Recovering the tantras of the Brahmin Cycle of the Dzogchen Yangti (rDzogs chen Yang ti bram ze’i skor)

In Rigdzin Gödem’s biographies, it appears that his father, Lopön Düdül (sLob dpon bDud ’dul, or Sidüdül–Srid bdud ’dul), was a practitioner of the Yang ti bram ze. What do we know about this little-known cycle of Dzogchen tantras?

There are clearly none extant practice instruction manuals (khrid yig), let alone masters who would know the practice in concrete terms. I could not even find a precise list of the tantras of this class. After a discussion with Jean-Luc Achard, I understood that we were indeed in such a total vagueness that his own efforts produced only a tentative list of these tantras by starting from the idea that the Yang ti was subdivided into two–Yang ti nag po and Yang ti bram ze. The Yang ti nag po being a living tradition, its tantras are well known (or at least, there is no ambiguity as to their list). It would therefore be possible to reconstitute the list of tantras of the Yang ti bram ze by eliminating the tantras of the Yang ti nag po from the whole of the tantras of the Yang ti (assuming that there are indeed only these two classes–which is not self-obvious, as, sometimes, one also finds mention of the Yang ti sangs rgyas mnyam sbyor, to which a cycle revealed by Guru Chöwang (Gu ru Chos dbang) belongs).

Trying to follow another trail, I went back to the notes I am gradually adding to my catalog of mTshams brag edition of the rNying ma rgyud ’bum, looking for what I might have noted about the unknown tantras of the Yang ti.

This first link in my research led me to a text in vol. Cha (6) of this edition of the NG: n°8, rDzogs pa chen po rmad byung don gyi snying po rang byung bde ba’i ’khor lo’i rgyud (pp. 520-570) which I had annotated as follows: 

“Found in vol. Ra (ma tshang kha bskong) of the sDe dge edition of the rNying ma rgyud ’bumgTer of ’Brom Ye shes snying po, a figure associated with the Yang ti bram ze’i skor according to Kong sprul.”

Resuming my examination of this text, I found that it included, in its colophon, a sort of small presentation of a lineage of transmission over a few generations (p. 569). It states that this tantra was translated by Vimalamitra and Nyak Jñānakumara (gNyag Dzñā na ku ma ra). The text is then taught with its man ngag to Myang Ting ’dzin bzang po, who hid it as gter ma in dBu ru gZong phug mo’i brag. It was discovered by ’Brom Ye shes snying po, who taught it to his son dBang phyug rgya mtsho, who then taught it to his own son, Ye shes seng ge, who passed it to rNgog ston ’Od ’bar, who transmitted it to Rong pa gNubs chung and to Myang Rin chen gtsug tor.

A quick search on BDRC has taught me that these figures, who can hardly be dated for the last ones, were indeed, according to tradition, related to the Yang ti bram ze’i skor; we find traces of them in the gSan yig of Kong sprul in particular. Later, I found that they are also mentioned in gTer bdag gling pa’s gSan yig, which would be more relevant for Rigdzin Gödem’s father, as both lived in Central Tibet.

I then began a systematic examination of the colophons of the tantras in this volume of the rNying ma rgyud ’bum and found a first list of six which apparently belong to the same group of gter ma discovered by ’Brom Ye shes snying po:

1.  rDzogs pa chen po lta ba’i yang snying | sangs rgyas thams cad kyi dgongs pa nam mkha’ klong yangs kyi rgyud–found in the same volume of the mTshams brag rnying rgyud, pp. 194-307. The text, like several others in this volume, ends with a lineage that appears to be that of the Yang ti bram ze

  1. Kun tu bzang po, 
  2. rDo rje sems dpa’, 
  3. dGa’ rab rdo rje, 
  4. Bram ze bDe mchog snying po, 
  5. Śrī Siṃ ha, 
  6. Vimalamitra, 
  7. Myang Ting ‘dzin bzang po, who hid it as a treasure, which was discovered by 
  8. ’Brom Ye shes snying po, here distinguished from ’Brom Ye shes bla ma who is said to be his father ; the former taught it 
  9. “to the son of Myang shes rab mchog,” and the latter 
  10. to Shangs kyi ston pa lCe chung ba Ye shes rgyal mtshan, who taught it to 
  11. Bla ma gNyan chung ba. This little narrative is followed by a colophon relating to the discovery, in an iron cassette, of the 6 tantras of the Bram ze’i skor by ’Brom Ye shes snying po.

2. rDzogs pa chen po sangs rgyas thams cad kyi dgongs pa chos sku gcig tu ‘dus par bka’ bgros pa’i don rin po che ‘byung gnas kun ‘byung gi rgyud–same volume of the mTshams brag rnying rgyud, pp. 307-414. The text also ends with a lineage that corresponds to what we may suppose to be that of the Yang ti bram ze : 

  1. Translated by Vimalamitra and Dran pa ye shes, who taught it to 
  2. Myang Ting ’dzin bzang po, who hid it as gter ma, but, according to this text, also taught it to 
  3. Mo rgyal le ’tsho, who, although he hid the text, still taught it to 
  4. Blo gros seng ge, who taught it to 
  5. ’Brom Ye shes  bla ma, who transmitted it to his son, 
  6. rGyal ba’i shes rab, who taught it to 
  7. Zhang Dar ma ye shes, who taught it to 
  8. Shangs pa lCe chung ba Ye shes rgyal mtshan, who must be the ’Gu ru Te tsu Dznya na ke tu’ of the colophon. 

3.     Byang chub sems yod skyob pa–same volume of the mTshams brag rnying rgyud, pp. 415-464. The text, like several others in this volume, ends with another barely different version of the Yang ti bram ze lineage: 

  1. Vimalamitra, 
  2. Dran pa ye shes, 
  3. Myang Ting ’dzin bzang po, 
  4. sBa mo rGyal le mtsho, 
  5. sPa Blo gros dbang phyug, 
  6. ’Brom Ye shes bla ma, 
  7. His son rGyal ba’i shes rab, 
  8. Zhang Dar ma ye shes, 
  9. Shangs pa lce chung ba Ye shes rgyal mtshan, who teaches it to 
  10. Shud kye ston pa Mi ‘jigs, who teaches it to 
  11. sNgog (sic) ston rGyal mtshan, who teaches it to 
  12. lCe ston rDo rje gzungs.

4. rDzogs pa chen po don ‘dus rig pa’i gsung rang byung bde ba’i ‘khor lo–same volume of the mTshams brag rnying rgyud, pp. 464-520. The text again ends with a slightly different (and unclear) version of the Yang ti bram ze lineage: 

  1. Vimala [mitra], 
  2. A tsa rya [Dran pa ye shes], 
  3. Myang [Ting ’dzin bzang po], 
  4. gZod phug mo [ = sBa mo rGyal le mtsho? ],
  5. [’Brom] Ye shes snying po, 
  6. sTon’, 
  7. Ka‘, 
  8. Myang dBang phyug rgya mtsho, 
  9. Shangs pa [lCe chung ba Ye shes rgyal mtshan], 
  10. gTsang gi bGrod ston, 
  11. Ra ston, 
  12. Byang chub rgyan.

5. rDzogs pa chen po rmad byung don gyi snying po rang byung bde ba’i ‘khor lo’i rgyud–same volume of the mTshams brag rnying rgyud, pp. 520-570. Kong sprul confirms that it is a gTer of ’Brom Ye shes snying po, indeed associated with the Yang ti bram ze’i skor. In the colophon, we find the following informations;

  1. Translated by Vimalamitra and 
  2. gNyag Dzñā na ku ma ra. The tantra ends with a small lineage: the text is taught with its man ngag to: 
  3. Myang Ting ‘dzin bzang po, who hides it as gter ma in dBu ru gZong phug mo’i brag. It is discovered by 
  4. ’Brom Ye shes snying po, who teaches it to his son 
  5. dBang phyug rgya mtsho, who teaches it to his own son 
  6. Ye shes seng ge, who teaches it to 
  7. rNgog ston ’Od ‘bar, who teaches it to 
  8. Rong pa gNubs chung and 
  9. Myang Rin chen gtsug tor.

6. rDzogs pa chen po nges don ‘dus pa’i yang snying | Kun tu bzang po ye shes klong gi rgyud | rin po che gser gyi yang zhun (thugs kyi snying khu | rin po che gser gyi ‘dril shing can) – pp. 754-807, followed by a kind of abridgment, pp. 807-811. There is a lineage at the end, similar to that of the Dzogs pa chen po rmad byung don gyi snying po above: 

  1. Vimalamitra, 
  2. Myang Ting ‘dzin bzang po, which hides it as gter ma at dBu ru gZong phug mo’i brag. It is discovered by 
  3. ’Brom Ye shes snying po, who teaches it to his son 
  4. Myang dBang phyug rgya mtsho, who teaches it to 
  5. Myang Shes rab mchog, who teaches it to 
  6. Shangs pa lCe chung ba. 

These small pieces of lineages should be carefully compared with one another and with what appears in the gSan yigs. Strangely enough, the Yang ti bram ze’i skor does not appear in the 5th Dalai Lama’s gSan yig, except for vague mentions that do not show more than an knowledge of the name, and for inserted notes (that must be by another hand), mentionning the fact that some tantras that are otherwise regarded as belonging to the Sems sde section of Dzogchen are places, in the gSan yig of the two brothers, mNga’ ris paṇ chen Padma dbang rgyal and Legs ldan rje, in the yang ti bram ze section. This remark comes quite often and would require further investigation. The whole thing seems to show that (1) by the time of the 5th Dalai Lama, the teachings were not only already extinct, but not even known of as something worthy of being discussed (it happens that the 5th Dalai Lama mentions teachings while indicating that he could not receive them; this is not the case for the yang ti bram ze, which, in a manner quite uncharacteristic of his great interest for things rNying ma, he just names in passing). (2) It also indicates that already in the 16th century, in the time of mNga’ ris paṇ chen and Legs ldan rje, a considerable confusion already reigned about what was precisely this category of Dzogchen).

Looking–quite in vain–for any possible biographic / historic element about all those figures, I found on BDRC a text that has both a list of the tantras and a lineage continued to a very recent past:

rDzong sar dgon du bstan pa slar gso skabs dbang lung gsan yig skor phyogs bsgrigs, [BDRC: http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/WA00EGS1017717 ] vol. 2, pp. 207 sqq. (I have slightly edited and especially added numbers and divided into paragraphs for easier reading) :

yang ti bram ze’i skor ni | [208] 

  1. rdzogs pa chen po nges don ’dus pa’i rgyud lta ba thams cad kyi snying po rin po che rnam par bkod pa’i rgyud le’u gya gcig pa Bi ma la dang Ā tsarya Dran pa ye shes kyi ’gyur |
  2. rdzogs pa chen po rin po che ’khor ba rtsad gcod kyi le’u bdun pa | 
  3. rdzogs pa chen po ’khor ba rtsad gcod chos sku skye med rig pa’i rgyud rin po che gter gyi ’byung gnas le’u nyer bzhi pa | 
  4. rdzogs pa chen po lta ba’i yang snying sangs rgyas thams cad kyi dgongs pa nam mkha’ klong yangs kyi rgyud le’u gsum pa ’gyur gong ’dra |’Brom Rin chen ’bar gyi gter ma | 
  5. rdzogs pa chen po sangs rgyas thams cad kyi dgongs pa chos sku gcig tu bka’ bgros pa’i don rin po che yon tan kun ’byung gi rgyud le’u lnga pa ste ’gyur gong ’dra | 
  6. rdzogs pa chen po shin tu rnal ’byor sangs rgyas thams cad ’byung ba’i rgyud ye shes chos kyi sku | don ’dus rig pa’i gsung gsang thugs kyi ting ’dzin rang byung bde ba ’khor lo mthar phyin ’bras bu’i rgyud le’u nyer bdun pa ’gyur gong ’dra ‘Brom gter | 
  7. rdzogs pa chen po nges don ’dus pa’i yang snying kun tu bzang po ye shes klong gi rgyud rin po che gser gyi yang zhun le’u so bdun pa ’gyur gong ’dra | 
  8. rdzogs pa chen po rmad byung don gyi snying po rang byung bde ba ’khor lo’i rgyud le’u nyer bdun pa Bi ma la dang gNyags kyi ’gyur | 
  9. rdzogs pa chen po nges don thams cad ’dus pa ye shes nam mkha’ dang mnyam pa’i rgyud lta sgom thams cad kyi snying po rin po che rnam par bkod pa zhes bya ba’i rgyud le’u nyis brgya sdoms su bsdus pa zhe bzhi pa | 
  10. rdzogs pa chen po don ’dus rig pa’i gsung rang byung bde ba ’khor lo’i rgyud le’u so gsum pa Bi mas Nyang ting ’dzin bzang por gtad pa | 
  11. rdzogs pa chen po ma rig mun pa rab tu gsal bar byed pa lta ba ye shes gting rdzogs kyi rgyud le’u zhe gcig pa Bi ma dang dran pa ye shes kyi ’gyur | 
  12. rdzogs pa chen po lta ba thams cad kyi snying po’i rgyud rin po che bkod pa man ngag thams cad snying po yang snying rin po che gter gyi sgron ma mi nub pa’i rgyal [209] mtshan | rdo rje sems dpa’ man ngag khong don gsang ba yang gsang gi rgyud le’u nyer brgyad pa Bi ma la dang gNyags Dznyā nas Bu tshal du bsgyur ba | 
  13. rdzogs pa chen po kun tu bzang po ye shes gsal bar ston pa’i rgyud le’u bcu bzhi pa Śrī Seng ha dang Pra bha ta dang | gNubs sangs rgyas ye shes kyi ’gyur | 
  14. de’i rgyud phyi ma le’u bzhi pa ’gyur gong ’dra | 
  15. de’i yang phyi ma le’u bzhi pa ’gyur gong ’dra | 
  16. de’i phyi ma’i phyi ma mthar thug gi rgyud le’u bzhi pa ’gyur gong ’dra | 
  17. yang phyi ma gsang ba’i rgyud le’u bzhi pa rnams so | 
  18. yang ti ye shes ’khor lo’i rgyud le’u bzhi pa rnams so | 
  19. yang ti ye shes ’khor lo’i rgyud le’u bdun pa | 
  20. rdzogs pa chen po ye shes ’khor lo gsang ba thugs kyi rgyud le’u bcu dgu pa | 
  21. ’jam dpal ye shes ’dus pa yang ti ’bru gcig pa’i rgyud le’u bcu drug pa | 
  22. ’phags pa spyan ras gzigs ting nge ’dzin rtse gcig pa ’khrul pa rkyen thub kyi rgyud le’u bcu gsum pa’o |

Here are now the lineages as they appears in this text, as a waiting stone for future research. These lineages extend much later and include, for example, Ratna gling pa. It even seems that the lineage is still extant; but that applies in fact to the oral transmission (lung) of the tantras, and not necessarily to any precise knowledge of the practice instructions.

De rnams kyi brgyud pa ni | yang na |

  • Kun bzang |
  • rDor sems |
  • dGa’ rab |
  • Bram ze bDe mchog snying po |
  • Śrī Seng ha |
  • Bi ma la mi tra |
  • Nyang Ting ’dzin bzang po |
  • ’Brom Ye shes snying po |
  • Nyang dbang phyug rgya mtsho |
  • Dan Yon tan mchog |
  • Ngan thung Byang chub rgyal mtshan |
  • Kong thung Sangs rgyas shes rab |
  • rNgog Tshul khrims rgyal mtshan |
  • ’Bre gTsug tor shes rab | 
  • Glan Śā kya dbang phyug |
  • gNyos chu bo ri pa |
  • Glan rDo rje ’od |
  • ’Gos dge slong |
  • ’Gos dNgos grub mgon |
  • Glan Śā kya byang chub |
  • gTsang pa Dar ma rdo rje |
  • ’Gos dNgos grub rgyal mtshan |
  • Bla ma Śā kya rgyal mtshan |
  • Bla ma dPal bzang pa |
  • rDo thog pa rDo rje rgyal mtshan |
  • gNyal bDe legs pa |
  • Rog sgrub pa ’Jam dbyangs bshes gnyen |
  • Ar dge ba Chos dpal rgyal mtshan |
  • ’Phyams dgon pa bSam gtan bzang po |
  • gTer ston Ratna gling pa |
  • Sras Tshe dbang grags pa |
  • rJe Ngag dbang grags pa |
  • mNyam med Ngag dbang nor bu |
  • rJe Nor bu yongs grags |
  • gTsug rgyan Nor bu dbang rgyal | 
  • [210] gSung sprul Tshul khrims rdo rje |
  • Bon lung pa Tshul khrims rgyal mtshan |
  • Thugs sras bsTan ’dzin ’gyur med |
  • gSung sprul Ngag dbang kun bzang rdo rje |
  • Thugs sras ’Gyur med mchog grub dpal ’bar |
  • gSung sprul bsTan ’dzin grub mchog rdo rje |
  • mKhan chen O rgyan bstan ’dzin rdo rje |
  • Khri chen ’gyur med phrin las rnam rgyal |
  • rJe btsun Phrin las chos sgron |
  • Thams cad mkhyen pa ’Gyur med bstan ’dzin ’phel rgyas bzang po |
  • des ’Jam mgon bla ma Ngag dbang yon tan rgya mtsho |
  • rJe dbon Padma rgyal mtshan |
  • bsTan ’dzin ’phel rgyas |
  • O rgyan chos kyi dbang po |
  • dBon Padma rgyal mtshan |

yang na |

  • Phrin las chos sgron |
  • bsTan ’dzin dpal sgron |
  • dBon Padma rgyal mtshan |
  • yang na |
  • O rgyan chos kyi dbang po dang |
  • Yon tan rgya mtsho |
  • dBon Padma rgyal mtshan |
  • gSum kas | ’Gro ‘dul dpa’ bo rdo rje |
  • rGyal sras ’Gyur med rdo rje |
  • yang na |
  • dBon Padma rgyal mtshan |
  • rGyal sras ’Gyur med rdo rje |
  • yang na |
  • Yon tan rgya mtsho |
  • des bKra shis rnam rgyal dang |
  • dPal ldan chos ’phel bzang po |
  • de gnyis kas |
  • rGyal sras ’Gyur med rdo rje |
  • Thub bstan Padma phrin las dar rgyas dpal bzang po |
  • dGe legs bstan pa’i  rgyal mtshan | 
  • des ris med bka’ bstan lhan tshogs su stsal ba’o |
  • yang na | rnying rgyud yongs rdzogs mKhyen brtse’i dbang pos ’Gro ’dul dpa’ bo rdo rjer nye brgyud thun mong ma yin pa’i dbugs dbyung stsal ba ltar na
  • mKhyen brtse dbang po |
  • ’Gro ‘dul dpa’ bo rdo rje |
  • rGyal sras ’Gyur med rdo rje |
  • Thub bstan padma phrin las dar rgyas dpal bzang po | 
  • dGe legs bstan pa’i rgyal mtshan |
  • des ris med bka’ bstan lhan tshogs su stsal ba’o |

Using this list of tantras as a basis, and looking for those texts in the mTshams brag rNying ma rgyud ‘bum, I ended up with the following series of correspondences, identifying 19 of the 22 tantras listed:
 

rDzogs pa chen po yang ti bram ze’i skor
rDzong sar dgon du bstan pa slar gso skabs dbang lung gsan yig skor phyogs bsgrigs p. 207 sqqmTshams brag rnying rgyud
(1) rdzogs pa chen po nges don ’dus pa’i rgyud lta ba thams cad kyi snying po rin po che rnam par bkod pa’i rgyud le’u gya gcig pa Bi ma la dang Ā tsarya Dran pa ye shes kyi ’gyur Vol. Cha, text 1 : rDzogs pa chen po nges don ’dus pa’i rgyud — pp. 2-145 – text belonging to yang ti’i skor according to the catalog of sDe dge. 
(2) rdzogs pa chen po rin po che ’khor ba rtsad gcodkyi le’u bdun pa |Vol. Cha, text 2 : rDzogs pa chen po rin po che’khor ba rtsad gcod kyi rgyud  — pp. 145-162 – text belonging to yang ti’i skor according to the catalog of sDe dge. – Almost no colophon.
(3) rdzogs pa chen po ’khor ba rtsad gcodchos sku skye med rig pa’i rgyud rin po che gter gyi ’byung gnas le’u nyer bzhi pa |Vol. Cha, text 3 : rDzogs pa chen po ’khor ba rtsad nas gcod pa chos sku skye med rig pa’i rgyud [rin po che gter gyi ’byung gnas] — pp. 162-194.
(4) rdzogs pa chen po lta ba’i yang snying sangs rgyas thams cad kyi dgongs pa nam mkha’ klong yangs kyi rgyud le’u gsum pa ’gyur gong ’dra |’Brom Rin chen’bar gyi gter ma |Vol. Cha, text 4 : rDzogs pa chen po lta ba’i yang snying | sangs rgyas thams cad kyi dgongs pa nam mkha’ klong yangskyi rgyud — pp. 194–307. Text belonging to the yang ti’i skor according to the catalog of sDe dge. 
(5) rdzogs pa chen po sangs rgyas thams cad kyi dgongs pa chos sku gcig tu bka’ bgros pa’i don rin po che yon tan kun ’byung gi rgyud le’u lnga pa ste ’gyur gong ’dra |Vol. Cha, text 5 : rDzogs pa chen po sangs rgyas thams cad kyi dgongs pa chos sku gcig tu ’dus parbka’ bgros pa’i don rin po che ’byung gnas kun ’byung gi rgyud — pp. 307-414. Text belonging to the yang ti’i skor according to the catalog of sDe dge. 
?Vol. Cha, text 6 : Byang chub sems yod skyob pa  — pp. 415-464.
(6) rdzogs pa chen po shin tu rnal ’byor sangs rgyas thams cad ’byung ba’i rgyud ye shes chos kyi sku | don ’dus rig pa’i gsung gsang thugs kyi ting ’dzin rang byung bde ba ’khor lo mthar phyin ’bras bu’i rgyud le’u nyer bdun pa ’gyur gong ’dra ’Brom gter |Vol. Cha, text 8 : rDzogs pa chen po rmad byung don gyi snying po rang byung bde ba’i ’khor lo’i rgyud — pp. 520-570 – Found in vol. Ra (ma tshang kha bskong) of sDe dge rNying ma rgyud ‘bumgTer of ‘Brom Ye shes snying po.
(7) rdzogs pa chen po nges don ’dus pa’i yang snying kun tu bzang po ye shes klong gi rgyud rin po chegser gyi yang zhun le’u so bdun pa ’gyur gong ’dra |Vol. Cha, text 11 : rDzogs pa chen po nges don ’dus pa’i yang snying | Kun tu bzang po ye shes klong gi rgyud | rin po che gser gyi yang zhun (thugs kyi snying khu | rin po che gser gyi ’dril shing can )— pp. 754-807, suivi d’une sorte d’abrégé, pp. 807-811 – Text falling under yang ti’i skor according to the sDe dge catalog. There is a lineage at the end, similar to the rDzogs pa chen po rmad byung don gyi snying po above: Vimalamitra, Myang Ting ‘dzin bzang po, who hides it as gter ma to dBu ru gZong phug mo’i brag. It is discovered by ‘Brom Ye shes snying po, who teaches it to his son Myang dBang phyug rgya mtsho, who teaches it to Myang Shes rab mchog, who teaches it to Shangs pa lCe chung ba. 
(8) rdzogs pa chen po rmad byung don gyi snying po rang byung bde ba ’khor lo’i rgyud le’u nyer bdun pa Bi ma la dang gNyags kyi ’gyur |Vol. Cha, text 7 : rDzogs pa chen po don ’dus rig pa’i gsung rang byung bde ba’i ’khor lo — pp. 464-520. The text, like several others in this volume, ends with a lineage that appears to be that of the Yang ti bram ze: Vimala, A tsa rya [Dran pa ye shes], Myang [Ting ‘dzin bzang po], gZod phug mo [ = sBa mo rGyal le mtsho? ],[‘Brom] Ye shes snying po, ‘sTon’, ‘Ka’, Myang dBang phyug rgya mtsho, Shangs pa [lCe chung ba Ye shes rgyal mtshan], gTsang gi bGrod ston, Ra ston, Byang chub rgyan. 
?Vol. Cha, text 9 : Chos chen po rmad du byung ba— pp. 570-621 – Text falling under the Sems sde spyi’i skor according to the catalog of the rNying ma rgyud ‘bum of sDe dge. Almost no colophon. 
(9) rdzogs pa chen po nges don thams cad ’dus pa ye shes nam mkha’ dang mnyam pa’i rgyud lta sgom thams cad kyi snying po rin po che rnam par bkod pa zhes bya ba’i rgyud le’u nyis brgya sdoms su bsdus pa zhe bzhi pa |Vol. Ja, text 1 : rDzogs pa chen po nges don thams cad ’dus pa | Ye  shes nam mkha’ dang mnyam pa’i rgyud — pp. 2-433 – Text belonging to the yang ti’i skor according to the catalog of sDe dge. 
(10) rdzogs pa chen po don ’dus rig pa’i gsung rang byung bde ba ’khor lo’i rgyud le’u so gsum pa Bi mas Nyang ting ’dzin bzang por gtad pa |Vol. Cha, text 10 : rDzogs pa chen po shin tu rnal ’byor sangs rgyas thams cad ’byung ba’i rgyud | ye shes chos kyi sku | don ’dus rig pa’i gsung | gsang ba thugs kyi ting nge ’dzin | rang ’byung bde ba’i ’khor lo | mthar phyin ’bras bu’i rgyud (rDzogs pa chen po don ’dus rang ’byung bde ba’i ’khor lo’i rgyud) — pp. 621-754 – Text belonging to the yang ti’i skor according to the catalog of sDe dge. Almost no colophon.
(11) rdzogs pa chen po ma rig mun pa rab tu gsal bar byed pa lta ba ye shes gting rdzogs kyi rgyud le’u zhe gcig pa Bi ma dang dran pa ye shes kyi ’gyur |Vol. Ja, text 2 : rDzogs pa chen po ma rig mun pa rab tu sel bar byed pa’i lta ba ye shes gting nas rdzogs pa’i rgyud— pp. 433-497. Text under yang ti’i skor according to sDe dge catalog.
(12) rdzogs pa chen po lta ba thams cad kyi snying po’i rgyud rin po che bkod pa man ngag thams cad snying po yang snying rin po che gter gyi sgron ma mi nub pa’i rgyal [209] mtshan | rdo rje sems dpa’ man ngag khong don gsang ba yang gsang gi rgyud le’u nyer brgyad pa Bi ma la dang gNyags Dznyā nas Bu tshal du bsgyur ba |?
(13) rdzogs pa chen po kun tu bzang po ye shes gsal bar ston pa’i rgyud le’u bcu bzhi pa Śrī Seng ha dang Pra bha ta dang | gNubs sangs rgyas ye shes kyi ’gyur |Vol. Nga, text 18 : rDzogs pa chen po kun tu bzang po ye shes gsal bar ston pa’i rgyud — pp. 548 – 563. Text belonging to the yang ti’i skor according to the catalog of sDe dge.
(14) de’i rgyud phyi ma le’u bzhi pa ’gyur gong ’dra | Vol. Nga, text 19 : rDzogs pa chen po kun tu bzang po ye shes gsal bar ston pa’i rgyud phyi ma — pp. 563-568. Text belonging to the yang ti’i skor according to the catalog of sDe dge.
(15) de’i yang phyi ma le’u bzhi pa ’gyur gong ’dra |Vol. Nga, text 20 : rDzogs pa chen po kun tu bzang po ye shes gsal bar ston pa’i rgyud phyi ma’i phyi ma — pp. 568–572 – Is found in vol. Ra (ma tshang kha bskong) of the rNying ma rgyud ‘bum of sDe dge.
(16) de’i phyi ma’i phyi ma mthar thug gi rgyud le’u bzhi pa ’gyur gong ’dra |Vol. Nga, text 22 : rDzogs pa chen po kun tu bzang po ye shes gsal bar ston pa’i rgyud phyi ma’i phyi ma — pp. 573-577
(17) yang phyi ma gsang ba’i rgyud le’u bzhi pa rnams so |Vol. Nga, text 21 : rDzogs pa chen po kun tu bzang po ye shes gsal bar ston pa’i rgyud phyi ma gsang ba’i rgyud — pp. 572 – 573 – Is found in vol. Ra (ma tshang kha bskong) of the sDe dge rNying-ma rgyud ’bum.
?Vol. Nga, text 23 : rDzogs pa chen po kun tu bzang po ye shes gsal bar ston pa gsang sngags kyi lam mchog ’dus pa’i rgyud — pp. 577-585
(18) yang ti ye shes ’khor lo’i rgyud le’u bzhi pa rnams so |There are three Ye shes ‘khor lo’i rgyud in vol. Ta (n°1, 2, 10), but the number of chapters does not match exactly.
(19) yang ti ye shes ’khor lo’i rgyud le’u bdun pa |
(20) rdzogs pa chen po ye shes ’khor lo gsang ba thugs kyi rgyud le’u bcu dgu pa |
(21) ’jam dpal ye shes ’dus pa yang ti ’bru gcig pa’i rgyud le’u bcu drug pa |There are at least two gSer gyi ‘bru gcig pa in the NG of mTshams brag; the one not related to Yang ti nag po should be the right one…
(22) ’phags pa spyan ras gzigs ting nge ’dzin rtse gcig pa ’khrul pa rkyen thub kyi rgyud le’u bcu gsum pa’o |?

[1] « Tantra of the klong sde, » according to ’Jigs gling, dGongs ’dus, p. 45.


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Stéphane Arguillère (December 9, 2022). Recovering the tantras of the Brahmin Cycle of the Dzogchen Yangti (rDzogs chen Yang ti bram ze’i skor). Northern Treasures Histories. Retrieved May 13, 2025 from https://doi.org/10.58079/opeg


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