The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to Tantra
In 1838, Choying Tobden Dorje, a Buddhist yogi-scholar of eastern Tibet, completed a multivolume masterwork that traces the entire path of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism from beginning to end.
Written by a lay practitioner for laypeople, it was intended to be accessible, informative, inspirational, and above all, practical.
Its twenty-five books, or topical divisions, offer a comprehensive and detailed view of the Buddhist path according to the early translation school of Tibetan Buddhism, spanning the vast range of Buddhist teachings from the initial steps to the highest esoteric teachings of great perfection.
Choying Tobden Dorje’s magnum opus appears in English here for the first time.
In Foundations of the Buddhist Path, which covers the first ten of the treatise’s twenty-five books, the author surveys the scope of the entire work and then begins with the topics that set the cornerstones for all subsequent Buddhist practice:
what constitutes proper spiritual apprenticeship, how to receive the teachings, how to make the best use of this life, and how to motivate ourselves to generate effort on the spiritual path.
He then describes refuge and the vows that define the path of individual liberation before turning to the bodhisattva’s way—buddha nature, how to uplift the mind to supreme awakening, the bodhisattva’s training, and the attainments of the paths leading to supreme awakening.
"This monumental treatise, covering both common and esoteric Buddhist lore, was composed by Choying Tobden Dorje, a most illustrious scholar and accomplished sage.
Fortunately, among his voluminous books, this, his masterwork, has survived and has been carefully translated true to the original. It will open the eyes of serious readers to the vast spectrum of Buddhist wisdom."—Tulku Thondup
"The translation of this text is a major milestone in bringing Tibetan Buddhist wisdom to the West.
One of the legacies of ancient Tibet is the preservation of vast numbers of the Buddhist scriptures in their most complete and authentic forms.
This text is a remarkable example of that.
It has the power to reveal the rich traditions of Tibetan Buddhism from its surface to its depth, and it will illuminate the minds of those who have the great good fortune to meet with it."—Anam Thubten
"The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to Tantra represents a rare opportunity for readers to obtain a complete map of the Buddha's teachings.
It contains very detailed descriptions of the profound and vast teachings of the ground, path, and fruition of both the sutra and tantra traditions.
It provides particular emphasis on detailed instructions of the inner tantras of mahayoga, anuyoga, and the precious dzokchen tradition.
I highly recommend this book for students who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the complete path to enlightenment."—Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche
In honor of Lama Tharchin Rinpoche and with deep appreciation for his extraordinary kindness and generosity to a generation of Western Buddhist students, Tsadra Foundation is delighted to bring to fruition his long held dream of making this seminal work
available to English speaking students. Foundations of the Buddhist Path, translated by Ngawang Zangpo, comprising Books 1-10 appeared in June 2015. The Essential Tantras of Mahayoga, translated by Gyurme Dorje, comprising Books 15-17 appeared in 2016. Books 13 and 14 are expected to be published by the end of 2017. The remaining volumes 18-25 will follow.
The 25 volumes of The Complete Nyingma Tradition comprise:
Book 1: Discipleship and forsaking misleading companions
Book 2: How the sacred Buddhist doctrine is transmitted through teaching and listening, and how its foundation, faith, is developed
Book 3: The difficulty of attaining a free and fully endowed human life
Book 4: The impermanence of composite phenomena
Book 5: Ennobling and corrupting actions, karma, and consequences
Book 6: The round of rebirth’s nature as suffering
Book 7: Taking refuge; the legal code of the spiritual path of individual liberation; and the basis, path, and result of the hearers’ and solitary sages’ ways of Buddhist practice
Book 8: The middle way’s foundation—the two truths, and the initial uplifting of the mind to awakening
Book 9: The middle way’s path—the twofold cultivation of goodness and wisdom during three intervening incalculable eons
Book 10: The middle way’s result—the two wisdom bodies of final, manifest complete enlightenment
Book 11: The array of the realms that fill the bounds of space
Book 12: The ten major and minor subjects of Buddhist culture
Book 13: An extensive explanation of every philosophical system
Book 14: The three exoteric tantras and the highest tantras’ general foundation—empowerment; their vital force—tantric bonds; their path—view, meditation, and conduct; and their result
Book 15: A presentation of the title, classification of subjects, prologue, main discussion, and closing statement of The Secret Essence Tantra
Book 16: The peaceful deities’ basis, path, and result
Book 17: The wrathful deities’ basis, path, and result; the entrusting of the tantra; and a word-by-word commentary to A Litany of the Names of Gentle Splendor
Book 18: In the commentary to anuyoga tantras, their foundation—empowerment; their vital force—tantric bonds; their path—view, meditation, and conduct; and their result
Book 19: In the commentary to the natural great perfection tantras, their origin and an enumeration of their texts; their foundation—empowerment; and their vital force—the tantric bonds’ four principles
Book 20: For those of the highest degree of acumen, who can attain freedom in this lifetime—coming to conclusive certainty in the view of atiyoga
Book 21: Experiential cultivation in meditation—meditation on cutting through the solidity of dualistic experience
Book 22: Meditation on the four visions within direct vision
Book 23: Enrichment of spiritual experience through conduct, introduction to the nature of mind, and signs indicative of degrees of success
Book 24: For those of a middle degree of acumen, instruction for liberation during the period between lifetimes; and for those of an average degree of acumen, liberation in the realms of the manifest wisdom body
Book 25: The final result—enlightenment’s five bodies and five wisdoms, and acts of spontaneous enlightened activity (Taken from pages 27-28 of Foundations of the Buddhist Path, translated by Ngawang Zangpo)
The Author, Choying Tobden Dorje
Choying Tobden Dorje (1785-1848) was a brilliant Buddhist master from the Amdo region of eastern Tibet, renowned for his realization of great perfection. A disciple of the first Dodrupchen Rinpoche, he founded the monastery of Dzokchen Namgyal Ling and was instrumental in establishing the community of lay tantric practitioners known as the Repkong Ngak-mang.
In 1838 Choying Tobden Dorje completed a multivolume masterwork that traces the entire path of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism from beginning to end. Written by a lay practitioner for lay people, it was intended to be accessible, informative, inspirational, and above all, practical. Its twenty-five books, or topical divisions, offer a comprehensive and detailed view of the Buddhist path according to the early translation school of Tibetan Buddhism, spanning the vast range of Buddhist teachings from the initial steps to the highest esoteric teachings of great perfection.
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