༄༅། །མ་གཅིག་གྲུབ་པའི་རྒྱལ་མོའི་ལུགས་ཀྱི་ཚེ་སྒྲུབ་བཞུགས་སོ།
Origin of this profound long life practice of Buddha Amitayus of the Mahasiddha Rajnyini.
The journey of Milarepa's disciple Rechungpa, the great yogi who lived at the same time of Milarepa, the main student of Marpa Lotsawa. Milarapa had one student named Rechungpa, a good student who always wanted to know more, even more than Milarepa, and always has all sorts of additional knowledge. He was also very active and travels a lot. He followed nonetheless the teachings of Milarepa. He was very kind and cared his teacher. As such he was one of the Milarepa's closest disciples.
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| Rechungpa |
One day Rechungpa wanted to go to India to find different teachers to receive new teachings and transmissions. Since, he had received all initiations and transmissions from Milarepa to enable him to practice and be able to attain enlightenment, Milarepa told him it was not was necessary to go to India.
But Rechungpa had his own Ideas and wanted to see India at least once in his life. So, he traveled to India and met many different masters. Among others he received the secret and special instructions from Ghantapa. Rechungpa stayed with Ghantapa for six months and received many teachings and transmissions. He traveled to India three times and brought many teachings that Marpa Lotsawa had not yet received while in India.
Finally, when Rechungpa wanted to go back to Tibet after his last visit, he approached Ghantapa and said that he wanted to go to Tibet where he has the best teacher, the Milarapa. Ghantapa recommended him to visit the festival in the market and explore something around before he goes to Tibet. So, he visited the busy market and, on his way met an old woman who is actually the Mahasiddha Rajnyini, a Long-life Dakini. The old woman seeing Rechungpa told him that he was a good student of Milarepa, but unfortunately his life to live was only one week. Rechungpa, responded that he doesn’t believe her as he is around 42 years old and questioned her why he shouldn't live long?
Nevertheless, Rechungpa thought that if she could predict just looking at me, she could be a special person, may be a special Dakini. So, he finally believed her. Then she told him that he will actually die in two weeks, but she can extend his life upon which he will have opportunity to meet many others and learn many things for the benefits of sentient beings.
Rechungpa was shocked and asked what to do then? Whether to go back to his master and ask him the solution. To this the old woman adviced him that his master can’t help him and is of no use going to him. Instead, he should go to a particular forest and meet a Dakini there. She has long performed a special practice by Buddha and attained the siddhis (realizations). She asked him, to go to his master Ghantapa and ask him the permission to go there. If he permits, he should go and meet the Dakini, if not she warned he will die soon. The only thing he can do is Phowa practice and then the end of the life.
Rechungpa thought hard and remembered many different types of teachings, and especially the complete Dakini teachings. So, he didn't stay long at the market, but went back to Ghantapa to tell him everything. His master gave him his consent and Rechungpa went to South India to meet the Mahasiddha.
Rajnyini. From her he received the transmissions for this special longevity practice on Buddha Amityus, which she received from the great Siddha Padampa Sangye. Then Rechungpa practiced and recited the mantra for about a week. This enabled him to double his life span to 84 years old.
After Rechungpa extended his life span through this practice, he returned to Ghantapa. His master welcomed him and told that he actually knows this practice as he often practices them, but he sent him to this Dakini first, because this brings together favorable conditions, since they already lived over 500 years. His master than gave him the transmissions with the teachings and initiations.
Rechungpa then returned to Tibet. He wanted to give the transmission and teachings he received in India to everyone. He also offered to his teacher, Milarepa. But Milarepa wasn't particularly interested in it, he threw the texts into the fire and said that what he brought with him, was just a waste of paper and ink that he doesn’t need any of that. However, Milarepa had shown keen interest to the longevity initiation and practice.
