Khyungpo Neljor – The Yogin of the Garuda Clan
Khyungpo Neljor, founder of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition, who is reputed to have founded 108 monasteries throughout Tibet. Click to enlarge.
Khedrub Khyungpo Neljor (circa 1050-1140) was the founder of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition, which is one of the 16 sub-schools of the Kagyu tradition. He was born to the Khyungpo clan whose ancestral homeland is at Nyemo Ramang of Eastern Tsang, Tibet. His father was Khyunggyel Takye or Takla Kye, and his mother was known as Goza Tashi Kyi. There is some dispute regarding the scriptural records of the year of his birth. While sources state it to be 978 or 990 CE, most scholars today agree that it would have been more likely to be 1050 CE.
When he was 13 years old, the young Khyungpo Neljor began his education in the Bon teachings with Yungdrung Gyalwa. He then moved on to study the Dzogchen teachings with Jungne Sengge, a charismatic teacher who had 700 disciples studying under him, before going on to study under Kong (or Car) Nirupa of Shamora in the Tolung region. According to the written works of Tsuklak Trengwa (1504-1564), Nirupa taught him the Amanasei Chokor Nyernga, which is a Dzogchen cycle of teachings that was reputed to have been developed by Sheuton Jang.
A thangka of Khyungpo Neljor. Above him is Heruka according to the Kagyu tradition. Click to enlarge.
Dissatisfied with the teachings available in Tibet at that time, Khyungpo Neljor set out on a long journey to Nepal in search of more teachings. There, he came under a number of important Nepali masters and served as an attendant to Amogavajra – also known as Ratnakaragupta and Sauripa, amongst other names – while receiving wondrous teachings from him. He also became a student of Vasumati who bestowed upon him many tantric initiations from the Kriya and Yoga Tantras.
Later, Khyungpo Neljor went on to study under great ‘dakini’ teachers Devikoti, Kanashri and Ratnapela, along with three of Maitripa‘s disciples, Ratnavajra, Ksetravajra and Atulyavajra.
In The Blue Annals, which is a Tibetan historical survey, it was recorded that Khyungpo Neljor met and received teachings from the great Vairochanavajra.
At some point, Khyungpo Neljor returned to Tibet for a short spell before travelling south again to Nepal and India. It has been said that on his travels, Khyungpo Neljor carried with him a lot of gold to be made as offerings to the teachers he would come across, to create the merit for him to receive instructions, teachings and oral transmissions. While in India, he became the disciple of Danisila, who was a direct disciple of Naropa. Khyungpo Neljor also received teachings on White Mahakala from the Mahasiddha Maitripa.
The Meeting Between Khyungpo Neljor and Niguma
The female Mahasiddha Niguma who bestowed various empowerments and practices upon Khyungpo Neljor. Click to enlarge.
According to The Blue Annals, Khyungpo Neljor asked his teachers if there was anyone in all of India who had met with Buddha Vajradhara, who taught the tantric teachings. All of them pointed him in the direction of the Mahasiddha Niguma, the sister of Naropa. He set out in search of this master, eventually finding her in the Sosadvipa charnel grounds of East India.
Niguma had, by then, attained rainbow body and become the leader of dakinis. Khyungpo Neljor discovered her in the form of a naked yogini, floating high in the sky. She had an extremely dark complexion and a terrifying expression, and held a trident and skull cup, while her body was adorned with various bone ornaments. She changed her appearance, sometimes appearing as many different dakinis and sometimes as just one. Upon sight, Khyungpo Neljor knew that he was in the presence of the famous Niguma. He prostrated while requesting for teachings, but this seemed to irk the dark dakini.
She threatened him,
“I am a flesh-eating dakini! As soon as my retinue of dakinis return, you will be eaten!”
Unafraid, he repeated his request to which she demanded,
“In order to request secret mantra Mahayana teachings, you need to offer gold. If there is gold, you will get your teaching!”
Khyungpo Neljor offered a bag of gold, which the dakini took and tossed into the forest without so much as a glance in the direction of where it landed. She then glared into the sky to summon her retinue, which soon descended. Some brought with them the necessary offerings and materials needed to confer an initiation; other dakinis appeared to construct a mandala of the yidam (meditational deity) in midair.
Thereafter, Niguma bestowed upon Khyungpo Neljor the initiation of Illusory Body and Dream Yoga, the two yogic exercises that make up the Six Yogas of Niguma. She then transported him to the peak of a golden summit, which a golden river flowing down each of its four sides. There, the dakinis performed a tsog offering (Ganachakra ritual feast) on top of a mountain, dancing in bliss.
When Khyungpo Neljor offered a bag of gold to Niguma, she tossed into the forest without so much as a glance in the direction of where it landed. Click to enlarge.
Niguma then blessed and instructed her student to recall his dreams. Khyungpo Neljor recalled travelling to the land of the gods and demigods, a dream in which he experienced being swallowed by a giant demigod, and another dream during which he received the entire Six Dharmas from Niguma. Niguma remarked that she had never heard of anyone receiving the entire Six Dharmas during a single instance of sleep.
However, since he was awake, he was again given the teachings three more times, along with other instructions. Niguma then gave him the complete Six Yogas, the Dorje Tsikang (or Vajra Verses) and the Gyuma Lamrim (or Mayadhanakramanama).
Finally, she prophesied that her teachings would remain a secret until it descended down to the seventh lineage holder, with herself included as the second lineage holder after Buddha Vajradhara himself.
At the Feet of Sukhasiddhi and Other Teachers
Khyungpo Neljor would go on to study under a number of teachers including the dakini Sukhasiddhi, a direct disciple of Virupa. Sukhasiddhi was an 11th Century Indian yogini, who was born in western Kashmir to a large poverty-stricken family. After marriage, she bore three sons and three daughters but eventually, she was chased from her home by her husband because she gave away the remaining food left in the pantry to a beggar.
Khyungpo Neljor later received teachings and practices from Sukhasiddhi, an 11th Century Indian yogini who was a direct disciple of Virupa. Click to enlarge.
It is said that Sukhasiddhi found her way to Oddiyana, the land of the dakinis, where she begged for alms and eventually became a beer-seller. One of her customers happen to be Avadhutima, the consort of the mahasiddha Virupa and through her, she offered some beer to the mahasiddha. Through that connection, Sukhasiddhi found herself meeting the mahasiddha and presented offerings of beer and meat. Virupa, in turn, bestowed on her initiations and many tantric teachings. She is said to have promised Khyungpo Neljor that she would appear in visions to guide the great masters of his lineage.
Aside from Sukhasiddhi, Khyungpo Neljor also studied at the feet of other great masters like Rahulaguptavajra, Kamalaraksita and Atulyavajra. Thereafter, he returned to Tibet in order to acquire more gold meant for offerings to great Indian teachers in exchange for precious teachings, as was the customary practice of the time. While he was passing through Toling, he met the Indian master, pandit and scholar, the great Atisha Dipamkara Srijnana. They compared the Sanskrit texts Khyungpo Neljor himself had collected while in India, with those that belonged to the Indian master. Atisha confirmed Khyungpo Neljor’s texts as authentic and suggested that Rinchen Zangpo and Dharma Lodro translate them.
Another old thangka of Khyungpo Neljor
According to his biography, Khyungpo Neljor was ordained by the famous Kadampa master, Geshe Langri Tangpa, who also founded Langtang monastery. He himself was reputed to have founded 108 monasteries throughout Tibet but only two are known, Chakar which stands in Penyul and Zhangzhong Dorjeden of the Shang Valley.
Interestingly, The Blue Annals contain an informative passage that details a certain level of resistance to Khyungpo Neljor’s teachings. Within the passage, he accused certain monks of focusing too much on books and was said to have manifested various visions of peaceful and wrathful deities to urge them to engage in formal practice. In addition, certain jealous monks were said to have taken up arms and the lama had to manifest a phantom army to defeat them in battle. It is also recorded that Khyungpo Neljor went on to engage in a spiritual battle with various non-human entities that were obstructing the spread of the teachings.
Click to enlarge
Khyungpo Neljor had six main disciples who became the heirs of his unique lineage, known today as the Shangpa Kagyu lineage. These six disciples were Meuton, Yorpo Gyamoche, Ngulton Rinwang, Latopa Konchok Kar, Zhanggom Choseng and Mokchokpa Rinchen Tsondru. However, it was only Mokchokpa to whom Khyungpo Neljor transmitted the Six Yogas of Niguma in its entirety. Mokchokpa spent five years receiving teachings and instructions under the feet of his master until he turned 21. He took his leave and returned to be with his master for the last year and half of his master’s life.
Khyungpo Neljor entered clear light death meditation in 1127 CE. According to tradition, as befitting a lama of his reputation and stature, he was cremated and his ashes are reported to have manifested many relics. His disciples have since proliferated his teachings that became the foundation of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
For more interesting information:
- Magadha Sangmo | 须摩提女
- Ra Lotsawa Dorje Drakpa: Master of the Vajrabhairava Tantra
- The Most Illustrious Panchen Sonam Drakpa
- Virupa – Lord of Miracles
- Thonmi Sambhota – The Inventor of the Tibetan Script
- Trisong Detsen, the Great Dharma King of Tibet
- Mahasiddha Naropa: The Indomitable Disciple
- Great Disciples of Atisha: Khuton Choje and Pandita Akaramati
- Lotsawa Loden Sherab – the Great Translator
- The Vinaya Holder Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen
- Sonam Yeshe Wangpo
- Shakyashri Bhadra: The Last Abbot of Nalanda
- Kunkhyen Choku Ozer – Master of the Kalachakra and Guhyasamaja Tantras
- Great Savant of Tibet: Buton Rinchen Drub
- Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyeltsen
- Tsarchen Losal Gyatso: Lineage Holder of Vajrayogini’s Tantra
- Who is Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen?
- Emperor Kangxi | 康熙皇帝
- Gedun Nyedrak: An Abbot of Gaden
- Kentrul Thubten Lamsang
- H.E. the 25th Tsem Tulku Rinpoche’s Biography
- Ngawang Sonam Gelek: Youthful Master of Discourse
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They were not invisible beings they were jealous monks that took up arms
I was on a lower path for a while yet that does not block the blessings of the Buddha’s and bodhisattva so that their wish for me will not come true…
Tsem rinpoche sorry holy lama made mistake
The mahamayuri sutra Also can help with this you can Google it it is online there are a few translations at least one I know and there’s some advices regarding how to do mahamuyuris practice to eliminate poisons and epidemics and things which seem to be relevant to the ongoing epidemic also there is the sutra reciting the 108 names of dzambhala which protects you from plagues you can Google it is online too not to mention twenty one Tara’s prayer is great I got the transmission at rashi gempil ling during a chittamani Tara empowerment so even better if you can do that practice I only have the first initiation though and the transmission for the twenty one Tara’s I do have the transmission also of the seven protectors which is based on a vision lord jigten sumgon had of Tara when he went into mountain retreat after developing leprosy and it cured him which is usually impossible to cure I got covid and I am still alive…I was recently quarantining and wearing a organic cotton mask and bandana and I was able to avoid it temporarily yet when I had it washed there was poison in the washer dryer from cross contamination of the sick people who eat the poor quality food and I put it back on just to see what would happen and I ended up getting poisoned by it and having to burn it afterwards and almost got me kicked out I recorded it is on my YouTube channel it’s based on a burning ritual where we offer our bodies used clothes sometimes hair and finger nails to mewa tsegpa for those who hold tantric vows or have done three year retreat it is so you will not be cursed or have your energy dissipated it is important others don’t get a hold of your personal belongings. Drib jom jin seg is the name of the practice and I have been using it for some time. It helps. I donated a few items to a lady at the monastery I had a karmic link to so in certain instances I will give items of mine to someone yet I try to make sure it will not violate my samaya. It was a blessed mala though from the Hindu tradition that may have been questionable and I heard in the news there was a temple in India where they were praying where the floor caved in and thirty five people died and this made the political leader very sad so it created a karmic connection so it is said even when making a bad connection with a bodhisattva like tsem rinpoche it is better than no connection at all yet some practitioners will say that they are practicing a very high tantric practice like heyagriva yet they treat their secondary samayas as more important than their main samaya which is love for our dharma brothers and sisters it is said in the sutras that without a foundation in this type of love that we have been set an example of from our gurybtsem rinpoche the higher tantric practices will even be a waste of time like practicing chu len and getting too skinny and looking like a concentration camp victim it is actually a subtle form of revolution. A lama does not need to eat anything they still do though.
It is not the black garuda
This is interesting about this master as I watched the video about dzi beads and followed tsem rinpoches advice and it seems to be helping to fight against the invisible beings that are harassing me at my monastery and it seems they have taken up arms to fight against me and I should also raise a phantom army which is what I will be doing to fight back against them in psychic battle and defeat the invisible beings at least I can arrest them temporarily until I get to a point where I can actually address the issue right now the environment is filled with sick people and disease ridden so I am trying to stay away from them so I don’t get sick which is what tsem rinpoche advised to keep my area extremely clean which is why I am buying my own cleaning supplies and doing the cleaning myself dorje shugden does not concern himself with SARS covid-2 because if he did he would have gotten rid of it by now so instead through skillful means he is using it to spread the dharma out of his great compassion om benza wiki bitana soha the point is to spread the dharma not stop the spread of the virus that is not dorje shugden’s job are we dharms practitioners or medical practitioners? I think you have to draw the line at a certain point. Tsem rinpoche also gave practices to counteract the SARS virus originally taught by lama zopa rinpoche which also offers non medical solutions to counteract the SARS virus for those who may be interested there is an updated version online if you Google practices to counteract the SARS virus you will find it there are syllables to write on your heart and forehead and hand and also a practice of white umbrella deity and advice about the virus written by lama zopa rinpoche. I recently saw that in August at trijang Buddhist institute they are offering simanadha avaolkiteshvara retreat there is a nice image online of simanadha and he helps with diseases caused by nagas which actually I believe is causing the manifestation of this illness in the world the image is $135 as and you can have it mounted on brocade and blessed to hang in your shrine room the mantra is om Mani padme hum and can be found at enlightenmentthangka.com then I saw also tsem rinpoche said there is another form of Garuda from kalachakra tantra that helps with contagious disease like this one yet I could not find any info on it so it must be caused by nagas is my thought which brought me here btw lama zopa also has a practice of simanadha it is only one page you can download it if you Google it online hope that helps
Khyungpo Neljor an accomplished scholar and founder of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism . Reading this article again just refresh the amazing and inspiring qualities of a truly Lama. Khyungpo Naljor was simply extraordinary, but much less famous than his contemporaries. Since young he already showed sign of someone great. He could remembered his past life, even told detailed stories and even could revealed insight into his lives to come, and into the future in general. He excelled in reading, writing, arithmetic and both Chinese and Indian astrology at age ten. Inspiring stories of his spiritual journey travelling in search of Dharma knowledge and meeting Niguma . How he was bestowed the initiation of Illusory Body and Dream Yoga. He then became well known having thousands of students and founded hundreds of monasteries throughout Tibet. While giving teachings ,he performed miracles witnessed by those present. Inspiring read. Khyungpo Naljor passed away at the extraordinary age of approximately 150 years.
Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor David for this great sharing.
Reading this, brings back the memoir of Kalu Rinpoche, a great master whom I’ve read years ago. That time I was so interested ( or rather crazy ) about Buddhism and I happened to come across Kalu Rinpoche’s books and the books written by several other masters from Kagyu Lineages such as Lord Gampopa. Kalu Rinpoche was said to have revitalized the whole Shangpa Kagyu Lineage. to cut the story short, because of these Masters, I’ve learnt about the four foundations, the preliminaries practices and the such.
Back to this article, thank you Pastor for this. I am very happy to have read this again in Rinpoche’s blog. Something dear to my heart. It’s good to learn more about the foundation of other Buddhist lineages and in this case, the Shangpa Kagyu Lineage. It’s interesting to know the qualities of this great master, Khedrub Khyungpo Neljor. His thirst for Buddhist teachings was not quenched by only one master, in fact He yearned for more. He even gathered more golds in exchanged for Dharma. What do we gather? More negative virtues -^-.
Through this, I learnt that we should not stop learning. In this way, we will get rid of the “pride’ , thinking that we have mastered the certain teachings already and we don’t need more teachings. Instead, we should be subdued, be humble, be enthusiastic and always eager to learn more.
Thank you Pastor for this article.
A further aspect to note is, I think what we are we trying to establish here (through article) is the authenticity of this lineage and its teachings. We can’t dismiss this great lineage founded by Khyungpo Neljor, whom He has received teachings from Niguma and who was in fact ordained by Geshe Langri Tangpa! Furthermore, He has studied under a few great masters such as Lord Atisha and Sukhasiddi.
OMB!
I think I’ve missed one important point here. It is said that Khedrub Khyungpo Neljor is one of the previous DS incarnation. The 9th incarnation, to be exact. I heard this from Pastor David’s sharing last Friday. 😀 I forgot the details that Pastor has mentioned but I heard this sacred name.
Taken from blogchat 6/12/2020 Moderator Joy : from the advice from Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang: Pabongka Rinpoche wrote histories and rituals of Dorje Shugden. He gave the responsibility of this practice to Trijang Rinpoche.
What is a protector? They can be males, females; ordinary and highly realised. Mahakala six-armed is a Chenrezig manifestation, Mahakala four-armed is a Sakya practice and is practiced by some Gelug-pas. He also has a close relation to Dorje Shugden. The Shangpa Kagyu practices totally dissolved into Tsongkhapa. Yama comes from Yamantaka – Manjushri. He is Tsongkhapa’s protector.
Wowow Jacinta… thank you for your comments here and sharing all that you’ve heard and learnt. It’s inspiring to read and to know the blog post is benefiting others, I am sure Rinpoche would surely appreciate it and be very happy to see this when he returns.
Khyungpo Naljor was an accomplished extraordinary scholar considered to be one of the greatest yogis ever to have existed in Tibet.
His accomplishments are unequalled, his erudition, his spiritual realization, his miraculous powers and his spiritual activity were very special at that time. Auspicious sign appeared at his birth. He had received teachings from many great Siddhas, and yet continued travelling to seek teachings and transmissions from highly qualified masters . Beautiful stories been told along his spiritual journey. He founded hundreds of monasteries and had thousands of students from all walks of life . On numerous occasions he performed miracles which were witnessed by those present. Khyungpo Naljor passed away at the extraordinary age of 150 years.
The legacy of Niguma’s teachings and spiritual practices is passed on till today within the Shangpa Kagyu tradition. Interesting read….of how he met Niguma , given the empowerment and transmission of the teachings of the profound Dream Practice.
Thank you Pastor David Lai for this interesting sharing.
Khedrub Khyungpo Neljor was the founder of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition, which is one of the 16 sub-schools of the Kagyu tradition. When he was 13 years old, the young Khyungpo Neljor began his education in the Bon teachings with Yungdrung Gyalwa. He then moved on to study the Dzogchen teachings with Jungne Sengge, a charismatic teacher who had 700 disciples studying under him, before going on to study under Kong Nirupa of Shamora in the Tolung region. Khyungpo Neljor set out on a long journey to Nepal in search of more teachings.
There, he came under a number of important Nepali masters and served as an attendant to Amogavajra – also known as Ratnakaragupta and Sauripa, amongst other names – while receiving wondrous teachings from him. He also became a student of Vasumati who bestowed upon him many tantric initiations from the Kriya and Yoga Tantras. Khyungpo. Neljor asked his teachers if there was anyone in all of India who had met with Buddha Vajradhara, who taught the tantric teachings. All of them pointed him in the direction of the Mahasiddha Niguma, the sister of Naropa. Upon sight, Khyungpo Neljor knew that he was in the presence of the famous Niguma. He prostrated while requesting for teachings. Khyungpo Neljor would go on to study under a number of teachers including the dakini Sukhasiddhi, a direct disciple of Virupa. Sukhasiddhi was an 11th Century Indian yogini, who was born in western Kashmir to a large poverty-stricken family. Aside from Sukhasiddhi, Khyungpo Neljor also studied at the feet of other great masters like Rahulaguptavajra, Kamalaraksita and Atulyavajra.
Khyungpo Neljor had six main disciples who became the heirs of his unique lineage, known today as the Shangpa Kagyu lineage. Khyungpo Neljor entered clear light death meditation in 1127 CE. According to tradition, as befitting a lama of his reputation and stature, he was cremated and his ashes are reported to have manifested many relics. His disciples have since proliferated his teachings that became the foundation of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor David for this interesting write up about Khyungpo Neljor on his effort and spiritual journey to seek attainments. 🙏😍