During his long writing and teaching career, Śākya Chokden (1428-1507) developed a novel, and in many respects unusual approach to the key systems of Buddhist thought and practice. A recurrent theme given special attention in his numerous works is the question of the relationship between conflicting conceptual models of ultimate reality and the means of its realization on the one hand, and practical outcomes of utilizing those models in contemplative practice on the other. The position he articulates based on critical comparison of several Buddhist systems of thought and practice, is that despite their different, and often conflicting, conceptual approaches to reality, when put into contemplative practice those approaches can bring their followers to the same direct realization of reality

Komarovski, Yaroslav

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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department Classics and Religious Studies 2017 Śākya Chokden Yaroslav Komarovski Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub  Part of the Buddhist Studies Commons, East Asian Languages and Societies Commons, History of Religions of Eastern Origins Commons, Other Classics Commons, Other Philosophy Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Classics and Religious Studies at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Śākya ChokdenŚākya Chokden was born in 1428 in Sangda Bangrim(gsang mda' bang rim) in the vicinity of the famousmonastic university Sangpu Neutok (gsang phu ne'uthog) in central Tibet. The identity of his father is notknown. His mother, Śākya Zangmo (shAkya bzang mo),was an ex-nun from a retreat center ( ) namedPangkha Choding (spang kha chos sdings), to the southof the monastic university of Kyormolung (skyor molung). She died in 1431.Śākya Chokden's monastic education started early, in1435, at Kyormolung. In 1437 he met the highlyinfluential Sakya scholar Rongton Sheja Kunrik (rong ston shes bya kun rig,1367-1449), from whom he received the name Śākya Chokden and whoeventually became one of his main teachers. That same year, he entered NegoCollege (gnas sgo grwa tshang) at Sangpu Neutok. This was the seat ofanother influential scholar, Donyo Pelwa (don yod dpal ba, 1398-1484), withwhom he would study for more than thirty years. Donyo Pelwa wouldeventually pass down to Śākya Chokden his monastic seat in Tsang namedZilung (gzi lung) which he would later rename Serdokchen (gser mdog can).At the beginning of his studies under Donyo Pelwa they visited a seniorscholar, Pema Zangpowa (padma bzang po ba), who in their conversationargued that the the Five Books of Maitreya, some of the most importanttexts of Indian Mahāyāna, actually present a Madhyamaka view, and heencouraged Śākya Chokden to rethink the standard interpretation of three ofthese ( ),( ), and ( ). By showing that the Cittamātra view of mind-only isnot the final position articulated in those treatises, Pema Zangpowa presented itas transcending Cittamātra and belonging to Madhyamaka -- a techniqueŚākya Chokden would later use himself.At Sangpu Neutok as well as on study trips to other monastic universities,Śākya Chokden undertook extensive study of all major subjects of Tibetanscholasticism, including Prajñāpāramitā literature, Pramāṇa, Abhidharma,Vinaya, Madhyamaka, and Yogācāra. Starting in 1438 when he visitedRongton at Nālendra Monastery (nA len dra), and until Rongton passed away,he received from that master numerous teachings that he would later transmitto his own students. Rongton gave him his novice monastic ordination in 1440at Nālendra.Quickly progressing in his studies, Śākya Chokden started teaching at an earlyage, eventually becoming "master" ( ) at Nego in 1446. For the nexttwo years he studied Sanskrit, composition, poetry, and Tibetan grammar. Hewould learn Sanskrit so well that he was able to converse in it, translate fromand into Sanskrit, and even give a Kālacakra empowerment in Sanskrit.Beginning in 1449 Śākya Chokden started receiving tantric teachings,͒ཀྱ་མཆོག་Ȳན།b.1428 - d.1507BDRC P396AUTHORYaroslav KomarovskiPEER REVIEWEDTRADITIONSakyaTEACHERSNgorchen Kunga Zangpoblo gros dbang phyugkun dga' rgyal mtshankun dga' rdo rjeRongton Sheja KunrikThe Twenty-First Sakya Tridzin, LodroGyeltsenThe Seventh Karmapa, ChodrakGyatsobsod nams rnam rgyalgzhon nu blo grosblo gros chos skyongchos grags rgya mtshoSTUDENTSrdor rgyal badon yod grub pablo gros rgyal mtshanbsod nams rgyal mtshanshes rab dpal 'byorchos kyi rgyal mtshanbkra shis mgonmgon po rgyal mtshandpal 'byor bzang poskal bzang chos kyi rgya mtsho bsodnams dbang poKunga Pelzangkun dga' tshe 'phelHISTORICAL PERIOD15th CenturyINSTITUTIONSangpu NeutokSerdokchenNalendra MonasteryKyormolungSakya MonasteryName variants: Jampel Gawai Shenyen;Serdok Paṇchen Śākya Chokden; ZilungPaṇchen Shākya ChokdenWylie: shAkya mchog ldanhttps://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Shakya‐Chokden/63511 of 7 1/13/2020, 10:10 AMempowerments, transmissions, and instructions from diﬀerent traditions,primarily Sakya and Kagyu, including Hevajra, Vajrabhairava, Cakrasaṃvara,Guhyasamāja, Kālacakra, and many more. Besides involvement in his ownSakya tradition he would maintain connection with the Kagyu traditionsthroughout his life. One of his main tantric teachers was Changlung ChodingZhonnu Lodro (spyang lung chos sdings zhonnu blo gros, 1372-1476), whomhe met at the age of twenty-three. From that master he received the SakyaLamdre ( ) teachings, multiple Kālacakra teachings from diﬀerentlineages, the Six Dharmas of Nāropa ( ), Mahāmudrā (), and other teachings of diﬀerent Kagyu lineages.In 1451 he met the important tantric master Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo (ngorchen kun dga' bzang po, 1382-1456), the founder of the Ngor branch ofSakya. Until that master's death Śākya Chokden received from him varioustantric teachings and empowerments, such as Lamdre, Guhyasamāja, andCakrasaṃvara. In 1452, he received full monastic ordination from KungaZangpo.In 1454 he composed his first major treatises, which consisted of commentariesand supplementary writings on ( ) following Rongton's interpretations. That marked thebeginning of more than fifty years of writing on all major topics of Buddhistscholarship. It also marked the beginning of a long process of writing on theFive Books of Maitreya, including several commentaries on . Śākya Chokden's interest in the Five Books, all of which heeventually classified as Madhyamaka works, persisted until the very end of hiswriting career.In 1455 at Sakya Monastery (sa skya) Śākya Chokden took and passedadvanced scholastic examinations, demonstrating mastery of all subjects oflearning available in monastic institutions of his day. The examinationsconsisted of giving explanations of about fifty diﬀerent texts of sūtras, tantras,and other subjects that included works on Prajñāpāramitā, Pramāṇa, Yogācāra,Tantra, and Sanskrit. In 1465 he was elevated to "chenpo" ( ), literally"Great One," a position held in high respect by both Geluk and Sakyamonastic communities of Sangpu Neutok.For nine months during 1468-1469 Śākya Chokden stayed in a strict Hevajraretreat, during which time he had various contemplative experiences ofluminosity ( ). Around the same time -- right before, during, and afterthe retreat -- he also wrote commentaries on scriptures that set forth aniḥsvabhāvavāda ("proponents of entitylessness") position, also known as "selfempty" ( ) in contrast to "other empty" ( ). These includedCandrakīrti's ( ) and Nāgārjuna'sAfter that period most of the texts he wrote would  focus purely on theniḥsvabhāvavāda, which was considered by many thinkers as synonymous withMadhyamaka system. In contrast, from among the two major divisions ofYogācāra -- satyākāravāda ("true aspectarians") and alīkākāravāda ("falseaspectarians") -- Śākya Chokden considers only satyākāravāda as Cittamātra,and he maintains that the alīkākāravāda version of Yogācāra represents one ofhttps://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Shakya‐Chokden/63512 of 7 1/13/2020, 10:10 AMthe two main divisions of Madhyamaka (the other one being niḥsvabhāvavāda).During his long writing and teaching career, Śākya Chokden developed anovel, and in many respects unusual approach to the key systems of Buddhistthought and practice. A recurrent theme given special attention in hisnumerous works is the question of the relationship between conflictingconceptual models of ultimate reality and the means of its realization on theone hand, and practical outcomes of utilizing those models in contemplativepractice on the other. The position he articulates based on critical comparisonof several Buddhist systems of thought and practice, is that despite theirdiﬀerent, and often conflicting, conceptual approaches to reality, when putinto contemplative practice those approaches can bring their followers to thesame direct realization of reality.This issue is repeatedly dealt with in Śākya Chokden's commentaries, shortletters, and independent works on Buddhist philosophy and meditation, inparticular in the and , mentioned below. These texts provide anuanced comparison and in-depth analysis of conflicting approaches to thenature of reality, its realization, and related contemplative practices developedby leading Mahāyāna thinkers: Nāgārjuna, Asaṅga, Vasubandhu, andCandrakīrti, to mention just a few. Tibetan commentators commonly groupphilosophical and contemplative systems developed by these scholars into thecategories of Madhyamaka and Yogācāra, or, less commonly, into the systemsof self- and other-emptiness. While having similar perspectives on such basictopics as the Buddhist path, these systems present conflicting, and oftencontradictory, interpretations of the nature of reality, its realization, and so on.Śākya Chokden also acknowledges and explores disagreements between thosesystems, and provides a detailed analysis of how they contradict one another.Yet, he persistently argues that despite those conflicting perspectives, bothMadhyamaka and Yogācāra equip their followers with eﬀective means ofrealizing ultimate reality, developing that realization through contemplativepractice, and eventually attaining the final result of buddhahood.Working this argument out, Śākya Chokden moves between the comparativeanalysis of the philosophical views on reality on the one hand, and, on theother, the inquiry into how those views are supposed to be put intocontemplative practice and how eﬀective that contemplative practice is interms of dispelling obscurations and achieving awakening. In doing that, hejudges validity of Yogācāra and Madhyamaka not in terms of how accuratelythey articulate ultimate reality and related topics (although he explores thosequestions too), but in terms of what can be called "practical eﬀectiveness." Inhis opinion, as long as a system works as a self-suﬃcient means of achievingbuddhahood, it should be treated as Madhyamaka.Consequently, according to Śākya Chokden, the category of Madhyamaka isnot limited to niḥsvabhāvavāda only (as Tibetan thinkers often claim), but alsoincludes alīkākāravāda Yogācāra, which in his opinion represents the finalYogācāra position. (When also addressing tantric views, he adds a thirdcategory -- that of tantric Madhyamaka.) Śākya Chokden emphasizes thatdespite contradictory philosophical positions, diﬀerent types of contemplativehttps://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Shakya‐Chokden/63513 of 7 1/13/2020, 10:10 AMtechniques leading to the direct realization of ultimate reality, and conflictingdescriptions of that realization, followers of alīkākāravāda and niḥsvabhāvavādacan access the same direct meditative experience of ultimate reality. Inparticular, he argues that diﬀerent types of conceptual reasoning used byfollowers of these systems can serve as eﬀective means of accessing the samedirect realization of ultimate reality.In 1471, Śākya Chokden moved to Serdokchen. Thenext year, at the invitation of King Tashigon (bkra shismgon, ca 1440-1489), accompanied by three hundredscholars and students, he travelled to Ngari Lowo (mnga'ris glo bo), where he taught extensively on Abhidharma,Pramāṇa, and other sūtric subjects at NamgyelMonastery (rnam rgyal). During that period he alsocomposed texts on Vinaya, Pramāṇa, tathāgatagarbha,and other topics. Reportedly, in 1474 he generated adeep contemplative realization of emptiness.In 1475, at the request of Tashigon, he wrote () which posed more than one hundred questions to ( ), theSakyapa's most important work on the monastic, bodhisattva, and tantric vowscomposed by Sakya Paṇḍita Kunga Gyeltsen (sa skya pan di ta kun dga' rgyalmtshan). These questions provoked considerable controversy and polemicalresponses from other Sakya scholars, prompting Śākya Chokden in 1481 toprovide response, titled ( ). While his statedintention was to clarify Sakya teachings and not to criticize them, hisexposition was unorthodox and therefore taken as an attack on the Sakyatradition, if not on Sakya Paṇḍita himself. In this way Śākya Chokden becamea controversial figure in the Sakya scholarly world.In 1475, on his way back from Lowo to Serdokchen, Śākya Chokden visited afamous scholar Rikden Namgyel Drakzang (rigs ldan rnam rgyal grags bzang,1395-1475), with whom he had in-depth discussions about multiple subjects ofBuddhist learning, including Asaṅga's texts and Kālacakra teachings. While hehad already been analyzing Yogācāra's final view of ultimate reality after theaforementioned meeting with Pema Zangpowa, it was after this meeting with-- and further encouragement from -- Namgyel Drakzang that his writingsstarted increasingly emphasizing the importance of the alīkākāravāda Yogācāraview -- also identified as a view of other-emptiness -- and presenting it asMadhyamaka on a par with the niḥsvabhāvavāda view of self-emptiness. Thefirst dated text which did so was ( ) composed in 1477.In 1482, Śākya Chokden became a lama of several powerful rulers, includingHor Śākya (hor shAkya), the ruler of Tsang. Around that time he was alsooﬀered diﬀerent estates by Hor Śākya and other influential individuals. Itappears that he developed a very good connection both with Gyama (rgya ma)rulers in U, and with the Rinpung (rin spungs) rulers in Tsang. He alsodeveloped a close connection with an influential Kagyu hierarch, the Seventhhttps://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Shakya‐Chokden/63514 of 7 1/13/2020, 10:10 AMKarmapa, Chodrak Gyatso (karma pa 07 chos grags rgya mtsho, 1454-1506).He met the Karmapa for the first time in 1484 in Namtseden (gnam rtse ldan),receiving from him week-long teachings on Madhyamaka. They would meetagain in 1502 and 1503, exchanging teachings with each other. ŚākyaChokden would eventually accept Chodrak Gyatso as his guru, while the latterwould indicate their closeness by saying that they "have one mind."While in Serdokchen, Śākya Chokden continued to compose important workson Abhidharma, Pramāṇa, , Asaṅga's ( ), and other topics. In 1489 hecomposed ( ) with its auto-commentary ( ) in which he most clearlyarticulated his approach to the Yogācāra and Madhyamaka systems.In 1490 Śākya Chokden taught Sakya Paṇḍita's( ) and at Nālendra, the seat of Rongton, and was requested bythe monks to become their abbot, which indicates his high standing in theSakya tradition despite the above-mentioned controversy sparked by hisquestions of Sakya Paṇḍita's . He declined their request.At the beginning of 1495 he delivered extensive teachings on Pramāṇa,Vinaya, Abhidharma, and other systems to about 1,800 leading scholars,students from famous monastic universities, and independent thinkersassembled by his invitation at Serdokchen. He used that event as an occasion topublicly present his views, in particular the ones on the nature and relationshipof Madhyamaka and Yogācāra.In the latter half of the 1480s and throughout the 1490s Śākya Chokden wasactively involved in giving numerous tantric teachings, empowerments, andtransmissions of the Kagyu and Sakya lineages. The audience was bothmonastic and lay, including Rinpung and Gyama rulers and political leaders.By 1501 he had written most of his sūtric treatises, and given their readingtransmissions and explanations. For the rest of his life, he would focus primarilyon tantric teachings and writings.From 1504, Śākya Chokden composed several important tantric treatises, suchas  (). Throughout 1505, he continuously gave tantric teachingsto his disciples and to diﬀerent rulers, and engaged primarily in tantriccontemplative practices. He kept giving tantric teachings in 1506, close to theend of his life. Śākya Chokden died in 1507.At diﬀerent times in his life Śākya Chokden acquired numerous disciples acrossTibet. His writings, most of which are now contained in twenty-four volumesof his collected works, were largely unavailable during the last few centuries,until they were published in 1975 in Thimphu, Bhutan. That said, his workswere closely studied by such important thinkers as Tāranātha (tA ra nA tha,1575-1634), later influencing a seminal non-sectarian master, JamgonKongtrul Lodro Taye ('jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas, 1813-1899),who cited verbatim and paraphrased critical passages from such texts as https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Shakya‐Chokden/63515 of 7 1/13/2020, 10:10 AMin his acclaimed ( ).Śākya Chokden's writings were also promoted in Bhutan, and they continue tobe studied privately by students at such ecumenical monastic universities asDzongsar (rdzong gsar). Yaroslav Komarovski (Ph.D. University of Virginia, 2007) is an AssociateProfessor of Religious Studies at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.  He isauthor of Tibetan Buddhism and Mystical Experience by Oxford UniversityPress, Visions of Unity: The Golden Pandita Shakya Chokden's NewInterpretation of Yogācāra and Madhyamaka by State University of New YorkPress and Three Texts on Madhyamaka by Shakya Chokden by Library ofTibetan Works and Archives.Published October 2017ImagesThird Karmapa andLineage MastersA unique image made withink shows great Buddhistscholars from multipletraditions. The style isconsidered unusual andhas been associated withthe Tenth Karmapa.Burchardi, Anne. 2008."Shakya mchog ldan's Literary Heritage in Bhutan."InJohn Ardussi and SonamTobgay (eds.),, pp. 25-34. Thimphu: The NationalLibrary of Bhutan.Komarovski, Yaroslav. 2011., pp. 23-51.Albany,New York: State University of New York Press.Kun dga' grol mchog. 1975. ). In , vol. 16, pp. 1-233. Thimphu, Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgey.TBRC W25586.Kun dga' grol mchog. , Microfilm reel E–1872/6,https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Shakya‐Chokden/63516 of 7 1/13/2020, 10:10 AMxylograph, p. 25a. Kathmandu: Nepal-German Manuscript PreservationProject.Kong sprul yon tan rgya mtsho. 1982. ,vol. 2,pp. 544-546, 553-557; vol. 3, pp. 58-62.Beijing: Mi rigs pe skrun khang.Śākya mchog ldan.1975.. In , vol. vol. 6, pp. 439-vol. 7, pp. 229. Thimphu,Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgey.Śākya mchog ldan. 1975. . In , vol. 17, pp. 448-462.Thimphu, Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgey.Śākya mchog ldan.1975.(). Collected Writings of Gser-mdog paṇ-chen Śākya-mchog-ldan, vol. 14, p. 1-vol. 15, p. 695. Thimphu,Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgey.Śākya mchog ldan.1996.. In, pp. 301-318. Bir, India: YashodharaPublications.Śākya mchog ldan. 1996.. In , pp. 319-499.Bir, India: Yashodhara Publications, 1996; see also 1975, , vol. 2, pp. 471-616. Thimphu, Bhutan:Kunzang Tobgey.Śākya mchog ldan. 1975.). In , vol. 8, pp. 10-183. Thimphu, Bhutan:Kunzang Tobgey.Sa skya paṇḍita kun dga' rgyal mtshan. 2002. .InRhoton, Jared Douglas..Albany, New York: State University of New York Press.Stearns,Cyrus. 2010., revised and enlarged edition, pp.63-64.Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications.View this person’s associated Works & Texts on the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center’sWebsite.https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Shakya‐Chokden/63517 of 7 1/13/2020, 10:10 AM

Śākya Chokden

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Śākya Chokden

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