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Types of Tantras and Their Ancillary Literature

From Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia
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The Outer Tantras of Asceticism


These are of three types:

(1) kriyā or the tantra of actions/rites,

(2) upayanote (sic) or the tantra of performances, and

(3) the tantra of yoga.


Why is kriyā called "the tantra of actions/rites"? It is so called because it chiefly teaches actions and rites—washing, cleanliness, and so on. As the Later Tantra of Equipoise (Bsam gtan phyi ma)note states,

Because this tantra chiefly teaches actions/rites of body and speech, it is an action/rites tantra.


Identifying the sections of the action/rites tantra. [This has two subdivisions]:

(1) the general kriyā tantras and

(2) the specific tantras.

The general tantras include the [L 70] Subāhuparipṛcchā (Dpung bzang),

the Susiddhikāra (Su siddha ka ra),note the Vidyottama (Rig pa mchog),note the [[Sāmānyavidhīnām Guhya Tantra (Gsang ba spyi rgyud),note and so forth. The specific tantras include many tantras of the three families (rigs gsum), as well as many dhāraṇī tantras (gzungs kyi rgyud).note

Why is the tantra of performances (caryā tantra) called "upāya"? It is because the performance tantra has ritual performances like the kriyā and has a view like that of yoga tantra. That is why it is also called "both tantra" (gnyis ka'i rgyud). [Ka 167] The Abridgement of Vairocana's Enlightenment (Rnam snang mngon par byang chub pa'i don bsdus) states,

Because this tantra demeans the lower practices of cleanliness, and so on, which it sees as superseded by samādhi, it is "both tantra."note Identifying the sections of the [[[caryā]] tantra]. These are the sections belonging to the Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Tantra,note and its later tantra, the

Vajrapaṭala (Rdo rje sa 'og),note the Bhūtaḍāmara Tantra ('Byung po 'dul byed kyi rgyud),note and so forth.

Why is the yoga (yo ga) called yoga tantra (rnal 'byor gyi rgyud)? [L 71] As the Abridgement of the Analysis of Reality (De kho na nyid rnam par 'byed pa'i don bsdus)note states, "This tantra is yoga tantra because it emphasizes samādhi."

Identifying the sections of the yoga tantra. The root tantra is the Tattvasaṃgraha (De kho na nyid 'dus pa);note its near tantra (nye ba'i rgyud) is the Sarvadurgatipariśodhana (Ngan song sbyong ba). There are four explanatory tantras (bshad pa'i rgyud):

(1) the one that explains the color of the bodies and hand implements of the deities is the Śrīparamādya (Dpal mchog dang po);note

(2) the one that explains the samādhi and offerings is the Vajraśekhara (Rdo rje rtse mo) [Ka 168];

(3) the one that explains reality (de kho na nyid) and the "enlightenments" is the Tantra of Clear Methods (Thabs gsal ba'i rgyud);note

(4) the one that explains the meditation and the mantra repetition is the Tantra of Enlightenment Through Commitments (Dam tshig mngon par byang chub pa'i rgyud).


The Inner Tantras of Methods

This has two parts:

(1) the general division into vehicles and

(2) the particular division of the classes or sections of the doctrine.note

The general division consists of the three:

(1) mahāyoga tantra (rgyud),

(2) anuyoga transmissions (lung), and

(3) Great Perfection essential instructions (man ngag), [L 72] which is the atiyoga. Those terms—tantra, transmission, and essential instructions—are mostly just names used to designate these classes of tantra. Specifically, each of the three inner tantras contains all three. As the Ambrosia in Eight Sections (Bdud rtsi bam brgyad) states,


The [categories of] tantras, transmissions, and essential instructions

Are like [the categories] commoners (dmangs = śudra), merchants (rje = vaiśya), and the king (rgyal po), respectively: Each depends on the others.

The particular division of the classes or sections of the doctrine has two parts: (1) the tantra class (rgyud sde) and (2) the accomplishment class (sgrub sde).

The tantra class consists of the three groups of tantras: (1) the Sūtra that Unifies the Intentions (Mdo),note (2) the Illusory Net (Sgyu 'phrul),note (3) the Mind Section of Tantras (Sems phyogs).n [Ka 169] When categorized under the headings of the vehicles, the Magical Net belongs to the mahāyoga, the Sūtra Unifying the Intentions to the anuyoga, and the Mind Section of Tantras to the atiyoga.

The parts of the Dharma that teach the three inner tantra vehicles are as follows. The general tantras of the mahāyoga are "the eighteen-fold tantra section" (tantra sde bco brgyad),note and especially the Secret Magical Net, and [L 73] so this is also known as the Eighteen Sections of the Magical Net. The anuyoga transmission is known for its "five sūtras and its twenty-one tantras."note The Mind Section contains

(1) the Creator of Everything (Kun byed rgyal po),

(2) the Amazing [[[Bodhicitta]]] (Rmad bu byung ba),

(3) the Treasure House (Bang mdzod),note

(4) the Greater Treasury (Yang mdzod),note etc.—that is, "the five older translations" and "the thirteen minor tantras"

(rgyud phran bcu gsum).note In particular, there are infinite numbers of minor tantras. It is said that the "six kings of tantra" (rgyud kyi rgyal po drug)note are tantras that are in common to all three sections of tantric practice: the generation, completion, [and great perfection stages]; it is also said that these are tantras that belong to the anuyoga transmission.

The accomplishment classnote consists generally of those practices that are of the nature of the body, speech, mind,note qualities, and enlightened activity ('phrin las) of all the tathāgatas, and so there are the five methods of accomplishment [Ka 170]:

(1) the accomplishment of body, through the deity Mañjuśrī

(2) the accomplishment of speech, through Padma [[[Wangchen]] = Padma dbang chen, i.e., Hayagrīva];

(3) the accomplishment of mind, through Yangdag [[[Yang dag heruka]]];

(4) the accomplishment of qualities, through Vajra Amṛta (Bdud rtsi); and

(5) the accomplishment of enlightened activities, through Kīlaya (Phur pa). [L 74]

First, the practice of Mañjuśrī is called the accomplishment of the body insofar as it is the accomplishment of the body of the glorious Yamāntaka together with the four wheels ('khor lo bzhi).note This corpus of tantras constitutes the "ear tantra/lineage (rna rgyud) of Yama," the Wrathful Body, Wrathful Speech and Wrathful Mind Yamarāja,note etc. The practice of Padma Wangchen is called the accomplishment of speech because it is an accomplishment based on the Three Neighs of Hāyagrīva (Rta skad theng[s] gsum).note The tantras that teach this are the Collection of the Great Power of the Play

of the Supreme Horse (Rta mchog rol pa dbang chen 'dus pa); the Drop of the Secret Moon (Zla gsang thig le); the Wrathful Terminator (Drag po tshar gcod pa), etc. The so-called "accomplishment of mind through Yang dag [[[Heruka]]]" is an accomplishment based on the Nine Lamps, the Nine Great Gnoses of the Knowledge of the Great Glorious One. [Ka 171] The tantras that teach this are the Heruka Galpo (He ru ka gal po); the Transcendental Sūtra ('Jig rten 'das pa'i mdo); the Less Significant (Gal chung); [L 75]; the Tantra of the Heruka Congregation (He ru ka 'dus pa'i rgyud); the Buddha Samāyoga (Sangs rgyas mnyam sbyor), and so forth. The tradition of the deity Amṛta is called the accomplishment of qualities because it is an accomplishment that perfects all of the qualities of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa in the form of the qualities of the body of the glorious Chemchog Heruka (Che mchog he ru ka), from what is coiled around his feet up to the crown of his head. The tantras that teach this are the four tantras, the main body of the tradition, and the five [others]: the Play of Ambrosia (Bdud rtsi rol pa); the Wheel of Secret Gnosis, the Innermost Heart of Spiritual Accomplishments (Ye shes gsang ba'i 'khor lo dngos grub nye ba'i snying po); the Three Fragments (Dum bu gsum pa); and the Transmission in Eight Sections (Lung bam po brgyad pa). Kīlaya is called the accomplishment of enlightened activities because it only teaches the ritualistic forms of the stabbing (gdab ka) of malevolent forces. The tantras that teach this are the thirty-one tantras related to Kīlaya.

These are the accomplishment of the five gnosis deities. If one were to divide them from the viewpoint of the Eightfold Accomplishment Pronouncements (Sgrub pa bka' brgyad), they comprise two sections: the section on the worldly deities and the section on the five transcendental [Ka 172] deities just explained. [L 76] The section on the worldly or common deities [contains three types of practices]:

(1) the accomplishment that dispatches the Mamo [[[spirits]]] (ma mo rbod stong = gtong);

(2) the accomplishment of the Mamo wrathful mantras (drag sngags ma mo);

(3) the accomplishment of the worldly ones' offerings and praises ('jig rten mchod stod). But [these are just examples, for in general] there are said to be inconceivable numbers of ritual traditions intended to protect the teachings of the accomplishment of the five gnosis deities, [[[Yamāntaka]], Hayagrīva, etc.].


An Aside: The Classes of Tantra According to the New Schools

The followers of the new translation explain four, five, and six classes of tantras, and so forth. Here, we [explain the New Schools' tradition


of] subsuming the tantras into four great classes:

(1) the tantras of ritual actions,

(2) the tantras of performance,

(3) the yoga tantras, and

(4) the highest yoga tantras.

This division of the tantras into four classe is explained under four headings

(1) the exact number of tantric classes,

(2) their exact sequence,

(3) the meaning of the name of those classes, and

(4) the size of the sections of the Dharma that belong to each one.


There are four ways of explaining the first heading—the exact number [i.e., that there are four and only four such classes].

(1) The first [L 77] is that the four tantra classes correspond to the four temporal eras. [Ka 173] As the Glorious Holy Garland Tantra (Dpal 'phreng dam pa'i rgyud) states,


The four phases of the history of the Secret Mantra are

The Kṛtayuga (the golden age), and Tretayuga (the third age), the Dvaparayuga (the second age)

And the Age of Strife (rtsod dus).

The tantras appear to the destined disciples in that order.

(2) The number of classes of tantra can also be determined to be four from the viewpoint of the four types of birth. As the Vajra Pañjara (Gur) states,


The tantras are determined to be four [based on the four types of beings]:

Those born from eggs, those born from wombs,

Those born from warmth and humidity, and those born magically.

(3) They are also determined to be of four types based on the four castes. As the Vajrapaṭala Tantra (Rdo rje sa 'og gi rgyud) states,


The different classes of tantra were taught

So as to tame the ruling caste, the lordly [or merchant] caste, the brahmins,

And the peasants and outcasts.

(4) They are also determined to be fourfold in conformity with the way that the desire realm gods have sex. [L 78] As the Pañjara states, [Ka 174]


The tantras are explained to be of four types

From the viewpoint of the method used to have sex:

Mutual embrace, holding hands,

Smiling and laughing, or the way of copulating silk worms ('khrigs pa yi / srin bu yi ni tshul).note

Concerning the exact sequence, the classes of tantra are taught in that particular order in conformity with the levels of the faculties of sentient beings. As the Later Equipoise (Bsam gtan phyi ma) explains,


The tantras of ritual activities are taught for the lowest sentient beings;

For the higher ones, the tantras of performances;

For the supreme ones, the yoga tantras,

And for those even higher, the highest yoga tantras.

Concerning the meaning of the names of each of the classes, the tantras of ritual action are so called because they chiefly teach actions of body and speech, such as washing, cleanliness, and so forth. Performance tantra accords with action tantra in terms of its ritual practices, and it accords with yoga tantra in terms of its samādhi. Because it enjoins the performance of aspects related to both vehicles, it is called "performance tantra." [L 79] The yoga tantra is so called because it emphasizes inner samādhi. [Ka 175] The highest yoga tantra is so called because it is significantly superior to the yoga tantra.


Concerning the size of the sections of the Dharma of those tantric classes, the Gnosis Vajra Tantra (Ye shes rdo rje rgyud) states:


The tantra of realization (rtogs pa'i rgyud) is 4,000.

The tantra of ritual actions is 4,000.

The tantra of performances is 8,000.

The "both" tantra is 6,000.

The yoga is 12,000,

And also 30,000 and so forth.

But when explained most elaborately, [the size of the tantric corpus] is limitless.

This is referring to [the size of these corpuses] in times past.


In their identification of the three tantras—the tantras of ritual actions, performance, and yoga—the New Schools accord with the presentation found in the three outer tantras of the scriptures of the old translation school.


The highest yoga tantra is further subdivided into


(1) the method father tantras,

(2) the wisdom mother tantras, and [L 80]

(3) the nondual essence-meaning tantras. What distinguishes a father from a mother tantra? It is

the qualities of the disciples [for which they are intended]. As the Pañjara states, [Ka 176]

So as to subdue men,

The yoga of the father tantras was explained.

So as to subdue women,

The yoga of the mother tantras was explained.note

Alternatively, [one could explain the difference between mother and father tantras in terms of the fact that] in the completion stage (rdzogs rim) practices, mother tantras chiefly focus on the channels (rtsa), while father tantras emphasize the winds or energies (rlung). As the Sampuṭa states,


The male heroes of those abodes

Are perfectly endowed with the elements of the winds.

The female heroines of those abodes

Are perfectly endowed with the elements of the channels.

Or alternatively, one might say that [the highest yoga tantras are divided into these three classes] because, in the generation stage (skyed rim), father tantras have more male deities, mother tantras have more female deities, and nondual tantras have equal numbers of male and female deities. [L 81] As the Nāmasaṃgīti states, "The nondual tantra teaches nondualistically."

What are examples of each of the tantra classes? The father tantras include the tantras of the glorious Guhyasamāja, Black Yamāri, Yamāntaka, and Paramādi (Dam pa dang po'i rgyud), etc. [Ka 177] The Hevajra, Cakrasaṃvara,

Catuḥpīṭha, and Mahāmāyā tantras, etc., are mother tantras. The nondual essential-meaning tantras are the Non-Abiding (Rab tu mi gnas pa), which is the root tantra; the Inconceivable (Bsam gyis mi khyab pa), which is the explanatory tantra; the Limpid (Rnyog ma med pa), which is both root and explanatory; the Good Heruka (He ru ka bzang po), which is the supporting tantra; the Heart of Gnosis (Ye shes snying po), which is the tantra that benefits others; the Tantra Like a Wish-Fulfilling Jewel (Yid bzhin nor bu lta bu'i rgyud); and the Mañjuśrī Illusion Net in 16,000 Lines ('Jam dpal sgyu 'phrul drwa ba khri drug stong pa). This is how the classes of tantra are generally subdivided. [L 82]


[Genres of Tantras]

More specifically, within each of the tantra classes there is a system that divides the extensive tantras into seven parts, and another that divides

them into just two: root tantras and explanatory tantras.

The seven part are

(1) root tantras (rtsa rgyud),

(2) explanatory tantras (bshad pa'i rgyud),

(3) later tantras (rgyud phyi ma),

(4) much later [[[tantras]]] (phyi ma'i phyi ma),

(5) supplementary tantras of missing material (ma tshang ba bka' skong ba'i rgyud),

(6) tantras that resolve difficulties (dka' ba yongs su gcod pa'i rgyud), and

(7) tantras that categorize into sections the material that has been set aside (bkol ba dum bur phyung ba'i rgyud).

What are the differences between these seven? [Ka 178] What the Teacher himself first teaches is the root tantra. After that, what is taught by the individuals who explain it is the explanatory tantra. The first elaboration of material hidden in the Root Tantra is the later tantra. The works that later elucidate unclear points are the much later tantras. Works that teach separately the material that is incomplete in the root tantra are supplementary tantras of missing material. Works that focus on the difficult points of the root tantra and comment on them separately are [L 83] tantras that resolve difficulties. And works that separately categorize material from a root tantra that has been set aside are tantras that categorize into sections the material that has been set aside.

In the system that divides the tantras only into two classes, root and explanatory, root tantras are everything that occurs first and that has become an object of explanation; explanatory tantras are everything that occurs later and functions as those explanations.

There are six methods used in the explanatory tantras. Hence, there are explanatory tantras that

(1) make what is unclear clear,

(2) supplement what is incomplete,

(3) teach the meaning in a variety of different ways,

(4) abridge the meaning,

(5) generate certainty through comparisons (cha mthun nges pa bskyed pa), and

(6) investigate the meaning of words. [Ka 179]


A tantra is considered complete if it teaches in a complete fashion the "ten topics of tantras," and if it teaches the preamble (gleng gzhi) and background (gleng slang ba) and includes instructions (gdams gtad). If these are complete, then the work is considered a "great perfected tantra" (rgyud yongs su rdzogs pa chen po). If all of these elements are not present, then it is called an "incomplete or fragmented tantra" (rgyud 'thor ba). (L 84)


Essential Instructions (man ngag) and Sādhanas

These two topics are each treated under five headings:

(1) their nature,

(2) their etymologies,

(3) their divisions,

(4) their compilation, and

(5) the qualifications required for composing them (rtsom pa'i tshad).


What is the nature of essential instructions? Because they are nondeceptive (mi bslu bas), they are like precepts (man ngag), and hence they are called essential instructions (man ngag). As the Ambrosia in Three Parts (Bdud rsti dum bu gsum pa) states, "It is symbolized by the happiness that a mother feels when she searches for [and finds] her only son."

Its etymology is given in the Sūtra that Unifies the Intentions (Dgongs 'dus):


The holy essential instructions are teachings that provide us with great methods, that present little difficulty,

That are boundless in their meaning, easy to enact, and yet unfathomable in their profundity.

The category of "essential instructions" has two divisions: (1) the essential instructions on reality (de kho na nyid kyi man ngag) and (2) the essential instructions on the stages of realization (mngon par rtogs pa'i rim pa'i man ngag). The essential instructions on reality refers to such texts as the eight or thirteen root tantras of the Great Perfection, [Ka 180] or to the three Doha cycles, and so on.note The essential instructions on the stages of realization has two parts:

(1) those that cause one to understand and that clarify the meaning [L 85] and

(2) those that are the basis for training and practice. The first of these contains commentaries ('grel pa), anthologies of scriptural passages (bka' tshoms), frameworks (khog dbub), and structural outlines (sa bcad). The ones that are the basis for practice and training

refer to the ten essential instructions on the ten main points of tantra [already mentioned earlier]. As the Mind Essence (Thugs thig) states,

View, conduct, the maṇḍala, empowerment, commitments,

Activities, accomplishment, samādhi, offerings, and mantra.

As regards their compilation into different categories, there is a compilation into four types of essential instructions on the four classes of tantra, a twofold compilation corresponding to the twofold division of instructions as outer and inner, and [a compilation of] essential instructions that correspond to the three stages—generation, completion, and great completion/ perfection.

The qualifications for composing essential instructions are expressed in this verse:


Instructions have been composed by those who have the qualifications

Concerning the topics that are to be known. These qualifications include

Being acquainted with the scriptures, having expertise in epistemology,

Having generated one's own experience, and possessing the essential instructions oneself.

These instruction texts [Ka 181] teach an exposition of the objects that are to be known. [L 86] They are general expositions of the Dharma.



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