Ratnabhadra

Lifetime uncertain

The exact lifetime of Ratnabhadra is just as little known as the time and circumstances under which he met the 5th Karmapa and became his disciple and later became the Mahamudra lineage holder. 

However, sources confirm, that he was one of the greatest scholars of his time. Above all, he mastered the teachings of the sutras and tantras and therefore was called “Rigpe Raltri” (sword of philosophy and logic). It is also said that it quickly became clear that he was an emanation of Loving Eyes; many also recognized in him the incarnation of Rechungpa.

Ratnabhadra was born into the well-known family of Soksam-khar Drongbu Goshir, in Soksam, Southern Tibet. At a young age, he was ordained as a monk by his first teacher Thangtong Gyalpo. He received the higher training in Buddhist philosophy, logic, and other fields of knowledge from Panchen Namkha Pelzang and Drug Nyön Kunga Legpa. He then went on a tour of great monastic institutions in Tibet, engaging in debate and discussion on four main topics – Madhyamaka, Prajnaparamita, Vinaya, and Abhidharma Kosha. Because Ratnabhadra was involved with the tradition of the wandering mani devotees – he was a so-called “manipa” – he received that name due to his dedication to the repetition of Loving Eyes mantra OM MANI PEME HUNG. Often, when teaching, Ratnabhadra’s audience was deeply touched by his explanations, both the content and the choice of words, that tears rolled down their cheeks.

When not traveling, Ratnabhadra spent parts of his lifetime at Mending Monastery, one of the many monasteries he founded, but he also practiced in solitary retreats, e.g., practicing for four years and eight months on the six-branch yoga of Kalachakra. He received the full transmission of the Kagyü lineage from the 5th Karmapa Dezhin Shegpa, through which he attained complete realization of the absolute reality, Mahamudra, and became one of the supreme meditation masters of the time.

Ratnabhadra had many disciples; he passed on the full transmission of the Kagyü lineage to his most prominent student, the 6th Karmapa, Thongwa Dönden.

STORY

Ratnabhadra’s parents had everything they desired and had accrued much wealth, but they were still sad because they were without an heir who could inherit their lands. One day Ratnabhadra’s father thought: ‘Although I have all this wealth and prosperity in my life, I should also have a son to inherit it all.’ Thinking this, he said to his wife, ”My dear wife, as long as we were young, and our teeth were white, we didn`t have a son. Now that our hair is turning grey from old age, we should go and visit Thangtong Gyalpo, the great siddha, and ask him how we could have a son, who would take over our wealth and possessions.”

They packed countless gifts and set off with their entourage to the Chubori Iron Chain bridge. There they handed over marvelous gifts to the great siddha and requested him to help them to have a son.

The siddha gave them the following advice, “Oh, noble couple, as long as you were young, you didn’t have a son. Now that your hair is turning grey from old age, your son will be born as the emanation of the holy Bodhisattva Chenrezig, by the great compassion of the bodhisattva. Oh, noble lady, avoid contaminated food and clothing. Have a bath, clean the house, and sit down in a spotless place to meditate and strive.”

Following the siddha’s advice, a year later Ratnabhadra was born, already able to skillfully apply the five sciences at birth.

Key Transmissions

Received Transmissions (an excerpt)

As for all future lineage holders the following four are the core transmissions of the Kagyü and later the Karma Kagyü Lineage:

  • Mahamudra
  • Six Teachings of Naropa (including Father, Mother and Non-Dual Tantras)
  • Path of Insight > Shinay/Lhaktong
  • Secret Path > Guru Yoga
  • Buddhist philosophy and logic
  • Madhyamaka
  • Prajnaparamita
  • Kalachakra
  • Loving Eyes
  • Sakya Lamdre

Additional Given Transmissions (an excerpt)

  • Sutras and Tantras (He was called „the sword of philosophy and logic” due to his extraordinary knowledge)
  • He was a so-called ‘manipa’ – having repeated the Om Mani Peme Hung mantra of Loving Eyes ten million times at least.

Additional Special Abilities

  • the five sciences: arts and crafts, medicine, linguistics, logic, and the teachings of the Tripitaka, the three baskets

  • Key-instructions how to conquer death
  • Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way (Mūlamādhyamakakārikā or Madhyamaka)
  • Mahamudra-Transmission in meditation/in a vision from Ratnamati in Southern India (where Ratnamati had lived)
  • Tripitaka-texts (Triple Basket)
  • Seventy Verses on Emptiness (Shunyatasapati)
  • Two Truths Doctrine - about relative and absolute level (= level with delusion and level without delusion)“
  • Six Collections on Reasoning (text)
  • Root Verses on the Middle Way, called "Discriminating Awareness"
  • Precious Garland
  • Refutation of Objections
  • Seventy Verses on Emptiness
  • Sutra Called “Finely Woven”
  • Sixty Verses of Reasoning
  • Collections of Praises (text)
  • Praise to the Sphere of Reality
  • Praise to the Deepest Truth
  • Praise to the Supramundane (Buddha)
  • Collections of Didactic Explanations (text)
  • A Commentary on (the Two) Bodhichittas
  • Selected text-collection of Sutras
  • Letter to a Friend
  • all Mahakali and Mahakala-Tantras
  • Guyhasamaja-Tantras

  • Della Santina, Peter: Causality and Emptiness: The Wisdom of Nāgārjuna, Singapore: Buddha Dharma Education Association, 2002
  • Garfield, Jay L. (1995), The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way.Oxford: Oxford University Press
  • Garfield, Jay L. and Graham Priest (2003), “Nāgārjuna and the Limits of Thought”, Philosophy East and West 53 (January 2003): 1-21
  • Hopkins, Jeffrey: Buddhist Advice for Living and Liberation: Nāgārjuna’s Precious Garland, Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 199
  • Jones, Richard H. (2014): Nagarjuna: Buddhism's Most Important Philosopher, 2nd ed. New York: Jackson Square Books
  • Kalupahana, David J. (1986): The Philosophy of the Middle Way. Albany: SUNY Press
  • Lindtner, Christian (1982): Nagarjuniana: Studies in the Writings and Philosophy of Nāgārjuna Akademisk forlag
  • Murty, K. Satchidananda (1971), Nagarjuna. National Book Trust, New Delhi. 2nd edition: 1978
  • Ruegg, D. Seyfort (1981): The literature of the Madhyamaka school of philosophy in India (A History of Indian literature), Harrassowitz
  • Siderits, Mark and Shōryū Katsura, 2013: Nāgārjuna’s Middle Way. Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, Boston: Wisdom Publications
  • Tuck, Andrew P. (1990), Comparative Philosophy and the Philosophy of Scholarship: on the Western Interpretation of Nāgārjuna, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  • Walser, Joseph (2005), Nāgārjuna in Context: Mahāyāna Buddhism and Early Indian Culture. New York: Columbia University Press
  • Westerhoff, Jan (2009), Nāgārjuna's Madhyamaka. A Philosophical Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press
https://www.shambala.com/nagarjuna-readers-guide https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nagarjuna/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbUzz0_Oy1k

Historical events at this time

1357-1419 Tsongkhapa founded the Yellow Sect (Gelug) and in 1407 he founded the Ganden monastery. At the time of his death the new Gelug School had already remarkable influence around Lhasa.

1358-1430 Central Tibet came under control of the Phagmodrubpas (a Kagyü branch-line until 1432/35). The following decades were of relative stability. The Tibetans call this period of the Phagmodrupa-reign "an old woman who carries gold"; this means Tibet was so safe and civilized that an old woman could have carried a bag of gold unscathed from one end of Tibet to the other. 

 

1368 When the Mongols' Yuan Empire fell to the Chinese Ming dynasty, Tibet reclaimed independence and refused to pay further tribute to the new Chinese Emperor. The Ming Dynasty lasted until 1688. Several emperors kept close bonds to prominent  lamas, e.g. some of the Karmapas, and supported monasteries financially.

1430 Tibet entered in a period of internal power struggles. The Rinpung-rulers expanded their power in Central-Tibet; they were close to Karmapa. 

 

1447 Gendün Drub, the 1st Dalai Lama (1391 – 1475), a nephew of Tsongkhapa, founded the famous Tashilünpo-monastery in Shigatse.  He was (posthumously) recognized as the 1st Dalai Lama. 

1470s The Gelugpas had already the force and authority in Lhasa. In many other parts of Central Tibet the Karma Kagyü Lineage was influential. The Rinpung-ruler Dönyo Dorje who had controlled wide parts of Central Tibet since 1479 was a follower of the Karmapas and a close student to the 4th Shamarpa Chökyi Dragpa. Shakabpa p. 87: “The administrative officer who supported the Gelugpa Lineage refused the permission. The monastery was finally erected outside of Lhasa. Monks of the neighboring Gelugpa monasteries raided it one night and tore it down. A Karmapa-lama, Chödrag Gyamtso, was almost killed and escaped to Lhasa”.

1487 Gendün Gyatso (1475 – 1542) became the 2nd Dalai Lama posthumously. 

 

1487 – 1499 The 4th Shamarpa took the role of a king until the deceased king Gong-ma Kunga Legpa’s son could take over. Shamar Rinpoche relegated all worldly matters and remained a spiritual advisor. Many termas (terlungs) were found in which it was predicted that the Yellow Sect (= Gelug) would invite Mongolian warlords to destroy the dharma. Although many tertöns were Nyingmas they often asked Karmapa to confirm the authenticity of the termas.

Early 16th century

The 8th Karmapa’s spiritual activity and knowledge was unparalleled. He helped to heal the rift between the Gelugpas and Kagyüpas. At the same time his influence brought forward a relativ ely peaceful time. The Kagyü lineage became the most powerful sect in Tibet.

Sönam Gyatso became the 3rd Dalai Lama

1546 Sönam Gyatso became the 3rd Dalai Lama. 

 

1578 Sönam Gyatso proselytized the Mongol ruler Altan Khan who became Buddhist. The khan conferred Sönam Gyatso the honoray title Dalai Lama – originally in Mongolian “Tale Lama”. Thus, the Mongols became the patrons of the Gelugpas (there were tribes, hich had aleady become Buddhists before that time).

Further Information

Gelle, Zsoka: "Ratnabhadra`s Lifestory – The Origin of a Tibetan Narrative Tradition", In Memoriam Buchen Gyurme (1930-2004), East-West Research Institute, Budapest

https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Lochen-Ratnabhadra-/13065

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