Notes
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14:101-15. Partially quoted in TOK, 3:421, where it is attributed to the Tshom (“Collection”), probably referring to the Yang tshom.
Notes to Chapter 1 1 Æ›kinıs (mkha’ ’gro ma, literally, “sky-goer”), are female deities who clear away obstacles and help bring about wisdom. They are embodiments of transcendent intelligence, the feminine principle. Like buddhas, there are ˜›kinıs of the five different buddha families: vajra, buddha, ratna, padma, and karma. 2 Ser skya (’i grong), Kapila or Kapilavastu, a city-state west of Lumbini in presentday Nepal. The king’s name in Tibetan is Pal Wangchuk Pakpa (Dpal dbang phyug ’phags pa). 3 Mönlam Drup (Smon lam grub), “Accomplisher of Wishes,” Skt. Pra˚idh› Siddhi. 4 Don grub bzang po, “Excellent Accomplisher of Purpose,” Skt. Arthasiddhi Bhadra. 5 P›ramit› (pha rol tu phyin pa) refers here to all six perfections as explained in the Abhisamaya Alamkara (Mngon rtogs rgyan) Ornament of Realization by Maitreya. 6 rgyud sde bzhi (Skt. catv›ri tantrapi˛akas): The four classes of tantra: Action (bya rgyud; Skt. kriy›tantra), Performance (spyod rgyud; ubhayatantra or cary›tantra), Yoga (rnal ’byor rgyud; yogatantra), and Highest Yoga Tantra (rnal byor bla med rgyud; anuttarayogatantra.) See, for instance, Dudjom Rinpoche 1991, 32-34, 26874. 7 sde snod rnam la gus shags legs por byas. The collections of scripture or “baskets” (Skt. pi˛akas) usually refers to the Three Collections (sde snod gsum; Skt. Tripi˛aka) that comprise the Buddhist canon: the Vinaya Pi˛aka, the books of discipline or rules; the SÒtra Pi˛aka, books of the Buddha’s sermons; and the Abhidharma Pi˛aka, the teachings on all phenomena (dharmas). Sometimes tantras are called a fourth basket. In general the term refers to the basic, canonical Buddhist teachings. 8 Khorlo Demchok (’Khor lo bde mchog, Skt. Cakrasaªvara), literally, “wheel of bliss,” a male tantric deity and cycle of tantras and practices associated with it, particularly associated with bliss. It is very important in many schools of Vajray›na Buddhism. 9 gsang sngags bla na med pa. “Secret Mantra” is the most commonly used term in Tibetan texts for Vajray›na, or the kind of Buddhism based on the tantras, and references the widespread use of mantras in this approach. In this text, it seems