The Blazing Lamp Tantra and The Threaded String of Pearls

The Blazing Lamp Tantra and The Threaded String of Pearls
Author: Osa Karen Manell
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2020
Genre: Tantric Buddhism
ISBN: 9781614296607

"The eleventh-century Seventeen Tantras are among the most important texts in the tradition of the Great Perfection-and in all of Tibetan Buddhism. This set provides these two luminous root texts in crystal-clear translation, along with their commentaries, which break down the tantra passage by passage under headings that contextualize many instructions for the practice of the Great Perfection. The two texts are published together because they contain some of the most detailed expositions on which are based the two essential practices of the Great Perfection: trekchö (cutting through delusion to innate empty essence, the primordial purity of the nature of mind) and thögal (skillful means, the spontaneous presence of primordial purity of mind; effortless and immediate crossing the illusory gap between perceiver and perceived, effortless shift from dualistic perspective directly to the nonduality that is innate rigpa). The Tantra Without Syllables focuses on the theoretical basis for trekchö, and the Blazing Lamp focuses on the theoretical basis of thögal. The actual tantra discussed is not the body of the root text of the tantra, but rather the subject matter that the root text points to: the continuum of one's own vidyā confirmed in a direct perception, which cannot be explained in words. (Tantra of the Blazing Lamps discusses how a luminous awareness, located at the heart, can be projected through the eyes and seen in vision.) Malcolm Smith's simple and lucid introductions bring clarity to an intricate subject, making these volumes vital reading for any student of Dzogchen"--

The Copper-Colored Mountain

The Copper-Colored Mountain
Author: Jigme Lingpa
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 201
Release: 2022-11-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1611809703

A translation of Jigme Lingpa’s eighteenth-century Tibetan Buddhist aspiration prayer for taking rebirth in the pure land Copper-Colored Mountain, accompanied by a commentary and analysis by the translators. While Pure Land Buddhism is generally thought of as an East Asian tradition with an Indian origin, the Copper-Colored Mountain is in fact the first and only pure land with scriptural origins entirely in the Tibetan tradition. It represents Tibetan culture’s fascinating intersection of traditional history with liturgical tantric practice. The Copper-Colored Mountain is understood to be the current abode of Padmasambhava, the Indian master credited with first bringing Buddhism to Tibet and founding Tibet’s first monastery, Samye. After leaving Tibet, it is said that Padmasambhava set up residence on Cāmara, one of the two islands on either side of the continent of Jambudvipa, our world according to Buddhist cosmology. After taming the resident ogres of Cāmara and converting them to Buddhism, he then built an octagonal palace where Buddhist practitioners may be transported in visions and dreams or reborn through aspiration prayers. This work is a translation and analysis of one such aspiration prayer. This prayer was composed by Jigme Lingpa, a treasure revealer of the Nyingma tradition in the eighteenth century and remains the most important prayer to this pure land in Tibetan Buddhism. Merging academic precision in representing the Tibetan texts and devotion to the principles of tantric Buddhism, translators Georgios T. Halkias and Christina Partsalaki enable a wider appreciation of the history and impact of this prayer in Tibetan Buddhist literature while elucidating its meaning for Buddhist practitioners.

The Oxford Handbook of Tantric Studies

The Oxford Handbook of Tantric Studies
Author: Payne
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 1273
Release: 2023-11-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0197549888

"Since the earliest encounters between tantric traditions and Western scholars, tantra has posed a challenge. Representation of tantra has tended to emphasize the antinomian, decadent aspects, which, as attention-grabbing as they were for Western audiences, hampered the study of the field. The Oxford Handbook of Tantric Studies is intended to overcome these obstacles, facilitating collaboration between scholars working on different forms of tantra, and in different disciplines. With more than forty chapters and a global pool of contributors, the Handbook aims to be the definitive reference work in the field, exploring core topics such as action, transformation, embodiment, art, language, and social movements. The first chapter provides an overview of major issues confronting the field today, including debates regarding the definition and category of "tantra," historical origins and dating, and recent developments in gender studies and tantra, ethnography and "lived tantra," and cognitive approaches to the study of tantra. Using a topical framework, the opening section explores the concept of action, one of the most prominent features of tantra, which includes performing rituals, practicing meditation, chanting, embarking on a pilgrimage, or reenacting moments from a sacred text. From there, the sections cover broad topics such as transformation (e.g., soteriology and healing), gender and embodiment, "extraordinary" beings (such as deities and saints), art and visual expressions, language and literature, social organizations, and the history and historiography of tantra. Keywords tantric studies, tantra, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, ritual, soteriology, meditation, embodiment, yoga"--

The Tantra Without Syllables and The Blossoming Lotus

The Tantra Without Syllables and The Blossoming Lotus
Author: Osa Karen Manell
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2020
Genre: Perfection
ISBN: 9781614296140

"The eleventh-century Seventeen Tantras are among the most important texts in the tradition of the Great Perfection-and in all of Tibetan Buddhism. This set provides these two luminous root texts in crystal-clear translation, along with their commentaries, which break down the tantra passage by passage under headings that contextualize many instructions for the practice of the Great Perfection. The two texts are published together because they contain some of the most detailed expositions on which are based the two essential practices of the Great Perfection: trekchö (cutting through delusion to innate empty essence, the primordial purity of the nature of mind) and thögal (skillful means, the spontaneous presence of primordial purity of mind; effortless and immediate crossing the illusory gap between perceiver and perceived, effortless shift from dualistic perspective directly to the nonduality that is innate rigpa). The Tantra Without Syllables focuses on the theoretical basis for trekchö, and the Blazing Lamp focuses on the theoretical basis of thögal. The actual tantra discussed is not the body of the root text of the tantra, but rather the subject matter that the root text points to: the continuum of one's own vidyā confirmed in a direct perception, which cannot be explained in words. (Tantra of the Blazing Lamps discusses how a luminous awareness, located at the heart, can be projected through the eyes and seen in vision.) Malcolm Smith's simple and lucid introductions bring clarity to an intricate subject, making these volumes vital reading for any student of Dzogchen"--

The Tara Tantra

The Tara Tantra
Author: Susan A. Landesman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 407
Release: 2020-05-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 194916313X

A groundbreaking English translation of a key tantric text in the history of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. This volume contains an English translation of the “root text” of the Tara-mula-kalpa, a scripture-ritual compendium that captures an important Buddhist tantric tradition in mid-formation. In this regard it is utterly unique and unlike any other text in the Buddhist canon. Its contents document the emergence of the quintessential female Buddha Tara in seventh-century India. As her popularity grew, her cult spread throughout Southeast Asia, as well as Tibet, where she became revered as the “Mother” of the Tibetan people. Tara is worshiped for a variety of reasons, from health and long life, to wealth, protection from enemies, and ultimately, the mind of enlightenment. Her presence pervades the evolution of Buddhism in Tibet, including within royal circles, as well as mentor and guide to many important Buddhist scholars, practitioners, and lineage holders.

The Tantra Without Syllables and The Blossoming Lotus

The Tantra Without Syllables and The Blossoming Lotus
Author: Malcolm Smith (Buddhism practitioner)
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2020
Genre: Perfection
ISBN: 9781614296133

"The eleventh-century Seventeen Tantras are among the most important texts in the tradition of the Great Perfection-and in all of Tibetan Buddhism. This set provides these two luminous root texts in crystal-clear translation, along with their commentaries, which break down the tantra passage by passage under headings that contextualize many instructions for the practice of the Great Perfection. The two texts are published together because they contain some of the most detailed expositions on which are based the two essential practices of the Great Perfection: trekchö (cutting through delusion to innate empty essence, the primordial purity of the nature of mind) and thögal (skillful means, the spontaneous presence of primordial purity of mind; effortless and immediate crossing the illusory gap between perceiver and perceived, effortless shift from dualistic perspective directly to the nonduality that is innate rigpa). The Tantra Without Syllables focuses on the theoretical basis for trekchö, and the Blazing Lamp focuses on the theoretical basis of thögal. The actual tantra discussed is not the body of the root text of the tantra, but rather the subject matter that the root text points to: the continuum of one's own vidyā confirmed in a direct perception, which cannot be explained in words. (Tantra of the Blazing Lamps discusses how a luminous awareness, located at the heart, can be projected through the eyes and seen in vision.) Malcolm Smith's simple and lucid introductions bring clarity to an intricate subject, making these volumes vital reading for any student of Dzogchen"--

The Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra (vol 1) and The Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra (vol 2)

The Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra (vol 1) and The Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra (vol 2)
Author:
Publisher: Wisdom Publications
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2018-08-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781614294863

A complete translation of two of the eleventh-century Seventeen Tantras—texts that are among the most important in all of Tibetan Buddhism. “If one knows the Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra, the Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra, and the Tantra Without Syllables, one will have command over the general meaning of the tantras, like a king who has command over his subjects.”—Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle The eleventh-century Seventeen Tantras are the most important texts in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of the Great Perfection. This boxed set provides two luminous translations. The first is the only complete English translation of the Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra, which is the major commentary tantra on all aspects of the doctrine of the Great Perfection. The second, the Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra, outlines the structure of Dzogchen tantras in general and also provides a detailed outline of the Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra. Malcolm Smith also offers a comprehensive introduction and two vital appendices: (1) a brief historical account and survey of the Seventeen Tantras and (2) an examination of the themes of the Seventeen Tantras, translated from the commentary to the String of Pearls Tantra. This is vital reading for any student of Dzogchen.

The Tantra Without Syllables (Vol 3) and The Blazing Lamp Tantra (Vol 4)

The Tantra Without Syllables (Vol 3) and The Blazing Lamp Tantra (Vol 4)
Author:
Publisher: Wisdom Publications
Total Pages: 630
Release: 2020-04-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781614296591

New translations two of the most revered and important tantric texts in Tibetan Buddhism, essential for meditators, scholars, and students alike. “If one knows the Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra, the Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra, and the Tantra Without Syllables, one will have command over the general meaning of the tantras, like a king who has command over his subjects.”—Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle The eleventh-century Seventeen Tantras are among the most important texts in the tradition of the Great Perfection—and in all of Tibetan Buddhism. This set provides these two luminous root texts in crystal-clear translation, along with their commentaries, which break down the tantra passage by passage under headings that contextualize many instructions for the practice of the Great Perfection. The two texts are published together because they contain some of the most detailed expositions on which are based the two essential practices of the Great Perfection: trekchö, the cultivation of the four modes of unfettered equipoise unique to the Great Perfection, and thögal, the cultivation of the four contemplative visions of the Great Perfection that lead to the realization of the body of light. The Tantra Without Syllables focuses on the theoretical basis for trekchö, and the Blazing Lamp focuses on the theoretical basis of thögal. The actual tantra discussed is not the body of the root text of the tantra, but rather the subject matter that the root text points to: the continuum of one’s own vidya, personal knowledge of one's true condition, confirmed in a direct perception, which cannot be explained in words. Malcolm Smith’s simple and lucid introductions bring clarity to an intricate subject, making these volumes vital reading for any student of Dzogchen.

The Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra (vol 1) and The Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra (vol 2)

The Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra (vol 1) and The Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra (vol 2)
Author:
Publisher: Wisdom Publications
Total Pages: 736
Release: 2018-08-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781614294863

A complete translation of two of the eleventh-century Seventeen Tantras—texts that are among the most important in all of Tibetan Buddhism. “If one knows the Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra, the Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra, and the Tantra Without Syllables, one will have command over the general meaning of the tantras, like a king who has command over his subjects.”—Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle The eleventh-century Seventeen Tantras are the most important texts in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of the Great Perfection. This boxed set provides two luminous translations. The first is the only complete English translation of the Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra, which is the major commentary tantra on all aspects of the doctrine of the Great Perfection. The second, the Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra, outlines the structure of Dzogchen tantras in general and also provides a detailed outline of the Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra. Malcolm Smith also offers a comprehensive introduction and two vital appendices: (1) a brief historical account and survey of the Seventeen Tantras and (2) an examination of the themes of the Seventeen Tantras, translated from the commentary to the String of Pearls Tantra. This is vital reading for any student of Dzogchen.

The Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra (vol 1) and The Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra (vol 2)

The Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra (vol 1) and The Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra (vol 2)
Author:
Publisher: Wisdom Publications
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2018-08-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781614294863

A complete translation of two of the eleventh-century Seventeen Tantras—texts that are among the most important in all of Tibetan Buddhism. “If one knows the Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra, the Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra, and the Tantra Without Syllables, one will have command over the general meaning of the tantras, like a king who has command over his subjects.”—Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle The eleventh-century Seventeen Tantras are the most important texts in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of the Great Perfection. This boxed set provides two luminous translations. The first is the only complete English translation of the Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra, which is the major commentary tantra on all aspects of the doctrine of the Great Perfection. The second, the Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra, outlines the structure of Dzogchen tantras in general and also provides a detailed outline of the Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra. Malcolm Smith also offers a comprehensive introduction and two vital appendices: (1) a brief historical account and survey of the Seventeen Tantras and (2) an examination of the themes of the Seventeen Tantras, translated from the commentary to the String of Pearls Tantra. This is vital reading for any student of Dzogchen.