Posts Tagged ‘zhentong’
Tags: zhentong
The Quintessence of Zhentong
Thinking about this well structured collection of 108 instructions, I thought to pick a few and post them. Feeling predictable, I wanted to start with what you may expect to…
Read More108 Quintessential Instructions
As I’ve recently been reading through the collection of 108 Quintessential Instructions that was arranged by the Jonang master Kunga Drolchok (1507-1566), I’ve been thinking through the seemingly simple question,…
Read MoreTibetan Zhentong Discourse II
Kongtrul also lists Rangjung Dorje’s and Dolpopa’s contemporary, the celebrated Nyingma master Kunkhyen Drimé Odzer or Longchen Rabjam (1308-1363). Longchenpa does use similar terminology but in a context and with…
Read MoreTibetan Zhentong Discourse I
The wide variety of intricacies and nuances within the body of Tibetan thought that is termed “zhentong” is simply fantastic. The use of the word is so varied in fact…
Read MoreElucidating the Jeweled Matrix
Let’s talk texts. As much as contemplative practice, ritual, or even personal oral instructions are essential to esoteric transmission, it is texts and the transference of texts through time that…
Read MoreTārāyogīni Tantra & Practice
This post is titled, The Transmission of the Tantra and Practices of Tārāyogīni (Sgrol ma rnal ‘byor ma): A Little-Known Jonang Specialty. By Thomas Roth, a contributing author to the…
Read MoreZhentong isn’t Cittamātra
For some reason, those unfamiliar with the zhentong presentation tend to associate it with the Cittamāra (“Mind Only” or “Mentalist”) system, as if Madhyamaka was only divided into Svātantrika and…
Read MoreTradition of the Perfect Eon
The “now” is important for any tradition. For it is in the process of bringing the past into the present wherein a tradition is brought to life. However, the past,…
Read MoreWhat Is / Isn’t Rangtong?
Dolpopa, like many great Tibetan scholars, was interested in making distinctions. Within his writings, we find several terse compositions that employ rich Buddhist lingo in order to succinctly and deliberately…
Read MoreEmbodying the Kalachakra
Marveling at how the ultimate is described as expressions, and thinking about how to relate this ongoing theme to Kālachakra practice, I happened upon a short piece by the late…
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