The
Victor of the Nyingmapa Lord of Dharma- Kathok Main
Monastery, the Second Secret Abode, Kathok
The Victor of the
Nyingmapa Lord of Dharma- Kathok Main
Monastery, the Second Secret
Abode, Kathok Dorje Den
[Introduction]
【引言】
[Picture of Guru Shakyamuni]
In565
B.C., in North India (present day Nepal), the
Great Buddha Shakyamuni was born.
Seeing suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death
in the world, he abdicated his kingship at 29, and
became a monk. At 35, under the Bodhi Tree, he was fully
enlightened and founded Buddhism. He taught for 49
years. He entered Nirvana in Juhunaro when he was 80
years old. His disciples collected his teachings into
texts, and began to propagate them. 2500 years has
passed, and Buddha Dharma is still being propagated.
Much area in the world became the Buddhist sacred
ground. In these places, there are cloud-like gathering
of Sanghas, festive Dharma events taking place, and
beings liberated.
Among these sacred lands, there is one place that
is remote and has a harsh climate. But it is here that
there was the biggest gathering of Sanghas in the two
thousand history of Buddhism. There was one hundred
eighty thousand Sanghas gathered at the same time. The
monks flew to this place with their extraordinary power.
Their robes blocked the sunlight and the reflection
painted the sky red. In the history of Buddhism there
was never an occasion of the gathering of one hundred
eighty thousand monks. And this is the place where there
are one hundred thousand monks that were liberated and
attained rainbow body. Historical documents record the
account of [the one hundred thousand saints that
attended rainbow body]. Even today there are still many
people traveled from really far places to come here.
Some even traveled by making one prostration for each
step they walked here. They came because any sentient
beings that entered here will be reborn in the human
realm for seven generations, and will attend Buddhahood.
Many miracles happened in the main Nyingmapa Monastery,
the Kathok Main Monastery, which is located 4800 meters
above sea level in Ganu Payul City in Sichuan Province
in China.
(1) The Sun from the East- The origin of the name
[Kathok (or Kathog) Vajra Seat]
In Eastern China in Sichuan Province, in the Golden Sand
River region in Payul Region, which is one mountain
apart from Tibet, is a Pureland for all the people that
has faith in Buddhism. Kathok Main Monastery, the source
of Tibetan Buddhism Nyingmapa tradition, ia located in
the White Dragon Gourge Donian Mountain. Among the three
traditions in Nyingma, and among the six Vajra Ground,
the Main Kathok Monastery is the most famous one. Its
full name is Kathok Dorjeden (means Kathok Vajra Seat)
[The second Vajra Seat-
Picture of Nyingmapa Kathok Main Monastery, the source
of Ancient Translation School Teaching]
Kathok in Tibetan means “on top of the word Ka”.
The name originated from a giant smooth white rock that
has a natural arisen Tibetan Letter [Ka] above the
monastery. Dorje Den means [Vajra Seat]. Padmasambhava
himself personally blessed this place thirteen times. In
the [Biography of the Lotus Born] and many Terma, there
were this prophesy: [ the pinnacle of the sacred land of
the snow region, the source of teaching of Yeshe Tsogyal].
Its blessing power is identical to the Vajra Seat in
India. Therefore it is also being reffered as [The
Second Vajra Seat]. From Lotsawa Berochana and Ka Dampa
Deshe to The Venerable Nala Padma Duldul, there were one
hundred thousand practioners that had attained Rainbow
Body by practicing diligently, and relying on the
thirteen commentaries such as <The Secret Instruction On
The Top Knot Of Great Perfection View>, and <The Perfect
Advice On The Semde Section of Great Perfection>. This
feat is unrivaled in the world.
2) Brief introduction on the development of Kathok
Main Monastery Tradition
Kathok Main Monastery was build by Nyingmapa [Liberator
of the Tenth Bhumi], [The Victorious Lord of Dharma] Ka
Dampa Deshe (1122-1192) in the Earth Hare year in
Tibetan Calender (1159 A.D.). It has stood for 850
years, and 84 abbots had served the monastery.
One of the Abbot was Keju Yeshe Ponpa (or Uroh
Yeshe Ponpa), one of the Three Master of Ponpa, or the
reincarnation of the 3rd H.H. Jamyang Rinpoche. He was a
great scholar and there was no obstacle to his
attainment. Master Basiba of the Five Elders in Sakya
visited Kathok Monastery during his trip to Beijing, and
Yeshe Ponpa became his guru. Basiba wrote: “the
gathering of the essence of Nyinma unexcelled secret
practice. Guru Keju Yeshe Ponpa from Eastern Main
Monastery of Kathok shines the world like a billion
sun”.
In 1360, when Master Kathok Wunsho Pawa was the
abbot, under the assistance from his disciple who was a
member of the royal family in Yunnan, expanded the
existing main temple.
In 1435 when Popuwa Sanchu Senge was the abbot, the
precious Kathok secret teaching spread to Tibet, Yunan,
Qinghai, and Gansu. There were almost ten thousand of
practitioners came to pay homage.
During the 12th cycle in Tibetan Calender
(between 1686-1764), when Master Kathok Jigme Songong
Gonpo was the abbot, he was invited by Emperor Kanshi of
Qing Dynasty to go to the capital of China. He was given
the position [Teacher of the Country], presented with
gifts such as precious hat, four windowed carrying cart,
and the complete ceremonial instruments and emblem from
the court.
During the Iron Dragon year in the 13th cycle (1760),
Master Kathok Gezhe Jugme Chewang Churgur was the abbot.
Because of his unsurpassed skill in debate, he was given
the name Pandita after engaging in many debates with
different schools in Tibet. His disciple Tulku Zancha
was given the title [Teacher of the Country] by Emperor
Yongzhen when Tulku Zancha was invited to Beijing.
Master Kathok Gezhe Jugme had compared in detail and
commenced the printing and preservation of all the
Nyingma Sutra, Sastras and Vinaya texts. He also
supervised the construction of Master Kathok Jigme
Songong Gonpo’s Stupa. The Stupa was famed in Tibet as
“The One Ornament of the Snow Mountain”. The Third
Kathok Gezhe Mahapandida Urgen Choki Jiansen, due to his
unobstructed state of attainment and his knowledge in
Sutra and Tantra, was invited to teach by the request
from Dalai Lama. He was responsible for building the
text printing hall that housed 7,000 canons, and 60,000
Buddhist Texts. It housed the most books and it was the
biggest text printing hall in Kham and Tsam at its time.
According to the example set by Kathok Keju Yeshe
Ponpa in Yuan Dynasty, there was huge birthday
celebration performed for Padmasambhava every Tenth of
June in the Tibetan Calender in the Nyingmapa Kathok
Lineage. Many followers and Sanghas traveled from
various places to pray and recite texts during the
festival. One hundred eight thousand Sanghas
participated in the largest gathering. Sanghas who wore
red shawl and monastic robe that gathered in Kathok and
the surrounding region were like the red sea and painted
the sky red. It was a magnificent sight to see the
gathering of so many Sanghas chanting at the same time.
The news of the gathering spread through out Tibet and
India.
In 1992, with the financial support from Choje
Kathok Jigme Songong, during the time when Choje Lodro
Danpe Jiensen (the 84th Throne holder Choje Loga) was
the abbot, [Festival of Thousand Monk] was held in the
newly remodeled Kathok Monastery. In 1995, the 85th
Choje Jamyanf Rinpoche invited more than 40000 Sanghas
and Tulkus from every Nyingma Lineage to the [The Great
Festival of Ten Thousand Monks]. During the event,
Sanghas and practitioners performed [Three Body Mandala]
and pray for world peace and the flourishing of Buddha
Dharma.
The original Kathok Lecture hall, temple,
learning hall, printing hall, retreat cabin, and Sangha
bedrooms were in rubles during the 10 year Cultural
Revolution. All the Sanghas united and finished the task
of rebuilding the monastery in ten years.
There are three new halls. One of the halls was 40
square meters and could accommodate more than two
thousand monks. The hall was decorated with Tibetan
motif. The walls were painted with picture of the life
of Buddha Shakyamuni and story of Buddhist fables. The
hall has many deity statues, Stupas and the hall is
exceptionally sacred.
The Buddhist Institute of the Five Sciences
provides an excellent learning atmosphere for more than
400 people that came to learn in Kathok Monastery. Many
exceptional Sangha scholars were students from the
institute. Present day Kathok Monastery is an
established Buddhist sacred land.
The monastery housed [Mahayana Sound of Dharma
Vajra and Bell] from the Second Buddha Padmashambhava,
fabric remains from Padmasambhava given by the Emperor
from Yuan Dyanasty, seal given by Basipa, statue of
Manjushri in Ming Dynasty, <Complete Collection of Kepen>
given by Emperor in Ching Dynasty, porcelain, arrorws
from Gesar’s Dynasty, copper vessels, and many other
precious items. Kathok Main Monastery can be called the
Mother Monastery of Nyinma. In the period of 840 years,
there have been over one hundred thousand practitioners
that attained the rainbow body in this scared place.
Kathok lineage holders now pervade in many places in the
world such as Asia, Europe, and North America.
NYINGMAPA KATHOK PROSPEROUS
TIBET BUDDHISM CENTER IN TAIWAN
