Sakya Kongma Series: Chogyal Phagpa: The Emperor’s Guru

Chogyal Phagpa’s collected writings are preserved in three large volumes of the Sa skya bka bum, the Collected Works of the Sakya Founders. The present anthology is a mere sampling. It is the usual practice of political historians to seek out and document writings directly relevant to policy and political history, while the usual practice of the community interested in Buddhist practice and theory is to seek out and analyze texts that address philosophy or meditative practices. The present anthology represents a different approach. I have brought together for you a large selection of Phagpa’s own writings, ranging from poetry he wrote in praise of yaks and beer to such important documents as his poem for the investiture of the Emperor: In Praise of Friendship. I have included such works as his Rosary of Jewels: Praise of Manjusri on Wu Tai Shan, in which we find one of the earliest recorded documentations of the fantastic spectacle of strange lights on these famous mountains. You will also find a variety of short works that touch on the practice and understanding of Buddhism. It is said that it was at the conferral of the Great Empowerments into the mysteries of Hevajra that Kubala Khan ritually offered Phagpa the entire nation of Tibet. A few poems connected with this empowerment are included in the present collection. The importance of Chogyal Phagpa’s writings and correspondence in understanding Tibet’s influence on the Yuan Dynasty cannot be overestimated. There remain to be translated forty-two letters addressed to the Khans themselves and to Tibetans, ranging in size from one to thirty-five Tibetan pages. There are also numerous explanations of Buddhism written specifically for the Khans, Kubala being foremost, that remain to be translated. It is my intention to proceed in translating these works at the earliest opportunity.