250px, Shabkar Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol (Tib. ཞབས་དཀར་ཚོགས་དྲུག་རང་གྲོལ་, Wylie. ''zhabs dkar tshogs drug rang grol'') (1781-1851) was a

Tibetan Buddhist Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...

yogi and poet from

Amdo Amdo ( �am˥˥.to˥˥ ) is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions, the others being U-Tsang in the west and Kham in the east. Ngari (including former Guge kingdom) in the north-west was incorporated into Ü-Tsang. Amdo is also the ...

. Shabkar's yogic and poetic skill is considered second only to Milarepa. Shabkar began his spiritual practice early, completing a one-year retreat at the age of 16, later becoming a Gelug monk at 20. Shabkar studied with masters of all major Tibetan Buddhist schools including

Gelug 240px, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Bodhgaya (India). The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuous")Kay, David N. (2007). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantati ...

and

Nyingma Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...

, and received Dzogchen teachings from his main root guru Chögyal Ngakgi Wangpo. He spent years in solitary retreats in various caves, woods and mountains of Tibet. Shabkar's works express non-sectarian ideals similar to those of the 19th century

Rimé movement The Rimé movement is a movement or tendency in Tibetan Buddhism which promotes non-sectarianism and universalism.Sam van Schaik (2011). ''Tibet: A History'', pp. 161-162. Yale University Press. Teachers from all branches of Tibetan Buddhism - ...

, even though he predates the movement by about three decades and never met with any of the Rime masters from Kham. Shabkar also held that even non-Buddhist religions are manifestations of the Buddhas:

Thus, one should know all the tenets of the religions of Buddhism and non-Buddhism—for example, other religions, Bönpos, the Chan Buddhists, the Nyingma, the Kagyus, the Sakya, the Geluks, and so forth—to be the emanations of the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Shabkar was a prolific writer with his collected works running into several volumes. One of his key works is a series of poems on trekchö and tögal, ''Khading Shoklap''—'' Flight of the Garuda'' which has become an important text in the Nyingma Nyingthig tradition. He also wrote a spiritual autobiography in mixed prose and verse, which is considered one of the lengthiest and most masterful of the Tibetan namtar literature. Shabkar also wrote works promoting vegetarianism and compassion for animals.Shabkar, ''Food of Bodhisattvas: Buddhist Teachings on Abstaining from Meat'', Shambhala, 2004

Writings

*Song of the View of the Thorough Cut of Luminosity Great Completion Called "Flight of the Garuda Capable of Quickly Traversing All the Levels and Paths". *The King of Wish-granting Jewels That Fulfills the Hopes of all Fortunate Disciples who Seek liberation, the detailed narration of the life and liberation of the great vajra-holder Shabkar, refuge and protector for all sentient beings of this Dark Age. *The Torch That Illuminates the Graded Path *The Beneficial Sun, A Dharma Discourse *The Beneficial Moon, The Beneficial Jewel and The Offering Cloud of Samantabhadra *The Emanated Scriptures of the Kadampas *The Emanated Scriptures of Manjushri *The Emanated Scriptures of the Bodhisattva *The Marvelous Emanated Scriptures *The Amazing Emanated Scriptures *The Wondrous Emanated Scriptures *The Emanated Scriptures of Pure Vision *The Emanated Scriptures of Orgyen *The Mountains of Gold *The Stream of Ambrosia, An Excellent Discourse *The Self-Arising Sun *The Emanated Scriptures of Compassion

References

External links

Translations by Lotsawa House
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rangdrol, Shabkar Tsokdruk 18th-century lamas 19th-century lamas Bodhisattvas Scholars of Buddhism from Tibet History of Tibet Tibetan Buddhist yogis Kagyu lamas Nyingma lamas Mahasiddhas Tibetan Buddhism writers Tibetan Buddhists from Tibet Tibetan poets Buddhist yogis 19th-century Tibetan people 18th-century Tibetan people Vegetarianism activists

Writings

See also

References

Further reading

External links