Blazing Inner Fire

Read an excerpt from From The Blazing Inner Fire of Bliss and Emptiness by Ngulchu Dharmabhadra, translated by David Gonsalez, courtesy of its publisher, Wisdom Publications.

By David Gonsalez

Translator’s Introduction

This volume contains two important commentaries by Ngulchu Dharmabhadra (1772–1851). The first is a commentary on Tsongkhapa’s (1357–1419) famous commentary on the Six Yogas of Naropa entitled Endowed with the Three Inspirations. Upon its publication, Tsongkhapa’s text immediately became the basis for nearly all subsequent commentaries within the Gelug tradition, and it reflects Tsongkhapa’s strict adherence to the original tantras and their commentaries composed by reliableIndian siddhas and scholars. This commentary by Ngulchu Dharmabhadra is unique in that it presents the Six Yogas on the basis of the tantric deity Vajrayogini.

The Six Yogas of Naropa were transmitted to Naropa (1016–1100) by his guru Tilopa (998–1069) and were enhanced by Naropa’s direct communication with the female enlightened being Vajrayogini. The Six Yogas represent the pinnacle of Vajrayana Buddhism and present numerous profound instructions for gaining access to the most subtle level of consciousness, which is used to directly realize the ultimate nature of reality. Inner fire, or tummo, forms the foundation of the Six Yogas and functions as the basis for transcending the limits of our conceptual minds by causing the winds to enter, abide in, and dissolve into the central channel at the navel, whereby the inner fire blazes, melts the bodhichitta substances within the central channel, transforms the mind into an extremely blissful state, and allows us to penetrate the meaning of emptiness at such a deeply profound and subtle level that enlightenment can be accomplished within a very short period of time. Within such a subtle state, one also gains access to the extremely subtle body, which can be used for a multitude of virtuous activities. If you are not entirely successful, there are teachings on transference of consciousness (phowa) that allow you to transport your consciousness directly to a pure land of your choosing. For those facing a premature death who wish to remain in this world, there are teachings for projecting your consciousness into a freshly deceased corpse. 

From this very brief introduction, you can see that the Six Yogas of Naropa are the pinnacle of the Buddhist sciences for attaining enlightenment. We are very fortunate to have access to such teachings, and even to merely read about such teachings places extremely powerful imprints on our minds that are certain to result in our eventual enlightenment. I had the good fortune to receive the commentary and oral transmission of Tsongkhapa’s two commentaries on the Six Yogas from my guru, Gen Lobsang Choephel (b. 1928), and have sincerely practiced his instructions to the best of my ability. I hope that this commentary will help inspire those new to the practice to receive teachings from their guru and practice under his or her guidance. For those already familiar with these teachings, I hope it will serve as an aid to deepen their understanding, appreciation, and practice.

The second text is a commentary on the First Panchen Lama, Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen’s (1570–1662) Supplication for Liberation from [Fear of] the Perilous Journey of the Intermediate State and is a perfect supplement to the commentary on the Six Yogas. The prayer stands on its own as a beautiful literary contribution from the First Panchen Lama. It addresses the process of death, the intermediate state, and rebirth for an ordinary being in the form of a supplication to transform such frightening appearances into an enlightened experience. The text then evolves to include the nine mixings of the completion stage as the direct means of transforming our ordinary death process through the advanced yogas presented earlier in the commentary on the Six Yogas. Ngulchu Dharmabhadra’s commentary is extremely lucid and concise while drawing out the subtle underlying intent of the First Panchen Lama’s prayer.

The third part of this volume consists of two translations. The first is a supplication to the lineage gurus of the profound path of the Six Yogas of Naropa, based on a composition by the Seventh Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso (1708–57), with amendments made by Pabongkha Dechen Rinpoche (1878–1941). The second is the First Panchen Lama’s Supplication for Liberation from [Fear of] the Perilous Journey of the Intermediate State, which is the basis of Ngulchu Dharmabhadra’s second commentary translated here.

I offer this volume to you with a deep sense of gratitude to my gurus and the sincere hope that it will contribute to the enlightenment of all living beings.

Technical Note

This text is intended for Tibetan Buddhist practitioners who have been initiated into highest yoga tantra and under the guidance of a qualified lama. Therefore, when translating this text, footnotes and annotations have been left to an absolute minimum, being inserted only when the translator or editor felt that such amendments were necessary to properly understand the material. The titles of various texts have been translated into English, and we have provided transliterations of their Tibetan titles using the Wylie system. In this way, readers with a working knowledge of Tibetan can easily enter the transliterations into the search engine at the Buddhist Digital Resource Center and obtain copies of the texts in question. Tibetan Buddhism in general and the Gelug tradition in particular have historically been a male-dominated religious tradition. As we enter the twenty-first century, Tibetan Buddhism is finally beginning to give women equal opportunity and access to even the most advanced teachings. Although there is still a long way to go before women truly have equality in this respect, women practitioners have taken important steps toward solidifying their rights and stature alongside men, with the full support of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. As a gesture of utter and enthusiastic support for the rights of women worldwide, the translator and editor thus acknowledge women in this text through the use of female pronouns. Since the original Tibetan mentions only male yogis/practitioners, the female pronoun has been added in square brackets immediately after the first use in a given paragraph of a male pronoun. (This has not been repeated each time thereafter in these spots, however, to avoid distracting from the flow of the original text.)

The outline of this text is presented exactly as it appears in the Tibetan text. Although this will not meet Western academic standards, this style is intended to be memorized and used as a teaching and meditation aid. Once memorized, a practitioner can recall the entire structure of the lamrim without the need of a text. Also, when teaching, you will be able to maintain the integrity of the internal structure of the commentary without the need for a text.

A Brief Biography of Ngulchu Dharmabhadra 

Ngulchu Dharmabhadra (dngul chu d+harma b+ha dra) was born  in the upper region of Tsang Yä Rü Cha in the region of Rong Tö Chug  Mo, during the thirteenth rabjung2 in the Water Dragon Year (1772). His  father was Tashi Päljor and his mother Kadro Pälkyi.  

When he was eleven years old, he learned the alphabet from his elderly  uncle. From then on, whenever he met someone learned, he would seize  the opportunity to study the alphabet with them. As he spent most of  his time tending sheep, whenever he found a flat, smooth rock or level  ground, he would practice his writing using only his fingers, which would  often cause them to bleed. However, this didn’t discourage him. Instead,  he carried on until after a short time he learned all the letters of uchen  and uchung,3 thus becoming an expert at reading and writing. Later on,  the Venerable One was to become a holder of the treasury of secrets of all  the conquerors. According to many scholars and pandits, it was clear that  he was endowed with the characteristics of Vajradhara abiding in human  form. In this respect, as it says in the twenty-fifth chapter of the Key to the  Secret Prophecies of the Great Knowledge Holder Padmasambhava

In a place called Je and Podong, 

Will come one with the name of Dharmabhadra, 

An emanation of Vajradhara 

Who will turn the wheel of secret mantra teachings.  

Whoever has a connection with this being  

Will reach the state of irreversibility 

After seven rebirths. 

This being of noble lineage with the name of Dharma 

Was born in the area of Tsang. 

Whoever at the time of death, 

When all appearances of this life are setting, 

Should hear the name of this being, 

Will attain the state of perfect joy.  

Also,

Between Eh and Dar an emanation of Vajrapani will arise Whose name will be Dharmabhadra. 

These verses clearly show Ngulchu’s name and designate his birthplace  as being between Podong Eh and Je Dar Ting. When still very young,  whenever monks came to visit his family, they were all so surprised by  his manner of thinking and acting, and by his exceptional skill at reading and writing that they could not believe he was an ordinary person.  Accordingly, they were all convinced that if he were to apply himself to  Dharma, he would certainly become an excellent student.  

At the age of fourteen, he was admitted to Tashi Gephel Monastery.  It was there that he was given the name Losang Tsering by the master  Losang Gyaltsen. Early on, since he was skilled at writing, he was given  one page of Ganden Lha Gyama,5 handwritten by Khedrup Ngawang  Dorje, and was told to copy it. By the sheer act of copying the text, he  memorized it, and just by seeing Khedrup Ngawang Dorje’s handwriting,  he developed great faith and requested an audience with him. Due to his  great faith, the moment he met [Khedrup Ngawang Dorje], all impure  appearances immediately disappeared and he began to weep profusely.  It was from this that Khedrup Ngawang Dorje recognized that Ngulchu was a special being, and so from then on, he gave him very meaningful,  heartfelt advice, and with great love he gave him copious instruction on  both the sutras and tantras, like filling one vase from another. In return,  [Ngulchu] protected these instructions as if they were his own eyes. He  received the novice vows of individual liberation directly from the great  Khedrup and was given the name Wangchuk Chösang. 

From the age of eighteen to nineteen, [Ngulchu] experienced a very  sad period in his life when three people very close to him—his elder  brother Tadrin Wangyel, his mother, and his aunt—died, one after the  other. As a result, with the permission of his lama, he went into retreat in an isolated place to practice single-pointedly, where he remained until he  was twenty. After this time, he was admitted into the ranks of a gelong6 and went to Ngulchu Cave, where he listened and contemplated with great  effort. In the tenth month of that same year, he received the complete  training as a gelong from Lopön Yeshe Päldrup, and consequently he had  a lot to learn, such as how to obtain water, how to bless one’s belongings,  how to give and receive various small articles, and so forth. As a gelong  he practiced perfectly, maintaining complete moral discipline, and so he  became a great Vinaya holder. From the age of twenty-two to thirty-two,  he returned again and again to Tashi Lhunpo, meanwhile studying with  such masters as Drongtse Losang Tsultrim and Guge “Yongzin” Losang  Tenzin, to name a few. In this way he studied with many learned pandits  and listened to many teachings on both the common teachings and the  uncommon teachings of sutra and tantra.  

From the age of thirty-five on, he mainly practiced meditation but  also taught extensively on the three important subjects of exposition,  debate, and composition. At this time he also composed various works on  sutra and tantra, which constitute six volumes of teachings. He had many  disciples, such as Yangchen Drupai Dorje [1809–87], Khenchen Ngawang  Nyendrak, Ripuk Tulku Losäl Tenkyong, and Dechen Tulku Losang Tsultrim, among others.  

At the age of seventy, he made offerings to forty-one monasteries in  Shay. Throughout his life, up to the age of eighty, he traveled to Truzin to  give teachings several times; however, he spent most of his time staying  in Ngulchu Cave, where he engaged solely in meditation. When he was  eighty, on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Iron Pig Year (1851),  for the sake of those to be subdued, he passed away into the dharmakaya.  

In a mahamudra commentary written by Gaden Kälsöl there is a  request to the [lineage lamas] that says:  

With the skill and stability of a second conqueror, 

The Protector who illuminated the Conqueror’s teachings  With clear exposition, 

To Jetsun Dharmabhadra, I make my request.  

Colophon 

Composed by Zephug Gelong Lobsang Choephel.


Publisher’s Note:

This is a restricted text. The material in this book is restricted. This book may be read only by those who have received a complete initiation into any highest yoga tantra practice. In order to practice this material, it would be best if you have received a full initiation into either Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka, or Chakrasamvara.


From The Blazing Inner Fire of Bliss and Emptiness by Ngulchu Dharmabhadra, translated by David Gonsalez. We thank Wisdom Publications for providing this excerpt, and we thank our readers for supporting dharma publishers.

David Gonsalez

David Gonsalez was the translator of numerous sadhanas and texts and served for many years as the personal translator and attendant for Gen Lobsang Chophel. He was the president of Dechen Ling, a nonprofit organization that works with the Tibetan community in exile to establish their monasteries and traditions.