Introduction

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Introduction to The Essential Bundle on Severance

The Essential Bundle is the third of the "bundles," attributed everywhere to Machik Lapdrön, and might be considered the innermost or secret version, as indicated by the name "essence" (nying). However, it seems rather to be a summation and systematic presentation of what is in the other bundles, and might have been translated as "The Essence of the Bundles." Unlike the other two, it has a structural outline and uses scriptural citations to back up the main points. It even cites Machik herself, using the respectful "Lady Mother" (ma jo mo), which would be a highly unusual term for Machik to use to refer to herself. It appears, therefore, to be written by someone else, perhaps an early commentator such as Jamyang Gönpo.