Takhyung Barwa

The Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (Lama Drakpo Takhyung Barwa) are the wrathful male deities of the Longchen Nyingtik. The practice combines the deities of Hayagrīva, Garuḍa and Guru Drakpo and is especially powerful for subjugating negative forces and overcoming diseases.

It was revealed by the great tertön Jigme Lingpa at the age of 65 in 1795. When Jigme Lingpa himself had fallen ill and there were dangers to his life, the blessing of this practice removed all obstacles. The root treasure says:

“Just as the Great Master Padmasambhava prophesied, I had fallen sick and there were dangers to my life, when I had an intense feeling that a damsi spirit clothed in rags was cutting my waist with a sword. Then, unable to take my eyes off the form of the great master Padmasambhava, my mind was filled with great devotion. Through the blessings of Padmasambhava, the damsi spirit became embarrassed and full of regret and asked for forgiveness. Padmasambhava imparted to me the following spiritual instructions:”
— The Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa, from the Longchen Nyingtik

Takhyung Barwa
Courtesy of Dodrupchen Monastery

Jigme Lingpa had written a personal letter to Queen Tsewang Lhamo of Derge that explained the history of the Kīla of Lightning-Forged Meteoric Iron which Jigme Lingpa had revealed as a material treasure at Mount Hepori called The History of the Kīla of Lightning-Forged Meteoric Iron, the Material Treasure of the Blazing Hayagrīva and Garuḍa. It was this kīla that was to become the material basis for the revelation of the Takhyung Barwa. In his autobiography, Jigme Lingpa adds that he offered both the kīla and its history to the royalty of Derge as his spiritual inheritance.[1] Jigme Lingpa tells us:

“As a sign that I was to receive the material treasure, which was to become the cause for the arising of the Dharma cycle of the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa, the following happened. The government had requested me to perform a smoke offering at Mount Hepori. During the performance of the smoke offering, I had a vision in which many beings of the eight classes of spirits convened. In particular, Vajrasādhu, wearing a monk’s lower garment, appeared and offered me a kīla dagger that emitted sparks of fire. He said that this kīla was used by the great master Padmasambhava to tame the nāga of Maldro.

Later, in the afternoon, together with the monk Gedön I went to the place where the stone statue of the Lord was unearthed. He asked many questions about meditation and this caused my mind to lose any sense of reference. In that state, I came across a boulder under which there grew a tuft of grass. When I removed it there was some charcoal and piled up stones. Amidst it all, I found this kīla, firmly stuck. I was entirely sure, beyond any doubt, that it was made of a kind of bronze alloy, no different from very fine zikhyim[5] that contains meteoric iron and that it had the nature of the eight classes of spirits.”
— History of the Kīla of Lightning-Forged Meteoric Iron

With its powerful blessings to remove obstacles this practice became very popular, which we can infer as well from the numerous liturgies and empowerment manuals that have been composed. Jigme Lingpa himself writes:

“Since this Dharma brings extremely swift blessings, it can overcome hindrances caused by damsi spirits and clear away threats to life. When Kogom Chönyi was practising in retreat, he witnessed a frog open its mouth and make three prostrations as if in shock. In addition, a magpie dove into a lake, snatched a snake by its tail and pulled it out. The snake’s head was aflame. He became afraid that this practice might be very harmful to the powerful nāgas, and so, after having recited ten million mantras, he ended the retreat. It is clear, therefore, that this Dharma and this material treasure are antidotes to evil nāgas.”
— History of the Kīla of Lightning-Forged Meteoric Iron

In particular, Namkha Tsewang Chokdrup, one of the thirteen disciples of the First Dodrupchen Jigme Trinle Özer named Dorje (or Namkha), became very proficient in the practice and subsequently wrote several texts for the cycle, such as a lineage prayer, a liturgy and a long commentary. In the colophon of the liturgy that Namkha Tsewang Chokdrup compiled, The Blazing Majesty of Blessings, he writes that he was entrusted and taken care for by the omniscient Jigme Lingpa himself, and that he had ‘attained some slight signs of the blessing of this special deity’ himself. Notwithstanding his own humility about his realization, it is said that Jigme Lingpa commented that Tsewang Chokdrup's attainment was not less than his own, and he recommended that his own followers seek his guidance in their practice.

Besides the root text, other texts by Jigme Lingpa himself are the Essential Instruction for the Empowerment and the Recitation Manual and Liberating Evil Nāgas. The practice has been arranged into a liturgy by Namkha Tsewang Chokdrup, Adzom Gyalse Gyurme Dorje and Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé. In recent times, both Chatral Rinpoche and Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche have written concise versions for daily use.

Several commentaries have been written, firstly by Namkha Tsewang Chokdrup, Adzom Gyalse Gyurme Dorje and Dodrupchen Jigme Tenpe Nyima. In later times Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche made many clarifications on the text by Jigme Tenpe Nyima, called The Precious Lamp, in a commentary that goes by the same name.

 

Tantric text warning
Readers are reminded that according to Vajrayāna Buddhist tradition there are restrictions and commitments concerning tantra. Practitioners who are not sure if they should read translations in this section are advised to consult the authorities of their lineage. The responsibility for reading these texts or for sharing them with others—and hence the consequences—lies in the hands of readers.

Practice Texts

Root text

Lineage prayers

Practice texts

  • Namkha Tsewang Chokdrup, The Blazing Majesty of Blessings, the Activity Manual for the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa, from the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse (klong chen snying thig le las bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i las byang byin rlabs gzi 'bar)

    • English translation: The Blazing Radiance of Blessings, the Activity manual for the Wrathful Lama Takhyung Barwa, from the Longchhen Nynigt'hig cycle, translated under the directions of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche by Richard Barron.

  • Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, An Arrangement of the Activity Manual for the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa, from the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse (rta khyung las byang - klong chen snying gi thig le las/ bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba las byang bklags chog tu bsdebs pa)

  • Adzom Gyalse Gyurme Dorje, A Liturgy for the Activity Manual of the Blazing Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i las byang chog bsgrigs)

  • Chatral Rinpoche, A Concise Daily Practice of the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i rgyun khyer snying po dril ba)

  • Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, A Concise Daily Practice of the Wrathful Lama Takhyung Barwa

    • English translation: A Concise Daily Practice of the Wrathful Lama Takhyung Barwa, translated under the directions of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche by Richard Barron.

Other Texts

  • Jigme Lingpa, Liberating Evil Nāgas: Eliminating Negativity from the Netherworld, from the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (gdon 'grol - bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba las/ klu'i gdon 'grol 'og gdon mthar byed)

  • Adzom Gyalse Gyurme Dorje, Additional Texts for the Practice of Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (rta khyung zor byang)

  • Adzom Gyalse Gyurme Dorje, A Hurricane of Wrathful Enlightened Activity that Liberated Enemies and Obstructive Forces, A Manuel for the Lower Activities of the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i smad las dgra bgegs bsgral ba'i phrin las drag po'i 'thor rlung)

  • Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, The Vajra Crystal: A Blessing Ritual of the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa, from Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse (sbyin rlabs - klong chen snying gi thig le las/ bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i byin rlabs kyi cho ga rdo rje'i rdo shel

  • Namkha Tsewang Chokdrup, A Thunderstorm of Vajras: The Application of Activities for the Practice of the Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i las sbyor mthu stobs rdo rje'i me char). The text is signed by a certain Gyarongwa. Yet he says that he wrote the text on the command of Dodrupchen Rinpoche, so it is highly likely this text was also written by Namkha Tsewang Chokdrup, who was a student of Dodrupchen Jigme Trinle Özer and is sometimes referred by the name Gyarong Rinpoche.

  • Dola Jigme Kalzang, Concise Averting Ritual for the Practice of Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (rta khyung gi blzog bsdus )

  • Khenpo Ngakchung, A Ritual for Expelling Negative Forces for the Practice of the Blazing Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (rta khyung 'bar ba'i bda bsgo)

Empowerment Texts

  • Dodrupchen Jigme Trinle Özer, The Diamond: A Blessing Empowerment for the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa, from the Great Perfection Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse (dbang chog - rdzogs pa chen po klong chen snying gi thig le las/ bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i byin rlabs dbang gi cho ga rdo rje pha lam)

  • Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Wish-fulfilling Accomplishment: A Concise Blessing Empowerment for the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (rta khyung -bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i byin rlabs dbang bskur gyi mtshams sbyor dngos grub 'dod 'jo)

  • Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Notes For When Accumulating the Empowerment of the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (snying tig rta khyung 'bar grangs gsog - bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i dbang grangs gsog gi tshe)

Commentaries

  • Jigme Lingpa, Essential Instruction for the Empowerment and the Recitation Manual of the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (bsnyen yig - bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba las/ dbang dang bsnyen pa'i gnad yig)

  • Adzom Gyalse Gyurme Dorje, A Concise Recitation Manual for the Practice of Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (rta khyung bsnyen yig go don mdor bsdus)

  • Khyenrab Gyatso (mkhyen rab rgya mtsho), Illuminating the Manuscripts of the Ḍākinīs, A Commentary on the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i rnam bshad DAk+ki'i reg zig gsal ba) (40 pages)

    • Note: a word by word commentary on the liturgy of Namkha Tsewang Chokdrup, The Blazing Majesty of Blessings, the Activity Manual for the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa

  • Blazing Accomplishments, A Recitation Manual for the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i bsnyen yig dngos grub rab 'bar)

  • Nails That Bind the Life-Force, A Concealed Recitation Manual for the Armoured Deity of the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba'i go cha lha'i bsnyen pa'i gab yig srog sdom gnad kyi gzer bu)

  • Katok Getse Mahapandita Gyurme Tsewang Chokdrup, Clarifications on the Approach Recitation for the Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa and the Lion-faced Ḍākinī (snying thig gi drag po rta khyung 'bar ba dang / seng gdong ma'i bsnyen pa'i gsal byed)

  • Dodrupchen Jigme Tenpe Nyima, The Precious Lamp: Notes on the Practice of the Blazing Hayagrīva and Garuḍa (rta khyung ‘bar ba’i bsnyel tho rin chen sgron me)

    • English translation: translation in progress, Josh Capitanio.

  • Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, The Precious Lamp: A Recitation Manual for the Blazing Wrathful Hayagrīva and Garuḍa

    • English translation: translation in progress, Josh Capitanio.

Notes

[1] 'jigs med gling pa'i rnam thar. si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1998. Page 409.