Drukpa Kuenley: the divine madman

Youth and Education in Tibet

Drukpa Kuenley (1455-1529) is well known more than other Buddhist teachers and occupies a special place in the heart of all Bhutanese people. He is a cultural hero around whom a wed of stories, facts and legends revolve. He is remembered more vividly for the outrageous nature of his teachings, administered in the most unexpected ways, often with strong sexual connections. It was because of this style that he was fondly named by his devotees ‘The Divine Madman’.

His Bhutanese biography (abbreviated as BKK), containing an uncensored account of his bawdy stories is likely to raise all sorts of doubts and misconceptions in the mind of readers, particularly those who never had access to the normal knowledge of Buddhist Tantra. Therefore, before we take up the study of his magical purification of the land and the people of Bhutan, it would be worthwhile to take a quick look into his spiritual accomplishment so that the doubts and misconceptions may be removed.

Arrival in Bhutan

It is most likely that Drukpa Kuenley visit to Bumthang was a pilgrimage to the sacred place where Guru Rinpoche had meditated and left an imprint of his body on a rock (today this place is called Kurje). While meditating here, a group of girls, carrying chang, came to receive blessings through body and mind.

While Drukpa Kuenley was singing and drinking with the girls, a local chief heard them – out of jealousy, the chief made two attempts on his life albeit, unsuccessfully – firstly by poisoning him and secondly with poisoned arrows. After his failure to kill Drukpa Kuenley, the chief recognized him as an exceptional being. Admitting his ignorance, the chief paid profound reverence and requested discourse.

Drukpa Kuenley convinced the chief and the people about the main purpose of his visit. He told them that he had come neither to seduce the girls of Bhutan nor to seek food and clothing, but to his best capacity to teach and show the right path to beings. To mark his visit to the region, he said to have built a small temple, which was called Monsib Lhakhang, and initiated monks numbering about thirty. He bestowed upon the people the teachings of virtuous and non-virtuous deeds, and initiation on the recitation of the Om Mani and the Vajra Guru.
Drukpa Kuenley was a contemporary of Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), the famous treasure revealer of Bumthang and they are recorded to have had several meeting in Bhutan and Tibet as well. It is suggested in his biography that Drukpa Kuenley’s first meeting with Pema Lingpa took place in Bumthang. Drukpa Kuenley found Pema Lingpa giving discourse from his throne to a crowd in the open air. The former gathered some children upon a rock, started mimicking Pema Lingpa’s behavior. Seeing this Pema Lingpa asked, “what are you doing, beggar, while I am here explaining the vision, meditation and practice (ta-gom-choed) of the Great perfection (Dzongpa Chenpo)”.

Taking the cue from the subject of his discourse, Drukpa Kuenley sang a song which was responded to by Pema Lingpa. They continued further with an exchange of songs on the same subject; Drukpa Kuenley’s song pleased Pema Lingpa so much that he took off his hat in obeisance to Drukpa Kuenley, and gave him recognition as an Adept.

In reply to further questions, Drukpa Kuenley explained hi religious training, meditation practice, spiritual and family lineage and name. Drukpa Kuenley spent several days in Bumthang exchanging discourses with Pema Lingpa, during which he received due hospitality from the latter.

Drukpa Kuenley is also recorded as the disciple of Pema Lingpa, who himself counts Drukpa Kuenley as one of eight disciples who qualified as Mahasiddha. Drukpa Kuenley was also present at the time when Pema Lingpa was giving the initiation of the Great Perfection to some of the leading Lamas, including Lethro Lingpa who was one of the treasure revealers and a contemporary of Drukpa Kuenley. At this august gathering, all the Lamas in turn sang a song to each other. In his turn, Drukpa Kuenley teachings on the Great Perfection. Pema Lingpa responded with a song imparting the teachings to Drukpa Kuenley

Visit to Bumthang

It is most likely that Drukpa Kuenley visit to Bumthang was a pilgrimage to the sacred place where Guru Rinpoche had meditated and left an imprint of his body on a rock (today this place is called Kurje). While meditating here, a group of girls, carrying chang, came to receive blessings through body and mind.

While Drukpa Kuenley was singing and drinking with the girls, a local chief heard them – out of jealousy, the chief made two attempts on his life albeit, unsuccessfully – firstly by poisoning him and secondly with poisoned arrows. After his failure to kill Drukpa Kuenley, the chief recognized him as an exceptional being. Admitting his ignorance, the chief paid profound reverence and requested discourse.

Drukpa Kuenley convinced the chief and the people about the main purpose of his visit. He told them that he had come neither to seduce the girls of Bhutan nor to seek food and clothing, but to his best capacity to teach and show the right path to beings. To mark his visit to the region, he said to have built a small temple, which was called Monsib Lhakhang, and initiated monks numbering about thirty. He bestowed upon the people the teachings of virtuous and non-virtuous deeds, and initiation on the recitation of the Om Mani and the Vajra Guru.
Drukpa Kuenley was a contemporary of Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), the famous treasure revealer of Bumthang and they are recorded to have had several meeting in Bhutan and Tibet as well. It is suggested in his biography that Drukpa Kuenley’s first meeting with Pema Lingpa took place in Bumthang. Drukpa Kuenley found Pema Lingpa giving discourse from his throne to a crowd in the open air. The former gathered some children upon a rock, started mimicking Pema Lingpa’s behavior. Seeing this Pema Lingpa asked, “what are you doing, beggar, while I am here explaining the vision, meditation and practice (ta-gom-choed) of the Great perfection (Dzongpa Chenpo)”.

Taking the cue from the subject of his discourse, Drukpa Kuenley sang a song which was responded to by Pema Lingpa. They continued further with an exchange of songs on the same subject; Drukpa Kuenley’s song pleased Pema Lingpa so much that he took off his hat in obeisance to Drukpa Kuenley, and gave him recognition as an Adept.

In reply to further questions, Drukpa Kuenley explained hi religious training, meditation practice, spiritual and family lineage and name. Drukpa Kuenley spent several days in Bumthang exchanging discourses with Pema Lingpa, during which he received due hospitality from the latter.

Drukpa Kuenley is also recorded as the disciple of Pema Lingpa, who himself counts Drukpa Kuenley as one of eight disciples who qualified as Mahasiddha. Drukpa Kuenley was also present at the time when Pema Lingpa was giving the initiation of the Great Perfection to some of the leading Lamas, including Lethro Lingpa who was one of the treasure revealers and a contemporary of Drukpa Kuenley. At this august gathering, all the Lamas in turn sang a song to each other. In his turn, Drukpa Kuenley teachings on the Great Perfection. Pema Lingpa responded with a song imparting the teachings to Drukpa Kuenley.

Subjugation of Demons

The existence of demons, figure in India and Tibetan mythology, play an important role in the archaic mythological background. The whole continent from Ceylon to Central Asia was said to have been inhabited by demons; countries not yet converted to Buddhism, example Mon, were often called Sinyul (Demon countries). In the eighth century A.D. numerous demons hostile to the spread of Buddhism in Tibet and Bhutan, which were than under the spell of animist superstition, were subdued by Guru Rinpoche who bound them by terrific oaths to the duty of defending and working for the spread of Buddhism.

About 1490, during Drukpa Kuenley’s second visit to Bhutan, this time the western region, the country was still under the spell of animist superstition. Numerous demons were said to have been causing continuous oppression on the people. Drukpa Kuenley visited the places inhabited by fierce demons and demonesses, and subdued them through his fearlessness and perfect awareness of the mind, which was represented by his walking stick with a male genital head, or by his own genital, referred to as ‘the Flaming Thunderbolt of Wisdom’ (yeshi dorji me bar wa).

The demons and demonesses supposedly subdued by Drukpa Kuenley are: the Demon of Odoe Drag, the Demoness of Shingkarab, the Serpent Demon of Wang Goensakha in Thimphu, the Lhadzong Demoness in the Lhadzong river valley, the Demon of Toepa Silunang, the Demoness of Dochula pass between Thimphu and Punakha, the Longrong Demoness on the way to Punakha, the Demon with nine Goitres (dre bawa gu tseg) at Shar Kuenzangling, the Demoness of Nenying Lungpa and the Serpent Demoness of Khawa Byara in Punakha district. Some Demons or Demonesses were burnt by Drukpa Kuenley’s magical fire and some were imprisoned in a rock. Most of them, unable to bear the strong affect of magical power, sought refuge in Drukpa Kuenley and vowed never to harm living creatures again.

Drukpa Kuenley not only destroyed and subdued them, but also explained to them the teachings, and assigned them a task to protect the Teachings of Buddha and its institution against adversaries, as well as to preserve the integrity of the teachings. Even today, offerings are being made to some of the demons and demonesses such as the Serpent Demon of Goensakha and the Demoness of Longrong, which were transformed into Protective Deities of Goensakha.

The demons became Drukpa Kuenley’s friendly helpers on the path of propagating teachings – best known under the name of the ‘jig ten pai sung ma’ (the protectors of worldly beings), the subtle energies capable of performing the task on a mundane level. They were also called ‘dregpa’ (the Haughty Ones), an expression drawn from the fact that most of the deities of this class are portrayed with a haughty ferocious facial expression, to frighten interlopers intruding upon the sanctuary of truth.

Source: History of the Drupa Kagyud School in Bhutan.