Introduction to Longchenpa’s Works and its qualities
The collected works of Longchenpa cover and explain all nine vehicles of the Buddha. In particular, his writing is so exceptional and perfect in its ability to convey the profound pith instructions of Dzogchen and transmit the power of these instructions. He is not only a champion or accomplished master on the esoteric and exoteric teachings of the Buddha, but he is also an outstanding scholar and enlightened master. His works were – and still are – the shining jewels of the Himalayan world and remain greatly appreciated and praised by scholars and siddhas alike.
The precise use of language and his consistent accuracy in explanations continue to inspire students, practitioners and scholars to this date. The moment one begins reading his works, one feels closer to enlightenment and awakened; some have commented that they even feel as if their body is flying across open space or floating upon a great ocean. It is possible to begin memorizing the verses contained in his work due to his notations being perfectly written in a poetic form.
His writing emanates three different qualities which includes that which is good in the beginning with clear synopsis, content of that which is good in the middle with consistency and flow, and that which is good at the end with a precise summary of the entire volume and subject-matter and which enables the readers to easily understand.
His works are often revered as equal to the canons from Buddha and are kept in altar rooms as an object of worship. Many Buddhists read or review these writings frequently in order to awaken themselves and to remove the main three obstacles. His efforts function as a wish-fulfilling jewel and vase for each and every one of us. In former times, enlightened masters and benefactors commissioned his words to be carved in blocks or written in calligraphy style with gold, silver, vermillion ink for both purposes of veneration and for the accumulation of merit.
Some people keep his words nearby wearing them as an amulet in order to provide protection for themselves while the majority of the people choose to study, contemplate and meditate on his works to be liberated from suffering. It is believed that even if an insect or butterfly happens to light upon or touch by accident his works, that they too, can also be liberated.
Longchenpa’s Collected Works – the Bhutanese edition
- The Three Cycles of Resting the Mind (ngal gso skor gsum, Sanskrit Mahāsaṃdhi viśrānta trayāya nāma)
- The Three Cycles of Self Liberation (rang grol skor gsum)
- The Three Cycles of Dispelling the Darkness (mun sel skor gsum) )
- The Seven Treasuries (མཛོད་བདུན)
- Miscellaneous Teachings
- The Four Nyingthik Teachings ( སྙིང་ཐིག་ཡ་བཞི་)
- Seventeen Tantras of Dzogchen
For more extensive detail of the Collected Works, see here, however the project hope to m. For example, the Nyingtik Yabzhi literally means the ‘Four Parts of the Nyingtik’.
It consists of the
The Vima Nyingtik and Khandro Nyingtik are known as the ‘mother’ Nyingtik texts and the Lama Yangtik and Khandro Yangtik are known as ‘child’ texts, hence another common name for the collection which is the Four Mother and Child Sections of Nyingtik (སྙིང་ཐིག་མ་བུ་བཞི་, nyingtik ma bu shyi). For more on Penor Rinpoche’s lineage of Nyingtig Yabzhi, see here.
Handwritten Outline of Contents (Karchag)
The handwritten edition of the Contents of the Works (Karchag) is downloadable as a pdf here below.
It is said that each word in the text is guarded by the dharma protective deities, Rahul, Ekajati and Damchen Dorji Legpa, and through the protection of their thousand eyes.
Each title of his works awakens the reader’s mind such as the Trilogy of Comfort and Ease, the Trilogy of Natural Freedom, the Trilogy of Dispelling Darkness and so on. His synopsis and outline of the text help readers better understand the complete meaning of the entire collection of volumes.
Therefore, if one has the motivation to sponsor this sacred project in accordance with capacity, the resultant amount of merit will be limitless because all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of ten directions will showered a rain of blessings upon each and every benefactor until they are able to become a Buddha like them.
What and how many volume will be calligraphed at this time?
There are over 250 titles in 30 volumes, and the project team have calligraphed all the 30 volumes completely. The calligraphed texts are currently being edited. Among the 30 volumes, 15 volumes have been edited. At the same time, each volume that is fully edited is also being digitized, for safety and reproduction purposes.
However, a very special task has been undertaken in Bhutan by a team of 20 dedicated and highly skilled Bhutanese calligraphers along with seasoned editors of 60 Bhutanese Khenpos and Lopens, to manuscript the entire writings of Longchen Rabjam. The onus of success of this project lies solely on the expression of generosity and merit-making motivation in the form of monetary sponsorship by the Bhutanese populace.
They key sixteen volumes are comprised of:
- Seven Treasuries (8 Volumes)
- The Wish-Fulfilling Treasure -Yishin Dzo – (611 folios (volume 1-2)
- Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle – Tekchog Dzo – (646 folios (volume3- 4)
- Treasury of Philophical Tenets -Drubta Dzo – (206 folios
- Treasury Pith Instruction -Mengag Dzo – (178 folios
- Treasury of Dharmadhatu -Chlying Dzo – (203 folios (volume 6)
- Treasury of Word and Meaning – Tsig Don Dzo – (158 folios )
- Treasury of the Natural State -Nelug Dzo – (178 folios)
The Trilogy of Finding Comfort and Ease (4 Volumes)
- Finding Comfort and Ease in the Natural Mind (Semnyi Ngalso A) – 365 folios (Volume 8)
- Finding Comfort and Ease in Natural Mind (Samten Ngalso B) – 273 folios(Volume 9)
- Finding Comfort and Ease in the Illusoriness of Things (Gyuma Ngalso) – 87 folios (Volume 10)
- Finding Comfort and Ease in Meditation – 48 folios (Volume 11) (Samten Ngalso)
- Compendium of the Trilogy of Finding Comfort and Ease – 60 folios
The Trilogy of Natural Freedom (1 Volume)
- The Natural Freedom of the Nature of Mind (Semnyi Rangdrol) – 23 Folios
- The Natural Freedom of Reality (Chonyi Rangdrol) – 16 folios Volume 12
- The Natural Freedom of Equality (Nyamnyi Rangdrol) – 31 folios
The Trilogy of Dispelling Darkness – 3 Volumes
- Dispelling the Darkness of Ten Direction – 340 folios (Volume 13)
- Dispelling the Darkness of Mind – 89 folios (Volume 14)
- Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance – 13 folios (Volume 14)
- The Collection of Miscellaneous writings – 268 folios (volume 15)
- Tamtshog – 61
- Toetshong – 26
- Zhaldam – 55
- Gyalngen & Phuerab – 33
- Sung Gur – 42
- Solden, Ngotro, Ngowa – 15
- Thrindrub – 43
- Drubkor – 35
Size of the Folios and Volumes
Size of folios is = 20×4.5 inches
Size of the text = 18×3 inches
Title of the book and first folio will be written with pure gold, second folio will be written with silver, third will be written with Vermillion and rest folios will be transcribed with Chinese black ink.
In sixteen volumes, the rough estimate of folios will be around four thousand and five hundred. Twenty-six thousand and twenty lines in sixteen volumes.
All of these lines and words will be calligraphed by twenty professional calligraphers.
Where and how will funds be spent?
- Procurement of ten thousand sheets of traditional hand-made paper (from Trashi Yangtse Dzongkhag)
- Procurement of gold, silver, vermillion and black ink
- Preparation of paper as per the requirement of calligrapher and to the size of the volume as needed
- Purchase of a cloth set of brocade, and traditional wooden cover belt to bind the finished volumes together as a set
- Procurement of one high memory computer to store all documents
- Procurement of five iPad for the member of Editing Team
- Salary for one Technician
- Expenditure for launching the sacred project and conclusion ceremony
A computer inputted document of that same contents is available to download as pdf here.
The project team are currently working on an English translation of the Contents section.
The Longchen Nyingtik treasures and compositions originally consisted of two volumes of texts revealed or written by Jigme Lingpa himself. For a translation project on the Longchen Nyingthig, see here.
Longchenpa's Collected Works 