AN EXPLANATION OF OUR NEW TEXTS

                                          By Lama Drugpa Yeshe Thrinley Odzer (Drugmar Rinpoche IX)

                                            Spiritual Director  Men Chhos Rei Kei Intrernational, Inc.

                                                                                                                                    18 July 1997

We have new Dharma texts for Men Chhos Rei Kei practice and I feel that it is necessary to give some explanation concerning their origin.

In actuality, the Tibetans would classify them as a "mind treasure terma" of myself, Lama Drugpa Yeshe and H.E. Kun Chab Si Chu Rinpoche, and they probably are.  I feel, however, that it is necessary to give a short explanation concerning the plethora of texts that exist in Buddhism.  It is something that is usually not discussed, but I feel that it is paramount to the understanding of both the evolution of Men Chhos Rei Kei and of Buddhism itself.

The North Indian Sources

The oldest and purest (No, I am NOT transforming into Tsonkapa!) source of Buddhist texts are those which survived from North India.  An example of this is the practice text found in the Tantra of Tara, "The Source of all Rites". 

These Tantras that developed at that time each contain at least a visualization and a mantra.  They also usually contain means of offering, the giving of the torma, sometimes instructions for a ganachakra (or tsog feast offering) and instructions on application and benefits which could be gained by the practice.  These benefits range anywhere from enlightenment, to eliminating an enemy, to the means by which to seduce a young boy or girl, depending upon one's gender and sexual preference.

These were in current use at the time Buddhism entered Tibet and we have many examples from China as well from a period of 700-800 years earlier.  The oldest text in Tibetan Buddhism is that of Avilokiteshvara (Chenresig) which is known as "The King's Chenresig".  It is reported in legend that it was dropped by a bird on the roof of the King's Palace in Lhasa late in his reign which spanned about 617-650 C.E.

This text does give us a good clue to the form of the sadhanas current in North India.  It is interesting to note that it is almost identical in form and content to the texts  promulgated almost 400 years later when Atisha arrived at Ngari and by Khon Konchog Gyalpo in 1102 C.E. and consistent as well with the texts brought back from India by Marpa during his many trips to India during 1100s.  It is these texts that form an unbroken and very solid link between North Indian and Tibetan Buddhism. 

The texts revealed by Padmasambhava at an earlier date and later re-discovered as termas show similar though not identical form, although the actual content is the same.  The form of worship is differently arranged and most scholars feel that they express a variant form of worship popular at the time in Khotan and Udiyana.

Rinpoche and I have chosen the North Indian form to promulgate in Men Chhos Rei Kei because of the following reasons:

First, there can be no question about their authenticity and origin.  Second, they are the oldest extant texts of the particular deities to be practiced.  Third, they were in current use at the time the Tantra of the Lightning Flash was promulgated and making its way across North India into Tibet, China, and Japan.  They are free of later elaborations and recensions.

Fourth, and most importantly, they are the root texts for the practice of our Men Chhos Rei Kei deities.  I am also including concise practices from the Chinese which were current during the entire period of Buddhism's reign in China.  These are devotions that were generally used by the leity and not great temple liturgies.  They need no formal WANG nor empowerment to practice, other than a simple verbal transmission.  They can be given to your clients for devotional use.

The texts arranged by Rinpoche and myself are all from the ancient North Indian sources and the visualization and offering forms are complete.  When it seemed appropriate, prayers given in Dr. Usui's notes and other devotional practices have been added in an appropriate sequence.

The North Indian forms which we are speaking about are very concise and contain the bare minimum of information for the deity practice.  Notes in the Tantras themselves indicate the sections where appropriate prayers for specific aims can be added.  It is in these sections that we have added the material taken from Dr. Usui. 

You will probably notice that this material is somewhat Japanese in character and much more contemporary in style and content. Don't let this upset you; it is not a hodge-podge or something that has been casually thrown together.  It reflects the natural elaboration and adaptation of the puja for use in our contemporary world.  This is not a corruption of the original texts, but the natural evolution of Buddhist devotion.

The great Tibetan, Bhutanese, Japanese, and Chinese masters did exactly the same thing.  Many of the Tibetan texts as well as Japanese and Chinese, which are in use today bear little resemblance at all to the original North Indian sources, which were their origin.  They nevertheless are totally effective and functional.

It is clear that the intent of the North Indian texts was to serve as a foundation for the deity's practice which could be adapted to reflect contemporary needs and preference of worship.  This is what I wish to emphasize in speaking about the texts.  Their authors, whether human or divine, promulgated the practices for one purpose only, to benefit sentient beings. 

Times and conditions change and human needs change.  Personal and cultural preferences change.  And so with it the Dharma must also adapt to the needs of sentient beings, but nevertheless its essence must remain unchanged.  The Buddha himself said that the Wheel of the Dharma should be turned for every sentient being according to its needs and inclinations.  Rinpoche and I hope that the revision and publication of these particuilar texts will serve that purpose in making the Dharma more understandable and accessable to Western students.

We have been very careful in our revision of the texts not to make the same mistake the Roman Catholic Church made in putting their Mass and so on into modern language.  These ARE NOT FOLK PUJAS, and we hope that the beauty of language and the sublime imagery of the original Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, or Japanese, has been retained. 

There has been no effort made at simplifying or shortening the material.  We have relied on the elegant simplicity of the original texts when performing these sadhanas, nothing should be excluded by the student for the sake of brevity.  The arrangement of these sadhanas depends upon Rinpoche's 70 years of experience and scholarship and my 23 years of experience and studies, not to mention the insight that both of us have achieved by the performance of these practices.

You therefore should not attempt a revision of the material but leave it as it is, as Padmasambhava has said, "Not even changing one word of the text".

We only hope that these revised texts will serve contemporary Buddhist practitioners as well, but particularly those practitioners of Men Chhos Rei Kei.  Copyright on these texts is held by the Dharma Society of the Glorious White Peacock.  However, we make no restriction on their reproduction or use by any sincere Dharma student.  However, we restrict commercial publication for sale or promotion by anyone who is not a member of the Dharma Society of the Glorious White Peacock.

Lama Drugpa Yeshe Thrinley Odzer

(Drugmar Rinpoche IX)

Spiritual Director,

Men Chhos Rei Kei International, Inc.

P.O. Box 684,

O'Brien, OR 97534   USA

Phone/FAX (541) 596-2686

17 July 1997

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