Lama Gong Dü - The Quintessential Intention of the Lama

The Gong dü, The Quintessential Intention, is the ultimate heartfelt concern of the Knower of the Three Times, Padmasambhava, the elixir of the intention of the three yogas condensed into one. It is complete without mixing the profound and vast, like an udumbara flower in the world, it is rare and not proliferating. It has four sections. (Lama Gongdü, Yidam Gongdü, Khandro Gongdü ja Thamche Gongdü.)

Among these, the first one is called Lama Gong dü. It is one of the Termas that was hidden under the ground in the land of Tibet. It became known as the sun- and moon-like profound dharma, difficult to come by in any of the three times, since it liberates in four different ways.

It was hidden by Padmasambhava, who manifested in an emanation body on a lotus stem in the wondrous Dhanakosha lake in the land of Orgyan, in order to tame beings.

First he placed many fortunate beings, such as the King of the noble land of Zahor and his assembly in mature and liberated states, by giving the empowerment in India. Then, secondly, when he was invited to Tibet by the dharma king Trisong Detsen, he bestowed the entire abhisheka transmission and oral instructions upon the twenty-five qualified disciples, ruler and subjects, at Samye Chimphu and other places, and finally he gave it to a later gathering of nine special students. For the sake of the future he hid the entire cycle of dharma, as a precious Terma.

It was discovered by the reincarnation of the dynamic display of primordial awareness of Dam dzin Murub Tsad po, the second son of Trisong Detsen. He became the king of all accomplished Tertöns, Sangye Ling pa, one of the five supreme Ling pas.

For all the followers of the undisputed, unparalleled Padmasambhava, in the Snowy Region, (Gong dü) became like a heart treasure. These Terma teachings are unequalled by any other, in their profoundity and rarity. This was repeated in the sealing statements of the Terma itself as well as in many other Termas.

In particular in the Zhaldam Thug gi Tshal, The Heartfelt Expression of Oral Instructions (it says):

Moreover, the profound Gong dü protects from birth in the lower realms through sight, sound, recollection and touch. Whoever is merely touched by a volume of the text on the top of their head, for them the door to the lower realms is blocked and they are guided along the path to liberation" and, "whoever connects with this Terma by seeing it, hearing it, or touching it, cancel all karma as a sentient being and become settled in Amitabha's excellent supreme realm, not to mention, that those who put it into practice, attain liberation in one life in one body.

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Excerpts from Gter mdzod sangs gling dgons 'dus pages 452-4 translated by Tulku Dakpa Rinpoche & Anne Burchardi