Patrul and Lama Mipham
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Description
The great scholar Ju Mipham Gyatso, also known as Lama Mipham, was
known to say that he had heard many learned and accomplished masters'
teachings, but the only time he'd really had to study hard was when Patrul
Rinpoche taught the ninth chapter of The Way of the Bodhisattva at Shri
Singha Philosophical College. Mipham said Patrul's oral commentaries on
this difficult and profound chapter on wisdom were the most important
teachings he'd ever received.[1]
Subsequently, Mipham wrote The Wish-Fulfilling Gem,[2] a widely
praised commentary on the famous ninth chapter of Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva.
A copy of this commentary found its way to Patrul. After he finished
reading Mipham's commentary, Patrul said, "O-ho!" This is what I taught at Shri Singha!"
Patrul in Awe
Once, Patrul was staying in Karchung Khormo Olu, living in a small yak-hair tent. His faithful attendant Sonam Tsering was living in a tent nearby.
At the time, Lama Mipham had just finished writing his now-famous "Prayer of Aspiration for the Flourishing of the Nyingma Teachings and to Please the Dharma Kings,"[3] which quickly became widespread. He wanted to show this new prayer to Patrul and ask for his opinion.
Lama Mipham had been staying at Juniong Monastery, his long-time residence, about a half-day's walk from Karchung Khormo Olu.
Arriving in the late afternoon, he went first to the tent of Sonam Tsering, Patrul's attendant. Sonam Tsering told Lama Mipham that Patrul had retired
for the day and was no longer receiving visitors.
Handing the attendant his handwritten text, Lama Mipham told Sonam
Tsering, "Take a look at this prayer tonight. Tomorrow, first thing, when you
serve tea to Patrul Rinpoche, please read this prayer aloud to him."
That night, Sonam Tsering, fearing that he might not be able to read Lama
Mipham's handwriting properly, rehearsed by reading the prayer aloud a
number of times.
The next day, first thing in the morning, having tucked the text of the prayer
into the folds of his upper robe, he went to serve tea to Patrul Rinpoche.
Patrul was in the middle of getting dressed. He had put on his white felt
robe and was just about to tie up the very long woolen belt that he would
wrap around his waist several times. He asked Sonam Tsering, "What was
it that you were reciting last night for so long?"
"I was reading the prayer that Lama Mipham asked me to recite to you
first thing this morning."
Halfway through tying up his belt, Patrul stopped what he was doing and
said, "Ya, go on. Recite it!"
Sonam Tsering recited Lama Mipham's prayer while Patrul listened attentively, still standing, still holding either end of his long belt in his two hands.
In the middle of the recitation, while still holding the two ends of the belt, Patrul put both palms together at his heart.
"Oh... oh!" said Patrul with amazement. "How good this is! I had thought
that in this Land of Snows, there was no one nearly as learned as Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo! However, here is someone very much like him! They are
like a pair of purebred stallions galloping side by side!"
After having listened intently until the end ofthe recitation, at last Patrul finished tying his belt and sat down to drink his tea.
Estimations and Rankings
Someone once asked Patrul, "Who would you say is more learned, you or
Mipham Rinpoche?"
Patrul paused and thought about it for a few moments.
Then he replied, "As to the sutras, we're even. As to the tantras, Mipham
is a bit better."
Notes
- ↑ Mipham expressed his profound admiration for Patrul's work after reading the latter's commentaries on the Abhisamayalamkara Prajnaparamita (Skt., Ornament of Clear Realization of the Perfection of Wisdom; Tib. shes phyin mngon rtogs rgyan), which condenses the entire meaning of the long, medium, and short versions of the Prajnaparamita Sutra.
The text's full title is: Abhisamayalankaranamaprajnaparamitopadesha-shastra (Tib. shes rap kyi pha rol tu phyin pa'i man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa'i rgyan ces bya ba), which means: abhisamaya (mngon par rtogs pa), "Realization(s)"; alankara (rgyan), "Ornament"; nama (zhes bya ba), "Called"; prajnaparamita (shes rap kyi pha rol tu phyin ba), "Perfection of Wisdom"; upadesha (man ngag), "Instructions" (lit. "an up-close look"); shastra (bstan bcos), "Treatise." - ↑ Norbu Ketaka (nor bu fee ta ka), lit. "Ketaka Gem." See The Wisdom Chapter: Jamgon Mipham's Commentary on the Ninth Chapter of The Way ofthe Bodhisattva, trans. Padmakara Translation Group (Boulder: Shambhala Publications, 2017).
- ↑ snga 'gyur bstan pa rgyas pa'i smon lam chos rgyal dgyes pa'i zhal lung. Later, one of Mipham's foremost students, Shechen Gyaltsap Pema Namgyal, wrote an extensive commentary on this prayer.
