Jikten Sumgön Receives Full Ordination and Becomes Abbot of Densa Thil

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

As the anniversary of Phakmo Drupa’s parinirvana approached, Lama Yel visited Jikten Sumgön and requested that Jikten Sumgön lead a feast-offering for the occasion. Although Jikten Sumgön felt he should focus instead on meditation, he relented to Lama Yel’s request. At a certain point in the ritual, Namkha Gyen, the daughter of Lama Thodpa Drupa appeared naked in a dance before Jikten Sumgön. That moment prompted a realization in Jikten Sumgön: “This is happening probably due to the fact that I am not a monk. For the benefit of other beings, it is necessary for me to take the full monk’s vows now and fulfill the wishes of my Lama.” When Phakmo Drupa was alive, there was one occasion when he suggested to Jikten Sumgön that he took the monk’s vows. At that time, thinking that it was both unnecessary (since he was already guarding his moral ethics perfectly) and less pretentious (since monks were held in higher regard by others) if he just remained a lay-practitioner, Jikten Sumgön did not request the monk’s vows. But this incident finally brought to fruition his Lama’s wish and also demonstrated Jikten Sumgön’s realization of the unity of Mahāmūdra and moral ethics - a distinctive emphasis in Jikten Sumgön's Gongchik teachings.

Soon after the anniversary ritual (in the year 1177), Jikten Sumgön traveled to Phakmo Dru monastery and from there he went with Gompa Sherab Öd to the Ön area to request the full monk’s vows. For his monk’s ordination, Zhangsum Thokpa acted as the upādhyāya (Tib. khenpo), Tsilungpa as the karmācārya and Nyalwa Düldzin as the upakvasācarya. From this point on, Jikten Sumgön completely gave up meat and in accordance with Phakmo Drupa’s observance, Jikten Sumgön even abstained from alcohol in the ritual-context. After the ordination, he assiduously studied the Vinaya and Prātimokṣa Sūtra with Nyalwa Düldzin. Jikten Sumgön was thirty-five years old.

Not long after his ordination, the monks at Phakmo Drupa’s old monastery invited Jikten Sumgön to return to the monastery and take over leadership of it since he was Phakmo Drupa’s foremost heart-disciples and named by his Lama as his successor. From the passing of Phakmo Drupa in 1170 to 1176 there were no formal abbots although Lama Zhang labored to hold the monastery together and led the assembly at formal occasions. It was only in 1177 that Jikten Sumgön formally assumed the position of the abbot at Phakmo Dru. When Jikten Sumgön first arrived, Lama Zhang had been unwell caused by prana problems. Jikten Sumgön gave him some teachings and instructed him to apply them and within fifteen days Lama Zhang’s health was fully restored. This inspired great faith in Lama Zhang.

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