Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö

Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö ('The Vast Space Treasury of the Nature of Reality’), is the major terma cycle of Dudjom Lingpa which contains some of his special chö practices based on Tröma Nakmo. This cycle was revealed as a pure vision by Dudjom Lingpa in 1872. While having chö as one of its important practices, the Tröma Nakmo cycle includes the complete path of the vajrayana, from ngöndro to kyerim, dzogrim, Trekchö and Tögal.

According to Lama Tharchin Rinpoche:

The Tröma Nakmo practice of the Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö is the wisdom dakini practice of the cycle. It is the most profound of all the chö practices since it brings the highest view of Dzogchen to the practice of cutting through the root of dualism, the cause of suffering within samsara. [reference needed]

Revelation of the Terma

In his biography, Dudjom Lingpa recounts:

On one occasion I saw a great wrathful deity who said he was Great Glorious Chana Dorje, Vajra-in-Hand. He was impossible to look upon; I was incredibly frightened when I met him. The Lord of Secrets said, “Great one, listen to me without dread, panic or fright. I am called Great Glorious Chana Dorjé: I am the essence of the fusion of the might and power of all victors of the past, present and future; I am the source of all arrogant guardians of the doctrine. You, as well, are my wisdom mind emanation. I acclaim you as my emissary who enacts the benefit of beings”. He had a thumb-sized turquoise stupa, within which arose the images of the Sanskrit alphabet’s vowels and consonants and the “Heart of Interdependant Origination” formula. He handed it to me, and told me to eat it. When I placed it in my mouth as instructed, it became insubstantial but I made the motion of swallowing it anyway. He said “This is called Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö “The Space Treasury of the Nature of Reality”, and then dissolved into me. From that time forth, the three cycles of pure vision arose in my mind as if a precise copy had been made there.

In another part of his biography, Dudjom Lingpa recounts:

I turned thirty-eight in the Water Monkey Year [1872]. While I was transcribing the practice cycle of Dakini Tröma Nakmo, a great whirlwind emerged, carrying the written pages away in every direction. I understood this as an omen that these texts would reach absolutely everywhere in every land. All the mountains and plains filled with vultures, the king of birds. Small feathers from their wings, talismans of the dakinis’ spirits, showered down.

And also:

In the year I turned forty, in a visionary experience of clear light, I met the great adept Saraha. He granted me the complete empowerments and scriptural transmission for the Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö.

Texts of the Cycle

The Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö cycle includes a large number of practices and texts. Among them is ’The Sun of Primordial Wisdom”, a complete Tröma Nakmo sadhana cycle which includes:

• The Short Tröma Nakmo Ngöndro
• The Medium Length Instruction of the Ngöndro of the Profound Cutting of the Four Demons
• Giving the Dharma
• The Main Practice
• The Four Feasts (The Black Feast, The White Feast, The Mixed Feast, The Red Feast).
• Mé-Chö is a short version of the jinsek fire offering, involving visualization of the mandala of wisdom deities. The four activities (peaceful, expanding, magnetizing, and wrathful) can be performed within this concise offering practice.
• Jinsek is a longer version of the fire offering.
• Nol-Sang, is a practice which purifies defilements or pollution of energy caused by various impure circumstances.
• Drib-Sang, is a Sang offering, made to clear away impurities related to environment.
• Sur-Chö is an offering to the Four types of guest, and in particular a food offering for those who have died and are wandering in the bardo.
• Chu Jin is a water offering practice. Like the Sur-Chö, it is an offering to the four type of guests and a special offering to the wealth deity Black Dzambhala in order to remove suffering of poverty and gain the blessings of wealth.

The Trö-Chung is the short Tröma sadhana and tsok text which was compiled by Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche. It can be completed straight in 2 to 3 hours. The Trö-Dring is the medium-length Tröma Nakmo sadhana and tsok, which takes 4.5 to 5 hours to do complete.

The Saraha Nyingtik Zabmo, 'The Profund Heart Essence of Saraha', is the root-commentary on the practice of Chö through the practice of Tröma Nakmo.

The Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö cycle also includes The Gathering of the Mandalas of Tara, a practice revealed by Dudom Lingpa at the request of his son Tulku Dorje Dradül.

Propagation

In a prophecy given to him by a dakini through a vision, Dudjom Lingpa was told that: "You will open the door of Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö ‘The Vast Space Treasury of the Nature of Reality’, Anyone connected to that cycle will be propelled into the presence of freedom."

Oral lineage stories recount that during Dudjom Lingpa’s lifetime, through the Tröma Nakmo practice of the Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö cycle, thirteen of Dudjom Lingpa’s close disciples attained rainbow body, and one thousand have achieved the level of awareness holder, and countless others have achieved the goal of enlightenment through this practice.

Further Reading

• Text for Fire Offerings: “Spontaneously Accomplished Enlightened Activity: Fire Offering of the Dakini Tröma Nakmo” by Dudjom Lingpa (Bero Jeydren Publications, 2000)
• Texts for Water Offerings (“chos nyid nam mkha’i klong mdzod las: chu sbyin bdud rtsi kun khyab bzhugs so”) – not translated; & Concise p.473-474
• The Treasure Trove of Nectar Water Offering, (“chos nyid nam mkha’i klong mdzod las: chu sbyin bdud rtsi’i gter mdzod bzhugs so”)