Dakini Of Wisdom – Niguma

Chapter One  Lineage Of Wisdom Dakini

1.4. Dakini Of Wisdom – Niguma

Those who have read ‘The Second Sex’ by Beauvoir all know that after the end of the matriarchal society, women have been living in the shadow of men. Even the many religions that seek universal equality, such as Christianity, Islam and Tao, discriminate against women. Han Buddhism too, is no exception. However, in Tibetan Buddhism, women hold a highly exalted status. Not only are there many female Yidam, such as Green Tara, twenty-four Tara, and major Dakini in holy places, but female ascetics are also greatly respected. In Han Buddhism, the founders of all lineages have been unvaryingly male. There have been no shortage of accomplished monks, but accomplished nuns were rarely heard of. In Tibetan Buddhism, female founders are commonplace. Machig Labdron, founder of the Chod School, not only founded a lineage but also created her own dharma. The “Dharma of Body-offering”, through which many attained enlightenment, was the creation of Machig Labdron. I have studied the teaching of the “Dharma of Body-offering”, which has indeed its own unique revelations and yet with nothing contradicting the Buddhist theories. Her big wisdom made numerous male shamefaced.

The recognized founder of Shangpa Kagyu is Khyungpo Naljor, however the first preaching guru was Niguma. She is widely acclaimed in Buddhist history.  ‘The Wisdom of Prayer’ accounts as follows:

“Arhat great magic miracle in sun

Unique Jia-shi-ni-luo city

The most famous incomparable in the earth

Born in the saint city I pray

Pure clean determination wearing tranquil armour

In a virtuous noble family as Naropa

Sister-brother affection with the wisdom Dakini

Praying sun moon melted mature

Complete pure superior empty nature

Manifested as all kinds of Buddha forms

Though incarnated into Samsara

Far away from Samsara suffering I praying  

Numerous thinking attaining Buddhahood

Thus obtain the relied body

Achieve big miracle in my life

Praying to coliving Dakini

Do not only depend on meditation hardness

All freedom saint sayings

Hear and know all dharma 

I beg for self-liberated big happiness

Deep meanings of tantra and teaching

Starting from know one aspect then know all aspects, two kinds of wisdoms wide

See detached true nature of dharma

Praying to propitious enlightened mother”

The difference between Niguma and Master Machig Labdron of the Chod School is that the latter’s Dharma of Body Offering was her own creation while Niguma’s “Five Golden Dharma of Niguma” originated from Vajra Dhara. Just as all the brightness of day comes from the sun, so almost all dharma lineages in Tibetan Buddhism have come from Vajra Dhara. But a shared origin does not remove the differences between lineages, thus the main dharma of Shangpa Kagyu was named after Niguma.

Unlike Vajra Dhara, the Reward Body Buddha living in the realm of Ghanavyuha in the Heaven of Ultimate Form, Niguma is a historical person. Opinions differ over her identity. One opinion holds that she is the sister of Master Naropa of the Kagyu School, another holds that she was his consort in Vajrayana meditation. However, one thing is certain: Niguma and Naropa were contemporaries and there was a significant relationship between them. Naropa transmitted dharma to Marpa, who transmitted to Milarepa, then to Gampopa, at whose time Kagyu flourished and became known in history as Dagpo Kagyu. Niguma is honoured as the second generation guru of Shangpa Kagyu. The former branch transmitted the “Six Yogas (Dharma) of Naropa”, and the latter the “Six Yogas (Dharma) of Niguma”. Though there are many similarities between the two, the “Six Yogas of Niguma” is exquisite. According to the inside documents of Shangpa Kagyu, Niguma was born in 917 C.E., or the Song Dynasty of China.

In the tradition of Shangpa Kagyu, the twenty-fifth day of lunar calendar is an auspicious day, for that day is the birthday of Vajravarahi, the consort of Chakrasamvara and Lord Buddha of all Dakini. Dakini are not worshiped by Han Buddhism, but there is a saying in the Tibetan areas that without the aid of the Dakini, no matter how diligently you meditate, enlightenment will still be extremely difficult to attain. Methods of classifying Dakini vary. There is the “three bodies” saying of co-living, pure-land born or living Dakini, and karma born Dakini. They can also be simply divided into Dakini in the world or Dakini beyond the world according to whether or not they have attained enlightenment. Here it is stressed that all female consorts of the five Vajras are Dakini beyond the world. In the “three bodies” classification, they belong to co-living Great Buddha Mother. Dakini build the relations between the Buddha kingdoms and the yogi. Besides Dakini beyond the world, Buddhism protectors such as Yaksa and non-humans who have taken refuge in Buddhism, and spiritually accomplished women of this world may also be called Dakini. It is said that Dakini from the twenty-four holy places gather together on the twenty-fifth day of the lunar month to hold offerings. According to the requirements, all students of Shangpa Kagyu must give offerings to Vajravarahi and the Dakini on this day.

Niguma was born in the twenty-fifth date of the first month, just as the sun was rising. Her hometown is called “Peng Ga La” (phonetic translation) in Eastern India. Her family was of the caste of Shakya. Her father was a local official by the name of “Xiao Wei Ge Qia”, her mother was called “Hua Ji Luo Zhu”.

 I searched many documents, but few were to be found with conclusive information about the life of Niguma. Shangpa Kagyu advocates meditational practice and detachment, so although documents existed, they were unpublished and passed only within students of the lineage. The documents in this book were obtained from my guru who obtained them from his guru, and were passed down from guru to guru, generation after generation, making this book possible.

After birth, Niguma developed a disaffection for the material world at a very young age. This is similar to the stories of many saints. Tsongkapa took the heart of detachment, Bodhi-chitta, Middle View Upright Opinion as the three roots of Buddhism Dharma. Without detachment, success in the material world is sufficient, but there is no hope for enlightenment.

Niguma had phenomenal concentration from when she was very young, pure and without contamination. She could always enter deep stages of meditation when listening to sutra. One day, a physiognomist came to her home. At her parents’ request, he gave a face reading for Niguma. The physiognomist said, “This is not an ordinary child, but a manifestation of a Wisdom Dakini. It is not appropriate for her to start a family. Rather, she should practice Vajrayana, and will quickly attain enlightenment. Because of this reading, her parents did not force her to marry.

In the year her twenty third year, 940 C.E., also on the twenty-fifth day of the first month, Niguma’s entire family went to the Vajra Seat in India. It said that this is the place where Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment. As the family made their offerings, the sky suddenly became full of rainbows and Vajra Dhara appeared, saying to Niguma “go to the Great Cadaver Forest of Suosha where I will pass on to you the empowerment of secret mantra and Vajra body”. After hearing those words, the face of Niguma glowed red, golden light radiated from her body, and a third eye grew at her Yintang (the space between the eyebrows). Now, in our daily visualisation, Niguma takes this appearance.

（★Photo of Niguma）

In Shangpa Kagyu, the Vajra Seat is the holy place of holy places. It is the place where Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, and also the place where Guru Niguma met with Yidam Vajra Dhara. It is in the Buddha Gaya in Bihar province of India and about sixteen kilometres from modern Jiaye City. This is a plain with rich soil and extensive paddy fields. The Phalgu River ran beside a small village and provided water for irrigation. The small village appears unassuming, with rolling hills and thick woods, and a pleasant climate. In the Pali Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha told his followers his reasons for mediating there, “Monks! I suddenly have such an idea in my mind: how lovely a place is this! Pleasant woods with a silver river running beside, convenient to reach and yet mesmerising. There are villages nearby where we can beg for food, and children from good families seeking to pursue Buddhism— all that a place should have, this place contains. Monks! Because everything here is good for meditating, thus I settle down here” (from PALI SUTRA volume 26)

WESTERN AREA WRITING volume 8 explains Vajra Seat as:

“In midst of Bodhi tree, there is a Vajra Seat which came into being in early kalpa and formed together with the earth. It sits in the three thousand worlds, its bottom touching the gold wheel and its top pushing the borders of the earth. Made by Vajra, it has a circumference of a hundred steps. A thousand Buddha in bhadra-kalpa have sat here and entered Vajra concentration. Thus it is called the Vajra Seat. This place of enlightenment is also called the root path place. When earth shakes, it alone remains still. Therefore when Buddha was close to attaining enlightenment, he surveyed the neighbouring four directions, and everywhere the earth shook. Later, he arrived at this place, which was stable and did not tilt. Since entering the end of kalpa, the upright dharma declined. Covered by sand and dust, it was not to be seen again. After the nirvana of Buddha, all kings from all countries spread the capacity of the Vajra Seat of Buddha’s sayings. Two statues of Aryavalokitesvara (also called Avalokitesvara, Chenrezig, Kwan-yin, and Guanyin) Bodhisattva were made, to label the north and south border. The statues sit facing east. People said, ‘the time this statue of Bodhisattva merges into earth it is the time Buddhism will come to an end’ Now the south statue of Bodhisattva has earth past its chest.”

The Vajra Seat Niguma visited was called “the navel of the earth” by a philosopher, meaning that it is the centre of the world. This was praise for Buddhism, which directs people to overcome delusion, part from suffering and gain happiness. The Vajra Seat is put under the Bodhi tree where Buddha attained enlightenment. Under the Bodhi tree, there is a red sandstone board, 2.3 metres long, 1.47 metres wide and 90 centimetres deep. This is the Vajra Seat, set up by King Ashok in the 3rd century B.C.E. to commemorate Buddha. When Ashok turned to foreign religions, he burned the Bodhi tree of Buddha’s enlightenment. Afterwards, he regretted and watered the remaining roots with fragrant milk. Amazingly, new shoots burst forth instantly to become a tree that swept the sky. Later, this tree was again destroyed by his wife of another conviction. Again, Ashok watered it with fragrant milk, and again, the tree was regenerated from the remaining roots. Hundreds of years later, the pagan King of Bengal destroyed the temple and burnt the tree yet again, and new buds came out several days later. In 1870 C.E. when the old tree fell down, Alexandra, who rebuilt the temple, cut off one of the branches and replanted it in its original place. It is now over 20 meters high and shades the ground with its lofty crown. The Vajra Seat is under this tree, receiving the worship of believers.

In the historical moment of 940 C.E., the whole family of Niguma came here to worship.