Continued from previous page, part 1

This is the story of how this [statue of] Chenrézi (Chenrezig), Great King of the Nagas, came to this place in later times:

In the past, the central, main figure and the two dakinis to his right and left, were self-arisen statues, made of copper. They resided in the region of Dzum-lang but saw that their benefit for sentient beings would take place in Chumig Gyatsa. They flew through the air and arrived here. The king of Dzum-lang searched everywhere for them and heard that they were located at Chumig Gyatsa. To bring them back to his country, he came with a strong army of his subjects. As they carried the statues back to their previous home, they reached as far as Drak-zur [literally, Cliff-Corner, the point after which Chumig Gyatsa can no longer be seen]. They managed to carry the statues no further and had to put them on the ground. Then the king, his sons, and subjects were unable by any means to lift the statues again. Unable to do anything else, the king brought the statues back to their new home and enlarged its location. He then returned to his country.

From that time forth, when people from Dzum-lang visit this place on pilgrimage, they cry to the statue, complaining, "Since you no longer live among us, we have to undergo great hardships crossing a river on our way here." This custom continues to the present day.

In the past, accomplished Buddhist meditation masters performed burnt offering rituals here of exceptional blessing. Even now, you can find food to eat between the rocks.

It is said that whoever meditates and recites mantras with devotion
In this sacred place Chumig Gyatsa,
Will be happy during this lifetime, will realize the meaning of the nature of mind,
And will attain enlightenment in a later life.
It is also said that any prostrations, offerings, or virtuous acts done here
Will lead to success during this life, the purification of negative acts,
And the attainment of awakening in a later life.

Noble Tara's prophecy states:

Many fierce nagas live
In that sublime sacred location, Chumig Gyatsa.
It is the realm where Supreme Bliss (Chakrasamvara) and his consort reside.
Once you have made a positive connection with the place,
You will attain the great stage of no-regression along the path to awakening.

Further,

The benefits of erecting prayer flags with single-minded supplications
At this place of accomplishment
Are that you purify the suffering of the six classes of beings
And you temporarily dispel your personal obstacles.

The benefit of prostrations and circumambulations
Is rebirth as a universal monarch with a thousand-spoked [wheel].

By offering bells and chimes here,
You will attain a pleasing and clear voice
And the accomplishment of the speech of enlightenment.

By drinking and washing with the water,
You will purify the bad karma and obscurations related to the five acts of immediate retribution.

By repairing [the structure] with earth, stone, or whitewash,
You will be freed from [harm by] any malevolent animals,
Such as tigers, leopards, bears, yeti, and poisonous snakes.

By offering canopies and victory banners,
All your intense, negative emotions will be pacified,
You will become worthy of everyone's respect,
And you will have magnificent wealth, without insecurity.

By offering cooked rice and food,
You will not be reborn in a place of famine
And in this life and all others, you will be wealthy.

For many years until the present, one family has taken continual and unfailing responsibility for this major sacred place of Chumig Gyatsa. They trace their origins to the time of the Tibetan religious king Song-tsen Gam-po. When the emperor of China, Tang Tai-tsung sent his daughter, Wen-cheng Gong-ju, to wed [the Tibetan king], he sent a statue of the Buddha Shakyamuni as part of her dowry. For its transport to Tibet, it was placed within a chariot, to be escorted by four strong Chinese athletes. These four Chinese athletes, such as Lha-ga, were at the origin of four major Tibetan clans--Nam-drol Lha-ga, Sa-kya Khon, Dri-gung Kyu-ra, and Tak-lung Ga-sé. Our present family is known to have descended from the Lha-ga clan. Nowadays, it is known as the Do-mar, after the practice place called Dza-drak Mar-po. In any event, it is my nephew Péma Wangyal who is the present custodian of this sacred place, a position he inherited in a father-to-son lineage.

Because the great master from Oddiyana blessed this sacred place, this monastery's affiliation among Buddhist schools is with the Original Nyingma tradition. From days past until the present, those who practice Buddhism in the monastery are exclusively nuns. In the Dzar and Kying-ka regions, families with three daughters traditionally will ask that their middle daughter, at the age of thirteen years, have her hair cut by the monastery's head lama. She then enters the monastery. Apart from those girls, any woman of the Dzar and Kying-ka districts who wishes to can enter this monastery as a nun.

This sublime, sacred place, touched by the feet of and blessed by the second Buddha, the master from Oddiyana, is known as Chumig Gyatsa (The Hundred Springs). It provides a field for the cultivation of merit for all beings. Just seeing it, hearing it, or bringing it to mind can close the door to rebirth in miserable existences.

It is said that a clear and extensive pilgrimage guide to this blessed place used to exist. However, due to recent misfortunes and changes in time, although the legend of such a text continues, I have never seen the actual book itself. Nevertheless, the flower of my faith has fully blossomed and it is full of the nectar of our ancestors' oral lineage. Thinking of the swarm of bees of present and future faithful individuals, I, Jampal Rabgyé, have composed this short account.

In the presence of the Three Roots, the deities, spiritual masters, and oath-bound guardians, I ask for their patience toward any mistakes this work might contain, in words or in meaning. If my words move any reader to faith, devotion, or mental strength in virtuous acts, may this become a cause for all sentient beings, our mothers whose numbers fill the infinity of space, to attain the state of a great holder of awareness.

Dedication of the Text's Printing

Lha-ga family, which intimidates with their brilliance demons who harbor misleading aspirations;
Past generations' children who led this family, present family lineage-holders,
And the hosts of spiritual masters yet to come:
To you I pray! Lead me to maturity and liberation, and make our connection meaningful!

Supreme among all past family lineage-holders,
Praised as being like a white lotus, Jampal Rabgyé,
Elegantly composed the pilgrimage guide, The Clear Mirror.
May it accomplish great benefit for the doctrine and for beings.

For the ocean of all sentient beings and me,
May the virtuous act of the printing of this pilgrimage guide
Pacify all harmful influences in our present circumstances
And ultimately lead us to the attainment of spiritual awakening!

Virtue! Virtue!

The family lineage-holder Péma Wangyal offered these words of positive aspirations and the money for this printing, at Nepal's [Baudhanath] Stupa. May this be virtuous and fully positive!

Virtue!

*This is the translation of the printed version of the original manuscript of Jampal Rabgyé Rinpoche /MFI

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Comments on translation and publication
Regarding the names 'Muktinath' and 'Chumig Gyatsa' the MFI uses a translation style which is a bit different than the translator uses. After consulting him we decided to use the spelling 'Muktinath' instead of 'Mukti-nath' and 'Chumig Gyatsa' instead of 'Chu-mik Gya-tsa' in order to be consistent.
What appears in square brackets [ ] represents the discursive thoughts of the translator and has no basis in the text or elsewhere as such. Anything in round brackets ( ) is either in the main text or a translation to Sanskrit or English or Tibetan of the term it follows. The italic font is applied to this online version only.

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