Barron Outline of RTZ

From Rinchen Terdzö

Treasury Of Precious Hidden Teachings

(Rinchen Terdzö)

(111-volume edition published in Paro, Bhutan: Ngodrup and Sherab Drimay, 1976-1980)

  • I. History of the Lineage (Biographies of Guru Rinpoché, Kongtrul's lives of the tertöns) ... 1
  • II. Instructional guide (practical guide to shrine arrangment, empowerment procedures, etc.) ... 2-3
  • III. Cycles of Actual Instructions
    • A. Stage of Development (Mahayoga)
      • 1. Tantra classes ... 3-5
      • 2. Sadhana classes
        • (A) Root sadhanas
          • (1) General sadhanas of the Three Roots ... 5-7
          • (2) Specific sadhanas
            • a. Guru (root of blessings)
              • i. Outer practice (supplication) ... 7
              • ii. Inner practice (peaceful form of Guru Rinpoché)
                • (a) Dharmakaya aspect ... 7-8
                • (b) Sambhogakaya aspect ... 8
                • (c) Nirmanakaya aspect
                  • (i) Actual sadhanas ... 8-16
                  • (ii) Related practices (various guru sadhanas) ... 17
              • iii. Secret practice (wrathful form of Guru Rinpoché) ... 17-21
            • b. Chosen deity (root of spiritual attainments)
              • i. General sadhanas of peaceful and wrathful deities ... 21-25
              • ii. Specific practices of Eight Commands (Kagyé)
                • (a) Five "transcendent practices"
                  • (i) Manjushri (principle of enlightened form)
                    • (a) Peaceful aspect ... 25
                    • (b) Wrathful aspect (Yamantaka) ... 26-29
                  • (ii) Padma (principle of enlightened speech)
                    • (a) Peaceful aspects
                      • (i) Amitayus ... 29-32
                      • (ii) Amitabha ... 32
                      • (iii) Mahakarunika (Avalokiteshvara) ... 33-39
                    • (b) Wrathful aspect (Hayagriva)
                      • (i) Kama transmissions ... 39
                      • (ii) Terma transmissions
                        • (1) Red form (padma family) ... 39-41
                        • (2) Black form (vajra family)
                  • (iii) Samyak (principle of enlightened mind)
                    • (a) Peaceful aspect (Vajrasattva) ... 42
                    • (b) Wrathful aspect (Vajra Heruka) ... 43-44
                    • (c) Related practices (Vajrapani) ... 44-45
                  • (iv) Amrita (principle of enlightened qualities)
                    • (a) Actual practices (mendrup) ... 45-48
                    • (b) Related practices (chü-len) ... 48
                  • (v) Kilaya (principle of enlightened activity) ... 49-50
                • (b) One "boundary" practice
                  • (vi) Mamo Bötong ... 51-52
                • (c) Two "worldly practices"
                  • (vii) Jigten Chötö ... 52
                  • (viii) Möpa Drak-ngak ... 52-54
            • c. Dakini (root of enlightened activity) ... 54-58
            • d. Dharmapala (guardians of Buddhadharma)
              • i. Gönpo (male lineages) ... 59-60
              • ii. Lhamo (female lineages) and various other guardians ... 61-63
        • (B) Auxiliary rituals
          • (1) Rituals of a general nature
            • a. Ripening empowerments (the root of the path) ... 64
            • b. Intensive retreat (the essence of the path) ... 64-65
            • c. Torma offerings ... 66
            • d. Ganachakra feasts and fulfillment rituals ... 66
            • e. Consecration rituals ... 66
            • f. Ceremonies for the dead 66
            • g. Fire pujas ... 67
          • (2) Rituals for enactment of specific kinds of activity
            • a. Sublime activity ... 67
            • b. More ordinary activities
              • i. Multiple activities
                • (a) Chakra amulets and mantra collections ... 67
                • (b) Prognostication ... 68
                • (c) Activities to benefit or harm ... 68
                • (d) Consecrating sites and bringing down blessings ... 68
                • (e) Smoke offerings, burnt food offerings and ceremonies for peace and harmony ... 68-69
                • (f) Exorcisms and ransom ceremonies ... 69-70
              • ii. Specific activities
                • (a) Protection
                  • (i) Illnesses, malevolent influences and obstacles in general ... 70
                  • (ii) Threats from the four elements ... 71
                  • (iii) Territorial disputes ... 71
                  • (iv) Hail ... 71
                  • (v) Frost ... 71
                  • (vi) Epidemics (human and livestock) ... 71
                  • (vii) Illness due to poisons ... 72
                  • (viii) Bandits and thieves ... 72
                  • (ix) Harm from weapons ... 72
                  • (x) Injunctions ... 72
                  • (xi) Curses and imprecations ... 72
                • (b) Pacification
                  • (i) Hindrances, obstacles, illnesses, and malevolent influences in general ... 72
                  • (ii) Illnesses ... 73
                  • (iii) Demonic influences ... 74
                  • (iv) Moral contamination ... 75
                  • (v) Environmental disharmony, sorcery, and malediction ... 75
                  • (vi) Problems in the animate and inanimate universe ... 76
                  • (vii) Effects of harmful actions and obscurations ... 76
                • (c) Enrichment
                  • (i) Longevity (prerequisite of all qualities) ... 77-78
                  • (ii) Wisdom (root of all qualities) ... 78
                  • (iii) Merit, opportunity, wealth, and fame (foundations of all qualities) ... 79-80
                  • (iv) Crops and fruit ... 81
                  • (v) Blood lineage (receptacle of all qualities) ... 81
                  • (vi) Buddhist teachings (source of all qualities) ... 81
                • (d) Magnetizing ... 82-83
                • (e) Direct wrathful intervention
                  • (i) General rituals ... 83
                  • (ii) Specific rituals
                    • (a) Protecting ... 83
                    • (b) Averting ... 83
                    • (c) Slaying ... 84
                    • (d) Terminating through the four elements
                      • (i) Earth (suppression rituals) ... 84
                      • (ii) Water ... 85
                      • (iii) Fire ... 85
                      • (iv) Wind ... 85
    • B. Scriptural Transmission (Anuyoga) ... 85-86
    • C. Direct Transmission (Atiyoga)
      • 1. Outer - Category of Mind (Semdé) ... 86
      • 2. Inner - Category of Vast Expanse (Longdé)
        • "Under the category of hidden treasures, previously nothing very extensive that stands on its own came to light under this heading. Since the great Vajradhara, the sovereign lord Jamgön [Kongtrul] was not able to receive the entire cycle of Chokling's revealed treasure The Three Categories of the Great Perfection, for the time being these have not been included in this collection. Should the transmission of the ripening empowerments and liberating teachings for this terma be received, or should any other such terma with authentic origins be revealed, these are to be included at this point. Such was his advice allowing for such an eventuality." (from the index by the Fifteenth Karmapa Khakhyap Dorjé)
      • 3. Secret - Category of Direct Transmission (Men-ngakdé)
        • (A) Ati (Nyingtik pith instructions)
          • (1) Tradition of Vimalamitra (Bima Nyingtik) ... 86-87
          • (2) Tradition of Padmasambhava (Pema Nyingtik) ... 87-89
          • (3) Tradition of Bairotsana (Bairo Nyingtik) ... 89
          • (4) Combined intent of the three masters ... 90
        • (B) Kyiti (General key point of the tantras) ... 90
        • (C) Yangti (Extraordinary oral lineage) ... 90-91


Concluding volumes

  • Texts dealing with stages on the path ... 92
  • Noble Wish-Fulfilling Vase collection (compiled by Terdak Lingpa) ... 93-94
  • Kongtrul's autobiography ... 95
  • Kongtrul's account of his former lives ... 95
  • Nesar Tashi Chöphel's account of Kongtrul's final days and funeral ... 95
  • The Stages on the Path: The Heart Essence of Timeless Awareness (Lamrim Yeshé Nyingpo) (source text and Kongtrul's commentary) ... 96
  • Index to Rinchen Terdzö ... 97
  • Biographies of Padma, Bairotsana, Khyentsé Wangpo ... 97
  • Rinchen Terdzö lineage supplements ... 97
  • Third Do Drupchen's Ocean of Wonderment (see Hidden Teachings of Tibet) ... 97
  • Supplementary liturgies, empowerments, and rituals ... 97-99
  • Netik Purpa cycle ... 99
  • Chimé Pakmai Nyingtik cycle ... 99
  • Supplementary liturgies, empowerments, and rituals ... 99
  • Karmapa Khakhyap Dorjé's supplementary instructions (vol. 1) ... 100
  • Karmapa Khakhyap Dorjé's supplementary instructions (vol. 2) ... 101
  • Karmapa Khakhyap Dorjé's supplementary instructions (vol. 3) ... 102
  • Karmapa Khakhyap Dorjé's supplementary instructions (vol. 4) ... 103
  • Heart Drop of Utter Lucidity cycle of Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo ... 104
  • Longevity Sadhana: Lotus Secret Sphere cycle ... 105
  • Heart Drop of Longchenpa (Om) ... 106
  • Heart Drop of Longchenpa (Ah) ... 107
  • Heart Drop of Longchenpa (Hum) ... 108
  • Heart Drop of Longchenpa (Hrih) ... 109
  • Chokgyur Lingpa's Three Categories of the Great Perfection cycle (vol. 1) ... 110
  • Chokgyur Lingpa's Three Categories of the Great Perfection cycle (vol. 2) ... 111