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*[[Gdams ngag mdzod Catalog]]
*[[Gdams ngag mdzod Catalog]]
*[[Gdams ngag mdzod DPL]]
*[[Gdams ngag mdzod DPL]]
*[[List of translations of texts in the gdams ngag mdzod]]
*[[List of translations of texts in the gdams ngag mdzod]]
*[[Manual for cataloging the gdams ngag mdzod]]
*[[Gdams ngag mdzod Outline from TBRC]]
*[[Gdams ngag mdzod Outline from RyWiki]]


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*[[Gdams ngag mdzod Shechen Printing]] - [http://tbrc.org/link?RID=W23605 W23605] in 18 pothi volumes was produced in 1999 under Tsadra patronage. This is the most complete and contained the few missing pages and texts that had been found since the 1979-1981 version. Produced in manuscript.
*[[Gdams ngag mdzod Shechen Printing]] - [http://tbrc.org/link?RID=W23605 W23605] in 18 pothi volumes was produced in 1999 under Tsadra patronage. This is the most complete and contained the few missing pages and texts that had been found since the 1979-1981 version. Produced in manuscript.


There are 393 texts in 18 volumes in the Shechen edition. The 18 volumes are divided into nine sections corresponding to the "eight great conveyances that are lineages of attainment" (sgrub brgyud shing rta chen po brgyad) and a volume of Jo nang pa texts. As a [[Survey of the gdams ngag mdzod]] has been compiled by [[Karl Brunnholzl]] already, this report will summarize those findings and supplement them with statistics and a comparison of the Paro and Shechen editions.
As a [[survey of the gdams ngag mdzod]] has been compiled by [[Karl Brunnholzl]] already, this report will summarize those findings and supplement them with statistics from a complete catalog of the gdams ngag mdzod, created by the Tsadra Foundation Research Department durring the months of May, June, July and August of 2010. This report will also review some of the problems with cataloging the gdams ngag mdzod and describe Tsadra's catalog in some detail by referring to the [[Gdams ngag mdzod DPL]], a set of sortable tables of information pertaining to the catalog.


The first thing to note about the content of the gdams ngag mdzod as a whole is that
The 18 volumes of the [[gdams ngag mdzod]] are divided into nine sections corresponding to the "eight great conveyances that are lineages of attainment" (sgrub brgyud shing rta chen po brgyad) plus a volume of Jo nang pa texts. All of the previous catalogs of the Shechen and Paro editions of the gdams ngag mdzod record 392 or 393 text titles with page numbers for each particular volume (i.e., not sequential throughout the 18 volumes). However, upon further inspection, many of these are simply section headings and the number of texts is closer to 420. This number cannot be made precise at this time because of the difficulties discussed below.


===Comparison of the Paro and Shechen Editions===
The first thing to note about the content of the gdams ngag mdzod as a whole is that each section begins with the core root texts of a lineage and then proceeds with commentaries, pith instructions, liturgies, and empowerment manuals. The majority of texts are of an esoteric nature specific to advanced practitioners of each of the nine unique lineages represented in the mdzod. Many of the texts are such that only a very unique set of circumstances would arise in which one would refer to the texts, such as the many empowerment manuals, while a small percentage are more general texts fit for translation for a wider audience. The gdams ngag mdzod is an amazing collection; however, it is not really a general collection of texts relating to the eight great lineages. If one looks at each pair of volumes associated with a lineage, one sees a collection of technical manuals relevant only to specialized populations.


In a best case scenario, one would need a specialist from each tradition to catalog each section of the mdzod, because only those scholars would be able to untie the knots of complexity that are the provenance of each text. Although at first glance it appears that most texts in the mdzod have clear title pages, the fact is that many texts lack both title pages and clear colophons ending the text. There are likely some texts that escaped the notice of Tsadra catalogers because they may have had little or no heading at all to signify their start or end. However, the main issue encountered by catalogers of the mdzod was the lack of clarity in the colophons and difficulties arising from attempts to detail the authors and contributors to the texts. While the first text in a volume might be obvious, the next might simply provide a list of lineage holders at the end without comment as to who actually composed the text. Many texts have no colophons at all and in those instances, other specialists have to be consulted as to the author's traditionally attributed. Furthermore, some texts are well known to scholars and there is debate as to who actually composed the text (which was noted in the catalog when found). Our small group of three graduate level Tibetologists were simply not up to the task of divining the information for some of the texts in the mdzod. However, the overall benefit of the current catalog is that it far surpasses any other catalog in detail, and also provides a space for each text and each section to be examined by anyone who wishes to study the content of the mdzod. We have also managed to pull together a partial [[List of translations of texts in the gdams ngag mdzod|list of translations of texts in the mdzod]]. Furthermore, the catalog is an editable document. One that specialists from the field can modify as needed. Publishing the catalog as a wiki allows for collaboration that should overcome any mistakes and problems in the catalog over time. There is even space in the wiki for discussion of each text and it is hoped that people might use the catalog itself as a place to start research, discussion, and translation of texts in the gdams ngag mdzod. Furthermore, this model, should it prove fruitful, is one that could be easily modified for use in future projects.


=== Kapstein's [[gDams ngag: Tibetan Technologies of the Self]] in [[Tibetan Literature: Studies in Genre]], pp. 275-289.===
Karl Brunnholzl's [[Survey of the gdams ngag mdzod]]
 
....
There is no single classification of the many traditions of gdams ngag that is universally employed by Tibetan Buddhist doxographical writers. From about the thirteenth century onwards, however, the preeminence of certain particular traditions gave rise[page 277]  to a characteristic scheme that we encounter repeatedly, with small variations, throughout Tibetan historical, doctrinal and bibliographical literature.<ref>4. Consider, for instance, the arrangement of the major sections of Roerich, 1976, in comparison with Kong sprul's approach. For different but overlapping approaches to the lineages and sects of Tibetan Buddhism, compare also: Jo nang rJe btsun Kun dga' grol mchog, et al., Jo nang khrid brgya'i skor, in 'Jam mgon, DNgDz, vol. 12; and Thu'u bkwan, 1984.</ref> According to this, there are eight major gdams ngag traditions, which are referred to as the "eight great conveyances that are lineages of attainment" (sgrub brgyud shing rta chen po brgyad). The paradigmatic formulation of this classificatory scheme is generally attributed to 'Phreng bo gTer ston Shes rab 'od zer (Prajñāraśmi, 1517-1584), whose verses on this topic are widely cited by Tibetan authors ('Jam mgon, DNgDz, vol. 12: 645-646). The "eight great conveyances" as he enumerates them may be briefly explained as follows:<ref>5.  It should be noted that a great many representative gdams ngag texts have been translated into English in recent years, and have often been published privately or by small presses in popular editions for the use of English-speaking Buddhists. I have made no attempt in the notes that follow to treat this literature comprehensively. Interested readers are advised to consult the catalogues of the publishers that have been most active in this area: Dharma Publishing (Emeryville, California), The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (Dharamsala), Rangjung Yeshe Publications (Hong Kong/Kathmandu), Shambhala (Boston), Snow Lion (Ithaca), Station Hill Press (Barrytown, New York), and Wisdom Publications (Boston). Those seeking a single, useful anthology of gdams ngag in English may wish to consult Stephen Batchelor, 1987. A somewhat dated but still interesting collection is Evans-Wentz, 1950. Brief surveys of some of the major traditions will be found in Tucci, 1980.</ref>
 
(1) The sNga 'gyur rnying ma, or "Ancient Translation Tradition," derives its special gdams ngag primarily from the teachings of Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra, eighth-century Indian Buddhist masters who visited Tibet, and from the great Tibetan translators who were their contemporaries, especially Pa gor Bai ro tsa na. Of the tremendous body of special gdams ngag belonging to the rNying ma tradition, most widely renowned are those concerned with the meditational teachings of rDzogs chen, the Great Perfection.<ref>6. See also Roerich, 1976, Book II; DNgDz, vol. 1; ShK, vol. 1: 508-516; vol. 3: 276-296. Dudjom Rinpoche, 1991, provides, in vol. 1, thorough accounts of[page 285]  rNying ma history and doctrine from a traditional perspective; and the bibliographies in vol. 2 document much of the Western language work on the rNying ma tradition, and also editions of original rNying ma texts.</ref>
 
(2) The bKa' gdams, or "Tradition of [the Buddha's] Transmitted Precepts (bka') and Instructions (gdams)," is traced to the activity of the Bengali master Atiśa (982-1054) and his leading Tibetan disciples, notably 'Brom ston rGyal ba'i 'byung gnas (1104-1163). It is owing to its special role in maintaining the vitality of teachings derived from the bKa' gdams tradition that the dGa' ldan or dGe lugs order, founded by rJe Tsong kha pa Blo bzang grags pa (1357-1419), is often referred to as the New bKa' gdams school (bKa' gdams gsar ma). The bKa' gdams tradition specialized in gdams ngag relating to the cultivation of the enlightened attitude (bodhicitta, byang chub kyi sems), the union of compassion and insight that is characteristic of the Mahāyāna.<ref>7. See also Roerich, 1976, Book V; DNgDz, vols. 2-3; ShK, vol. 1: 516-520; vol. 3: 296-305; Chattopadhyaya, 1981; Eimer, 1982; Sherburne, 1983.</ref>
 
(3) Lam 'bras bu dang bcas pa, the "Tradition of the Path with its Fruit," is derived ultimately from the teachings of the Indian mahāsiddha Virūpa, and was introduced into Tibet by 'Brog mi lo tsā ba Śākya Ye shes (992-1072). This tradition of esoteric practice, emphasizing the Hevajra Tantra, became from early on a special concern of the Sa skya pa school, and so has been primarily associated with Sa skya and the several Sa skya pa suborders, such as the Ngor pa and Tshar pa.<ref>8. See also Roerich, 1976, Book IV; DNgDz, vol. 4; ShK, vol. 1: 520-526; vol. 3: 305-332; Davidson, 1981; Inaba, 1963.</ref> [page 278]
 
(4) The Mar pa bKa' brgyud, or "Succession of the Transmitted Precepts of Marpa," has as its particular domain the teachings of the Indian masters Tilopa, Nāropa and Maitrīpa as transmitted to Mar pa Chos kyi blo gros (1012-1097), the translator of lHo brag. His tradition of gdams ngag stresses the Six Doctrines (chos drug) of yogic pratice—inner heat, the apparitional body, lucid dreaming, inner radiance, the transference of consciousness at death, and the teachings of the intermediate state (bar do)—as well as the culminating meditations of the Great Seal (mahāmudrā, phyag rgya chen po).
 
The proliferation of lineages adhering to the teachings of Mar pa, those of his foremost disciple, Mi la ras pa (1040-1123), and those of the latter's main students Ras chung rDo rje grags (1083-1161) and sGam po pa bSod nams rin chen (a.k.a. Dwags po Lha rje, 1079-1153) was very widespread, and the many teaching lineages that arose among their followers almost all created their own distinctive formulations of the bKa' brgyud gdams ngag. The four "great" bKa' brgyud orders (bKa brgyud che bzhi) were founded by sGam po pa's immediate disciples, among whom Phag mo gru pa rDo rje rgyal po's (1110-1170) leading disciples founded eight "lesser" orders (chung brgyad). (The terms "great" and "lesser" refer solely to their relative proximity to sGam po pa, and imply neither quantitative nor qualitative judgment.) The first Karma pa hierarch, Dus gsum mkhyen pa (1110-1193), is numbered among the four "greats," while 'Bri gung skyob pa 'Jig rten gsum mgon (1143-1217) was prominent among the founders of the eight "lesser" orders. Among the eight is also counted Gling rje ras pa Padma rdo rje (1128-1188), whose disciple gTsang pa rGya ras (1161-1211) founded the 'Brug pa bKa' brgyud order, which in turn gave rise to several major suborders. (The 'Brug pa later established itself as the state religion in Bhutan, a position it retains at the present time.) Mar pa bKa' brgyud teachings have been widely transmitted among non-bKa' brgyud pa orders, for instance among the dGe lugs pa, a considerable portion of whose esoteric gdams ngag originated in the Mar pa bKa' brgyud tradition.<ref>9. Refer to Roerich, 1976, Book VIII; DNgDz, vols. 5-7; ShK, vol. 1: 526-533; vol. 3: 321-394. Among many works on the Mar pa bKa' brgyud traditions now available in English, see also: Chang, 1962, 1982; Douglas and White, 1976; Evans-Wentz, 1928, 1950; Guenther, 1963, 1971, 1973; Hanson, 1977; Kapstein, 1985; Karma Thinlay, 1978; Khenpo Rinpoche Konchog Gyaltsen, 1986; Lhalungpa, 1977, 1985; Nālandā Translation Committee, 1980, 1982; Stein, 1972.</ref>
 
(5) The Shangs pa bKa' brgyud, the "Succession of the Transmitted Precepts of Shangs Valley," is traced back to Khyung po rnal 'byor Tshul khrims mgon po of Shangs (d. ca. 1135), a master whose foremost teacher was the ḍākinī Niguma, said to have been the sister or wife of Nāropa. The special teachings of the Shangs[page 279] pa tradition, which are similar to those of the Mar pa bKa' brgyud tradition, differing primarily in points of emphasis, were widely influential. Despite the almost complete absence of distinctive Shangs pa institutions, they were transmitted within the Mar pa bKa' brgyud, dGe lugs, Jo nang and rNying ma orders. The Shangs pa teachings have aroused considerable interest among Buddhists in the West owing to the widespread activity of their leading contemporary proponent, the late Kalu Rinpoche Rang byung kun khyab (1905-1989).<ref>10. See Roerich, 1976, Book IX; DNgDz, vol. 9; ShK, vol. 1: 533-538; vol. 3: 394-407: Kapstein, 1980, 1991; Mullin, 1985.</ref>
 
(6) The closely related teachings of Zhi byed, "Pacification," and gCod yul, "Object of Cutting," originated respectively with the enigmatic Indian yogī Pha Dam pa Sangs rgyas (d. 1117) and his remarkable Tibetan disciple, the yoginī Ma cig Lab kyi sgron ma (ca. 1055-1143). Though schools specializing in Pacification were very widespread from the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, the teaching all but disappeared in later times. The Object of Cutting, however, permeated the entire Tibetan Buddhist tradition and is today preserved by all orders. Both of these systems of gdams ngag seek to bring about the realization of liberating insight as it is understood in the "Perfection of Wisdom" (Prajñāpāramitā) sūtras by means inspired by esoteric Buddhist practice. This takes particularly dramatic form in the traditions of the Object of Cutting, whose exquisite liturgies involve the adept's symbolic offering of his or her own body as food for all beings throughout the universe.<ref>11. Roerich, 1976, Book IX; DNgDz, vol. 9; ShK, vol. 1: 538-548; vol. 3: 407-429. See also: Aziz, 1979, 1980; Gyatso, 1985. Allione, 1984, ch. 2, provides a popular introduction to the gCod tradition and its founder, Ma cig.</ref>
 
(7) rDo rje'i rnal 'byor, the "Yoga of Indestructible Reality," refers to the system of yoga associated with the Kālacakra Tantra, as transmitted in Tibet initially by Gyi jo lo tsā ba Zla ba'i 'od zer during the early eleventh century. Later traditions that were particularly influential include those of Zhwa lu and Jo nang. The former came to be favored in the dGe lugs pa school, and continues to be transmitted in that order today, above all by H. H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. The latter fell into decline in the wake of the suppression of the Jo nang pa sect during the seventeenth century, but was later revived in eastern Tibet, particularly by the proponents of the so-called Eclectic Movement (Ris med), during the nineteenth century.<ref>12.  Roerich, 1976, Book X; DNgDz, ShK, vol. 1: 548-552; vol. 3: 429-457. Useful introductions to the Kālacakra traditions include: Sopa, et al., 1985; and The Dalai Lama and Hopkins, 1988. On the Zhwa lu and Jo nang pa traditions, see especially Ruegg, 1963, 1966.</ref>
 
(8) rDo rje gsum gyi bsnyen sgrub, the "Service and Attainment of the Three Indestructible Realities," represents an extremely rare tradition, closely allied with the Kālacakra Tantra, and stemming[page 280] from the teaching of the divine Vajrayoginī, as gathered by the Tibetan siddha O rgyan pa Rin chen dpal (1230-1309) during his travels in the northwestern quarters of the Indian subcontinent. The teaching was popularized by O rgyan pa's successors during the fourteenth century, when several commentaries on it were composed, but subsequently seems to have lapsed into obscurity. O rgyan pa also figures prominently as a transmitter of several of the major bKa' brgyud lineages, notably the 'Brug pa and Karma pa traditions.<ref>13. Roerich, 1976: 696-702; DNgDz, DNgDz, vol. 10; ShK, vol. 1: 552-554; vol. 3: 457-461. On the life and travels of the siddha O rgyan pa, see also Tucci, 1940.</ref>
 
During the nineteenth century this scheme of the "eight great conveyances" provided the basis for the great Tibetan anthology of gdams ngag, the gDams ngag mdzod ("The Store of Instructions"), compiled by 'Jam mgon kong sprul Blo gros mtha' yas (1813-1899), one of the leaders of the Eclectic Movement.<ref>14. The finest introduction to the Eclectic Movement and its leaders remains Smith, 1970.</ref> "The Store of Instructions" provides encyclopedic and balanced treatment of all of the major Tibetan Buddhist gdams ngag traditions and several of the more important minor ones, and preserves scores of instructional texts by some of the most famous Tibetan authors as well as by many who are less well-known. It includes in its compass entire previous collections of gdams ngag materials, such as the Blo sbyong brgya rtsa ("The Hundred [Teachings on] Spiritual Training and Purification"), representing the essential gdams ngag of the bKa' gdams traditions ('Jam mgon, DNgDz, vols. 2-3), and the Jo nang khrid brgya dang brgyad ("The Hundred and Eight Guidebooks of the Jo nang pas"), an eclectic compilation by Jo nang rje btsun Kun dga' grol mchog (1507-1566) that is in certain respects a precursor to "The Store of Instructions" itself (DNgDz, vol. 12)....
 
<big>'''Footnotes:'''</big><br>
<references/>
 
Read more: http://www.thlib.org/encyclopedias/literary/genres/genres-book.php#book=/studies-in-genres/b16/all/#ixzz0sYMj3epD
....
 
==Karl B. Report on Marpa Kagyu==
 
Outline and contents of the mar pa bka’ brgyud section of the gdams ngag mdzod
 
The Paro edition of the gdams ngag mdzod in 18 volumes (edited by Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche and published by Lama Ngodrup and Sherab Drimey 1979–81)
 
The mar pa bka’ brgyud section consists of 95 texts with a total of 1049 folios (a few of these texts have been translated already; translations I know of are noted in [ ]). In general, the texts contained in this section can be broadly classified into five main categories:
 
1) Sadhanas, abhisheka manuals, and ritual instructions on the deities Cakrasamvara, Vajrayogini, Mahakala, and Vetali (289 folios)
 
2) Instructions on the practices related to the texts under 1) (75 folios)
 
3) Instruction manuals on The Six Dharmas of Naropa (120 folios)
 
4) Mahamudra instruction manuals (336 folios)
 
5) Miscellaneous (229 folios)
 
Thus, the bulk of these texts (35 %) consists of sadhanas, abhisheka manuals, ritual instructions, supplications, and—surprisingly few—instructions on the primary deities Cakrasamvara and (to a lesser degree) Vajrayogini. The second biggest group (32 %) consists of texts on Mahamudra, followed by instructions on The Six Dharmas (11 %). The miscellaneous group (22 %) contains a variety of texts such as a number of guru yogas, some texts by the Karmapas, Jigten Sumgon’s dgongs pa gcig pa, supplications, instructions on utpattikrama and sampannakrama.
 
Compiled by Karl Brunnholzl for Tsadra Foundation, April 2010


==Chokyi Nyima Report on the gdams ngag mdzod==
==Chokyi Nyima Report on the gdams ngag mdzod==


Chokyi Nyima (Richard Barron) [http://research.tsadra.org/images/c/c7/Chokyi_Nyima_gDams_ngag_mdzod_Report.pdf PDF OF REPORT]
Chokyi Nyima (Richard Barron) [http://research.tsadra.org/images/c/c7/Chokyi_Nyima_gDams_ngag_mdzod_Report.pdf PDF OF REPORT]
== Catalog of gdams ngag mdzod from Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology ==
Sgrub brgyud śiṅ rta chen po brgyad kyi smin sgrol sñiṅ po rnams phyogs gcig tu bsdus pa Gdams-ṅag-rin po-cheʼi-mdzod kyi dkar chag rin chen bum bzaṅ
[microform] : Gdams-ngag-mdzod catalogue Rin-chen-bum-bzang : the treasure of precious instructions, teachings, initiations of the eight great vehicle of Buddhist doctrine in the land of snow / compiled and edited by Karjam Atsen.
*Other Title
**Gdams-ngag-mdzod catalogue Rin-chen-bum-bzang.
*Other Title
**Gdams-ṅag-rin-po-cheʼi-mdzod kyi dkar chag rin chen bzaṅ.
*Corp. Author
**Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology.
*Author
**Koṅ-sprul Blo-gros-mthaʼ-yas, 1813-1899.
*Author
**Atsen, Karjam, Lama.
*Publisher
**Gangtok, Sikkim : Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology, 1990.
*Description
**xxxiv, 214 p. ; 27 cm.
*Series
**Catalogue series ; 2
*Series
*Kagyudpa catalogue series ; v. 1
*Note
**In Tibetan; prefatory matter in English.
**Note
*Cover title: Gdams-ṅag-rin-po-cheʼi-mdzod kyi dkar chag rin chen bum bzaṅ.
*Note
**Includes indexes.
*Note
**Master microform held by: DLC.
*Note
**Microfiche. New Delhi : Library of Congress Office ; Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress Photoduplication Service, 1995. 3 microfiches.
*Subject
**Buddhist literature, Tibetan Bibliography Catalogs.
*Subject
**Buddhism China Tibet Bibliography Catalogs.
*Location
**Request available for loan at L94.BTI342
*Summary
**Bibliographical catalogue of Tibetan Buddhist literature of different sects; originally prepared by Koṅ-sprul Blo-gros-mthaʼ-yas, 1813-1899.


==Notes==
==Notes==

Revision as of 20:53, 13 August 2010

This is still in development and not ready for consumption --Marcus 00:53, 14 August 2010 (UTC)



Overview of the གདམས་ངག་མཛོད་ Shechen Edition, 1999


Table Showing Relative Size of Volumes

Volume # Pages Folios Relative Size
Vol 1 478 239 14th
Vol 2 497 249 12th
Vol 3 544 272 6th
Vol 4 646 323 3rd
Vol 5 506 253 11th
Vol 6 424 212 18th-smallest
Vol 7 542 271 7th
Vol 8 486 243 13th
Vol 9 526 263 9th
Vol 10 552 276 5th
Vol 11 530 265 8th
Vol 12 774 387 1st-largest
Vol 13 454 227 16th
Vol 14 446 223 17th
Vol 15 626 313 4th
Vol 16 510 255 10th
Vol 17 470 235 15th
Vol 18 630 315 2nd


The 18 volumes in nine sections:

  • gsang sngags rnying ma
  • bka' gdams
  • sa skya lam 'bras
  • mar pa bka' brgyud
  • shangs pa bka' brgyud
  • zhi byed dang gcod
  • dus 'khor dang o rgyan bsnyen sgrub
  • khri skor sna tshogs
  • jo nang khrid brgya dang dkar chag brgyud yig

Introduction

The gdams ngag mdzod is available in three printings:[1]

  • Gdams ngag mdzod Shechen Printing - W23605 in 18 pothi volumes was produced in 1999 under Tsadra patronage. This is the most complete and contained the few missing pages and texts that had been found since the 1979-1981 version. Produced in manuscript.

As a survey of the gdams ngag mdzod has been compiled by Person:Brunnhölzl, K. already, this report will summarize those findings and supplement them with statistics from a complete catalog of the gdams ngag mdzod, created by the Tsadra Foundation Research Department durring the months of May, June, July and August of 2010. This report will also review some of the problems with cataloging the gdams ngag mdzod and describe Tsadra's catalog in some detail by referring to the Gdams ngag mdzod DPL, a set of sortable tables of information pertaining to the catalog.

The 18 volumes of the gdams ngag mdzod are divided into nine sections corresponding to the "eight great conveyances that are lineages of attainment" (sgrub brgyud shing rta chen po brgyad) plus a volume of Jo nang pa texts. All of the previous catalogs of the Shechen and Paro editions of the gdams ngag mdzod record 392 or 393 text titles with page numbers for each particular volume (i.e., not sequential throughout the 18 volumes). However, upon further inspection, many of these are simply section headings and the number of texts is closer to 420. This number cannot be made precise at this time because of the difficulties discussed below.

The first thing to note about the content of the gdams ngag mdzod as a whole is that each section begins with the core root texts of a lineage and then proceeds with commentaries, pith instructions, liturgies, and empowerment manuals. The majority of texts are of an esoteric nature specific to advanced practitioners of each of the nine unique lineages represented in the mdzod. Many of the texts are such that only a very unique set of circumstances would arise in which one would refer to the texts, such as the many empowerment manuals, while a small percentage are more general texts fit for translation for a wider audience. The gdams ngag mdzod is an amazing collection; however, it is not really a general collection of texts relating to the eight great lineages. If one looks at each pair of volumes associated with a lineage, one sees a collection of technical manuals relevant only to specialized populations.

In a best case scenario, one would need a specialist from each tradition to catalog each section of the mdzod, because only those scholars would be able to untie the knots of complexity that are the provenance of each text. Although at first glance it appears that most texts in the mdzod have clear title pages, the fact is that many texts lack both title pages and clear colophons ending the text. There are likely some texts that escaped the notice of Tsadra catalogers because they may have had little or no heading at all to signify their start or end. However, the main issue encountered by catalogers of the mdzod was the lack of clarity in the colophons and difficulties arising from attempts to detail the authors and contributors to the texts. While the first text in a volume might be obvious, the next might simply provide a list of lineage holders at the end without comment as to who actually composed the text. Many texts have no colophons at all and in those instances, other specialists have to be consulted as to the author's traditionally attributed. Furthermore, some texts are well known to scholars and there is debate as to who actually composed the text (which was noted in the catalog when found). Our small group of three graduate level Tibetologists were simply not up to the task of divining the information for some of the texts in the mdzod. However, the overall benefit of the current catalog is that it far surpasses any other catalog in detail, and also provides a space for each text and each section to be examined by anyone who wishes to study the content of the mdzod. We have also managed to pull together a partial list of translations of texts in the mdzod. Furthermore, the catalog is an editable document. One that specialists from the field can modify as needed. Publishing the catalog as a wiki allows for collaboration that should overcome any mistakes and problems in the catalog over time. There is even space in the wiki for discussion of each text and it is hoped that people might use the catalog itself as a place to start research, discussion, and translation of texts in the gdams ngag mdzod. Furthermore, this model, should it prove fruitful, is one that could be easily modified for use in future projects.

Karl Brunnholzl's Survey of the gdams ngag mdzod

Chokyi Nyima Report on the gdams ngag mdzod

Chokyi Nyima (Richard Barron) PDF OF REPORT

Notes

  1. ↑ E. Gene Smith. Personal communication, January 25, 2010.


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