Publication: Blue Annals, Part 9 (Chapter 1, Kodrakpa)
Blue Annals Contents | Blue Annals Outline
Extracted from the Blue Annals (pages ) of Go Lotsawa Zhonnu Pal (1392-1481) using the digitized text of THDL.
9.1.1 Biography of Kodrakpa
{R726} The most famous kobrag pa bsodnams rgyal mtshan: his native place was Dinri. He belonged to the ldon clan, and was born in the year Water Male Tiger (chu pho stag 182 A.D.), as son of father gtsobo rgyal gyun and mother stod rjema. (This Water Tiger year) is the year of the birth of the Dharmasvāmin Sakya Paṇḍita. He mastered reading and writing without effort. He took the upāsaka vows from se migpa, and heard the blo byon and other texts from panchen Śakyaśri. He heard the exposition of the rig 'dzin bcu and the explanation (dmar khrid) of the sampaṇakrama degree (rdzogs rim) from the bla ma rdorje dpal of gyam. He also heard the doctrine of the Great Achievement and other texts from rgya phug jo sras. He stayed in seclusion at gyang rim and kong mo'i ri, and the understanding of the Great Seal (Mahāmudra) was born in him. He heard the initiation into the Cycle of Saṃvara from the mahāpaṇḍita Ratnarakshita. After that he stayed at la phyi and other places. At the age of 29, he received the final monastic ordination, after having requested the Dharmasvāmin skos to act as upādhyāya, phya ru 'dul 'dzin as ācārya, and the ācārya lo as Secret Preceptor. He received the name of bsod nams rgyal mtshan. He journeyed to ti se (Kailasa) and spent five years there. He obtained the realization of the Noumenal Aspect (ji lta ba) and that of the Phenomenal Aspect (ji snyedpa). In particular, he obtained a true understanding of the nature (gnas lugs) of the Vajrakāya. The nāga of ma pham offered him divine water.
Later, when he {R727} founded the monastery of ko brag in Upper myang, he miraculously discovered a spring in barren soil, and became known as ko bragpa. He then became the, disciple of all the best adepts and scholars, and there did not exist a doctrine which he did not know. He invited Vibhūticandra from Nepal to din ri, and heard from him the precepts of the Sadaṇga yoga (sbyor ba yan lag drug), which had been bestowed on Vibhūticandra by sabari (Savari) dban phyug, The paṇḍita also heard some doctrines from him. He labored extensively and without interruption for the welfare of living beings, and passed away at the age of 80, in the year Iron Female Hen (lcags mo bya 1261 A.D.). I wrote about him separately because I do not know whether this great man belonged to any particular lineage.
9.1.2 Disciples of Kodrakpa
His chief disciples: dpal yang dgon pa, his elder brother rin po che rgyal mtshan pa, rin po che lha pa, rin po che rgyal po, rin po che bar 'brog pa, rin po che chos sling pa, dran ston sher seng, rin po che dga' ldan pa, rin po che gtsang so pa, rin po che ston grub pa, rtogs ldan dkon seng, and many others. jo bo lha, mchims nam mkha' grags, mkhan chen de rus pa, khu lung pa, lo zhing pa, grags byang pa, 'ol rgod pa, phu ri pa ston lo che, glang ri ba, and many other Masters of the Doctrine (bstan pa'i bdag po). dpyal pa lo tsa, khro phu lo tsa, chag lo tsa, nam mkha'i dpal lo tsa, ras pa lo tsa, and many other translators (lo tsa ba). The kalyāṇamitra gtsang pa, the kalyāṇamitra nyi ma, jam dbyangs gsar ma, rgyang ro gzhon rin, mnga' ris dgra bcom, nyi ma spral nag, gtsang pa drug po, mkhas btsun byang chub, and many other scholars. gsal pa, lho brag lung pa, rgal gyam pa, rnel gyam pa, snyo mnga' ba, rgyal mtshan grags, ser ma pa, phu gu ra pa, srang skya pa, myang 'tshal pa, lha rje skyob 'pa, pho rog pa, lcab pe ba, dbrang ston phul dmar pa, kon g ston pa, so zur pa, bla ma ba ri ba and brother. seng ge rdzong pa, gyam shing, rong thong pa, gnyos ston zhig po, sham 'bum, dngos chos shes, rdza ri ba, myang ro pa, .gu rgyal ba, {R728} chu mig pa, yar 'brog dkar po, se zhig, 'ong pho of khams, bra' o' pa, dom thod can, dar seng, and many other heads of monasteries and kalyāṇamitras. 'phan yul mdo thod lo pa, za lung pa, lho brag pa, stod lungs pa, yar klungs pa, and many other kalyāṇamitras of dbus.
Further, numerous female kalyāṇamitras and female siḍhās, heads of monasteries, bla mas, zhig po % and others. In short, all bowed before his feet masters of the Old and New Tantras, kings, Mongol nobles of the Imperial family, officials, {(2a)} land owners, and others.
Among these, one named pho rog mdo sde mgon or bya skyungs pa was born in the year Wood Female Hare (sin mo yos 1195 A.D.), and died at the age of 63 in the year Fire Serpent (me sbrul 1257 A.D.).
The Chapter on Kodrakpa and his disciples.
See Hermit of Go Cliffs Timeless Instructions From A Tibetan Mystic. Translated & Introduced by Cyrus Stearns. Wisdom Publications: Boston, 2000.