[ebook] ch_drak rinpoche, khenpo -- the lifestory of naropa 1#2 (buddhism, english)

7/25/2019 [eBook] Ch_drak Rinpoche, Khenpo -- The Lifestory of Naropa 1#2 (Buddhism, English)

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Khenpo Chodrak Rinpoche

"The Lifestory Of Naropa (Part 1)"

Naropa's Search For Tiopa

"Naropa was a scholar in the tenth century. There are different opinions on where he was

born. Some biographers say he was born in Bangladesh, but according to Marpa, one of his

main students, he was born in Lahore, India. is family was !ery powerful and rich. t that

time, it was common for people who wor#ed for such families, to refer to the master as #ing.

Therefore, some biographers claim that Naropa was a prince. "

Naropa$s childhood and marriage

In the first part of his life, young Naropa studied e!erything according to a Brahmin tradition.

is father was probably a Buddhist because Naropa recei!ed Buddhist training at home. %ne

day he re&uested permission of his father to ta#e ordination to become a mon#. is fatherrefused.

To ma#e his father gi!e him permission, he said, "If I cannot become a mon#, I want to marry

a girl who comes from a Brahmin family, who is a indu, who has lo!e and compassion. er

name is Sangmo and she is blond." e added also that the girl must be '( years old.

is father thought that he could ne!er find such a girl, so he consulted a friend. The friend

told him not to worry, that India is a big country, and it should be possible to find this girl

somewhere.

The friend started to search e!erywhere. %ne day he saw a group of girls who were pic#ing

flowers. t that time pic#ing flowers normally meant that one was preparing them as offerings

to the gods or deities. This indicated they were indus. It started to rain and all the girls left.

They had to cross a ri!er so they lifted up their s#irts. %ne of them did not lift her s#irt) she

*ust wal#ed through the water. In that way the friend noticed that she was different from the

others. %n the other side of the ri!er was a beggar sitting on the road to whom this girl ga!e

some food. The friend also noticed that she had blond hair. e went to her and as#ed from

what family she came. She told him she was from a Brahmin family, her name was Sangmo,

and she was si+teen years old.

The friend was !ery happy. e returned and reported that he had seen the girl. Naropa$s father,full of *oy, told Naropa the girl was found and soon he would in!ite her to come. delegation

was sent to the girls parents to as# them for the girl as a wife to Naropa. They brought with

them a hundred elephants carrying all #inds of gifts- sil!er, gold, e!erything precious. In that

way she married Naropa.

Naropa was a householder until he was /0 years old. Then he and his wife agreed that they

both would be ordained and he went to Nalanda 1ni!ersity.

Nalanda 1ni!ersity

t Nalanda, he studied Buddhist philosophy, both Sutra and Tantra. e became the greatest

scholar of Nalanda. t that time it was a tradition that scholars from other religions 2e.g., the

indu religion3 would challenge Buddhist scholars in debate. 4hoe!er won the debate wouldbecome the teacher of the loser and his students. Therefore it was essential that the debaters


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#new the topics !ery well. In the whole of India it was li#e that. If the scholar was not

&ualified, it was a ris#y affair.

5or that reason the four best scholars at Nalanda 1ni!ersity would be selected to debate. 6ach

scholar was responsible for each of the uni!ersity$s gates in the four directions. Naropa

became a great scholar for the North gate and engaged in many debates. e also taught andac&uired disciples. e himself was con!inced that he was a great scholar.

%ne day when he was sitting and reading his te+ts, a shadow suddenly fell on the boo#. e

turned and saw an e+tremely old and ugly woman. She as#ed him, "4hat are you studying7

4hat are you reading7" e replied, "I am studying 8uhyasama*a tantra." She as#ed, "9an

you read the words7" ":es," he answered and started to recite the te+t.

%n hearing that she became so happy that she *umped around and started to dance. Naropa

thought- "She became so happy when I told her I can read, I will also tell her I can understand

it." e said- "I also understand the meaning."

She then became !ery sad and started to cry. Naropa said, ":ou were so happy that I can read,

but now you are so sad because I said I understand the meaning. 4hy7" She answered, "I$msad because a great scholar li#e you is lying. This is !ery sad. Today in the whole world, there

is nobody but my brother who understands the meaning of the words." Naropa then as#ed

who her brother was and where he li!ed. She answered, "My brother is Tilo Sherab Sangpo. It

is uncertain where he li!es, but if you want to meet him, I will help you."

%n hearing the name of Tilopa, Naropa felt a strong de!otion that he had ne!er e+perienced

before. The only thought he had in his mind was to find Tilopa. e wanted immediately to go

and see him.

e went bac# to the 1ni!ersity and as#ed for permission to lea!e. e said he was going to

meet Tilopa. ll the scholars of Nalanda 1ni!ersity pleaded with him to stay and for three

months he could not lea!e. In his dreams he got many signs that he should go.

5inally, he told them he was sorry but that he had made up his mind, and that he would lea!e

no matter who as#ed him to stay. e agreed to stay until he had completed the teachings he

had already started, but he would not initiate any new teachings.

The search for Tilopa, and the '/ minor hardships

Naropa left Nalanda 1ni!ersity to loo# for Tilopa. e recei!ed a prophecy that he should

meditate on 9ha#rasam!ara and complete that meditation. e then would get indications

where to find Tilopa.

e went to a cemetery in southern India where he meditated for si+ months on9ha#rasam!ara. 5inally he recei!ed a prophecy by da#inis telling him that to meet Tilopa he

should go east. 6nduring many hardships he tra!elled east, but he did not find Tilopa.

e was about to gi!e up because it was too difficult and he did not ha!e any strength left.

Then he heard a !oice that told him that la;iness is the wor# of demons. %nly if he ga!e up

la;iness, would he meet Tilopa and get enlightened.

5rom this point on, e!ery e!ent and e!erything told in connection with Naropa$s life story are

actually teachings on the path to enlightenment. They describe e+actly what Tilopa taught

Naropa and what is necessary for someone to reach enlightenment. The first thing one has to

gi!e up is la;iness, because otherwise one has no chance of reaching enlightenment) there is

no enlightenment combined with la;iness.Naropa ga!e up la;iness and became !ery diligent. s he continued his path he prayed to


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Tilopa day and night.

'3 Not long after that, he arri!ed at a narrow path with a roc# on one side and a ri!er on the

other. e met a sic# woman lying on the path. She had leprosy so bad that her feet and hands

had nearly disappeared. She had infected wounds all o!er with blood and pus coming out

e!erywhere. She was bloc#ing the narrow path. She said to him, "I$m sorry, but I can$t mo!e,so you should mo!e me, wal# o!er me, or go another way".

There was nothing he could do, so he held his nose, loo#ed away because it was so disgusting

to loo# at her, and *umped o!er her. Immediately she disappeared, and a !oice came from the

s#y telling him, "If one practices the Mahayana path, one has to ha!e lo!e and compassion. If

one does not ha!e lo!e and compassion, one does not practices the Mahayana path and will

not be able to get the result of that path. %ne will also ne!er be able to find one$s teacher. ll

sentient beings are li#e one$s parents, that is why in order to practice the Mahayana one may

not e+clude e!en one single sentient being." e thereafter continued de!eloping his

Bodhicitta and tried to increase his lo!e and compassion.

/3 gain he went towards the east in order to find Tilopa. e came to a ri!er where he met aferocious dog with wounds full of worms. The dog was aggressi!e and bar#ed angrily at him.

e tried to send the dog away but it would not mo!e. t last he *umped o!er it, because he

wanted to continue his search for Tilopa. Immediately a !oice told him, "If one does not

understand that all beings in the world, from all si+ e+istences ha!e been one$s parents at one

time or another, then one will ne!er be able to meet a good teacher, not e!en a bad teacher."

These e!ents were Tilopa$s teachings.


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03 Naropa reached a place where he saw a terrifying scene of one person pouring hot water

into the open stomach of another person. The latter was screaming and blood was flowing.

Naropa as#ed if they #new where Tilopa was. To get an answer he first had to pour more

water into the stomach. gain he could not do it.

This time after the people had !anished, he was told by the !oice in the s#y that the teachingsof the lamas are li#e the flow of water and that they ha!e to be used to purify the impurity of

one$s own mind. It cannot be done through purifying anything outside.

The impurity of his mind that he should ha!e purified at this time was his clinging to the

concept of himself as a mon#.

(3 Naropa continued and came to a beautiful town with a #ing who #new about Tilopa, but

wanted him to stay in his palace for a while before gi!ing him an answer. Naropa accepted

and stayed there for a long time, ma#ing prayers for the family, and li!ing in !ery comfortable

conditions.

%ne day the #ing as#ed him to marry his daughter. s a mon#, Naropa refused. The #inginsisted and finally got !ery upset at his refusal and had him beaten. Naropa got !ery angry

and started to do his 9ha#rasam!ara recitation in order to ma#e blac# magic against the #ing.

>ust as he started, the whole town disappeared and there was only sand left.

The teaching from this was that one must abandon desire and anger. %therwise it will not be

possible to meet a teacher and without a teacher, no liberation is possible. Naropa had *ust

demonstrated his desire by staying for so long and his anger by getting upset when he was

beaten. %nce more he did not understand that it was not real, and he was taught that he should

understand the dreamli#e nature of e!erything.

4hate!er one e+periences is created through one$s own emotions of desire and anger. These

create the world we e+perience which has no true essence. Since beginningless time it has

ne!er e+isted.

?3 Naropa was now con!inced that it was Tilopa he met e!erytime.

@raying to Tilopa, he continued tra!elling 6ast. 5inally he came to a big forest. deer rushed

by, followed by bar#ing dogs and a hunter. Naropa as#ed him if he #new Tilopa and where he

could find him. The man replied, ":es I do, but first you ha!e to #ill one antelope."

Naropa still had some doubts in his mind because he was a mon# and not supposed to #ill any

li!ing being. t the same moment, the antelopes and dogs disappeared and the hunter told him

that he had to o!ercome the clinging to his self. Li#e the arrow that #ills the deer, his

understanding should ma#e an end to his clinging to an I.

e should free himself from doubts. s long as he still had doubts in his mind he would notbe able to meet his teacher.

A3 Naropa came to a la#e where he met an old couple. e as#ed them if they #new Tilopa and

where he could find him. They said they #new him, but first they wanted to in!ite Naropa into

their house for a meal.

The wife was preparing the meal, putting li!e frogs and fish into boiling water. Naropa was

offered the soup. Seeing the animals being boiled, he had doubts if he as a mon# could eat it.

5urthermore as he was a mon# he was not supposed to eat in the e!ening time. 4hen he

loo#ed at the soup the husband said to his wife, "This man is following the lower school of

Buddhism, Thera!ada, so he is not allowed to eat in the e!ening."

Then he too# the frogs and the fish and threw them up in the air where they dissol!ed intorainbows.


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The old man told Naropa that as long as he had the smallest concepts of the lower path left in

his mind he would not find his lama. Before he disappeared he said that he would #ill his

parents the ne+t day.

This teaching meant to show the necessity for Naropa to let go of his clinging to ideas and

concepts of the lower !ehicle 2inayana or Thera!ada3.

Naropa e+pected to meet somebody #illing his parents who might #now where Tilopa was.This time he was prepared and determined to do whate!er he was as#ed and find out where

Tilopa was.

3 The ne+t day he did meet a person #illing his father with a trident and digging a hole in the

ground to bury his mother ali!e. The parents were screaming to Naropa, "@lease, help us. 4e

ha!e been so #ind to our son and now he wants to #ill us. @lease, helpC"

gain Naropa as#ed for Tilopa. The man #new about him, but wanted Naropa to help him

bury his mother first. The screaming and the pleading of the parents where too much for

Naropa) he still had some small doubts in his mind. Immediately the parents disappeared. The

man then taught him that he had to completely dissol!e any #ind of dualistic concept, any

#ind of clinging to ob*ect and sub*ect.This man told Naropa that the ne+t day he should go begging for alms.

'D3 Naropa thought that it meant that he would meet a begging mon# who could help him to

find Tilopa. Therefore he went to a monastery. 4hen he reached there, he met a few mon#s.

%ne of the mon#s li!ing in the monastery had met Naropa before and the others had heard

about him since he was a famous scholar from Nalanda. So they in!ited him inside.

gain he as#ed if they had heard about Tilopa and where he could find him. They ne!er heard

about this great teacher but they #new about a poor beggar called Tilopa.

Naropa was sure he would meet his teacher. 4ith some mon#s from the monastery he went to

a place where a man was sitting on the ground. Sometimes he would ta#e a frog, throw it into

the fire, and eat it. s Naropa was con!inced that this was his teacher Tilopa he started

prostrating in front of him and as#ed if he could be his disciple.

The man agreed, too# a handful of lice from his body, ga!e them to Naropa, and told him that

he had to gi!e up all concepts. e then as#ed him to throw the lice into the fire. The mon#s

from the monastery were all loo#ing at him, so Naropa hesitated. The beggar then told him

that if he did not burn all 0' mental e!ents arising in a mind functioning on it$s ordinary le!el

he could not meet the right lama.

''3 Naropa continued his *ourney and the ne+t day he arri!ed at a !ery strange place with lots

of people who did not loo# li#e ordinary people. %ne person was spea#ing without a tongue)

another was deaf, but listening to a sound) a blind man was watching) some were wal#ingwithout legs, and some corpses were dancing. There were all #inds of weird appearances.

e got &uite distracted loo#ing at these phenomena. Suddenly he reali;ed that he was

distracted and that he should instead pull himself together and concentrate on finding Tilopa.

The moment he reali;ed that e!erything disappeared. e was told that how he was loo#ing for

his lama was not the right way.

"The lama you want to find is a reali;ed being. In order to find him you ha!e to concentrate

your mind on him. 4hene!er you do so he will be there. Now you were *ust loo#ing at these

strange appearances and you got distracted."

"These strange beings you saw symboli;ed that there is no real sub*ect and ob*ect.

The blind man watching symboli;ed that if you want to understand the nature of mind, the

Mahamudra, you must reali;e that there is nobody loo#ing at anything, you must go beyondthe idea of somebody loo#ing at something.


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The person spea#ing without a tongue and the deaf listening to a sound symboli;ed that

reali;ation as such can ne!er be e+pressed by words.

The man wal#ing without legs symboli;ed that the nature of mind is beyond coming and

going. It is not coming from anywhere and also not going anywhere.

The dancing corpses symboli;ed that you must free yourself from the idea of a percei!ing

ob*ect and a percei!ing mind."

'/3 Naropa reali;ed that it had all been a creation of his lama and that he had not really

understood what was going on. e felt sad and he regretted that he had not been able to

understand it. e decided that from now on he had to stay at this place and meditate.

So he did, but since he still did not meet with Tilopa, he lost all his courage. Naropa thought

he might not be able to meet his teacher in this life, so he decided to ma#e !ery strong wishes

that he would be able to meet him in his ne+t life, and he was planning to #ill himself.

e too# a #nife, put it to his throat but in this moment a bluish man with red eyes appeared in

front of him. Naropa reali;ed that this was Tilopa himself. 5ull of de!otion he opened himself

to Tilopa and as#ed why he had not appeared before and why he had not been able to see him.

Tilopa told Naropa that since the time he started loo#ing for him, he had always been with

him. 4home!er he had met had always been Tilopa himself. %nly the obscurations in

Naropa$s mind had pre!ented him from seeing his teacher. Now he was free of obscurations

and was able to see Tilopa.

Source-

Eagyu Life "International", No.

[ebook] ch_drak rinpoche, khenpo -- the lifestory of naropa 1#2 (buddhism, english)

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