Translator's Introduction
This catalogue of the treasures of the Longchen Nyingtik was written in 1802 at the Lhundrup Teng Temple in Derge, a few years after the passing of Jigme Lingpa, when the texts were published at Derge's famous printing house. This was a significant period when royal patronage enabled the carving of wooden printing blocks for a number of major collections, including the Collected Nyingma Tantras (rnying ma rgyud 'bum), some of the works of Longchen Rabjam and all of Jigme Lingpa's own writings.
The catalogue's author, Jigme Losal Özer, was a close disciple of Jigme Lingpa, and his name is mentioned several times in Jigme Lingpa's autobiography as well as in the colophons of some of Jigme Lingpa's works, where he is identified as the one requesting the texts' composition. As far as we are aware, aside from the present text, the only surviving texts that he himself composed are Clarificatory Notes on the Tormas of the Heart-Essence of the Vast Expanse, which is included in the collected writings of Jigme Lingpa, and a catalogue to the Khandro Nyingtik, which he wrote while resident at Shechen Monastery.
The catalogue begins and ends with lengthy sections of poetic verses in praise of Jigme Lingpa and the royal family of Derge, who partly financed the printing of the collection. These verses are rich in metaphor and make reference to the eight auspicious symbols. Notably, Queen Tsewang Lhamo, who was considered to be an emanation of Queen Ngangtsul Jangchub (the wife of King Mutik Tsenpo), is praised elaborately.
The bulk of the text contains 1) a history of how the Dzogchen teachings came to this world, 2) an account of how they flourished in Tibet, and finally 3) the actual catalogue.
The texts of the Longchen Nyingtik revelations are sorted into eight main sections. First, there are the teachings on history that bring certainty, including Jigme Lingpa's secret biographies and the prophetic guide. Secondly, there are the major empowerments. Thirdly, there is the section of 'important texts which assure that blessings infuse one's being', which contains several guru yoga texts, such as The Wish-fulfilling Jewel, which was integrated into the Longchen Nyingtik preliminary practice (ngöndro), and the famous Prayer of Aspiration for the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory. Fourthly, there are the texts of the vase empowerment. This section is organized according to the various sādhanas, such as the Gathering of Vidyādharas, The Queen of Great Bliss, the Lion-Faced Ḍākinī, the Gathering of Awesome Ones, the Natural Liberation of Suffering, the Sealed Quintessence and the Blazing Fierce Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuda. Fifthly, there is the cycle on the protectors, beginning with the Principal Protectors of the Sacred Commands and their Vajra Brothers and Sisters (Ma Gön Chamdral). The sixth and seventh sections concern the second and third empowerments respectively, and include the transference (phowa) and Chöd practices. The eighth section contains the extraordinary pith instructions that "place the wisdom elixir of the Blessed One, the glorious primordial protector, in the palm of one's hand." Here we find several tantras, āgama and commentaries, such as the Lion's Roar, the Vajra Verses on the Natural State, and, above all, the renowned Yeshe Lama. Finally, there are additional texts such as the guru yoga of Jigme Lingpa, several aspiration prayers, sang offerings and a consecration ritual.
Quite a few different editions of the Core Texts have been produced, which can lead to some confusion. The catalogue is based on the Derge edition in two volumes, and so you will notice that the catalogue translated below is divided into two. However, the Shechen edition produced in the 1990’s divided the texts of those two volumes into three volumes (and added two extra volumes with texts from other authors, making five in total), but the contents are nearly identical. For more information on the texts and their translations of the Shechen edition please see the Rigpa Wiki page Longchen Nyingtik Root Volumes.
Below, we have only reproduced the actual catalogue. The entire text can be read here on Lotsawa House.
3. The Actual Catalogue
The First of the Precious Volumes
1. The Teachings on History that Bring Certainty
1. The Great Secret Account of the Ḍākinīs
2. Dancing Moon in the Water: An Account of My Realizations and Visionary Experiences
3. Casket of Enlightened Mind, the Prophetic Guide for the Heart-Essence of the Vast Expanse
4. Skull Fragments: The Root Tantra of the Vidyādharas
2. Framework of the Generic Empowerments that Mature the Immature
5. The Root Empowerment of the Vase Conferring Majesty
6. Clarifying the Essential Meaning: The General Meaning of Empowerment
3. Important Texts Which Assure that Blessings Infuse One's Being
7. The Wish-fulfilling Jewel: The Outer Practice of Guru Yoga
8. A teaching that reveals the actual meaning of this guru yoga: Ocean of Siddhis: A Practice for Making Offerings to the Gurus
9. Secret Path to the Mountain of Glory—A Prayer of Aspiration for the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory
10. The Continuous Shower of Blessings: A Lineage Prayer
4. The Vase Empowerments and Their Supplementary Texts
These relate to the empowerments of each practice and take the generation phase as the path.
The Gathering of Vidyādharas (Rigdzin Düpa)
11. Gathering of Vidyādharas: The Inner Practice
12. A Glimpse of the Crucial Points: The Manual of Concealed Instructions (Gabjang)
13. The Casket of Siddhis, A Recitation Manual
14. The Vase of Immortal Life: The Long-Life Practice (Tsedrup)
15. The Crucial Points of the Visualization for 'The Long-Life Practice of the Vidyādharas'
16. An Explanation of the Empowerment of the Long-Life Practice
The Queen of Great Bliss (Yumka Dechen Gyalmo)
17. The History of the Female Practice of the Queen of Great Bliss
18. A Ritual of Blessing and Empowerment for the Female Practice
19. A Glorious Garland of Great Bliss—the Fundamental Practice
20. The Main Recitation Manual
21. Elucidating the Body Maṇḍala, which removes any doubts concerning the recitation manual
22. Illuminating the Meaning of Empowerment: A Self-initiation for the Female Practice
23. The Treasury of the Four Activities: A Fire Offering
24. Rejuvenation of the Nectar of Three Kāyas
25. The Treasure Vase Containing the Essence of Great Bliss, the enlightened activities 26. Adornment of Lord Nāgārjuna's Wisdom Mind: The Fourfold Maṇḍala Offering to Tārā
27. Turning Back the Summons of the Ḍākinīs: The Marvellous Appearance
28. Confession and Fulfilment Insert for Accumulating the Practice of Turning Back the Summons of the Ḍākinīs
29. Turning Back the Summons of the Heroes and Heroines
30. Supplementary Instructions for the Longevity Empowerment
31. The wealth rituals of 'A Supplementary Text for Consecrating a Treasure Vase' and 'A Method for Expelling the Seraks'
32. A Ritual for Travelling to Sukhāvatī: a sādhana for the Lord of the Families coupled with enlightened activities for the benefit of others
33. A Praise and Aspiration to Be Reborn in the Realm of Sukhāvatī
34. The Purifying Treasure Vase: An Arrangement of the Guiding Practice Ritual Which Purifies Obscurations
35. Additional texts for cleansing and removing poison
36. The Tree of the Life-Force Ocean: Additional Texts for Ransoming the Life-force Spirit
Lion-Faced Ḍākinī
There is the concealed cycle of the secret female practice (Yumka) of the extraordinarily profound Lion-Faced Ḍākinī.
37. A Bundle of Blessings: An Empowerment Ritual
38. The Shower of Blessings: A Prayer
39. The sādhana and activity manual of Siṃhamukhā, Lion-Faced Ḍākinī, The Secret Female Practice
40. Its recitation manual
41. Subduing Sorcery's Strength: Turning Back the Summons of the Ḍākinīs
42. The Wheel of Lightning that Liberates from Sorcery
43. Destroying the Hordes of Sorcerers and Demons: A torma offering and averting ritual
44. Notes on Essential Aspects of the Preparation
45. The Wheel of Activity Which Benefits Others
The Gathering of Awesome Ones (Palchen Düpa)
46. The Words of the Awesome Ones, A General Overview
47. Lineage prayer for the Awesome Ones
48. Gathering of Awesome Ones, the Wrathful Heart Practice
49. Its recitation manual
50. Yamāntaka: Overpowering the Lord of Death
51. Hayagrīva: Play of the Three Realms
52. Yangdak: Union of the Buddhas
53. Vajrakīlaya: Overpowering the Forces of Māra
54. The Elaborate Mudrā of the Awesome Ones
55. The Specific Empowerments for the Herukas of the Four Families
56. A Precious Casket: An Accomplishment Framework
57. Heart Instructions for the Specific Recitations of the Four Families
58. Empowerment's Ocean of Significance: The Self-Initiation
59. The Great Play: A Torma Offering and Averting Ritual
60. The Concealed 'Profound Nail'
61. Oral Instructions for the Wheel of Protecting and Averting
62. The Maṇḍala of Coiling Amṛta Mahottara Which Gathers All Qualities
63. Guide to the Practice of Accomplishment Medicine64. Stairway to Akaniṣṭha: Instructions on the generation phase
65. Flames of Wisdom: A Fire Offering for the Peaceful and Wrathful Practices in General
66. A fire offering for pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, wrathfully subjugating, and the supreme activity.
67. The Spontaneous Vajra Song of Fulfilment and Confession
Natural Liberation of Suffering (Dukngal Rangdrol)
68. Natural Liberation of Suffering, The secret practice of Avalokiteśvara
69. The Loud Drum of Summer: A Commentary on the Difficult Points
70. Clarifying the Self-Initiation
71. The Visionary Instructions that Lay Bare the Pith Instructions
72. The Vision: A Prayer to Ārya Avalokiteśvara
73. Hayagrīva's Assembly, the wrathful practice of Avalokiteśvara
The Second Volume
Here we find the following texts.
The Sealed Quintessence (Tikle Gyachen)
74. The Sealed Quintessence: the innermost secret guru practice
Blazing Fierce Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuda (Takhyung Barwa)
75. Blazing Fierce Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuda
76. Key Points for the Empowerment and Approach Practice of Takhyung Barwa
77. Liberating Evil Nāgas: Eliminating Negativity from the Netherworld78. The Prayer of the Ground, Path & Fruition
79. Training in the Pure Realms of the Three Kāyas, an aspiration and prayer
80. The Single Oceanic Wisdom, An Aspiration to Recognise the Bardos
81. Entering the City of Omniscience—An Aspiration Prayer for Actualizing Words of Truth
82. A Glorious Bangle: A Life-force Cakra of the Vidyādharas
The Peaceful and Wrathful Deities
83. An Ornament Illuminating the Gathering: A Liturgy for the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities Which Empties the Lower Realms
84. A Supplementary Investigation
85. Removing the Seal of Difficult Points, further clarifications
86. A Manual for the Empowerment of the Deities and Pith Instruction for Repairing Impairments and Breakages.87. The Lute of the Gandharvas: A Garland of Offerings of the Sixteen Vajra Goddesses
88. A Compassionate Net Bringing Immense Benefit to Others: A Ritual Benefiting the Deceased
89. Complete Liberation from the Two Obscurations, a method for burning and purifying
5. The Cycle on the Dharma- and Treasure-Protectors
90. The Principal Protectors of the Sacred Commands and their Vajra Brothers and Sisters (Ma Gön Chamdral)
91. Life-force Entrustment of the Three Vajra Brothers and Sisters
92. Essential Instructions on the Principal Protectors
93. Existence Arising as the Ground: A Thread-Cross Ritual and Fulfilment Offering
94. Fulfilment Practice for Pacifying the Turmoil of the Mamos and Ḍākinīs
95. Overpowering the Armies of Māra: A War Thread-Cross Ritual
96. Notations on the above
97. Wild Rāhula 'Razor of the Life-force' and the invocation manual 'Storm of Poisonous Vapour'
98. Life-force Empowerment of the Sisters of Longevity (Tseringma)
99. A Wish-fulfilling Tree, the activity manual
100. The Meaningful Lasso, concealed instructions
101. A Manual with Further Instructions for the Single Person Transmission
102. An Abbreviated Practice to Summon the Spirit of Abundance
103. Talkarma's livestock practice
104. A Fulfilment for Lekden, Protector of the Tantras and Master of the Feast (This text does not belong to the Heart-Essence of the Vast Expanse, yet in the royal palace it was necessary for this to be recited regularly, and it has therefore been inserted here.)
105. A Daily Fulfilment Practice for Gönpo Lekden
6. Taking the Secret Empowerment on the Path
106. Transference: Enlightenment without Meditation
107. Transferring the Consciousness of the Deceased
108. The Prāṇa-Based Perfection Stage of Bliss and Emptiness, and oral instructions on this
109. Notations on the Blazing and Dripping of Fierce Inner Heat
7. Taking the Third Empowerment on the Path
110. The Path of Method Called Buddhahood Without Meditation, including the yogic exercises of trulkhor
111. Direct instructions on the yogic exercises of trulkhor
112. Vajra Verses: A Prayer of the Fierce Inner Heat
113. The Ḍākinī's Loud Laughter, a severance practice (chö)
114. Youthfulness of the Six Perfections, a commentary on the above
With these texts and supplements, all the paths up to and including the wisdom empowerment are shown completely and unmistakably.
8. The Extraordinary Pith Instructions
The extraordinary pith instructions in these texts reveal the meaning of the higher empowerments—including the empowerment into the radiance of awareness—and the path free from error or confusion. They contain the pith instructions and practical applications that place the wisdom elixir of the Blessed One, the glorious primordial protector, in the palm of your hand.
115. The Great Perfection Tantra of the Expanse of Samantabhadra's Primordial Wisdom (5th chapter)
116. The Subsequent Tantra of Pith Instructions, which explains the above
117. The āgama: Experiencing the Enlightened Mind of Samantabhadra
118. The pith instructions: Distinguishing the Three Essential Points of the Great Perfection
119. Stairway to Liberation, a commentary on mind training
120. Instructions on the Common Great Perfection Preliminaries
121. The Application of Mindfulness: Instructions on the Uncommon Great Perfection Preliminaries
122. Yeshe Lama, the extraordinary instruction manual which completely and unerringly reveals all secrets
123. The White Lotus, the cycle of supporting teachings which establish the meaning of empowerment and reveal the stages of practice
124. The Vajra Verses Root Text
125. Words of the Omniscient One, a commentary on the meaning of the above
126. The Lion's Roar That Vanquishes Deviations and Errors
127. Seeing Nakedly the Natural State of the Great Perfection
128. A Wondrous Ocean of Advice for the Practice of Those in Retreat in Solitude
129. Instructions on tormas
With this the cycles of the main Dharma teachings are completed. Now follows the cycle containing various other necessities.
130. The 'Boat' Protection from Fear, oral instructions of the great siddha Thangtong Gyalpo
131. Setting Out on the Path of the Awakened Ones, integrating the sphere of activity that unifies sūtra and mantra
132. There are four texts: A Sādhana of the Great Master Vairotsana; A Guru Yoga of Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa; A Meditation and Recitation to Pacify the King-like Gyalpo Demons; and The Blissful Path of Action Tantra: A Ritual for Taking the One-Day Vows of a Lay Practitioner.
133. Then there are two texts: A Prayer Invoking the Festival of the Tenth Day and a prayer to the Guru.
134. A cycle containing liturgies for the common and uncommon preliminary practices, Concise Stacked-Pills Torma Offering, a text outlining how to make hundreds of offering tormas according to the tradition of the Omniscient One, including supplements; White Sur Offering That Permeates All Realms, Red Sur Offering for 'Ransoming' Oneself and Others from Death; The Sun's Light Rays: A Dedication Prayer for the Living and the Dead, and An Aspiration for the Final Age, which makes eight texts.
135. Extracted from the Consecration Tantra are The Ever-present Offering Garland and the supplementary argha restoration ritual.[20]
136. The Auspicious Wish-fulfilling Tree, a consecration ritual
Altogether there are 136 Dharma teachings containing 157 subdivisions.