Category Archives: Non classé

A preliminary Survey of Sangs rgyas gling pa’s (1340–1396) Autobiographical Sketch and Prophecies in Search of Elements Relevant to the Northern Treasures

Stéphane Arguillère (IFRAE/Inalco)

An image of Sangs rgyas gling pa, on p. 6 of
rGyud kyi rgyal po pad sdong brtsegs pa rtsa ‘grel sogs
(gTer ston sangs rgyas gling pa. rGyud kyi rgyal po pad sdong brtsegs pa rtsa ʼgrel sogs. gSer thang bla rung lnga rig nang bstan slob gling. Buddhist Digital Resource Center (BDRC), purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW3CN4603. Accessed 1 May 2025. [BDRC bdr:MW3CN4603])

Sangs rgyas gling pa’s account of his own treasure discoveries (2006a: gTer ’byung chen mo) is surprisingly poor in elements (especially names of people or teachings) that would allow ut to connect him to both known earlier and contemporary figures. The mention of the mKha’ ’gro snying thig seems to be the only detail that could allow us to locate him somewhere in the network of contemporary gter stons. We read in a passage of the text (2006a, pp. 51-52):

དེའི་དུས་སུ་མཁའ་འགྲོའི་སྙིང་ཐིག་ལ་ཤིན་ཏུ་ [52] མོས་པར་བྱུང་བས། བླ་མ་ཤེས་རབ་མགོན་པོ་བྱ་བས་མཁའ་འགྲོ་སྙིང་ཐིག་གི་ཁྲིད་མཛད་པར་ཡོད་ཟེར་བ་ཐོས་པས།, etc.

Unfortunately, Shes rab mgon po, the person that is named as Sangs rgyas gling pa’s master for this cycle, is not a known figure in the mid-14th century mKha’ ’gro snying thig specialists. However, this is as such an interesting hint to the fact that the mKha’ ’gro snying thig spread broader and quicker and faster than we could imagine. Revealed in 1313, it seems that it had already become quite widely available in the mid-fourteenth century, at least in the milieus of treasure discoverers.

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Pictures of ‘Khor gdong Monastery in Khams

By Varvara Chatzisavva, 2019–2025

This post presents pictures by Varvara Chatzisavva documenting the Byang gter monastery of ‘Khor gdong in eastern Tibet. This is to be used together with her forthcoming article entitled “The present and future of ’Khor gdong Monastery
in Brag ’go (Khams, Eastern Tibet) and Siliguri (West Bengal, India).”

The presentation was initially given during the First International Conference on the Northern Treasures held at the Inalco, 2 rue de Lille, Paris, on Octobre 18-20.

‘Khor gdong Monastery

‘Khor gdong from the 1980 to 2024
The main temple as rebuilt by dBon chen bSod nams ’od gsal
The main temple as currently restored
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A Parallel Edition of The Clarifying Ray of Sunlight

Jay Holt Valentine (Troy University)

The Clarifying Ray of Sunlight: A Biography of the Great Emanation (sPrul sku chen po’i rnam thar gsal byed nyi ma’i ‘od zer) is the most complete, early biography of Rigdzin Gödem (1337–ca. 1401), the founding tertön of the Northern Treasures tradition. It was authored, presumably early in the fifteenth century, by Nyima Zangpo (Nyi ma bzang po), who was one of his minor disciples later in life.

Jurgen Herweg (1994) included “a lightly abridged paraphrase of the entire” biography, which features numerous “translated sections,” (p. 15) in his MA thesis completed at the University of Washington. Despite Herweg’s humble assessment of his efforts, his translation of the biography is sufficient enough to allow one to form a rather complex understanding of this famous treasure revealer.

Nevertheless, as Herweg himself admits, his translation is not complete. Additionally, as it has only been published within an MA thesis, it is also rather inaccessible. Lastly, as so much more is known now (2025) about the Northern Treasures, in no small measure as a result of the publication in 2015 of a 63-volume compilation of the tradition’s literature, it is time for a new, complete translation.

Thus, over the past several years, I have been preparing a translation of this historiographically significant biography, which will likely be published, along with a lengthy introduction, at some point in 2026.

In order to facility my translation work, I created the parallel edition of the biography that is presented below. The first column contains the 1983 edition, which I used as the “base text” for my translation. The second column contains the 2015 edition of the biography, which has apparently been edited for clarity at many points throughout text. While I personally would not describe all of the unique features of the 2015 edition as “improvements,” it does provide alternative means for understanding some of the difficult passages as they appear in the other editions. The second column also contains the page number markings for the 1985 edition and an unpublished manuscript, which is represented by the number “0000,” that allow one to quickly check all four manuscripts as needed. The differences between the two editions have been placed in bold as to draw attention to them. There are, in fact, other editions of the biography that have become available since I created this parallel edition, but, alas, I have only included information drawn from the following four editions.

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A Parallel Edition of The Prayer of the Eighteen Great Omens

Jay Holt Valentine (Troy University)

The Prayer of the Eighteen Great Omens is a sketch of the life of Rigdzin Gödem (1337–ca. 1401) that is told through signs, omens, and symbols. It is of interest firstly because it has ostensibly been composed by the great treasure revealer himself, and it is therefore generally understood to be autobiographical. Secondly, the prayer is of great value because excerpts of it have consistently appeared in Rigdzin Gödem’s biographies. Studying the complete prayer gives us the opportunity to more completely understand this piece of literature that has—along with a wealth of other source materials—shaped our understanding of the life of this founding treasure revealer of the Northern Treasures Tradition.

This parallel edition of The Prayer of the Eighteen Great Omens is intended to act as a supplement to a short, forthcoming article that features a translation of the entire prayer, which will hopefully be published in Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines in late 2025 or early 2026.

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A Preliminary Study of Biographical Material Relating to rDo rje gling pa (1346–1405) and What it Might Contribute to Research on the Northern Treasures

Stéphane Arguillère (IFRAE / Inalco)

rDo rje gling pa is an almost exact contemporary of Rig ’dzin rGod ldem (1337–ca. 1401). They were admittedly not active in exactly the same region, although both were in Central Tibet. They had some of their interests in common, not only because were important treasure discoverers (gter ston), but also insofar as both had very extensive revelations about rDzogs chen of a comparable nature. Indeed, rDo rje gling pa’s Pha rgyud lta ba klong yangs and would deserve a careful comparison with Rig ’dzin rGod ldem’s Kun bzang dgongs pa zang thal. Extracts of both have been compiled together by Kong sprul Blo gros mtha’ yas (as well as passages of some of their other rDzogs chen treasure cycles) in vol. 88 of the Rin chen gter mdzod (1976), with the idea that they both belong to the category which the compiler calls Padma snying thig—meaning: the system of rDzogs chen Heart Essence (snying thig) associated with Padmasambhava, the prototype of which is Padma las ’brel rtsal (1291–1319)’s mKha’ ’gro snying thig (1313). Another element is the centrality of Ba gor Bee ro tsa na to rDo rje gling pa—which is reminiscent of the way in which rGod ldem’s dGongs pa zang thal presents itself as a combination of the highest rDzogs chen teachings of the rig ’dzin rnam gsum—Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra and Bee ro tsa na. For these reasons, we could not avoid examining his biography to see how far it could provide elements of context for Rig ’dzin rGod ldem.

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The History of the Transparent Contemplation of Samantabhadra as Portrayed in Jamyang Sönam Gyeltsen’s Garland of Jewels — Part II — The Symbolic Transmission of the Knowledge-Holders

 Jean-Luc Achard
(CNRS, CRCAO)

Edited by Marianne Ginalski

2. The Entrustment of the teachings to
Garab Dorje, Indra, and Tröma Nakmo

Then, Vajrasattva emanated from the sanctuary of Akaniṣṭha into the pure realms of the Enjoyment Body where he remained for sixty-one years,1 absorbed in the radiant state of his own Wisdom of Awareness. He then emanated himself in the sanctuary of the Thirty-three Gods and stood on the Armolika stone, with his retinue consisting of the three groups of the Vajra clan.2 He stayed there for twenty-three years, and in the abode of the gods, gave teachings on symbols (brda) and their meaning (don) to Garab Dorje,3 Indra (the Lord of the Gods), and to the Protectress Tröma Nakmo.4

To liberate gods, he taught symbols to Indra; to liberate men, he taught the condensed meaning of these symbols to Garab Dorje; and to fiercely protect the teachings of Dzogchen, he gave Tröma Nakmo a seal of entrustment. He also gave a seal of entrustment to Garab Dorje, addressing him with the following words:

You, the emanated Garab Dorje, perform the good of Jambudvīpa for one hundred and one human years! (Then,) in three thousand and five hundred years from now, an emanated son of the noble Mañjuśrī, bearing the name of Mañjuśrī(-mitra) will come, so entrust him (with these teachings)! (…)5

Then, the Emanation Body Garab Dorje went to the southern island of Jambudvīpa where he entrusted Mañjuśrīmitra6 with the Dzogchen teachings similar to the Body of the Buddha. He gave the king, his minister, and the son of a brahman7 the Dzogchen teachings similar to the Buddha’s Speech. Eventually, he gave the erudite Śrī Siṃha the Dzogchen teachings similar to the Buddha’s Mind.8

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  1. There is probably a hermeneutical interpretation of that number of years but it currently eludes me. []
  2. rdo rje rigs kyi sde gsum. This expression is not listed in the dictionaries at my disposal. Given the context, I would suggest that this corresponds to three groups comprising gods (lha), humans (mi) and Protectors of the teachings (bka’ srung). The Armolika stone is also often spelt Amolika and is a large slab that supports Indra’s throne. It is on this stone slab that Vajradhara and others have preached Dharma in the realm of the Thirty-three Gods. See inter alia, Martin, A History of Buddhism in India and Tibet, p. 373 (PDF version) n. 1212. See also, id., “Ar mo” https://lists.h-net.org/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl?trx=vx&list=H-Buddhism&month=1001&week=c&msg=LTCjmKyDJGXaZRaHvFNqVg&user=&pw=. []
  3. dGa’ rab rdo rje is traditionally presented as having been the first human lineage holder of the Dzogchen teachings. Depending on the sources that explain his place in the line of transmission of the Great Perfection, he received these teachings either from Vajradhara, Vajrasattva, or even Vajrapāṇi. See a version of his life-story in Nyoshul Khenpo, A Marvelous Garland of Rare Gems, pp. 37-38. See also Düdjom Rinpoche, The Nyingma School, pp. 490-494. []
  4. She is a wrathful form of Vajravārāhī who plays an important role in the practice of Chö (gCod, in particular in the Düdjom Tersar tradition) and in the protection of Dzogchen teachings. She is often presented as the “Lady of Cemeteries” (dur khrod kyi bdag mo); see for instance, Nebesky-Wojkowitz, Oracles and Demons, p. 474. In the cycle of The Transparent Contemplation of Samantabhadra (Kun bzang dgongs pa zang thal), she plays a crucial role as the Protectress of the lineage known as the Contemplative Transmission of the Victorious Ones (rgyal ba dgongs brgyud); see Turpeinen, Vision of Samantabhadra, p. 43. []
  5. P. 48 : sprul pa dga’ rab rdo rje khyod mi lo brgya dang rtsa gcig bar/ /’dzam bu’i gling gi don gyis shig /da nas stong gsum lnga brgya nas/ /’phags pa ‘jam dpal sprul pa’i sras/ /’jam dpal ming can ‘byung gis gtod/ (…). The temporal periods that are referred to in this quote are rather puzzling, to say the least. To my knowledge, they are quite unusual when compared to other narratives associated with dGa’ rab rdo rje. The same remark applies to other durations that are mentioned below. []
  6. On this historical figure, see Nyoshul Khenpo, op. cit., pp. 38-39. []
  7. The king is possibly Dha he na ta lo, on whom see Karmay, The Great Perfection, p. 19. However, later, on p. 51, the author states that the account regarding the king, his minister and the son of a brahman mentioned here is unclear (gsal kha med pa) and is actually of little importance (gal chung). He therefore unfortunately does not provide any information on these figures. []
  8. There is evidently a progression in the increasing subtlety of the teachings that were transmitted, those associated with the Buddha’s Mind (sangs rgyas kyi thugs) being both essentialized and deeper than the previous ones. []

The History of the Transparent Contemplation of Samantabhadra as Portrayed in Jamyang Sönam Gyeltsen’s Garland of Jewels — Part I — The Contemplative Transmission of the Buddhas

Jean-Luc Achard
(CNRS, CRCAO)

Edited by Marianne Ginalski

The first volume of the Compilation of Northern Treasures (Byang gter phyogs bsgrigs) contains an interesting proto-historical work dealing with the origins, early transmission, and revelation of the central treasure cycle of Jangter known as The Transparent Contemplation of Samantabhadra (Kun bzang dgongs pa zang thal). This text has been composed by Jamyang Sönam Gyeltsen1 and is entitled The History of the Lineage, the Garland of Jewels (brGyud pa’i lo rgyus nor bu’i ‘phreng ba).2 The narrative given in the text is rather classical but it is also a departure from similar works in terms of several details and transmission schemes. In general, the history of cycles belonging to the Precepts Section (Man ngag sde) is organized according to three main lineages of transmission:

  1. the Contemplative Transmission of the Victorious Ones (rgyal ba dgongs brgyud),
  2. the Symbolic Transmission of Knowledge-Holders (rig ‘dzin brda rgyud), and
  3. the Oral Transmission of Great Beings (gang zag snyan brgyud).3

This of course also applies to the present text except that these lines of transmission are not precisely defined and do not follow with accuracy the details of the traditional history as for instance recorded in other Heart Drops (sNying thig) cycles. There are also several elements that will certainly seem unusual to readers reasonably accustomed to the “standard” histories of the Precepts Section (Man ngag sde) as we shall see below. Continue reading

  1. On this personage, see Achard, “A Line of Transmission of the dGongs pa zang thal according to the History of the Lineage known as the Garland of Gems (brGyud pa’i lo rgyus nor bu’i ‘phreng ba)”. The identification with the well-known sa skya master of the same name is problematic since the dates that are traditionally attributed to him (1563–1617) conflict with the chronology he himself introduces at the end of his work. []
  2. See the bibliography in fine under the name of ‘Jam dbyangs bSod nams rgyal mtshan. []
  3. This is the scheme followed by Klong chen pa (1308–1364), in several of his works. See inter alia, his Lo rgyus rin po che’i phreng ba, in the Bla ma yang tig. It is the same in the dGongs pa zang thal: see for instance, Rig ‘dzin rgod ldem, Yid ches brgyud pa’i lo rgyus stong thun gyi spyi chings chen mo, p. 6. According to Düdjom Rinpoche (and the sources he uses), the three transmissions respectively correspond to the lineages of Victorious Ones, bodhisattvas, and yogins (see Düdjom Rinpoche, The Nyingma School, p. 447). The first line of transmission is defined as “Contemplative” because it was given through the state of Contemplation (dgongs pa), without uttering a single word. The second line is described as “Symbolic” or transmitted through symbols (brdas brgyud pa) because Knowledge-Holders (rig ‘dzin, corresponding to the category of bodhisattvas in Düdjom Rinpoche’s The Nyingma School referred to above) used specific symbols to illustrate the natural state and transmit the knowledge associated with it. Then, the third line is that of “individuals” (gang zag) who used oral transmission (snyan brgyud) to communicate that knowledge and all its related secret precepts. We will see below that other modes of transmission are used in the revealed literature. See Tulku Thondup, Hidden Teachings of Tibet, p. 102 et seq. []

The Unknown Source of the Hidden Lands: A Note about Tshe brtan rgyal mtshan’s dates

Stéphane Arguillère (IFRAE / Inalco)

sPrul sku Tshe brtan rgyal mtshan (also known as gTer ston Chos kyi blo gros) is a treasure revealer who has been placed in either the 12th or the 13th century. His dating is important, since he is the first known figure to be associated with hidden lands (sbas yul). He was once regarded as a very important gter ston, sometimes counted as one of the five “gTer ston Kings”, as well as among the five emanations of Padmasambhava. According to The Prophecy of O rgyan gling pa quoted by the Fifth Dalai Lama (Thob yig 1970-71: vol. 3, f°11b):

sKu sprul nyi ma ‘od zer yin ༔ 
gSung sprul chos kyi dbang phyug yin ༔ 
Thugs sprul rgod kyi ldem phru yin ༔
Yon tan o rgyan gling pa yin ༔ 
‘Phrin las tshe brtan rgyal mtshan yin ༔ 
‘Di lnga padma ‘byung gnas dngos ༔ 

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The Proto-Historical Origins of the Northern Treasures according to Se ston Padma dbang chen (15th c.)

Jean-Luc Achard
(CNRS, CRCAO)1

In the first part of his Garland of Jewels (Rin chen ‘phreng ba), Se ston Padma dbang chen briefly describes the origins of the Northern Treasures tradition, dating it back to the imperial period. We shall briefly recall here the well-known narrative that structures these origins. Se ston explains that in “earlier times” (sngon gyi dus na),2 there came an emanation of Mañjughoṣa (‘Jam pa’i dbyangs) who manifested as a king protecting Dharma under the name of Khri srong lde’u btsan (r. 755–797). At the age of thirteen, the young prince took hold of the royal seat and started to govern the country.3 Soon, his heart started to turn toward virtues and he became interested in Buddhist teachings. At the time, he was eighteen. He financed the building of temples (gtsug lag khang) that would lay the basis for the spread of Buddhism in the Tibetan kingdom, styled as a “region of darkness” (mun pa’i gling). To ensure this diffusion he decided to invite important masters from India, starting with the abbot Śāntarakṣita who was born in Zahor and whom Tibetans nicknamed “Abbot Bodhisattva”. The Abbot performed the ritual for subjugating the soil (sa ‘dul) and workers started to build the first Buddhist temple in bSam yas. However, as the now famous story goes, what was built by humans during the day was destroyed during the night by ill-intentioned demons.

Since the abbot failed to succeed in the building of the temple, the king was rather displeased. To counter the situation, Śāntarakṣita advised him to invite the ācārya Padmasambhava from India. Presented as having been miraculously born from a lotus on a lake, this master was described as not covered by the impurities of the womb. He had furthermore obtained the immortal Diamond Body (‘chi ba med pa rdo rje’i sku) and was said to be able to perform the activities of a thousand Buddhas.4 In India itself, he was already renown as an Emanation Body (sprul pa’i sku) capable of binding the Eight Classes of Gods and Demons (sde brgyad) into servitude.5 In reality, he was the concrete manifestation of Buddha Amitābha, living in the cave of Yari Gong (g.Ya’ ri gong) in India. Thus, three envoys were dispatched with gold in order to invite him.6 They met him in India and owing to the latter’s aspiration prayers formulated in a previous rebirth, Padmasambhava accepted the invitation to go to Tibet.7 The anachronistic date of their departure for Tibet is said to have been the 15th of the middle winter month of an Earth-Male-Horse year.8

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  1. Thanks to Marianne Ginalski and to Jay Valentine for their suggestions and corrections. []
  2. I.e., during the 8th century. []
  3. At that time, the kingdom of Tibet was not limited to Central Tibet but embraced large parts of Central Asia, Northern China, most of the Himalayan regions, and so forth. However, this state of affairs was not to last long. []
  4. With such a Body, Padmasambhava is said to have obtained power over his lifetime (tshe la dbang ba). []
  5. On these eight classes, see Samten Karmay, “Une note sur l’origine du concept des huit catégories d’esprit”, passim. []
  6. These three envoys were sBa mi khri zher (of Yar klung), Śākya pra ba (of the ‘Chims clan), and Shud pu dPal gyi seng ge. []
  7. His aspiration prayers associated with a previous rebirth are an explicit reference to the legend surrounding the Bya rung kha shor (Bodnath) Stūpa on which see sNgags ‘chang Śākya bzang po, mChod rten chen po bya rung kha shor gyi lo rgyus thos pas grol ba, pp. 302-339. See the excellent translation of this work by Adam Pearcey, “Liberation Upon Hearing —The History of the Great Jarung Kashor Stūpa”, passim. []
  8. P. 4: sa pho rtsa dgu zla ‘bring po’i tshe bco lnga. The date is anachronistic because the addition of the element (‘byung ba) only happened after the introduction of the Kālacakra calendar in Tibet in the mid-11th century. []

A Line of Transmission of the dGongs pa zang thal according to the History of the Lineage known as the Garland of Gems (brGyud pa’i lo rgyus nor bu’i ‘phreng ba)

Jean-Luc Achard

(CNRS, CRCAO)

The brGyud pa’i lo rgyus nor bu’i phreng ba is a late work that has been included in some of the later editions of the dGongs pa zang thal.1 It was authored by one ‘Jam dbyangs bSod nams rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po who is supposed to have been the 25th Sa skya khri chen, also known as Grags pa blo gros (1563–1617).2 I have so far been unable to identify any reference to the transmission of the dGongs pa zang thal in his biography, nor have I succeeded in locating in the same biography any interest of this master for rDzogs chen teachings. However, in the present narrative, he explains the lineage from which he has received transmission, including direct teachings from Chos kyi rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po, Rig ‘dzin Nam mkha’ grags pa and rNam rgyal mgon po, among others. This direct proximity raises questions about his dates.3 He states (p. 68) that the transmission he obtained from Nam mkha grags pa occurred 74 years after the gter ma revelation by rGod ldem. This would correspond to 1439 (sa mo lug).4 He also explains that the transmission lasted until 1441 (lcags mo bya), covering a period during which he received the various empowerments of the dGongs pa zang thal.5 The teachings he received are connected to the following line of transmission:

  1. ‘Od mi ‘gyur ba/Samantabhadra (pp. 45-46)6
  2. Buddhas of the Five Clans (rigs lnga) (p. 46)
  3. Mahā Vajradhara/Vajrasattva (p. 46)
  4. Vajrapāṇi (pp. 46-48)7
  5. dGa’ rab do rje (pp. 48-49)
  6. ‘Jam dpal bshes gnyen (Mañjuśrīmitra) (pp. 49-52)
  7. Shrī seng ha (Śrī Siṃha) (p. 52)
  8. Padmasambhava (p. 52)
  9. Vairocana (p. 52)
  10. Vimalamitra (p. 52)8
  11. Chos rgyal Khri srong lde btsan (p. 53)
  12. (Ye shes) mTsho rgyal (p. 53)9
  13. gTer ston Rig ‘dzin smug nag (p. 56)10
  14. bSod nams bzang po (p. 66)
  15. Rig ‘dzin chen po Nam mkha’ grags pa (p. 66)11
  16. rNam rgyal mgon po (p. 68)12
  17. Sa skya ‘Jam dbyangs bSod nams rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po (p. 69)

The issue about the author of this text is thorny because his dates on the Sa skya side seem to be well established while they in fact do not fit with the chronology he himself gives of the transmission he received. A solution would be to suggest there has been two Sa skya ‘Jam dbyangs bSod nams rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po-s, but I think it is pretty much unlikely.

 

Bibliography

Collective

sNga ‘gyur byang gter chos skor phyogs bsgrigs, s.l., 2015, 63 volumes, BDRC W2PD17457.

Rig ‘dzin rGod ldem (1337–1408)

— Byang gter phyogs bsgrigs: sNga ‘gyur byang gter chos skor phyogs bsgrigs, s.l., 2015, 63 vol. BDRC W2PD17457.

— Byaṅ gter rdzogs chen dgoṅs pa zaṅ thal and Thugs sgrub skor, Collections of texts from two cycles of rediscovered teachings of the Byaṅ-gter or Rdo-rje-brag tradition of the Rñyiṅ-ma-pa school, revealed from their place of concealment by Rig-‘dzin Rgod-kyi-ldem-‘phru-can. Reproduced from ancient manuscripts from the monastery of Gsaṅ-sṅags-chos-gliṅ in Spiti. Published by Orgyan Dorji, Suma, Kinnaur Distt., 3 volumes, 1978.

‘Jam mgon A mes zhabs (1597–1660)

sNgags ‘chang grags pa blo gros kyi rnam par thar pa bying rlabs char ‘bebs zhes bya ba, in The Biographies of Sa-skya Lo-tstshā-ba ‘Jam-pa’i-rdo-rje (1485–1533) sṄags-‘chaṅ Grags-pa-blo-gros (1563–1617), and ‘Jam-dbyaṅs bSod-nams-dbaṅ-po (1559-1621), Reproduced from clear prints of the Sde-dge Dgon-chen blocks, Sakya Centre, Dehradun, 1984, pp. 39-91.

‘Jam dbyangs bSod nams rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po (*1563–1617)

brGyud pa’i lo rgyus nor bu’i phreng ba, in sNga ‘gyur byang gter chos skor phyogs bsgrigs, vol. 1, pp. 43-71.

Schwieger, Peter

Die Werksammlungen Kun-tu bzaṅ-po’i dgoṅs-pa zang-thal, Ka-dag raṅ-byuṅ raṅ-śar und mKha’-‘gro gsaṅ-ba ye-śes-kyi rgyud, Tibetische Handschriften und Blockdrucke, Teil 9,  Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1985.

 

  1. It is not, for instance, included in the 1978 three volume edition of the Byang gter rdzogs chen dgongs pa zang thal and Thugs sgrub skor. Nor is it contained in the A ‘dzom chos sgar edition. []
  2. About his life, see ‘Jam mgon A mes zhabs, sNgags ‘chang grags pa blo gros kyi rnam thar, pp. 39-91. His name is given on p. 43 as sNgags ‘chang Grags pa Blo gros rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po, and as ‘Jam dbyangs bSod nams rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po on p. 48. []
  3. The fact that he belong to the Sa skya lineage and that he therefore might really be the 25th Sa skya khri ‘dzin, is hinted at in the Nor bu’i phreng ba itself in which he introduces himself at one point as being of Sa skya lineage (p. 69: bdag sa skya ‘jam dbyangs bsod nams rgyal mtshan dpal bzang pos/…). []
  4. There is a discrepancy of about one century and a half when comparing these dates with those that are traditionally associated with the 25th Sa skya khri ‘dzin. []
  5. The list he gives enumerates: spros bcas dbang, spros med dbang, shin tu spros med dbang, rab tu spros med dbang, as well as thugs dbang, and rtsal dbang. []
  6. ‘Od mi ‘gyur ba (“Immutable Light”) is the name of the primordial Buddha as it appears in several Tantras of the dGongs pa zang thal (and elsewhere). This name can be interpreted as symbolically referring to the natural state (gnas lugs) which is defined as the nondifferentiation of Emptiness and Clarity (stong gsal dbyer med). The Emptiness aspect (stong cha) of this state is to be associated with the “Immutable” (mi ‘gyur ba) Essence (ngo bo) of the Buddha, while the “Light” or Clarity aspect (gsal cha) is connected to his Nature (rang bzhin). See also P. Schwieger, Die Werksammlungen Kun-tu bzaṅ-po’i dgoṅs-pa zang-thal, p. xix. []
  7. Starting with the next in the line of transmission, i.e., dGa’ rab rdo rje, all masters belong to the human realms, while nos. 1-4 were associated with divine abodes. []
  8. Padmasambhava, Vairocana, and Vimalamitra are traditionally presented as having all been disciples of Śrī Siṃha, although not at the same time. []
  9. She was a disciple of Padmasambhava (no. 8), not of Vairocana or Vimalamitra. And even though she had been married to king Khri srong lde btsan she was in no way his disciple either. []
  10. This is of course Rig ‘dzin rGod ldem (1337–1408). In the lineage of the Ka dag rang byung rang shar (Byang gter phyogs bsgrigs, vol. 3 p. 11), he is described as a great Knowledge-Holder (rig ‘dzin chen po) having a dark red or brown complexion (sku mdog dmar smug). []
  11. bSod nams bzang po and Nam mkha’ grags pa are both direct disciples of Rig ‘dzin rGod ldem. []
  12. He was Rig ‘dzin rGod ldem’s son. []