Mi pham rgya mtsho

Mi pham rgya mtsho on the DRL

Author

མི་ཕམ་རྒྱ་མཚོ་

Wylie	mi pham rgya mtsho
English Phonetics	Mipham Gyamtso

Line Drawing by Robert Beer Courtesy of The Robert Beer Online Galleries

Other names

• མི་ཕམ་འཇམ་དབྱངས་རྣམ་རྒྱལ་རྒྱ་མཚོ་
• འཇམ་དཔལ་དགྱེས་པའི་རྡོ་རྗེ་
• འཇུ་མི་ཕམ་

• mi pham 'jam dbyangs rnam rgyal rgya mtsho
• 'jam dpal dgyes pa'i rdo rje
• 'ju mi pham

Dates

Birth:	1846
Death:	1912
Place of birth:	sde dge

Tibetan calendar dates

Dates of birth

Day
Month
Gender	Male
Element	Fire
Animal	Horse
Rab Jyung	14

Dates of passing

Day
Month
Gender
Element
Animal
Rab Jyung

About

Religious Affiliation

Nyingma

Teachers

'jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse'i dbang po · 'jam mgon kong sprul · Dpal sprul 'jigs med chos kyi dbang po · Lung rtogs bstan pa'i nyi ma · Rdzogs chen bzhi pa mi 'gyur nam mkha'i rdo rje

Students

Las rab gling pa · 'jigs med bstan pa'i nyi ma · 'gyur med pad+ma rnam rgyal · A 'dzoms 'brug pa 'gro 'dul dpa' bo rdo rje · Lung rtogs bstan pa'i nyi ma · Dil mgo mkhyen brtse bkra shis dpal 'byor · Pad+ma dbang mchog rgyal po

Other Biographical info:

Links

BDRC Link

https://www.tbrc.org/#!rid=P252

Treasury of Lives Link

http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Mipam-Gyatso/4228

Wiki Pages

• Mi pham rgya mtsho on the BNW

Buddha Nature Project

Person description or short bio

Expand to see this person's philosophical positions on Buddha-nature.

Is Buddha-nature considered definitive or provisional?
Position:	Definitive
Notes:	"Mipam explains that the last wheel’s status as the definitive meaning does not refer to everything taught in the last wheel, but specifically concerns the teaching of Buddha-nature: ...'Although the meaning of the last wheel is praised in the sūtras and commentaries, [this does] not [refer to] everything in the last wheel, but is spoken in this way concerning the definitive meaning position of demonstrating the [Buddha-]nature.' Duckworth, D., Mipam on Buddha-Nature, pp. 4-5.
All beings have Buddha-nature
Position:
If "Qualified", explain:
Notes:
Which Wheel Turning
Position:	Third Turning
Notes:	Buddha-nature is a third wheel teaching, but he holds both third and second to be of definitive meaning and integrates the two as noncontradictory in his presentation of buddha-nature as the unity of emptiness and appearance. Duckworth, D., Mipam on Buddha-Nature, pp. 4-5.
Yogācāra vs Madhyamaka
Position:
Notes:
Zhentong vs Rangtong
Position:
Notes:	He aligns his view with Nagarjuna, but seems to assert rangtong in terms of the relative and zhentong in terms of the ultimate, as Duckworth quotes Mipam's Lion's Roar: "First it is necessary to ascertain the lack of intrinsic nature of all phenomena in accordance with the scriptures of the protector Nāgārjuna; because if this is not known, one will not be able to ascertain the manner that relative [phenomena] are empty from their own side and the manner that the ultimate is empty of what is other. Therefore, one should first ascertain the freedom from constructs which is what is known reflexively." Duckworth, D., Mipam on Buddha-Nature, p. 71. However, Mipam is also quoted as stating: "In the tradition of self-emptiness, since there is only the ultimately nonexistent, an ultimately existing phenomenon is impossible. In the tradition of other-emptiness, what is ultimately nonexistent is the relative, and what is ultimately existent is the ultimate itself. My tradition is clear in the Rapsel Rejoinder, the tradition propounding self-emptiness." Duckworth, D., Mipam on Buddha-Nature, p. 74. Mipam's position depends on the definitions use for these terms, as Duckworth points out: "When we consider Mipam’s depiction of emptiness in light of the categories of “self-emptiness” and “other-emptiness,” we can see that according to Khenpo Lodrö Drakpa’s definitions of a proponent of self-emptiness (claiming a non-implicative negation as the consummate ultimate) and other-emptiness (claiming wisdom as not empty of its own essence), Mipam is a proponent of neither self-emptiness nor other-emptiness. However, according to Lochen’s definitions of self-emptiness and otheremptiness, we see how Mipam can be said to be a proponent of both self-emptiness and other-emptiness!" Duckworth, D., Mipam on Buddha-Nature, p. 74.
Promotes how many vehicles?
Position:
Notes:
Analytic vs Meditative Tradition
Position:
Notes:
What is Buddha-nature?
Position:
Notes:	* "Mipam states that the basic element (Buddha-nature) is empty of adventitious defilements, yet not empty of consummate qualities. These consummate qualities are inseparable from the suchness of phenomena that is luminous clarity and self-existing wisdom." Duckworth, D., Mipam on Buddha-Nature, p. 18. "Mipam’s two models of two truths support his interpretation of the compatibility of emptiness and Buddha-nature. The indivisibility of the two truths, empty appearance, is Buddha-nature; and the unity of appearance and emptiness is what is known in authentic experience." Duckworth, D., Mipam on Buddha-Nature, p. 26.
Svātantrika (རང་རྒྱུད་) vs Prāsaṅgika (ཐལ་འགྱུར་པ་)
Position:
Notes:
Causal nature of the vajrapāda
Position:

The Nyingma, which is often described as the oldest tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, traces its origin to Padmasambhava, who is said to have visited Tibet in the eighth century.

Refers to something that is taught for a specific reason, rather than because it is entirely true.

Refers to a teaching that is literally true.

Along with Madhyamaka, it was one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Asaṅga and Vasubandhu around the fourth century CE, many of its central tenets have roots in the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra and the so-called third turning of the dharma wheel (see tridharmacakrapravartana).

Along with Yogācāra, it is one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Nāgārjuna around the second century CE, it is rooted in the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, though its initial exposition was presented in Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā.

The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature.

The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena.

The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena.

The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature.

The nature or essence of a thing, which originates only from itself and is not dependent on any external entities, causes, or conditions.

The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena.

The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature.

A negation that merely denies the existence of something without implicitly suggesting an alternative.

Tsen Khawoche's "meditative tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; it is one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana.

A fundamental component or essential constituent.

Mental stains that are not inherent to the nature of the mind but are temporarily present as the residue of past actions or habitual tendencies. It is sometimes iterated as adventitious defilements (Skt. āgantukakleśa, Tib. glo bur gyi nyon mongs), which references the fickle and temporary nature of disturbing emotions that lack an ultimately established basis for existence.

Suchness itself, absolute reality, or thusness, as in the ultimate state of being of phenomena.