Report January 2024

The Third Dodrupchen, Jigme Tenpe Nyima

Our firsts efforts of the new year are two new translations of texts written by the Third Dodrupchen, Jigme Tenpe Nyima: one for the cycle of the Lion-Faced Dakini (Senge Dongma) and another for the Gathering of Awesome Ones (Palchen Düpa).

Our first text is The White Pennant of Honour: A Song of Victory for the Wrathful Lion-Faced Ḍākinī, Tamer of Demons. This four-verse song proclaiming victory over dualistic concepts, obstacles and other forms of interference relates to the Siṃhamukhā sādhana from the Longchen Nyingtik.

Our second text is A Concise Fulfilment Practice for the Activity Manual of the Heart-Practice of the Gathering of Awesome Ones. This is a short fulfilment offering for the Kagyé practice known as the Gathering of Awesome Ones from the Longchen Nyingtik.

We would also like to point our readers to a very intriguing essay by Lotsawa House director Adam Pearcey, called On the House: Twenty Years of Online Tibetan Translation, published online in the newly founded Journal of Tibetan Literature. Here we are informed about the history of Lotsawa House, reflections on translating and editing and its evolution through time, the cons and pros of online publication and much more. A must read! The Longchen Nyingtik Project is also mentioned:

We are now home to two major projects, one to translate the collected writings of Jamyang Khyentsé Chökyi Lodrö (’Jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse Chos kyi blo gros, 1893–1959) and another to translate the root volumes of the Longchen Nyingthik (klong chen snying thig), or Heart-Essence of the Vast Expanse. The latter focuses primarily on the revelations of Jigmé Lingpa (’Jigs med gling pa, 1730–1798) but so far includes the writings of at least fifteen other authors.