda' ba's Biography on the Biography of the Buddha 9
STATE OF RESEARCH 13
Red mda' ba's Impact on the History of Tibetan Buddhism 14
A Main Teacher of Tsong kha pa 15
His Role in the History ofMadhyamaka as the True Reviver ofthe Prasangika-Madhyamaka
Tradition 16
An Influential Early Opponent of the Jo nang Tradition and the Kalacakratantra 25
His Role within the Synthesis of the rNgog pa and Sa skya pa Scholastic Lineages 28
Red mda' ba's Tshad rna Studies in Sa skya 29
Red mda' ba's Phar phyin Studies 32
The Scholastic System of Teaching and Learning 33
HISTORICAL SOURCES ON RED MDA' BA'S LIFE 37
Biographies of Red mda' ba 37
Primary Sources 37
Secondary Sources 39
Modem Tibetan Secondary Literature 42
INTRODUCTION TO THE TEXT EDITION OF THE BIOGRAPHY BY SANGS RGYAS RTSE MO 43
The Two Primary Textual Witnesses 43
Manuscript A 44
Manuscript B 45
Secondary Textual Witnesses 46
The Minor Works of Red mda' ba 46
Ye shes rgyal mtshan 47
Zhalgdams 48
Aim of Editing 48
Methodology of Editing 49
Relationship Between the Two Surviving Primary Witnesses 50
Details of Editing 53
Peculiarities of Manuscripts A and B 55
Abbreviations in the Edition and Apparatus 55
Transliteration System 56
Lists of Abbreviations used in the Cursive Manuscripts 57
Shorthands for Monosyllabic Words (mgyogs bris) 57
Contractions (bsdu yig) 58
Elided Spelling (skung yig) 60
TEXT EDITION 67
ENGLISH 'TRANSLATION 197
THE WRITINGS OF RED MDA' BA 267
The Minor Works of Red mda' ba 272
TABULAR CURRICULUM VITAE OF RED MDA' BA 289
CONCLUSIONS 297
ApPENDICES 303
Appendix A: Red mda' ba's Autobiography 303
Appendix B: Letter to the [Great] Teacher [Buddha Siikyamum] 307
ABBREVIATIONS 315
NOTES 319
BIBLIOGRAPHY 435
INDEX 457
Acknowledgements
This thesis is the result of a PhD research project carried out at the Department offudian and
Tibetan Studies of the Asia and Africa Institute at the University of Hamburg and in cooperation
with the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies SamatbNaranasi. Both parties supported
me excellently in the course of the thesis: Above all, my sincere thanks go to Prof. Dr. David P.
Jackson for his support while supervising this thesis. His valuable remarks also significantly
contributed to this dissertation. It was Jackson who first introduced me as MA student in the
-iD.teresting period of Tibetan scholastiCism, where Red mda' ba and Tsong kha pa are the most
outstanding figures.
I would also like to thank the scholars and staff of the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan
. Studies for their support during my stays as researcher for altogether ten months in 2006 and
2007. My thanks go to the director, Prof. Geshe Ngawang Samten, and especially to Dr. Tashi
Tsering, Acarya Lobsang Norbu Siistri, Acarya JampaDhadak, TenzinLungtok Sastri, all of
_w hom made my stay more pleasant and fruitful. I also do not want to miss the opportunity to
thank the owners of the Agrawal Paying Guest House for taking so nicely care of me during
'both stays.
-Additionally, many thanks go to Prof. Dr. Michael Zimmermann, Prof Dr. Eva Neumaier, Prof
"Dr.
Lambert Schmithausen, Prof. Dr. Harunaga Isaacson, PD Dr. Felix Erb, Dr. Dorji
--,\Yangchlik; Ven. Damcho Dianna Finnegan, Dr. Gene Smith, Prof. Dr. Franz-Karl Ehrhard, PD
. Dr. Karl-Heinz Everding, Prof Dr. Jens-Uwe Hartmann, PD Dr. AdelheidHermann-Pfandt, PD
Dr. Ulrike Roesler, Prof. Dr. Jan-Ulrich Sobisch, Prof Dr. JosefKeuffer (pedagogy), and Sera
Jhe Abbot Ven. Acarya Geshe Lobsang Palden, Geshe Sonam Rinchen, teacher at the Library
of Tibetan Works & Archives in Dharamsala as well as many other colleagues, especially
Alexander Schiller, Volker Caumans and Kazuo Kano for their support at various stages of the
project. I would also like to thank the Tara Foundation, Tibetan Centre Hamburg, especially
Beate Ludwig, Thorsten Grigat and Prof. Dr. Marlis Diirkop, as well as the Foundation for
Buddhist Studies for their timely financial support
Last but not least, I wish to thank my family and friends for their patience and understanding for
my being less available to them. My special thanks go to Irmtraut Wager, my sister Monika
Schiirzeberg and her family, Gabriele Kiistermann, Moni Kellermann, Dr. Thea Mohr, Dr.
Annette Kleinbrod, Christof Spitz, Dr. med. Wolfuanl Starke, Dr. med. Eva Kuczewski, and
Gabriela Reichert, not only for their inunense encouragement and moral support, but also for
practical help such as in getting texts from Nepal and Tibet, and technical support.