Begtse with his retinue. Image credit: Collection of the Zanzibar Museum of Fine Arts. Click on image to enlarge.

The law of karma is a universal law. Karma can be described, in simplistic terms, as the opening of an energy that we have sent out to others in this life and previous lives. This leads to our needing to experience the results of this energy returning to us whether in this present life or in future lives. We create and experience both positive karma and negative karma due to our ignorance of the true nature of reality, which is empty of inherent existence. Naturally, all of us only wish to experience the effects of good karma and we fear the effects of negative karma.

The experiences of the ripening of negative karma can be frightening. It might return in the form of illness, depression, material loss, accidents, falls, etc. Intellectually, we can understand that we will experience the results of our karma, including the inevitability of death as we are aware of our mortality, but most of us do not know the subtle levels of cause and effect. We will definitely reap the positive or negative effects of karma either in this life or in our future rebirths.

Karma cannot be stopped apart from when we reach the exalted state of enlightenment. When we reach that state we are no longer bound to the law of karma but transcend it entirely. In the meantime however, it can be diverted before it opens by purifying it through use of the Four Opponent Powers:

1. Taking refuge in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha)
2. Sincerely regretting our negative actions
3. Engaging in actions that remedy or purify the karma we created
4. Generating the strong resolve to not engage in that action again

There are many practices that we can engage in to purify our negative karma such as Vajrasattva, prostrations, water offering, mandala offering, meditation on emptiness, making offerings, and serving your Guru, to name a few. The effectiveness of these practices are multiplied when done in conjunction with the Four Opponent Powers.

A statue of Begtse Chen. Image credit: himalayanart.org. Click on image to enlarge.

On the path to gaining enlightenment, we must purify our karma. According to the law of cause and effect, karma can be purified or mitigated and even exhausted through purification practices. If we do not purify our karma, we cannot progress towards the enlightened state because karma, especially on the subtlest levels, obscures our ability to gain realisations that lead to that state.

Within the Tibetan tradition, there are many competent masters who, having tested the methods and their effects in the light of their experience, are able to teach us many practices that are effective in helping us to overcome our problems. One of the methods is by invoking the aid of spiritual beings who have the powers to intercede and to help in matters that are beyond our control, namely having to experience the effects of ripening karma. This gives us the ability and time to purify the negative karma, so we do not need to experience its effects in the future. These spiritual beings have the power of clairvoyance, compassion, wisdom and skillful means.

When we invoke upon their power and compassion, they are able to effect a change in the circumstances of our lives and even in our mind. This can happen when we have the positive karma and or spiritual merit to support the presence of a powerful spiritual being in our lives. They can be enlightened spiritual beings such as Shakyamuni Buddha, Tara, Marici, Mahakala, etc., or even unenlightened spiritual beings who have vowed to help practitioners in this manner. However, unenlightened beings propitiated in this manner only have the ability to help us with our physical circumstances; they do not have the ability to aid us in mental, emotional and spiritual matters, like the enlightened beings can.

One class of beings who can assist us in clearing obstacles towards our practice are beings known as Dharma Protectors. There are three categories of Dharma Protectors:

1. Enlightened beings who are emanations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, appearing in enlightened forms
2. Enlightened beings who manifest as unenlightened or ordinary beings, and
3. Unenlightened beings who have sworn an oath of allegiance to the Dharma and thus, are bound by oath to assist people

Manjushri in the form of Dorje Shugden manifests as a Dharma Protector of Je Tsongkapa’s teachings, to preserve the lineage and its practitioners. Click on image to enlarge.

When it comes to unenlightened beings, many highly attained masters in Tibet have connected with and contained the power of unenlightened mountain deities and devas that have existed for hundreds of years. Thus, they are able to tap into the energies of these beings. These energies can either be positive or negative but they are contained and the deities are forced to perform positive actions that are beneficial.

Lamas are able to tap into the power of these beings because they really do exist. They can be devas, mountain deities, or powerful people who have passed away, etc., who are subdued and bound by oath so that they can become Protectors. Many texts and scriptures have been written about tapping into these energies to help us connect with these spiritual beings.

On the other hand, enlightened Dharma Protectors are emanations of enlightened beings such as Four-Faced Mahakala, considered to be an emanation of Manjushri as well as Six-Armed Mahakala, who is considered an emanation of Avalokiteshvara or Kwan Yin. Others are emanations of Vajrapani, Samantabhadra and so on. The power of these Protectors is always positive, direct and obvious.

Enlightened Dharma Protectors are a source of refuge and can provide the circumstances to assist us to achieve high spiritual attainments and even enlightenment itself, whereas unenlightened Dharma Protectors can only help to alleviate our obstacles and create conducive conditions that are favourable to our spiritual practice. It is important to remember that in order to receive the protection of a Dharmapala, we have to be consistent in our main practice which is our daily prayers to our Yidam (meditational deity) or our Guru Yoga practice. Dharma Protector practice supports this main practice.

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Origin of Begtse Chen

A thangka of Padmasambhava as central figure. Click for high-resolution image

The earliest Dharma Protectors found in the Mahayana and Theravada traditions were heavily influenced by Indian/Hindu traditions. In Tibet and later in Mongolia, many local frightening and harmful spirits were added to the pantheon of Dharma Protectors as the practice of using Dharma Protectors developed, and these spirits were subdued to never harm again.

Powerful masters such as Padmasambhava tamed these spiritual beings and bound them by oath to protect the Dharma and its practitioners. This practice of using Dharma Protectors extended to territorial conflicts in Tibet, Mongolia and Central Asia. It was not uncommon to conscript the enemy’s powerful protectors and turn them against their original masters to defeat them. This secular tactic however, does not adhere to the true function of Dharma Protectors, which is to aid spiritual practice.

This was the time when Trisong Detsen, the King of Tibet, was engaged in his mission to unify parts of Tibet and further establish the practice of Buddhism in the county. He invited the great Indian master Shantarakshita to Tibet in order to establish a community of ordained monks in Tibet. The master however, was beset with calamities caused by powerful and malevolent beings who did not want the Dharma to spread there. It was then that the king invited the tantric adept, Padmasambhava, to subdue these beings and put them under oath to protect the Dharma. One such being was Pehar Gyalpo, colloquially referred to as Nechung. Contrary to many accounts that Begtse Chen is a subdued being from Mongolia, he is in fact a Dharma Protector of Indian origin. Begtse Chen is also known simply as Begtse, or as Trichapa Chamsing (Tibetan), Prana Atma (Sanskrit), and Jamsran (Mongolian). Colloquially, he is sometimes also referred to as Red Mahakala.

Begtse is an enlightened Dharma Protector belonging to a group called the Eight Wrathful Ones. This grouping is particular of the Gelug tradition and denotes a group of wrathful deities, rather than just a group of all Dharma Protectors. This group consists of two Yidams or meditational deities, four enlightened or wisdom Dharma Protectors and two worldly Dharma Protectors. Their names are as follows:

Meditational Deities:

• Yamantaka Vajrabhairava
• Hayagriva Sangdrub

Wisdom Protectors (enlightened Dharma Protectors):

• Six-Armed Mahakala
• Shri Devi Palden Lhamo
• Begtse Chen
• Yama Dharmaraja (a.k.a. Kalarupa)

Worldly Protectors (unenlightened Dharma Protectors):

• Vaishravana riding a lion
• Tsangpa Karpo

Mongolian ritual mask of Begtse. Image credit: Artribune. Click on image to enlarge.

Begtse’s practice began in India and entered Tibet due to the efforts of Nyen Lotsawa in the 11^th Century. Begtse, also known as Trichapa Chamsing, is a Dharma Protector that became widely propitiated by the Sakya and Kagyu Schools in the 11^th Century through the work of Marpa Lotsawa and Sachen Kunga Nyingpo.

He is is considered an important enlightened protector and while he remains one of the more important protectors in the Sakya School, his practice has virtually disappeared from the Kagyu tradition. However, it was embraced by the Gelug School of Lama Tsongkhapa and subsequently became popular in the 17^th Century in Mongolia, a region that predominantly follows the Gelug tradition. Begtse is also the main Dharma Protector associated with the Hayagriva tantric meditation practice.

Different Tales of Begtse’s Origination

Tsarchen Losal Gyatso

According to the Sakya Lama Tsarchen Losal Gyatso, in a previous life, two sons were born into the family of King Sergyi Shugchen and Queen Upale Ke. The older son was called Dragden and the younger son’s name was Draggye. In this former life, Begtse was the younger of the two sons.

The two brothers had constant arguments over their different religious beliefs. They held many debates with the ruling that the loser would have to follow the winner’s religion. Despite losing, the younger brother refused to concede and instead ran away. The older brother caught him and tried to punish him, but the younger brother said,

“Even if you try to kill me I will not accept your religion, please let me go and I promise in the future when you reach enlightenment, I will protect your teachings.”

The older brother released him and gave him a set of copper armour, a coral stick, a bow and an arrow; and he also gave him the name Sogdag Yamshi Marpo. Then they parted ways.

In this form Ekajati is regarded as the mother of Mahakala. Image credit: himalayanart.org. Click on image to enlarge.

In another lifetime, the older brother became Buddha (Shakyamuni) while the younger brother was born in the North West Marutse Cemetery. His father’s name was Nujin Zangki Ralpachen and his mother’s name was Sinmo Dragi Ralpachen. The parents laid two eggs, one of them was coral, the other one was “se” (an agate-like stone). The two eggs flew into the sky, attacking many gods, then they flew down under the earth, attacking the nagas. They even threatened their own parents.

The parents asked Ekajati, Mahakala’s mother, for protection and Ekajati threw her katvanga (ritual staff) at the eggs and broke them apart. From the coral egg, a coral man with yellow hair came out. He was wearing copper armour, carrying a copper sword, bow and arrow, and a coral stick. He said: “My name is Sogdag Yamshi Marpo/”

From the other egg, a blue goddess came out. She had shell teeth, turquoise eyebrows, and her hair was made of fire. She was wearing an agate and lapis lazuli necklace. In her hands were a copper knife and a phurba (a ritual three-sided dagger) and she was riding a man-eating bear. Ekajati subdued them both and together they became the Dharma Protectors, Begtse and his consort, Rigpay Lhamo.

A depiction of H.H. the 3rd Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso. Image credit: himalayanart.org. Click on image to enlarge.

There is another version of how Begtse originated. According to the Mongolian Sayang Secen’s Precious Summary, Begtse was subdued by Sonam Gyatso, the Third Dalai Lama of Tibet. When Sonam Gyatso was traveling to Mongolia to meet with Altan Khan, Begtse used demons in the form of animals as obstructions on his journey.

Sonam Gyatso, in response, took the form of the Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara and his horse’s hoofs left imprints of the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM on the ground. Begtse immediately conceded defeat at the sight of the mantra and converted to Buddhism.

However, it should be noted that in the biography of the First Dalai Lama, Gendun Drub (1391-1474), it was mentioned that Begtse was already being worshipped during his rule, well before Sonam Gyatso became the Third Dalai Lama.

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Appearance

Iconography of Begtse

In his iconography, Begtse is represented as red in colour with one face and two hands, wearing protective armour like a Tibetan warrior.

An 18th century statue of Begtse Chen. Image credit: Rubin Museum of Art, New York (USA). Click on image to enlarge.

He stands surrounded by flames of pristine awareness on a lotus base, with his right leg bent on the corpse of a horse and left leg extended on the corpse of a human, a typical stance for wrathful deities.

He has three wide open protruding eyes and a wrathful countenance on his face. Four fangs appear in his open mouth.

Begtse wears a crown of five skulls, red silk garments and a garland made of freshly severed heads. On his chest is a mirror with the seed syllable, BRAM.

His right hand brandishes a scorpion-handled sword, and his left hand holds the heart of the enemy (representing the death of our ego). In the crook of his arm, there is a bow and arrow with a banner, and a long lance rests on his shoulder. Occasionally, he is represented holding both a heart and kidneys in his left hand.

His Consort, the Goddess of Life (Rigpay Lhamo)

A brass figure of Begtse’s consort, Rigpay Lhamo, the Goddess of Life. Click on image to enlarge.

His consort, the Goddess of Life, is depicted with a red face and three eyes, four fangs, a half-open mouth and a naked dark blue body.

In the right hand, she holds aloft a sword and in the left, she holds an iron phurba, a three-sided dagger, threatening adversaries. She wears ornaments made of bone.

As her mount, she rides a bear clutching a human corpse in its jaws, riding over a sea of blood.

She is Begtse’s constant companion and is usually depicted riding her mount on his right side.

His Son, the Lord of Life

Lord of Life, son of Begtse. Click on image to enlarge.

Usually depicted to Begtse’s left is his son, the Lord of Life, red in colour with one face and two hands, dressed in similar attire as his father.

He holds a lasso in the right hand, ready to capture evil spirits and subdue them, and a spear in his left. He rides a rabid blue wolf. Sometimes he is depicted as holding a heart instead of a lasso.

His Retinue of Twenty-Nine

Begtse with his consort, son and entourage. Click on image to enlarge.

Surrounding the central figure is a retinue of 29 butcher demons.

The inner retinue consists of eight butchers or sword-bearers, red in colour, with one face and two hands. They are often included in Mongolian Tsam dances.

The outer retinue consists of 21 assassins draped in the skins of their enemies, holding various instruments and engaged in the work of carving the flesh and body parts from corpses.

There are, in total, 32 deities in Begtse’s mandala including Begtse himself, his consort, his son and 29 butcher demons.

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Tsam Dances and Begtse’s Role in Them

The Mongolian Tsam (Tibetan: Cham) dance is a complex mixture of art and religion that has its origins in Tibet. It has evolved with the influence of Mongolian culture to include more of the country’s character. It is the expression of mind, body and language integrated in the form of dance movements with chant melodies and meditation.

Gandantegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Image credit: wikipedia.
Click on image to enlarge.

Many different types of Tsam dances are practised in different monasteries throughout Mongolia. Tsam dancing was prohibited in 1937 but it was revived in 1992 at the Gandantegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar.

Begtse in a Mongolian Tsam dance. Image credit: wikimedia. Click on image to enlarge.

In 1836, the dance rituals and instructions of Tsam dancing were recorded in a handbook by the Head Abbot of Ikh Khuree. This manual contains all the teachings and rules related to Tsam. The other source regarding the practice of Khuree Tsam is found in a document kept in the National Archives of Mongolia.

Many Tsam dances are performed annually according to strict preparations by ordained monks who have to learn tantric rites and hold ceremonies to invite the various deities of the Tsam dance.

The popular Tsam dance that is practised in the Dashchoilin Monastery is the Ikh Khuree dance. Complex rituals and prayers are done by all the monks in the monastery to prepare for the performance. The preparations include four days of initiations and Begtse makes his appearance on the actual day of the performance as one of the three Dharma Protector deities accompanied by attendants.

Protector Deities, Begtse and Mongolian Heroes

Mongolia embraced Buddhism in the second half of the 16^th Century and the spread of Buddhism subsequently evolved to include the widespread practice of protective deities to aid in the country’s military struggles. The frightening and majestic appearance of these protector deities, giving the impression of strength and power, came to be associated with the great Mongolian warriors and heroes of the past.

A thangka of Vajrapani as the central figure. Click on image to enlarge

Traditional Mongolian culture venerates hero warriors since they are seen as representations of bravery, strength and great virtue. As a result, fierce deity practices were easily absorbed into the culture. They became accepted not only as guardians of the State, its people and the Dharma but also as examples for Mongolian men to emulate.

These deities manifest according to whatever social and cultural circumstances require, although their fundamental characteristics remain unchanged. They will manifest as human heroes in times of danger and adversity. Their attributes are embodied in the human heroes and their virtuous deeds and accomplishments are to be emulated. Despite their ferocious forms and actions, they are considered to be a positive influence committed to eradicating evil and protecting the Dharma and those who uphold it. Through the example of their heroic activities, the Dharma Protectors reveal to the Mongolian warriors that they have the potential to achieve the same qualities in one lifetime.

In particular, Vajrapani and Begtse (better known as Jamsran in Mongolia) have become part of the Mongolian national and heroic culture. They are used in secular and religious ceremonies to expel and punish enemies of the State and Buddhism. In return, by Mongolian State decree, they are worshipped with offerings and eulogies in both religious and State ceremonies.

H.H. the 1st Dalai Lama, Gendun Drup. Image credit: himalayanart.org. Click on image to enlarge.

Begtse, believed to have been introduced to Mongolia in the 16^th Century as Jamsran, is also popularly known in Mongolia as the Red Protector. He was already practised in Tibet as early as the 15^th Century. The first recorded mention of Begtse is found in the biography of the First Dalai Lama, Gendun Drub. Together with his consort Rigpay Lhamo, Begtse was the guardian of the personal monastery of the Second Dalai Lama, Gendun Gyatso. It was during his role as the personal Dharma Protector of the Third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso, in the latter half of the 16^th Century that the worship of Begtse became widespread through the diffusion of Gelugpa teachings in Kham and Mongolia.

Begtse’s role as a prominent Dharma Protector in the Sakya and Kagyu traditions is reflected in prayers from the Hayagriva Tantra practised in those lineages. In addition, Begtse is also associated with the Tantric practice of Hayagriva in the Gelugpa tradition. Begtse is extolled as an emanation of Hayagriva’s mind in the Mongolian Hymn of Praise to Jamsran, composed by Badamjalbuuzal who praised his fiery temperament and role in Mongolia which were subsequently emulated by some of the most renowned Mongolian war heroes. Here is a section of the verses from the Hymn of Praise to Jamsran:

“Jee! I extol you, the Magnificent one, greatly fierce to all,
An emanation of the powerful Hayagriva’s mind,
(And) a supreme tutelary deity of the yogis,
Who performs a ferocious dance to tame various disrupters!

I extol you who disrupts the lives of the adversaries,
Who strikes a thunderbolt on the heads of those with deteriorated commitments,
Who grants the accomplishment of the supreme and ordinary siddhis
(Even) to those who have merely mentioned you!

I extol you, the military governor and hero,
Who wages war and flies a pennant,
Partake of the lungs and hearts of the saboteurs in your mouth,
(And) wield a greatly blazing copper sword against the enemy!

I extol you, who became a sister of the yogi
And the mother, Ulaan Kanshaart, who kills the adversary,
Who nakedly rides a dark blue bear,
(And) manifests the unbearable magic powers in the east!

I extol you, the fierce, red Lord of Life,
A consumer of the warm blood of the enemy’s heart,
Who visits the three worlds riding a jackal,
The essence of the friends who listen and act on the ordinance!”

(Prayer extracted from the article, What do Protective Deities, Mongolians and Fast Steeds have in Common? by Vesna A. Wallace.)

In one Mongolian confessional prayer, A Confession of Transgressions against Jamsran, he is seen as the “benevolent guru” who should be perceived as Vajradhara.

“Jee. Root Guru, be pleased with me,
I remorsefully confess the deeds accumulated through mistakes,
Wrongfully grasped by not having purified the view of the Self,
And the root of the accomplishment
To always see the benevolent guru as the Lord Vajradhara!”

(Prayer extracted from the article, What do Protective Deities, Mongolians and Fast Steeds have in Common? by Vesna A. Wallace.)

Some Gelugpa practitioners regard Begtse as an emanation of Amitabha or Yamantaka. In the Mongolian prayer to him, The Offering to the Red Protector he is invoked as a heroic “yaksa”, a military commander sworn to defy and conquer enemies and to punish those who break their commitments to him. The offering prayer starts with the following verses:

“Jee. Yaksa Jamsaran, I summon you,
The protector of Dharma,
By the order of the Victorious Vajradhara,

Come swiftly, without delay!

Hero, let us see (your) body
On the top of the human and equine corpses,
On the top of the southern lotus and the sun!
Prevail extremely strong!

Openly providing the sight of the external eyes,
The things of an inner pledge
And the torma offering,
I present to you who are transmuting (them).

I present to you a ritual cake of the varied, desirable abilities,
Of the supreme elixir,
And of thoroughly red blood and flesh,
Enjoying (it), accomplish the tasks!

I pay homage to you, fierce Yaksa,
Having a fierce and angry body,
The mandate song of the fierce dharani,
And the fierce mind, free of attachment.

Having worshipped you, Protector,
I pray, evoking you,
Becoming a safeguarding ally, and protecting
May you counteract the demons!

Completely accomplish the works,
Especially those mentioned!
May you grant the appropriate siddhi
That eliminates obstacles.

By the kindness of the splendid, precious Guru,
The tutelary deity and the dakinis,
The Dharma Protectors,
And you, Yaksa!

May the feet of the Holy Lama be firm!
May the Dharma of the Three Wheels blaze!
May my life and virtue increase!
May there be good fortune and happiness!”

(Prayer extracted from the article, “What do Protective Deities, Mongolians and Fast Steeds have in Common?” by Vesna A. Wallace.)

Begtse’s popularity in Mongolia peaked in the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries which coincided with Mongolia’s struggle for independence from the Qing Dynasty and the People’s Republic of China. Although temples to Begtse were destroyed and his practice was forbidden during the Stalin era and during the socialist period, it has since been revived with the democratisation of Mongolia and the reinstatement of religious freedom. Annual prayer services to Jamsran are regularly performed in the Gandantegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, sponsored by the Ministry of Defense and Internal Affairs.

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Legends and Feats of Begtse

There are accounts of how Begtse emanated in various situations and even in human form throughout Mongolia’s history of strife and war.

Zanabazar

There is a story of how Begtse (Mongolian: Jamsran) came to the rescue of the first spiritual and political leader of the Khalkha Mongols, Zanabazar.

Zanabazar, the high saint of Mongolia (1635-1723). Click on image to enlarge.

Zanabazar was spending the night in the Golok region of Tibet when a thief stole seven of his horses. He was wondering why his Protector, Begtse had failed to guard his horses when a cloud of red dust announced the return of his stolen horses. Tied to the tails of two horses were fresh human heads, presumably belonging to the horse thieves.

When he realised that it was his Protector Begtse who accomplished what he himself was not able to do, Zanabazar offered serkym (golden drink offering) in gratitude.

With Begtse’s assistance, the delegation was able to safely arrive at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse, Tibet within a week. This incident inspired Zanabazar to compose the offering prayer to Begtse titled The Cloud of Offering the Goods to Dharma Protector, the Fierce Begtse.

Begtse is believed to have manifested various human and divine forms in Mongolian history. Some Mongolian war heroes who fought for Mongolian independence from the Qing Dynasty rulers and the Chinese Republic during the outbreak of World War I in the early 20^th Century were deemed to be Begtse’s emanations. Begtse’s emanations were incapable of defeat. They could suppress oppression and defeat the enemies of the State.

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. Image credit: wikipedia

Sandagdorjiin Magsarjav

A war hero, Sandagdorjiin Magsarjav, was recognised as a 20^th Century emanation of Begtse. Magsarjav was never ordained or trained in a monastery. As a child, he heard many stories of legendary and epic war heroes and dreamt of being one. He realised his childhood dreams when, in 1921, he led a group of young men from various Mongolian tribes to liberate the western front from Qing Dynasty rule.

A thangka of Vajrapani as the central figure. Click for high resolution image.

Prior to the battle, Magsarjav was reported to have recited the fierce mantra of Vajrapani. Magsarjav’s martial acumen and courage were evident during the battle. After winning this battle, Magsarjav continued a ten-year war against the Chinese forces in his struggle for freedom and independence for Mongolia.

He was never defeated in about 30 small and large battles while fighting on horseback. There are gory details of Magsarjav’s extremely violent exploits which mirror Mongolia’s ancient martial tradition of tearing out the heart of dead enemies and drinking their blood.

In particular, this recalls Begtse’s image as mentioned in exhortations and prayers to him. However, Magsarjav was also known to do evening prayers to Tara with his soldiers and to pay homage to the banner of the protective deity, Begtse.

Between 1919 and 1920, Magsarjav built a monastery to Begtse which was popularly known as Khatanbaatar’s Monastery. It had a special temple dedicated to the worship of Begtse, the Red Protector. Prayers and offerings were made to him on a regular basis. As a result of his military victories and graphically violent tendencies on the battlefield, Magsarjav was said to be greatly feared by the Chinese military.

Video: A video of Magsarjav in Mongolian

Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/begtse-Magsarjav.mp4

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Lineage of Begtse’s Practice

Great learned masters have said that the pure lineage of whatever teaching we are studying is very important. If it is Tantra, its source should be Vajradhara and if Sutra, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. As such, the lineage of Begtse is listed as follows:

Lineage from India:

• Vajradhara
• Mahadeva
• Nyi Od Dragpa
• Dawa Nagpo
• Shridhara Krashu
• Nyen Lotsawa Dharma Drag
• Khau Chokyi Gyaltsen a.k.a. Lama Namkaupa
• Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092-1158)

Vajradhara

Vajradhara is the primordial Buddha, the personification of the Dharmakaya, truth body of enlightenment and originator of Tantra.

An old thangka of Vajradhara as the central figure. Image credit: himalayanart.org. Click on image to enlarge.

The New (Sarma) Schools, from the 11^th Century onwards, believe that Vajradhara is the secret, or inner, form of Shakyamuni Buddha and the combined essence of all the Buddhas of the ten directions and three periods of time gathered as one. In Highest Yoga Tantra, it is Vajradhara who emanates as the forms of the Five Dhyani Buddhas and Vajrasattva, followed by the meditational deities such as Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka, Shri Hevajra and Chakrasamvara.

The Guhyasamaja Tantra is actually one of the oldest Tantric systems to exist in written form arising from India. Holding particular significance for the Gelugpa school, Lama Tsongkhapa classified this Tantra as the main system of Father Tantras because it is so extensive that it actually provides the structure that is followed in all other Higher Yoga Tantra systems.

From Vajradhara, the lineage of Begtse was passed down until it reached Nyen Lotsawa and Marpa Lotsawa. Nyen Lotsawa gave it to Lama Namkaupa. Namkaupa gave it to Sachen Kunga Nyingpo, one of the Five Founding Patriarchs of the Sakya School. In this way, Begtse and his consort became Dharma Protectors of the Sakyapa.

 
Sachen Kunga Nyingpo

Sachen Kunga Nyingpo is the first of the Five Founding Patriarchs of the Sakya School. The five founding members were all members of the Khon Family who are credited with laying the foundation of the Sakya tradition. Sachen Kunga Nyingpo was recognised as the emanation of Avalokiteshvara and has strong associations with Manjushri, Bodhisattva of Wisdom due to his visions related to the deity.

An old statue of Sachen Kunga Nyingpo. Image credit: himalayanart.org. Click on image to enlarge.

He became the throneholder of Sakya Monastery at the age of 21. Significantly, Sachen Kunga Nyingpo received the Lamdre teachings, which would become the core of the Sakya tradition. He spent 18 years meditating on the teachings as instructed by his teacher, Zhangton Gonpaba Chobar, before he started teaching and writing extensively about the practice. Sachen Kunga Nyingpo is said to have been the first to record in writing the previously orally transmitted Vajra Verses, the foundational teachings of the Lamdre tradition attributed to the Mahasiddha Virupa, which were introduced to Tibet by Shakya Yeshe.

Later in life, Sachen Kunga Nyingpo went into a coma as a result of an attempt on his life using poison. He recovered but with a complete loss of memory. Later, he miraculously recovered his memory after he went into retreat. He subsequently died at the age of 67 in 1158 while he was living in the Kyabo Kadang Monastery of Jang.

Considered an emanation of Hayagriva, it is little surprise therefore that Begtse is the main Dharma Protector of all the Hayagriva Tantras and is propitiated within the long sadhana of Hayagriva Samdrub. This practice is especially popular within the Sakya and Gelug lineages, where it has been passed down from master to disciple until today. Within the Sakya lineage, Tsarchen Losel Gyatso is invoked as one of the main lineage masters while in the Gelug tradition, Lama Tsongkhapa is invoked as one of the main lineage masters. The power of this practice is reflected in the fact these two great lamas preserved the practice and spread it to others.

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