The Buddhist tantric master Virupa (ca. seventh–eighth centuries) is one of the most famous of the eighty-four great adepts or mahasiddhas of ancient India. Many of these eccentric yogins were the original spiritual ancestors of the Vajrayana teachings that are so important in Tibetan Buddhism. Virupa was the first human master of the Path with the Result, or Lamdre, which is the fundamental system of tantric practice in the Sakya tradition of Tibet. The goddess Vajra Nairatmya (who is the consort of Hevajra) first gave the Lamdre teachings to Virupa. He then formed her transmission into the Vajra Lines, which became the basic text of the Lamdre. This originally oral instruction is treasured as the essential expression of the profound teachings of the Hevajra Tantra and other associated tantric scriptures.

Several masters of the Lamdre tradition in Tibet have written biographies of Virupa, each filled with miraculous events and strange expressions of crazy wisdom. These texts also provide fascinating glimpses into the religious culture of medieval India. Historical evidence for some of the social phenomena mentioned in Virupa’s story has come to light, such as old Hindu statues with Buddhist images attached to the tops of their heads, and descriptions by travelers in India and Nepal of the suicidal practice of some non-Buddhists who impaled themselves on huge tridents as offerings to their gods.

It is particularly interesting that some Tibetan masters offer symbolic interpretations of Virupa’s acts, connecting them to inner events in the process of tantric yoga. For example, according to the external narrative, Virupa is most famous for preventing the sun from setting and for turning back the flow of the Ganges River. Ngorchen Könchok Lundrup (1497–1557) explains these events as Virupa’s arrest of the sun of the true nature of mind in the sky of the subtle central channel of the body, and as his reversal of the flow of the drops of enlightenment mind, which were then retained in the cakra at the crown of his head. Other episodes in Virupa’s tale are quite violent, such as his repeated destruction of giant phallic images (linga) of the great god Shiva (called Maheshvara or Ishvara in the story), to which human and animal sacrifices were made by non-Buddhist worshipers, and his smashing of a stone image and trident of the terrible goddess Candika, whose victims were devoured in cannibalistic feasts. Again, there is historical evidence for such practices in ancient India. But Ngorchen also offers an esoteric interpretation of these deeds, speaking of how Virupa smashed the phallic images of the knots in the subtle channels of the body and subdued the Candika goddess of dualistic attachment to subject and object. The great Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–92) describes the same events as the destruction of the phallic images of ordinary conceptual thought, which Virupa then reassembled as sublime meditative concentration, and as his defeat of the Candika goddess of the conceptual extremes of eternalism and nihilism by means of the deliberate behavior of ineffable truth. Further episodes in the story can also be understood on different levels.

The story of Virupa translated here is an unusual one, even among the various Tibetan versions that have survived through the centuries. The author, Chagen Wangchuk Gyaltsen, was a disciple of Pakpa Lodrö Gyaltsen (1235–80), the seventh throne holder of Sakya, from whom he received the transmission of the Lamdre in the Sakya tradition. From the female teacher Machik Nyitri, he also received these teachings in the Shama tradition of the great yogini Machik Shama (10621149). Chagen is said to have had a powerful vision of Virupa and to have composed many texts on the Lamdre teachings. He wrote this story of Virupa’s life in 1304, apparantly including information from both lineages he had received. Many aspects of Chagen’s biography of Virupa are very different than other such works in the Lamdre tradition. More about Virupa’s life and teachings is found in my Taking the Result as the Path (Wisdom Publications, 2006), which also contains a translation of the biography of Virupa written by Jamyang Khyentse Wangchuk (1524–68).

The following translation was made from a photocopy of an ancient Tibetan manuscript entitled Cha rgan gyis mdzad pa’i rnal ’byor dbang phyug gi lo rgyus. The original text is written in cursive dbu med script and is 12 folios (24 pages) long. The same work was recently input into a computer and published in Nepal for the first time in Sa skya pa’i bla ma kha shas kyi rnam thar (Sa skya rgyal yongs gsung rab slob gnyer khang: Kathmandu, 2003), pp. 51–74. I have also consulted this new version, which contains some editorial changes. The Tibetan text is somewhat corrupt and contains many archaic terms and expressions. Thus, the translation of a few words and phrases is tentative. I have usually standardized the spellings of names and places in accordance with more generally accepted forms and have added section headings into the translation.

 

Just some of the story of the Lord of Yogins, the Master of Power, glorious Virupa, will be told here.

Nimindhara was the king of Bhishantra. When his son, this one known as Suvarnacakrin, entered his mother’s womb, many marvelous signs occurred. After his birth, he was shown to a brahmin soothsayer in the retinue of the great king, who said, “An exceptionally noble son has been born and will thrive. He will not take the throne, but will enter the doctrine of the Buddha. Being expert, venerable, and good, he will come to possess excellent experience and realization and protect the doctrine of the Buddha by means of power.”

The next year a daughter was born, but it was announced that she was a son. She was dressed as a male and given the name Ayascakrin. When the time came, she was placed on the throne and her wealth and power grew. She possessed five thousand elephants. After seven years the natural characteristics of a woman became evident.

Prince Suvarnacakrin received ordination at the temple of Somacara from the abbot Vinayadeva and the teacher Jayakirti, who were of the Sarvastivada order (among the four basic Shravaka orders). He was given the name Shri Dharmapala. After he had finished studying most subjects with that teacher, such as grammar, epistemology, the four collections,1 abhidharma, prajnaparamita, and madhyamaka, Shri Dharmapala honored and made great offerings to the abbot, the teacher, and the Sangha. There was a pleasant building made of stone, where he placed a steward to care for an excellent grant of fine offerings to the three representations of the Three Jewels, aimed at purifying the sins of his mother and father and accumulating the assemblies. 2

At that time glorious Nalanda was like the root of the Buddha’s doctrine. Because of its reputation, Shri Dharmapala went there. He took final ordination in the presence of the abbot Vijayadeva and others of the Sarvastivada order. He became very expert in the entire monastic code and became a great pandita who knew the five sciences. The abbot was delighted and said, “Secret mantra is for the quick attainment of buddhahood. I am an expert in Cakrasamvara. If you have faith, I will give it.”

Shri Dharmapala asked to be graced, and the four initiations were completely bestowed in extreme secrecy. He was given the secret name, Ratnavajra. After the initiations were finished and the oral instructions that totally unite the blessings with the creation and completion stages were given, he spent his time in propitiation by means of number, sign, and time.

At that point the abbot passed away, stating in a last testament, “Even more than me, Shri Dharmapala is expert, good, and venerable, and has infinite qualites. In general, please make him the assembly leader of Nalanda and, in particular, have him take my monastic seat. Pass to him the master’s residence and entourage. He is worthy of honor, so everyone must fully honor and respect him!”

When the body was cremated, infinite marvelous signs occurred. He had performed service for the doctrine and been a great guide for disciples.


© 2009 by Cyrus Stearns

 

1 The four collections or baskets of the Buddhist doctrine are usually listed as the vinaya or monastic code, the abhidharma, the sutras, and the teachings of secret mantra.

2  The two assemblies of merit and primordial awareness.