Essential Advice in Three Sets of Three

As potent as it is pithy, this short text outlines three sets of qualities required respectively by sages, bodhisattvas, and practitioners of the Mantrayāna. There is obvious overlap in the advice contained at each level, particularly ascending from the initial to the final qualities, which mirrors the central training of the three Buddhist vehicles essential to the Tibetan tradition.

Dentik Monastery figures prominently in Tibetan Buddhist history even though the historical record is fragmented. According to local history, Dentik was the place where Lachen Gongpa Rabsal received ordination from the Three Polymaths in the tenth century and where he ordained the "ten men" responsible for bringing the Vinaya lineage and Buddhist teachings back to Central Tibet to start the historical epoch called “Later Transmission of Buddhism.”

Dentik Monastery

Institution

The Wondrous Light of Lunar Nectar:

The Biography of Kunga Palden

The Wondrous Light of Lunar Nectar is a biography of Chatral Kunga Palden (1878–1944) written by Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor.

Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor

Biography

Abridged Biographies: The Lineage of the Do Family

This text provides us with an insight into the life of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje by presenting a concise biography of the master in addition to those of his family. It, moreover, offers stories from the life of his half-sister and spiritual partner, Losal Drölma—an honored teacher in her own right and a figure on the fringe of the Yeshe Dorje tales told in temples.

Do Dasal Wangmo

Biography

A Lineage Prayer for the Natural Liberation of Grasping

This lineage prayer for Do Khyentse's treasure cycle of the Natural Liberation of Grasping (Dzinpa Rangdröl) is found in a liturgical compilation arranged by Galwang Nyima. The prayer comprises verses from the supplication prayer and Tröma practice as located in the revealed treasure texts as well as a short transmission lineage.

Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje

Lineage Prayer

The Hook Which Invokes Blessings: A Supplication to the Life and Liberation of Knowledge-Holder Jalu Dorje

This concise biographical prayer to Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje was written by the master himself at the request of a king, most likely Namkha Lhundrub of Trokyab.

Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje

Biographical

The Recitation for the Gradual Path of the Preliminaries

This liturgy for the preliminary practices, or ngöndro (sngon 'gro), of Do Khyentse's terma revelation Yangsang Khandrö Tugtik, 'The Exceedingly Secret, Enlightened Heart–Essence of the Ḍākinī", includes the common, outer practices of contemplation and the main, inner preliminaries of taking refuge, generating bodhicitta, offering the maṇḍala, purifying obscurations through Vajrasattva, and guru yoga.

Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje

Preliminary Practice

The Truthful Words of a Sage

This aspirational prayer of Do Khyentse is the last text in his Natural Liberation of Grasping (Dzinpa Rangdröl) treasure cycle located within The Exceedingly Secret, Enlightened Heart–Essence of the Ḍākinī treasure cache.

Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje

Asprational Prayer

A Biography of Tamdrin Lhamo

Tamdrin Lhamo was a twentieth-century yoginī of the Nyingma monastery Nakla Gar in Chamdo. Her father was the treasure revealer and Dzogchen master Nakla Jangchub Dorje.

Döndor and Tenzin Chödrak

Biography

Waterfall of Youth

‘Waterfall of Youth’, written in 1983, is a free-verse poem written in Tibetan. The form of the poem is that of a waterfall. As you read down the page, you can see the sometimes gentle, sometimes violent flow as the waterfall of youth visually cascades down the page. The cadence of the lines is also reminiscent of the flow of a waterfall or the current of a river.

Döndrub Gyal

Poetry

A Brief History of Drago Monastery

Drago Monastery (brag 'go dgon) has its historical roots during the Tibetan empire. History says that Drogo Monastery used to be a Nyingma monastery until it was converted to the Geluk tradition in the 17th century. Currently, it has around 400 to 500 monks, including the monks who are studying at Drepung Loseling Monastery in south India. Being the largest monastery in Drago, it plays a pivotal role in preserving Tibetan culture and spreading the Buddhadharma.

Drago Monastery

Institution

An Account of Muni Tsenpo and Jingyön Mutik Tsenpo

Giving glimpses of the Tibetan imperial period, this concise text encapsulates historical highlights of the kings—Muné Tsenpo and Mutik Tsenpo. Sons of Tri Songdetsun, the period and accounts of these two rulers are nothing but muddled, and the historical veracity ought to be taken with a grain of salt.

Draksö Puntsok Wangdu

Imperial History

The Formation of the Outer Container

The Formation of the Outer Container is a description of the formation of the universe according to Buddhist cosmogony.

Drigung Könchok Tenzin Chökyi Lodrö

Cosmogony

Sixteen Self-Assertions

The first rendition of the seal was written in 1619 by the First Drukpa Zhabdrung, Ngawang Namgyal, after seizing military victory over Puntsok Namgyal, the ruler of Tsang in Tibet. The lines translated here are in a different order in comparison to other editions. Nevertheless, this epic declaration not only helps to establish the emerging country of Bhutan but centralizes Shabdrung's power in a talismanic nature.

Drukpa Zhabdrung, Ngawang Namgyal

Declaration

Hidden Sacred Land of Pemakö

Dudjom Lingpa presents us with a geomatic and spiritual description of the sacred land of Pemakö, hidden, majestic, and rejuvenating. As he lays out the territorial portrayal, he speaks of the abodes of masters, the dwellings of deities, and the productive power of purification. He then caps this brief work with a quote from the exceedingly secret guidebook of Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance.

Dudjom Lingpa

Guidebook

The Ruby Garland: A Genealogy of Genghis Khan

The Ruby Garland is a genealogy of the Tibetan clans Barchung and Ju, descended from Genghis Khan. It might be the only Tibetan historical document that holds a clear account of Buddhism's existence in Mongolia during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). Parallel historical narratives can be found in the official historical records of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Shi (明史).

Gyurme Pema Chögyal

Genealogy

Abbreviated Biography of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye praises Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s profound accomplishment in many of Tibet’s spiritual traditions. This work is an inspiring telling of the teacher’s life.

Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye

Biographical

Generating Wonder & Glory: A Supplication to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s Successive Lives Arranged in a Rough Summary

Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye supplicates the previous incarnations of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. You might be surprised by the list of important masters he was associated with.

Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye

Supplication Prayer

The Drop of Spring: A Spontaneous Vajra Song of Definitive Meaning That Supplicates the Great Charioteers of the Luminous Mahāmudrā

The Drop of Spring inspires us by supplicating the early Dagpo Kagyu lineage and making aspirational prayers on the path of the luminous Mahāmudrā.

Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

Supplication Prayer

The Guidebook to the Hidden Land of Pemokö

The Guidebook to the Hidden Land of Pemokö is a revealed treasure text included in Jatsön Nyinpo’s Embodiment of the Precious Ones, the Könchok Chidu. It is a prediction text about the future degenerate times and purportedly the first guidebook to the hidden land of Pemokö.

Jatsön Nyingpo

Guidebook

The Vajra Verses: A Prayer of the Fierce Inner Heat

This supplication, filled with instruction for the completion stage practice of fierce inner heat, was written by Jigme Lingpa in his renowned work of The Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse, or Longchen Nyingtik. It is traditionally sung after the lineage supplication and before the fierce inner heat practice.

Jigme Lingpa

Prayer

The History of Galenteng Monastery

A short text concerning Galenteng Monastery purportedly initially established by Lhalung Palgyi Dorje. Its construction, linage affiliation, pronunciation, and orthography changed over time lending itself to a multitude of modifications.

Jigme Samdrub

Institution

The Biography of Khyungtrul Pema Trinle Gyatso

Khyungtrul Pema Trinle Gyatso, also known as Khyungtrul Kargyam, was a treasure revealer, a highly learned master, and undeniably an important figure in the Rimé movement of the nineteenth century in Kham. Pema Gyurme’s disciple, Khen Orgyen Namgyal, composed this short biographical text, relying upon Khyungtrul’s autobiography and oral account.

Khen Orgyan Namgyal

Biography

Devotion is the Highest Practice

In this succinct text, a practice a devotee resounds in the early morning, Khenpo Ngawang Palzang strikes a central point of Buddhist tantra and rings the ever-sounding bell in the belfry of devotion.

Khenpo Ngawang Palzang

Buddhist

Talking to Myself

Surging, subtle, and well short of a rigmarole, Khenpo Ngawa Palzang takes us down a river of reverie. In this current the ripples of his thought invoke images of self-depreciation, accountability, and conscientiousness, to name a few. In the end, the imperative is put forth to investigate the moral and to take your findings into your own condition. So, hop in this craft and take the journey down this eddyless waterway.

Khenpo Ngawang Palzang

Poetry

Dzogchen Khenchen Abu Lhagang

Khenpo Tsöndru's brief biography of his own teacher Pema Tegchok Loden (1879–1955), alias Khenchen Abu Lhagang, tells how he studied under some of the most illustrious masters of his day before serving as abbot for eight years at the famed monastic college of Dzogchen Śrī Siṃha and then retiring to a nearby cave, focusing on meditative practice.

Khenpo Tsöndru

Biography

A Brief History of Kyodrak Monastery

A brief history of Kyodrak Monastery where the successive reincarnations of Tsoknyi Özer reside. It is the main seat of the Barom order, one of the four main divisions of the Kagyu, situated in Dokham.

Kyodrak Monastery

Institution

An Aspiration to Travel to the Hidden Land of Pemokö

A prayer to take rebirth in the hidden sanctuary of Pemakö, where obstacles such as sickness and conflict are scarce or nonexistent and favourable conditions may aid progress on the Dharma path.

Lelung Zhepé Dorje

Aspiration Prayer

Chapter Narrating the Pure Vision of Gesar

The Fifth Lelung Rinpoche, Shepé Dorje (1697–1740), is unusual among senior Geluk figures for having taken a personal interest in the figure of Gesar of Ling, eponymous hero of the Tibetan epic. The text translated here narrates his ‘pure vision’ of Gesar, which took place near his monastic seat at Lelung, in Ölga, in 1729. Please see the full abstract in the note section of the translation.

Lelung Zhepé Dorje

Pure Vision

The Magical Lasso – A Prayer of Aspiration to Accomplish Khecara

This aspirational prayer calls upon all the ḍākinīs of the three worlds to grant their blessings, so that the practitioner may complete the vajrayāna path and bring benefit to all beings.

Lelung Zhepé Dorje

Aspirational Prayer

A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong

This meditative or spiritual song was composed by Milarepa (1040–1123), Tibet’s most famous yogi and poet. With an almost Wordsworthian rhapsody, Mila describes the inconceivable qualities of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong and explains why it is so favourable for meditative retreat. Strikingly, he identifies the natural world itself, rather than past Buddhist masters, as the wellspring of blessings for this holy place.

Milarepa

Song

Biography of Getse Lama Jigme Ngotsar Gyatso

Holder of the Longchen Nyingtik, disciple of Jigme Lingpa, and founder of Kilung Monastery, Jigme Ngotsar Gyatso, aka Getse Lama Sönam Tenzin, helped establish and promulgate the teachings of his masters. Come take a glimpse into the enlightened life of this master by reading his concise biography, penned by Tenzin Lungtok Nyima.

Tenzin Lungtok Nyima

Biography

Mura Pema Dechen Zangpo

This is a short biographical history of the Mura lineage including previous incarnations culminating in a longer biography of the Third Mura Pema Dechen. Written by Tenzin Lungtog Nyima it clearly describes some of the key moments, activities, teachers and students of the Mura lineage.

Tenzin Lungtok Nyima

Biography

The Brilliant Essence: The Ritual Manual for the Secret Embodiment of the Guru (Lama Sangdu)

Terdak Lingpa compiled this ritual manual (las byang) for the Secret Embodiment of the Guru (bla ma gsang 'dus) revelation of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk (1212–1270) in order to facilitate the elaborate offering practices performed on the tenth day of the lunar month at Mindröling Monastery.

Terdak Lingpa

Ritual Manual

A Letter to Hotoktu Rinpoche

This letter is purportedly from the secretary of the Ninth Paṇchen Lama to Hotoktu Rinpoche. It was purchased and is now conserved in a private collection in France. The means of the initial acquisition is unknown. We are happy to receive any information concerning this letter.

The Secretary of The Ninth Paṇchen Lama, Tubten Chökyi Nyima

Correspondence

Eleventh Day, Ninth Month, Water Pig Year

These letters were purchased and are now conserved in a private collection in France. The means of the initial acquisition is unknown. The recipient(s) of the letters are currently unidentified, and their connection with the Thirteenth Dalai Lama is undetermined. We are happy to receive any information concerning these letters.

Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso

Correspondence

The Tibetan Charter

A translation of pertinent and interesting sections of the Tibetan Charter, a document setting out the organisation structure of its government. This translation is purely for a historical presentation.

Tibetan Government in Exile

Government

A Brief Biography of Jetsunma Do Dasal Wangmo

Nun, physician, and treasure revealer, Do Dasal Wangmo was a well-respected female master in eastern Tibet. She was the great-granddaughter of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje and the last member of his family line. Her religious affinity and familial connections allowed her to follow a contemplative, studious, and altruistic lifestyle as a monastic physician and professor of Tibetan medicine.

Tsangpo

Biography

In Praise of the Goddess Sarasvatī

One of the most famous poems in Tibetan history in which Tsongkhapa calls out and praises the goddess Sarasvatī. This poem is not only chanted in monastic halls but also sung by performing artists and taught in literature classes.

Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa

Praises

A Chronological Timetable:

Lives of Do Khyentse’s Familial Line

This concise table features birth and death dates for essential individuals connected with Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje's familial line.

Tubten Chödar

Timetable

Biography of Gyalse Rigpe Raltri

Rigpe Raltri was the younger son of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje and was recognized as the reincarnation of Jigme Lingpa's son, Jigme Nyinche Özer.

Tubten Chödar

Biography

The Biography of Ḍākki Losal Drölma

Losal Drölma, half-sister and religious companion of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, was pivotal in the treasure teachings that he brought forth and became the Dharma custodian of his teachings. while imbibing the streams of instructions, she spent a wealth of time in retreat and grew rich in experiential realization.

Tubten Chödar

Biography

A Brief Biography: The Successive Incarnations of Tsoknyi Özer

These introductory biographies of the successive reincarnations of Tsoknyi Özer invite us to the land of liberation by establishing their enlightened lifestyles as examples. The text highlights the significance of devotion towards a spiritual master as, for example, the Third Tsokyni lighting his ring finger on fire, offering it as a lamp to fulfill his guru's aspirations.

Wönpo Gelek