Melong Dorje (1243-1303)
Melong Dorje was born as a son of Yogi Samye. At the age of nine, he received his novice vows from Yogi Zalungwa and Khenpo Selungpa. He spent many years of his youth reciting Prajnaparamita Sutras and deepening his understanding of the nature of reality.
At the age of sixteen, while he was reciting the Prajnaparamita Sutra on behalf of a sick person, he achieved the realization of the nature of how things are. Through practicing meditation, he experienced some clairvoyance, and then wandered without fixed abode, practicing great austerities. He followed Dowo Repa of Tsurphu and many other masters, and visited numerous sacred places.
At the age of eighteen, he met Trulshik Senge Gyabpa, a lineage holder of the Vima Nyingthik and student of Guru Jober, who transmitted the Vima Nyingthik lineage to Melong Dorje. Drupchen Melong Dorje manifested attainment through his practices. Six days after practicing Ngondro he had continuous visions of Vajrasattva. When he was engaging in the actual practices, he met the lineage masters in a dream and received blessings.
At the age of 23, he received Vajravarahi and many other terma teachings from Sangye Repa. He had a vision of Vajravarahi, Samantabhadra, and many other masters such as Vimalimitra, Padasambhava, Yogi Zalungwa, and Phakmo Drupa. While he was practicing in Tunglung Valley, he heard a very beautiful voice of a Dakini prophesize that he would cut the continuity of birth in samsara.
While he was practicing at Kawa Chen, he saw red Vajravarahi and Yogi Zalungwa in the sky. At the cave of Kyikyi Phuk, experience blazed forth while dancing, he left many footprints in stone, and with his finger many times wrote the name of the cave in rock. These marks in the stone can still be seen in the present day.
Thus blessed by numerous visions of the great Bodhisattvas and founders of the lineage, Melong Dorje was directly empowered in the Atiyoga, the Dzogchen teachings by Vajrasattva. He had thirteen main masters. Amongst them, he obtained the definitive realization of the essence from incomparable, kind masters Yogi Zalungwa, Dowo Repa of Tsurphu and Trulshik Senge Gyabpa.
Because of his exceedingly great strength in yogic discipline and action, Melong Dorje was able to destroy delusion and enjoy the samaya of sacred mantrayana without acceptance or rejection. Through the strength of his yogic awareness-activity, he could, upon seeing a vulture gliding through the sky, fly in the sky like the bird, and he was able to knead rocks like mud, and so forth. Renowned for his yogic powers, possessed of impeccable conduct, Melong Dorje aided many beings in the hidden valleys of Khenpa Jong, Senge Dzong and Kharchu.
His major disciple was the master Kumaraja (Kumaradza) to whom he transmitted the Vima Nyingthik teachings. He discovered precious instructions of Vimalamitra, which became known as the Melong Nyingthik.
Even though the given prophecy of his lifespan was 37 years, because of the request and supplication of master Kunga he lived for 61 years and passed into parinirvana in a mountain pass called Durtrö La. During this time, everyone saw a great light and sound, which disappeared into the northern direction. When his body was cremated, there were many wondrous signs, such as five rays of different-colored lights emanating from the sky upon his cremation stupa. As it is taught in the tantras, five-colored relics appeared from the ashes of his cremation ground, a sign of his achievement of the five kayas.
He was about ten years older than his contemporary, the great yogi Orgyenpa. His heart disciple was Vidyadhara Kumaraja.
Melong Dorje's Vima Nyingtik Lineage
- Vimalamitra
- Nyang Tingdzin Sangpo
- Chetsun Senge Wangchuk
- Gyalwa Shangton
- Nyimaboom
- Guru Jober
- Trulshik Senge Gyabpa
- Drupchen Melong Dorje
- Vidyadhara Kumaraja
- 3rd Karmapa Rangjung Dorje & Kunkhyen Longchen Rabjam
Vidyadhara Kumaraja's primary master, from whom he received the Vima Nyingthik lineage, was Melong Dorje. It is notable that Vidyadhara Kumaraja also received many teachings from Orgyenpa together with the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (the originator of the Karma Nyingthik lineage), when the latter was seven years old. Later the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, received the Maha Ati lineage from Vidyadhara Kumaraja, as well as had a vision of Vimalamitra dissolving into the spot between his eyebrows and achieved the complete realization of Maha Ati or Dzogpa Chenpo (Dzogchen). From then on, the well-known Karma Nyingthik arose from the great expansive treasure of the heart of Samantabhadra.
→ Namkha Ösal (?-1726), the 1st Dzogchen Ponlop
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