Tsembupa Darma Wozer (tshem bu ba/pa dar ma 'od zer) was born into the Nyen (gnyan) clan in Shabto (shab bstod), western Tibet. We do not know much about his studies, but if he is the same Darma Wozer who figures in lineage lists of several of the works of Maitreya, it suggests that he was a scholar of some importance.
After Tsembupa finished his studies he became a hermit and began to meditate, mostly in the Yeru region. His name "Tsembupa," which means tailor, derives from the fact that he spent so much time patching his ragged clothes.
He was offered the monastery of Chumik Tonmolung (chu mig ston mo long) by Ngoktsun Karmo (rngog btsun dkar mo), but refused the post because, as he put it, "somebody else wants it, so you should give it to him." He then began to live in various retreat sites.
After practicing for many years, he eventually had a vision of Avalokiteśvara, which served as the basis for a new method of meditation on the deity. He passed on the tradition to six disciples, the most important of which was Chiwo Lhepa Jangchub Wo (spyi bo lhas pa byang chub 'od), and over time it became one of the five great systems of Avalokiteśvara practice in Tibet, the Tsembu System (tshem bu lugs). The other four are the Kyergang (kyer sgang), Pelmo (dpal mo), Dagyel (zla rgyal), and Mitra (mi tra) systems, each named after the particular Tibetan or Indian saint who founded them.
Although popular in all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, Tsembupa's Avalokiteśvara system is today preserved mostly in the Sakya and Geluk traditions. The practice was especially popular with the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho, 1617-1682), who both received and gave Tsembupa’s teachings many times.
Despite the similarity in their names, Tsembupa should not be confused with Nyel Darma Wozer (gnyal dar ma 'od zer), a Vinaya expert who lived two centuries earlier.
参考书目
'Gos lo tsā ba gzhon nu dpal. 1984. Deb ther sngon po. Kan su’u: Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, vol. 2, p. 1213.
Sangs rgyas phun tshogs. 2000. Thugs rje chen po dmar khrid nges don spyid kyi thig le. In Thugs rje chen po tshem bu lugs kyi skor. Kathmandu: no publisher, pp. 10-13.
Lcang skya rol pa’i rdo rje. 1995. Tshem bu pa’i lugs kyi spyan ras gzigs kyi dmar khrid. In Lcang sky rol pa’i rdo rje'i gsung 'bum, vol. 3, pp. 447-478. Beijing: Krung go bod brgyud mtsho rim nang bstan slob gling nang bstan zhib 'jug khang.
Ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho. 2009. Spyan ras gzigs kyi grub thabs ri bo gru ‘dzin du brgod pa’i them skas. In Rgyal dbang lnga pa ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho’i gsung ‘bum. Beijing: Krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrung khang, 2009), vol. 13, 388-89, for the various alternative lineages of Tsembupa’s teachings.