Report March 2021
This month we have published three new translations.
On dakini day this month we published the Adornment of Lord Nāgārjuna’s Wisdom Mind: The Fourfold Maṇḍala Offering to Tārā. Jigme Lingpa tells us that he arranged this ritual of the Twenty-One Tārās based on the authoritative tradition that derives from Nāgārjuna and The Manifest Source Tantra of Tārā. In order to create the full liturgy, which he did at the request of the First Dodrupchen Jigme Trinlé Özer, he also added other elements from various pith instructions. This practice is connected in particular with the inner practice of Yumka called 'A Treasure Vase Containing the Essence of Great Bliss', and can therefore be found right next to it in the Longchen Nyingtik Core Texts.
As the Guide to Yumka mentions, Vajravārāhī is most profound for accomplishing the uncommon, supreme accomplishment, yet Tārā is most swift in the common accomplishment of activities.
Our thanks go out to Chonyi Drolma for generously allowing us to publish her translation.
Our second new publication is a beautiful new translation of The Vision by Rigpa Translations, which Jigme Lingpa composed after having had a vision of Avalokiteśvara. In 1758, one year after the first, principal revelation of Dukngal Rangdrol, Jigme Lingpa had a vision of Avalokiteśvara, the Great Compassionate One, in standing posture and extending to the far reaches of the eastern sky. Following this, he tells us in his autobiography, "tears of devotion welled up" and he composed this prayer.
The Twenty-One Tārās according to the Longchen Nyingtik
Courtesy of Dodrupchen Monastery
Our third new text is a translation of Jigme Lingpa's Blissful Path of Action Tantra: A Ritual for Taking the One-Day Vows of a Lay Practitioner. This is a short ritual for taking the eight vows of a lay practitioner (upāsaka/upāsikā) for a single day. As Jigme Lingpa mentions, it is traditionally recommended to take these precepts on the eighth, fifteenth (full moon) and thirtieth (new moon) days of each lunar month.
We need your support! The Longchen Nyingtik Project continues to translate, edit and publish texts of the Longchen Nyingtik cycle of treasure revelations. Please consider supporting us by becoming our patron or donating through Paypal.