Jikten Sumgön's Attains Complete Enlightenment

 
"The Serkhang Chojé," a most blessed statue of Kyobpa Rinpoché enshrined in the Golden Temple at Drikung Thil Monastery.

In 1172, at the age of 29, Jikten Sumgön settled at Echung Cave and having being promised support by a patroness, entered into retreat for three years to practice the teachings he has received. In his waking hours, Jikten Sumgön practiced the generation and completion stages while in sleep he practiced clear-light practice of dream-yoga. Understanding the tantric view that wandering in samsara is the result of the prana-winds failing to gather in the central channel, he focussed intensely on the winds-drops-channels practice. This resulted in Jikten Sumgön receiving many visions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, meeting them face-to-face. Worldly deities who appeared to create obstacles were thoroughly subjugated by Jikten Sumgön while ḍākinis appeared to invite him to gaṇacakra feast-offerings. His meditation became so stable and intense that long periods of time would pass without him noticing. During these three years, Jikten Sumgön completely understood the outer, inner and secret aspects of interdependence.  After completing three years in retreat, Jikten Sumgön made a pilgrimage back to Phakmodru to pay respect to the stūpa and image of his Lama. While at Phakmodru, he met and discussed the profound Dharma with his fellow-student, Taklung Thangpa. After being away for a short break, Jikten Sumgön returned to Echung Cave once again.

It was during this retreat that Jikten Sumgön finally attained enlightenment. Just as Māra and his retinue came as obstacles to the Buddha at Bodhgaya on the eve of his enlightenment, and Tsering Chenga and others tested Milarepa at Lapchi, the final ripening of Jikten Sumgön’s karma manifested at Echung in the form of leprosy. As the seriousness of the disease increased, Jikten Sumgön sealed the door to his cave and was prepared to put to practice the phowa instructions he had received. But when he realized that he should not cause others to think that his sealing of the cave was to conceal the fact that he had contracted what was considered then an incurable disease (and which also carried a stigma of shame), he left his cave and ventured down to the home of a patron so that others can see that he wasn’t hiding his condition. After making public his condition without any fear or hope, he returned to his cave to prepare for his own death.

Back in the cave, in a particularly difficult moment when he was in incredible physical pain and mental sadness, Jikten Sumgön started to do prostrations to an image of Avalokiteśvara that his Lama, Phakmo Drupa had blessed over a hundred times. At the first prostration, he strongly felt that: “Among sentient beings, I am the most wretched.” At the second, he was encouraged that there was no need for him to fear death since: “I have the complete teachings of my Lama which include the instructions on bardo and phowa.” Then suddenly remembering that whereas he himself has been blessed with such instructions, infinite other sentient beings suffering in cyclic existence still lacked these teachings and opportunities. Overwhelming great compassion washed over him as streams of tears poured from his eyes. Repeatedly and uninterruptedly he vowed that he would become the protector and refuge of all sentient beings without end. As he continued to generate this great compassion for others, his leprosy began to clear and by that evening the illness had completely left his body like dust being thoroughly swept away by a great gust of wind. On that mid-winter day, thunder and rainfall can be heard outside of his cave and Jikten Sumgön felt a change in the circulation of prana in his channels and saw a great nāga that filled the entire valley departing. (Nāgas are said to be capable of causing skin and blood diseases such as leprosy).  Great bliss arose in Jikten Sumgön and Buddhahood was attained. Shortly after this, he experienced a splendid vision of seven Tāras and spontaneously composed the famed supplication-prayer to the Tāras who protect from the seven types of perils. He remained in the cave for another four days and three nights and at the end of that period, he left his cave and confidently declared to others: “I have thoroughly understood the interdependence of cause and effect and opened the treasure of Dharma. I am now, Lord of Yogis.”  

All in all, Jikten Sumgön had practiced for seven years in retreat since the passing of his Lama.

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