Yang Nying Pudri

Yang Nying Pudri thangka commissioned by Sogyal Rinpoche

Yang Nying Pudri (Tib. ཡང་སྙིང་སྤུ་གྲི་, Wyl. yang snying spu gri), the Razor of the Innermost Essence, a cycle of Vajrakilaya practices revealed as a terma by Tertön Sogyal. It is the main yidam practice of the Rigpa sangha.

Khenpo Jikphun said that the three main Vajrakilaya termas of Tertön Sogyal are Yang Sang Tröpa, which is very long, Yang Nying Pudri, which is of medium length, and Yang Zab Nyingpo, which is quite short.

History

The Revelation

Tertön Sogyal’s biography, which was written by Tulku Tsullo, describes how the terma was revealed. In the autumn of 1895, Tertön Sogyal went with Jamgön Kongtrul to Tsadra Rinchen Drak, a sacred site closely linked with both Jamgön Kongtrul and Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa, and one of the twenty-five holy places of east Tibet, representing ‘the wisdom mind of enlightened qualities’. There, high up on the hillside, Tertön Sogyal approached ‘The Cave that Delights the Awesome Heruka’ (Wyl. he ru ka dgyes pa'i sgrub phug), where, his biography recounts:

“The outline of the terma door stood out clearly in the rock face, and when he saw this, he became as if excited and flung a stone at it. At once the earth shook with a great crashing sound, as though a whole mountain was subsiding. An aperture in the rock gaped open, and an exquisite fragrance flooded out to fill the air. Tertön Sogyal plunged his hand into the opening and withdrew a kutsab—a representation of Guru Rinpoche—in a striding posture and gripping vajra and phurba, and along with it, the casket containing the terma of Yang Nying Pudri. Wrapping them carefully in silk so that no one might see, he placed them in the terma chest held by his consort. The terma trove in the rock was also full of amrita, but he said that it was not his to take and he would not remove it. However, his consort pleaded with him insistently, and to avoid disappointing her, he took some of this amrita, which liberates when tasted, and left the remaining treasure just as he had found it. He offered a substitute for the terma, and closed the door and sealed it well. Then Jamgön Kongtrul Rinpoche approached the site, and together, in joyful gratitude, they all celebrated a tsok feast, offered tormas to please the terma guardians, and made prayers of dedication and auspiciousness on a grand scale, aspiring to benefit the Dharma and all living beings.”

Lineage

The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Thupten Gyatso

In 1898 Tertön Sogyal traveled to Lhasa to meet the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. His first, momentous, meeting with the Dalai Lama had been ten years earlier, when, it was said, “their wisdom minds instantly merged as one.” Now, following a proclamation of the Nechung Oracle, Tertön Sogyal offered the complete cycle of empowerment, transmission, and instruction of the Yang Nying Pudri to the Dalai Lama.

Early the next morning, the Dalai Lama records a vivid dream, in which he found himself before the palace of Guru Rinpoche, where he was met by two celestial beings, singing prophetic verses about this practice of Vajrakilaya. They told him that desire, anger, and ignorance would be eliminated, obstacles overcome and attainments realized, if he performed a thousand tsok offerings according to the Yang Nying Pudri practice. The Dalai Lama’s biography explains: “He awoke, remembering the words very clearly. The Dalai Lama and Lerab Lingpa then decoded their meaning together. And he accomplished the thousand tsok offerings of Vajrakilaya, as the prophecy made clear was the right thing to do.”

Tertön Sogyal then gave the Yang Nying Pudri empowerment to the monks of the Namgyal Monastery in the Potala Palace, who have maintained this practice ever since. In 1899 the mendrup was performed as part of the Mönlam Chenmo, the annual Great Prayer Festival at the New Year in Lhasa, and woodblocks for the entire cycle were carved. The Thirteenth Dalai Lama arranged the Yang Nying Pudri for practice as a drupchen and so composed the text Treasury of Wishes for the Benefit of Self and Others that was used by the Namgyal monks at Lerab Ling.

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama:

"Yang Nying Pudri, The Razor of the Innermost Essence, was revealed by Lerab Lingpa, who was a great tertön, a discoverer of hidden treasures, during the time of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. In fact, there was a very strong connection between Lerab Lingpa and the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. When this terma was revealed by Lerab Lingpa, it was prophesied to him that the Thirteenth Dalai Lama was to be the chödak, the custodian of these teachings. The task of the chödak was to receive the teachings from the tertön, and propagate them. This explains why the Thirteenth Dalai Lama composed the manual of liturgies that is used to perform the drupchen associated with the Yang Nying Pudri cycle. So there was a very strong and powerful connection between the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and the tertön Lerab Lingpa."

Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche offered the empowerment of Yang Nying Pudri to His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.

The Texts of the Yang Nying Pudri Cycle

The druptrin (Wyl. sgrub phrin) is the name for the longer version of the Yang Nying Pudri sadhana. The shorter one, the daily practice, is called the dön nying (Wyl. don snying). According to Garje Khamtrul Rinpoche, during a retreat on Yang Nying Pudri, it was usual in Tibet to do the longer sadhana in the first session of the day, and the shorter one in the following three sessions.

• The Inventory: The Perfectly Clear Mirror (thems yig rab gsal me long)
  • English translation: Inventory: The Perfectly Clear Mirror, From the Razor of the Innermost Essence (Yang Nying Pudri)

• The Prayer of Inspiration known as "The Falling Rain of Blessings" (gsol 'debs byin rlabs char 'bebs) (from the Yang Zab Nyingpo)
  • English translation: The Falling Rain of Blessings: A Prayer of Inspiration, from Lerab Lingpa’s revelation Purba Yang Zab Nyingpo, ‘The Deepest Heart-Essence of Vajrakīla’ '

• The Essential Daily Practice of the Enlightened Activity of Vajrakilaya (phrin las rgyun khyer don gyi snying po)
  • English translation: Rigpa Translations

• Practice Guide for the Phases of Enlightened Activity of Vajrakilaya called 'Rainfall of Siddhis' (druptrin) (sgrub khog phrin las kyi rim pa dngos grub char 'bebs)
  • English translation: Rigpa Translations

• Fire Offering: Accomplishing All Enlightened Activities of the Four Types, from the Yang Nying Pudri (Razor of the Innermost Essence) (me mchod las bzhi'i phrin las kun 'grub)
  • English translation: Fire Offering: Accomplishing All Enlightened Activities of the Four Types, from the Yang Nying Pudri (Razor of the Innermost Essence)

Empowerment Texts

• The Profound Empowerment Ritual Clearly Arranged (bka' dbang zab mo lag len gsal bar bkod pa). The most elaborate empowerment (possibly has a preliminary day (ta-gon)).
• The Ultimate Empowerment: The Essence of Nectar (don dbang bdud rtsi'i snying po). A shorter empowerment, yet which still includes the four empowerments.
• The Profound Empowerment for Concluding in a Magnificent Manner (mthar rgyas dbang bskur zab mo). This empowerment has specific empowerments for all the deities such as the five Supreme Sons, the ten wrathful ones and the 20 'devourers', and also includes the empowerments for the activities such as the averting rituals, the fire offering, and so on.
• Life-Force Empowerment for the Oath-Bound Guardians: Secret Seal of the Heart (dam can gyi srog dbang gsang ba thugs kyi rgya can)

Bylakuppe Edition

From the collected visionary revelations and textual rediscoveries (gter chos) of las-rab-glin-pa alias ñag-bla bsod-rgyal (1856-1926), Bylakuppe, 1985

volume pha

• The Inventory: The Perfectly Clear Mirror (thems yig rab gsal me long) pp.1-7
• The Profound Empowerment Ritual Clearly Arranged (bka' dbang zab mo lag len gsal bar bkod pa) pp.9-30
• The Mandala Ritual (dkyil 'khor gyi cho ga) pp.31-57
• The Descent of Blessings: 'Rainfall of Blessings' (byin 'bebs byin rlabs char 'bebs) pp.59-67
• The Definitive Points of the Samaya: The Root of All Attainments (dam tshig gi gnas nges pa dngos grub kun gyi rtsa ba) pp.69-82
• Profound Instruction on the View (lta ba'i khrid zab mo) pp.83-95
• Practice Manual: The Net of Jewels (mngon rtogs rin chen drva ba don gyi snying po mthar thug) pp.97-155
• Practice Guide for the Phases of Enlightened Activity of Vajrakilaya called 'Rainfall of Siddhis' (sgrub khog phrin las kyi rim pa dngos grub char 'bebs) pp.157-195
• Mantras of the Ten Wrathful Ones (khro bcu'i sngags) p.197
• Mantras of the Four Doorkeepers (sgo bzhi'i sngags dang gzhi snying bcas) p.198
• Praise: The Swift Accomplishment of Activity (bstod pa phrin las myur 'grub) pp.199-209
• The Tsok Feast: Samantabhadra's Clouds of Offerings (tshogs 'khor kun bzang mchod sprin) pp.211-231
• Confession and Fulfilment: The Falling Rain of Siddhis (bskang bshags dngos grub char 'bebs) pp.233-245
• gnad bskul gnam lcags thog mda' pp.247-264
• gdab kha mtshon cha'i 'khor lo phung byed dug gi spu gri pp.265-285
• gtor bzlog gnam lcags spu gri pp.287-352
• zor las gnam lcags thog mda' pp.353-366
• Fire Offering: Accomplishing All the Enlightened Activity of the Four Types of Action (me mchod las bzhi'i phrin las kun 'grub) pp.367-375
• The Sadhana of the Oath-bound Protectors called 'Wheel of Razors' (dam can sgrub thabs spu gri'i 'khor lo) pp.377-388
• Life-Force Empowerment for the Oath-Bound Guardians: Secret Seal of the Heart (dam can gyi srog dbang gsang ba thugs kyi rgya can) pp.389-396
• gtso sgrub gu ru'i thugs phur pp.397-410
• mthar rgyas dbang bskur zab mo pp.411-425
• The Ultimate Empowerment: The Essence of Nectar (don dbang bdud rtsi'i snying po) pp.427-438
• The Essential Daily Practice of the Enlightened Activity of Vajrakilaya (phrin las rgyun khyer don gyi snying po) pp.439-462
• The Ritual for the Great Accomplishment: The Treasury of the Twofold Benefit (sgrub chen gyi cho ga don gnyis 'dod rgu'i bang mdzod) by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama pp.463-582
• thig tshon lha gnas bcas gsal bar bkod pa pp.583-593

Namgyal Edition

From rnam par rgyal ba'i phan bde legs bshad gling grva tshang gi 'don chog gter ston bsod rgyal dam las rab rab gling pa'i gter byon phur pa yang snying spu gri'i chog cha tshang thog kha bskong le tshan bcas, 1985

• The Prayer of Inspiration known as "The Falling Rain of Blessings" (gsol 'debs byin rlabs char 'bebs) (from the Yang Zab Nyingpo) pp.5-8
• sgrub khog phrin las kyi rim pa pp.9-45
• don gyi snying po pp.47-69
• tshogs mchod kun bzang mchod sprin pp.71-89
• mngon rtogs rin chen drva ba pp.91-148
• sgrub chen 'dod dgu'i bang mdzod composed by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama pp.149-263
• bdud rtsi rtsa ba'i sman sgrub pp.265-291
• dkyil chog pp.293-318
• me mchod las bzhi'i phrin las kun 'grub pp.319-326
• me spar cho ga p.327
• don dbang bdud rtsi'i snying po pp.329-339
• drag sngags pp.341-343
• byin 'bebs byin rlabs myur 'gyogs (from the Yang Zab Nyingpo) pp.345-348
• The Profound Purification Torma Preliminary (sngon 'gro gtsang gtor) (from the Yang Zab Nyingpo) pp.349-351
• drag sngags so lnga pa p.353
• khro bcu'i sngags p.355
• bdud rtsi'i byin 'bebs pp.357-358
• sri mnan pp.359-363
• dam can sgrub thabs pp.365-375
• gtor chog (from the Yang Zab Nyingpo) pp.377-399
• gtor 'phen pp.401-423
• rab gnas pp.425-479
• gu yangs sgrub pa pp.481-482
• byin 'bebs byin rlabs char 'bebs pp.483-490
• las byang 'khyer bde bkod pa bstan 'gro'i dge mtshan spel ba'i yid bzhin dbang rgyal pp.491-521
• bskang bshags dngos grub char 'bebs pp.523-534
• gnad bskul gnam lcags thog mda' pp.535-551
• bstod pa phrin las myur 'grub pp.553-562
• mngal gsol bsam don lhun grub pp.563-570

Empowerments of Yang Nying Pudri Given to the Rigpa Sangha

His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the empowerment of Yang Nying Pudri, 19th September 2000, Lerab Ling

The empowerment has been given to the Rigpa sangha on several occasions, including:

• Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Prapoutel, 17th August 1990
• Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 14th November 1999
• His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in 1999, granted all three empowerments in South India during the opening of the Golden Temple.
• His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lerab Ling, 19th September 2000
• Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 28th June 2003
• Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, Kirchheim, 30th December 2003
• Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 8th December 2005
• Khenchen Pema Sherab Rinpoche, London, 23rd May 2018
• Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 18 August 2019
• Khenchen Pema Sherab Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 26 May 2024, The Ultimate Empowerment: The Essence of Nectar.

Oral Transmissions of Yang Nying Pudri Given to the Rigpa Sangha

• Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 19 August 2019:
  • The longer version of the Yang Nying Pudri sadhana (Tib. druptrin, Wyl. sgrub phrin)
  • The shorter sadhana for daily practice (Tib. dön nying, Wyl. don snying)

Teachings on Yang Nying Pudri Given to the Rigpa Sangha

• Garje Khamtrul Rinpoche, Dzogchen Beara, October 2000

Internal Links

• Garje Khamtrul Rinpoche's Lineage of Yang Nying Pudri
• Tertön Sogyal's Collected Works Volume Fourteen