On the 10th lunar day of the Horse month (3rd lunar month) of the Fire Horse year of 914 BCE, the Great Lama Drenpa Namkha was born in the kingdom of Zhang Zhung. (For more information about Drenpa Namkha, see previous article: https://ravencypresswood.com/2016/05/06/practice-of-the-great-lama-drenpa-namkha/ ) On the 10th lunar day of the Monkey month (5th lunar month) in the Water Monkey year of 888 BCE in the kingdom of Zhang Zhung, his twin sons Tséwang Rikdzin and Pema Tongdrol were born. For this reason, the 10th lunar day of each month is designated for the practice of the Great Lama Drenpa Namkha and his two sons, Tséwang Rikdzin and Pema Tongdrol. For the remainder of 2024, the 10th lunar day of each month coincides with July 16th, August 14th, September 13th, October 12th, November 11th, and December 10th. On these days, it is especially auspicious to recite prayers, supplicate, and make offerings to Lama Drenpa Namkha, Tséwang Rikdzin, and/or Pema Tongdrol.

The mother of the twins was the daughter of an Indian Brahmin, Khandro Öden Barma. It is said that Tséwang Rikdzin, named Yungdrung Dönsal at birth, was firstborn from the right side of her womb and had a peaceful, light-colored complexion with the mark of a yungdrung in the center of his forehead. While Pema Tongdrol was born from the left side of her womb and had a more wrathful, dark-colored complexion. As youths, Tséwang Rikdzin had a naturally peaceful disposition and his brother was more active and excitable. However, although they appeared like ordinary human beings to those with impure vision, both brothers were emanations of realized beings. Pema Tongdrol was an emanation of the yogi Takla Mébar and Tséwang Rikdzin was an emanation of Sangwa Düpa. Some years later, Öden Barma wanted to return to her birthplace in India and Drenpa Namkha wanted to stay in Zhang Zhung. Thus, due to various circumstances, the parents separated for a time. Pema Tongdrol went with his mother to India and Tséwang Rikdzin stayed with his father is Zhang Zhung. 

Tséwang Rikdzin’s hagiography in four volumes was discovered as a treasure text by Sang Ngak Lingpa. It details how, like his father, Tséwang Rikdzin remembered the teachings and practices of his previous 500 lifetimes. He attracted his own disciples, traveled to many sacred places in order to teach, meditate, and subdue harmful spirits. He practiced with six different khandro who had devoted their lives to religious practice and who attained their own realization and became lineage holders of Tséwang Rikdzin’s teachings. Although he could appear in any form necessary to help sentient beings, he is described as primarily having six different manifestations corresponding to the six different mountain retreats where he practiced and performed miracles. Because he transcended cyclic existence, purified all obscurations, and perfected all positive qualities, he is practiced as a yidam deity.

The Tséwang Jarima, Tséwang’s Cycle of Teachings Given at Bird Mountain, is a cycle of practices primarily focused on longevity, restoring and supporting the vital life force, and practices to pacify negative spirits endangering the health or lifespan. This cycle was established during his time practicing near Mt. Tisé (a.k.a Mt. Kailash.) At that time, a nyulé demoness and other evil-minded nyulé spirits were attacking the fertility of individuals and also cutting the lifespan of young children. Moved by compassion, Khandro Tukjé Kündrol appeared to Tséwang Rikdzin and transmitted a method for both protecting and restoring the lifespan. This practice for longevity and healing is widely practiced to this day. (For more about the longevity practice of Tséwang Rikdzin, see Indestructible ) 

“How wonderful! In the supreme place upon the summit of Jari, the great Tséwang Rikdzin was surrounded by a retinue of thousands of male and female rikdzin.  At that time, the great mother, Tukjé Kündrol, in order to benefit sentient beings who had an exhausted or damaged lifespan, she spoke this secret long life mantra which is the source of all wish-fulfilling things.” -Extract from the Tséwang Jarima

The Tséwang Böd Yulma, Tséwang’s Cycle of Teachings Given in Tibet, is a tantric text whose view is closely aligned with that of dzogchen. The main body of the scripture is divided into the Ten Scrolls that provide instructions for various practices such as extracting the essence, transference of consciousness, and pointing out naked awareness. This text was found as a treasure text by the tertön Bön Zhig Yungdrung Lingpa. The volume also contains additional and complimentary practices such as Tséwang’s Precious Mala of Beneficial Aspiration Prayers. (The English translation of this prayer is available for download on the Publications page of this website.) The final act of outer religious practice performed by Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen before he entered his tent and attained the rainbow body at the time of his passing into nirvana, was to perform the feast offering of the Tséwang Böd Yulma.

The Tséwang Gya Garma, Tséwang’s Cycle of Teachings Given in India, includes works focused on fire ritual, fumigation offering, healing from various maladies, tsa lung, and practices for the khandros Tukjé Kündrol and Kalpa Zangmo, among others.

Some texts record Lama Tséwang Rikdzin’s lifespan as being 800 years, others record it as 500 years. However, there is no record of his passing away in any text. In fact, during the time of the emanation of Drenpa Namkha of Tibet who lived the 8th century, Tséwang Rikdzin actually attended his dzogchen teachings. He was then known as Ritropa, The Hermit. For this reason, it is said that he gained power over life and death in order to continue working for the vast benefit of sentient beings.

Supplication Prayer to Tséwang Rikdzin

How wonderful!

Supreme son of The Great Lama, Tséwang, you are a protector of migrating beings who activated the flow of karma and met with the Yungdrung Bön. First, you trained in the study and contemplation of inner and outer Bön. Then, meditating upon the ultimate meaning, you reached the level of a rikdzin. You traveled to sacred places high and low throughout the world such as India, China, Zhang Zhung, Tazik, Orgyen, Drusha, Gilgit, Ménak, and so on. Together with the khandro, you reveled in the ordinary and supreme accomplishments. You attained power over the mind and brought the four elements under your control. You bound with oaths the male and female non-human gods and demons. You greatly increased vast benefit for migrating beings. At this current time, bestow accomplishment upon your faithful children!

“I will proclaim my speech and show my face to those with a karmic connection. Those followers in the 500 years of the dark time, listening steadfastly without distraction and supplicate! I will quickly catch you with my iron hook of compassion!”

If the time has come to keep you promise, reveal your face and bestow the profound oral instructions!

“Because of doubtlessly practicing recitation practice to me, I will certainly reveal my face.”

If the time has come to keep you promise, reveal your face and teach the profound oral instructions!

“Without miserliness, make offerings to me and I will rain down a shower of both the ordinary and the supreme attainments.”

If the time has come to keep you promise, bestow the attainments without exception!

“Without biased nonattachment, wander the mountain hermitages and I will point out the infallible path of liberation.”

If the time has come to keep you promise, show the correct and supreme path of liberation!

“Act effortlessly without hypocritical nonattachment and I will act as a special companion providing supportive circumstances.”

If the time has come to keep you promise, act as my companion and establish the supreme path of the Great Vehicle!

“By extracting the essence of earth and stones and eating that as food, I will bestow inexhaustible great, precious treasure.”

If the time has come to keep you promise, completely supply all necessities!

“Without being covered by the stain of wrongdoing, practice the path of skillful means of tsa lung and meditation and I will ignite the blissful heat of meditative stability.”

If the time has come to keep you promise, provide completely perfect supportive circumstances!

“I am deathless, with an indestructible lifespan. During the 500 years of the dark time, I will send forth a multitude of emanations.”

If the time has come to keep your promise, please come as a multitude of supreme holders of the doctrine!

All translations from the Tibetan by Raven Cypress Wood

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