An extensive manual for bestowing the long-life empowerment associated with The Vase of Immortal Life, which is part of Jigme Lingpa's Longchen Nyingtik revelation of Rigdzin Düpa. Besides the empowerment and the summoning of longevity, the text also provides an elaborate teaching on the practice's historical background and on longevity more generally, including the conditions for untimely death (i.e., exhaustion of life-force, karma, and merit), the conditions that contribute to depleted life-force, the signs of depletion, the master who restores it and the method for doing so.
Latest from the Nyingtik Yabzhi Project
In response to Yeshe Tsogyal's questions, Guru Padmasamabhava explains the potential mistakes (or ways of going astray) to which a Dzogchen practitioner is especially susceptible—errors related to the three aspects of essence, nature and compassion as well as the view, meditation, conduct and fruition. The dialogue between master and amanuensis also touches upon bodhicitta, obstacles, and the qualities of a genuine consort, or karma-mudrā.
Latest from the Ḍākinī Treasury Project
A Dzogchen-inflected prayer to Guru Padmasambhava, who is inseparable from one's own rigpa, as a means to realise naturally present wisdom.
The story of Jingjian (or Chu Ching-chien, 淨檢), who lived during the Jin Dynasty (265–420 CE) and became the first Chinese woman to be ordained as a bhikṣuṇī.
Latest from the Longchen Nyingtik Project
This nedren (gnas 'dren) or 'guidance' practice is intended to help guide the deceased to enlightenment by purifying the various realms of saṃsāra and granting empowerment. It belongs to the Abhirati Vajrasattva (Dorsem Ngön-ga) set of practices within the Longchen Nyingtik.
Latest from the Khenchen Ngawang Palzang’s Counsels Project
The author describes this letter containing verses of advice as playful or offered in jest. In spite of this apparent light-heartedness, the text contains some acute observations about what it takes to be a true practitioner and, as the author also says, "condenses everything important".
Other recent additions
The light aspiration prayer (mar me'i smon lam) from Tertön Sogyal Lerab Lingpa’s 'Heart Practice of Yeshe Tsogyal’ (mtsho rgyal thugs sgrub) revelation.
These verses on Dzogchen meditation, which appear in the Collected Advice on the Uncommon Great Perfection section of Mipham's writings, were composed in April 1896.
Jokyab Rinpoche composed this prayer to the three pioneering figures of Songtsen Gampo, Guru Padmasambhava and Atiśa while he was visiting the sacred Moon Cave at Drak Yerpa—a place with which all three are associated.
Latest Topic Introduction
A brief historical introduction to nāgas (Tib. klu), a class of semi-divine, serpentine beings central to the cosmology and popular religious life of South and Inner Asia.
Highlights from Archive
A short historical guide to the sacred place of Samyé Chimpu, where Guru Padmasambhava taught and granted empowerments to his twenty-five disciples, who then meditated in the surrounding caves and attained signs of accomplishment. Later, as Jigme Lingpa explains, the place became a pilgrimage site that was visited by many of Tibet's most illustrious masters.
This prayer to the extraordinary Gyarong Khandro Dechen Wangmo, who was considered to be an emanation of Mandāravā, was written by Jamyang Khyentse at the request of Khandro Tsering Chödrön (1929–2011).
Featured Topic
A selection of prayers to the chains of successive rebirths (skye phreng gsol 'debs or skyes rabs gsol 'debs/'khrungs rabs gsol 'debs) of prominent masters, such as Jigme Lingpa, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö and Sera Khandro.
* Lotsāwa ལོ་ཙཱ་བ་; lo tsā ba n. Title used for native Tibetan translators who worked together with Indian scholars (or paṇḍitas) to translate major buddhist texts into Tibetan from Sanskrit and other Asian languages; it is said to derive from lokacakṣu, literally “eyes of the world”. See also paṇḍita.
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