Ra Lotsawa is controversial but widely accepted as an authentic lineage master of the Yamantaka Tantras. Click on image to enlarge.

(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor David Lai)

Ra Lotsawa is by far one of the most controversial lamas in the history of Tibetan Buddhism and yet, he is widely accepted as an authentic lineage lama, particularly of the Vajrabhairava and Kalachakra Tantras. He is also considered to be one of the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden’s previous lives. During his lifetime, he was thought of as a murderer and a proliferator of the dark arts, but today he is believed to have been a great saint, guardian and lineage holder of the higher tantras.

His life story is markedly different when compared to the likes of Buddha Shakyamuni, Dipamkara Atisha and Lama Tsongkhapa.

Ra Lotsawa had tremendous psychic abilities which arose from vigorous meditation and he used these supernatural powers to defeat his rivals in magical combats, accumulate incredible wealth and, as a result, gathered a large following of disciples. Thus, his biography offers a unique and rare view of the occult powers that can be harnessed through the practice of the tantras. Despite his notoriety, Ra Lotsawa is also known as a great translator of Sanskrit texts and his legacy spurred a resurgence of Buddhism in Tibet.

The Vajrabhairava Tantra

The buffalo-headed yidam, Yamantaka or Vajrabhairava

Ra Lotsawa is best known for introducing the Vajrabhairava Tantras into Tibet despite initial opposition to the practice. Vajrabhairava or Yamantaka is a yidam (meditational deity) of the Highest Yoga Tantra class. He is considered unique as his main face is that of a buffalo.

Yamantaka is one of the three principal meditational deities (Tib: Sang De Jig Sum) within the Gelug tradition and was proliferated by Lama Tsongkhapa, alongside Guhyasamaja and Heruka Chakrasamvara.

Yamantaka is also one of the four main deities practised in the Sakya tradition, in which he manifests with a completely different appearance and configuration of accompanying entourage deities. Within the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions, there exists a number of teachings that centre on Yamantaka, including some terma or treasure teachings. Despite these differences in practice, Vajrabhairava is always considered to be a wrathful manifestation of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Stainless Wisdom. From amongst the many lineages of Vajrabhairava practice to enter Tibet, the two translators Ra Lotsawa and Mal Lotsawa, were known to have disseminated the main lineage transmissions.

Ra Lotsawa was a great tantric master who had used wrathful means to subjugate his opponents. Click on image to enlarge.

Historically, it was the Indian master by the name of Lalitavajra who first revealed the Vajrabhairava Tantra. Lalitavajra was a 10^th century scholar-master from the great Nalanda Monastery of Bihar, India and his main meditational deity was Manjushri.

One day, Lalitavajra had a pure vision of Manjushri exhorting him to travel to Oddiyana, a mystical land inhabited by dakinis and inaccessible to ordinary mortals, in order to retrieve the Vajrabhairava Tantra. He made the long journey there and came across a special dakini named Vajra Vetali, who is better known as Yamantaka’s consort, along with other dakinis. Eventually, they revealed the entire corpus of Vajrabhairava Tantras to him. Unfortunately, they refused to allow him to take the texts back with him to India. He was only allowed to memorise as much of the texts as he could in the short time he was in their presence. Upon his departure, the master quickly wrote down whatever he had committed to memory. It was in this way that the lineage of Yamantaka practice was preserved and passed down to modern-day practitioners.

Childhood and Formative Years

In 1016 CE, the legendary Ra Lotsawa Dorje Drak was born in the village of Nyenam, amidst many auspicious signs of a high rebirth. Nyenam is located in an area of southern Tibet known as Nangyul and lies on one of the most important Nepali-Tibetan trade routes.

His father was the great lama Raton Konchok Dorje, a lineage holder of the Yangdak Heruka and Vajrakilaya practices of the Nyingma tradition, which he later bestowed on his son. His mother was named Dorje Peldzom. According to legend, soon after his birth, the protectress Remati, also known as Palden Lhamo, placed him within her robes and travelled across Tibet for two months. She prophesied that he would gather disciples from faraway Ngari in Western Tibet, and the central provinces of U-Tsang, Amdo and Kham.

Yangdak Heruka (left) and Vajrakilaya (right) were tantric practices conferred by Ra Lotsawa’s father.

When Ra Lotsawa, also called Ralo was just six years old, his father taught him how to read, which he learnt with relative ease. From then on, he read and quickly memorised texts, especially after listening to monks reciting scriptures. When he turned seven, his father invited two lamas from Ukpalung named Deshek Gyabo and Nyang Jangchub to begin his initial training in the Dharma. He quickly memorised everything and was able to explain it back to them clearly, much to the astonishment of his family. At the age of eight, he learnt how to write, which was the beginning of his linguistic skills. He also went on to master various Tibetan, Nepali and Indian scripts.

When he was nine, his father conferred on him the initiations of Yangdak Heruka and Vajrakilaya, together with their respective commentaries. Ralo went on to study all the major commentaries of these two powerful tantric systems and mastered their practices and meditations. When he was 11, he was betrothed to a girl by the name of Jomo Gemajam. Although he initially rejected her, he eventually accepted due to the request of his father, who explained that taking on a consort would further his tantric practice.

While engaged in a retreat of Yangdak Heruka, Ralo experienced severe physical and mental purification but had no pure visions of the yidam. He would later attribute this to the fact that he was not connected with this deity and practice. However, one night he dreamt of four blue-skinned dakinis covered in bone ornaments. They exhorted him to travel to Nepal in search of his guru named Bharo. When he told his father of the dream, his father brushed it aside and did not allow his son to end his retreat early. Ralo later had another dream of the same nature and this time, he was exhorted by a large gathering of dakinis. His father eventually relented and gave him permission to travel to Nepal.

Journey to Nepal

Ralo gathered provisions and set out on his journey. Upon arriving in Nepal, he came to the ancient city of Yerang, known in Nepali as Patan. He approached the northern city gates where he enquired about the whereabouts of the great Guru Bharo. A weaver told him to go to the far end of the valley and he would come across the monastery of this famous guru.

Following the directions given, Ralo made his way towards the monastery. When it was within view, a group of Nepali yogins approached him and bid him a warm welcome. He was surprised to be given such a warm reception and asked the yogins if they had mistaken him for someone they knew. One of the yogins told him that they did not know him personally but were instructed by their guru that a Tibetan pilgrim who had a strong karmic connection with him would arrive on that day and that they should greet him. They escorted him on a path along the cliff and into a meadow where the guru lived in a straw hut.

Ra Lotsawa Dorje Drak was renowned for transmitting the Yamantaka Tantras to Tibet. Click on image to enlarge.

Upon meeting his guru, Ralo prostrated and presented Guru Bharo with offerings of seven bolts of silk fabric. During the conversation, Bharo said that Ralo should have arrived a year ago and asked why he had not come then. Ralo explained that he was held back by circumstances but that he had finally made it to Nepal and he humbly asked for the guru’s profound instructions. Therefore, the guru requested the mandatory offering for the initiation he wanted to bestow on Ralo. Immediately, Ralo presented all of the gold that he had in his pouch but the guru was not satisfied and continued to press him for more offerings. So, Ralo took off his clothes, folded them into a neat pile and offered them up. This was still not enough but Ralo had nothing left to offer. Finally, he offered up his body, speech and mind symbolically to his guru, which pleased the latter greatly. He remarked that Tibetan devotion is not frivolous, just as he had thought.

Bharo then instructed Ralo to prepare for a communal feast before the initiation. In order to pay for this, Bharo returned some of the gold to Ralo, which was used to pay for the feast and the remainder was used as an offering for the initiation. After the feast was over, Ralo requested initiation from the guru again and was granted the initiation of Vajravarahi along with all her tantras, evocations and yogic applications. In addition, Ralo received numerous Dharma teachings from the other pandits and great masters in Nepal as well.

In his spare time, Ralo loved to visit holy places to engage in prostrations and circumambulations. On one occasion, he went to Swayambhunath for circumambulation. It was there that he encountered the Hindu yogin Purna the Black, who taunted him by asking him to be his disciple. In response, Ralo asked him what Dharma he possessed and the yogin professed knowledge of the Four Vedas among other things. Ralo turned down his request and a debate ensued between both of them. Consequently, Ralo won the debate, which enraged Purna. He cursed Ralo and told him to be careful about what was going to happen in seven days.

Various wrathful apparitions began plaguing Ralo, so he engaged in protective rituals according to the Vajravarahi Tantra but to no avail. The wrathful apparitions continued to appear unabated. Ralo had no choice but to consult his teacher, who also had ominous dreams. He said that Ralo had offended the most powerful Hindu yogin who had a reputation of slaying many Buddhist practitioners in the same manner. Bharo went on to bestow on him the protection practice of the Goddess Ushni along with all her protective rites.

On the seventh day, Ralo hung a sacred painting of Vajravarahi on the wall of his room. He climbed into a large pot and covered the mouth of the pot with a stone slab on which he had inscribed the protective mandala of the Goddess Ushni. He spent the remainder of the night reciting mantras. At sunset, he heard a loud thundering sound and so, he peeked from a crack in the lid and saw a wooden nailing dagger with red ribbons attached to it hit the door, which completely shattered. At midnight, he heard another sound and this time, another nailing dagger hit the painting on the wall and tore it apart. Early the next morning, he saw a third dagger hit the central beam, which split into two. Finally at dawn, it was safe for him to emerge from the pot. News spread of Ralo’s survival which apparently also reached Purna, who in despair, committed suicide.

Ra Lotsawa achieved great attainments through the sacred path of the Yamantaka Tantras

Through this experience, Ralo realised that there were more practices that his teacher had not yet given him. Ralo requested for more teachings but Bharo would not bestow them and he was told to practise what had already been given him, as that was all Bharo knew. Therefore, Ralo prostrated, circumambulated, offered the remainder of his gold to his guru and made preparations to return to Tibet. On his journey out of the city, he passed through the Nepali market. A strange girl stopped him and told him that he was returning to Tibet without receiving the complete teachings. So, he turned around, but even upon his return, his teacher still maintained that he had already given Ralo all that he knew.

One evening, Ralo decided to secretly follow his teacher after dusk. He came to a cave and beheld his teacher adorned with bones, reciting mantras while facing a shrine to Vajrabhairava. Overwhelmed with faith, he cried and pleaded to be given instructions but his teacher replied that he felt that Ralo did not have enough conviction in the Dharma to receive the precious teachings. At the break of dawn, Bharo left, leaving Ralo behind in the cave. Later, Ralo pondered about the need to look for gold in exchange for the teachings. He confided in a Nepali lotsawa, or translator, who led him to a sick Nepali merchant who was on the verge of death. Ralo performed rituals and prayers according to the Vajravarahi Tantra and within three days, the merchant was healed. In gratitude, the merchant offered him 500 ounces of gold but unfortunately Guru Bharo was nowhere to be found.

Thus, he went in search of his teacher all over Nepal for six months, travelling through mountain ravines, cremation grounds, dense forests, villages and towns. His body was scarred and wounded, his shoes were in tatters and he was worn out and exhausted. He came to the border of Nepal where there was a sandy desert bordering another deep forest. He had lost his way and was completely alone and suffering from malnutrition. Completely exhausted, he thought he was about to die. He made sincere prayers to continue the pursuit of his guru in a future life and he passed out. Later, he regained consciousness and felt his strength restored. Resuming his search, he encountered mysterious women adorned with bone ornaments who guided him towards his teacher. After going through a number of hurdles and numerous auspicious visions and signs, he finally came before his Lord Bharo.

Ralo was overjoyed and could not control his tears. He made many prostrations, circumambulations and offered all the gold he had to his guru and requested teachings. Bharo sang several verses of praise of Ralo, his indomitable Tibetan disciple, and proceeded to make preparations to bestow the Vajrabhairava initiation. At midday, Ralo received the initiation of Black Yamari and then at dusk, he received the six-faced Yamantaka initiation. At midnight, he was given the complete 13-deity Vajrabhairava initiation. During the initiations, dakas and dakinis surrounded them, partaking in a great feast while the guru sang vajra songs and passed numerous prophecies to his disciple. At daybreak, the dakas and dakinis dispersed and only the guru and disciple remained.

The guru then explained that he had just received the most powerful of tantras as it has the ability to liberate even the greatest of evildoers on the path to Buddhahood in this very lifetime itself. With that, the guru returned the gold and said he had no use for the gold but had only accepted it in order for the disciple to accumulate merit. He then instructed his disciple to go on pilgrimage and use the gold to make offerings at all the holy sites. Finally, he predicted that his disciple would achieve enlightenment in that very lifetime. After giving his prediction, he flew into the sky and returned to his monastery in Yerang.

Ra Lotsawa was closely associated with the protectresss Palden Lhamo. Click to enlarge.

It was after distributing all the gold that Ralo came to seek shelter in a straw hut. There he entered a deep meditation on Vajrabhairava without lying down to sleep. He attained spiritual realisations relatively quickly and beheld a pure vision of Manjushri followed by the fiery manifestation of Kalarupa, then the fearsome Vajrabhairava, Black Yamari, six-faced Yamantaka and finally Palden Lhamo, who pledged her allegiance to Ralo and requested torma offerings, which would allow her to assist in manifesting his enlightened activities.

Ralo travelled back to Yerang and reported these visions to his guru, who was very pleased and told him that his visions meant that he had achieved attainments in his practice. Bharo presented to him a vajra and bell that had originally belonged to his own teacher, Padmavajra, along with his own stone Vajrabhairava statue and a book in which the oral instructions of the practice were compiled. At the end, the guru said that it was time that Ralo returned to Tibet in order to be of benefit to all beings. Just before returning to Tibet, Ralo visited the Nepali merchant whom he had healed again in order to relate to him the good news.

Return to Tibet

Ralo returned to Nyenam with a Nepali lotsawa who pledged to be his disciple and attendant. While on the journey, he bumped into his brother who was searching for him. He had heard rumours that Ralo had died in Nepal, apparently a victim of Hindu sorcery and had travelled in search of news. After hearing about what he went through and the teachings that he had received, his brother offered the gold that he had on him and became Ralo’s disciple. His brother received the initiation of Vajrabhairava and through diligent practice, he also beheld the face of Vajrabhairava. Meanwhile, the Nepali lotsawa also gained spiritual attainments and developed the ability to conjure up emanations.

Upon their arrival in Tibet, Ralo discovered that his young childhood bride, Jomo Gemajam, who was a natural beauty, had been kidnapped by a rival family. In fact, while Ralo had been away, rival families had waged war with his family in order to snatch her away and in the process they carted away all her possessions and wealth. His parents were severely beaten and his brothers were taken prisoner. His parents wept and requested him to do something with his occult powers if he had any. He responded that such a thing was not a problem for him.

Click on image to enlarge

Ralo entered meditation on Vajrabhairava and stood in a ritual stance of attack, placing emphasis on the horns of the deity. He destroyed the rival family’s entire village and the surviving family members begged Ralo for forgiveness. The deceased were all liberated from samsaric suffering and it is said they were all sent to take rebirth in Manjushri’s pure land. His brothers were released and his bride, Jomo Gemajam was also returned, this time with even more wealth than before. Everyone else pledged to be either Ralo’s servant or patron.

Ralo attended the Fire Dragon Religious Conference which was convened in 1076 CE under the patronage of King Tsede, the nephew of the famous King Jangchub Ö of the Guge Kingdom in western Tibet. This meeting of many of the most important teachers of the era, both Tibetan and Indian, was dedicated to encouraging new and more accurate translations of the Buddhist scriptures of India into the Tibetan language. Following the meeting, he went to Kashmir accompanied by five other young Tibetans, including Ngok Lotsawa Loden Sherab (1059-1109 CE). Another young man who went with him to India was Nyen Lotsawa Darma Drak.

Encountering Obstacles

Aside from Yamantaka, Ra Lotsawa was also known to have brought the Kalachakra Tantra to Tibet. Click on image to enlarge.

While in Tibet, Ralo encountered tremendous obstacles while introducing the Vajrabhairava tantric system. The Vajrabhairava Tantra featured a whole new yidam or meditational deity, one that completely defied preconceived notions of what the Tibetans and their lamas knew of the Buddhas. Vajrabhairava had a buffalo’s face and many lamas of Ralo’s day opposed the practice, claiming that it was not a Buddhist one and that his teacher, Bharo, was actually a non-Buddhist and therefore a heretical teacher. Therefore, many of the leading translators and lamas propagating competing tantric systems became his enemies and Ralo was forced to engage in magical combat.

One such lama was Khon Shakya Lodro, the patriarch of the Khon family of the Sakya tradition and holder of the Yangdak Heruka and Vajrakilaya lineages. As Ralo’s fame grew, Shakya Lodro saw in Ralo, a rival to his influence and survival as a popular master. He accused Ralo of propagating a non-Buddhist teaching, one that would lead all Tibetans to hell. Therefore, Shakya Lodro invoked 28 Ishvari goddesses that created tremendous paranormal disturbances. However, Ralo arose as Vajrabhairava and subdued these goddesses by rendering them paralysed and unconscious. Later, they offered themselves to assist Ralo instead, which infuriated Shakya Lodro.

Ralo’s students pleaded with him to dispatch the lama but he refused initially as he would never attack another Buddhist master. However, a vision of Avalokiteshvara advised him to defend his lineage and engage in magical combat. In the end, Ralo slew Shakya Lodro using the killing rite of Vajrabhairava. Witnesses saw Vajrabhairava in the sky carrying the 58-deity mandala of Yangdak Heruka in a skullcup as a sign of his victory and superiority. Shakya Lodro’s disciples and feudal subjects then became disciples of Ralo.

Click on image to enlarge

Later, a similar contest arose between Ralo and Langlab Jangchub Dorje, another important Vajrakilaya master. Ralo had gone to pay his respects to this venerable master, but Langlab was quick to dismiss Ralo as a master of heretical sorcery. In the ensuing contest however, Ralo was defeated, his disciples slain by Langlab’s manifestation of a rain of magical daggers. Ralo then experienced a vision of Tara, who sent him back to Nepal for further instructions from Bharo and other Nepali masters.

It was during this trip to Nepal that Ralo is said to have also travelled into India at the behest of his guru, Bharo. While in India, Ralo journeyed to Nalanda and sought ordination from the great masters Menja Lingpa, Maitripa and other teachers. He was given the ordination name Sri Vajrakirti or Glorious Dorje Drakpa. While in India, he also received teachings from Nalanda’s abbot, Santipa, Vidyakokila the elder, Vidyakokila the younger, and many others. He then embarked on a pilgrimage to holy sites like Bodhgaya, Varanasi and Sarnath. Subsequently, he returned to Nepal to see his guru one last time before finally returning to Tibet where he once again engaged Langlab. This time, Ralo emerged victorious, slaying the other lama in a final showdown.

In his biography, Ralo claimed to have slain a total of 13 lamas using his mastery of the Vajrabhairava Tantra, including Lotsawa Gyu Monlam Drakpa – the translator of the Chakrasamvara Samvarodaya Tantra, Go Lotsawa Khukpa Letse – the translator of the Guhyasamaja Tantra, and Marpa Chokyi Lodro’s son Darma Dode – an expert in the Hevajra Tantra. An account of these incidents is detailed below.

While in Takna, Ralo encountered Lotsawa Gyu Monlam Drakpa who had developed occult powers through the Cakrasamvara Tantra. Ralo greeted and received Gyu Lotsawa respectfully. However, Ralo was much wealthier and had a bigger following, which made the translator envious. Therefore, he sought to use his powers to damage the mandala that Ralo was constructing at the time. However, Ralo deflected each of his attempts to destroy it using his meditative powers. When Gyu Lotsawa failed to inflict any damage, he resorted to using poison instead.

Ralo became furious and said that he had welcomed the translator with honour but his hospitality had been repaid with an attempt on his life. Thus, he arose as Vajrabhairava and neutralised the poison. Consequently, Gyu Lotsawa collapsed and fell gravely ill. His followers tried to persuade him to apologise to Ralo but to no avail. Gyu Lotsawa was determined to make another attempt at assassinating Ralo. He retrieved his implements and placed them in a charnel ground and was about to begin his wrathful rituals when Ralo entered the meditative absorption of Vajrabhairava and wielded his curved knife to strike. All of Gyu Lotsawa’s instruments were reduced to dust and Gyu Lostawa himself split into many pieces and passed away. It was in this manner that Gyu Lotsawa was guided to the pure land of Manjushri.

Lord Manjushri

Then, there was Go Lotsawa Khukpa Letse who had challenged the legitimacy of Ralo’s lineage and teacher. He is said to have engaged in a magical battle with Ralo, using rites drawn from the Guhyasamaja Tantra. Go Lotsawa began his rituals and attacked Ralo amidst a flurry of paranormal disturbances. In order to placate Go Lotsawa, Ralo had offerings of butter and tea sent to him via some students but Go Lotsawa did not want to see them. This enraged Ralo who arose as Vajrabhairava and slew Go Lotsawa, who was taken to the pure realm of Manjushri. After the passing of Go Lotsawa, the conflict drew in hundreds of villagers, and when residents marched against Ralo they accused him of killing their lama and wanted him dead. He subdued the crowd with his powers, leaving them vomiting blood. The rest of Go Lotsawa’s disciples gathered and became Ralo’s students instead.

On another occasion, when Ralo was residing at Ngamong Chushul, Dharma Dode, the son of the great master Marpa, came to hear about Ralo’s fame. He thought that if he could somehow make Ralo his own disciple, it would increase his own fame manifold. Thus he sought audience with the lama. Ralo received him with honour and dignity while offering him gold, barley and other gifts. Then, Dharma Dode questioned Ralo about his guru and lineage. In the end, Dharma Dode dismissed his guru as a heretical Hindu yogin, his chosen deity (Vajrabhairava) as some sort of animal and his protector (Kalarupa) as a lord of death who worked for the devil! Dharma Dode declared that this type of practice was a cause for practitioners to have a negative rebirth.

At that point, Dharma Dode urged Ralo to follow his father Marpa’s teachings instead. Ralo declined and explained the extraordinary points that his tantra possessed, which were missing in the tantras of Dharma Dode’s lineage. This did not go down well with Dharma Dode. He claimed that his father’s lineage descended from an Indian master and a dubious tantra from a Nepalese pandit could not be more superior. Dharma Dode then swore to erase every single one of those teachings that Ralo had translated.

This is the ancient statue of Yamantaka that belonged to Ra Lotsawa

Dharma Dode left and entered a month-long retreat focusing on the Hevajra Tantra in preparation for a magical battle. Later, while Ralo was travelling with a retinue of disciples in the Zhen Valley, one of his disciples suddenly fell from his horse and died. Ralo was enraged and declared that such attacks could not go unanswered. It was then he had a premonition, that if Dharma Dode was not dispatched, he would definitely erase all of Ralo’s teachings. Strengthening his resolve, he summoned Mahakala and instructed the protector and his host of accompanying deities to take Dharma Dode’s life. Mahakala agreed and after a while reappeared with a human heart in his skull cup. Dharma Dode passed away the next day and Ralo sent him into the heart of Manjushri.

Following the ordeal with Dharma Dode, Ralo invited the great Indian pandit Menja Lingpa to Tibet so that the master could spread his teachings there. When Ralo visited India many years earlier, he had accompanied Menja Lingpa to his monastery in order to serve the master and receive teachings from him. During this time, Ralo’s relationship with Menja Lingpa deteriorated due to the influence of a jealous translator. However, he managed to settle their differences in a skilful manner. Before parting with his guru, Ralo had presented Menja Lingpa with one thousand ounces of gold, seven loads of musk, a turquoise stupa, and many other wondrous offerings in gratitude for the teachings he had received. Ralo had also presented Menja Lingpa’s senior disciple with various other offerings as well. This pleased the Indian master greatly, and in turn he presented Ralo with a relic of the Buddha, an old vajra and bell that used to belong to Lalitavajra, and the Mahasiddha Naropa’s very own monastic robes. Ralo continued to make offerings to Menja Lingpa over the years and, in total, he made offerings 37 times to the esteemed master.

Ralo’s Final Years

Aside from fending off attacks from other tantric masters and proliferating his tantric tradition to numerous disciples, Ralo spent much of his wealth renovating temples in the southern regions of Tsang and Lhato. This included Samye, Tibet’s first monastery, which was damaged by fire in 986 CE. He also sponsored numerous translations of Sanskrit texts into Tibetan, the duplication and recitations of scriptures at various monasteries, and the installation of many large Buddha statues as well. Furthermore, he was fond of liberating thousands of animals, saving their lives. He made innumerable butter lamp offerings, gilded many statues, and offered large quantities of tea to various temples and monasteries, from Nepal to China.

When Ralo was in Nepal, he erected gilded parasols above the Swayambhunath Stupa and offered 108 communal feasts to the communities of male and female yogins there. He also sent offerings to Vajrasana (Bodhgaya) in India every year. While in India, he sponsored the regular recitation of the Condensed Perfection of Wisdom Sutra by 84 panditas. At the same time, he also sponsored the recitation of the Twenty Thousand Verse Perfection of Wisdom Sutra and at Gau Somapuri, he sponsored the recitation of the Eight Thousand Verse Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. In other words, he used the wealth he had received to make numerous offerings and to further the teachings.

Bodhgaya, the sacred spot where Buddha Shakyamuni attained complete enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.

However, Ralo’s main activity was to proliferate the Manjushri-Vajrabhairava lineage far and wide, along with other tantric systems like Kalachakra. He told his numerous disciples that he had broken his commitment to his guru, who had instructed him to practise Vajrabhairava in secret and never to proliferate it. For that reason, he would have to take rebirth for two more lifetimes. However, he proclaimed that he would ascend to the Kechara Pure Land after his death.

Ralo entered clear light at his residence but would appear three times after his passing to his closest disciples. On the first occasion he appeared as a pandita; on the second, as a black hat tantrika; and on the third as Vajrabhairava himself. Finally, his bodily remains were interred in a stupa. During the stupa’s consecration, people saw a vision of Ralo in the form of Heruka appear and dance on the peak of the stupa, while singing a vajra song. After that the vision disappeared.

Ra Lotsawa Dorje Drakpa left behind many great Vajrabhairava lamas, yogins and practitioners. However, amongst his great host of disciples, it was Ra Chorab who would come to hold the teachings of the entire lineage and carry on his master’s work of preserving and spreading this tantric system in Tibet.

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