An Explication of the gTer-ma Tradition of the rN~in-ma

p. 115 resemblances to a tree's aspects, of categories of discovered scriptures

The __ gTer-ma cycle

resembling the __ of a tree

Eastern

fruit

Southern

trunk

Western

flowers

Northern

branches

Central

roots

pp. 182-183 categories of texts in the rN~in-ma rGyud >Bum ('Antient Tantra-s Collection') -- volumes numbered alphabetically as in the 25-volume edition of Chr.E. 1616

       

category

Volumes

           

1

     

Ati-yoga ('Beyond Yoga')

K-Ch>a

 

A

   

Man Nag sDe ('Secret Instructions Category')

K-Ch

   

a

 

Most Secret Sublime T.

K-N

     

i

Yan-ti

K-Kh

     

ii

sPyi-ti

Kh-G

     

iii

A-ti

G-N

   

b

 

Secret T.

N

   

c

 

Outer & Inner T.

N-Ch

 

B

   

Great Expanse

Ch

 

C

   

Sems sDe ('Mind Category')

Ch-Ch>

   

a

 

Kun-ched Gyal-po

Ch-Ch>

   

b

 

18 T.-s

Ch>

   

c

 

other texts

Ch>

2

     

Anu-yoga ('After Yoga')

J-N~

 

A

   

4 Root S.-s

J-N~

 

B

   

6 T.-s

N~

 

C

   

12 Rare T.-s

N~

3

     

Maha-yoga ('GreatYoga')

T-R

 

A

   

18 T.-s

T

   

a

 

Guhya-garbha-maya-jala ('Secret Embryo Illusion Net') T.

T-D

   

b

 

17 Explanatory T.-s

D-Ph

     

i

5 Root T.-s

D-N

     

ii

5 T.-s of Explanation of Method in Practice

P

     

iii

5 T.-s on the Aspect of Conduct

P

     

iv

2 additional T.-s

P-Ph

 

B

   

8 Sadhana-s of the 8 Great Man.d.ala-s

Ph-R

   

a

 

gTer-ma texts

Ph-B

     

i

 

Ph

     

ii

 

Ph-B

   

b

 

canonical T.-s

B-R

     

i

Man~ju-s`ri

B-Ts

     

ii

Padma

Ts-Tsh

     

iii

 

Tsh-Dz

     

iv

A-mr.ta

Dz-W

     

v

Vajra-kila

W-Z

     

vi

Ma-mo

Z->

     

vii

Offering and Praise to Worldly Deities

Y-R

     

viii

Terrifying Mantra-s of Exorcism

R

pp. 186-188 categories of texts in the Rin Ch>en gTer Gyi mDzod ('Pretious Treasury of gTer-ma'), as published in the 60-volume edition

1

             

Histories & Biographies

2

             

Maha-yoga

 

A

           

Vajra-sattva

 

B

           

Sadhana-s (= sGrub)

   

a

         

Root Sadhana-s

     

i

       

The 3 Roots collectively

     

ii

       

The 3 Roots individually

       

(1)

     

Guru ('praeceptor')

         

(A)

   

Outer = Prayers to Guru

         

(B)

   

Inner, on peaceful Guru

           

(a)

 

Guru as Dharma-kaya

           

(b)

 

Guru as Sambhoga-kaya

           

(c)

 

Guru as Nirman.a-kaya

         

(C)

   

Secret, on wrathful Guru

       

(2)

     

Tutelary Deities

         

(A)

   

Tutelary Deities collectively

         

(B)

   

Tutelary Deities individually

           

(a)

 

Man~ju-s`ri

             

(i)

peaceful Man~ju-s`ri

             

(ii)

wrathful Man~ju-s`ri

           

(b)

 

Padma ('red waterlily')

             

(i)

A-mita-Ayus & Ava-lokita-Is`-vara

             

(ii)

red Haya-griva & black Haya-griva

           

(c)

   
             

(i)

Vajra-sattva

             

(ii)

Vajra-Heruka

             

(iii)

Vajra-pan.i

           

(d)

 

A-mr.ta ('ambrosia')

             

(i)

Sadhana-s

             

(ii)

related texts

           

(e)

 

Vajra-kila

           

(f)

 

Ma-mo

           

(g)

 

Worldly Deities

           

(h)

 

Terrifying Mantra-s & Exorcism

       

(3)

     

D.akini-s ('witches')

       

(4)

     

Dharma-pala-s ('law-protectors')

   

b

         

Branch-texts

     

i

       

BsN~en sGrub ('recitation practice')

       

(1)

     

empowerments

       

(2)

     

general teachings

       

(3)

     

gTor-ma ('cake') offerings

       

(4)

     

Tshogs ('feast') offerings

       

(5)

     

consecration of objects

       

(6)

     

rituals for death & dying

       

(7)

     

homa (burnt-offering) caerimony

     

ii

       

various specific actions

3

             

Anu-yoga

4

             

Ati-yoga

 

A

           

Sems ('Mind') sDe

 

B

           

Klon ('Expanse') sDe

 

C

           

Man-Nag ('Instructions') sDe

   

a

         

Ati

     

i

       

Vimala-mitra

     

ii

       

Padma-sambhava

     

iii

       

Vai-rocana

     

iv

       

United Teachings

   

b

         

sPyi-ti

   

c

           

5

             

Aspirational Prayers

p. 239, n. 138 the 3 major categories of [Maha-siddhi] 'Great Perfection'

category #

__ Varga (= __ sDe)

1st

Citta (Sems)

2nd

Abhi-antara (Klon)

3rd

Upa-des`a (Man-Nag)

Emphasis of Citta-tilaka (= sN~in Thig 'thought mark') is on the Man-Nag category.

p. 242, n. 152 the 5 swiftly-liberating skillful-means of tantra

category #

swiftly-liberating skillful-means

method

which liberateth by __

1st

Cakra (= >Khor-Lo)

Symbolic scripts

seeing

2nd

Mantra (= gZuns-sNags)

Syllables

hearing

3rd

A-mr.ta (= bDud-rTsi)

Ambrosia

tasting

4th

Mudra (= Phyag-rGya)

Consort

touching

5th

(>Pho-ba)

Transference of consciousness

thinking {should be smelling?}

pp. 258-259, n. 248 the Das`a-Bala (= sTobs bChu '10 powers') "of the enlightened ones, who know all correctly and totally:"

#

__ Jn~ana-Bala (__ mKhyen-pa>i sTobs)

[meaning:] The power of knowledge of __

1st

Sthana-A-sthana (gNas-Dan gNas-ma Yin-pa)

What is, and is not, real

2nd

Karma-Vi-paka (Las Kyi rNam Par sMin-pa)

Causal relationships between actions and their consequences

3rd

Nana-Dhatu (Rigs-Dan Khams Ji sN~ed-pa)

Varieties of complex types and natures of beings

4th

Nana-Adhi-mukti (>Gro-ba>i Mos-pa sNa Tshogs)

Complex varieties of individual inclinations of beings

5th

Indriya-Para-A-para (dBan-po mCh>og dMan)

Limit of mental capacities of beings

6th

Vi-mukti-Sarva-jn~ana-gami-prati-patha (Thar-pa Dan Tham Chad mKhyen-pa>i Lam sNa Thogs)

The various paths leading to liberation and enlightenment

7th

As`ravanas`rava-Sarva-dhyana (Zag bChas Dan Zag med Kyis bsDus-pa>i bSam gTan Ji sN~ed)

Various samadhi-s both with and without emotions

8th

Purva-Ni-vasa-Anu-smr.ti (Ran gZan Gyi gNas rJes Su Dran-pa)

All past events of oneself and others

9th

Cyuti-Upa-patti (>Gro-ba>i >Ch>i >Pho sKyes-ba Dran-pa>i)

The deaths and births of beings

10th

As`ravaks.ya-patha-phala (Zag-pa Zad-pa>i Lam Dan >Bras-bu)

The path and result of freedom from emotions

BUDDHAYANA SERIES, I = Thondup Rinpoche (ed. by Harold Talbott): Hidden Teachings of Tibet. Wisdom Publications, London, 1986.