Letter Sent to Lama Lhumgompa
Tibetan title: bla ma lhum sgom pa la bskur ba’i ‘phrin
by Chöjé Marpa Sheyrab Yéshey (chos rje smar pa shes rab ye shes, 1135–1203)
Translated from the Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos
OṂ SVĀSTI. (“May it be auspicious.”)
I bow at the feet of the Precious One. On the marvelous lotus in the sky, There are thirty-seven pollen beds. (1) On each and every one of those pollen beds,
Are inconceivably many millions of light-beams.
That is the natural condition of Nirvāṇa.
As for the sole rabbit’s horn supreme, (2) It beautifies well the twelve wrinkles; (3)
Whomever it strikes is stirred by pain.
The Teachers, essential identity of the Buddhas throughout the three times, Who are endowed with kindness, Within the fathomless mansion of original deep wisdom,
Reveal the nature of mind in the aspect of Deities of the Absolute Body (dharmakāya).
O Vajra Brother of indestructible realization,
Although the lands we live in have become different,
We meet together in the ultimate, beyond convening or parting.
The single true intent of the meaning of the natural condition, And the three of View, Meditation and Conduct, Are not encompassed by expression with words: In actuality, they go beyond intellect, and are undefinable.
The innermost intent of the Buddhas throughout the three times,
The spoken dialogues of the Oral Transmissions of yore,
And the experience of the Yogi, these three,
Can bring matters to resolution; right within one’s mind.
Colophon: And so it was that the vagabond Buddhist monk, Sheyrab Yéshey, sent this to Lama Lhumgompa.
Translated from the Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos, March 2016.
Found in the collection of poems, songs and other writings by Marpa Sheyrab Yéshey, chos-rgyal smar-pa’i mgur-‘bum legs-par bzhugs so, published by the Martsang Kagyu Global Corporation, Taipei/Delhi 2015, pages 150-151). Revised on January 31st, 2023.
Notes:
1. This probably refers to the Thirty-seven Factors Leading to Enlightenment (byang chub phyogs kyi chos sum bcu so bdun).
2. "The horns of a rabbit" (ri bong gi rwa) is a common Buddhist metaphor for anything which is a logical absurdity, in particular the idea of the inherently existing self or non-empty phenomena.
2. This probably refers to the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (rten 'brel gyi yan lag bcu gnyis).
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