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Luminous
Lives. By Cyrus Stearns. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2001, xiv
+ 305 pages, ISBN 0-86171-307-9 (paperback), US $34.9.5
Reviewed By Jan-Ulrich Sobisch
Researcher,
University of Munich
sobisch@uni-hamburg.de
The tantric Buddhist practice of the "Path with Its Fruit"
(lam 'bras) is the most prominent cycle of teachings within the Sa-skya
lineage. Going back to the mahāsiddha Virūpa, it was introduced
in Tibet by the Indian lay pundit Gayadhara (d. 1103). As its teachings
expanded in Tibet, a large body of indigenous literature grew along with
it. The literary tradition of this cycle has now been surveyed for the first
time by Cyrus Stearns, focusing on its historical and biographical works.
While investigating records of the Sa-skya lineage kept in the archives
of Nepal, he discovered a historical work that until recently had been unavailable
even to the masters of the tradition, i.e., The Incisive Vajra (Zhib mo
rdo rje) by Sa-skya PaṇἛita's disciple dMar-ston Chos-kyi-rgyal-po,
who can now be dated to ca. 1198-ca. 1259.
The text, based on three manuscripts, and its translation form the core
of Stearns's book (part two, pp. 79-169). The chapters on the "Literary
Tradition," "Early Masters in Tibet," and "dMar-ston and the Zhib mo rdo
rje" (part one, pp. 9-78), as well as a detailed annotation (pp. 171-261),
surround that core with a wealth of information that Stearns obtained from
numberless historical key works of the Sa-skya tradition.
In chapter one, Stearns identifies the earliest written sources of the
Sa-skya-pa Lam 'bras teachings. The root was the rDo rje tshig rkang, i.e.,
instructions that Virūpa received from Nariātmyā, the consort
of Hevajra, through which he quickly reached the sixth spiritual level (bhūmi).
These were transmitted orally in India and came to Tibet through Gayadhara
(d. 1103) and 'Brog-mi Lo-tsā-ba (993-1077?). Later on, Sa-chen Kun-dga'-snying-po
wrote them down, probably in 1141. At the request of eleven separate disciples,
Sa-chen also composed eleven commentaries. Stearns provides short descriptions
of each and mentions different opinions of Tibetan scholars regarding which
titles belong to this set of eleven works (pp. 16-25). He also mentions
commentaries by Sa-chen's disciples, and, among these, particularly the
one(s) by Phag-mo-gru-pa rDo-rje-rgyal-po, who remained from approximately
1138 to 1150 with Sa-chen and later became a famous disciple of sGam-po-pa.
On pages 26-32, Stearns records the significant discovery that Phag-mo-gru-pa
was the real author of a number of important Lam 'bras texts in the Yellow
Book (pod ser), which was compiled and apparently "re-authored" in parts
by Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan. The Sa-skya-pa sources remain silent about Phag-mo-gru-pa's
true role in formulating some of the major Lam 'bras texts, while the bKa'-brgyud-pa
sources appear to belittle the guru-disciple relation of Sa-chen and Phag-mo-gru-pa.
Thus both sides felt awkward about this episode.
During the first part of Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan's life, the works on Lam
'bras by both his father, Sa-chen, and apparently Phag-mo-gru-pa, too, were
kept wrapped in a yellow cloth — hence the name "yellow book" (pod
ser). Later, Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan supplemented these with a number of small
texts, and rewrote or edited Phag-mo-gru-pa's contributions. Stearns provides
an overview of the contents of this collection (pp. 32-35).
In this same first chapter, Stearns also reports on the Lam 'bras works
of later disciples. In doing so, he briefly touches upon the collections
of the "black book" (pod nag, pp. 36 ff.), "small red book" (pusti dmar
chung, p. 38), "volume of minor [instructions]" (glegs bam phra mo, p. 39),
and "explication for disciples" (slob bshad, pp. 39-45). All these introductions
are very helpful and informative, for these volumes have never been described
before in a modern scholarly publication.
In chapter two, Stearns faces the problem of the "Mystery of Gayadhara"
(pp. 47-55), certainly another highlight of the book. Anyone who has ever
tried to untangle the Indian part of tantric transmission lineages knows
of the many problems involved. Frequently fantastic life-spans are attributed
to Indian masters — even hundreds of years! Several different people
may have had the same name. A single master may have used two, three, or
even more names. Often the accounts found in different sources are grossly
contradictory. Sometimes one finds suspicious similarities among the life
stories of different masters. In the case of Gayadhara, all occur. And,
as if that is not enough, a master of that name is completely unknown to
Indian sources! Nevertheless, by "sifting through the available sources"
(p. 51), Stearns finds agreement in different traditions, as well as singular
details such as his caste name, a description of Gayadhara's accomplishments,
etc. He notices isolated references and compares the accounts of different
traditions, and examines their relations and how accounts were later brought
into agreement. In short, by analyzing more than thirty-five sources, he
manages to extract at least a few facts about the life of this important
master.
Another significant clarification by Stearns concerns "The Red PaṇἛita/Ācārya."
This problematic figure has haunted Tibetologists for some time.(1) Stearns could now ascertain that not one, but two Indian masters
traveled in Tibet under this name during this period, and, to complicate
matters, both were teachers of 'Brog-mi Lo-tsā-ba, namely Gayadhara
and Prajñāgupta. Since an Ācārya dMar-po was severely
condemned for spreading evil doctrines and perverted tantric sexual practices
in Tibet, 'Jam-dbyang-mkhyen-brtse'i-dbang-phyug specifically noted that
Gayadhara should not be confused with another "Ā-tsa-ra dMar-po" found
in lineages of teachings such as those of the tantric guardian goddess dMag-sor-ma
(pp. 52 and 191, n. 232). In the remaining part of chapter two, Stearns
describes his findings with regard to the early masters of Lam 'bras in
Tibet (pp. 55-67). In chapter three, he introduces the author of the Zhib
mo rdo rje and the work itself, whose Tibetan text and translation form
part two of the book.
Among the few minor problems that I noticed, one notable example is that
Stearns identifies as the root instruction of the Lam 'bras the so-called
"rDo rje tshig rkang." He translates the title as "The Vajra Verses," understanding
rdo rje'i tshig rkang, with "Vajra" being the qualifier for "Verses." The
Tibetan term tshig rkang, however, rather seems to refer to a stanza than
to verses (for which the Tibetan expression is tshigs bcad — as opposed
to tshigs lhug, "prose"). In general, I wonder whether here the term rdo
rje'i tshig might be alluded to. With that expression, perhaps best rendered
as "vajra-utterance," commentators often refer to outstanding statements
in authoritative works, intending to point out that the statement is unfalsifiable.(2)
When Sa-chen Kun-dga'-snying-po (1092-1158) finally wrote down the rDo rje
tshig rkang, he did not employ a verse structure.(3)
This short title might thus perhaps be rendered "Vajra Lines" or "Vajra
Utterances." In structure, it might best be described as a tantric gradual-path
(lam rim) instruction.
On page 11, Stearns informs us that different versions of the rDo rje tshig
rkang were found in the Zha-ma, 'Brom, and Sa-skya traditions. The first
two of these traditions are mentioned several times in the first part of
the book, but only on page 58 and 60 respectively does it become clear that
these go back to 'Brom De-pa sTon-chung, a disciple of 'Brog-mi Lo-tsā-ba
(993-1077?), and Ma-gcig Zha-ma (1062-1149), who studied under Se-ston,
another disciple of 'Brog-mi. The Zha-ma and 'Brom traditions appear in
this book only as transmitters of differing historical accounts. Other distinctive
characteristics are neither mentioned nor known.
On page 18, Stearns describes the first of Sa-chen Kun-dga'-snying-po's
eleven commentaries on the rDo rje tshig rkang, the A seng ma, which is
also known as the Don bsdus ma.(4) In
the Tibetan text of the Zhib mo rdo rje (p. 152) and its translation (p.
153), as well as in note 237 (p. 255), however, the same work is referred
to as "Lam 'bras mdor bsdus ma," without referring to its first mentioning.
On page 20, Stearns introduces the third of Sa-chen's eleven commentaries,
namely the Bande ma. The work is named after a certain Bande gShin-rje-grags,
"one of rJe-btsun Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan's four disciples with 'grags' at
the end of their names." The source for this remark appears to be Mang-thos-klu-sgrub's
bsTan brtsis (p. 135).(5) There, however,
the full name is given as "Nā-ro Bande gShin-rje-grags." Curiously
enough, another — or perhaps the same — "Nā-ro Bande" is
also mentioned as a direct disciple of Sa-chen (p. 131). The latter is also
mentioned in the Great Genealogy (fol. 57v).(6)
There, however, the spelling is "sNa-ro Bande." Could these have been one
and the same person? If so, since Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan was only eleven
years old at Sa-chen's death, the Bande was probably older then Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan.
On page 23, Stearns introduces the last — and probably most famous
— of the eleven commentaries, the gNyags ma, which has this name because
it was composed at the request of a certain gNyags dBang-phyug-rgyal-mtshan.
The work is referred to throughout the book as "gNyags ma," but in the bibliography
it appears under gZhung bshad gnyags ma.
The Rin chen snang ba (Illuminating the Jewel) that is mentioned on page
33 appears in the bibliography under Kun gzhi rgyu rgyud las 'phros nas
'khor 'das dbyer med kyi lta ba'i rtsa ba, as is also mentioned in the note.
"Rin chen snang ba" is a poetical title from the colophon. As far as I know,
the text is most often referred to as the 'Khor 'das dbyer med (kyi rtsa
ba) (Inseparability of Sa.msāra and Nirvāṇa).
The only Sa-skya Lam 'bras histories that predate the Zhib
mo rdo rje are two small contributions by Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan,
namely the Bla ma brgyud pa rgya gar ba'i lo rgyus and the
Bla ma brgyud pa bod kyi lo rgyus, mentioned on page 35. Stearns
identifies them with the works that are reproduced in volume eleven of the
Sa skya Lam 'bras Literature Series, pp. 581-593 and 594-599.
I find it interesting to note that the same two texts can be found in a
different edition at the very beginning of the same collection, in volume
one, pp. 1-13 and 13-18, and also in a further edition in Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan's
collected works, Sa skya pa'i bka' 'bum, volume three, no. 11, fols.
342r-348r and 348r-350v. The relation of these editions has not been studied
as of yet.
On page 35, Stearns identifies dKar Shākya-grags as a major disciple
of Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan, referring to a Lam 'bras history by Mang-thos-klus-sgrub
(p. 163).(7) But that particular passage
does not identify dKar Shākya-grags as Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan's disciple.
In another history — the bsTan rtsis (p. 150) — Mang-thos-klus-sgrub clearly
identifies him as a direct disciple of Sa-skya Paṇḍita.
With regard to the transmission of the Zhib mo rdo rje,
Stearns notes (p. 73) that no separate reading transmission (lung)
exists for it today. The same work was transmitted at least down to A-mes-zhabs
(1597-1659) through his uncle bSod-nams-dbang-po (1559-1621). The entry
in A-mes-zhabs's record of teachings (gsan yig) says: "Bod kyi lo rgyus rgyas
pa by dMar" (fol. 6v).(8)
On pages 76 f, Stearns provides evidence that the annotations in the Zhib
mo rdo rje go back to Tshogs-sgom-pa, a direct disciple
of Sa-paṇ. In doing so, he refers (p. 77) to an anonymous biography,
which is attributed in a list of dKon-mchog-bstan-pa-rab-rgyas (d. 1801)
to gNyag sNying-po-rgyal-mtshan. I can second that through the record of
teachings of Ngag-dbang-chos-grags, fol. 13r/v, where the Tshogs bsgom
rin po che'i rnam thar is also clearly attributed to gNyag sNying-po-rgyal-mtshan
(and which was probably the source for dKon-mchog-bstan-pa-rab-rgyas).(9)
In the translation on page 89, Stearns translates the Tibetan term sgrub
thabs as "method for realization."
This is, in my opinion, overly literal and to be avoided. "sGrub
thabs" goes back to Skt. sādhana, which means, in the context of a ritual,
"conjuring up," "summoning," or " a means of summoning
or conjuring up a spirit (or deity)" (Monier-Williams). Something like
"evocation [ritual]" would be preferable here.
On page 179, n. 97, Stearns mentions a work by Ngag-dbang-chos-grags. I
have been able to locate its full title in his record of teachings received:
Lam 'bras rdo rje tshig gi 'grel pa gnyag ma'i dgongs don gsal bar byed
pa gsung ngag bstan pa'i nyin byed (fol. 80r).(10)
Probably as a result of a macro gone awry, the name of Sa-paṇ's nephew,
Chos-rgyal 'Phags-pa, is spelled almost throughout the book "'Phag-pa"
(for example, pp. 24, 28, 36, etc.).
Luminous Lives appears in the new series Studies in Indian
and Tibetan Buddhism of Wisdom Publications, Boston. To present
a book at the same time to both specialists and non-specialists is a challenge,
which the book under review has overcome, setting a standard for future
publications. Stearns has translated all Tibetan book titles into English
when they appear for the first time. This is a courtesy to the reader that
many scholarly publications omit. In a book intended for a wider audience,
I would even go so far as to provide only
English titles (leaving Tibetan titles in a glossary). Tibetan (or Sanskrit)
book titles, especially the short titles that are used for citations (such
as "Pod ser,"
"rDo rje tshig rkang"), are often obscure, even for someone
who reads Tibetan — unless he happens to be a specialist in that particular
subject. Titles translated into English are easier to memorize and keep
apart for the normal reader. Stearns has also relegated almost
all specialized discussions to his annotations. The main part of the book
is presented as a continuous text. A scholar may regret that the notes do
not appear as footnotes on the same page, but this practice has fallen almost
completely out of use in the U.S. Regarding his endnotes, I think continuously
numbered notes would have been preferable. When looking up a note, readers
do not want to interrupt their train of thought by keeping a note number
and a page number or chapter number in mind.
The presentation of the Tibetan text with the translation on facing pages
is a laudable development at Wisdom.(11)
For readers of both languages it is ideal. I wonder, however, whether there
was no better way for presenting the interlinear annotations of the Tibetan
text and their translation other than printing them in gray. I would suggest
the use of a slightly smaller font. Sometimes up to six lines of Tibetan
text are kept on the bottom of a page, though they belong to the translation
three pages further (p. 104). These are, however, very minor matters.
The book is written in very clear English, as far as I can judge, and I
only had to look up a single word ("regurgitate," on page 121).
The translation appears to be excellent. Stearns has developed an elegant
style for rendering the sometimes very condensed Tibetan sentences. Difficult
or especially old terminology has been discussed with mKhan-po A-pad, one
of the great living scholars of the tradition (p. 229, n. 102, etc.). In
one or two cases, Stearns noted that a particular Tibetan phrase remained
completely mysterious and had to be left untranslated.
I have studied Stearns's book and have gained great benefit from it. I
do not doubt that it will remain a standard reference work for future studies
on the Lam 'bras. Stearns's competence in this difficult
field is established beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Footnotes
(1) See, for example, David Seyfort Ruegg (1981) "Deux problèmes d'exégèse et de pratique tantriques." In: Mélanges chinois et bouddhiques 20, [Taoist Studies in Honour of R.A. Stein, vol. 1] 220 ff.; Giacomella Orofino (1992) "Divination with Mirrors: Observations on a Simile Found in the Kaalacakra Literature. PIATS Fagernes, vol. 2, p. 622; Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (1997) "Preliminary Remarks on the Three-Vow Theories (sdom pa gsum) of Tibetan Buddhism." In: Tibetan Studies. (Proceedings of the 7th Seminar of the IATS, Graz). Wien, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, vol. 2, pp. 895 f. Return to text.(2) In this sense one finds Go-rams-pa bSod-nams-seng-ge referring to a statement of Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan (see sDom gsum rab dbye'i spyi don yid bzhin nor bu, Sa skya pa'i bka' 'bum, The Complete Works of the Great Masters of the Sa-skya-pa Sect of the Tibetan Buddhism, Tokyo, The Tooyoo Bunkoo, 1969, vol. 14/4, fol. 70v). See also the dGongs gcig of the 'Bri-gung-pa master 'Jig-rten-mgon-po (see, for example, rDo-rje-shes-rab, dGongs gcig yig cha, detailed presentation of 'Bri-gung 'Jig-rten-mgon-po's dGongs gcig precepts of Mahaayaana Buddhist philosophy by dBon-po Shes-rab-'byung-gnas (1187-1241), Bir (H. P.), D. Tsondu Senghe, 1975, vol. 1, pp. 431, 438; vol. 2, pp. 322, 325. Return to text.(3) The full title of the work is Lam 'bras bu dang bcas pa'i gdams ngag dang man ngag tu bcas pa. In: Sa skya Lam 'bras Literature Series, vol. 11, pp. 10-19. Dehra Dun. Sakya Centre. 1983. Return to text.(4) Thams cad kyi don bsdus pa'i tshigs su bcad pa. In: Sa skya Lam 'bras Literature Series, vol. 11 ("pod ser"), fols. 94v-96r. Return to text.(5) Mang-thos-klu-sgrub-rgya-mtsho, bsTan rtsis gsal ba'i nyin byed, tha snyad rig gnas lnga'i byung tshul. Bod rang skyong ljongs spyi tshigs tshan rig khang gi bod yig dpe rnying dpe skrun khang (gra sgrig) nas bsgrigs. Bod ljongs mi dmangs dpe skrun khang. 1987. Return to text.(6) Sa skya gdung rab chen mo, i.e., the 'Dzam gling byang phyogs kyi thub pa'i rgyal tshab chen po dpal ldan sa skya pa'i gdung rabs rin po che ji ltar byon pa'i tshul gyi rnam par thar pa ngo mtshar rin po che'i bang mdzod dgos 'dod kun 'byung. Ochghat. 1975. Return to text.(7) Mang-thos-klu-sgrub-rgya-mtsho, gSung ngag slob bshad khog phub gnad kyi be'u bum. Sa skya Lam 'bras Literature Series, vol. 18, pp. 161-183. Dehra Dun. Sakya Centre. 1983. Return to text.(8) Chos kyi rje dpal ldan bla ma dam pa rnams la dam pa'i chos ji ltar thos pa'i tshul legs par bshad pa zab rgyas chos kun gsal ba'i nyin byed las rje btsun grub pa'i 'khor lo bsgyur ba dpal ldan sa skya pa chen po 'jam mgon bsod nams dbang po'i zhal snga nas kyi rjes su bzung ba'i sarka, dbu-med manuscript (vol. kha of a collection of manuscripts containing the works of A-mes-zhabs Ngag-dbang-kun-dga'-bsod-nams, 32 fols.). Return to text.(9) Chos kyi rje dpal ldan bla ma dam pa rnams las dam pa'i chos ji ltar thos pa'i tshul legs par bshad pa zab rgyas chos kun gsal ba'i nyin byed ces bya ba las mkhan chen 'jam pa'i dbyangs ngag dbang chos kyi grags pa'i zhal snga nas kyi rjes su bzung ba'i sarka, dbu-med manuscript (vol. kha of a collection of manuscripts containing the works of A-mes-zhabs Ngag-dbang-kun-dga'-bsod-nams, 81 fols.). Return to text.(10) This is the same record of teachings mentioned in the previous footnote. Return to text.(11) It was first employed in John Petit's book Mipham's Beacon and Cyrus S
tearns's Hermit of Go Cliffs. Return to text.
