AnIndestrucableLegacy: TheLifeofBariLotsawa

byLamaJampaThaye

Oneofthegreatestandmostinfluentialmastersinthe historyofBuddhisminTibetwasBariLotsawa(1040 1111),thesecondthroneholder(SakyaTrizin)of theSakyatradition.Hiscontribution,bothasa translator(Lotsawa)andtantricmaster,helpedto ensurethecontinuityofthepreciousvajrayana teachingsinTibet.Perhapshisoutstandinglegacyhas beenthefamouscollectionofdeitymeditations knownasTheOneHundredSadhanasofBari(Bari Gyatsa)whichhasbeenpreservedintomoderntimes whereitstillformsavitalpartofcontemporary vajrayanapractice. BariLotsawa(thetranslatorofBari)wasbornin Khamin1040AD.HispersonalnamewasRinchen Drakpa.Havingstudiedthedharmainhischildhood,bytheageoffifteenBariLotsawa haddecidedtotraveltoIndia.Hisambitionwastotrainasatranslatorinthefootstepsof suchluminariesofthenewtranslationeraasRinchenZangpoandDrokmiLotsawa. OnthewayBarimetAtishaatNyethangshortlybeforethelattersdeath.Duringthis meetingBariwasadvisedtostudyinIndiawithDorjeDenpa,agreatmasterofvajrayana anddiscipleofsuchsiddhasasJetari. BariLotsawamadetwoextensivevisitstoIndia,wherehereceivedinnumerable initiationsandteachingsfromDorjeDenpaandothermasters.Heexperiencedanumber ofvisionsofhisyidamsChenreziandTaraatwhosepromptingheperformedactsof considerablekindnesssuchasransomingthoseunjustly imprisoned.Subsequentlyin Ngari,WesternTibet,hereceivedteachingsonthefiveprincipalworksofNagarjuna fromthescholarParahita. Havingachievedrealisationthroughintensivestudyandpractice,BariLotsawagathered manydisciplesthroughoutTibet.In1103,followingthedeathofKhonKonchokGyalpo, thefounderofSakya,someofthelattersdisciplesinvitedBariLotsawatoSakya.Their planwasforhimtoactastutorforKonchokGyalposson,KungaNyingpo,whowas thenonly11yearsold.Itissaidthatitwasonlyaftersorcerywasperformedtowardshim thatBariLotsawaaccededtothisrequest.BariLotsawatookchargeofSachenKunga

Nyingpostrainingandactedasthethroneholder,orheadofSakya,untilhisowndeath in1111atwhichtimehewassucceededbySachenhimself. DuringtheseyearsBariLotsawabestowedvariousmahayanateachingsuponhisyoung disciplebutmostimportantlytransmittedahostoftantricteachingstohim.These includedTheOneHundredSadhanas,acollectionofteachingsthathehadreceivedin IndiafromDorjeDenpaandotherpanditas,theGuhyasamajatantra,theYamantaka tantraandthethreetantrasofHevajra.OneofthefoursourcesofMahakalaGonpoGur intheSakyatraditionderivesfromBariLotsawasbestowaloftherelevantinitiation uponSachenKungaNyingpo.Furthermore,fourofthefamousesotericteachings,known asTheThirteenGoldenDharmas,viz.Kurukulla,Kamaraja,SimhamukhaandBlack Manjushri,weretransmittedtoSachenbyBariLotsawa. TheHundredSadhanasofBariinparticularbecameoneofthemostfamouscyclesof vajrayanapracticesintheSakyatraditionandattractedmanyadherentsfromother schools.Itisanincomparablerepositoryofdeitymeditationsdrawnfromallfoursetsof tantrasthoughpossessingaparticularemphasisonKriyaandCharyatantras.Thusit containsmanytechniquesforacquisitionofbothmundaneandtranscendental accomplishment.Withinthecollectionaremanysadhanasofdeitiesbestowingwisdom suchasManjushriandPrajnaparamita,andnumeroussadhanasofcompassionbestowing deitiessuchasChenrezik,longevitybestowingdeitiesasrepresentedbyWhiteTaraand Namgyalma,whilewealthbestowingdeitiesincludeDzambalaandVasudhara.Thereare Guhyasamajatantra,theYamantakaanumberofsadhanasofmagnetisingdeitiessuchas KurukullafoundinthecollectionaswellaswrathfuldeitieslikeYamariandHayagriva. DeitiesbestowingfearlessnesssuchasMarichiandthefiveprotectiongoddessesare alsocontainedinthehundredsadhanasaswellasdeitiesprovidingremedialhelpfor particulardisturbancessuchasParnashavariandAchala. TheHundredSadhanasofBarihasbeentransmittedinanunbrokenlineagewithinthe Sakyaschooldowntothis presentday.Attheendofthe19thcenturyJamgonLoter WangpoincludedthecollectioninhismonumentalcompendiumTheCollectionofAll Sadhanas(DrubthapKundu).LoterWangpobestowedtheBarisadhanasandtherestof thecompendiumuponDakshulThinleyRinchen,thethenSakyaTrizin,andgrandfather ofHisHoliness,thepresentSakyaTrizin.ThinleyRinchen(afterwhomourcentreis named)thenbestowedthemuponhissisterPemaThinleyDudulWangmo,whointurn transmittedthemtoZimokTulkufromNalendramonastery,theheadquartersofthe TsharpasubsectincentralTibet. SubsequentlyZimokTulkutransmittedTheOneHundredSadhanastoH.E.Chogye Trichen,thepresentheadoftheTsarpaschool.HisEminencebestowedthemtogether withtheotherpartofLoterWangpo'sCollectionofSadhanasuponKarmaThinley RinpocheinLumbini.SubsequentlyRinpochetransmittedtheBaricollectiontome. LamaJampaThaye2003.Allrightsreserved.Noreproductionwithoutpermission.