“WHITE ROCK” AN ISOLATED AND BLESSED PLACE TO ATTAIN SIDDHIS: 7th Karmapa’s guidebook to the “Vajrayogini place for attainment” Dra-kar, and his unparalleled catalogue of Indian Mahamudra texts

” In these degenerate times, most people engage in non-virtuous deeds, and delight in distraction. All joyful solitary places of attainment have become empty, and all ordained monks and tantric practitioners have taken up residence in towns, living alongside householders, only distinguished by a change in colour of clothes. Their behavior is even more deplorable than that of householders.  In this current time, even one who stays in a blissful place or a place of attainment is rare.”

“More than a league away from the distractions of towns, Not disturbed by constant distractions, Adorned with many auspicious and virtuous signs. In this place, those who desire the two types of siddhis, should consider it very suitable as a place to rely upon.”–7th Karmapa, Chodrag Gyatso (excerpt from “Guidebook to Dra-kar”)

“For two or three centuries the Kagyu shedras had been torn down, and the transmissions on the teachings of the great texts were lost. Later, in Kham, monastic colleges were established in Palpung and Zurmang but due to the thirteen [Gelug] great monasteries they were unable to teach the texts of the 7th or 8th Karmapa.  Because of this, forget about other schools, even within the Kagyu followers, we did not know we had these commentaries on the five great texts. They did not know, so we cannot blame ourselves for this.” –17th Karmapa (2023 )

Introduction

For Dakini Day today, am sharing some new research, photos and translation on the renowned White Rock (Dra-kar) retreat place, said to have been written by the 7th Karmapa, Chodrag Gyatso (chos grags rgya mtsho, 1454-1506), recently shared in Tibetan on the Layjang Office Facebook page, with some stunning photos.

I have written before about the 7th Karmapa in 2023  “EARRINGS OF THE INDIAN MAHĀSIDDHAS”: 7th KARMAPA’S ASTONISHING LEGACY OF INDIAN MAHĀMUDRĀ TEXTS. The 7th Karmapa’s handwritten, ‘dictated from memory’ vast collection of Indian Mahāmudrā texts (Chag Chen Gya Zhung): An overview of its publication, contents, and newly translated catalogue (English, Sanskrit Tibetan). The catalogue (on its own without introduction)  can now also be downloaded on Academia edu website, which I uploaded today. I also re-share some of this again today below, “handwritten from memory” as one of the most amazing legacies of the Karmapas.

Drag-kar Monastery Guidebook by 7th Karmapa

The 12th-century Kagyu hermitage of Drakkar is famous as the site where 11th-century Tibetan yogi and poet Milarepa spent nine years meditating in two caves in Kyirong in western Tibet.  Getting to the main shrines involves a climb of around 350 vertical metres on concrete steps. Halfway up branch left to the cave where Milarepa spent three years in retreat, then continue up to the main cave where he spent a further six years. A small inner chamber holds his staff and footprint.

The guidebook by 7th Karmapa posted does not contain any reference to the edition. However, here is my English translation below with a brief introduction. It is in verse format.

The 7th Karmapa starts with describing the importance of meditating in solitary and simple places, and then launches into a criticism of ordained monks and tantric practitioners who distinguish themselves from laypeople by their robes only:

7th Karmapa and the Indian mahāmudrā texts: “handwritten from memory”

“For example, one can call a beggar by the name of a King, but they are still beggars. Whether they have that name or not, who will actually think they are a King? Merely having the name of a King, other than everyone finding it ridiculous and strange,  no one will think that beggar is a King. So there is no point in naming a beggar a King, there is no point in doing that. And  those who do not have the fortune to be able to develop Mahāmudrā, he [the Karmapa] did not teach them Mahāmudrā. Even if he taught them, it would be pointless. Because they do not have the fortune, capacity or preparations they need to develop Mahāmudrā meditation, and so it is too early to teach them Mahāmudrā.” —17th Karmapa (Spring Teaching 2023, Day 3)

The 7th Karmapa’s presentation of the Indian mahāmudrā texts (phyag chen rgya gzhung) is the largest and only Tibetan anthology ever compiled of these texts.  Basically, all the Tibetan mahāmudrā teachings are based on 7^th Karmapa’s preservation of them. An amazing Karmapa legacy indeed! [1]

In one of the first (and very few) academic articles on the 7^th Karmapa’s anthology, Prof. Klaus-Dieter Mathes (2011)[2] says that:

“In the thirteenth century certain aspects of the Kagyu (Bka’ brgyud) teachings on mahāmudrā became highly controversial, such as the assertion of the possibility of a sudden liberating realisation or of a beginner’s attaining mahāmudrā even without tantric empowerment. Such teachings were propagated by Gampopa (Sgam po pa) (1079–1153), but criticised by Sakya Pandita (Sa skya Paṇḍita) (1182–1251), who maintained that there is no conventional expression for mahāmudrā in the pāramitā tradition and that the wisdom of mahāmudrā can only be a wisdom that has arisen from empowerment.

Go Lotsawa Zhonu Pel (’Gos Lo tsā ba Gzhon nu dpal) (1392–1481) defended Gampopa’s notion of mahāmudrā, however, by pointing out its Indian origins in the persons of Jñānakīrti (tenth/eleventh century) and Maitrīpa (ca. 1007–ca. 1085), together with the latter’s disciple Sahajavajra (eleventh century). The works of these masters belong to a genre of literature that was eventually called “Indian mahāmudrā works”.

The other most recent and major work on the 7^th Karmapa’s collection of Indian mahāmudrā texts, is their actual translation by Karl Brunnholzl in several volumes called Sounds of Innate Freedom (Wisdom Publications, 2023). I have been unable to read his book because it is expensive, and I was based in India.    However, when Brunnholzl was recently interviewed by Wisdom Publications podcast here, he only briefly speaks about the 7^th Karmapa’s contribution (44 minutes in), which is surprising, considering that was the entire textual basis for his book.[3] 

Interestingly, when Brunnholzl is asked about the 7^th Karmapa’s realisation of mahāmudrā itself, Brunnholzl states that he cannot say, but shares that if one looks at the 7^th Karmapa’s commentary on the Pramāṇavārttika, according to the scribe, it was basically composed  like a dohā/Song, with the 7^th Karmapa dictating the whole text from his mind, without looking at a book, which shows his level of memory and realisation! Brunnholzl also said he does not know why the 7^th Karmapa compiled these texts, but  as they include the entire spectrum of most of the texts in the Tengyur, and also texts that are not in there, it could be called the ‘Canon of the Mahāsiddhas’. Even more astonishing was that it was handwritten from memory before there was an actual Tibetan print of the Tengyur, which is why there are variations in those texts compared with the texts in the Tibetan Tengyur.

As to the question whether such commercially sold, and publicly available translations of such oral instruction texts for all is helpful, legitimate and permitted (many say it is not), see more on that in my article. Personally, I think not, as I explained in my Introduction to Dakini Translations here, it is important for a translator/scholar to have a deep connection to Vajrayāna texts, authors and practices. In fact, the 17^th Karmapa recently stated (2023) that qualified (or even unqualified) masters teaching mahāmudrā to unqualified students was pointless (and even potentially, harmful), see quote.

For a general audience, interested in the historical background and general contents of the Indian mahāmudrā texts I offered offer this freely available and accessible article with a full catalogue.[4] In the article, there are the following topics:

1. Extant editions of the 7^th Karmapa’s collection with brief overview of 19th century Palpung edition, compiled by Karma Tashi Chophel, a student of the 1^st Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye.
2. Brief overview of the contents/authors of the Indian mahāmudrā texts collection.
3. Should mahāmudrā texts be translated, taught and/or publicly shared for commercial purchase and general consumption, particularly by people who have not realised mahāmudrā?
4. Translation of 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche 2023 Teaching on the meaning of Mahāmudrā (Day 2)
5. Appendix: Full catalogue of the English-language translated titles of the Indian mahāmudrā works (with Sanskrit and Tibetan) collection by 7^th Karmapa (based on the Palpung edition). Downloadable as a pdf here:  Catalogue of the Indian Mahāmudrā texts collection of 7th Karmapa .

As is to be expected in the male-dominated scholarship, the female roots of these mahāmudrā sources and lineages is hardly, if at all mentioned. Brunnholzl very briefly talks in the interview about what initially seems like very few texts in the collection by women, which on looking more closely, the number of dohās/songs by women is significant, including famed female siddha Lakshminkara. For a more general discussion of the important female roots and teachers of Vajrayāna, see my presentation at the 4^th Vajrayāna conference in Bhutan, Going Back to the Roots of Vajrayāna here. For a particular focus on women in mahāmudrā, read the Unsung Heroines of Mahāmudrā and Source of Saraha’s Songs, here.

TRANSLATION: The Guidebook to Drakkar,

by 7th Gyalwang Karmapa,Chokdrak Gyatso

རྒྱལ་དབང་ཆོས་གྲགས་རྒྱ་མཚོས་མཛད་པའི་བྲག་དཀར་གནས་ཡིག

For those who wish to accomplish all aims,
both temporary and ultimate, the Victorious Ones and their great sons,
the supreme objects worthy of praise and veneration in the world,
have said that achieving virtue will lead to accomplishment.
Moreover, it is also said that if one practices in a solitary place,
especially in a place blessed by supreme practitioners,
where heros and dakinis gather,
one will swiftly attain the two siddhis and other attainments.

Therefore, great places of attainment,
such as the places and sub-places,
both outer and inner, as described in the tantric scriptures,
and in the great northern land of Tibet,
there are many remarkable places that have been directly blessed and subsequently prophesied
by numerous powerful adepts, including the master Padmasambhava.

However, in these degenerate times, most people engage in non-virtuous deeds, and delight in distraction. All joyful solitary places of attainment have become empty, and all ordained monks and tantric practitioners have taken up residence in towns, living alongside householders, only distinguished by a change in colour of clothes. Their behavior is even more deplorable than that of householders.  In this current time, even one who stays in a blissful place or a place of attainment is rare.

Each of the places of accomplishment places we see is a place of profound significance and remarkable wonder. Thus, we are inspired to cherish and honor the tradition of places of accomplishment and the practice of mantra.  In particular, we are deeply moved to adopt and praise this place, known as the Dra Kar (White Rock), as a site for the attainment of enlightenment.

For, as it is renowned, this place is the northern gateway of the glorious Tsari Trik, known as the Tilgro. The outer gateway is the mountain of the Elephant, while the inner gateway is the Lo Ka Phrang. These are the gates of the sacred site, as spoken by Padmasambhava. At the outer gate, we find the protector of the Dharma, the great king Vaishravana, and the representations of the body of the Buddha. At the middle gate, the representations of the speech of the Buddha, such as stupas, are clearly present. At the inner gate, there are two stupas containing the relics of the Tathagata, as well as the eight self-manifest stupas on the mountain range.

The principal representations of the mind of the Buddha, and the representations of the body, include the Hayagriva and the Lord of Secrets. There is also the water spring that purifies impurities, and the five water springs of the five dakinis. A little further, we find the dwelling of the Naga King Saugma, where the precious treasures are said to exist. This site, like the sacred lake of Manasarovar, is the source of the four rivers that flow down: the northern river of the Peacock. At the head of this river, on the hard rock, there are the footprints of Padmasambhava and the staff of Yeshe Tsogyal.

However, the principal deity of this site is the Blessed Vajra Yogini, whose body mandala is clearly present, and from which flows the secret ambrosial water. She is surrounded by the dakinis of the various families, and the deities of the three channels and the four cakras of the body, speech, and mind. The natural forms of the letters are also clearly visible, which are explained in detail in the previous scrolls. Additionally, there are ten blessed life spans bestowed by Padmasambhava, and other previously renowned sites, which are clearly described in the previous scrolls.

And others that have not been known before,
At the peak of the central jewel, there is a white parasol,
And in the middle of that central jewel,
There is the six-syllable mantra of Avalokiteshvara,
With the main deity and two attendants, clearly present.
At the place where Padmasambhava is naturally present,
There is the letter ‘A’ and especially ‘HUNG’,
Naturally written and clearly visible.
In the center of the retreat place, there is a large statue of the Great Sage,
Surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas.
In the eastern rock, the Dharma protector Palden Lhamo,
Is present with the main deity and two attendants,
In the form of a standing statue, clearly visible.
Furthermore, there are countless self-manifestations of statues, letters, and so on,
Appearing, but in this age of degeneration, with the great doubts of beings,
It is feared that doubts may arise, so this has not been mentioned.
In this way, there are many wondrous self-manifestations of objects of worship,
And the dakinis gather like clouds.

This place, which is part of their circle,
Includes places such as the Hundred Thousand Dakini Fortress and others in the surrounding area.
In all these places, many practitioners of enlightenment
Increase, and at the request of Karma, who is renowned,
This place has been praised.

E MA HO! This place has been blessed by the main siddhas of India and Tibet,
And the assembly of dakinis, such as Vajra Yogini,
Gathers, and various forms of the body’s manifestations,
Appear in accordance with the perceptions of pure and impure disciples.
This place, where various forms appear in accordance with the perceptions of disciples,
Is not too difficult to achieve the necessary conditions,
And is more than a league away from the distractions of towns,
Not disturbed by constant distractions,
And adorned with many auspicious and virtuous signs.
In this place, those who desire the two types of siddhis
Should consider it very suitable as a place to rely upon.”

ORGINAL TIBETAN (published on Layjang Office)