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The ''Seventeen Tantras of the Esoteric Instruction Series'' () or the ''Seventeen Tantras of the Ancients'' (''rnying-ma'i rgyud bcu-bdun'') are an important collection of
tantra Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the India, Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism. The term ''tantra'', in the Greater India, Indian tr ...
s in the
Nyingma Nyingma (, ), also referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school was founded by PadmasambhavaClaude Arpi, ''A Glimpse of the History of Tibet'', Dharamsala: Tibet Museum, 2013. ...
school of
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...
. They comprise the core scriptures of the "esoteric instruction series" (''
Menngagde In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, Menngagde (, ), is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Dzogchen (''Great Perfection'' ). Dzogchen is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma sch ...
'') of
Dzogchen Dzogchen ( 'Great Completion' or 'Great Perfection'), also known as ''atiyoga'' ( utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Bön aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existence. The goal ...
teachings and are its most authoritative scriptures. The Seventeen Tantras are part of the ''
Vima Nyingthig Vima Nyingthig (), "Seminal Heart of Vimalamitra", in Tibetan Buddhism is one of the two "seminal heart" () collections of the menngagde cycle Dzogchen, the other one being "Seminal Heart of the Dakini" (''mkha' 'gro snying thig''). Traditionall ...
'' (''"Inner Essence of Vimalamitra"''), a terma cycle of Dzogchen texts revealed by the treasure discoverer
Zhangton Tashi Dorje Zhangtön Tashi Dorjé ( Wylie: ''zhang ston bkra shis rdo rje'', c. 1097 – 1167) was a Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen teacher who was an important treasure revealer ( terton) in the Menngagde lineage of Dzogchen. He is particularly known for reveali ...
(c. 1097-1127) and associated with the 8th century Indian monk
Vimalamitra Vimalamitra () was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist monk. His teachers were Buddhaguhya, Jnanasutra, Jñānasūtra and Sri Singha, Śrī Siṃha. He was supposed to have vowed to take rebirth every hundred years, with the most notable figures bein ...
who is traditionally believed by the Nyingma school to have first brought these texts to Tibet. The ''Vima Nyingthig'' itself consists of '
tantras Tantra is an esoteric tradition in Hinduism and Buddhism. Tantra may also refer to: Religion * Buddhist tantric literature, the literature of the Vajrayana Buddhist traditions *Hindu tantric literature, esoteric scriptures in Hinduism * Neotantra ...
' (''rgyud''), 'agamas' (''lung''), and ' upadeshas' (''man ngag''). The other texts are mainly exegetical literature on the material found in the Seventeen tantras. The Seventeen Tantras explain the view (''lta ba'') of Dzogchen, the two main forms of Dzogchen meditation (''sgom pa'') - ''kadag
trekchö In Dzogchen, ''trekchö'' (''khregs chod'') means "(spontaneous) cutting of tension" or "cutting through solidity." The practice of ''trekchö'' reflects the earliest developments of Dzogchen, with its admonition against practice. In this practice ...
'' ("the cutting through of primordial purity"), and ''lhündrub
tögal In Dzogchen, ''tögal'' () literally means "crossing, surpassing the skull." It is sometimes translated as 'leapover,' 'direct crossing,' or 'direct transcendence.' ''Tögal'' is also called "the practice of vision," or "the practice of the Clear ...
'' ("the direct crossing of spontaneous presence") - and the conduct (''spyod pa'') of a Dzogchen practitioner, along with other ancillary topics.


History

Contemporary Tibetologists like
David Germano David Francis Germano is an American Tibetologist and professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia (UVA), where he has dual appointments in its School of Nursing and Department of Religious Studies. Germano is a form ...
and Christopher Hatchell hold that the ''
Vima Nyingthig Vima Nyingthig (), "Seminal Heart of Vimalamitra", in Tibetan Buddhism is one of the two "seminal heart" () collections of the menngagde cycle Dzogchen, the other one being "Seminal Heart of the Dakini" (''mkha' 'gro snying thig''). Traditionall ...
'' was likely composed by its discoverer, the terton
Zhangton Tashi Dorje Zhangtön Tashi Dorjé ( Wylie: ''zhang ston bkra shis rdo rje'', c. 1097 – 1167) was a Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen teacher who was an important treasure revealer ( terton) in the Menngagde lineage of Dzogchen. He is particularly known for reveali ...
(1097-1127). Germano also holds that the first historically attested figure connected with these tantras is Chetsün Sengé Wangchuk (''lce btsun seng ge dbang phyug'', c. 11th century). Samten Karmay writes that while Vimalamitra is attested in the sources as a Buddhist monk, there is "a fair amount of uncertainty" about this figure (and likewise about his supposed student, Nyangban Tingzin Zangpo). Vimalamitra's name does appear in some Tibetan inscriptions however. Karmay also notes that certain critics of Dzogchen claimed that it was Chetsün Sengé Wangchuk who authored the Seventeen Tantras. According to
Bryan J. Cuevas Bryan J. Cuevas (born 1967) is an American Tibetologist and historian of religion. He is John F. Priest Professor of Religion and Director of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies at Florida State University, where he specializes in Tibetan Buddhist history ...
, while the traditional Nyingma view is that the Seventeen Tantras were divine revelations received by
Garab Dorje Garab Dorje (c. 665) () was the first human to receive the complete direct transmission teachings of Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen. The circumstances of his birth are shrouded in different interpretations, with some accounts describing a miraculous ...
, these texts seem to have been "compiled over a long period of time by multiple hands." Cuevas also writes that "the precise identity of these unknown redactors is a riddle that I hope may soon be solved. Whatever the case, we must accept that the collection in the form it is known to us today consists of several layers of history reflecting diverse influences." Germano also notes that from the time of Chetsün Sengé Wangchuk onwards, "we have datable istoricalfigures" in what constitutes a lineage of the Seventeen Tantras. This lineage is as follows: Chetsün Sengé Wangchuk's disciple Zhangton Tashi Dorje (1097-1167), Zhangton's son Nyima Bum (1158-1213), Nyima Bum's nephew Guru jo 'ber (1172-1231), Jo 'ber's disciple Trulzhik Sengge Gyabpa ('''khrul zhig seng ge rgyab pa,'' 1200s), Trulzhik's disciple Melong Dorje (1243-1303), and Melong's disciple Kumaradza (1266-1343), who was the root guru of
Longchenpa Longchen Rabjam Drimé Özer (), or simply Longchenpa (1308–1364, "The Great One Who Is the Vast Cosmic Expanse") was a Tibetan scholar-yogi of the Nyingma school, the 'Old School' of Tibetan Buddhism. According to tibetologist David German ...
(1308-1363).


Traditional Nyingma history

In the Nyingma school, the Seventeen Tantras are traditionally said to be translations of Indian texts by figures of the Early Dissemination period, mainly the 8th-century Indian monk
Vimalamitra Vimalamitra () was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist monk. His teachers were Buddhaguhya, Jnanasutra, Jñānasūtra and Sri Singha, Śrī Siṃha. He was supposed to have vowed to take rebirth every hundred years, with the most notable figures bein ...
, through his teacher Shri Singha. They are traced back to the quasi-historical figure of
Garab Dorje Garab Dorje (c. 665) () was the first human to receive the complete direct transmission teachings of Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen. The circumstances of his birth are shrouded in different interpretations, with some accounts describing a miraculous ...
, who is said to have received them from the Buddha
Kuntu Zangpo The Ādi-Buddha (, Ch: 本佛, Jp: honbutsu, First Buddha, Original Buddha, or Primordial Buddha) is a Mahayana Buddhist concept referring to the most fundamental, supreme, or ancient Buddha in the cosmos. Another common term for this figure is ...
. According to Germano the traditional account of the history of the Seventeen tantras can be found in the ''sNying thig lo rgyus chen po'' (''The Great Chronicles of the Seminal Heart''), a history found in the ''
Vima Nyingtik Vima Nyingthig (), "Seminal Heart of Vimalamitra", in Tibetan Buddhism is one of the two "seminal heart" () collections of the menngagde cycle Dzogchen, the other one being "Seminal Heart of the Dakini" (''mkha' 'gro snying thig''). Traditionally ...
'', which was "possibly authored" by Zhangton Tashi Dorje.
Erik Pema Kunsang Erik Pema Kunsang (born Erik Hein Schmidt) is a Danish Dharma teacher and translator. He was, along with Marcia Binder Schmidt, director of Rangjung Yeshe Translations and Publications in Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and larges ...
outlines the basic traditional lineage as follows:
The first human vidyadhara in the Dzogchen lineage was Garab Dorje, who compiled the 6,400,000 tantras of the Great Perfection. He entrusted these teachings to his main disciple, Manjushrimitra, who then classified them into the Three Sections of Dzogchen: Mind Section, Space Section, and Instruction Section. The chief disciple of Manjushrimitra, the great master known as Shri Singha, divided the Instruction Section into The Four Cycles of Nyingthig: the Outer, Inner, Secret, and Innermost Unexcelled Cycles.
According to Kunsang, traditional Nyingma accounts hold that Shri Singha brought these teachings from
Bodhgaya Bodh Gayā is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple complex, situated in the Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous for being the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained e ...
to place Kunsang identifies as
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. Shri Singha is also believed to have transmitted the Eighteen Dzogchen Tantras (see below) to
Padmasambhava Padmasambhava ('Born from a Lotus'), also known as Guru Rinpoche ('Precious Guru'), was a legendary tantric Buddhist Vajracharya, Vajra master from Oddiyana. who fully revealed the Vajrayana in Tibet, circa 8th – 9th centuries... He is consi ...
. Shri Singha is said to have hidden these texts. The Indian scholar
Vimalamitra Vimalamitra () was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist monk. His teachers were Buddhaguhya, Jnanasutra, Jñānasūtra and Sri Singha, Śrī Siṃha. He was supposed to have vowed to take rebirth every hundred years, with the most notable figures bein ...
(fl. 8th century), a student of Sri Singha, is closely associated with the Seventeen Tantras in the Nyingma histories, and it is traditionally held that his student Nyangban Tingzin Zangpo transmitted and concealed these scriptures at Zha Lhakhang (''zhwa'i lha khang,'' "Temple of the Hat") after Vimalamitra left Tibet. The Seventeen Tantras are then said to have been discovered by Dangma Lhungyel (11th century), a caretaker monk of Zha Lhakhang, who then proceeded to transmit these teachings to Chetsün Sengé Wangchuk.


Texts

According to Hatchell, the Seventeen Tantras "are stylistically quite similar" and all depict themselves as being taught by Buddhas in a question and answer dialogue with their retinue in various settings, such as space, volcanoes and charnel grounds. The dialogues discuss all the main ''Nyingthig'' Dzogchen topics, including the
basis Basis is a term used in mathematics, finance, science, and other contexts to refer to foundational concepts, valuation measures, or organizational names; here, it may refer to: Finance and accounting * Adjusted basis, the net cost of an asse ...
,
cosmogony Cosmogony is any model concerning the origin of the cosmos or the universe. Overview Scientific theories In astronomy, cosmogony is the study of the origin of particular astrophysical objects or systems, and is most commonly used in ref ...
, the
subtle body A subtle body is a "quasi material" aspect of the human body, being neither solely physical nor solely spiritual, according to various Western esotericism, esoteric, occultism, occult, and mysticism, mystical teachings. This contrasts with th ...
,
buddha-nature In Buddhist philosophy and soteriology, Buddha-nature ( Chinese: , Japanese: , , Sanskrit: ) is the innate potential for all sentient beings to become a Buddha or the fact that all sentient beings already have a pure Buddha-essence within ...
, meditative techniques,
mandalas A mandala (, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid ...
, post-death states or bardos, as well as funerary and subjugation rituals. Kunsang provides the following list of the seventeen tantras: # '' The Reverberation of Sound Tantra'' (, Skt: ''ratnākara śabda mahā prasaṅga tantra''). This is the root tantra of the Seventeen tantras and states that all spiritual teachings are manifestations of the original primordial sound. The tantra describes a number of esoteric Dzogchen practices, such as ''semdzin'' ("holding the mind"). #'' The Tantra of Graceful Auspiciousness'' (, Skt: ''mahā svaccha suvarṇāpramāṇa śrī tantra''). #'' The Mind Mirror of Samantabhadra Tantra'' (, Skt: ''samantabhadra cittādarśa tantra''). #''The Blazing Lamp Tantra'' (, Skt: ''svarṇṇa puṣpa kānti ratnāloka jvala tantra'')''.'' #'' The Mind Mirror of Vajrasattva Tantra'' (, Skt: ''vajrasatva cittādarśa tantra''). #'' The Self-Arising Rigpa Tantra'' (, Skt: ''sarva tathāgata samādhi paribhāṣā jñāna samudāya sūtra mahāyāna guhyānuttara tantra sarva dharmākara sarva buddhānyaśayam mantraikajñāna mahāsandhyarthaprakaṭatantra vidyāsvodayamahātantranāma''). #''The Tantra of Studded Jewels'' (, Skt: ''sarva bhrānti pr̥ kara ratna dhūrta mata tantra nāma'') #'' Direct Introduction Tantra'' (, Skt: ''darśanopadeśa ratnācita kṣetra dhātu śāsana tantra''). #'' The Six Spaces of Samantabhadra Tantra'' (, Skt: ''samantabhadrāvartta ṣaṣṭha tantra''). #'' The Tantra Without Syllables'' (, Skt: ''anakṣara mahā tantra nāma ratna dhvaja rāja saṃtati dr̥ṣṭi gagana sama mahā tantra''). #'' The Lion's Perfect Expressive Power Tantra'' (, Skt: ''mahā siṃha parākrama pūrṇṇa tantra''). #'' The Necklace of Precious Pearls Tantra'' (, Skt: ''ratna muṣṭi mūlā tantra''). #''The Self-liberated Rigpa Tantra'' (, Skt: ''mahā vidyā svamukti sarva ghaṭṭita tantra''). #'' The Mound of Jewels Tantra'' (, Skt: ''ratna kūṭa mahā guṇoddeśa tantra rāja''). #'' The Shining Relics Tantra'' (, Skt: ''śrī gagana śarīra jvala mahā tantra''). # '' The Union of the Sun and Moon Tantra'' (, Skt: ''mahā sūrya candra ghana guhya tantra''). #'' The Self-existing Perfection Tantra'' (, Skt: ''kāyālokoddiṣṭābhisiñca mahā svayambhū tantra'').


Other tantras

The Seventeen Tantras are often grouped together with other tantras as a set. They are designated as "The Eighteen Tantras" when the ''Troma Tantra'', otherwise known as ''The Tantra of the Black Wrathful Shri Ekajati'' (''dpal e ka dza ti nag mo khros ma'i rgyud'') which deals with the protective rites of
Ekajati Ekajaṭī or Ekajaṭā (Sanskrit: "One wikt:plait, Plait Woman"; : one who has one knot of hair), also known as Māhacīnatārā,''The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India'' By David Gordon White. pg 65 is one of the 21 Tara (Bu ...
, is appended to the seventeen. The "Nineteen Tantras" are the eighteen above along with the ''Tantra of the Lucid Expanse''. Samantabhadrī is associated with the ''Longsel Barwey'' and its full name is '''Tantra of Brahmā's Sun of the Luminous Expanse of Samantabhadrī (). According to Germano, another tantra which is closely associated with the Seventeen Tantras is the ''Thig le kun gsal (Total Illumination of the Bindu).


Sources, versions and variations

These Seventeen Tantras are to be found in the Canon of the Ancient School, the ''
Nyingma Gyubum ''Nyingma Gyubum'' (, ''Collected Teachings of the Ancients'') is a collection of Vajrayana texts reflecting the teachings of the Nyingma ("Ancient") school of Tibetan Buddhism. The contents of this collection comprises the Inner Tantras c ...
'' (), volumes 9 and 10, folio numbers 143-159 of the edition edited by Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche commonly known as
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Tashi Paljor () (c. 1910 – 28 September 1991) was a Vajrayana master, Terton, scholar, poet, teacher, and recognized by Buddhists as one of the greatest realized masters. Head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism f ...
(Thimpu, Bhutan, 1973), reproduced from the manuscript preserved at Tingkye Gonpa Jang () Monastery in Tibet.


Commentaries

The most influential commentator on the topics of the Seventeen Tantras is Longchen Rabjampa (1308–1364). His numerous writings, including the ''
Seven Treasuries The Seven Treasuries (, THL: ''Dzö Dün''), are a collection of seven works, some with auto-commentaries, by the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Longchenpa (1308–1364). They constitute his most influential scholarly output and together provide a sy ...
'' and ''Lama Yangtig,'' comment on the major topics of the Seventeen Tantras and the ''Vima Nyingthig.'' According to Germano, Longchenpa integrated the doctrines and practices of the Seventeen Tantras "into the increasingly normative modernist discourses that had taken shape from the contemporary Indian Buddhist logico-epistemological circles, Madhyamaka, Yogacara, and tantric traditions of the late tenth to thirteenth centuries."


English translations

*''The Self-Arising Rigpa Tantra'' and ''The Self-Liberated Rigpa Tantra'' are translated by Malcolm Smith in ''The Self-Arisen Vidya Tantra (vol 1) and The Self-Liberated Vidya Tantra (vol 2): A Translation of the Rigpa Rang Shar (vol 1) and A Translation of the Rigpa Rangdrol (vol 2)'' (Wisdom Publications, 2018). * Chapters 39 and 40 of ''The Self-Arising Rigpa Tantra'' are translated by H. V. Guenther in ''Wholeness Lost and Wholeness Regained'' (SUNY Press, 1994). *Excerpts from the fourth chapter of ''The Lion's Perfect Expressive Power'' are translated by
Janet Gyatso Janet Gyatso is a Religious Studies scholar currently employed as the Hershey Professor of Buddhist Studies and the Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs at Harvard Divinity School. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Scie ...
in ''Buddhist Scriptures'' (Ed. Donald Lopez, published by Penguin Classics, 2004) *''The Blazing Lamp Tantra'' and ''The'' ''Tantra Without Syllables'' is translated by Smith in ''The Tantra Without Syllables (Vol 3) and The Blazing Lamp Tantra (Vol 4): A Translation of the Yigé Mepai Gyu (Vol. 3) A Translation of the Drönma Barwai Gyu and Mutik Trengwa Gyupa (Vol 4)'' (Wisdom Publications, 2020). *The ''Blazing Lamp'' is translated by Christopher Hatchell in ''Naked Seeing: The Great Perfection, the Wheel of Time, and Visionary Buddhism in Renaissance Tibet'' (Oxford University Press, 2014), and translated in ''A Mound of Jewels''. The Seventeen Tantras are quoted extensively throughout
Longchenpa Longchen Rabjam Drimé Özer (), or simply Longchenpa (1308–1364, "The Great One Who Is the Vast Cosmic Expanse") was a Tibetan scholar-yogi of the Nyingma school, the 'Old School' of Tibetan Buddhism. According to tibetologist David German ...
's (1308 - 1364?) 'The Precious Treasury of the Way of Abiding' () translated by
Richard Barron Richard Barron ( Lama Chökyi Nyima) is a Canadian translator who specializes in the writings of Longchenpa. He has served as an interpreter for many lamas from all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism ...
and Padma Translation Committee (1998). This work is one of Longchenpa's ''
Seven Treasuries The Seven Treasuries (, THL: ''Dzö Dün''), are a collection of seven works, some with auto-commentaries, by the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Longchenpa (1308–1364). They constitute his most influential scholarly output and together provide a sy ...
.'' The Tibetan text is available in unicode at Tsadra’s digital Dharma Text Repository. The Seventeen Tantras are also extensively discussed in Longchenpa's Precious Treasury of Philosophical Systems, also translated by Richard Barron, as well as in
Vimalamitra Vimalamitra () was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist monk. His teachers were Buddhaguhya, Jnanasutra, Jñānasūtra and Sri Singha, Śrī Siṃha. He was supposed to have vowed to take rebirth every hundred years, with the most notable figures bein ...
's Great Commentary, translated in Buddhahood in This Life, by Smith.


References


Citations


Works cited

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Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Seventeen Tantras Dzogchen texts Nyingma tantras