The 14 Tantric Root Views

Speaking of the Ngak’phang Ordination and its profound Inner Tantra commitments, Ngak’chang Rinpoche said: “I was ordained as a ngakpa in Bodhanath on the 31st of October 1971 by Kyabjé Düd’jom Rinpoche Jig’drèl Yeshé Dorje. I have maintained the vows I took since that time.

The vows are the 14 Root Vows — and the ‘branch vows’. Many of these branch vows are secret — but the ones which can be mentioned are those which are visible — such as never cutting the scalp hair.

In respect of the hair vows I had actually stopped cutting my hair in 1966 — so by 1971 it was already long enough to tie into a topknot.

In 1971 Kyabjé Düd’jom Rinpoche Jig’drèl Yeshé Dorje asked me to establish the lineage of ngakpa ordination in the West — and I have spent my life—with the inestimable help of Khandro Déchen——in the fulfilment of that promise.

At that time it was hard to find a ngakpa shawl — even in Nepal. I had to wait until 1975 before I was given one. Before then I had to have a shawl made from a monastic shawl with a white section sewn into the middle. This is entirely orthodox— as is the white shawl with a red border.

Now—sadly—a ngakpa shawl can be purchased via the internet and ordination can be received from almost anyone by any electronic means — with scant qualification.
Khandro Déchen and I are sorry to see this — because although it makes the ngakpa tradition better known, it also makes it less known.

The ngakpa ordination should actually be more difficult to obtain than the monastic ordination — because the vows are more difficult to keep. There should also be a lengthy training before the ngakpa vows are taken.

In our tradition, people cannot take ordination in under five years of having become Vajrayana students. One needs to have engaged in solitary retreats. One needs to have accomplished two mantra completions. A mantra completion requires reciting one ‘bum (100,000) mantras for each syllable of the mantra. For Guru Rinpoche this requires 12 ‘bum — and for Yeshé Tsogyel 20 ‘bum. Beyond this this is 1,111 question examination which covers Sutra, Tantra, and Dzogchen. Beyond this one works closely with a vajra friend (an ordained sangha member) who is required to vouch for one’s seriousness of intention and capacity to maintain commitments.

For those wishing an easier path, it is quite possible to become a lay tantrika. This is possible for anyone who has vajra commitment to a Lama and who has taken Vajrayana empowerments. Being a lay tantrika however, also requires that one maintains the 14 roots vows — but not necessarily the branch vows such as leaving the hair uncut.

Having received ngakpa vows from Kyabjé Düd’jom Rinpoche Jig’drèl Yeshé Dorje — I also received them from Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche and Jomo Sam‘phel Déchen Rinpoche; Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoche; and, ‘Khordong gTérchen Tulku Chhi’mèd Rig’dzin Rinpoche. I mention this to emphasise the fact that effort has to be made — to make such connections. In my life I have made many journeys to meet holders of the gö kar chang lo’ dé (gos dKar lCang lo’i sDe / གོས་དཀར་ལྕང་ལོའི་སྡེ་) — the full description of the ngakpa ordination.

Gö kar chang lo’ dé means: White raiment and uncut hair. This ordination comes from the Mahasiddhas and was established in Tibet and Bhutan by Guru Rinpoche and Yeshé Tsogyel.

Khandro Déchen and I would wish that this lineage could be established in the West as Kyabjé Düd’jom Rinpoche Jig’drèl Yeshé Dorje intended.