Tibetan Renaissance Seminar > Student Generated Content > Biographies > Biography of Ma gcig lab sgron

Biography Of Ma cgig lab sgron from the Tibetan Renaissance Seminar

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IDs

TBRC ID: P 1238

Names and titles:

Name (ming gzhan dag/): zha ma, ma gcig
Etymology: zha ma is her clan name-ma means mother or woman-gcig means singular or one.

Type (rigs)

• Primary Name
• Primary Title: ma gcig zha ma
• First Ordination Name: Shes rab sgron me
  • Occasion type: declaration of her status as a dakini
  • Tibetan date (bod tshes):
  • International date (spyi tshes): 1063? CE
• Title (mgo sa):

Types (rigs)

Sentient being type (sems can rigs mi 'dra/):

• human
  • historical/mythological
  • religious
  • scholar

Gender (pho mo/):

• female

Ethnicity (mi rigs):

• bod: Tibetan

Birth and death ('khrungs 'das)

Her father was a local mayor and when Ma gcig was born standing in a rainbow light and in the dancing position of a Vajra Yogini (Facchini, 22).
In the Blue Annals it is said that "On her body she had signs of belonging to the Padminī class. In particular on her navel there was an image of a red lotus with three roots; between her breasts an image of rosaries of precious stones, reaching down to the navel, and on each of her shoulders images of the svastika. At the back of her ears she had coils similar to those of a conch or lotus. Under her tongue there was an image of a sword of the colour of the utpala flower marked with the letter tāṃ (syllable symbolizing the first syllable of the name Tārā). Between her eyebrows she had the image of a banner with the Sun and Moon represented on it, and the image of a wheel with spikes." (Roerich 1949, 221).

Birth International date ('khrungs dus/ _spyi 'o'i lo zla tshes grangs/): Between 1055 CE and 1062 CE

Birth Tibetan date ('khrungs dus/ _spyi lo'i lo zla tshes grangs/): Water-Male-Tiger (Roerich 1949, 220).

Death date ('das dus/ _spyi 'o'i lo zla tshes grangs/): Aprox. 1150 CE

Death date Tibetan ('khrungs dus/ _spyi lo'i lo zla tshes grangs/):

Places & Institutions (yul)

Birth place ('khrung yul/): Lab phyi E'i gang ba in the town called Mtsho me (Facchini, 22).
Death place ('das yul/): Could not locate.

Principal sphere(s) of activity (spyod yul/): * *mnga' ris and spu hrangs: Establishing the chöd doctrine and teaching of the cutting through the ego of the mind's activity and practicing bhodisattva compassion.

Family (khyim tshang/)

Clan (rus pa'i ming/): *Bönpo

• Father (a pha): rdo rje rgyal mtshan
• Mother (a ma/): rgya gar lha mo

Associates

Types:

• Main teacher: Bla ma rma, and one of his mudras dam pa.
• Other teachers: Vairocana, dpal chen rgwa lo, pu hrangs lo tsā ba and ye rang ba.
• Deity: Tara

Incarnational pedigree

Past lives:

• incarnation of Indian Prince Smon lam grub.

Education (slob sbyong)

Teaching institutions:

• From the age of 17 to 22, she acted as the Tantric assistant (mudrā) of the bla ma rma. She went into seclusion for 4 years and then became a wanderer. It is noted in the Blue Annals that Ma gcig then:"…stayed four months at both Upper and Lower rdzong, when she became able to crush the Sun and Moon under herself ,mastered the transformation of her physical body at will, understood the language of all living beings and was able to draw in the living breath (prāṇā) through whatever organ she wished, and in this manner she obtained the four miraculous powers (siddhi) (Roerich, 221). It is also mentioned in the Blue Annals that Ma gcig had perfected the learning of all the basic texts and śāstras .

Things taught (doctrines, ritual, literature): *Ma gcig's teaching describes the destruction of the five components of the human being and the meditative process that leads to the understanding of non-duality, emptiness, and in turn a release from samsara.

Career

Occupation:

• Tantric assistant (mudrā) of the bla ma rma.

Religious sectarian affilialtion (chos lugs): *Chöd or Gcod.

Short summary of life:

• Ma gcig lab sgron was born in Tibet of Bönpo parents. SHe was said to have bore the marks of a dakhini and at the age of 8 was renamed Shes rab sgron me. She was married at the age of 14, but pretended to be insane in order to leave her marriage and enter a religious life. She was a tantric assistant from the ages of 17 to 22 under the bla ma rma. She is said to have had the mystical experience of seeing herself and her teacher in the form of Heruka and his sakti, never to perceive him again in his human form. She was then sent into seclusion for 4 years. She began to visit various places after coming out from her retirement, which was spawned by dreams she had of various bodhisattvas. She was said to have been able to physically transform her physical manefestation at will and attained the four miraculous powers. After the death and cremation of her teacher (which she oversaw) over three years from the ages of 28-31, Ma gcig was struck with seven terrible afflictions. She went to see another mudra of bla ma rma, named dam pa. After a series of extensive instruction and ritual performance, Ma gcig was released from her afflictions. She later obtained enlightenment and travelled throughout Tibet and mon visiting holy places and meditating. She was said to have been very learned in all the basic texts of Buddhist scripture, and to have spent most of her life in the labor of the benefit of all beings. At the age of 88 she passed into a seeming unconscious state, and was cremated. She left behind no relics, further advancing the notion that she was indeed a divine manefestation. Ma gcig's teachings exist today as part of the Gcod tradition in Tibet and western Buddhism in the US and in Europe. Ma gcig is believed to have been the reincarnation of the Indian prince Smon lam grub, who was said to have obtained the extraordinary siddhis and at 28 was approached by a dark blue dakini. The dakini is said tohave killed the prince in order that his consciousness would enter her. He was guided into Tibet this way and upon seeing a man and woman in union , entered a womb. From this womb, Ma gcig was born.

Biographical sketch

Sources/Bibliography

Facchini, Massimo. "The Spiritual Heritage of Ma Gcig lab sgron". Journal of the Tibet Society. Bloomington, Indiana. 1983. Volume 3.
Roerich, George, N. The Blue Annals. 1949. Motilal Banarsidass, Dehli.