Wukong's Enlightenment: Traveler of the Western Lands

Wukong's Enlightenment: Traveler of the Western Lands

"The founder of the Shangpa Kagyu sect: Khyungpo Nyaljor "
Late 19th century, archived at the Xueqian Archives.
Due to dissatisfaction with the sectarian ideas in Tibet at the time, Khyungpo Nyaljor (ཁྱུང་པོ་རྣལ་འབྱོར་; 1050-1127) frequently traveled to South Asia to obtain supreme secret teachings. He used extraordinary worldly wisdom to exchange for gold to support his teachers. Two female mentors introduced him to a group of accomplished practitioners.
"Ra Lotsawa Dorje Drag"
In the late 18th century, stored in the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts.
Ra Lotsawa (རྭ་ལོ་ཙྭ་བ་; 1016-1128)
He first visited Kathmandu at the age of fourteen (contested)
After attending the "Fire Dragon Year Ceremony", he went to
seek teachings in South Asia
He had many disputes with various South Asian groups
(such as the Shaivism sect)
Rey Translator received ordination in Nalanda during his
second journey to the West
The road to the West is long and arduous, with many difficulties along the way. "Walking between cultural fields, breaking the original constraints, and ultimately completing the task of tracing the source," as explained by the French scholar Antoine de Baecque in his book "Histoire de la marche" (History of Walking), he describes the essence of ancient believers' love of walking. In a previous article about "pilgrims," the author systematically explained how Tibetan pilgrims define this moving intellectual activity and how they sanctify their behavior in their familiar social contexts (see previous articles at the end of the text). Although the roads lead in all directions, for classical Tibetan walkers, the West remains the preferred destination. Before the introduction of Buddhism, Tibetan walkers preferred the moist south and northwest borderlands, all because in the local religion, these landmarks were related to shared memories of origins. The rulers of Tubo also enjoyed walking, with their court residing in a different place each season. The ritualistic nature of walking with a "pilgrimage" enhances the attributes of the Zanpos as the "sons of gods," a stark contrast to the "walking tradition" after the introduction of Buddhism. The West, the birthplace of the Buddha, the source of scriptures, and the abode of the accomplished, is the pure land. Different from the famous travelers Faxian and Xuanzang, the study of Tibetan Western walkers still needs to be further deepened.
"The Reincarnation of Panchen Lama: Go Lotsawa Khugpa Lhatse"
19th century, THM Museum Collection.
A member of a noble clan but with a poor family,
he never gave up on his studies. Unable to afford high tuition fees,
he (འགོས་ལོ་ཙྭ་བ་; 11th century) journeyed west three times,
"dying on the way at times, still feeling fulfilled." He is a
representative figure of the intensive Vajrayana transmission in Tibet.
"Gahju's First Ancestor: Translator Marba"
Late 16th century, private collection

"The presence of Manjushri in South Asia" has been an important topic of research. This involves the shaping of the geopolitical views of Tibet and third-party explanations. Some of his records are important sources for constructing the medieval South Asian society.

There are often claims that the Tibetan Western travelers had a unique geographical advantage, but this is a misconception. During the period from the 10th to the 12th century when Tibetan Western travelers were prevalent, they had to overcome many unimaginable hardships. They struggled with unaccustomed environments, succumbed to illness before reaching their destinations, fell victim to bandits and had to ransom themselves, couldn't find wise mentors to teach them the desired knowledge, were deceived by false teachers posing as enlightened beings, deceived by false friends and left to fend for themselves. In the later spread period, which is defined as a golden age in the history of thought, the social landscape and daily life of Tibet were not as harmonious and gentle as people might think today. Dissatisfaction with sects, origins, and texts made the intellectuals of Tibet determined to head west after the collapse of the Tubo Empire. Nevertheless, the journey to the West was not a journey to paradise. In the texts of the Tibetan Western travelers, we can still see their calm reflections on the society, folk culture, and religious atmosphere of South Asia. They walked, observed, and recorded, accompanied by the sun, moon, and stars.

"Southern Asian Ancestor: Shakyamuni Buddha"
17th century, Rubin Museum of Art collection
There will be Western pilgrims, therefore there must be Western teachers
As the last dharma master of Nalanda Monastery
Shakyashribhadra (शाक्यश्रीभद्र；1127-1225)
decided to receive the Tibetan Buddhist teachings despite his advanced age
(usually reported as 78 years old)
While in Tibet, he initiated four streams of teachings and established various disciplines

"South Asian Ancestor: Mitizana/Shendiqinakelde"
Private collection from the late 17th century.

During the later period of the Great Propagation, a large number of South Asian scholars chose to travel against the tide to Tibet. The once remote regions of teaching had now become a sanctuary for these philosophers. Societal changes, the diverse intellectual currents of South Asia, and the invasion of Muslim armies led the "people of the pure land" to continue their pursuits in Tibet. However, the journey to the West has not ceased. From seeking distant philosophers to paying homage to former sacred sites, Gendun Chopel (1903-1951) pointed out in his travelogues the essence of the "spirit of the Western journey" in Tibet: sacred philosophers are also ordinary people, and everything they need and use has its source, seeing this makes one understand the difficulty of wisdom even more.

This article is translated from Sorang Wangqing's blog.

 

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