A brief outline, with an expounding on key points, of the work of Jeffrey Hopkins book "Reflections on Reality" dealing with the life and work of Lord Tsong Ka pa and his "Essence of Eloquence". JPC.

JC: The dge lugs pa [Gelugpa] sect was probably called the "joyous way" after the monastic [Gan-den] university called "Joyous" [dga' ldan] established by Dzong-ka-pa in 1409. Tsong Kapa' student named Gen-dun-drup [Pan-Chen or "Great Scholar"] also built a monastery southwest of shistgate in 1445 which was named Dra-shi-hlun-bo or Mount Luck.

The Monastic universities or Gelugpa lamaseries were open to all classes over a number of centuries and headed by brilliant leaders covering a number of subjects such as cultural, religious, educational, liturgical, medical, and astrological which was freely offered to the people in the attempt to educate along correct lines of the secret doctrines and so counter the dugpa strong holds.

Such discipline and learning was once again brought in line with the great sage Atisha and his great work "Lamp for the path of Enlightenment" on which was formed the doctrine of Lam Rim or 'graded path'. This is the foundation on which the modern day ageless wisdom of H.B.Blavatsky and A.A.Bailey are structured and disseminated.

Je Tsong Kapa' reforms were primarily concerned with restoring monastic vows and disciplines and achieving an ordered and structured process of study and meditation resulting in clear philosophical reasoning encompassing the wisdom doctrine of a 'virtuous order' in line with the right hand path and spiritual lineage of the Buddhas of the good law. He was concerned with the deviant sexual practices of high tantric yoga, to the neglect of the sutra', specifically for the purposes of sex magic and the deviant ritual of the left hand path.

In the Ge-luk-ba sect or school of Yellow hats, the practical study system is oriented around Tsong Khapa' "Great Exposition of the stages of the Path" which is a commentary, by Tsong Khapa, on the "Lamp for the path of Enlightenment" written by the 11th Century Indian scholar Atisha who resided in Tibet for the remaining twelve years of his life. Two of Tsong Kapa' chief disciples also wrote texts and commentaries on Indian scripture, "Engaging in the Bodhisattva deeds" and these also form a part of the Yellow hat study system.

Tsong Kapa collated, researched and sorted through large quantities of Buddhist and Hindu scripture arranging in an accessible and applicable order the practical methods of attainment and treading of the way of enlightenment via the "graded path" of Initiation and of Lam Rim. He presented the differences between the four class tantra system and the Great Vehicle Perfection sutra system, amongst other courses.

The schools also taught the study and analysis of comparative religion, of Buddhist and non Buddhist tenants [primarily four schools of Indian Buddhism which were only side line courses in the major colleges], and for-mostly of the "five great books of Buddhist India" In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Five Wisdom Kings are also known as the Five Guardian Kings who represent the luminescent wisdom of the Buddha and protect the Five Wisdom Buddhas.

We should recall that he was the reformer of both vulgar/exoteric Buddhism and of the esoteric or occult doctrine. He re established their dual function and dissemination of philosophical and psychological education within the virtuous order of the Lamas of Tibet.

It is said that some modern scholars/lamas stress the point of avoiding the teachings and lectures on Tsong Kapa' work in preference of their own schools method of study. They are to be avoided as distractions to the schools curriculum. This would indicate the divergence between the exoteric and esoteric systems. Regarding the abode and identity of The Tibetan Master DK we are given to understand he was 'the senior executive in a large lamasery "at" Shigatse' written October 1949. According to historical sources on the net "the departure of the Panchen Lama for China in 1923 was one of the most confusing incidents of the history of that period."

In 1911/13 the Tashi Lama and followers angered the Dalai Lama by refusing to assist his forces in expelling the Chinese from Shigatse. He was termed the 'black and white Magpie'. He was spoken of as having Chinese influences. The 13th Dalai Lama thought the Panchen a conspirator and corrupt and having ambivalence about his supreme authority, thus giving him (Tashi Lama) reason to leave Tda-shi-Hlumpo in 1923 though he wrote That they were on "friendly terms", but extended the thoughts that selfishness was a great evil in the world and it was difficult to believe he could think of himself as a Lama or Buddha. This is probably when The Tibetan Master DK took over as the senior executive although the Tibetan government did appoint a Dzasa Lama Lobzang Tenzing as prime minister at the Lamasery.

Further context as to the politics and events of that time are garnered from 'A History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951 By Melvyn C. Goldstein, Gelek Rimpoche'. General Laden La and Tsarong Shape together drew up a and agreement to deprive the Dalai Lama of his temporal power leaving him with only his religious power. The Dalai Lama wrote: "A Special Letter. I hear Dzasa Depon Laden La is being appointed the British Trade Agent at Yatung, vice Mr. MacDonald retiring. I do not know whether this is a fact. Of course, Laden La is Sikkimese, who has faith in the Buddhist religion. He has been here for about a year, organizing the police and it has been found out that he is not altogether a steady and straightforward man and it is not known how he would serve to maintain the Anglo-Tibetan amity. Please therfore arrange, by representing the matter to the Lonchen (P.O.S.) [political officer in Sikkim], to appoint a British officer." Alice Bailey said of Gen. Laden La, "he was a great and good man." "Gen. Laden Lha said, "I very frequently meet her when I meditate." I was in the radius of his vibratory sphere of influence, but he was not in mine."

We recall that a lama [the Tibetan] came down to Gyantse to meet a Mr H Carpenter, a good friend of Alice Bailey, as this was as far as Carpenter was allowed to cross the Tibetan border by the Dalai Lama. DK had it seems, according to AAB, come the short distance down from Tda-shi-Hlumpo monastery to meet him in Gyantse. Note the words "had come down especially to speak to Mr. Carpenter." Gyantse is a short distance 94 Km, 58.4miles south east from Shigatse and Tda-shi-Hlumpo monastery, perhaps taking a couple of days on a donkey which DK used.

He, the Tashi Lama, demanded for his return, of the National Assembly of the Tibetan government, the restoration of land and property removed from the Tda-shi-Hlumpo monastery and of freedom of movement and of control of Shigatse. It is highly possible that DK was the senior executive (if indeed in Tda-shi-Hlumpo) during this period and even that he was a 'senior executive' when the Tashi Lama was in house. In October 1936 the government of India considers that "although the Tashi Lama is under Chinese influence, he is anxious to spend his last years at Shigatse [Tashilunpo]". In 1937 he turned back from Tibet to return to China under their orders. On the 1st of December 1937 he fell ill and died.

"The secret School near Tji-gad-je, attached to the private retreat of the Teshu Lama." SD3 407.

"Several of the Masters in physical bodies dwell in the Himalayan mountains, in a secluded spot called Shigatse, far from the ways of men, but the greater number are scattered all over the world, dwelling in different places in the various nations, unrecognized and unknown, yet forming each in his own place a focal point for the energy of the Lord of the World, and proving to his environment a distributor of the love and wisdom of the Deity." IHS 33.

"Vaivasvata Manu has his dwelling place in the Himalayan mountains, and has gathered around him at Shigatse some of those immediately connected with Aryan affairs in India, Europe and America, and those who will later be concerned with the coming sixth root-race." IHS 42.

On MM: "He dwells, as does his Brother, the Master K. H., at Shigatse in the Himalayas, and is a well-known figure to the inhabitants of that far-away village." IHS 54.

On DK: "He is the latest of the adepts taking initiation, having taken the fifth initiation in 1875, and is "therefore occupying the same body in which he took the initiation, most of the other Masters having taken the fifth initiation whilst occupying earlier vehicles. His body is not a young one, and he is a Tibetan. He is very devoted to the Master K. H. and occupies a little house not far distant from the larger one of the Master, and from his willingness to serve and to do anything that has to be done, he has been called "the Messenger of the Masters." IHS 57.

On DK: "They work as I do from my retreat in the Himalayas, and from there I have influenced and helped far more people than I could possibly have reached had I walked daily in the midst of the noise and chaos of human affairs. I lead a normal and, I believe, useful life as the senior executive in a large lamasery, but my main work has lain elsewhere - widespread in the world of men; I reach this vast number of human beings through the medium of the books which I have written, through the groups which I have started and impulsed, such as Men of Goodwill and the Triangles, and through my disciples who talk and spread the truth as I have sought to present it." EXT 682.

AAB: you don't need to go to Shigatse to find the Masters; you can find them here in New York if you tune in on their life... was in India, he [[C]] was up near Tibet... Coming down the road was a lama [[DK]] on a donkey accompanied by four other lamas and servants. One of the servants said, "This is Lama ____ from the ____ Lamasery." AAB Letters. April 9, 1943. Friday Evening Address by Alice A. Bailey.

You know also that I am in a human body, and am a resident of northern India. DINA1 7.

Panchen Rimboche (Tib.). Lit., "The great Ocean, or Teacher of Wisdom". The title of the Teshu Lama at Tchigadze; an incarnation of Amitabha the celestial "father" of Chenresi, which means to say that he is an Avatar of Tson-kha-pa (Sonkhapa). De jure the Teshu Lama is second after the Dalai Lama; de facto, he is higher, since it is Dharma Richen, the successor of Tson-kha-pa at the golden monastery founded by the latter Reformer and established by the Gelukpa sect (yellow hats), who created the Dalai Lamas at Llhassa, and was the first of the dynasty of the "Panchen Rimboche". While the former (Dalai Lamas) are addressed as "Jewel of Majesty", the latter enjoy a far higher title, namely "Jewel of Wisdom", as they are high Initiates. (TG)

Shigatse. South of the city lies the Tashilhunpo (Zhaxi Lhunpo) Lamasery, one of the four lamaseries of the Galu sect of Lamaism and the residence of the Panchan. The Tashilhumpo Monastery is, the most important religious site in the city and founded in 1447. It was the home of the Panchen Lamas. Now it houses 600 monks.

Located on the southern slope of Nyima Mountain, west of Shigatse city, Tahilumpo Monastery is the largest one of Gelugpa sect in Rear Tibet, and one of the six largest Gelugpa monasteries in China. Built in 1477 by Gendun Drebpa, the first Dalai Lama, it became the seat of Panchen Lama after the Forth Pachen Lama launched a large-scale renovation and expansion on this monastery in 1600.

Nowadays Tashilumpo covers an area of 150,000 square meters with 57 chapels, 3600 rooms. During its heyday, it is said that there were more than 4,000 monks in it (about 600 monks now). Backing against Nima Mountain, Shigatse, with an average elevation of 3,850 meters, is situated at the converging place of the Yarlung Zangbo [Tsangpo] River and the Nianchu River.

The monastery is painted with red, white and black color of Tibetan style, capped with a golden roof. Shigatse, meaning the best manor in Tibetan, is situated in the central part of Tibet, at the junction of the Yarlung Zangbo River and its main branch named the Nianchu River.

Built in 1447, the Tashilhungpo (meaning auspicious Sumeru) Monastery is located on the southern slope of the Nyima Mountain to the west of the Xigaze city. It is one of the four monasteries of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. According to historical documents, the monastery was built under the supervision of the first Dalai Lama Genden Zhuba, a disciple of Zongkapa, the founder of the Yellow Sect. When the fourth Panchen Lobsan Qoigyi became the abbot, it was expanded to a large scale. Since then, the monastery has become the residence of Panchen Lama. Listed as a key relic under state protection by the State Council on March 4, 1961, the monastery occupies 150,000 square meters. Facing south, the complex is built symmetrically against the Nyima Mountain. Its wall, over 3,000 meters long and built according to the topography of the mountain, surrounds 57 buildings, or more than 3,600 rooms.

The earliest building in the monastery is the Coqen Hall (Large Scripture Hall), whose construction lasted 12 years. Inside are 48 red pillars, which support the ceiling. In the center of the hall is the throne of the Panchen. To the left of the hall is the Great Buddha Hall, built in 1461 with financial support from Jorwo Zhabung, king of Guge Kingdom in Ngari. Inside stands the 11-meter-tall, benevolent-looking Maitreya. To the right of the hall is the Tara Hall, which houses a two-meter-tall bronze statue of White Tara and two clay statues of Green Tara. The interior is decorated with schist collected at the foot of the Himalayas and radiates a peaceful aura. In front of the hall is a 600-square-meter area where the Panchen gives Buddhist lectures and lamas discuss Buddhist scriptures. On the surrounding stone walls are engravings of the images of the Buddhism founder, the four Heavenly Kings, the 18 arhats and 1,000 statues of Buddha with different facial expressions. In the middle of the northern wall are engraved images of sages such as Zongkapa, the founder of the Yellow Sect, 80 senior monks and variously styled flying apsaras and Bodhisattva. www.

JC: Shigatse is situated at the converging place of the Yarlung Zangbo [Tsangpo] River and the Nianchu River. The dge lugs pa [Gelugpa] sect was probably called the "joyous way" after the monastic [Gan-den] university called "Joyous" [dga' ldan] established by Dzong-ka-pa in 1409. Tsong Kapa' student named Gen-dun-drup [Pan-Chen or "Great Scholar"] also built a monastery southwest of shistgate in 1445 which was named Dra-shi-hlun-bo or Mount Luck. Tda-shi-Hlumpo monastery is considered the chief or "large lamasery" in Shigatse as described by DK, where he is or was a "senior executive." In fact, DK informs he was "the" senior executive. This seems to be a fitting place for a Master of the wisdom due to it being established by Tsong Kapa as the jewel in the crown of the Monastic universities of the Gelugpa reformers and educators of the secret doctrine of Lam Rim and also of exoteric Buddhism. I propose that the two dwelling places depicted on sketch upon China silk [The Ravine] are the dwellings of DK and KH, the larger one being KH' as described by Master DK. The dwelling of MM would not be far away and could be but a little further up the ravine.

The "colored sketch on China silk". Please write for info.

"Master [Djwal Kul] He is very devoted to the Master K. H. and occupies a little house not far distant from the larger one of the Master". IHS 57.

At the beginning of Chapter II of The Masters And The Path, C.W. Leadbeater gave the following description of this illustration:

"A RAVINE IN TIBET"

"There is a certain valley, or rather ravine, in Tibet, where three of these Great Ones, the Master Morya, the Master Kuthumi and the Master Djwal Kul are living at the present time.

"The Master Djwal Kul, at Madame Blavatsky' s request, once made for her a precipitated picture of the mouth of that ravine, and the illustration given herewith is a reproduction of a photograph of that. The original, which is precipitated on silk, is preserved in the shrine-room of the Headquarters of The Theosophical Society at Adyar. On the left of the picture the Master Morya is seen on horse-back near the door of His house. The dwelling of the Master Kuthumi does not appear in the picture, being higher up the valley, round the bend on the right. Madame Blavatsky begged the Master Djwal Kul to put himself into the picture; He at first refused, but eventually added Himself as a small figure standing in the water and grasping a pole, but with His back to the spectator! This original is faintly tinted, the colours being blue, green and black. It bears the signature of the artist-- the nickname Gai Ben-Jamin, which He bore in His youth in the early days of the Society, long before He reached Adeptship. The scene is evidently taken early in the day, as the morning mists are still clinging to the hillsides.

"The Masters Morya and Kuthumi occupy houses on opposite sides of this narrow ravine, the slopes of which are covered with pine trees. Paths run down the ravine past Their houses, and meet at the bottom, where there is a little bridge. Close to the bridge a narrow door, which may be seen on the left at the bottom of the picture, leads to a system of vast subterranean halls containing an occult museum of which the Master Kuthumi is the Guardian on behalf of the Great White Brotherhood. . . .

". . . . Near the bridge there is also a small Temple with turrets of somewhat Burmese form, to which a few villagers go to make offerings of fruit and flowers, and to burn camphor and recite the Pancha Sila. A rough and uneven track leads down the valley by the side of the stream. From either of the two houses of the Masters the other house can be seen ; they are both above the bridge, but both cannot be seen from it, since the ravine bends round. If we follow the path up the valley past the house of the Master Kuthumi it will lead us to a large pillar of rock, beyond which, the ravine bending round again, it passes out of sight. Some distance further on the ravine opens out into a plateau on which there is a lake, in which, tradition tells us, Madame Blavatsky used to bathe ; and it is said that she found it very cold. The valley is sheltered and faces south, and though the surrounding country is under snow during the winter, I do not remember having seen any near the Masters' houses. These houses are of stone, very heavily and strongly built. . . . "

The records preserved in the Gon-pa, the chief Lamasery of Tda-shi-Hlumpo, show that Sang-gyas left the regions of the "Western Paradise" to incarnate Himself in Tsong-Kha-pa, in consequence of the great degradation into which His secret doctrines had fallen." SD3 409.

1870. HPB Visits Tchigatse and the Teshu Lama. HPB TO APS p. 151, HPB SPEAKS II 23, 35-6, PATH X p. 298-9, C W B I p. xlviii, Kingsland: THE REAL HPB, p. 50. CHRONOLOGICAL REVIEW OF EVENTS IN HER LIFE.

JPC.

Oct 29, 2008