Person:Tāranātha

Names

Tibetan: ཀུན་དགའ་སྙིང་པོ། Wylie: Kun dga' snying po
Rje brtsun tA ra nA tha
Grol ba'i mgon po
tA ra nA tha
Other Transliterations in use:
Kun dga' Snying po
Kunga Nyingpo
Jetsun Taranatha
Taranatha
Tāranātha

Dates

1575–1635

Other Biographical Information

The last great throne-holder at Jonang , Taranatha was a successor to the reincarnation line of Kunga Dolchok. He recieved the entirety of major transmissions from the Kadam, Zhalu, Sakya, Shangpa Kagyu and Kamtsang Kagyu traditions, and was an expert on the tantras from the later translation period (gsar bsgyur). He recieved the Dro lineage of the Kalachakra from his teacher Kunga Palzang at Jomonang, and the transmissions according to Buton's Zhalu Rwa tradtion from Kenchen Lunrig Gyatso. As one of the most prolific authors in the Jonang tradition, his 23 volumes of collected works encompass topics on history, tantric ritual practice, zhentong thought, autobiography, pilgrimage, astrology, medicine, meditation, etc. In the year 1615, Taranatha founded Takten Damcho Ling Monastery (Phuntsok Ling) south of the Richo Chenmo mountain hermitage and Great Stupa of Jonang. Source

Main Teachers

Buddhagupta (Sangs rgyas sbas pa'i mgon)

Writings

• Works associated with Tāranātha in the gdams ngag mdzod catalog

• bka' gdams lha bzhi'i rjes gnang rin 'byung las khol du phyungs pa (4, pp 351-365)
• dpal dus kyi 'khor lo'i dbang gong ma'i cho ga (15, pp 105-131)
• dpal dus kyi 'khor lo'i mchod chog nyer mkho (15, pp 47-104)
• dpal ldan bla ma dam pa'i rnam par thar pa dad pa'i ljon shing (12, pp 449-452)
• dpal rgyud sde lnga'i dkyil 'khor gyi cho ga don gsal rgyas byed (11, pp 129-209)
• dus 'khor lha dgu'i sgrubs thabs rgyas pa (15, pp 25-45)
• gcod yul gyi dbang nam mkha' sgo 'byed du grags pa (14, pp 361-370)
• gcod yul rgya mtsho'i snying po stan thog gcig tu nyams su len pa'i tshul zab mo'i yang zhun (14, pp 353-360)
• gcod yul zab mo'i khrid yig gnad don snying po (14, pp 185-200)
• grub chen zhi ba sbas pa'i thugs bcud bka' babs bdun ldan gyi gzhung rdo rje'i lam bzang po (17, pp 207-218)
• grub mchog spyi la brten pa'i bla ma'i rnal 'byor rgya gar lugs dngos grub thig le 'khyil pa (16, pp 133-148)
• khrid brgya'i brgyud pa'i lo rgyus kha skong (18, pp 99-116)
• myur mdzad ye shes kyi mgon po phyag drug pa'i gtor chog nyer bsdus (12, pp 623-624)
• ni gu lugs kyi bde mchog lha lnga'i dkyil chog (11, pp 255-285)
• ni gu lugs kyi bde mchog lha lnga'i sgrub thabs (11, pp 245-254)
• ni gu'i 'khrul 'khor rtsa 'grel (12, pp 137-145)
• ni gu'i brgyud 'debs (12, pp 331-332)
• phyag chen ga'u ma'am rang babs rnam gsum zhes bya ba'i khrid yig (12, pp 237-249)
• rgyud sde lnga'i dkyil 'khor sgrub pa'i thabs (11, pp 69-127)
• rgyud sde lnga'i lha lnga gtso bor bsdus pa'i man ngag bla ma gong ma'i phyag len (11, pp 333-339)
• rnal 'byor yan lag drug pa'i rtags tshad kyi yi ge (15, pp 233-268)
• rnam rgyal lha dgu'i sgrub thabs bum chog dang bcas pa (17, pp 351-376)
• sbyor drug gegs sel (15, pp 269-313)
• shangs lugs bde mchog lha lnga'i sgrub thabs kyi rnam par bshad pa zab don gsal byed (11, pp 297-331)
• shangs lugs rgyud sde lha lnga'i brgyud 'debs (11, pp 63-64)
• skyes bu gsum gyi man ngag gi khrid yig bdud rtsi'i nying khu (3, pp 181-273)
• thun mong ma yin pa'i smon lam rgyal ba rgya mtsho ma (15, pp 619-625)
• zab lam ni gu chos drug gi gzhung khrid ma mo'i lhan thabs kha skong (12, pp 103-135)
• zab lam ni gu chos drug gi khrid yig zab don thang mar brdal ba zhes bya ba bklags chog ma (12, pp 1-101)
• zab lam rdo rje'i rnal 'byor gyi 'khrid yig mthong ba don ldan (15, pp 133-231)