Tsangnyön Heruka ( "The Madman Heruka from Tsang", 1452-1507), was an author and a master of the

Kagyu The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. ...

school of

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...

. Born in Tsang, he is best known as a biographer and compiler of the ''Life of

Milarepa Jetsun Milarepa (, 1028/40–1111/23) was a Tibetan , who was famously known as a murderer when he was a young man, before turning to Buddhism and becoming a highly accomplished Buddhist disciple. He is generally considered one of Tibet's most fa ...

'' and ''The Collections of Songs of Milarepa'', both classics of

Tibetan literature Tibetan literature generally refers to literature written in the Tibetan language or arising out of Tibetan culture. Historically, Tibetan has served as a trans-regional literary language that has been used, at different times, from Tibet to Mongoli ...

Life

Tsangnyön Heruka was a nyönpa () or "religious madman", whose eccentric ways of life were considered signs of spiritual realization. He was ordained as a

śrāmaṇera A (Pali; ), is a novice male monk in a Buddhist context. A female novice nun is in , and in or . In Tibetan Buddhism, a female novice nun is known by the Tibetan language term , and a male novice monk is a .tantric yogis from different schools. His first teacher was Shara Rabjampa Sanggye Sengge (1427–1470) who conveyed to him the "Aural Transmissions" (''snyan brgyud'') of the Kagyu tradition.Biography of Tsangnyön Heruka
/ref> Tsangnyön spent years in solitary retreat on Tsari in southern Tibet, which is the major sacred mountain retreat for the Kagyu school. He also studied the tantras in Pelkhor Chode Monastery in

Gyantse Gyantse, officially Gyangzê Town (also spelled Gyangtse; ; ), is a town located in Gyantse County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It was historically considered the third largest and most prominent town in Tibet (after Lha ...

for three years. After Heruka left the monastery, he became a wandering yogi for the rest of his life, never staying in one place permanently. He was known to keep his hair long, carry a

khaṭvāṅga A khaṭvāṅga () is a long, studded staff or club with a skull at the top. The weapon is found in the iconography of Tantra, Tantric Hinduism, Hindu as well as Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetian Vajrayana Buddhism. It is variiously described as "a sk ...

and drink from a

kapala A kapala (Sanskrit for "skull") is a skull cup used as a ritual implement (bowl) in both Buddhism Tantra and Tibetan Buddhist Tantra (Vajrayana). Especially in Tibetan Buddhism, kapalas are often carved or elaborately mounted with precious met ...

. When local villagers saw his body covered in human ashes and blood with his hair adorned by human fingers and toes, they gave him the name 'Nyönpa' (madman). He later used the name ''Trantung Gyelpo'' () "King of the Blood-drinkers", "blood drinker" being the Tibetan name for the deity

Heruka :''Heruka is also a name for the deity of the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra.'' ''Heruka'' (; ) is the name of a category of wrathful deities, enlightened beings in Vajrayana Buddhism that adopt a fierce countenance to benefit sentient beings. In East A ...

. These eccentric ways were influenced by an Indian sect of yogis called

Kapalika The Kāpālika (Sanskrit : कापालिक) tradition was a Tantric, non- Puranic form of Shaivism which originated in Medieval India between the 4th and 8th century CE. The word is derived from the Sanskrit term '' kapāla'', meaning ...

s or "skull-bearers", who practiced austerities as well as dressing in loincloths and human ashes and carrying symbols of the

dakini A ḍākinī (; ; ; ; alternatively 荼枳尼, ; 荼吉尼, ; or 吒枳尼, ; Japanese: 荼枳尼 / 吒枳尼 / 荼吉尼, ''dakini'') is a type of goddess in Hinduism and Buddhism. The concept of the ḍākinī somewhat differs depending on t ...

s such as bone ornaments and skulls. Many monks questioned his behavior and way of dress but Tsangnyön was known to strongly defend his unconventional practice through rigorous argument and accurate quotations from scriptures. He became a famous teacher and gathered numerous followers, he was also a composer of religious songs. Tsangnyön was very influential with various Tibetan political leaders and he used his influence to mediate between warring factions. In 1488 while staying at the pilgrimage site Lapchi Snow Mountain, Tsangnyön completed the ''Life of Milarepa'', a biography of the Tibetan poet. It was one of the first texts that was produced through

woodblock printing Woodblock printing or block printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of textile printing, printing on textiles and later on paper. Each page ...

in Tibet and it quickly became a widely circulated text. Tsangnyön's main goal seems to have been the promotion of the teachings of the early Kagyu masters. In 1504, Ratna Malla, the king of

Kantipur Kantipur (; ) was a medieval kingdom in the Malla confederacy of Nepal, centered in the Kathmandu Valley. The name of the kingdom was derived from a Sanskrit name of its capital city, now known as Kathmandu. List of kings * Ratna Malla (148 ...

, invited Tsangnyön Heruka to

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

to restore the famous

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

known as

Swayambhunath Swayambhu Maha Chaitya (Devanagari: स्वयम्भू स्तूप; Nepal Bhasa: स्वयंभू; Swayambhu Great Stupa, or ''Swayambu'' or ''Swoyambhu'') is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west ...

. Tsangnyön traveled to Nepal and completed the renovation within three months. In 1505, he compiled a biography and a song collection of

Marpa Lotsawa Marpa Lotsāwa (, 1012–1097), sometimes known fully as Marpa Chökyi Lodrö ( Wylie: mar pa chos kyi blo gros) or commonly as Marpa the Translator (Marpa Lotsāwa), was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher credited with the transmission of many Vajrayan ...

. He also completed his major life work, which was the collection of the aural transmissions of the Kagyu tradition. He died at the age of fifty-five in 1507 at Rechung-Puk north of the

Yarlung Valley The Yarlung Valley is formed by Yarlung Chu, a tributary of the Tsangpo River in the Shannan Prefecture in the Tibet autonomous region of China. It refers especially to the district where Yarlung Chu joins with the Chongye River, and broadens ...

Legacy

After his death three of his disciples wrote biographies of him: Gotsangrepa, Lhatsun Rinchen Namgyel and Ngodrub Pembar. Kuntu Zangmo, Tsangnyön’s female companion, oversaw the printing of his songs, writings and a biography of him.

Life

Legacy

References

Further reading