Nyak Luk Phurba

Nyak Luk Phurba (Tib. གཉགས་ལུགས་ཕུར་བ་, Wyl. gnyags lugs phur ba), or Vajrakilaya of Nyak Lotsawa, is a terma that was revealed by Dilgo Khyentse at Karma Gön. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche saw a scroll emerge from the sleeve of a statue of Gonpa Bernakchen (Mahakala of Kamtsang tradition), which contained the Nyak Luk Phurba teachings. Nyak Lotsawa, sometimes known as Nyak Jñanakumara, was one of the nine students closest to Guru Padmasambhava who perfected the practice of Vajrakilaya.

Background

Once Guru Rinpoche left Tibet for the realm of the rakshasa demons on the subcontinent of Chamara, and after the Dharma King Trisong Deutsen passed away, Mune Tsenpo, the king’s eldest son, assumed the throne of Tibet. But he only ruled for three years and six months because he was murdered–poisoned–by one of Trison Deutsen’s queens, Lady Margyen of Tsepang. She was Mune Tsenpo’s own mother! Vimalamitra miraculously returned to Samye from the Five-peaked Mountain in China for the funeral ceremonies and Nyak Jñanakumara seized the opportunity to visit him. In the folds of his robes, Nyak Jñanakumara carried three measures of gold, and he offered it all to Vimalamitra.

“Well, translator,” said Vimalamitra, “Are you happy?”

“There are too many obstacles to Dharma practice,” replied Nyak Jñanakumara, “Too many people are creating too many problems. So no, I’m not happy.”

This was very bad news.

“Anyone who harms a lotsawa is also injuring the teachings in general,” said Vimalamitra. He then transmitted the Nyak Luk Phurba to Nyak Jñanakumara, gave him the empowerment and explained the tantras and pith instructions. The teachings were then concealed as a terma and later revealed by wisdom dakinis.

These wisdom dakinis presented themselves to Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and gave him the yellow scroll containing these teachings. With the help of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche deciphered the scroll and wrote down the treasure teachings. They are now known as the Vajrakilaya of Nyak Jñanakumara.