Tat Two

I don’t know how you marked the Summer Solstice, but I did so by gittin’ me another tattoo. I had wanted to have it done on Tuesday, that being the Dakini Day on the lunar calendar, but circumstances forced me to schedule it for noon on Wednesday. However, like the famous rationale about “cocktail hour” that the lush declares upon hoisting his first G&T before lunch, I said to myself, “Well, it’s Dakini Day somewhere.”

I’ve wanted this tattoo for more than a decade, and it needs a wee bit of backstory.

Padmasambhava (pictured at the upper left), known familiarly as Guru Rinpoche, is the emanation of Shakyamuni Buddha who spontaneously manifested in this world to propagate the Vajrayana, or “path of skillful means” to enlightenment. His spontaneous manifestation is a key element of the story. It demonstrates the Vajrayana premise that in reality, all phenomena have always been inseparable from their pure, unborn enlightened nature. This is a fact to which nearly all of us have been obscured for a very long time, to our great detriment. The “skillful means” taught by Padmasambhava and others – certain meditations, visualizations, mantra recitations, physical yogas, etc. – are meant to radically accelerate the removal of those obscurations. If one follows the Mahayana, or gradual path of a Bodhisattva, in a completely perfect way, it is said that one will attain the full enlightenment of a Buddha after three incalculable aeons of effort. Best case. With the skillful means of the Vajrayana, the best case is enlightenment in one body, one lifetime. Pretty clear choice, no?

Tibet and Mongolia were the two principle countries utterly transformed by the introduction of the Vajrayana, a testament to the acute spiritual intelligence of their people. In Tibet, it was Guru Rinpoche who first brought these teachings, at the invitation of King Trisong Deutsen in the 8th c. It’s said that he stayed in Tibet for 60 years before departing this world just as spontaneously as he had come. But Guru Rinpoche’s liberating influence has stayed fresh and alive over the past 1200 years through the astonishing phenomenon of the ongoing revelation of his teachings that has come to be known as terma, the Tibetan word for “treasure.”

As a manifestation of Shakyamuni Buddha, Guru Rinpoche possessed a Buddha’s omniscience. He saw that many bodies of teachings and sacred objects would not be of particular benefit at the time he was in Tibet, but would be in the future. So, he gave these teachings orally to his heart disciple and spiritual consort Yeshe Tsogyal. She acted as scribe, copying his words onto yellow parchment. However, she did not employ ordinary Tibetan letters. She wrote in a symbolic language known now as “Dakini Script.” This twilight language kept the meaning of the teachings secret until such time as the destined tertön, or “treasure revealer,” came along to discover and interpret them in a state of pure vision.

Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal compiled and concealed these termas in caches all over Tibet. Guru Rinpoche then blessed and empowered his 25 closest disciples to be the discoverers of these caches in future incarnations when the time was ripe. He also empowered some of them with teachings that would simply arise in their minds in future lives. The physical caches are known as sater, or “earth treasures,” with the other known as gongter, or “mind treasures.”

With me so far? Good.

The discovery of these termas began in the 11th c. and has continued unabated to the present day. In the early 17th c. there was a remarkable boy named Migyur Dorje who entered strict retreat with his root guru, Karma Chagmed. This auspicious connection caused Migyur Dorje to enter an almost uninterrupted visionary state, receiving teachings and practices directly from Buddhas, dakinis, meditational deities, and Dharma protectors from the ages of 11 to 14. In this case, Karma Chagmed functioned as the scribe. These gongter revelations now fill 13 large volumes known as the Nam Chö, or “Dharma from the Space of Pure Awareness.” They became the main basis for practice at Palyul Monastery, founded in 1665 by two heart disciples of Migyur Dorje, Rigdzin Kunzang Sherab, Palyul’s first throneholder, and his sister, the cave-dwelling yogini Genyenma Ahkön Lhamo.

Today, my home temple is Kunzang Palyul Chöling in, of all places, Poolesville, MD. My root lamas are Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo, the incarnation of the first Ahkön Lhamo, and HH Penor Rinpoche, Palyul’s 11th throneholder. Our practices today derive for the most part from Migyur Dorje’s Nam Chö terma revelations. Got all the connections? Once again, good! We’re coming ‘round the mountain to my tattoo, promise.

In 1995, Penor Rinpoche visited KPC MD in order to confer the transmission of the Nam Chö in its entirety. It took a whole month and I made sure to be present for every minute of it. During this transmission, Penor Rinpoche showed us a diagram from the Nam Chö that he said was an example of dakini script, the first I’d ever seen. He said it was called “Liberation Upon Seeing.” It was actually possible for someone to see this diagram and become enlightened just like that. But for most of us, it would simply plant and ripen seeds of liberation. He said the time was right to reveal it and asked us make it as visible as possible in the world. We made cards and bumper stickers, decorative reliefs and digital versions, and some of us, now including me, have had it tattooed on our bodies so that everyone we meet might see it.

What does it look like? Well, you’ve been seeing it all this time. It’s at the upper right of this site.

As with my previous tattoo, I tried to keep my motivation for getting this one as pure as possible. In the Buddhist sense, “pure” means focused on others, not on oneself. Even though the diagram is truly unique and aesthetically appealing, I didn’t get it for the purpose of adornment. That would be in direct contradiction of my monastic vows. Instead, I got it because in this life I have used my body in a number of non-virtuous ways. I always seek methods to counter-balance and purify this. Going through the discomfort of having the “Liberation Upon Seeing” diagram tattooed on my arm, anticipating the benefit to be derived by those to whom I show it, seemed to fit the bill. My teacher had already approved such actions (as a result, some of the unlikeliest members of our community are tattooed).

Like the last time, this was quite ritualistic for me. I brought an image of Guru Rinpoche in spiritual union with Yeshe Tsogyal and burned incense in front of it as an offering. I chanted auspicious prayers before we began, and accumulated mantras throughout the whole process. I avoided watching the artist at work, but instead concentrated on visualizing him as a primordial wisdom dakini, herself writing on my body. Again and again, I consciously offered my body, speech and mind to the dakini, the embodiment of the Buddhas’ liberating activity, in this and every future life. I silently prayed that in the pain I was experiencing (not so bad, really), all the pain of sentient beings everywhere might be exhausted. I prayed that all who saw this diagram would be swiftly brought to supreme liberation. And when it was finished, I dedicated whatever merit might have been generated to the welfare of all beings.

Here is Tulgaa at work…

…and here’s the finished product. Gorgeous, isn’t it? May it free you from suffering and the causes of suffering.

Comments

[Aarlene]

You are too cool for just one life that's for sure.
I was wondering about tatoo one just the other day.
Did you proof read? It'd be awful if it really said, Eat at Joe's. LOL
Is that the same as the top right picture?

[Konchog]

"Proofread" -- LOL!

Yeah, it's the same as the graphic in blue and gold. I did carefully compare them!

[Vedran]

Congratulations on new tatoo Konchog! I have, a couple of questions, first for all mongol language experts: it's about name of the city Tsetserleg. What does it mean? Does it have something to do with flowers? And second for Konchog: How many female lamas and nuns is there in Mongolia? I red on www.tibetan-museum-society.org about Glenn Mullin and I saw picture of him and two female Mongolian yoginis. What is the function of yoginis?

[Konchog]

Hi Vedran!

You were close with "tsetserleg." It means "garden." It's also used for "kindergarten."

In Mongolia there are very few female lamas and maybe 20-25 nuns, tops. There are quite a number of female devotees, however, and with their intelligence, strength and diligence, I predict this will change. The group Glenn supports is pretty unique.

[Carol]

The word tsetserleg is related to the word for flower if you look down to modern turkish. Chichek (pardon my transliteration) means flower. The 'lik', or mongolian 'leg', is a suffix meaning with. So literally 'with flower' is garden.

As for nuns this is the link to the FPMT site about their Dolma Ling nunnery project.
http://www.fpmt.org/mongolia/nunnery.html
They have 16 women in residence at the moment. I'm sponsoring one of the nuns, and I've been to see their compound. It's a bare and harsh living, and we all owe a debt to these amazing women for taking the steps to devote themselves to study.

Carol

[Rinchen Gyatso]

I have a Dharma friend in Chicago who wanted to Get "Tibet" written in Tibetan on his shoulder, but the tatoo artist messed up and it just says "Po" instead - a meaningless sound. Oooops!

[Lee Ann]

In lieu of tattooing a zipper over my surgery scar, I think I'll just admire yours from afar.

Although...I have always wanted a tattoo, but I am a very indecisive person, so never rested upon one perfect word or phrase to use. Nor one language.

Commenter Aarlene is right. You are way too cool for one lifetime.

[Norbu]

I liked the pictures of our Teachers on you log so much you can know see them at the dakini valley blog too Hope you didn't have personal copy rights to them uh and don't ever close down this site cause I'll need to redirect my img link and you already did all the work for me so I really don't want to do it Nice to read your well Keep writing for those of us living through you

[Soen Joon Sn]

Ooooh, nice ink! You know I had to have all three of my tats removed to ordain?...ah, those Tibetans!

The new script is lovely. Congratulations.

[Konchog]

Norbu -- well, if you have to steal, I suppose stealing lamas is the way to go.

Soen-la -- Really!? Were your tats visible? Tibet and Korea actually shouldn't differ as far as the Vinaya lineage. Don't you wear long-sleeve grey robes? Wow. I admire your commitment!

[Ryan]

Thank God you got another tattoo! I was beginning to worry about how I was going to identify you in a crowd.

[Sarah]

Ryan, you just killed me.

[Christian]

Konchog lama -- You may underestimate the cultural factors in Buddhism: in East Asia, tattoos are, traditionally, the recognition signs of the gangsters. Whatever the tattoo means or where it is or whether it is visible or not, it is just socially unacceptable.

Actually, I did not know that tattoos were allowed for lamas:D

[mahala]

I appreciate the thought and intention behind your tatoo. And it is beautiful. May many many people take a close look and receive liberation!

Beyond this specific choice, I think it's always beneficial to see the many ways we can manifest Dharma in our lives. I may not get a tatoo, but your example reminds me that a choice I do make can be made carefully & with pure intent.

[Branch Echols]

It is really crazy, or not so much, auspicious maybe, that I came upon this blog as I have been thinking for sometime to get this tatooed across my back from shoulder blade to shoulder blade. I don't have any tattoos and have been against them for most of my life, but for some reason i've been thinking a lot of getting this particular one especially with the meaning it carries. I go to KPC as well, and I remember seeing you there when you were here last. Did you get this tat around here? If so I'd like to probably get the same person to do it, especially since he's already successfully done it once. Feel free to drop me an email, branch@branchechols.com

thanks

peace and all things auspicious,

branch