Short Guide to Yangleshö

A Short Guide to Yangleshö in Nepal

by Jamyang Khyentsé Chökyi Lodrö

Homage to the Glorious Heruka!

Through the magic of birth from the unborn,
From the great, self-existing secret,
These vajra words naturally arise:
How wondrous and supreme, emaho!

I, Padmākara, was born spontaneously
On the northwest border of Uḍḍiyāna,
On the tip of a lotus in the sindura ocean,
Untainted by a womb.

Adopted as a son of Uḍḍiyāna’s king,
I benefited beings through my yogic activity,
And maintained this conduct in the eight great charnel grounds.
Under many accomplished masters and paṇḍitas
I studied and learned, gaining knowledge
In the host of teachings of sūtra and tantra.

At Māratika, through the path of swiftness, 
The vidyādhara level of immortality was accomplished,
And Amitāyus displayed his very countenance.

In particular, in rocky Yangleshö,
I manifested the glorious Great Seal.
Obstacles and obstructors, all were conquered 
Through the meditative power of vajra wrath.
The vidyādhara level of mahāmudrā then completed,
I entered the ranks of Vajradhara.

This site of such accomplishment
Carries the blessing of the great Heruka.
When Rudra was liberated long ago,
This is where appeared his boundless inner palace.
The ground is laid out auspiciously, with all that is desirable.

Multitudes of bodhisattvas —
Lord of Mysteries,[1] Mañjuśrī, and countless others —
Actually came in person to this holy site,
Surrounded on every side by the eight great charnel grounds.

Specifically, when the Great Sage himself
Miraculously set foot on the land at Ox Hill,[2]
The community of bodhisattvas and arhats 
Travelled here,[3] accompanied by all their retinue,
And a host of immortal ṛṣis and vidyādharas,
And gods and nāgas and yakṣas too.
For these he turned the Dharma wheel, vast and profound.
And for the ears of the exceptional vidyādharas
He proclaimed the melodious sound of the tantras,
Truly the well-spring of the great herukas,
Hiding countless treasures of secret mantra.

Siddhas such as Saraha, from the noble land of India,
Came here and practiced and relied upon this place,
Until they received the siddhi of supreme accomplishment.
Therefore, those who wish
The secret mantra to flourish —
Their worship and practice here will indeed be meaningful;
They will gain the great good fortune of perfect accomplishment,
And teachings and beings will thrive in abundance!

Samaya!

In this supreme location, in the centre of Nepal,
Birthplace of buddhas of past, present and future,
Greatest of stūpas, of blessings and relics,
Delight of glorious Maheśvara,
In this naturally arisen secret cave,
Awesome gathering place of herukas,
Vajravārāhī abides in actuality,
And ḍākas and ḍākinīs delight and play.

Wondrous pleasure grove, where great bliss is attained —
Merely by seeing it, karmic obscurations are purified;
Merely by hearing, the doors to the lower realms are closed.
If one practices correctly, the supreme siddhi is gained.

If those who hold the samayas
Perform the outer, inner and secret gaṇacakras,
They will become the equal of the herukas.
If those who have mastered vajra-like yogic conduct
Perform the great secret dance,
Their channels, inner air and bindus will be purified,
The strength of the wisdom of awareness will blaze,
They will gain success on the path of union and liberation,
And certainty, too, in the great secret of secrets —
The ultimate realization of reality.

Samaya!

When Tibet has fallen into suffering,
And the power of the Mongol-Turks has grown,
And all types of miseries arise,
Then, my, Padmākara’s, concern
And the aspirations of the Great King,
Will flash upon this place like a bolt of lightning
And cause the teachings and beings' happiness to thrive.

While not an actual terma-treasure,
This guide will manifest in the future.
The Dharma King of Nepal,
One who is named Bhaṃga,
Will take hold of this profound treasure,
And open the way to prosperity for the teachings and beings.

Samaya!

The dancing monkey rides the bird,
He will fall to the ground and wander like a dog,
Run like a pig, then hide like a mouse.
Then the tip of the ox-horn
Will be adorned with multi-coloured flags,
And for a brief time this world will be happy.
Then the terma-treasure of this place will manifest.

In the Fire Monkey year,[4] I Pema Yeshé Dorjé went on pilgrimage to India and Nepal for the benefit and happiness of the teachings and beings. On the 1st day of the 12th month, while offering a gaṇacakra feast of Yang Phur Drakma [5] in Yangleshö my mind became totally clear. In the very early morning, on the 2nd day, my student, the Lama from Nangchen Tsechu,[6] the master of ceremony Lodrö Chokden, gave me a piece of paper and urged me, saying: “Write whatever you remember.” Due to this circumstance, I began writing this guide at Yangleshö. Later, when we reached Svayambhū I continued to write. I wrote down all that I could recall of the many different meditative experiences that occurred. Maṅgalam!

| Samye Translations, 2017. (Translated by Peter Woods, Han Kop and Stefan Mang. Edited by Libby Hogg.)

Bibliography

Tibetan Edition

‘Jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse chos kyi blo gros. “Bal yul yang le shod kyi mdo byang bsdus pa.” In ’Jam dbyangs chos kyi blo gros kyi gsung ’bum. 12 vols. Bir: Khyentse Labrang, 2012. W1KG12986 Vol. 10: 379–382.

Version: 1.2-20220309