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Buddha Tonpa Shenrap’s Fifth Deed: The Deed of Marriage

fifth-deed-marriage-w-watermark
During the time that the Buddha Tonpa Shenrap Miwoche was teaching his many disciples the Four Doors of Bon and the Fifth which is the Treasury, the King of Ho Mo Yul along with his entourage came to invite the Teacher to his country.  Not having finished the teaching, the Buddha was unable to accept the king’s invitation.  However, he sent one of his three main disciples as an emissary.  The disciple, Yikyi Khyechung, returned to Ho Mo Yul with the king.  Arriving, both humans and non-humans came to pay their respect and to receive teachings.  Then, Yikyi Khyechung took up the life of an ascetic and retreated to a cave to meditate. After a time, the queen of Ho Mo Yul was struck with a violent illness.  A diviner was consulted and she informed the king and queen that only the Buddha Tonpa Shenrap could cure the illness.  The king returned to the Buddha in person and requested his help.  Having finished his current teachings, the Buddha went to the country of Ho Mo Yul and cured the queen of her illness.  The grateful queen offered her daughter, Hoza Gyalme ma, as a bride for Tonpa Shenrap. Previously, the god Indra had implored the Buddha to take a wife so that he might have children to continue his lineage.  At that time, the Wise, Loving Mother of all of the buddhas, Sherap Chamma, emanated ten different manifestations of herself as princesses in royal households so that Buddha Tonpa Shenrap could accept them as wives.  In this way, Hoza Gyalme ma was the first of these ten manifestations of Yum Chen Sherap Chamma.

An Ocean of Knowledge and Wisdom

Personal Library of the Yungdrung Bon Sage Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen

Personal Library of the Yungdrung Bon Sage Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen

The Four Immeasurable Qualities: Joy

4 Immeasurables dga' ba Joy   One of the Four Immeasurable Qualities is ‘Joy‘.  In the Tibetan language, it is ‘Gawa‘.  Gawa is the practice and aspiration that all beings have the experience of joy and happiness and have the causes for joy and happiness. This includes the practice of feeling joy for the success of others rather than jealousy or competition. The practitioner feels for their success and cultivates the wish that the success and accomplishments of others will continually increase. The practitioner also practices the intention that all actions arising from one’s body, speech and mind will support the joy and happiness of all beings that one encounters either directly or indirectly.

Sacred Stones

MA TRI stones in Dolpo

Stones carved with the mantra OM MA TRI MU YE SA LE DU bless the landscape in Dolpo, Nepal.

Touching History

An old text from Dolpo, Nepal written in gold.  Photo credit: Unknown.