Tilopa

Tilopa
Tilopa (Prakrit; Sanskrit: Talika or Tilopada) (9881069) was born in either Chativavo (Chittagong), Bengal or Jagora, Bengal in India.[1] He was a tantric practitioner and mahasiddha. He developed the mahamudra (Tibetan: phyag rgya chen po) method, a set of spiritual practices that greatly accelerates the process of attaining bodhi (enlightenment). He is regarded as the human founder of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.[2]

Life
Tilopa was born into the brahmin (priestly) caste[1] according to some sources, a royal family but he adopted the monastic life upon receiving orders from a dakini[2] (female buddha whose activity is to inspire practitioners) who told him to adopt a mendicant and itinerant existence. From the beginning, she made it clear to Tilopa that his real parents were not the persons who had raised him, but instead were primordial wisdom and universal voidness. Advised by the dakini, Tilopa gradually Tilopa took up a monks life, taking the monastic vows and becoming an erudite scholar. The frequent visits of his dakini teacher continued to guide his spiritual path and close the gap to enlightenment. He began to travel throughout India, receiving teachings from many gurus: from Saryapa he learned of inner heat (Sanskrit: caal, Tib. tummo, inner heat); from Nagarjuna[3] he received the radiant light (Sanskrit: prabhasvara) and illusory body (Sanskrit: maya deha, Tib. gyulu) teachings (refer Chakrasamvara Tantra), Lagusamvara tantra, or Heruka Abhidharma); from Lawapa, the dream yoga; from Sukhasiddhi, the teachings on life, death, and the bardo (between life states, and consciousness transference) (phowa); from Indrabhuti, he learned of insight (prajna); and from Matangi, the resurrection of the dead body. During a meditation, he received a vision of Buddha Vajradhara and, according to legend, the entirety of mahamudra was directly transmitted to Tilopa. After having received the transmission, Tilopa embarked on a wandering existence and started to teach. He appointed Naropa, his most important student, as his successor.[1] [2]

Tilopa

Six Words of Advice

Tilopa gave Naropa a teaching called the Six Words of Advice, the original Sanskrit or Bengali of which is not extant; the text has reached us in Tibetan translation. In Tibetan, the teaching is called gnad kyi gzer drug[4] literally, six nails of key points the aptness of which title becomes clear if one considers the meaning of the English idiomatic expression, to hit the nail on the head. According to Ken McLeod, the text contains exactly six words; the two English translations given in the following table are both attributed to him.

Six Words of Advice

First short, literal translation 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dont recall Dont imagine Dont think Dont examine Dont control Rest Later long, explanatory translation Let go of what has passed Let go of what may come Let go of what is happening now Dont try to figure anything out Dont try to make anything happen Relax, right now, and rest Tibetan (Wylie transliteration) mi mno mi bsam mi shes mi dpyod mi sgom rang sar bzhag

Mahamudra instructions
Tilopa also gave mahamudra instruction to Naropa by means of the song known as The Ganges Mahamudra,[5] one stanza of which reads: The fool in his ignorance, disdaining Mahamudra, Knows nothing but struggle in the flood of samsara. Have compassion for those who suffer constant anxiety! Sick of unrelenting pain and desiring release, adhere to a master, For when his blessing touches your heart, the mind is liberated.[6]

Attachment and enjoyment

One of the most famous and important statements attributed to Tilopa is: The problem is not enjoyment; the problem is attachment.[7]

External Links
An English translation of "The Ganges Mahamudra" [8]

References
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Kagyu Office: Tilopa (http:/ / www. kagyuoffice. org/ kagyulineage. tilopa. html) Tilopa (http:/ / www. karmapa. org/ history/ tilopa. htm) Tilopa (988-1089) (http:/ / www. kagyu. org/ kagyulineage/ lineage/ kag02. php) Tsele Natsok Rangdrl (tr. Erik Pema Kunsang), Lamp of Mahamudra: The Immaculate Lamp that Perfectly and Fully Illuminates The Meaning of Mahamudra, The Essence of All Phenomena, Boston & Shaftesbury: Shambhala, 1989, p. 72 and n. 18. "Ganges Mahamudra" (http:/ / www. unfetteredmind. com/ translations/ ganges. php) Keith Dowman / Tilopa's Instruction to Naropa (http:/ / www. keithdowman. net/ mahamudra/ tilopa. htm) Wikiquote http:/ / www. keithdowman. net/ mahamudra/ tilopa. htm

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Article Sources and Contributors

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License
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