Discover Tibetan literary treasures with Tib Shelf. An online library of expertly translated Tibetan primary texts spanning diverse genres, time periods, and wisdom—your gateway to the stories and culture of Tibet. Enjoy downloadable publications, immersive videos and engaging audio narrations. Tibetan literature brought to you through beautifully translated publications, engaging audio narrations & immersive videos. Biography An Extraordinary Pure Vision at Kharchu's Nectar Cave: A Dream of Guru Chöwang Guru Chökyi Wangchuk After five days of Guru Pema practice, Chöwang's pure vision atop Mt Meru reveals worldly omens and a profound teaching: all phenomena, even demons, arise from mind itself. Watch Today's Picks Song A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong Milarepa Milarepa's poetic ode to Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong exalts nature itself as the source of this retreat site's blessing power, departing from traditional focus on Buddhist masters. Biography A Brief Biography of Jetsunma Do Dasal Wangmo Tsangpo A renowned female master in eastern Tibet, Do Dasal Wangmo - Do Khyentse's great-granddaughter - served as nun, physician, and treasure revealer, later teaching medicine despite political hardship. Biography A Biography of Chöje Lingpa Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye A Biography of Chöje Lingpa by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, detailing the life of Chöje Lingpa (Rogje Lingpa), a seventeenth- to eighteenth-century Tibetan treasure revealer (tertön) known for discovering and transmitting profound spiritual treasures (terma), including teachings on Guru Padmasambhava, Mahāmudrā, and Dzogchen. Biography Mura Pema Dechen Zangpo Tenzin Lungtok Nyima A genealogy of the Mura lineage through its incarnations, focusing on the Third Mura Pema Dechen's life, teachings, and key relationships, penned by Tenzin Lungtok Nyima. Aspirational Prayer For the Long Life of Ḍākki Losal Drölma Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje Do Khyentse, writing as Tragtung Dorje, crafts a long-life prayer for Ḍākki Losal Drölma that playfully incorporates her lesser-known name Drön while praising her spiritual attainments. Download Biography Namkechenma: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Armed with the 'scroll of devastation' from his father, Guru Chöwang's first treasure excavation leads to a terrifying encounter with the Nine-Headed Nāga Demon, guardian of hidden teachings. Read LATEST PUBLICATIONS Lelung Zhepe Dorje The Outer, Inner, and Secret Practice Cycle of Zhepe Dorje Lelung Zhepe Dorje Opening the Door to Prosperity: A Praise To Invoke The Sacred Commitment Of The Great Shanglon Dorje Dudul Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye A Biography of Chöje Lingpa Lelung Zhepe Dorje A Series of Spontaneous Spiritual Songs Guru Chökyi Wangchuk The Great Symbolic Vision at Palpuk Ring: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Namkechenma: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk People 1836-1896 Jetsunma Tamdrin Wangmo Kelzang Chokyi Nyima View 1808–1887 Dza Patrul Orgyen Jigme Chökyi Wangpo View 1879–1955 Pema Tegchok Loden View 1910–1991 Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor View WEEKLY QUOTES The flowers of the secret tantras blossom in the ocean-like multitudes of teachings and practices; By tapping them to extract the honey-like nectar of the essential pith instructions, You introduced the intelligent to the restfulness of the supreme adepts. Yogin Marpa the Translator, I long for you from the center of my heart— Bless me to realize the innate primordial wisdom! Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo AUDIO NARRATION Opening the Door to Prosperity: A Praise To Invoke The Sacred Commitment Of The Great Shanglon Dorje Dudul Lelung Zhepe Dorje Devotional praises invoking Shanglon Dorje Dudul, composed by Lelung Zhepe Dorje, describe him in great detail as a dark blue yaksha figure adorned with jewels, holding a wish-fulfilling jewel and nectar vase, and capable of transforming into various wrathful forms. Listen CLICK PLAY TO LISTEN Publications for Download Download Download Download Download Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Terms of Use Privacy Policy Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

This text presents the outer, inner, and secret practice cycles of Zhepe Dorje, transmitted by Lhachik Nyima Zhönu—a protector deity revealed through pure vision—in 1730 and recorded in 1731. The Outer, Inner, and Secret Practice Cycle of Zhepe Dorje Namo ḍākinī ye! I received the outer, inner, and secret practice cycles of Zhepe Dorje from Lhachik Nyima Zhönu in the Iron Male Dog year (1730). E MA! For Zhepe Dorje, there are outer, inner, and secret explanations. For those wishing to accomplish the outer practice, Visualise Zhepe Dorje in monastic attire, Seated in a lama’s teaching posture, In a place that is either the sangha's joyous garden Or atop the stupa's tiered chambers— Before a Dharma wheel with a retinue of renunciants, Surrounded by many śrāvakas— Make supplications with deep yearning and clear resonance. For those wishing to accomplish the inner practice, Visualise Zhepe Dorje in the form of a master of mantra, Appearing in any attire, free from convention. His dwelling places are forest groves, riverbanks, Solitary abodes, rocky mountains, villages, and so forth. Visualise [him] in various forms and surrounded by a diverse retinue, Seated in the centre of the gaṇacakra gathering— Then make feast offerings, Fire offerings, water offerings, and others. [179] For those wishing to accomplish the secret practice, Visualise Zhepe Dorje as a naked ascetic Engaged in the conduct of invoking blessings. Bearing many implements—thigh bone trumpet, ḍamaru, bell, and conch shell, Surrounded by a hundred thousand beautiful young women, He binds ḍākinīs, ging, and lang as servants [1] Proclaiming HŪṂ PHAṬ BHYO, His abodes are haunted places and charnel grounds, where he roams. Meditate on maintaining the yogic observances, Take up the HŪṂ song and raise awareness, Dispatch with PHAṬ and mix space and awareness, Proclaim fierce cries, longing songs, and whistles. Colophon Thus, having received authorisation, this was written down in the Miracle Month of the Iron Female Pig year (1731). This completes the great chapter of Zhepe Dorje's practice cycle. NOTES [1] Ging (ging) and lang (glang) are classes of spirits in Tibetan Buddhism—ging often depicted as fierce skeletal figures and lang as messenger spirits. Published: January 2026 BIBLIOGRAPHY Bzhad pa'i rdo rje. 1983–1985. bzhad pa'i rdo rje'i phyi nang gsang gsum gyi sgrub skor . In gsung 'bum/_bzhad pa'i rdo rje , vol. 12, pp. 193–195. Leh: T. Sonam & D.L. Tashigang. BDRC MW22130_1813C6 Abstract This text presents the outer, inner, and secret practice cycles of Zhepe Dorje, transmitted by Lhachik Nyima Zhönu—a protector deity revealed through pure vision—in 1730 and recorded in 1731. The three-tiered practice system offers progressive visualisation methods: the outer practice presents Zhepe Dorje as a monastic teacher, the inner practice depicts him as a tantric master, and the secret practice reveals him as a naked ascetic. BDRC LINK MW22130 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Geluk | Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Lelung Jedrung HISTORICAL PERIOD 18th Century TEACHERS The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso The Fifth Panchen Lama, Lobzang Yesh e Damchö Zangpo Mingyur Paldrön Chöje Lingpa Dönyö Khedrup The First Purchok, Ngawang Jampa Ngawang Chödrak Yeshe Gyatso Damchö Gyatso Losal Gyatso Lhundrub Gyatso Dungkar Tsangyang Drugdrak TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Lelung Monastery Mindröling Ngari Dratsang Chökhor Gyal Trandruk Potala Tsāri STUDENTS Kunga Mingyur Dorj e Dorje Yom e Kunga Paldzom Lobzang Lhachok Dönyö Khedrub Polhane Sönam Tobgy e Ngawang Jampa Mingyur Paldrön The Fifth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Kalzang Pema Wangchuk Lhasang Khan AUTHOR Lelung Zhepe Dorje The Outer, Inner, and Secret Practice Cycle of Zhepe Dorje VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Terms of Use Privacy Policy Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Menu Close Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Terms of Use Privacy Policy Donate SUBSCRIBE Publications Watch People Listen Listen Relax and listen to engaging audio narrations of translated Tibetan texts. BIOGRAPHICAL BUDDHIST CONTEMPORARY GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONAL MISCELLANEOUS Author Tradition Historical Period View All Reset Filters Prayer Opening the Door to Prosperity: A Praise To Invoke The Sacred Commitment Of The Great Shanglon Dorje Dudul Lelung Zhepe Dorje 00:00 / 05:42 Devotional praises invoking Shanglon Dorje Dudul, composed by Lelung Zhepe Dorje, describe him in great detail as a dark blue yaksha figure adorned with jewels, holding a wish-fulfilling jewel and nectar vase, and capable of transforming into various wrathful forms. See Publication Song A Series of Spontaneous Spiritual Songs Lelung Zhepe Dorje 00:00 / 06:03 Two spontaneous songs by Lelung Zhepe Dorje: one honoring the mysterious Je Traktung Pawo, another celebrating unobstructed awareness - both transmitting direct spiritual experience through verse. See Publication Biography Namkechenma: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Guru Chökyi Wangchuk 00:00 / 04:20 Armed with the 'scroll of devastation' from his father, Guru Chöwang's first treasure excavation leads to a terrifying encounter with the Nine-Headed Nāga Demon, guardian of hidden teachings. See Publication Biography How Guru Chöwang Met the Guru at Ne Ngön Guru Chökyi Wangchuk 00:00 / 03:01 During an alchemical corpse ritual, Guru Chöwang meets Padmasambhava in a profound encounter that defies categorization as dream, vision, or reality - an event he insisted truly occurred. See Publication Biography An Extraordinary Pure Vision at Kharchu's Nectar Cave: A Dream of Guru Chöwang Guru Chökyi Wangchuk 00:00 / 04:51 After five days of Guru Pema practice, Chöwang's pure vision atop Mt Meru reveals worldly omens and a profound teaching: all phenomena, even demons, arise from mind itself. See Publication Praises In Praise of the Goddess Sarasvatī Tsongkhapa Lobzang Dragpa 00:00 / 01:31 Tsongkhapa's celebrated ode to Sarasvatī resonates beyond monastery walls into Tibet's artistic and literary spheres, becoming a cultural touchstone of devotional poetry. See Publication Biography A Brief Biography of Jetsunma Do Dasal Wangmo Tsangpo 00:00 / 10:36 A renowned female master in eastern Tibet, Do Dasal Wangmo - Do Khyentse's great-granddaughter - served as nun, physician, and treasure revealer, later teaching medicine despite political hardship. See Publication Correspondence A Letter to Hotoktu Rinpoche Tubten Chökyi Nyima 00:00 / 03:35 A mysterious letter from the Ninth Paṇchen Lama's secretary to Hotoktu Rinpoche, now preserved in a French private collection - its acquisition history remains unknown. See Publication Song A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong Milarepa 00:00 / 01:54 Milarepa's poetic ode to Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong exalts nature itself as the source of this retreat site's blessing power, departing from traditional focus on Buddhist masters. See Publication Aspirational Prayer The Magical Lasso: A Prayer of Aspiration to Accomplish Khecara Lelung Zhepe Dorje 00:00 / 08:29 A heartfelt prayer to the ḍākinīs of three worlds, composed at Pemokö's Dudul Dewa Chenpo, seeking blessings to master the Vajrayāna path for all beings' benefit. See Publication Buddhist A Prayer to Lord Atiśa and His Spiritual Sons Khenpo Ngawang Palzang 00:00 / 06:28 Khenpo Ngawang Palzang's devotional prayer to Jowo Je Atiśa and his successors captures the essence of spiritual lineage while embodying profound Buddhist devotion. See Publication Prayer The Vajra Verses: A Prayer of the Fierce Inner Heat Jigme Lingpa 00:00 / 01:52 Jigme Lingpa's Longchen Nyingtik instruction on fierce inner heat practice, composed as a supplication to be sung between lineage prayers and practice commencement. See Publication View More

Menu Close Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Terms of Use Privacy Policy Donate SUBSCRIBE Publications Watch People Listen Watch Explore the stories and culture of Tibet through immersive videos. BIOGRAPHICAL BUDDHIST GOVERNMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS Author Tradition Historical Period View All Reset Filters Song A Series of Spontaneous Spiritual Songs Lelung Zhepe Dorje Two spontaneous songs by Lelung Zhepe Dorje: one honoring the mysterious Je Traktung Pawo, another celebrating unobstructed awareness - both transmitting direct spiritual experience through verse. See Publication Biography An Extraordinary Pure Vision at Kharchu's Nectar Cave: A Dream of Guru Chöwang Guru Chökyi Wangchuk After five days of Guru Pema practice, Chöwang's pure vision atop Mt Meru reveals worldly omens and a profound teaching: all phenomena, even demons, arise from mind itself. See Publication Praises In Praise of the Goddess Sarasvatī Tsongkhapa Lobzang Dragpa Tsongkhapa's celebrated ode to Sarasvatī resonates beyond monastery walls into Tibet's artistic and literary spheres, becoming a cultural touchstone of devotional poetry. See Publication Song A Song on the Merits of Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong Milarepa Milarepa's poetic ode to Kyangpen Namkhe Dzong exalts nature itself as the source of this retreat site's blessing power, departing from traditional focus on Buddhist masters. See Publication Aspirational Prayer The Magical Lasso: A Prayer of Aspiration to Accomplish Khecara Lelung Zhepe Dorje A heartfelt prayer to the ḍākinīs of three worlds, composed at Pemokö's Dudul Dewa Chenpo, seeking blessings to master the Vajrayāna path for all beings' benefit. See Publication Prayer The Vajra Verses: A Prayer of the Fierce Inner Heat Jigme Lingpa Jigme Lingpa's Longchen Nyingtik instruction on fierce inner heat practice, composed as a supplication to be sung between lineage prayers and practice commencement. See Publication Guidebook Hidden Sacred Land of Pemakö Dudjom Lingpa Dudjom Lingpa maps Pemakö's sacred geography, revealing its power spots, deity abodes, and purifying landscapes through traditional guidebook wisdom and spiritual insight. See Publication Declaration Sixteen Self-Assertions Drugpa Zhabdrung, Ngawang Namgyal, Lopön Nadok The First Drugpa Zhabdrung's victory declaration of 1619, composed after defeating Tsang's ruler through ritual sorcery, helped establish Bhutan's identity while asserting his talismanic power. See Publication Cosmogony The Formation of the Outer Container Drigung Konchok Tendzin Chokyi Lodro Ancient Buddhist scriptures from the Collection of Precious Qualities reveal how collective karma shapes our universe's formation and every world system within it. See Publication Aspirational Prayer For the Long Life of Ḍākki Losal Drölma Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje Do Khyentse, writing as Tragtung Dorje, crafts a long-life prayer for Ḍākki Losal Drölma that playfully incorporates her lesser-known name Drön while praising her spiritual attainments. See Publication View More

Discover all our translated Tibetan texts across a vast array of time periods and genres including: Buddhist, Biographical, Historical and more. BIOGRAPHICAL BUDDHIST CONTEMPORARY GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONAL MISCELLANEOUS Author Tradition Historical Period View All Reset Filters Prayer The Outer, Inner, and Secret Practice Cycle of Zhepe Dorje Lelung Zhepe Dorje This text presents the outer, inner, and secret practice cycles of Zhepe Dorje, transmitted by Lhachik Nyima Zhönu—a protector deity revealed through pure vision—in 1730 and recorded in 1731. Read Prayer Opening the Door to Prosperity: A Praise To Invoke The Sacred Commitment Of The Great Shanglon Dorje Dudul Lelung Zhepe Dorje Devotional praises invoking Shanglon Dorje Dudul, composed by Lelung Zhepe Dorje, describe him in great detail as a dark blue yaksha figure adorned with jewels, holding a wish-fulfilling jewel and nectar vase, and capable of transforming into various wrathful forms. Read Biography A Biography of Chöje Lingpa Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye A Biography of Chöje Lingpa by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, detailing the life of Chöje Lingpa (Rogje Lingpa), a seventeenth- to eighteenth-century Tibetan treasure revealer (tertön) known for discovering and transmitting profound spiritual treasures (terma), including teachings on Guru Padmasambhava, Mahāmudrā, and Dzogchen. Read Song A Series of Spontaneous Spiritual Songs Lelung Zhepe Dorje Two spontaneous songs by Lelung Zhepe Dorje: one honoring the mysterious Je Traktung Pawo, another celebrating unobstructed awareness - both transmitting direct spiritual experience through verse. Read Biography The Great Symbolic Vision at Palpuk Ring: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Guru Chökyi Wangchuk In this 1245 dream vision at Palpuk Ring, Guru Chöwang encounters his recurring guide, a ḍākinī named Yeshe Gyen, at his childhood home - sparking profound symbolic revelations of dharmic truth. Read Biography Namkechenma: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Armed with the 'scroll of devastation' from his father, Guru Chöwang's first treasure excavation leads to a terrifying encounter with the Nine-Headed Nāga Demon, guardian of hidden teachings. Read Biography How Guru Chöwang Met the Guru at Ne Ngön Guru Chökyi Wangchuk During an alchemical corpse ritual, Guru Chöwang meets Padmasambhava in a profound encounter that defies categorization as dream, vision, or reality - an event he insisted truly occurred. Read Biography An Extraordinary Pure Vision at Kharchu's Nectar Cave: A Dream of Guru Chöwang Guru Chökyi Wangchuk After five days of Guru Pema practice, Chöwang's pure vision atop Mt Meru reveals worldly omens and a profound teaching: all phenomena, even demons, arise from mind itself. Read Biography A Brief Biography: The Successive Incarnations of Tsoknyi Özer Önpo Gelek The reincarnation lineage of Tsoknyi Özer exemplified supreme devotion - illustrated by the Third Tsoknyi's offering of his burning finger as a lamp to fulfill his guru's wishes. Read Biography The Biography of Ḍākki Losal Drölma Tubten Chödar A realized female master, Ḍākki Losal Drölma served as custodian of her half-brother Do Khyentse's treasure teachings while deepening her own spiritual attainments in Tibet's sacred sites Read Biography The Biography of Gyalse Rigpe Raltri Tubten Chödar Son of Do Khyentse and recognized as Jigme Lingpa's son's reincarnation, Rigpe Raltri became a revered Minyak guru, transmitting the Yangsang Khandro Tugtik treasures to his own son. Read Timetable A Chronological Timetable: Lives of Do Khyentse’s Familial Line Tubten Chödar A chronology of birth and death dates mapping Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje's family lineage through its key figures and connections. Read View More Publications A unique window into Tibet's literary treasures spanning many genres and time-periods. Menu Close Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Terms of Use Privacy Policy Donate SUBSCRIBE Publications Watch People Listen

After five days of Guru Pema practice, Chöwang's pure vision atop Mt Meru reveals worldly omens and a profound teaching: all phenomena, even demons, arise from mind itself. An Extraordinary Pure Vision at Kharchu's Nectar Cave: A Dream of Guru Chöwang Namo Guru! It was the morning following five days of Guru Pema’s heart practice in Nectar Cave of Kharchu, Lhodrak. After breakfast and a gaṇacakra, I cast out the torma, and it flared up with light. As I looked at it, a numbness fell over my vision. Then, the grand torma materialized as Mount Meru and the four continents. Atop the palace of the Ever-Victorious One, perched at the peak of the mountain, was the Guru of extraordinary and complete liberation. At the sight of him and from a place of great elation, I swelled with pride and my heroic resolve emboldened. Out of my attachment to the world, I intently took in the view and witnessed armies clashing at the smoky border regions. I was horrified as my mind raced with terror. In any case, without the time to do anything about it, these displays of extraordinary omens were deceptive demonic obstacles, stirring up intense negative thoughts. I became ill-pleased with myself since I was driven by my clinging to various prideful notions of good and bad. Then the self-aware Guru explained the following Dharma to me, dispelling the obstruction of conceptual thoughts. “Emaho! Chöwang the treasure revealer, consider this: the omens you, a faithful and diligent man with karmic fortune, have experienced are fantastic. However, it is a demonic obstacle when elation and arrogance manifest—remain vigilant! For instance, seeds sown in the spring season sprout because of the abundance of water and manure. This is the nature of phenomena, so why is it surprising? “In a similar fashion, excellent signs also appear according to your mind’s [387] habituation to noble thoughts. Basically, good signs don’t come from somewhere else; they are mental [ 1 ] phenomena, so don’t be arrogant about it. Nevertheless, due to doubt, negative thoughts, [ 2 ] arrogance, timidness, or fear, they are demons—it’s like a monkey who becomes angry and agitated by looking at its face reflected in a mirror—what you perceive in your mind does not come from someplace else. “So, don’t worry about demons, and even if the nine-headed Lord of Death literally appears, there are no gods or demons separate from the mind. If one examines the mind with reason, there’s nothing to identify. Good and bad signs are akin to dreams. Therefore, objects and the mind are non-dual emptiness: where there are no likes, dislikes, or arrogance and no attainment in terms of fruition. Through the power of a mind familiarized [with such realization], everything needed will come to be, just like a precious treasury. The mind is empty by its very essence, and its objects are illusory. It has always been this way, so you shouldn’t doubt it. “When you realize it is so, the demons will grant you siddhi. In the meantime, you will be free from all activities and the act itself. Unrealized deities also create obstacles. Therefore, hold that understanding in the center of your heart.” “Having understood this fully, one should practice in the following way. For the sake of all beings who lack realization, one should take to heart the accomplishment of bodhicitta and, also in the end, dedicate all virtue to the omniscience of all beings. Always visualize the guru as the deity atop the crown, become revolted by saṃsāra, renounce the ten non-virtues and so forth, guard the three vows, and make offerings to the deities and Dharma protectors. “Since everything is an illusion, renounce attachment. Since demons are of one taste in the nature of the mind, if the mind rests as it is without distraction and mindfulness, the demons will be like darkness that can never bear the sunrise [388] or like ice melting in water. “If you strive in that way, non-conceptual fruition will dawn. If you don’t listen to your own advice, explaining the Dharma to others will be woefully pointless. Therefore, listen to this advice from the self-aware Guru!” COLOPHON I, Chökyi Wangchuk the monk of Pang [ village ] , have explained the advice of the self-aware Guru that dispels obstacles. All adherents should etch it in their hearts. Iti . [ 3 ] Thus, it was said. OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ MAHĀ GURU SARVA SIDDHI HŪṂ: This is Pang Ban Chökyi Wangchuk’s spiritual pledge. NOTES Sigla: A1 and A2: Guru Chöwang (gu ru chos dbang). 1979. gu ru chos dbang gi rang rnam dang zhal gdams . 2 vols. rin chen gter mdzod chen po’i rgyab chos , vols. 8–9. Paro: Ugyen Tempai Gyaltsen. BDRC MW23802 . B1–3: Tertön Guru Chökyi Wangchuk (gter ston gu ru chos kyi dbang phyug). 2022. gter ston gu ru chos kyi dbang phyug gi ran rnam dang zhal gdams bzugs so , vols. 1–3. Edited by Dungse Lama Pema Tsewang (gdung sras bla ma pad+ma tshe dbang). Lamagaun, Nepal: Tsum Library. [1] A1: 387.1 interpolation: snang srid ’khor ’das (A1: ’khors) thams cad (A1: thaMD ) la sems las ma *rtogs (A1: rtoD ) chos med phyir ces pas (Because it is said, “Concerning all of phenomenal existence, whether of saṃsāra or nirvāṇa, there exist no phenomenon that is understood to be separate from the mind.”). [2] A1: 387.1 interpolation: gi gegs (A1: geD) sel (A1: gsel) dpas mtshon pas gsal bar ston no (A1: bstonno ) (“the analogy clearly demonstrates dispelling the obstacles of [x]”). [3] Tibetanized Sanskrit quote marks. Published: May 2024 BIBLIOGRAPHY Guru Chöwang (gu ru chos dbang). 1979. g+hu ru chos dbang gi rnalaM/ mkhar chu bdud+tsi phug gi dag snang khyad par can bzhug so+ho . In gu ru chos dbang gi rang rnam dang zhal gdam s. rin chen gter mdzod chen po’i rgyab chos , v. 8, 385–388. Paro: Ugyen Tempai Gyaltsen. BDRC MW23802 . Tertön Guru Chökyi Wangchuk (gter ston gu ru chos kyi dbang phyug). 2022. gu ru chos dbang gi rnal lam/ mkhar chu bdud rtsi phug gi dag snang khyad par can bzhugs so . In gter ston gu ru chos kyi dbang phyug gi ran rnam dang zhal gdams bzugs so , vol. 2, 57–58. Edited by Dungse Lama Pema Tsewang (gdung sras bla ma pad+ma tshe dbang). Lamagaun, Nepal: Tsum Library. Abstract Following five days dedicated to Guru Pema’s heart practice, a pure vision befalls Guru Chöwang in which he finds himself atop Mt. Meru, where he perceives frightening worldly omens. Beware of phenomenal demons and one’s arrogance. But never forget there is nothing that does not come from the mind. BDRC LINK MW23802 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 04:51 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Tri Songdetsen HISTORICAL PERIOD 13th Century TEACHERS Namkha Pal TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTION Layak Guru Lhakhang STUDENTS Gyalse Pema Wangchen Ma Dunpa Menlungpa Mikyö Dorje AUTHORS Guru Chökyi Wangchuk An Extraordinary Pure Vision at Kharchu's Nectar Cave: A Dream of Guru Chöwang VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Terms of Use Privacy Policy Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Armed with the 'scroll of devastation' from his father, Guru Chöwang's first treasure excavation leads to a terrifying encounter with the Nine-Headed Nāga Demon, guardian of hidden teachings. Namkechenma: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Emaho! [ 1 ] There was a yellow scroll of the profound inventory of Orgyen Pema’s [enlightened] mind-treasures, [ 2 ] extracted by Dragpa Ngönshe [ 3 ] at Samye and given to Pön Jam[palwa]. On account of past aspirations and karmic fortune, a person likened unto me, I, Chökyi Wangchuk, received it from the hands of one of his posterities. On the third day of the first autumn month in the hot season of Black Water Snake year, as I was relying upon [the yellow scroll], I found a supplemental inventory [ 4 ] of [enlightened] mind-treasures at Drak Namkechen (“Crag with a Ladder to Heaven”). Then that night in a dream there was this woman [ 5 ] mounted atop a yak amidst a tribe of yak-herding nomads. She proclaimed, “There’s not even a trace of folly [ 6 ] in you; this I know!” and she left. Then, [ 7 ] the next night at dawn, I dreamed that at the bottom of a wide road rested a cave, [ 8 ] sizeable with a door of iron, where a black man with braided hair sat [ 9 ] on a gray stag. “What are you doing here?” I enquired. He rattled and tossed his large locks behind him, then touched his finger to the cave. “Here are inexhaustible [ 10 ] belongings, that your ancestor [ 11 ] prepared for you,” [ 12 ] He rejoined. “I entrust them to you, [ 13 ] so do look after them.” Having uttered this, he mounted a black bull and soared into the west. While I was wondering, “Should I unseal the entrance with its iron door?” A-Mamo, who was younger than before, appeared. While spinning a large key [ 14 ] overhead, she pronounced: “Skillfully use this [ 15 ] to open the door, And you who have nothing [449] will be wealthy! [ 16 ] The ocean [ 17 ] of milk surges, fish [ 18 ] gather— Taking [ 19 ] a measure of food and drink is crucial.” Having said this, she entrusted the key and departed. I consequently understood this to be the meaning of the lineage of the ḍākinī’s seal of entrustment. Quickly I opened the door to the cave and out popped [ 20 ] a garuḍa-like [ 21 ] bird. Five-colored [ 22 ] flames blazed from its mouth, promptly burning my body. [ 23 ] However, by manifesting my mind [ 24 ] into the Great Compassionate One, [ 25 ] I mounted the garuḍa-like bird [ 26 ] and took off into the sky. [ 27 ] Above the nine levels of rainbow clouds, [ 28 ] or the thirteen heavens, [ 29 ] in a pavilion of rainbow light [ 30 ] sat [ 31 ] a crystal [ 32 ] child, in the attire [ 33 ] of Vajrasattva. [ 34 ] He conferred empowerment utilizing a vase full [ 35 ] of nectar. After pouring it into my mouth, [ 36 ] there appeared a white A in the heart of his clear and lucid crystal body. In the center of his left eyeball was a white A, and in the space before was a white A. His bodily form then gathered into the A in his heart; the A in his heart amassed into the A in his eye; the A in his eye subsumed into [450] the A in the space [in front]; the A in the space [in front] dissolved into my heart, [ 37 ] causing a natural radiance, devoid of grasping, [ 38 ] to arise. With the vase full of nectar, I roamed carrying it in my hand, and somehow, I found myself atop a giant throne. I gave nectar to the sixteen “sons” [ 39 ] and the eight [ 40 ] “daughters.” I distributed nectar to the assembly [ 41 ] of monastics, [ 42 ] mantra practitioners, [ 43 ] and male and female yoga practitioners. At that moment, the woman with the cowrie headdress grabbed it from my hand and said, “Their share of those over there [ 44 ] has been missed.” Having given bountiful alms, I gazed over, and the entire place was filled with a massive crowd in disarray. [ 45 ] At that time, I woke up and considered this a very good auspicious connection, and I retrieved the great [enlightened] mind-treasure from Namkedrak. When I met with the glorious Vajrasattva, he bestowed The Stainless Crystal Garland: Pith Instructions for the Four Empowerments . But since fortunate ones were so few, the symbols dissolved into the center of my citta. COLOPHON As such he said. NOTES Sigla: A1 and A2: Guru Chöwang (gu ru chos dbang). 1979. gu ru chos dbang gi rang rnam dang zhal gdams . 2 vols. rin chen gter mdzod chen po’i rgyab chos , vols. 8–9. Paro: Ugyen Tempai Gyaltsen. BDRC MW23802 . B1–3: Tertön Guru Chökyi Wangchuk (gter ston gu ru chos kyi dbang phyug). 2022. gter ston gu ru chos kyi dbang phyug gi ran rnam dang zhal gdams bzugs so , vols. 1–3. Edited by Dungse Lama Pema Tsewang (gdung sras bla ma pad+ma tshe dbang). Lamagaun, Nepal: Tsum Library. [1] The dream unfolds at the locale of Namkechenma, known as "a place with a ladder to heaven." [2] “[Enlightened] mind-treasures” is rendering thugs gter . However, it should not be conflated with the later treasure classification of “mind treasure,” rendering dgongs gter . [3] dge bshes grwa pa mngon shes pa, 1012–1090, BDRC P4655 . [4] yang byang . [5] A1: 448.4 interpolation: ye+es kyi mkhro’ mas las can la gter sprod par go (“understood to be a primordial wisdom ḍākinī who gives treasure to the one with the karma”), which is connected to 448.3: bu+ed . [6] Recte : gtam col (B2: 241.2); A1: 448.3, B2: 101.6: tla col ; A2: 123.1: ta col . [7] This is where the account begins in Guru Chöwang’s The Great Treasure History ( gter ’byung chen mo ); A2: 123.5 and B2: 241.9. [8] A1: 448.4 interpolation: gter gnas (“treasure location”), signifying that it is not an ordinary cave. [9] A1: 448.5 interpolation: gter bdag klu bdud (“the nāga-demon treasure lord”), clearly describes the black man. This qualifier is not attested in The Great Treasury History , A2: 123.6: mi ngag po ral pa shab se ba 1 zhon nas ’dug pa la . He is, however, not only extant in Guru Chöwang’s outer biography, The Eight Chapters ( skabs brgyad ma ), A1: 22.7: gter srungs (B1: 31.3: srung ) klu bdud mgo dgu pas (“the nine-headed nāga-demon treasure guardian”), but is a prominent character in Chöwang’s treasure narrative. [10] A1: 448.6: spyad ’phro med pa (“will not be consumed however much one uses it”). Although the text does not literally read “inexhaustible” ( mi zad pa ), the translation was compressed into inexhaustible. [11] A1: 448.5 interpolation: ayan chenos (“Great Orgyan”). B2: 101.10: mes po o rgyan chen pos . A2: 123.7: mes pos , excludes o rgyan chen pos variants. A1: 23.1, B1: 31.6: mes po chen pos . [12] A1: 448.6 interpolation: chos dbang la (“for you Chöwang”). [13] A1: 448.6 interpolation: gter bdgis rgya bkrol nas (“after the treasure lord unraveled their seals”). [14] A1: 448.7 interpolation: kha byang (“inventory”). [15] A2: 124.1: ’di . A1: 448.7 interpolation: thabs shes ldan pas (“as it has the means,” or “as it possesses method and wisdom”). [16] A1: 449.1 interpolation: dgos ’dod ’byung ba’i thuD gter dang ’phrad bas (“because you will encounter the [enlightened] mind-treasure that fulfills all needs and wishes”). [17] A1: 449.1 interpolation: mnag zab mo’i (“profound pith instruction”). [18] A1: 449.1 interpolation: las can gyi skyes bu (“beings with the karma”). [19] A1: 449.1 interpolation: ’dod yon la *chog (A1: choD ) shes (“being content with sensory pleasures”). [20] A1: 449.2 interpolation: sangys mnyaMs sbyor (“unification of the buddhas”). [21] A1: 449.2 interpolation: *theg (A1: theD ) pa thaMd kyi yang tse (“the highest peak of all vehicles”). [22] A1: 449.2 interpolation: ye+es lnga’i ’od kyis (“with the light of the five primordial wisdoms”). [23] A1: 449.3 interpolation: bdag ’dzin gyi lus bag chaD dang bcas pa (“a body of ego-clinging and karmic habituations”). [24] A1: 449.3 interpolation: rang ’byung gi ye+es riD pa lhing ba (“a tranquil natural primordial-wisdom awareness”). [25] Avalokiteśvara. [26] A1: 449.3 interpolation: rdzoD pa cheno spyi ti *yo (A1: mo ) ga don du gyur ba’i brda (“an actualized sign of Dzogchen Crown Yoga”). [27] A1: 449.3 interpolation: gnyis med kyi mkha’ (“sky of non-duality”). [28] A1: 449.3 interpolation: theg (A1: theD ) pa rim pa dgu (A1: dgu’ ) yang rtse (“the peak of the nine vehicles”). This can be extrapolated to entail the nine vehicles of the Nyingma tradition. Although this note is not connected to anything specific with dots, the connection to ’ja’ sprin rim pa dgu’am is clear. [29] A2: 124.4: bcu gsuM . B2: 101.18: bcu gnyis . A1: 449.3: bcu 3 , interpolation: sa bcu gsuM rdo+e ’dzin pa’i gnon par go (“understood to be the mastering ( sa gnon pa ) of the Vajra Holder, the thirteenth stage”). [30] A1: 449.4 interpolation: sku lnga’i klong na (“in the expanse of the five kāyas”). [31] A1: 449.4 interpolation: ma gag pa’i ’gyu ba rang rtsal (“unceasing movement of natural expression”). [32] A1: 449.4 interpolation: *rig (A1: riD ) pa pa lhan 1 skyes pa’i yai (“coemergent primordial wisdom awareness”). [33] A1: 449.4 interpolation: long sku’i cha luD (“saṃbhogakāya attire”). [34] A1: 449.4 interpolation: rdo+e seM’i dngos dang mjalo (“encountering the real Vajrasattva”). [35] A1: 449.4 interpolation: *rig (A1: riD ) pa rtsal gyi dbang (“empowerment of the dynamic expression of awareness”). [36] A1: 449.4 interpolation: rdo+e seM’i snyan rgyud dride shel phreng zer ba 1 yod par ’dug ste (A1: ’duD rte ) yig (A1: yiD ) cha ma skyedo (“there exists a Stainless Crystal Garland of Vajrasattva’s aural lineage; but a textbook has not been created”). [37] A1: 450.1 interpolation: naM kha’ gsum spruD kyi brda don brtan (“stabilizing the symbolic meanings of ‘stirring the three spaces’”). “Stirring the three spaces” ( nam mkha’ gsum sprugs ) is a system of “cutting rigidity” ( khregs chod ). See, Arguillère 2022, 278, n. 97. [38] A1: 450.1 interpolation: bde gsal mi *rtog (A1: rtoD ) ba’i (“bliss, clarity, and non-thought”). [39] A1: 450.2 interpolation: bka’ babs kyi bu bcruD gis rang gzhan gter la spyod pa’i brda’ (“this is the sign of the sixteen prophesized sons partaking in the treasure for the sake of themselves and others”). [40] A1: 450.2 interpolation: dgongs pa gsal ’debs kyi (“which clarified the intention”). [41] A1: 450.2 interpolation: ’ khor phra mo riD *’dus (A1: dus ) kyi brda’o (“this is the sign of gathering the types of minor retinues”). [42] A1: 450.2 interpolation: mkhan po dang dge+ong (“scholars and fully ordained monks”). [43] A1: 450.2 interpolation: sngaD btsun (“mantra clerics”). [44] A1: 450.4 interpolation: ’brel (A1: ’grel ) gyur kyi las can rnams kyi (A1: kyis ) (“of those possessing karma of being affiliated”). [45] A1: 450.4 interpolation: ’khor tshoM bu ’buM *phrag (A1: ’phraD ) cu+iD dang bcastse sang+yas pa’i brda’o (“This retinue along with its 1.1 million clusters is a sign of buddhahood”), which relates to the large crowd. Photo Credit: Himalayan Art Resources Published: April 2024 Edited: November 2024 BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary: Guru Chöwang (gu ru chos dbang). 1979. gu ru chos dbang gis sne sngon du bu chung baM sgrub mdzad pa’i tshe gu ru dang mjal tshul lo . In gu ru chos dbang gi rang rnam dang zhal gdams . rin chen gter mdzod chen po’i rgyab chos , v. 8, 375–378. Paro: Ugyen Tempai Gyaltsen. BDRC MW23802 . Guru Chöwang (gu ru chos dbang). 1979. g+hu ru chosyi dbang phyugi rnalaM/ gnaM skas can ma bzhug s+ho i+thi leD s+ho ang . In gu ru chos dbang gi rang rnam dang zhal gdams . rin chen gter mdzod chen po’i rgyab chos , v. 8, 447–450. Paro: Ugyen Tempai Gyaltsen. BDRC MW23802 . Tertön Guru Chökyi Wangchuk (gter ston gu ru chos kyi dbang phyug). 2022. gu ru chos kyi dbang phyug gi rnal lam gnam skas can ma bzhugs so . (bar cha 2022: 101–102). In gter ston gu ru chos kyi dbang phyug gi ran rnam dang zhal gdams bzhugs so , vol. 2, 101–102. Edited by Dungse Lama Pema Tsewang (gdung sras bla ma pad+ma tshe dbang). Lamagaun, Nepal: Tsum Library. Secondary: Arguillère, Stéphane. 2022. “A History of the dGongs pa zang thal practice manuals.” Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines: For A Critical History of the Northern Treasures , 62: 233–298. Abstract With the “scroll of devastation” in his possession, having retrieved it from his father, Guru Chöwang heads out with a monk to excavate his first treasure. This early dream account narrates Chöwang’s initial encounter with the terrifying Nine-Headed Nāga Demon, lord of the treasure hoard. BDRC LINK MW23802 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 04:20 TRADITION Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Tri Songdetsen HISTORICAL PERIOD 13th Century TEACHERS Namkha Pal TRANSLATOR Tib Shelf INSTITUTIONS Layak Guru Lhakhang STUDENTS Gyalse Pema Wangchen Ma Dunpa Menlungpa Mikyö Dorje AUTHOR Guru Chökyi Wangchuk Namkechenma: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Terms of Use Privacy Policy Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Jetsun Tamdrin Wangmo Kalzang Chökyi Nyima (1836–1896) was an exceptional female master of the Sakya tradition who received extensive tantric training from renowned masters of her time. Recognized as an embodiment of Vajravārāhī, she devoted her life to preserving and transmitting the sacred teachings of the Sakya lineage. The Legend of the Venerable Tamdrin Wangmo of the Sakya Lineage Mother Nyida Wangmo, the second queen of the esteemed mantra holder Kunga Rinchen [ 1] , gave birth to two sons and three venerable daughters—five siblings in total. Among them, the oldest, my only saviour and the sovereign of hundreds of buddhas, was Jetsün Tamdrin Wangmo Kelsang Chökyi Nyima, born in the Fire Monkey Year (1836). From a young age, together with her elder brother Dorjé Rinchen (1819–1867) [ 2 ] , studying under my tutor Matimitra, who had been appointed as their resident teacher. Through this, despite being a venerable figure, she engaged in recitation and liturgical practices, [unmoving] as if a corpse. Furthermore, she mastered the visualisation maṇḍala of Sarvavid Vairocana, the Vajrayoginī teachings of Nāropa, Hevajra, and Vajrakīla. She also mastered the rituals and liturgical music of minor Phurba cycles, grand bali cake rituals, mending rituals, Go [ 3 ] style concise praises, and Vajrakīla repelling rituals. At intervals, she received many empowerments including Vajrakīla, Black Cakrasaṃvara, and Khecarī cycles from Yabje (spiritual father) brothers and Ngawang Kunga Gyeltsen. From Lord Dorjé Rinchen, she received the complete empowerment, transmissions, and instructions of the assembled explanation of Lamdré, Bhairavas, and Mahākāla cycles. She also studied The Ocean of Sādhanas and initiations and transmission instructions for teachings as if a vase filled to the brim. Apart from the Cycles of Thirteen Red Deities and the Vajra Garland, the Red Scripture Trilogy, the Collected Sakya School writings and other collected works, and almost all the cycles by the Lord Dorjé Rinchen are still extant. From Ewam Chöden Phankhang Khen Rinpoche Shempa Kunga Tenpé Lodro, she studied the explanation of the entire text of the Record on the Transmission of the Lamdré [Sungngak Rinpoché] and forty-five great empowerments on general instructions of the Vajra Garland. From Jamgön Khyentsé Wangpo, she received the empowerment and transmission of the twenty-five lion-faced Ḍākinī; from Ponlob Ngawang Rinchen, the entire initiation of the Trilogy of Red; and from Sawang Lama, transmissions of many related texts. She perfected her studies in One-Tenth fire offering to the personal deity Hevajra, Ḍākinī, Vajrakīla, Pañjaranatha, goddess Kurukullā, Vajrapāṇi, and the ones taming the elemental forces. No matter if someone was of high or low status, strong or weak, she never rejected anyone who requested empowerment, transmission and teachings, unless she had not received them herself. Like scooping water, she made it exceptionally easy for others. When not preoccupied with such tasks, she dedicated herself to study [and] read The Kangyur [ 4 ] in its entirety twice. During this time, when reading the amazing biography of the Buddha in the Vinaya approach, she perpetually shed tears. Furthermore, when reading the great genealogy of the biography of great tantric adepts and amazing achievements of other great sages of the past, she was moved to tears, rendering her speechless. These activities arise from a mind blessed by bodhicitta as a sign of exceptional devotion and renunciation, one naturally saturated with serenity from the innermost part of oneself. Previously during the lifetime of the venerable Sri Atisha, Geshé Tönpa [ 5] received an ordained disciple of Kham Lungpa and three siblings. Geshé Tönpa enquired, "What is Potowa doing?" [The disciples replied,] "He is teaching Dharma to hundreds of the Sangha." "That is amazing, that's really something!" [Geshé Tönpa exclaimed then asking,] "What is Geshé Puchungwa doing?" "He is dedicating himself to constructing three types of sacred objects by gathering objects from oneself and others." [As] before, [Geshé Tönpa enquired,] "What is Gonpawa doing?" [The disciple answered,] "He is meditating." Again Geshé Tönpa replied, "What is Khampa Lungpa doing?" He said, "Dwelling in rural areas always covering his head and weeping excessively." Tönpa took off his hat and with hands joined at the heart whilst weeping profusely said, "That is extremely amazing. He has truly practiced the Dharma. I have many things to say about his good qualities, but it seems he is unhappy about it. This story must be known as people who weep from devotion and renunciation nowadays are extremely rare unless ash happens to enter their eyes, so it is indeed amazing behaviour." These days, many lamas and tulkus feign knowledge they do not possess and claim attainments they have not realised. They even profess prophetic powers they do not possess. In this way, they act without the slightest hesitation. My own lama was quite the opposite, always presenting herself as if she knew nothing. Even when we asked her about particular points of meaning, she would return the question to us saying, ‘I’m not clairvoyant.’ If we continued to entreat her, she would perform the seven-planets dice divination giving clear predictions. Whatever she foretold would always accord perfectly with what she had predicted. Empowerment practice, instruction, and so on—all these things she had to extract from scattered old books, which she would then tell us without omission or obstruction, not doubting herself in the slightest. On the occasion of giving transmissions, her speech was neither too quick—which obscures language, nor too slow—which obstructs flow. Rather her pronunciation was always accurate with clear and appropriate pauses. Sometimes she would teach the Dharma whilst smiling, looking at the audience, speaking lucidly, in one small instant— a whole volume without interruption. A true Jetsünma like her, I’ve never seen in all Ü, Tsang, and the Kham regions of Tibet. For elaborate empowerments, practice initiations, and blessings, she never simplified them, but prepared them from the offering at the beginning to the ritual at the end, strictly following the liturgical texts. For major empowerments and so on, she stood up and followed the previous practices, such as the distribution of empowerment articles, by gathering them into one but giving them individually to every single student. She was truly the embodiment and inseparable from Vajra Dakmema [ 6 ] and the queen-consort Vajravārāhī. These were some of the things observed by disciples like me, who are only ordinary beings. This was previously prophesied by the spiritual father, the accomplished Lord Padma Dudul Wangchuk, who said that since she is the unifying embodiment of hundreds and thousands of Ḍākinīs, she will benefit the Dharma and sentient beings. From the 34th abbot of Sakya Monastery, Champa Tashi Chophel and Dzingphu Khenpo Kunga Tenpé Lodro, she studied three levels of ordination gradually and uninterruptedly practiced the Four Unbreakable Practices [Chakmé Namshyi] of Sakya: the practices of Hevajra [Lamdu], the profound path of Guru Yoga [Lamzab], Virūpa protection meditation [Birsung], and Vajrayoginī [Naljorma] and other longevity practices. People saw her making uninterrupted fulfillment and offerings [Kangtrin] to the protective deities of Tibetan Buddhism on the 8th, 14th, 23rd, and 29th days of each month. She delivered complete explanations of Lamdré multiple times including twice for me and many others. [We received] the universal Vajra Garland empowerment three times, three cycles of Khachöma, and many others, particularly blessings of the Vajrayoginī Sadhana, according to Nāropa’s oral transmission, and many greater empowerments, such as three Cakrasaṃvara traditions of Lūhipāda, Kṛṣṇācārin, and Ghantāpāda; Eight Cycles of Bhairava Vetālasukha; and thirteen deities of Vajrabhairava, five deities of Rakta Yamāri, Rwa’s Ḍākinī Transmission Lineage, Transmissions of Ra and Pö, four commissioned transmissions of Hevajra, five great empowerments of the Mahākāla, twenty-seven Sitātapatrā, Nine Akṣobhya, Twelve Mandalas of the Purification Tantra, as well as blessed empowerment and teachings of the Six Doctrines of Niguma, according to the Shangpa tradition. Moreover, she delivered numerous transmissions and teachings of protector deities such as Pañjaranātha Mahākāla and Queen Pārvatī and wealth gods such as fifteen types of Vaiśravaṇa to a vast number of disciples in Ü, Tsang, and Kham; including lamas, monks, and ordinary people. At this monastery, abbots who came after Tashi Chophel, the great throne-holder and great master Kunso’s brothers and his consort Jetsünma, father Dorjechang’s brothers and the consort Jetsünma, the great throne-holder and great master Jamyang’s brothers and his consort Jetsünma, and teachers and monks, old or young, though they lack the practices, they are devoted to her and pray to her and disciples like me and indirect disciples are spread all over the earth. Thus venerable Jetsün, the one revered by all of us, passed away at 61 years of age, on the 21st day of the 5th/6th month of the Fire Monkey Year (1896) in Phelgyi Labrang; she passed away with pure perception, saying, “I have arrived [in] Tushita heaven,” passing into Nirvāṇa. Her memorial service and prayer ceremony were prepared by Punde and Phunpo and others. For offerings and welcoming her bodily remains and relics, [these were] done by following all the traditions. When she was alive, she was the royal tutor for the [Sakya] lineage. Though there was no preexisting tradition, it was decided to have ritual umbrellas and trumpets that were the size of her bodily remains. The inner receptacle, a silver statue of Nāroḍākinī, presently resides in the great Orgyen Temple. The Queen Mother’s second daughter was Jetsün Kelsang Tenzin Wangmo. She resided in Tritsek Residence, her descendants were those who went to Glangnag Monastery in Amdo to construct a memorial stupa for her younger brother. NOTES [ 1 ] Kunga Rinchen (1794–1856) was the founder of Phuntstok Podrang and the first Sakya Dachen (“Kunga Rinchen,” Rigpa. Shedra, accessed April 05, 2024, https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Kunga_Rinchen ). [2] He was the older half-brother who later became the 34th Sakya Tridzin. [3] Wylie 'Gos. [4] The Buddhist Cannon. [5] An alternative name for Atisha Jowo Jé’s pupil Dromtönpa Gyalwé Jungné. [6] One of Marpa's nine wives and principal consort. Published: January 2026 BIBLIOGRAPHY Mkha’ ’gro’i chos mdzod chen mo . 2017. gangs can rig pa’i bud med kyi rnam thar (C). Vol. 14. Larung Gar: Ārya Tāre Publishing Committee. Supplementary reference Buddhist Digital Resource Center (BDRC). 2022. Women’s works in the BDRC archive . December 1. https://www.bdrc.io/blog/2022/12/01/womens-works-in-the-bdrc-archive/ Abstract This biography recounts the life of Jetsun Tamdrin Wangmo Kalzang Chökyi Nyima (1836–1896), an exceptional female master of the Sakya tradition, born into the family of the esteemed mantra holder Kunga Rinchen. Distinguished by her profound devotion, scholarly dedication, and mastery of ritual practices, she generously transmitted empowerments and teachings to countless disciples across Tibet, regardless of their status. After a life devoted to preserving and transmitting the sacred teachings of the Sakya lineage, she passed away in 1896, recognized as an emanation of hundreds of ḍākinīs who greatly benefited the Dharma and beings. TIB SHELF W3CN2459 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 00:27 TRADITION Sakya HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century REGION Ü-Tsang TEACHERS Kunga Rinchen TRANSLATOR Coco Picard INSTITUTIONS Tarlam Lhundrubteng Langna Sakya Monastery Puntsok Podrang STUDENTS Pema Trinle Dragshul Trinle Rinchen AUTHOR Unknown The Legend of the Venerable Tamdrin Wangmo of the Sakya Lineage VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Terms of Use Privacy Policy Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Devotional praises invoking Shanglon Dorje Dudul, composed by Lelung Zhepe Dorje, describe him in great detail as a dark blue yaksha figure adorned with jewels, holding a wish-fulfilling jewel and nectar vase, and capable of transforming into various wrathful forms. Opening the Door to Prosperity: A Praise To Invoke The Sacred Commitment Of The Great Shanglon Dorje Dudul Hum! In the midst of a canopy of five-coloured rainbow light, A jewelled palace, the precious celestial mansion, Within which swirls an ocean of all that gods and humans desire. I praise Great Bhairava, manifesting as a body of form. Vajra mind of all the Victorious Ones of the three times, Command-bearing messenger who emanated from the heart of the Lord of Secrets, Who, by the power of aspirations, accomplishes beings' welfare— I praise the Great Shanglon Dorje Dudul! In the form of a Yaksha, with colour of the dark blue sky, Bearing expressions of wrathful smiling, allure, and grace. Three flashing eyes beholding all of samsara and nirvāṇa— I praise you who, without distraction, guard all wayfarers. Right hand holds a wish-fulfilling jewel of power, Bestowing all desired siddhis to practitioners. From the treasure vase of nectar in the left hand, You pour down a great rain of immortality—I praise you. With crown and earrings, necklace and bracelets and more, Adorned with ornaments of priceless gems, Wearing a silk brocade cloak and bejewelled boots, Seated at royal ease, one leg extended, the other bent—I praise you. A roaring laughter of Ha Ha resounds through the three realms, Passionate peals of laughter summoning the ḍākinīs of the three places. According to the mental dispositions of countless beings, Your vajra speech-melody transforms into whatever [is needed]—I praise you. The one who clearly perceives all phenomena, conventional and ultimate, Thoroughly intoxicated by marvellous great compassion, Taming all beings through the four enlightened activities— I praise you, compassionate-natured, oceanic oath-bound guardian. Occasionally manifesting as Demon Protector Mahākāla, Standing forth grasping a trident and blood-filled skull, Revelling and playing with all mamos and ḍākinīs, Protector of all oath-bound yogis—I praise you. At other times, you appear as the intensely wrathful Lord of Death, Galloping in the four directions on a demonic black horse, With myriad weapons, grinding enemies and obstructors to dust— I praise you, the one who manifests as task-performing messenger. Joy-arousing marvellous secret mother, All-accomplished sovereign lady who displays whatever manifestation, Foremost powerful ḍākinī of the three places, I praise you, unique mother of the Victorious Ones, mistress of magical display. The Mighty, Swift, Sun, Mars, and others; The Wilderness Dweller, Treasure Lord, and Powerful Yaksha; Through the oceanic legions of the oath-bound Eight Classes, I praise those pervading heaven, earth, and the space between. Pema Totreng, great and powerful Lord of Secrets (Vajrapāṇi), Drapa Ngönshé, Terdak Lingpa and others, In accordance with the sacred pledges of Vidyadhara root lineage lamas, Do not neglect your promises, but carry out your entrusted enlightened activities. We, the vajra brothers and sisters of method and wisdom, Rely on you deities, the essence of the ocean of three roots, When we arouse your sacred commitment through one-pointed supplication, Do not neglect us but think of us with love. Bless the three gates in their vajra nature, Especially grant the supreme and common siddhis, Through the four enlightened activities, fulfil mind's hopes, Be a companion until enlightenment. Reverse the fierce hostile intentions of the malicious eight classes, Protect against black magic, harmful spells, adverse conditions and obstacles, All precious aims for the doctrine and beings— Perform enlightened activities to accomplish [these] without hindrance. Externally manifesting as the oath-bound guardian And the clear light essence great Mahākāla, Unified self-awareness—essence of Buddha nature, Through recognising one's true nature, manifest enlightenment. Foundational clear light—Dorje Dudul, Clear light of the path—great blissful realm, Resultant clear light—Vajra essence body, Make them ripen and liberate as one inseparable unity! Colophon The 'Opening the Door to Excellence: A Praise to the Three Secrets of Shanglon, the Embodiment of All Victorious Ones of the Three Times' was composed with devotion by Rigdzin Zhepe Dorje on the seventh day of the waxing moon of the ninth lunar month, while staying at Bom Tsor in Zhelha Sakgong, during a journey to the great monastic centre of Chenye, in the Female Water Ox year, together with the Queen Consort, most noble of ḍākinīs, Lhachik Dorje Kyabje. May it bring goodness and well-being! NOTES Published: January 2026 BIBLIOGRAPHY : Bzhad pa'i rdo rje. 1982–1983. zhang blon chen po rdo rje bdud 'dul gyi thugs dam bskul ba'i bstod pa legs tshogs sgo 'byed . In gsung 'bum/_bzhad pa'i rdo rje , vol. 7, pp. 567–572. BDRC MW1CZ2744_9DA65A Abstract This devotional praise text, composed by the 18th-century Tibetan master Lelung Zhepe Dorje, invokes Shanglon Dorje Dudul, a powerful oath-bound protector deity in Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The work presents Dorje Dudul as an emanation of Vajrapani (Lord of Secrets) and a manifestation of enlightened compassion, describing his iconography in vivid detail: a dark blue yaksha figure adorned with jewels and precious ornaments, holding a wish-fulfilling jewel and nectar vase, capable of transforming into various wrathful forms including Mahakala and the Lord of Death. BDRC LINK MW1CZ2744 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 05:42 TRADITION Geluk Nyingma INCARNATION LINE Lelung Jedrung HISTORICAL PERIOD 18th Century TEACHERS The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso The Fifth Panchen Lama, Lobzang Yesh e Damchö Zangpo Mingyur Paldrön Chöje Lingpa Dönyö Khedrup The First Purchok, Ngawang Jampa Ngawang Chödrak Yeshe Gyatso Damchö Gyatso Losal Gyatso Lhundrub Gyatso Dungkar Tsangyang Drugdrak TRANSLATOR TIB SHELF INSTITUTIONS Lelung Monastery Mindröling Ngari Dratsang Chökhor Gyal Trandruk Potala Tsāri STUDENTS Kunga Mingyur Dorj e Dorje Yom e Kunga Paldzom Lobzang Lhachok Dönyö Khedrub Polhane Sönam Tobgy e Ngawang Jampa Mingyur Paldrön The Fifth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Kalzang Pema Wangchuk Lhasang Khan AUTHOR Lelung Zhepe Dorje Opening the Door to Prosperity: A Praise To Invoke The Sacred Commitment Of The Great Shanglon Dorje Dudul VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Terms of Use Privacy Policy Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

Dudjom Lingpa maps Pemakö's sacred geography, revealing its power spots, deity abodes, and purifying landscapes through traditional guidebook wisdom and spiritual insight. Hidden Sacred Land of Pemakö And so, it is said that Ganchentso (Vairocana) [ 1 ] holds a begging bowl brimming with perfumed water, and in the water, a wish-fulfilling tree with five branches grows. The southern branch of the tree is beautiful with blossoming flowers and fruit, and to the northeast, on the anthers of a flower, is the very secret place of Pemakö. [ 2 ] That place is said to be a terrestrial pure land blessed by Śākyamuni Buddha and Padmasambhava. Simply seeing that place has the power to purify the obscurations of a thousand eons. According to prophecy, all thousand buddhas of the fortunate [210] era will go there. The triangular shape of the place symbolizes the spontaneously accomplished three bodies of the Buddha. View it from a distance, it is like a victory banner fixed firmly in the ground, like the abodes of dharmakāya deities. In the four valleys of the four directions, deities of the four classes of tantras manifest in this utterly beautiful, wondrously magnificent pure realm. To the south of that is the lake Kunsang Latso . [ 3 ] Tasting its purifying water has the power to cleanse all karmic obscurations. In the northeast is the spirit lake of Ekajaṭī, dark red like blood, the color of firelight, which accomplishes without hindrance all entrusted actions of enlightened subduing activities. In the east is the meditation cave of Samantabhadra Heruka, [ 4 ] where the experience of samādhi naturally increases. Countless other meditation caves, containing the great Padmasambhava’s precious treasures and sacred substances, offer great blessings. According to Padmasambhava, simply seeing this place purifies the defilements of a thousand eons. To the west of those caves is a mountain known as Riwo Tāla . [ 5 ] Covered with rocks and snow, the mountain is high and sparkling, beautiful to behold, like a warrior in armor and helmet. In that place, the power of bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara’s prayers and aspirations pacifies all eight and sixteen types of fears, and pure clear water possessing the eight qualities flows down along the right side of the most secret valley. Anyone who tastes the lustral white water along the left, [211] which moves like the edge of a blue scarf, will gain longevity, power, and splendor .[ 6 ] The deities of the vajra family live in the east, in the land called “Glorious vajras and endless knots” ( Natsok Dorjepal Bai’u Ling ) [ 7 ] The deities of the jewel family live in the south, in the land called “Jewel whorl of bliss” ( Rinchen Gakhyil Ling ). [ 8 ] The deities of the lotus family live in the west, in the land called “Great blissful ḍākinī land” ( Ḍāki Dechen Ling ). [ 9 ] Wrathful and powerful deities live in the north, in a land that is like an opening sesame pod, called “Very wrathful yakṣa” ( Nöjin Drakngak Rabtrö Ling ). [ 10 ] Next, it is said that in the east there is a cave called “Spirit lake of Vajrasattva” ( Dorsem Latso ), [ 11 ] which is a pacifying vajra cave where Padmasambhava concealed innumerable crafted [ 12 ] treasures. In the south is “Jewel cave” ( Rinchen Puk ), [ 13 ] where the assembly of the eight great Heruka gather, and where Padmasambhava concealed innumerable wish-fulfilling treasures, such as gold and silver. In the west is a lake called “Blissful lotus lake of magnetizing energy” ( Pema Wangdu Dewa Tso ) ,[ 14 ] where Padmasambhava concealed countless treasures of longevity. In the north is “Wrathful meditation cave” ( Draktsal Tutob Ling ), [ 15 ] where Padmasambhava concealed incalculable treasures, and this is where all wrathful activities occur, without exception. The most secret guidebook Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance states: [ 16 ] At the mountain’s pinnacle, Avalokiteśvara, [ 17 ] And all the root and lineage lamas, buddhas, and bodhisattvas Abide like clouds gathered in the sky. At the mountain’s waist, tantric deities gather [212] Like a swirling snow blizzard, Surrounded by heroes, ḍākinīs, And activity protectors, gathered like star clusters in the sky, Impossible for the eyes to look at directly. The sound of compassion, kyu ru ru , roars naturally, And waves of radiant nectar swirl, blazing with five-colored lights. In the upper valleys, where an excellent mist wafts, The medicinal plant codonopsis pilosula grows .[ 18 ] The trees and forest are covered with the domed tent of rainbow light, And all the birds sing harmoniously, proclaiming the sounds of the Dharma. Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance explains further: Those who taste the water and soil of this place Purify obscurations of negative karma and attain the seed of enlightenment. Those who provide pilgrimage guidance and instruction Are messengers of Padmasambhava, who himself said, “these are my followers.” Those who build temples on the narrow cliffs of this region Be they man or woman, good or bad, Are emanations of Padmasambhava. Each mountain pinnacle has a hundred million A MI DHE WA, In the middle of which are a hundred million MAṆI, And all around, VAJRA GURU, Which two hundred million of the former mantras do not equal. [ 19 ] Riwo Tāla is the sublime heart [213] place, The secret and innermost unsurpassable Abode of the light appearance of Avalokiteśvara and Padmasambhava. Offer aspiration prayers, sons of good families, And keep in mind the authentic and fortunate aeon. Be careful not to offend malicious local deity protectors. Those with wrong views will have continuous obstacles, So do not mistake pleasure and suffering. This is the promise of the truthful Padmasambhava. COLOPHON So it said. This hidden treasure text was revealed by the accomplished master Dudjom Lingpa otherwise known as Jedrung Jampa Jungne, in front of the lower slopes of the great snowy mountain, and it was composed like this. [ 20 ] NOTES [1] Khenpo Tsulnam and Orgyan Gyalpo explained that gangs can mtsho is a name for Buddha Vairocana and that the passage follows the cosmological model of Jamgön Kongtrul’s (’jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha’ yas, 1813–1899, BDRC P264 ) shes bya kun khyab , although another possible interpretation is “Vairocana in the snowy land of Tibet.” [2] pad+ma bkod [3] kun bzang bla mtsho [4] bde chen klong yangs [5] ri bo tā la [6] Lama Özer suggests that this spelling should be thing kha , meaning a blue scarf, suggesting the effect of a floating scarf when the edge lifts up. [7] sna tshogs rdo rje dpal bai’u gling [8] rin chen dga’ ’khyil gling [9] DAk+ki bde chen gling [10] gnod sbyin drag sngags rab khros gling [11] rdor sems bla mtsho [12] bzo [ 13] rin chen phug [14] pad+ma dbang sdud bde ba mtsho [15] drag rtsal mthu stobs gling [16] This is a selection by Chögyal Ngawang Dargye (chos rgyal ngag dbang dar rgyas, 1736/1740–1807, BDRC P369 ) from the rdzogs chen ma rig mun sel ( BDRC MW24664 ). [17] Avalokiteśvara’s specific form here is the Ocean of Victors ( rgyal ba rgya mtsho ). [18] klu bdud rdo rje [ 19] The meaning of this passage is unclear. [20] bdud ’jom gling pa/ rje drung byams pa ’byung gnas, 1835–1904, BDRC P705 Acknowledgement: I am grateful for the assistance of several Tibetan scholars living in Toronto: Orgyan Gyalpo for the illustrations and first reading of the text, to Tulku Dawa for an invaluable oral commentary that clarified many points of literal and inner meaning, to Acharya Dakpa Gyatso for additional translation help. Thanks also to Ryan Jones and Frances Garrett for editing assistance. The translation is my own and I assume responsibility for all remaining errors. Published: April 2022 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Originally published in Brill's Hidden Lands in Himalayan Myth and History BIBLIOGRAPHY bdud ’joms gling pa. 2009. sbas gnas padma bkod. In gnas yig phyogs bsgrigs rdzogs ldan gsar pa'i ’od snang bzhugs so, edited by ’gyur med rdo rje, Dehra Dun: Ngagyur Nyingma College. 209–213. BDRC W1KG6188 Abstract 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 . BDRC LINK W1KG6188 DOWNLOAD TRANSLATION GO TO TRANSLATION LISTEN TO AUDIO 00:00 / 06:09 TRADITION Nyingma PREVIOUS & SUBSEQUENT INCARNATIONS Orgyan Dudul Rölpatsal Katokpa Dampa Deshek Dudul Dorje ___________________________ Jigdral Yeshe Dorje Kunzang Nyima HISTORICAL PERIOD 19th Century TEACHERS The Third Detri, Jamyang Tubten Nyima TRANSLATOR Barbara Hazelton (Lama Rinchen Zangmo ) INSTITUTION Dartsang Kalzang Monastery STUDENTS Pema Drodul Sangngak Lingpa Eta Rādza Sherab Öser Tsewang Rigdzin The Third Katok Situ, Chökyi Gyatso Pema Lungtok Gyatso AUTHOR Dudjom Lingpa Hidden Sacred Land of Pemakö VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS NEXT PUBLICATION > < PREVIOUS PUBLICATION Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Terms of Use Privacy Policy Donate Subscribe to our newsletter Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today! Name * Email* Submit Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions. Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2754–1495 CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG © 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.

NARRATOR Pamela Greensmith Pamela has been assisting the marketing and media team in the recording of audio narration of the various translations. She is a source of great encouragement from Tib Shelf's earliest days and looks forward to recording more in the months and years to come. Pamela's narration style has been described as ethereal and soothing and it is a great pleasure to have her on the team. Our Team Tib Shelf was born out of a desire to share. We are a team of dedicated translators with a mission to translate, present and preserve Tibetan wisdom, history & culture. Our Story The Founders Having met at the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford, the three founders discovered that there is a vast cache of translated material, stored on the computers of researchers and others, unlikely to ever see the light of day. 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Your donations will enable us to continue to grow our cache of translated open-source publications, ensure they continue to be openly accessible through a user-friendly platform, and support under-funded translators for their continued endeavours towards this worthy cause. THANK YOU Thank you for visiting Tib Shelf. We hope that Tib Shelf proves to be a useful and welcoming platform to all. One that encourages collaboration and appreciation for all contributors to what we believe, a very worthy cause. TRANSLATOR Lowell Cook Lowell is an independent scholar who translates and researches the entire breadth of Tibetan literature, from the ancient Dunhuang manuscripts to contemporary poetry. He completed his MA in Translation, Philology, and Textual Interpretation at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Nepal. He is the author of Tibetan Pure Land Buddhism and translator of Sangak Tenzin’s A White Conch Spiralling Toward Happiness: Poems of a Tibetan Master. His translations and writings have appeared on 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, High Peaks Pure Earth, The Los Angeles Review of Books’ China Channel, Lotsawa House, and other venues. TRANSLATOR Dr. Rachael Griffiths Dr. Rachael Griffiths holds a DPhil in Oriental Studies from the University of Oxford, with a thesis on the autobiography of Sumpa Khenpo Yeshe Paljor. Her research interests include life writing, monastic and intellectual networks, and Sino-Tibetan-Mongolian relations in the early modern period. TRANSLATOR Dr. George FitzHerbert Dr. George FitzHerbert currently teaches Tibetan Language, History and Literature at the University of Oxford (until 2022). He is also a member of the ERC-funded TibArmy research team based in Paris. He completed his DPhil on the Tibetan Gesar Epic in 2008 and his research spans various issues in Tibetan cultural and religious history. He has also worked as a journalist for the BBC and as a freelance researcher and ghostwriter. TRANSLATOR Patrick Dowd Patrick Dowd is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on the culture of Tibetan language within the world of Tibetan Buddhism. His essays have been published by Tricycle, Lion’s Roar, and Buddhadharma, and his translations have appeared on Lotsawa House. Prior to beginning his doctoral work, he spent several years studying, researching, and collaboratively working with Tibetan communities in India, Nepal, and Tibet. TRANSLATOR Rinzin Dorjee Drongpa Rinzin was born in Tibet and studied at a Tibetan refugee school in India. He received his MA in philosophy from Delhi University. During his time at the university, he also got the opportunity to study Tibetan Buddhism and art. In 2018 he participated in a three-month intensive translation workshop conducted by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. He is currently working as a freelance translator and continuing with his ngöndro practice (a preliminary practice in Tibetan Buddhism). Rinzin is also a self-taught pencil portrait artist and loves sketching in his free time. TRANSLATOR Michael Elison Michael is a professional Java Developer, as well as Full Stack Developer with experience in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, MongoDB, SQL. He also has a great interest in Tibetan Language and Culture. In 2019, he graduated from the University of Oxford as a Master of Philosophy in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies. For his Master’s thesis, Michael conducted research on the practice of Dream Yoga in Bon in comparison with Tibetan Buddhist traditions. TRANSLATOR Yeshe Khandro In addition to holding a bachelor's degree in science, Yeshe Khandro is a Buddhist nun who has completed over twenty years of Buddhist teacher training. Editing for accuracy of meaning in translation was a major part of her job during much of this time. More recently, she has begun to produce some short translations in her spare time. TRANSLATOR Dr. Nicole Willock Nicole Willock (Ph.D. in Tibetan Studies and Religious Studies, Indiana University 2011) is an associate professor of Asian Religions at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Dr. Willock’s research examines the intersections between Tibetan literature, Buddhist modernism, moral agency, and state-driven secularization projects in twentieth-century China. Her book Lineages of the Literary tells the story of how three Tibetan polymaths in the People’s Republic of China: Tséten Zhabdrung (1910–1985), Mugé Samten (1914–1993), and Dungkar Lozang Trinlé (1927–1997) crisscrossed religious and secular domains to revive Tibetan culture in the post-Mao era. She serves as co-chair of the Tibet and Himalayan Religions Unit of the American Academy of Religion. TRANSLATOR Marlevis Robaina In addition to teaching Spanish, following the completion of her Spanish as a Foreign Language Teacher (ELE) at the University of Nebrija, Marlevis is a collaborative content writer for websites and blogs. Closely holding discipline and dedication to her heart has helped her martial arts practice and language acquisition, leading her to study Japanese at the University of Havana. She followed this by earning a Bachelor's Degree in East Asian Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and studying Sanskrit Language and Literature Studies (University Extension Course) at the University of Barcelona (UB). Inspired by Buddhist philosophy, Marlevis started studying the Tibetan language with Tibetan teachers and then continued with Easy Tibetan's online courses. In her free time, she loves to make origami and enjoy nature. TRANSLATOR Barbara Hazelton (Lama Rinchen Zangmo) Barbara Hazelton has a BA in Fine Art History, MA in Buddhist Studies, and is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Toronto. Her dissertation topic is on the Tibetan King Gesar of Ling Tibetan epic, focusing on its oral tradition and the singers of the tale, the epic bards. She has taught several courses at the University of Toronto and presently the collaborative program with New College. Her background in Tibetan visual imagery and ritual is based on studying with Tibetan scholars and ritual specialists as well as many years of meditation instruction and experience under great Tibetan Buddhist masters. She is a practicing artist training in the Karma Gadri painting tradition. A particular interest of hers is the sacred landscape of Tibet as the confluence of the imaginative world of landscapes, structures, rituals, pilgrimage routes, and literature. She is inspired by the popular genre of the liberation stories (rnam thar ), particularly the female models of enlightened activity exemplified by the great realized female practitioners called yoginīs, such as Yeshe Tsogyal and Niguma. TRANSLATOR Dr. Joseph McClellan Joseph McClellan received a Ph.D. from Columbia University’s Department of Religion. He then taught at colleges in the US, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Bhutan. He now lives in SE Asia focusing on translation and writing. TRANSLATOR Shengnan Dong Shengnan Dong is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History of Art and Archaeology at SOAS, London. She studies Buddhist art and architecture with a particular focus on depictions of mandalas and monumental multi-chapelled stupas built in central Tibet during the 12-15th centuries. Shengnan is also interested in the constructed sacred spaces at Buddhist sites across Central Asia and Northern China, as well as pictorial representation of landscape, cosmos and heavenly realms in the Buddhist context. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked professionally as a photographer, illustrator and film editor. TRANSLATOR Coco Picard Coco Picard is the author of The Healing Circle (Red Hen Press, 2022), The Strangers Among Us (Astrophil Press, 2017) and The Chronicles of Fortune (Radiator Comics, 2017). She founded the Green Lantern Press in 2005-2022, coedited Art after Nature (University of Minnesota Press) from 2017-2025, and completed an MPhil in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies at the University of Oxford in 2024. She is currently the Associate Publisher at City Lights and teaches in the Environmental Art and Social Practice Department at UC Santa Cruz. Published Translators

Polymath The Fifth Lelung Zhepe Dorje 1697–1740 BDRC P675 TREASURY OF LIVES LOTSAWA HOUSE PHOTO CREDIT The Fifth Lelung Jedrung, Lobzang Trinle (1697–1740), on being recognized as the reincarnation of the Fourth Lelung Jedrung, Gendun Chögyal, had his hair-cutting ceremony carried out by the Sixth Dalai Lama (1683–1706) in 1702. Later the treasure revealer Chöje Lingpa (1681–1720/1722) prophesied that Lelung would be the one to receive and propagate a treasure cycle focussed on a peaceful and wrathful form of Avalokiteśvara. His collected works total some forty-six volumes. In 1740 he passed away at the age of forty-three and was posthumously declared to be the protector deity Dragshul Wangpo who is focused on subduing the spirit Dorje Shugden. Prayer The Outer, Inner, and Secret Practice Cycle of Zhepe Dorje Lelung Zhepe Dorje This text presents the outer, inner, and secret practice cycles of Zhepe Dorje, transmitted by Lhachik Nyima Zhönu—a protector deity revealed through pure vision—in 1730 and recorded in 1731. Read Prayer Opening the Door to Prosperity: A Praise To Invoke The Sacred Commitment Of The Great Shanglon Dorje Dudul Lelung Zhepe Dorje The prayer begins with vivid descriptions of Dorje Dudul's wrathful yet compassionate form, praising his various attributes, ornaments, and implements that symbolise his power to bestow blessings and siddhis. It then honours his multiple manifestations—including Mahakala and the Lord of Death—along with his retinue of dakinis, oath-bound protectors, and the Eight Classes of spirits who serve him. The prayer concludes with profound teachings, identifying Dorje Dudul with the clear light nature of mind itself and requesting blessings for recognising one's true nature and attaining enlightenment. Read Song A Series of Spontaneous Spiritual Songs Lelung Zhepe Dorje Two spontaneous songs by Lelung Zhepe Dorje: one honoring the mysterious Je Traktung Pawo, another celebrating unobstructed awareness - both transmitting direct spiritual experience through verse. Read Aspirational Prayer The Magical Lasso: A Prayer of Aspiration to Accomplish Khecara Lelung Zhepe Dorje A heartfelt prayer to the ḍākinīs of three worlds, composed at Pemokö's Dudul Dewa Chenpo, seeking blessings to master the Vajrayāna path for all beings' benefit. Read Pure Vision Chapter Narrating the Pure Vision of Gesar Lelung Zhepe Dorje Senior Geluk figure Lelung Zhepe Dorje (1697-1740) recounts his extraordinary 1729 pure vision of Gesar of Ling, marking a rare intersection of Geluk tradition with Tibet's epic hero. Read Buddhist An Aspiration to Travel to the Hidden Land of Pemokö Lelung Zhepe Dorje A prayer aspiring to rebirth in Pemakö, a sacred hidden land where dharmic conditions flourish and worldly obstacles dissolve - composed by Lelung Shepé Dorje. Read Translated Works Mentioned In Menu Close Home Publications Read Listen Watch People Information About Meet the Team Services Translators Terms of Use Privacy Policy Donate SUBSCRIBE Publications Watch People Listen