So why Tsongkhapa?

So why you may ask, of all the powerful Meditational Deities (Yidam) in the Buddhist pantheon, of all the great Lineage Masters who have appeared since the dawn of Buddhism in India to Tibet like the great Shantideva, noble Asanga to Shantarakshita and Sakya Pandita in Tibet, why Tsongkhapa? Tsongkhapa Tsongkhapa Tsongkhapa Tsongkhapa Tsongkhapa?

Much from inside me did tell me that he was my tutelary deity when he was first introduced to me. Really I did feel an inclination to his looks and all. He looks somewhat humble and yet so glamorous in his pomp and glory. But back to planet earth, why Tsongkhapa? I’ve contemplated much on this question actually. Through countless talks, discussions and questioning myself with the problem, why Tsongkhapa, I have finally reasoned to myself why he is always talked about to be the

“Yidam of Our Time”

Buddha Shakyamuni

The historical Buddha Gotama’s life story is a classical inspiration for Buddhists of all lineages and sects and definitely builds up faith in us. So does the life stories of other saints in Buddhist history. Acharya Nagajurna, the founder of the Middle Path School was inspired to be a medicant monk who used alchemy to cure almost any disease there was at the time in India. He would read and master any form of Buddhist text available at that time. But his master curbed his pride of thinking that his knowledge was the vastest at time by bringing him into the realm of the Nagas, the celestial serpents to see the vast scriptures that were entrusted by Lord Buddha to the Nagas to safe keep. He was then subdued of his pride and mastered the texts to benefit sentient beings.

King Songtsen Gampo

In Tibet, Buddhist kings such as the Great King Songtsen Gampo was renowned as the emanation of the Buddha of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara. He had two princesses, one from China, the princess Wen Cheng and the Nepali princess Bikurti. King Songtsen Gampo was renowned to have brought two tribes of Tibet together and story has it that he emanated in both tribes many men and soldiers to fight the war and he himself came in between them to resolve the war to avoid further bloodshed. When the war was over, he absorbed all his emanations back. Thus was his exhibition of supernatural powers in order to fully benefit people and beings of that time.

So what about Lord Tsongkhapa? What did he actually do? Like other saints, Je Tsongkhapa also pronounced certain miracles to evoke faith in all those who was looking for a refuge. At birth, he was born to a child of a farmer who made full use of his time reciting the Name and Praises to the Lord of Wisdom, Manjushri ;and of a pious mother who fervently placed her faith on the Compassionate Lord Avalokiteshvara, chanting his holy six syllable mantra everyday without fail.

He grew up as a child with very strong inclinations to the Buddha’s doctrine. At a very young age, he was quickly found by an eminent master who has just returned from a teaching in China. His Holiness Karmapa Mikyo Dorje took delight in this boy and gave him personally the Buddhist refuge vows as he could see in the boy that he could upkeep it just as well as caring for his life. He took delight in Buddhist teachings and made great use of his life to endure study under very great masters and lineage masters of that time.

As Buddhism was degenerating during that time due to a certain misleading trend at that time whereby most practices were not authentic and did not come from a valid lineage. Moreover, practitioners of that time did not value the precepts and moral codes laid down by Lord Buddha as stated in the texts as their commitment by holding the vows and moral codes were the essence and core of their practice. Lama Tsongkhapa spent his entire youth just studying on “Partchin” the Buddhist ethic code. He would spend the effort and time to understand; debate and reason out why were the codes lay down and made sure he had the right lineage of moral codes he had undertaken. Again and again he had requested masters whom were respected for their morality to give teachings and commentaries on the subject.

Along the way, he had also skillfully memorized texts on the Sutras and Tantras and more so made full use of the commentaries available by ancient Indian Panditas (scholars) of Buddhism. When Buddhism was brought to Tibet, the Lotsawas, great practitioners whom have realized the teachings and as well made effervescent efforts to make the essence of the Teachings available to the Tibetans by translating the texts from Sanskrit into the Tibetan language and Je Tsongkhapa made use of their compilations and written works as his main form of practice and passion. He was constantly finding opportunities to learn and master the teachings which he had requested to receive. Never was he lax in his practice and it would really hurt his heart if he couldn’t perform or understand a certain teaching.

Whenever we do not understand a certain thing in life, we would always question ourselves why and what is exactly the effect of the question which we want to know. From there, we would do research and find answers for ourselves. Sometimes we would even go on further into understanding the problem when it is perceived from a different point of view. Sounds logical right? This is exactly what the Great Tsongkhapa did. Throughout his life, he would first find the subject which he is not skilled in and further studied it. To reaffirm his knowledge and understanding, he would debate with another person who is knowledgeable in that particular subject. This was a way to sharpen his mind and ensure that there weren’t any space for doubt and confusion.

Great Tsongkhapa

to be continued....

How I met Tsongkhapa

To tell you the truth about myself, I’ve been in contact with Buddhism since I was a young kid. According to mum, our family’s immediate household did not have any divinity to help and protect us from the harm and hardship we faced in life. When my mother conceived me, my paternal grandmother advised my mum to invite a deity home to supplicate for the family’s harmony and protection from harm. Mum was brought up in a Buddhist missionary school so she thought that it would be good to bring a Buddha image back home. She invited a small stone replica of the Buddha Kamakura of Japan and had it consecrated by a local Chinese Buddhist temple before inviting him home to our humble abode. I guess it suggests a lot about the beginning of me and my affinity to the Teachings and inspiration to this Holy Being we all call the Buddha.

Growing up in a typical Chinese family in Malaysia, we’re bound to superstitions and other cultural related practices which we readily follow without much question because our elders did it and so did our ancestors. Daily rituals like offering incense to the deities of the home to celebrations of festivities like the Lunar New Year where you can’t do this and can’t do that which involves inauspiciousness, prayers and feasts at family graves during All Souls’ Day to the winter solstice festival at the end of the year. It is not without a month without any form of major celebration in this culture of mine but it’s with one benefit that it keeps the family members both young and old all intact together lest the family separates and falls apart.

It was not until the recent years which have turned my life and attention to a practice and study of one of the most appropriate practice of my life and all these are not possible if it wasn’t for His Eminence Tsem Tulku Rinpoche. My first meeting with him was rather special as he was giving a talk in the Buddhist Centre which he founded in Petaling Jaya named Kechara House at the end of a Stock Party of religious items to promote awareness on Buddhist crafts and iconography. In that talk, he explained how Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga could help us in handling our daily problems and eradicating them at the end.

I could still remember exactly how the talk went and the words which he told all who were present and it very much touched my heart to know how the profound teachings of the great sage Lord Buddha could be easily practiced and very much absorbed in such an ‘easy’ matter and its in a form which suits and tailored for our daily needs! “How wonderful!” I thought to myself, now I can do some prayers on my own without having to supplicate to something or someone I’m unsure of because I have this very strong feeling that this in it for me – Lama Tsongkhapa, the one and only.

From that day onwards I did my little research and read a little about his biography and tremendous faith grew in me. I didn’t know how to put this in words so I continued to read more from what he had to say regarding the teachings of Buddhism which he has to graciously condensed the 84,000 teachings of Lord Buddha into three volumes of what we call the Lamrim dubbed to be the Great Exposition on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. A guideline for people like us who don’t have time to go over everything the Buddha had said in order to practice. Lama Tsongkhapa has done the reading and contemplating for us and re-written what had needed to be studied in a concise manner for us to follow and practice and see the results for ourselves.

So let’s see how the worship of a saint from a little boy who offered a crystal rosary to the Lord Buddha became the Second Buddha himself in this human realm!

Tsongkhapa - A rundown

Jetsun is a title given to exalted, venerated people regardless of status or origin who have made efforts in their endeavors of life to further push themselves to be of service to humanity both socially and on a higher level, in the training of the mind, which will bring them to a longer and steadier state of happiness. Dorje, abomantine, unbreakable, indestructible, is a title conferred to people whom have worked hard to tame themselves and have the attributes to tame others as well. Lama, literally means ‘One without Fault’ refers to a noble teacher willing to teach and is stainless in the knowledge and realizations of both exoteric and esoteric teachings of the Sage Buddha. Tsongkhapa simply means the man who hails from the Onion Valley. Tsong-kha, refers to a district up north in Ancient Tibet which is directly translated as the Onion Valley as this particular soil is fit for the cultivation of onions and it so happened to be this Saint’s hometown.

Tsongkhapa as Tsongkhapa Goes

This blog would not be the first of its kind but rather a supplementary blog to other similar blogs promoting the life, worship, teachings, doctrine of a very much celebrated Saint of the 14th century; Jetsun Dorje Manjunatha Lama Tsongkhapa. This blog is actually an inspiration from my teacher and spiritual guide who has introduced and taught me the benefits and the extremely needed practice of this great inspirational Buddha, Lama Tsongkhapa. Whatever’s on this blog is both quoted from valid traditional scriptures incorporated with bits and pieces of my own thoughts on what has been learnt regarding this special teaching.

The practice of Lama Tsongkhapa is special to me because it has brought innumerable benefits to myself and to the people around me in which both I have personally experienced and seen the witnessed for myself the transformation which have entirely benefited them. It is such a profound teaching and what really is captivating about this subject is that it encompasses the 84,000 teachings of the historical Lord Buddha who lived about 2,500 years ago in ancient India.

So, imagine this; we can actually fit a little time from our busy schedule to practice 84,000 teachings of the Buddha within a short period of time! Read on to find out what lies within our very self in each and every living being – the Tsongkhapa Buddha nature!