division, equivalent to MA degree in India. He also did a Teachers Training course and the department of education, central Tibetan Administration appointed him to teach the Tibetan language and culture in the Tibetan school at Jawalakhel in Kathmandu. There after, with the consent of H.H. the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Education Dept. in Dharamsala appointed him as the rector of the Central school for Tibetan in Simla. Simultaneously, he also took the responsibility of the Tibetan Welfare officer in the same area with an appointment from the Personnel Dept. of Central Tibetan secretariat.
However, since the family lineage of Lama Dawa Choedak was a Yogi, he received the full teachings on the text of Nyingma Kamai (gate of dharma) and also the principle and classifications of tantra from his root guru Dudjom Rinpoche. In accordance with the text, he had also completed the preliminary and the actual practice of the teachings on retreat in Riwalsar (Lotus-Lake) and Varanasi. As per the oral instructions of his root guru, he also approached at the feet of lama Karma Gyalpo and received all the teachings concerning Tantra (Vidyadhana and Mantrayana) and he practiced them thoroughly. Similarly, he approached at the feet of Ven. Dilgo khyentse Rinpoche as per the oral instructions of his root guru Dudjom Rinpoche and received all the "Treasure-texts" of the treasure discoverer Choekyi Ghocha and accordingly practiced it without any failure.
In 1989, he visited United States of America and set-up a religious center. In the same year, His holiness the Dalai Lama just before the receipt of the Nobel Peace Award, visited America and His holiness named the new religious center as Thupten Choeling. Today there are over 40 dharma practitioners in that centre.
In August 1993, as he was invited by Losang Chungpe (of the foster parents of the Tibetan Childrens’ village) he went to Taiwan for 3 months. During his stay in Taiwan, he practiced ‘Ta’ for those who wants him to perform and of course, other Buddhist rituals and prayers. On his return back to Kathmandu, he continues to practice ‘Ta’ and often he prepares ‘Sungkhor" (wheel of protection) either to wear or to be kept in the bags. He also teaches the foreigners if approached on Dharma matters.
So this is his brief introductory biography.
Mr. Sonam Phuntsok, a staff-member of the "Buddhist Views" association interviewed Ngagpa Dawa Choedak at Boudhanath, Kathmandu.
Q. Out of the two major classifications or the order in the Tibetan Buddhism-popularly known as fully ordained red robed monks practicing sutra (the discourses) and white-robed with pigtail hair practicing Tantra (heavy retreat) when did the later actually came into practice in Tibet?
Ans. Generally speaking, Buddha Dharma came to Tibet during the reign of king Lha-Thothori-Nyentsen. At that time a sacred Buddhist text called Do-de Palgon chak-Gya and a small gold stupa were hailed from the sky and fell on the house of the said King. It was believed that the religious objects came from India and reached Tibet so miraculously.
In continuance of these auspicious signs of the spread of the Buddha- Dharma, King trisong Duetsen invited many Buddhist abbots from India including the famous abbot Boddhisatva in the 7
century. Inspite of the spiritual king, Buddhist scholars and learned abbots; the harmful demi-gods and the evil spirits did not let the Buddhism flourish in Tibet. Any solid foundation that was built was immediately seen destroyed by evil spirits. Under those difficult times, the king asked the abbot Boddhisatva to find a method to subdue all the evil spirits and demons. Then, the abbot predicted that it could be only possibly done if the Guru Padma Sambhava comes to Tibet. The king immediately sent the messengers to India to invite Guru Rinpoche.
But Guru Rinpoche on the other hand being an omniscient lama already knew that he had to go to Tibet during that period and had come to Pharping in Nepal for a retreat. On his way from India, he stayed for a while at the Indo-Nepalese border; a place in Tibetan language called Chumig-Jangchub-meaning ‘Enlightened spring’-as a name of the holy spring in that area. He was met by the Tibetan messengers who came to invite him. On his way to Tibet, he overpowered harmful spirit wherever they dwell. Finally, he put down all the harmful goods and spirits at "Heapori" mountain near Samye in Tibet. He performed many religious ceremonies and offered innumerable ritual cakes to all the harmful spirits to appease them and on the final day of the ceremony to tame all the demons was known as Zamling-Chisang-meaning "World incense offering day". Thereafter, the Samye Monastery, the first monastery in Tibet was built within unbelievably short time. It was said that Guru Rinpoche invoked the spirits to help built the monastery and therefore, the spirits did more work in the nighttime rather than the human beings in the daytime. This monastery was built after the destruction of the famous Nalanda Buddhist monastery in Bihar in India. From that time onwards the practice of tantric rituals was prevalent in Tibet.
Q. Was the Tantric practice spread before the sutra practice in Tibet?
Ans. Generally speaking, Buddhist tantric practice spread very early in the
World. The reason for this is that, out of eighty great Buddhist yogis from India in the beginning, there were only a few ordained Bikshus and the rest chose to practise tantric order. But in Tibet, when the tantric practitioner Guru Padma Sambhava arrived, the sutra practitioners like the famous abbot Boddhisatva have already started the great discourses. Therefore, the ordained monks practicing Sutra spread first in Tibet.
But, when the Samye Monastery was consecrated, the head of the sutra was the famous abbot Boddhisato and the head of the Tantra was Acharya pama Sambhava. They wrote the name of the king and the period of building the Samye Monastery on a long stone pillar and circumambulated the monastery. Many good omens and auspicious signs like a showering of flowers from the sky, many different shaped rainbows appearing and even the copper portrait of 4 female dogs kept at the 4 directions of the monastery actually barked furiously. The whole area became so peaceful and fragrant and the Buddhism flourished in full swing during the reign of King Trisong Duetsen. Later, the king Trisong Duetsen’s son Mutri-Tsenpo was in power, he recognized the practice of two major orders i.e. the red-robed monks and the white-robed or the practitioners of the sutra and the tantra respectively. In order to demonstrate this formal recognition he used to tie two long scarves, one on the right side of his hair and one on his left side of his hair. Then, when he sits in the monastery, the two ends of the scarves were tied to the head of the long mattresses of two rows of the two order of monks sat in the monastery for prayers. The king formally gave the 2 orders an equal opportunity and rights to practice whichever path one chose, because the ultimate goal of attaining the enlightenment is the same. For instance, from the Sutra side, one has to renounce all the worldly pleasures and has to undergo a long penance to purify all the demerits that has been accumulated for many generations. Thereby one gradually attains the 10
grounds and ultimately realizes the inseparability of bliss and void. Similarly, from the Tantra side, ultimately one has to attain and realize the spheres of reality (Dharmadhata) or the nature truth body (dharmakaya). The meaning of tantra is to renounce oneself or self-sacrifice until all the sentient-beings in all the 3 worlds of gods, nagas and humans attain their ultimate enlightenment and only then, at the end one wishes to attain the enlightenment. This difference is the outcome of ones mind generation of the mind of enlightenment. This can be categorized into three types of mind generations.
The first or the best mind generation is said that one should be deemed as a shepherd who sees that all the sheep are ahead of himself without leaving one behind him. Likewise, the best mind generation is to develop an altruistic mind to help attain all the suffering sentient beings attain their ultimate enlightenment first and for that matter one renounces the world.
The second or the middle mind generation is said that one should be like a sailor. That is to say that, although the persons in the boat have to be reached or go, on the other side of the shore, but the sailor also has to go along with them; without going one ahead of the other or staying behind. So, this way of mind generation is caused by a strong altruistic wish to help attain the ultimate enlightenment along with all the sentient beings.
The third or the last mind generation is to be like a king, to acquire all the powers and facilities for yourself first; so that you can think of helping others or do whatever you want others to do for their benefit. So, this mind generation is also caused by an altruistic wish to benefit other, but first attaining the Buddhahood or the ultimate enlightenment by yourself. Therefore, most of the age old tantric practitioners have chosen the first or the best path of mind generation so as to overcome the sufferings of countless sentient beings first and putting oneself in the last stage.
Q. Could you tall us the main difference between "Ta-Pa" a method of fortune-teller by looking into a metal mirror and "Mo-pa" a method of fortune-telling using dice or mala?
Ans. There are two major types of attainments in life. First is the supreme
Higher attainment and the second one is the common higher attainment. Ta-Pa- a person who foretells using a shining metal mirror to read the signs or letter and Mo-pa- a person who does divination using a pair of dice or mala to see the numbers are both same, in the sense that they fall under the common higher attainments. Both have to study or refer certain specific texts for an answer.
If it is a supreme higher attainments, then there is no need for doing anything either in the form of retreat or any other religious practices; because everything will come automatically provided one has realized the true meaning of the intrinsic empty nature of all phenomena. For such a Supreme Being, whatever he does- sleep, meditation, eating or drinking-his body; in Tibetan language ‘lue-po’- meaning a "heap to be left" is only visible for a common person but his mind is always with a pure ray of light in great control. The person who performs ‘Ta’ is called Tapa or Ta-thapkhen. Most of the Ta-Pa’s have a Ta-Mig. Ta literally means hair and Mig means eye. People who possess Ta-Mig can either see letters or signs as tiny as hair in the metal mirror or Melong-a Tibetan word. Often, some girls before her marriage tend to possess Ta-Mig. Such a girl can be trained to read the signs. She should sit on a folded white long blazer under which a Swastika is drawn with rice or white wheat. While the girl watch the mirror a lama should perfrom the ‘Ta’ ritual. Then the girl can see some signs or if she is a literate she can read something to derive a clue or a possible answer to a specific question.
Q. How did you become ‘Ta-Pa’ after studying in the Tibetan Institute for higher studies in Varanasi?
Ans. Now, in my case my blood lineage is a Ta-Pa. My mother can see ‘Ta’
in the mirror or Melong while my father does not see it. But my father has acquired the power to make ‘Ta’ appear in the ‘Melong’ and mother reads the signs. Ven. Duejom Rinpoche, the then head of the Nyingmapa sect often uses the services of my parents in his chambers. Often Rinpoche has a lot of questions to seek the answers through Ta. I, as a young boy used to go with my parents to see how my parents do the ‘Ta’-rituals and so on. The metal mirror is a shining yellow in color but during their practices, when I watch, I see the mirror change into a dark-color. One day I happen to mention what changes I see in the mirror and Rinpoche told me, that it was sign, I possess ‘Ta-Mig’. Then, Rinpoche often told me to watch the mirror and the process of the Ta-rituals carefully. But I could only see either smoky designs or wave-like curves in a lake. However, Rinpoche confirmed that I possess a ‘Ta-Mig’. He also said that this lineage is extremely rare and Ven. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche is the only realized master-scholar who possesses all the knowledge of discovered treasure-texts and that I must receive all the teachings and practice it thoroughly. As per the precious instructions I received from Ven. Duejom Rinpoche, I apprised him that I may be kindly given all the ‘Precious Treasure-texts’ of the Treasure discoverer ‘Choekyi-Ghocha’. At that time he was residing in the monastery of Ven. Late Ugyen Tulku. With great delight he gave his consent. Thus, I received the full "Treasure-texts" of the Treasure Discoverer "Choekyi Ghocha" from Ven. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. In my long retreat, as per the oral instructions of my guru and in accordance with the ‘Treasure-texts’, my meditation deity or the root object of visualization being the red Sarasvatidevi-in Tibetan language "Yangchen Lhamo"-meaning goddess of eloquence appeared as clear as a crystal.
The origin of all the tantric Treasure-texts are all from guru Padma Sambhava and since he has left this particular Treasure texts with Dakkini Dorjee Yudron and black Zambalha in the presence or witness of Aeka-Zati and Dorjee Phurpu (Vajra Killaya) with strict instructions to release or give the ‘Treasure-texts’ when the ‘Treasure-discoverer Choekyi Ghocha" comes to take it. The Treasure –texts discoverer happened to be the Ven. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche who received the full Treasure-texts and then passed it on to me the full
Treaure-texts while I was on my retreat. I had to practice the red-
Sarasvatidevi-but I often get the signs of Dakkini Dorjee Yudron and
Zambalha in my visualization as they were responsible for the treasure-texts deposited with them by guru Rinpoche was now being transferred to my possession. It has, therefore, become inevitable for me to make regular offerings to Dakkini Dorjee Yudron and recite their specific mantras without break for a long time. I was, and then only able to see the ‘Ta’ signs in the metal mirror, when I perform the ‘Ta’ ritual. The appearance of ‘Ta’ signs are usually like a stupa, a river, a rainbow, a highway, a flower, a vajra, a house, a bird or any animals or anything. Then, in order to give the meaning or the explanation for any signs that appeared in the metal mirror (melong) I have to go through the "Treasure-text" for reference and to get the answer. When we look into the ‘Texts’, we find the answers under ‘Ji’-number and Ni-number of the volume brought from Tibet and the volume printed in India respectively. Explanations are same but the difference in number is perhaps due to the size of the text and the letters. So, I have practiced in this way for sometime. But I did continuously recite the mantras of red Sarasvatidevi and Dakkini Dorjee Yudron many hundred thousands times. As a result of strong faith and a constant practice as per the instructions, later I was able to read the answers in letters and verses whenever I performed a Ta for somebody. The appearances of the letters are rather fast that one needs to acquire a skill in reading quickly without any movement of the eyes. Though it is difficult for the eyes it is more convenient and easier than the appearance of ‘Ta’-signs. Here, there is no need to find the ‘sign’ explanations in the texts. So, this is the way I became a ‘Ta-pa’ and practice it thereafter. People who do the divination have also similar recitations to practice. But, all these come under the category of higher common attainments.
Q. After receiving the sacred instructions from the root guru to practice ‘Ta’, is it also necessary to receive a special initiations and oral-transmissions?
Ans. In order to become a ‘Ta-pa’, one has to get the initial sacred instructions from one of your guru’s to practice it and thereafter, all other teachings and initiations are already in the content of the ‘Precious Treasure-texts’ which is the main theme of the practice and acquisition of powers. There are few other precious Treasure-texts which are not only difficult to practice but not at all easy to acquire the instructions. For my retreat according to the Treasure-texts, I had to recite the red Sarasvatidevi mantra alone 47 hundred thousand times, but my guru Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche advised me to recite 100 hundred thousand times and I did it in full contemplation. I also did recite Dorjee Yudrn’s mantra 55 hundred thousand times, black Zambalha mantra 35 hundred thousand times. The visualization of a meditation deity complete with all features is a must in all these practices.
Among the sophisticated texts like "Duejom new Treasure text", one has to do many years of retreat in order to actually visualize guru Tsokye Dorjee as a root guru, Yeshi Tsogyal as a Dakkini and Dorjee Phurpa (Vajrakillaya) as a meditation deity. If a person has acquired the skill to visualize all these thee at a time in a complete form with all the features as in the `Treasure-texts’, such a person could demonstrate 21 miracles and the practice of `Ta’ is only one feat among them.
Other miracles could be something like making ones body invisible. A thief or robber could be made immovable so that they can not escape or a thief running away could be stopped, making him unable to walk unless he walks back to return the stolen stuff, a human body can be changed into any animals and so on. If a person could perform all these miracles, then it is worth going abroad. But these days we Ngagpas can not perform these miraculous deeds although the precious Treasure-texts are available. We lack the inner potentiality to practice them.
Q. We understand that so many people come and request you to do a ‘Ta’ with their varied questions. Could you recall some outstanding result of your performance?
R. Well, there is no such miraculous outcome of my practice. But people from different walk’s of life come to me. For example, when one of the incarnations of an important Tulku from Sakya lineage was not able to decide by themselves, it was referred here. Whatever came out of my Ta was finally recognized. At present he is studying in the Sakya College and his parents are now in the United States of America.
Then the reincarnation of Shekar Rinpoche, one who ruled Tibet during the interim period, after the death of the regent Radring Rinpoche was again sought and confirmed after doing ‘Ta’ from me.
There was another Lama known as Degyal Rinpoche from Kham who lived in ‘Toe’ area of the central Tibet. He was considered as a highly learned lama by all the Nyingmas including Ven. Duejom Rinpoche. After the death of Degyal Rinpoche, his disciples requested Ven. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche to help search for the reincarnation. Ven. Khynetse Rinpoche told that the time was ripe to look for the reincarnation of Degyal Rinpoche and he has advised them to go to see me and do the ‘Ta’. He has also told them to bring the result in writing in my name. Then, while doing ta, I was little surprised to see a name of person as a father of the reincarnation with another name of a woman as a mother of the reincarnation. In my knowledge, the person I know was not married. But, as usual, whatever comes in ‘Ta’, I gave in writing and they took it back to Ven. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Then, Rinpoche has sent someone to call me to do ‘Ta’ in his chamber to see some more details of the parents. The reincarnation of Degyal Rinpoche was confirmed and the enthronement ceremony was conducted solemnly.
Similarly, when people ask about a sick person, it appears sometimes that the sick person will die soon or after a specific number of days. It is then very difficult to say, because the other people will become completely blank and full of sorrow, but when it comes in ‘Ta’, I cannot change the statement.
Last year, Ven, Penor Rinpoche, the present head of the Nyingmapa sect was giving the initiations and Ven. Shechen Rinpoch was giving oral transmissions to a group of disciples in Nepal. The event was very magnificent but even during that time, Ven. Penor Rinpoche called me two times to perform my ‘Ta’ in his residence to foresee the prospect of different Nyingmapa projects both in India and abroad. So, they trust me and I gave the answers that appears or what I see in the mirror-the Melong.
However, sometimes, when some people listen what I say here, and do not perform certain Pujas that has come in Ta, then they do not succeed in their works. It happens sometimes. Otherwise, although I have no power but due to the blessing of the gurus and power of the Dharma and its secret mantras and the precious ingredients that I carefully wrap in a cloth and stitch them, so that they can either put on their necks, in the pockets or put them in their baggage’s depending on the situation and the reason for which they are taking the sacred articles. So, most of the time it works well.
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