KTD Publications

Preface

Karma Chakme’s Mountain Dharma as Taught by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche at KTD from 1999 to 2003. Five-volume set. Translations by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso and Chojor Radha.

His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa (Rangjung Rikpe Dorje, 1923-1981) indicated that it was his wish that Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche present Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma to Western students. In accordance with this wish, Khenpo Rinpoche began teaching this text in the Year of the Earth Rabbit, February 1999, at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, the North American seat of His Holiness, located in Woodstock, New York. The teachings took place on weekends over the subsequent four years concluding in the Year of the Water Sheep, April 2003.

The original text by Karma Chakme Rinpoche was written in the Year of the Horse, 1659. The text from which Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche taught was printed and published at Tashi Jong, Himaechal Pradesh, India, and consists of fifty-four chapters and 595 pages. Karma Chakme requested that the text always be copied and presented in its completeness to ensure that nothing be lost. Because Mountain Dharma is a complete work of the complete path, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche follows Karma Chakme's instructions, maintaining the integrity of the original text. We also respectfully follow their wishes and instructions; however, due to the length of the text and commentary, we will publish Khenpo Rinpoche's commentary on Mountain Dharma in five volumes, with a separate volume for the Tibetan text.

Rinpoche followed the same order as the original Tibetan text with two exceptions: he began with the namthar (spiritual biography) of Karma Chakme, which in the Tibetan text is at the end; Rinpoche also omitted the chapters that he considered restricted. These restricted or secret parts will be taught and published separately at Karma Ling Retreat Center for use by qualified students. The result of these efforts is that the entire contents of Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma will be available in English for the first time.

Karma Chakme Rinpoche now provides a table of contents for each of the fifty-four chapters in Ri Cho, the retreat manual for mountain Dharma.

Chapter 1. The Precious Garland: A List of Contents to Prevent Disorder

Chapter 2. To See It Is to Smile: An Introduction to Mountain Dharma Serving to Guide Ordinary People into Dharma's Gate

Chapter 3. Putting Away the Dice: How to Abandon the Paths of Samsara and Generate Stable Renunciation

Chapter 4. Gandi of the Nobles: A Clarification of the Practices of Individuals Immersed in the Various Greater and Lesser Vehicles

Chapter 5. Disk of the Sun: How to Keep the Three Vows Easily, Having Received Them in Sequence

Chapter 6. Protection from All Danger: Instructions on Taking Refuge in Order to Be Protected from All the Dangers of Samsara

Chapter 7. The Main Path to Awakening: Instructions on the Generation of Bodhicitta in Order That All One Does Be Brought to the Path of Awakening

Chapter 8. The Cooling Shade of Compassion: Placing Oneself and Others under the Protection of the Three Jewels Through Meditation

Chapter 9. Dispelling All Obstacles: Visualizations for Practice Sessions Used to Help the Weak, the Sick, and So On

Chapter 10. A River of Amrita: Instructions on the Purification of the Karma, Wrongdoing, and Obscurations Accumulated Throughout All One's Lives

Chapter 11. A Mountain of Merit: Instructions on How to Easily Complete the Accumulation of Merit by Offering the Mandala

Chapter 12. A River of Blessings: Guru Yoga, Practiced in Order to Receive Blessings and Increase Experiences and Realization

Chapter 13. The Traveler's Song: The Result of Long Experience, Recounted So That Beginners Can Recognize the Arising of Experience and Realization

Chapter 14. The Armor of Love and the Breastplate of Compassion: How to Protect from Obstacles Using the Buddhas' Truth

Chapter 15. All Jewels Included: A Brief Explanation of Geomancy, Since One Must Know What Places Are Good for Retreat

Chapter 16. The Good Path to Freedom: Instructions on Retreat, Easily Practiced by the Unintelligent

Chapter 17. The Axe That Cuts Through Self-fixation: Giving Away One's Body in Order to Gather the Accumulations and Bring Sickness and Spirits to the Path

Chapter 18. The Conjunction of Life and Fortune: The Generation of Life and Prosperity in Order to Prolong the Lives of Gurus, Friends, and Patrons

Chapter 19. The Melody of Brahma: The Practice of Kriya and Charya Tantra, for the Youthful Who Want Austerities

Chapter 20. Closing the Door to Lower Migrations: The Practice of Yoga Tantra, for Those Skilled in Ritual and Mudras

Chapter 21. Showing the Path to Freedom: Visualizations for the Southern Gate, in Order to Purify the Obscurations of the Dea

Chapter 22. A Concise Liberation Through Hearing: An Introduction to the Bardo, So That Recognizing It One May Be Liberated

Chapter 23. Shade of the Ashoka Tree: How to Avoid Robbers and Death While in Retreat

Chapter 24. All Connection Has Meaning: How to Burn a Living Inscription in Order to Purify the Obscurations of the Wealthy Faithful

Chapter 25. Hook of Compassion: How to Guide the Dead, So That All the Deceased Connected to One May Reach Pure Realms

Chapter 26. Thunder of Mantra: The Outer Practice of a Yidam According to Maha Yoga, Emphasizing the Generation Stage

Chapter 27. The Hero's Roar: The Inner Practice, for Those Who Assemble Offering Tormas, Accomplishment Substances, and so on

Chapter 28. The Wisdom Dakinis' Song of Yearning: The Secret Practice for Those with Extremely Clear Generation Stage Visualization

Chapter 29. A Multicolored Jewel: A Homa for Those with Few Resources Who Are Diligent in Practice

Chapter 30. The Supreme Blaze of Great Bliss: The Very Secret Practice of the Anu Yoga Tantras

Chapter 31. Boundless Purity: The Just-That practice of the Ati Yoga Tantras

Chapter 32. The Wish-Granting Jewel: The Combined Practice, for Those with Powerful Samadhi Who Dislike Elaboration

Chapter 33. Gold from Jambu River: The Root Words on the Physical Exercises for Establishing Interdependence in the Body

Chapter 34. The Magic Mirror: An Essay on Indications Enabling One to Determine Whether or Not One Has Accomplished the Three Roots

Chapter 35. Showing the Unmistaken Path: Avoiding Deviations, So That One Remains on the Flawless Path to Awakening

Chapter 36. A Rain of Amrita: Instructions on Removing Outer, Inner, and Secret Impediments

Chapter 37. The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel: Instructions on Improvement, So That Experience and Realization Increase Like the Waxing Moon

Chapter 38. The Great Peacock That Conquers Poison: Supporting Instructions on Abandoning the Obscuration by the Five Poisonous Kleshas

Chapter 39. The Practices of the Victors' Children: Instructions on Conduct, So That One Behaves in Accord with the Victors' Dictates

Chapter 40. Ocean of Activity: Instructions on Benefiting Beings, So That One Accomplishes Great Benefit for the Teachings and for Beings

Chapter 41. The Fruit of the Wish-Fulfilling Tree: How the Best, the Intermediate, and the Least Practitioners Die

Chapter 42. The Guide on the Quest for Jewels: Choosing a Pure Realm, So That One Knows Where One Is Going

Chapter 43. The Steed Balaha: How to Reach a Pure Realm If One Dies Without Leisure for Meditation

Chapter 44. Letter of Royal Command: Reminding Someone of Their Meditation So They Recognize the Ground Clear Light at Death

Chapter 45. Great Waves of Activity: the Practice of Protectors in General, So That the Buddhas' Teachings Flourish

Chapter 46. Hailstones in a Blizzard; Accomplishing All Activity: The Quick Accomplishment of the Protectors' Activity

Chapter 47. Sumeru of Hala: How to Control Shadow-Spirits, So That No Obstacles Arise for Any Practice

Chapter 48. Like Flies to Rotten Meat: How to Attract the Protectors to Oneself or Others by Using Their Soul-Stones and Support Materials

Chapter 49. Jewels of the Gods: Writings About Tormas, So That All Obstacles Be Dispelled and Whatever One Wishes for Be Accomplished

Chapter 50. The Mother and Protector United, the Special Dharma of Karma Pakshi: the Integration of Textual and Oral Instructions

Chapter 51. The Wealth Practice of the Protector, the Special Dharma of Drogön Rechen: For the Automatic Increase of Prosperity and Position

Chapter 52. The Protector Instructions from Lhodrak: Accomplishing All Activity Through the Channels and Winds

Chapter 53. The Precious Jewel: Instructions on Dedication, So That One's Virtue Is Buried as an Inexhaustible Treasure

Chapter 54. Enumeration of Dharmas, the Upadeshas of the Single Lineage: So That Secret Mantra Not Be Broadcasted, and Retain the Richness of Blessing

Karma Chakme was born, in accordance with the prophecies of Guru Rinpoche, in the Do-Kham area of Tibet in the year 1613. His father was the mahasiddha Pema Wangdrak and his mother, Che Kyong Kye, was a wisdom dakini. At the moment he was born, his father gave him the name Wangdrak Sung and bestowed upon him his first empowerment. As a child he was very accomplished in all aspects of study and Dharma practice, and by the time he was nine years old, he had received many empowerments and had become well known for his supreme intelligence and knowledge.

When he was eleven, Wangdrak Sung met Prawashara, from whom he received many empowerments, transmissions, and pointing-out instructions. When he was thirteen, he began a solitary Chenrezik retreat. After completing this retreat, he began to bestow empowerments and give reading transmissions and instructions to everyone who requested him to do so. At the age of twenty he received full ordination vows from the Tenth Karmapa, Choying Dorje, at Tsurphu Monastery, and received the name Karma Chakme. From that time, he diligently served the sangha at Thupten Nyinling, a monastery of the Surmang tradition.

For the next few years Karma Chakme studied with and received many empowerments, transmissions, and pointing-out instructions from His Holiness Karmapa, including Mahamudra, Chakrasamvara, Medicine Buddha, and Dorje Phakmo. He became quite well known and his fame greatly increased with his public examination at the Karma Kagyu Monlam in 1635. Between the ages of eleven and thirty-seven, Karma Chakme entered into solitary retreat for at least a few months every year in order to accumulate root and accomplishment mantras. There was not a single mantra he had not accomplished. During this time, he also received many auspicious visions, dreams, and signs of accomplishment of various deities.

At some point Karma Chakme returned to his native region and built a retreat house at Palri. He resolved to accomplish Gyalwa Gyamtso, and received the four empowerments in a dream from the Tenth Karmapa, Choying Dorje. Soon after this, in 1650, at the age of thirty-seven, he began a strict thirteen-year retreat, persevering in the practices of Gyalwa Gyamtso and Mahamudra. During this period, he wrote many texts and commentaries including Oral Instructions for Mountain Retreat written in 1659. In the same year Karma Chakme recognized and enthroned the great terton Mingyur Dorje, who gave oral transmission lineage teachings for which Karma Chakme was the scribe.

In 1663, at the age of fifty, Karma Chakme ended his thirteen-year retreat. He continued to greatly benefit beings, performing ceremonies and giving empowerments often attended by over four thousand students. Karma Chakme perfected all possible stages of practice and every miraculous deed for the sake of benefitting others.
In 1678, the Year of the Earth Horse, at age sixty-six, Mahasiddha Karma Chakme Rinpoche announced to thousands that the time had come for him to change realms, and he passed away. Many signs occurred at the time of his death, including rainbows, clouds in the shapes of the eight auspicious symbols, and countless images of Gyalwa Gyamtso and Dorje Phakmo embossed on his bones.

Adapted from the “Biography of Karma Chakme” by Jampal Gyepai Loden, Garland of Immortal Wish-fulfilling Trees, Snow Lion Publications, 1988.