The Indian Mahamudra Ganoids):

A Preliminary Sketch*
Roger R. Jackson*
Introduction
The main purpose of this article is to provide a preliminary
listing of a variety of text-collections that together constitute
something like a canon of Indian Buddhist works on Mahamudra,
especially but not exclusively as recognized within Bka brgyud
traditions. I construe the term canon broadly, as a collection of
texts (usually but not necessarily written) that is especially
authoritative for a self-identified religious community or interest
group. The concept of canon is similar to that of corpus, in that
each is a collection of texts, but differs from it in the degree of
authority reserved for texts that are canonical. In this sense, every
canon is a corpus, but not every corpus is a canon.1
In the case of Tibetan Buddhist communities, it is a common
place now that the term canon refers to a multiplicity of textual
collections, including not only the primary canons represented by
the various editions of the Bka gyur and Bstan gyur, the Rnying
ma rgyud bum, and (arguably) the Bon po Bka gyur and Bstan
gyur but also the secondary canons collected by various orders,
sub-orders, lineages, and practice traditions, however these may be
defined.2 It also is widely accepted that the various Tibetan canons
I would like to thank Matthew Kapstein, Dan Martin, and KlausDieter Mathes for their assistance in clarifying certain details of the
corpora discussed below, and Lara Braitstein for her careful reading
of and comments on an earlier draft of the article. A seminal version
of the article was presented at the Wisconsin South Asia Conference
in 1995.
Roger R. Jackson, Chair, Department o f Religion, Director o f South Asian
Studies, Stephen R. Lewis, Jr. Professor o f Religion and the Liberal Arts,
Carleton College, One North college Street, Northfield, MN 55057.
1 For a helpful overview o f the concept of canon, see Sheppard 1987. My
definition of the term is a bit like his for Canon 2, which is a list,
chronology, catalog, fixed collection, and/or standardized text (66).
2

Thus, we might identify canons related to orders like the Sa skya or Dge
lugs, sub-orders like the Bri gung Bka brgyud or Ngor pa Sa skya, lineages

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are not for the most part as decisively fixed as those of Western
religions tend to be, and they often are permeable at their
boundaries.3
Few practice traditions have been as important to Tibetan
Buddhism as that of the Great Seal, Mahamudra (Tib. phyag rgya
chert po). Mahamudra is a multivalent term that may refer, inter
alia, to a hand gesture employed in tantric ritual; one of three or
four seals to tantric practice; a consort employed in sexual yoga
practices; our inherent buddha-nature; the empty nature of all
dharmas; the Madhyamaka view; meditation techniques in which
the mind itself is the object; a blissful, innate gnosis that nondually
perceives emptiness; the siddhi that is the outcome of tantric
practice; and a buddhas dharmakaya. The term is absolutely central
to conceptions of the basis, path, and fruit of Buddhist life among
the Bka brgyud, was crucial in Zhi byed and Gcod circles, is the
focus of an important oral tradition among the Dge lugs, and finds
its place as well in the discourse of the Sa skya and Rnying ma.
Like those in other practice traditions, we might regard those with a
significant interest in Mahamudra as belonging to an interest group
within and among various religious communities.4
Not surprisingly, the Tibetan passion for the classification
and collection of texts - and for the formation of canons - extended
to works related to Mahamudra. Although Mahamudra came to the
fore as a topic of discourse among the New Translation schools
(Gsar ma pa) during the Tibetan renaissance of the eleventh and
following centuries,5 its roots are found deep in the literature of
Indian Buddhist tantric traditions, where the term appeared with
increasing frequency in the last centuries of the first millennium
like the Ras chung or Dga Idan snyan hrgyuds, or practice traditions like Zhi
byed or Rdzogs chen while keeping firmly in mind that these categories
are far from exhaustive or mutually exclusive, since, e.g., lineages and
practice traditions often are subsumed under orders or sub-orders, virtually
all practice traditions have lineages, and most lineages have corresponding
practice traditions.
3

For recent discussion o f Tibetan Buddhist canons, see for instance the articles
in Eimer 1997 and Eimer and Germano 2002, For a seminal analysis of
Indian Buddhist canons, see Davidson 1990.

For an overview o f Mahamudra, see Jackson 2004; for an extensive

bibliography of Western works on the topic, see Jackson forthcoming.

See Davidson 2005 for an exploration of this term and o f the social and
historical contours of the period it describes.

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153

C.E. It became especially prominent in texts classed by Tibetans

within the Yogini (or Mother) subdivision of the Highest Yoga
Tantras (niruttaryogatantra, bla na med pa 'irgyud), e.g., in the
corpora related to Cakrasamvara, Hevajra, and Klacakra. It also
was a frequent point of reference in the many tantric songs - dohs,
carygti, and vajragiti - sung by such mahsiddhas as Saraha,
Tilopa (or Tailopa or Tillipa), and Nropa (or Ndapda), and was
articulated in philosophical treatises and commentaries by the likes
of Maitripa, Sahajavajra, and Jnnaklrti. Over the centuries in India,
its connotations became increasingly ultimate and more universal,
such that when texts and traditions related to it were transmitted to
Tibet beginning in the eleventh century, if was understood by many
to have both Strayna and Mantray ana versions, to be
approachable both by gradual and sudden means, to encompass the
entire ground, path, and goal of Buddhist life, and to be relevant to
the view, meditation, behavior, and fruit of the spiritual path.
Nevertheless, despite the incontestable influence of Indian masters
and Indian texts, it probably is fair to say that the articulation of
Mahmudr as a practice tradition and a central topic of discourse is
largely a construct of Tibetan scholasticism, beginning with a
number of individuals in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the
most important of whom for our purposes is Sgam po pa Bsod
names rin chen (1079-1153), the source of the Dvags po Bka
brgyud orders in which discourse on Mahmudr has been most
prominent and long-lasting. By scholasticism, incidentally, I
simply mean the attempt to organize a body or bodies of texts,
ideas, and practices into a coherent pattern. And, one consistent
feature of scholastic traditions is the creation of textual collections
deemed especially significant and authoritative - in shu t, of canons.
Although a detailed discussion of the origins and
development of a Mahmudr canon in Tibet is beyond the scope of
this paper, this much can be said. It is evident that several
collections of Indian texts had been linked together as pertaining to
Mahmudr by ihe fourteenth century, for in his record of
teachings received (Gsan yig) the great polymath and Bstan gyur
redactor, Bu ston rin chen grub (1290-1364),. associates the term
with at least four corpora: the Seven Accomplishment Texts (Grub

pa sde bdun; corpus B, below), the Sixfold Cycle o f Essentials

(Snying po skor drug; corpus C), the Twen;.y-rive Texts on
Unthinking {Yid la mi byed pa nyi shu rtsa lnga\ corpus D). and the

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Four Dharma Ordinances {Bka bskul gyi chos bzhi; corpus E).6 In
his Phyag chen gan mdzod (16,h c.), Padma dkar po pushes back the
canonization of the first three of these at least another century and
a half, attributing their association with Mah mudr to the founder
of the Brug pa Bka brgyud, Gtsang pa rgya ras pa Ye shes rdo rje
(1161-1211).7 And, if we are to believe the reports o f Gos lo ts ba
Gzhon nu dpals Blue Annals (Deb ther sngon po, written in 1478),
a number of Indian corpora already were intact and associated with
Mahmudr at the time of their transmission to Tibet in the eleventh
and early twelfth centuries by the likes of Vajrapni and Bal po
Asu. These corpora include the Seven Accomplishment Texts and
the Twenty-five Texts on Unthinking, as well as the triple Cycle of
Essentials {Snying po skor gsum; corpus A), the Ten Dharmas of
Mah mudr {Phyag rgya chen po 7 chos bcu; corpus F), and the
Cycle of Lesser Texts {Phra mo skor, corpus G).8
At roughly the same time, the forerunner of the Zhi byed
tradition, Pha Dam pa sangs rgyas (d. I l l 7), is said to have brought
from India seventeen anthologies of texts, three of which explicitly
mention Mahmudr in their titles. These anthologies, which
include various Indian tantric texts and songs sung by Pha dam pas
fifty-four Indian predecessors, eventually found their way into a
larger Zhi byed collection that was an important source for
practitioners not only of the short-lived Zhi byed school but also of
the Gcod practice tradition that sprang from it and permeated a
number of major orders.9 The Zhi byed collection is deserving of
more detailed study, but it does not, so far as I know, bear
significantly on the primarily Bka brgyud developments with
which I am most concerned here.
Thus, it may be that some Mahmudr corpora existed in
India and were transmitted to Tibet. The introduction of textcollections associated with a particular term or theme, however, is
not the same as canonization, which is a second-order process of
categorizing disparate texts and corpora, and usually requires some
institutional basis and motive for granting them special.status - and
that institutional basis developed, at least among the Bka brgyud,
6

Bu 114-17.

Pad 4a. I have so far been unable to find evidence for this in the works of
Gtsang pa rgya ras pa, and lGos makes no reference to it in the Blue Annals.

Gos ch. 11: 3b, 8b-9a, 12b; Roerich 1976: 845, 856-57, 865.

See, e.g., [Dam pa sangs rgyas] 1985, Schaeffer n.d., Martin 2006.

The Indian M ahamudrd Canon(s):A Preliminary Sketch

155

only in the mid-to-late twelfth century, as its monasteries grew in

wealth and power and Mahamudra became increasingly central the
orders discourse. Furthermore, the transmission, translation, and
categorization of Indian Buddhist texts during the Tibetan
renaissance was a drawn-out and complex process, and we cannot
be certain that later accounts of it, even by historians as renowned
as Gos, are entirely trustworthy, subject as they are (like all
historical work) to anachronistic projections that reflect their
authors own categories and values as much as (or more than) they
do events in the era they are describing.
In short, while it may be that some collections associated
with Mah amudr a were brought to Tibet directly from India or
Nepal in the eleventh century, the attempt among the Bka brgyud
to link these collections together into an authoritative Mah amudr a
canon seems to be a product of a slightly later time; and if that
attempt cannot be traced explicitly to Gtsang pa rgya ras pa in the
late twelfth or early thirteenth century, it certainly is evident in the
works of Bu ston and Gos lo ts a ba, hence datable to the fourteenth
or fifteenth century at the latest.
While the efforts of figures like Bu ston and Gos lo ts a ba
(and possibly Gtsang pa rgya ras pa before them) indicate clearly
that attempts were underway within the Bka brgyud to describe a
Mahamudra canon, it is only with the Seventh Karmapa, Chos grags
rgya mtsho (1454-1506), that we have a fully self-conscious attempt
to define and collect the full range of Indian Buddhist texts relevant
to Mahamudra, i.e., to create a canon as opposed to merely
identifying it. This the Karmapa did in his voluminous Phyag chen
rgya gzhung (Extensive Collection o f Mahamudrd Texts), which
runs to well over two thousand folio sides and covers three volumes
in the edition issued by Zhwa mar Rin po che in 1997.10 The two
hundred-plus texts it includes are mostly drawn from the Rgyud
grel section of the Bstan gyur.11 It includes nearly all of the texts
1(1 See Chos. Another, shorter, text (in dbu med script) bearing the title Phyag
chen rgya gzhung , said to have been preserved at Bri gung thel, was
published in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, in 1985 (Senghe 1985). I have not
examined it in detail, but its contents appear to overlap very little with the
Seventh Karmapas collection; most of them focus on tantric ritual to a much
greater degree than the texts in the Karmapas Rgya gzhung.
11 The very first text in the collection, the Andvilatantrardja , is found in the
Rgyud section of the Bka gyur, and there are a dozen or so texts that exist in
Tibetan translation but did not find their way into the Bstan gyur.

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found in the corpora listed below, and many more besides.

Although it is not explicitly subdivided into corpora, a number of
collections are easily identifiable within it by virtue of their
sequencing, including the Seven Accomplishment Texts, the Sixfold
Cycle of Essentials, and the Twenty-five Texts on Unthinking, as
well as a series of texts by Saraha, the songs (glu) of various
mahasiddhas, works on view (Ita ba), and several writings of Atisa.
In many instances, the texts are ordered exactly as they are in the
Bstan gyur, or nearly so. It remains, to the best of my knowledge,
the most extensive Mahamudra canon ever to appear in Tibet.12
As extensive as the Phyag chert rgya gzhung is, it never
seems to have superseded earlier ways of delineating a Mahamudra
canon, nor did it preclude later attempts to define the texts most
crucial for understanding and practice of Mahamudra. Thus, the
great exponent of the Mahamudra meditative path, Dvags po Bkra
shis rnam rgyal (1513-87), refers in his Phyag chert zla b a i' odzer
to the Triple Cycle of Essentials, the Seven Accomplishment Texts,
the Sixfold Cycle of Essentials, the Twenty-five Texts on
Unthinking, and the Eight Doh a Treasuries {Do ha mdzod brgyad;
corpus H),13 while his younger contemporary Padma dkar po, as we
have seen, focuses on the three corpora whose association with Mah
amudr a he traces to Gtsang pa rgya ras pa: the Seven
Accomplishment Texts, the Sixfold Cycle of Essentials, and the
Twenty-five Texts on Unthinking. Later authors both inside and
outside the Bka brgyud made similar choices. The First Panchen
Lama, Bio bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan (1570-1662), in his
autocomm&itary to his root verses on the Dge ldan bka brgyud
Mah amudr a tradition, identifies the Triple Cycle of Essentials and
the Seven Accomplishment Texts as crucial to what he calls Tantra
Mahamudra.14 And, the great Ris med pa encyclopedist and
12

For a preliminary study o f certain aspects o f the Karmapas collection, see

Mathes forthcoming. Mathes also is preparing a full-scale study of the
anthology, which will, when it appears, be a major contribution to
Mahamudra studies.

13

For the latter, see Do. This is a collection o f dohdkosas by Indian

mahasiddhas that was redacted, probably in Tibet, some time before the
sixteenth century, and has been reproduced several times since then. See
bCapstein 2006: 56-61.

14

See Bio 6b-7a. The Yang gsal sgron me has not yet been translated into
English, though it will find its place in an anthology o f Dge lugs pa
Mahamudra texts 1 am preparing. See also the gloss o f this passage in Dalai
Lama and Berzin 1997: 240.

The Indian Mahamudra Canonist:A Preliminary Sketch

157

polymath, Jam mgon kong sprul Bio gros mtha yas (1813-99),
includes in his voluminous anthology, the Gdams ngag mdzod, a
selection of Indian and Tibetan texts related to what he calls the
Common Mah amudr a Cycle (Thun mong phyag chen gyi skor,
corpus I); the Indian texts are the Anavilatantrarqja; important doha
collections by Saraha, avari, Tilopa, and Naropa; and Maitripas
seminal ten verses on reality, the Tattvadasaka.ls
In sum, there is no single, fixed Indian Mah amudr a canon.
Rather, there is a partially overlapping set of canons defined by a
variety of scholastics - primarily but not exclusively in Bka brgyud
communities - over the course of nearly a thousand years. Though
the Mahamudra canons are secondary in the sense of consisting
largely of texts from the primary canon, i.e., the Bka' gvur and
Bstan gyur, they are canonical nonetheless in the authority they
bear for Tibetans who are concerned with Mahamudra, whatever
their sectarian or institutional setting.
In the section that follows, I have listed the corpora that
most often have been cited as being essential to the study and
practice of Mahamudra. Some, like the Triple Cycle of Essentials,
Seven Accomplishment Texts, Sixfold Cycle of Essentials, and
Twenty-five Texts on Unthinking, are of considerable antiquity and
are cited with great frequency; 1 refer to them as Inner Canon A.
Other sets, such as the Four Dharma Ordinances, Ten Dharmas of
Mahamudra, Cycle of Lesser Texts, Eight Doha Treasuries, and
Common Mahamudra Cycle, may or may not be ancient, and are
mentioned rather less frequently; I refer to them as Inner Canon
B. Finally, there are a number of texts from both the Sutra and
Tantra literature of Indian Buddhism that are frequently cited by
Mahamudra scholars, yet seldom or never find their way into
Mahamudra lists or collections per se; these form an Outer
Canon.
Sources
The texts from which I have drawn my lists represent only a
selection of possible sources,16 but they are not chosen arbitrarily.

15 See Jam: Mar pa bka brgyud skor, Gzhung rtsa grel skor: 1--69.
Ih Given its considerable antiquity, it will be important at some point to bring
Zhi byed literature especially the early anthologies
imo the picture, but
I have not investigated it sufficiently to include it at present. There also may

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They include an extensive record of teachings received by the main

redactor of the Bstan gyur (Bu); a vital historical work by a scholar
deeply invested in Mahamudra traditions (Gos); two early
anthologies of Mahamudra works, one brief (Do), the other massive
(Chos); the most influential Bka brgyud pa compendium of
Mah5mudra practice (Bkra); an important historical and analytical
account of Mahamudra by its greatest Bka brgyud pa theorist
(Pad), the seminal Dge lugs commentary on Mahamudra (Bio), and
a significant modern anthology of texts from a variety of Tibetan
Buddhist lineages by a Ris med pa with a strong Bka brgyud
background (Jam). In abbreviated form, the texts are as follows;
full references may be found in the bibliography.
[Bkra:] Dvags po Bkra shis rnam rgyal (1513-87), Phyag chen zla
bai 'odzer. Tr.: Lhalungpa 1986. (Mentions or lists: A, B,
C, D, H)
[Bio:] [Panchen I] Bio bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan (1570-1662),
Phyag chen rtsa bayang gsal sgron me. (A, B)
[Bu:] Bu ston (1290-1364), Bu ston gsan yig. (B, C, D, E)
[Chos:] [Karmapa VII] Chos grags rgya mtsho (1454-1506)
(compiler), Phyag chen rgya gzhung. (B, C, D)
[Do:] Do ha mdzod brgyad. (H)
[Gos:] Gos lo tsa ba (1392-1481), The Blue Annals: Deb ther
sngonpo. Tr.: Roerich 1976. (A, B, D, F, G)
[Jam:] Jam mgon kong sprul Bio gros mtha yas (1813-99)
(compiler), Gdams ngag mdzod, vol. 5. (I)
[Pad:] Brug chen Padma dkar po (1527-92), Phyag chen gan
mdzod. (B, C, D)
The Canons
The corpora that emerge from these sources vary
considerably as to genre and content. Inner Canons A and B consist
primarily of texts from the Rgyud grel section of the Bstan gyur.
The genres most prominent are tantric songs (especially collections
of dohd and vajragiti), treatises (whether in verse or prose), and a
few commentaries on selected treatises. It is worth noting that the
term mahamudra is not necessarily prominent (or even present) in
be important material in early Sa skya pa writings, and in Bka brgyad
sources ! have not had the opportunity to consult.

The Indian Mahamudra Canon(s):A Preliminary Sketch

159

many of the works that form Inner Canons A and B. Indeed, the text
that is most often listed, Sarahas Dohakosagiti (or People Doha),
never mentions Mahamudra at all. This indicates clearly that the
criterion for a texts inclusion in a Mahamudra canon - the sign that
it is about Mahamudra - is not necessarily its use of the term but
its focus on one or more of the themes associated with the term,
including Buddha-nature, emptiness, insight into the nature of mind,
blissful nondual gnosis, and so on. The Outer Canon - those texts
not included in canonical lists per se but frequently cited by Tibetan
scholars of Mahamudra - includes a broad generic range, with many
more texts from the Bka gyur than Inner Canons A and B. It
includes texts that are the common heritage of all Tibetan
intellectuals, such as the Prajha.pa.ra.mitd sutras; philosophical
treatises by the likes of Nagaijuna, Maitreya, and KamalaSila; and
the tantras and tantric commentaries most important for New
Translation traditions, especially those related to Guhyasamaja,
Hevajra, and Cakrasamvara. The sutras and non-tantric Sastras do
not mention Mahamudra, but may be seen as broadly related to it.
The Tantras and their commentaries actually are the sources in
which Mahamudra is most explicitly addressed; they are in fact the
loci classici for understanding the origins of the term.
In the lists that follow, each corpus is arranged in the order
of its appearance in the Derge (Sde dge) edition of the Tibtetan
Tripitaka; each text-listing includes the Sanksrit and Tibetan titles as
found in the Derge edition, Tohoku (i.e., Derge, cited as D) and
Peking (P) catalogue numbers.17 Where an alternative author or title
should be noted, it is enclosed in brackets following the name for
which it is a variant or substitute. In the case of Inner Canons A and
B, I have, upon the first occurrence, provided basic - but far from
exhaustive - information about available Sanskrit editions and
Western-language translations; for the Outer Canon, I have
provided only Sanskrit and Tibetan titles and Derge and Peking
catalogue numbers, as well as a parenthetical indication if a partial
or compbte translation is available in a Western language.
Inner Canon A

A. The Triple Cycle of Essentials (Snying po skor gsum) [Gos:

ch. 11, 9a (tr.: 857); Bkra: 94a (tr.: 105); Bio: 6b-7a]
17

I have excluded the final ndma or zhes/shes bya ba from titles in which those
appear. In addition, I have silently corrected doha to doha.

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Comment: This trilogy of song-collections by Saraha is frequently

cited as a seminal Mahamudra corpus, but does not appear
as a unit in either Bu or Chos. This may reflect lingering
controversy in Tibet over whether all three really were
composed by Saraha. For discussion of this dispute, see
Guenther 1993: 9-11, Schaeffer 2005: 73-78. It is worth
noting that the term mahamudra occurs only in the Queen
Doha.
1. Saraha, Dohakosagiti {Do ha mdzod k\>i glu; a.k.a. Dmangs do ha
= People Doha) D2724, P3068 (cf. C2; F4; 12)
</.:.Bagchi .1935, Bagchi 1938: 14-39.
Ed. & tr.: Shahidullah 1928: 125-99.
Tr.: Snellgrove 1954b, Guenther 1993: 89-122, Jackson
2004: 53-115, Schaeffer 2005: 129-73.
2. Saraha, Dohd.kosa~ndma-carya.giti {Do ha mdzod ces bva ba
spvod pa'i glu; a.k.a. Rg\>al po do ha = King Doh a) D2263,
P3110 (cf. C nl, no. 1; F5)
Tr.: Guenther 1969: 63-71, Guenther 1993: 1.50-57, Thrangu
2006: 123-39.
3. Saraha. Dohakosopadesagiti {Mi zad pa'Dgter mdzod man ngag
gi glu; a.k.a. Btsun mo do ha = Queen Doha) D2264, P3 111
(cf. C n2, no. 2)
Tr.: Guenther 1993: 123-49.
B. The Seven Accomplishment Texts {Grub pa sde bdun)[Bu:
115; Gos: ch. 11, 8b-9a (tr.: 856-57), Chos: vol. om, dkar
chag la-3b; Bkra: 94a, 106a (tr.: 105, 117), Pad: 4a; Bio: 7a]
Comment: These texts are for the most part strongly related to
practices found the in the Highest Yoga (especially the
Yogini, or Mother) Tantras. Only the Guhyasiddhi (e.g., Ill,
34; IV, 15; IV, 40-41) and Jhanasiddhi (I, 44-47, 56-57)
mention Mahamudra with any frequency. Their sequential
appearance m the Bstan 'gyur indicates that they were
considered corpus fairly early on. The corpus includes the
only two texts by women in a list appearing here (nos. 4, 6).

The Indian Mahamudru Canon(s):A Preliminary Sketch

161

1. Padmavajra, Sakalatantrasambhavasamcodani-sriguhyasiddhi
[Guhyasiddhi] (Rgyud ma luspa'i don ngespar skul bar byedpa
dpal gsang ba grub pa) D2217, P3061
Ed.: Samdhong and Dwivedi 1987: 1-62.
2. Anangavajra, Prajnopayaviniscayasiddhi (Thabs dang shes rab
mam par gtan la dbab pa sgrub pa) D2218, P3062
Ed.: Bhattaccharyya 1929, Samdhong and Dwivedi 1987:
63-88.
Tr. [Chaps. 1-3]: Snellgrove 1954c.
3. Indrabhuti, Jhanasiddhi-ndma-sadhana [.Jhanasiddhi] (Ye shes
grub pa zhes za ba i sgrub thabs) D2219, P3063
Ed.: Bhattaccharyya 1929, Samdhong and Dwivedi 1987:
89-158.
4. Laksmlnkara, Advayasiddhisadhana [Advayasiddhi] (Gnyis su
medpar grub pa'i sgrub thabs) D2220, P3064
Ed.: Samdhong and Dwivedi 1987: 159-64.
Ed. & tr.: Shendge 1964, Mishra 1995: 28-36.
5. Darikapa, Qri-Uddiyanavinirgataguhyamahaguhya-tattvopadesa
[Guhyatattva] (Dpal u rgyan nas byung ba gsang bai gsang ba
chen po de kho na nyid kyi man ngag) D2221, P3065
6. Cito [sic for Yogini Cinta], Vyaktabhavananugatatattvasiddhi
(Dngos po gsal ba'i rjes su 'gro ba'i de kho na nyid grub pa)
D2222, P3066
Ed..: Samdhong and Dwivedi 1987: 165-79.
7. Dombi Heruka, Sri-Sahajasiddhi [Sahajasiddhi] (Dpal lhan cig
skyes pa grub pa) D2223, P3067
Ed.: Samdhong and Dwivedi 1987: 181-92.
Ed. & tr.: Shendge 1967: 135-49.
Notes:
(1) Samdhong and Dvivedi 1987 includes nos. 1-4 and 6-7; it lacks
no. 5, but includes the Acintyadvayakramopadesa (D2228,
P3072; cf. C6) and Advayavivarana-prajhopdyaviniscayasiddhi (no Tibetan)
(2) Chos appends the following:
1. Indrabhuti, Sahajasiddhi (Lhan cig skyes grub) D2260,
P3107

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2. LaksmI Bhattarika, Sahajasiddhipaddhati (.Lhan cig skyes

grub kyi gzhung gret) D2261, P3108
3. Keralipada, Srl-Tattvasiddhi (Dpal de kho na nyid grub
pa) D2262, P3109
C. The Sixfold Cycle of Essentials (Snyingpo skor drug) [Bu: 11516; Cho's: vol. om, dkar chag 3b-4a; Bkra: 106a (tr.: 117);
Pad: 12a]
Comment: These texts include poetic, systematic, and speculative
works related to the tantras. There is some divergence
between the lists given by Bu and Chos on the one hand and
Pad on the other. Pad implies that his enumeration reflects
that of Gtsang pa rgya ras pa, a century-and-a-half before Bu
ston, but the latter provides the earliest textual reference to
the list of which I am aware.
1. Aryad&va,Cittavaranavisodha-nama-prakarana [Cittavisuddhiprakarana] (Sems kyi sgrib pa mam par sbyong ba zhes bya ba'i
rab tu byedpa) D 1804, P2669
Ed.: Patel 1949.
Tr. [partial]: Snellgrove 1954a.
2. Saraha, Dohakosagiti (Do ha mdzod kyi glu) D2224, P3068 (cf.
Al; F4; 12)
3. Nagaijunagarbha [or Maitrlpa], Caturmudraviniscaya [AVS:
Caturmudra or Caturmudranvaya, no. 6] (Phyag rgya bzhi gtan
la dbabpa) D2225, P3069 (cf. D n3; G2)
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 32-35 (no. 6), SGSTT 1989.
Tr. [partial]: Kvaerne 1975: 117-20.
4. Devacandra, Prajhdjndnaprakasa (Shes rab ye shes gsal ba)
D2226, P3070 (cf. G3)
5. Sahajavajra, Sthitisamuccaya (Gnaspa bsduspa) D2227, P3071
(cf. G4)
6. Kuddall [or Kot ali], Acintyakramopadesa (Bsam gyis mi khyab
pa'i rim pai man ngag) D2228, P3072 (cf. B n2)
Notes:
(1) Pad omits nos. 4-5, and includes instead:

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163

4. Saraha, Svadhisthanakrama {Rang byin gyis brlab pa'i

rim pa) D2275, P3122
5. Saraha, Tattvopadesasikharadohgiti (.De kho na nyid kyi
man ngag rtse mo do ha'i glu) D2276, P3123
(2) Pad appends these related texts:
1. Saraha, Dohkosa-nma-caryglti {Do ha mdzod ces bya
ba spyodpa'i glu) D2263, P3110 (cf. A2; F5)
2. Saraha, Dohakosopadesagiti {Mi zadpa'i gter mdzod man
ngaggi glu) D2264, P3111 (cf. A3)
3. Saraha, Kakhadohd [P: Kakhasyadoha] {Ka kha 7 do ha)
D2266, P3113
4. Saraha, Kakhadohtippana [P: Kakhasyadohtippana]
{Ka kha'i do ha'i bshadpa brispa) D2267, P3114
5. Saraha, Dvdasopadesagth {Man ngag gi tshigs su
bead pa bcu gnyis pa) D2274, P3121
D. The Twentv-five Texts on Unthinking {Yid la mi byed pa nyi
shu rtsa Inga, all by Maitripa/Advayavajra/Gnyis med
Avadhtipa) [Bu: 116; Gos: ch. 11, 3b (tr.: 845); Chos: vol.
om, dkar chag 4a-4b; Bkra: 94a, 106a (tr.: 105, 117) Pad;
16a-b]
Comment: This collection contains a variety of poetic and
philosophical works attributed to Maitripa. Although the
texts are included in many Tibetan Mahmudr canon lists
and are described as being centrally concerned with
meditative unthinking (<amanasikra), they seldom mention
either mahmudr or amanasikra.,!t While this list is
unstable and rarely actually amounts to twenty-five,the texts
are found in close proximity in the Bstan gyur. More
importantly, it is the only Mahmudr corpus that is extant
,H The term mahamudra is most evideht in nos. 17, 23, and 24. The text in
which Maitripa most often mentions it, the Mahdmudrdkanakamdld (D2454,
P3282), is not found in this or any canonical list I have seen, nor is it quoted
by Tibetan writers on Mahamudra I have consulted. It not only discusses
Mahamudra but explicitly links it with unthinking. The CaturmudranLicaya
discusses Mahamudra in some detail; although it is attributed by Tibetan to
Nagarjuna, it is included in the Advayavajrasamgraha , and probably is a
work o f Maitripa; cf. below, D n3.

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in Sanskrit as a corpus, in the arrangement found in the

Advayavajrasamgraha (AVS), which probably does not pre
date the twelfth century.
1. Kudrstinirghata [AVS: Kudrstinirghatana] {Lta ba ngan pa sel
ba) D2229, P3073
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 1-12 (no. 1), SGSTT 1988.
2. Madhyamasatka (Dbu ma drug pa) D2230, P 3074,
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 57 (no. 18), SGSTT 1991.
Tr.: Brunnholzl 2007: 138-39.
3. Kudrstinirghatatika [P: Kudrstinirghatacinta] (Lta ba ngan pa sel
ba 'i bka grel; P: Lta ba ngan pa sel ba 'i draripa) D2231,
P3075 (cf. E l)
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 1-12 (no. 1), SGSTT 1988.
4. Sahajasatka (Lhan cig skyes pa drug pa) D2232, P3076
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 62-63 (unnumbered), SGSTT 1989.
Tr.: Brunnholzl 2007: 139-40.
5. Svapnanirdesa [AVS: Svapnanirukti] {Mi lam ngespar bstan pa)
D2233, P3077
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 45 (no. 10), SGSTT 1991.
6. Mayanirukti (Sgyu ma nges par bstan pa) D2234, P3078, A 10
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 44 (no. 9), SGSTT 1990.
7. Aprasahaprakasa [AVS: Apratisthanaprakdsa] (Rab tu mi gnas
pa gsal bar ston pa zhes bya ba) D2235, P3079
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 48 (no. 12), SGSTT 1991.
8. Tattvaplasaka {De kho na nyid bcu pa) D2236, P3080 (cf. 110)
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 59 (no. 20), SGSTT 1991.
Tr.: Brunnholzl 2007: 140-41.
9. Yuganaddhaprakdsa {Zung du 'jug pa rab tu gsal ba bstan pa)
D2237, P3081
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 49 (no. 13), SGSTT 1990.
10. Prinapancaka {Dga bcugs Inga pa) D 2237a [= D2246],
P3082, no AVS
11. Nirbhedapancaka [AVS: Nirvedhapancaka\ {Mi phyed pa Inga
pa) D2238, P3083

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165

Ed.: Shastri 1927: 56 (no. 17), SGSTT J991.

12. Mahasukhaprakasa (Bde ba chen po gsal ba) D2239, P3084,
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 50-51 (no. 14), SGSTT 1990.
13. Tattvaratnavali {De kho na nyid rin po che'iphreng ba) D2240,
P3085
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 14-22 (no. 3), not edited by SGSST.
14. Tattvaprakasa {De kho na nyid rab tu bstan pa) D2241, P3086
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 46-47 (no. 11), SGSTT 1991.
15. Tathagatapancamudravivarana [AVS: Pancatathagatamudravivarana] {De bzhin gshegs pa Inga'i phyag rgya mam par
bshadpa) D2242, P3087.
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 23-27 (no. 4), SGSTT 1988.
16. Sekakdyasamgraha [AVS: Sekatatparyayasamgraha] {Dbang gi
dgospa mdor bsduspa) D2243, P3088
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 36-39 (no. 7), SGSTT 1989.
17. Samksiptasekaprakriya {Dbang gi bya ba mdor bsdus pa)
D2244, P3089, no AVS
18. Pahcasvabhava [AVS: Pancdkara] {Rang bzhin Inga ma)
D2245, P3090
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 40-43 (no. 8), SGSTT 1989.
19. Prajnopayakridapanca [AVS: Premapancaka] {Thabs dang
shes rab brtse ba Inga pa) D2246, P3091
Ed.: Shastri 19^7: 44 (no. 19), SGSTT 1990:
Tr.: Brunnholzl 2007: 137-38.
20. Dohanidhinamatattvopadesa {Do ha ni dhi zhes bya ba de kho
na nyid kyi man ngag) D2247, P3092, no AVS
21. Mahayanavimsati [AVS: Mahdyanavimsika] {Theg pa chen po
nyi shu pa) D2248, P3093
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 54-55 (no. 16), SGSTT 1990.
22. Amanasikdroddesa [AVS: Amanasikdradhara\ {Yid la mi byed
pa ston pa) D2249, P3094
Ed.: Shastri 1927: 60-62 (no. 21), SGSTT 1989.
23. Tattvamahdyanavimsati [AVS: Tattvavimsika] {De kho na nyid
theg pa chen po nyi shu pa) D2250, P3095

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Ed.: Shastri 1927: 52-53 (no. 15), SGSTT 1990.

24. Sekanirdesa {Dbang nges par bstan pa) D2252, P3097 (cf.

Gnl)
Ed: Shastri 1927: 28-31 (no. 4), SGSTT 1991.
Notes:
(1) Pad adds: Abodhabodhaka {Ma rtogs pa rtogs'par byed pa)
D2297, P3145,no AVS.
(2) No Tibetan list includes Mulapatti Sthulapati, which lacks a
Tibetan translation, but is found at Shastri 1927: 13 (no. 2)
and SGSTT 1988.
(3) Caturmudraniscaya {Phyag rgya bzhi gtan la dbab pa) D2225,
P3069 (attributed by Tibetans to Nagaijunagarbha, i.e.,
Nagaijuna) is included in the Sixfold Cycle of Essentials,
but also is found in the AVS under the title Caturmudra
(Shastri 1927: 32-35, no. 6) or Caturmudranvaya (SGSTT
1989), and therefore attributed to Maitripa. (cf. C3; G2)
Inner Canon B

E. The Four Pharm a Ordinances {Bka bskul gyi chos bzhi)

[Bu: 116-17]
Comment: This tetralogy, attested by Bu, consists mainly of tantric
commentarial works composed in the eleventh century. Each
of them finds its way into other lists, as well.
1. Maitripa, Kudrstinirghatatika. [AVS: Kudrstinirghatanatippinika]
{Lta ba ngan pa sel ba i bka' grel) D2231, P3075 (cf, D3)
2. RamapiTla, ekanirdesapanjika {Dbang bskur ba nges par bstan
pa'i d k a ''grel) D2253, P3098 (cf. E5)
3. Sahajavajra, Tattvadasakatika {De kho na nyid bcupa'i rgya cher
'grelpa) D2254, P3099 (cf. G6)
Tr.: Brunnholzl 2007: 141-90.
4. Vajrapani, Vajrapada {Rdo rje'i tshig) D2255, P3100 (cf. G7)
F. The Ten Dharmas of Mahamudra {Phyag rgva chen po 7 chos
bcu) [Gos: ch. 11, 12b (tr.: 865)]

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167

Comment: This corpus, said by Gos to have been transmitted by

Vajrapani, is notable for the range of works by Saraha that it
contains (including three - nos. 6-8 - that feature Mahamudra
prominently), and for the fact that, most unusually, it
includes material from the Bka gyur: a very short sutra
(no. 1) and a brief tantra associated with Cakrasamvara (no.
2), along with a commentary on that tantra from the Bstan
gyur (no. 3).
1. Arya- Atajndna-ndma-mahayanasutra ('Phags pa da' kha ye
shes zhes bya ba thegpa chenpo'i mdo) D122, P790
2. Anavila-tantraraja {.Rgyud kyi rgyal po rnyog pa medpa) D414,
P58 (cf. II)
3. Kumaracandra, Sri-Anavila-ndma-tantrarajapanjikd (Dpal rnyog
pa med pa zhes bya ba'i rgyud kyi 'grel pa) D1204, P2334
4. Saraha, Dohakosaglti {Do ha mdzod kyi glu) D2224, P3068 (cf.
A1;C2; 12)
5. Saraha, Dohakosa-nama-caryagiti {Do ha mdzod ces bya ba
spyodpa'i glu) D2263, P3110 (cf. A2; C n2, no. 1)
6. Saraha, Kayakosdmrtavajragiti {Sku'i mdzod 'chi med rdo rjei
glu) D2269, P3115
Tr.: Braitstein 2005: 187-211.
7. Saraha, Vakkosarucirasvaravajraglti {Gsung gi mdzod 'jam
dbyangs rdo rje'i glu) D2270, P3116
Tr.: Braitstein 2005: 212-23.
8. Saraha, Cittakosajavajragiti {Thugs kyi mdzod skye med rdo rjei
glu) D2271, P3117
Tr.: Braitstein 2005: 224-29.
9. Saraha, Kayavdkcittdmanasikdra {Sku gsung thugs yid la mi byed
pa) D2272, P3118
10. Vajrapani, Bhavanakramasatka {Sgom rim drug pa) D2299,
P3148
G. The Cvcle of Lesser Texts {Phra mo skor) [Gos: ch. 11, 9a
(tr.: 857)]
Comment: Also said by Gos to have been transmitted by Vajrap
ani, this corpus is dominated by commentarial texts, many of
which are also found in other lists.

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1. Maitripa, Nairatmyaprakasa [P: Nairdtmaprakasa\(Bdag med

pa 7 rab tu gsal ba) D 1308, P2438
2. Nagarjunagarbha [or Maitripa], Caturmudraniscaya [AVS:
Caturmudranvaya] (Phyag rgya bzhi gtan la dbab pa)
D2225, P3069 (cf C3; D n3)
3. Devacandra, Prajhajhanaprakdsa (Shes rab ve shes gsal ba)
D2226, P3070 (cf. C4)
4. Sahajavajra, Sthitisamuccaya {Gnas pa bsdus pa) D2227, P3071
(cf. C5)
5. Ramapala, Sekanirdesapanjika (Dbang bskur ba nges par bstan
pa'i dka' 'grel) D2253, P3098 (cf E2)
6. Sahajavajra, Tattvadasakatika {De kho na nyid bcu pa'i rgya cher
\grel pa) D2254, P3099 (cf. E3)
7. Vajrapani, Vajrapada {Rdo rje'i tshig) D2255, P3100 (cf E4)
8. Vajrapani, Guruparamparakramopadesa (Bla ma brgyudpa'i rim
pa'i man ngag) D3716, P4539
Note:
Gos mentions Maitripas Sekanirdesa {Dbang nges par bstan pa)
[D2252, P3097] just before the list above; it is unclear
whether he meant for it to be included, (cf. D24)
H. The Eight Doha Treasuries {Do ha mdzod brgyad) [Do; Bkra:
94a (tr.: 105)]
Comment: The provenance and date of this anthology of Indian
i/oAa-treasuries are uncertain, but it has been reprinted numerous
times, and remains an important short collection of essential poetic
texts, in most of which Mahamudra is a central term. It is notable
that fully half the texts (nos. 3, 4, 7, and 8) are not found in the
Bstan gyur.
I. Saraha [P: Mahaiabara Saraha, Jam: Savari], Dohdkosa-ndmamahamudropadesa {Do ha mdzod ces bya ba phyag rgya
chenpo'i man ngag) D2273, P3119 (cf 14)
Tr.: Thaye 1990: 80-86.
2. Virupa, Dohakosa {Do ha mdzod) D2280, P3130

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169

3. Tilopa, Dohakosa {Do ha mdzod) no D or P

Tr.: Thaye 1990: 75-76.
Note: This Dohakosa is not the same as the one found in the
Bstan gyur (D2281, P3128). For an alternative Tibetan
edition and a translation of the latter, see Torricelli 1997. For
Apabhramia editions, see Bagchi 1935, Bagchi 1937: 61-71;
for the Apabhramia with translation, see Jackson 2004: 12941.
4. Krsnavajra [or Kanha], Dohakosa {Do ha mdzod) D2301, P3150
Tr.: Kapstein 2006: 57-58.
Note: As Kapstein observes (2006: 58), this Kan ha
Dohakosa bears some similarities to the version found in the
Bstan gyur (D2301, P3150), but also differs from it
significantly. For the Apabhramia version of the latter, see
Bagchi 1935, Bagchi 1937: 40-47 (ed.), Shahidullah 1928:
71-110 (ed. & tr.), Jackson 2004: 117-28 (tr.).
5. Tailopa [Tilopa], Mahdmudropadesa {Phvag rgya chert p o i man
ngag, a.k.a. Phyag che ganggama = Ganges Mahamudra)
D2303, P3132 (cf. 15)
Ed.: Tiso and Torricelli 1991.
Tr.: Chang 1963, 1986: 25-30, Trungpa 1976: 157-63,
Trungpa 1993: 266-72, Thrangu 2002: 35-41, Brunnholzl
2007: 96-101.
6. Saraha, Bhavanadrsticaryaphaladohdgititlka {Lta bsgom spyod
pa 'bras bu'i do ha'i glu) D2345, P3173
7. Naropa [or Nadapada], Adhisidhisama {Lta ba mdor bsdus pa) no
D or P
Tr.: Thrangu 1997: 11-16.
8. Maitripa [sic for Naropa], Mahdmudrasancamitha {Phyag rgya
chen po tshig bsdus pa) no D or P (cf. 18)
Tr.: Kunga and Cutillo 1978: 26-28 (1985: 26-27), Thaye
1990: 78-79, Thrangu 1997: 97-100.
I. The Common M ahamudra Cycle {Thun mong phyag chen gyi
skor) [Jam: Mar pa bka brgyud skor, Gzhung rtsa grel skor: 1-69]

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Commment: This nineteenth-century list of Indian and Tibetan

Mahamudra texts important to the Mar pa Bka brgyud is
part of Jam mgon kong spruls great anthology, the Gdams
ngag mdzod. The Indian texts in the listing all are found in
earlier corpora. The list forms roughly the first half of a
collection of root texts and commentaries related to
Mahamudra and the Six Dharmas of Naropa. The latter, of
course, often are regarded by Bka* brgyud pas as being the
central practices of tantric Mah amudr a, but I have not
listed them here.
1. Anavila-tantraraja {Rgyud kyi rgyal po rnvog pa med pa) D404,
P58 (cf. F2)
2. Saraha, Dohakosaglti {Do ha mdzod kyi glu) D2224, P3068 (cf.
Al; C2; F4)
3. [Spar bu ba BN gros seng ge, Dpal sa ra ha 7 gdams pa i bsdus
don]
4. Savari, Dohdkosa-ndma-mahamudropadesa D2273 (cf. HI)
5. Tilopa, Mahamodropadesa D2303, P3132 (cf. H5)
6. [Karma pa III Rang byung rdo rje, Phyag rgya chen po
ganggama 'i gzhung sa bead]
7. [Karma pa III Rang byung rdo rje, Phyag rgya chen po gangg a
ma i grel pa]
8. Naropa, Mahamudrasahcamitha no D, P (cf. H8)
9. [Jam dbyangs mkhan brtsei dbang po, Dpalna r o p a i rdo rjei
gsung phyag rgya chen po tshig bsdus kyi man ngag rgyud
kyi lung dang byar ba gtso bor bton pa 'i grel chung rtogs
par sla ba]
10. Maitripa, Tattvadasaka D2236, P3080, A21 (cf. D8)
11. [Mnga bdag mar pa lo tsa bas dpal sa ra ha las gsan pa i phyag
rg>a chen po yid la mi byed pa snying po don gyi gdams
ngag yi ge bzhi pa i don rdo rje 7 mgur du bzhengs pa]
12. [Rje btsun mi la 7 phvag rgya chen po ye shes gsal byed kyi rtsa
ba]
13. [Rje sgam po pa 7phyag rgya chen po lam gcig chod]

The Indian Mahdmudra Canon(s):A Preliminary Sketch

171

The Outer Canon

As suggested earlier, this is a canon in name only. With the

exceptions noted below, the listing here simply includes any text
that is (a) not listed in Inner Canons A or B and (b) cited at least
twice in Dvags po Bkra shis rnam rgyals compendious and
authoritative Phyag chen zla ba 7 od zer. Texts cited five times or
more are indicated by an asterisk after the Tibetan title. Needless to
say, there are many texts from which one could select such a canon,
and many approaches to delineating it, but frequency of mention in
Bkra does seem one reasonable criterion for selection. Because of
the tangential and somewhat arbitrary nature of the Outer Canon, I
provide less detailed references for the texts here than for those
above, omitting extant Sanskrit editions and simply noting the
existence of a partial (pTr.) or complete (Tr.) Western-language
translation following the Tibetan catalogue numbers.
Sutras
Comment: To the best of my knowledge, the term mahdmudra nevei
appears in any Buddhist sutra, and, as noted above, only one
sutra, the Atajhana, finds its way into any Bka brgyud
Mahamudra corpus. Nevertheless, because Mahamudra
came to have strong associations with Madhyamaka
philosophy in Tibet, sutras seen as foundational to that
school often were cited by Bkra shis rnam rgyal and other
Tibetan Mahamudra commentators.

Arya-Astasahasrika-prajhapdramitd ('Phags pa shes rab kyi

pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa) D12, P734 (Tr.)

Arya-Prajhaparamitb-sahcayagathbi
[Prajndparamitasamcayagatha] ( Phags pa shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa
sdud pa tshigs su bead pa)* D13, P735 (Tr.)

Bhagavati-prajhaparamita-hrdaya (Bcom Idan 'das ma shes

rab k\d pha rol tu phvin pa 7 snving po) [Heart Sutra] D21,
P160 (Tr.)
o Note: Although the Heart Sutra only is cited once by
Bkra, it is a foundational text for many Tibetan
Buddhists, and is crucial to the Mahamudra-oriented
Zhi byed tradition of Pha dam pa sangs rgyas.

The Indian International Journal o f Buddhist Studies 9, 2008

Arya-Saptasatika-ndma-prajhaparamitd-mahaydnasutra
{'Phags pa shes rab k)>i pha rol tu phyin pa bdnn brgya pa
zhes bya ba thegpa chen po'i mdo) D24, P737 (Tr.)
Ratnakutasutra (Dkon mchog brtsegs p a i mdo)* D45-93,
P760 (pTr.)
o Note: This is a collection of early Mahayana sutras,
from which Bkra generally draws without specifying
which text in the collection he is citing. He does
twice cite both the Kasyapaparivarta ( Phags pa 'od
srung gi le u zhes bya ba theg pa chen po 7 mdo;
D87, P760.43) and the Ratnacudapariprccha
( Phags pa gtsug na rin poches shus pa shes bya ba
theg pa chen p o i mdo; D91, P760.47), which form
part of the collection.
Buddha-avatamsaka-nama-mahdvaipulyasutra
[Avatamsaka) {Sangs rgyas phal po che zhes bya ba shin tu
rgyaspa chen po'i mdo) D44, P761 (Tr.)
o Note: The Dasabhumikasutra, which is part of the
Avatamsaka, is cited independently twice.
Arya-Sandhinirmocana-ndma-mahdyanasutra {'Phags pa
dgongs pa nges par 'grol pa zhes bva ba theg pa chen po'i
mdo)* D 106, P774 (Tr.)
Arya-Lahkdvatdra-mahayanasutra {'Phags pa lang kar
gshegs pa'i theg pa chen po'i mdo)* D107, P775 (Tr.)
A rya- Ghanavyuha-ndma-mahaydnasutra
[Gandavyuha)
{'Phags pa rgyan stug po bkod pa zhes bva ba theg pa cen
po'i mdo) D110, P778 (Tr.)
Arya-Sarvadharmasvabhdvasamatdvipahcitasamadhirdjanama-mahayanasutra [Samadhiraja] {'Phagspa chos thams
cad kyi rang bzhin mnyam pa nyid mam par spros pa ting
nge 'dzin gyi rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo)*
D127, P785 (pTr.)
o Note: The Samadhiraja sometimes is misquoted by
Tibetans as including a reference to mahamudrd, but
while the phrase intrinsic seal of all dharmas
{sarvadharmanam svabhavamudra) does appear in
it, mahamudrd does not.

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173

Arya-Gaganaganjapariprcchd-ndma-mahaydnasutra
( 'Phagspa nam mkha'i mdzod kvis zhuspa zhes bya ba theg
pa chen po'i mdo) D148, P815
o Note: This text is cited only once by Bkra, but it
contains important references to the seal of the
tathagata and the seal of suchness, which have
connotations that eventually were attached to mah
amudra.

Arya-Sagaramatipariprcchd-ndma-mahdyanasutra {Phags
pa bio gros rgya mtshos zhus ba zhes bya ba theg pa chen
po 'i mdo) D 152, P819

Arya-Aksayamatinirdesa-ndma-mahdyanasutra {'Phags pa
bio gros mi zad pas bstan pa zhes bva ba theg pa chen po'i
mdo) D175, P842 (Tr.)

Arya-Ratnamegha-ndma-mahdyanasutra {Phags pa dkon

mchog sprin ces bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo)* D231, P897

Arya-Dharmasahgiti-ndma-mahayanasutra {'Phags pa chos

yang dag par sdud pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo)
D238, P904

Uddnavarga {Ched du brjodpa'i tshoms) D326, P992 (Tr.)

Non-tantric sastras
Comment: As with the sutras, the texts listed here have little direct
bearing on Mahamudra in the narrow sense of the term, but
to the degree that they are important for grasping the
Mahay ana philosophical view and path procedures in which
Mahamudra practice is embedded, they are vital to Tibetan
Mahamudra commentators.

Nagarjuna [sic for Rahulabhadra], Prajnapdramitastotra

{Shes rab gvipha rol tu phin p a i bstodpa) D1127, P2018
(Tr.)

Nagarjuna, Bodhicittavivarana (Byang chub sems gyi grel

pa)* D1800, P2665 (Tr.)
o Note: This is one of the numerous hymns attributed
to Nagarjuna that celebrate the natural purity of mind

The Indian International Journal o f Buddhist Studies 9, 2008

and reality, and so were seen as expounding themes

relevant to Mahmudr.

Kampala, rya-Prajnpramitopadesa [Prajnpramitopadesa] {Phags pa shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa'i man
ngag) D2642, P3466

Ngijuna,
Prajn-nma-mlamadhyamakakrik
[.Madhyamakakrik] {Dbu ma rtsa ba'i tshig le'ur byas pa
shes rab)* D3824, P5224 (Tr.)

ryadeva, Catuhsatakasstrakrik [Catuhataka] (Bstan

bcos bzhi brgya pa zhes bya bai tshig le'ur byas pa) D3846,
P5246 (Tr.)

Atia, Madhyamakahrdayakrik [Madhyamakahrdaya]

{Dbu ma'i snying po'i tshig le'ur byas pa) D3855, P5255

Candraklrti, Madhvamakvatra {Dbu ma la 'jug pa)*

D3861, P5262 (Tr.)'

Candraklrti, Madhyamakvatrabhsya {Dbu ma la 'jugpa 'i

bshadpa) D3862, P5263

Sntideva, Bodhisattvacaryvatra [Bodhicaryvatra]

{Byang chub sems dpa'i spyodpa la 'jugpa)* D3871, P5272
(Tr.)

Atia, Satyadvayvatra {Bden pa gnis la jug pa) D3902,

P5298 (Tr.)

Kamalaiila, Bhvankrama I (Sgom pa'i rim pa)* D3915,

P5310 (Tr.)

Kamalaiila, Bhvankrama II (Sgom pa'i rim pa)* D3916,

P5311 (Tr.)

Kamalaiila, Bhvankrama III (Sgom pa'i rim pa)* D3917

P5312 (Tr.)

Atia, Madhyamakopadea {Dbu mai man ngag) D3929,

P5324 (Tr.)

Atia, Bodhipathapradipa {Bvang chub lam gyi sgron)*

D3947, P5343; or D4465, P5378 (Tr.)

Maitreya, Mahynastrlankra-nma-krik {Theg pa

chen po mdo sde'i rgyan shes bva ba i tshig le'ur bvas pa)*
D4020, P5521 (Tr.)

The Indian Mahmudra Canon(s):A Preliminary Sketch

175

Maitreya, Madhyntavibhahgakrik [Madhyantavibhaga]

{Dbus dang mtha' mam par 'byedpa 7 tshig le ur byas pa)*
D4021, P5522 (Tr.)

19

Maitreya,
Mahynottaratantrasstra
[Uttaratantra,
Ratnagotra-vibhga] (Thegpa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan
beos) D4024, P5525 (Tr.)
o Note: Though it never mentions the term, this text on
Buddha-nature is of great importance to Bka brgyud
discourse about Mahmudr. Gos maintains that it
was rediscovered by Maitripa and placed at the
center of his teaching - and to associate a text with
Maitripa is of course to associate it with
Mahmudr.19

Skyasimha, Strlankravykhy [P: Strlankrabhsya]

[.Mahynastrlankrabhsya] {Mdo sde'i rgyan gyi bshad
pa) D4026, P5527

Jnnagarbha, Arya-Sandhinirmocanastre ryamaitreyakevalaparivartabhsya [Sandhinirmocanabhsya] ('Phags

pa dgongs pa nges par 'grel pa'i mdo las 'phags pa byams
pa'i le'n nyi tshe'i bshad pa) D4033, P5535

Asanga, Yogcrabhmau srvakabhmi [rvakabhmi]

(Rnal 'byor spyod pa'i sa las nvan thos kyi sa)* D4036,
P5537 (pTr.)

Yogcrabhmau bodhisattvabhmi {Rnal 'bvor spyod pa'i

sa las byang chub sems dpa'i sa) D4037, P5538 (pTr.)

Gunaprabha, Bodhisattvabhmivrtti {Byang chub sems dpa'i

sa'i 'grelpa) D4044, P5545

Asanga, Abhidharmasamuccaya {Chos mngon pa kun las

btuspa)* D4049, P5550 (Tr.)

Vasubandhu, Abhidharmakosakrik [Abhidharmakosa]

{Chos mngon pa'i mdzod kyi tshig le'ur byas pa) D4089,
P5590 (Tr.)

Vasubandhu, Abhidharmakosabhsya {Chos mngon pa'i

mdzod kyi bshad pa) D4090, P5591 (Tr.)

See especially Mathes 2008.

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The Indian International Journal o f Buddhist Studies 9, 200H

Nagarjuna, Rdjaparikathdratnamala [P: Rajaparikatharatnavali] [Ratnavali] (Rgyalpo la gtam bya ba rin po che'i
phreng ba)* D4158, P5658 (Tr.)
Nagarjuna, Suhrllekha (Bshes pa'i spring yig)* D4496,
P5409 (Tr.)
Tantras
Comment: Although not included in standard Tibetan Mahamudra
canon lists, these texts - for the most part drawn from the socalled Mother (or YoginI) and Father subdivisions of
Highest Yoga Tantra - are among the most important Indian
sources for an understanding of the origins and development
of the concept of Mahamudra. So that these tantras may be
seen within their proper context, I have included sub
headings for the major tantric corpora of which each one is a
part.20
Highest Yoga Tantra: Neither Mother nor Father:

Mahjusrijnanasattvasya paramdrthandmasanglti [Manjusrinamasahgiti] ('Jam dpal ye shes sems dpai don dam pa'i
mtshan yang dag par brjod pa) D360, P2 (Tr.)

Highest Yoga Tantra: Mother: Kalacakra:

Paramadibuddhoddhritasrikdlacakra-ndma-tantrardja
[Kala-cakra] (Mchog gi dang po'i sangs rgyas las phyung
ba rgyud kyi rgyal po dpal dus kyi 'khor lo)* D362, P4 (pTr.)
Highest Yoga Tantra: Mother: Cakrasamvara:

Abhidhana uttaratantra [Abhidhanottara] (Mngon par brjod

pa'i rgyud bla ma) D369, PI7 (pTr.)

ri-Vajradaka-ndma-mahdtantraraja (Rgymd kyi rgyal po

chen po dpal rdo rje m kha''gro) D370 P18

Sri-Mahdsambarodaya-tantraraja [Samvarodaya\ (Dpal bde

mchog 'byung ba zhes bya ba'i rgyud k)>i rgyal po chen po)
D373, P20 (pTr.)

Caturyoginisamputatantra [Samputa] (Rnal 'byor ma bzhi'i

kha sbyor kyi rgyud) D376, P24 (pTr.)

211 For a helpful overview, see Wayman 1973: 233-39.

The Indian Mahamudr Canon(s):A Preliminary Sketch

177

Sri-Amrtaguhya-tantraraja (.Dpal gsang ba 'dud rtsii rgyud

kyi rgyal po) D 401, P46
Highest Yoga Tantra: Mother: Hevajra:
Hevajra-tantrarja {Kye'i rdo rje zhes bya ba rgyud kyi
rgyal po)* D417 P10 (Tr.)
rya-Dkinivajrapanjara-mahtantrarjakalpa
[Vajrapahjara] ('Phags pa mkha' 'gro ma rdo rje gur zhes
bya ba'i rgyud kyi rgyal po chen po'i brtag pa)* D419, PI 1
Sri-Mahmudrtilaka-nma-yogimtantrarjdhipati (Dpal
phyag rgya chen po'i thig le zhes bya ba m al 'byor ma chen
mo'i rgyud Icyi rgyal po'i mnga' bdag)* D420, P 12
Sri-Jnnagarbha-nma-yoginimahtantrarjtirja (Dpal
ye shes snyingpo zhes bya ba mal 'byor ma chen mo'i rgyud
kyi rgyal po'i rgyal po) D421, PI 3
Highest Yoga Tantra: Father: Guhyasamja:
Sarvatathgatakyavkcittarahasyo
guhyasamja-nmamahkalparja [Guhyasamja] (De bzhin gshegs pa thams
cad kyi sku gsung thugs leyi gsang chen gsang ba 'dus pa
zhes bya ba brtag pa'i rgyal po chen po)* D443, P81 (pTr.)
Sri- Vajramlbhidhnamahyogatantra-sarvatantrahrdayarahasyavibhahga [Vajraml] (Rnal 'byor chen po'i'rgyud
dpal rdo rjephreng ba mngon par brjodpa rgyud thams cad
kyi snying po gsang ba rnam par phye ba) D445, P82
ri-Vajrahrdaylahkra-tantra (Dpal rdo rje snying po
rgyan gyi rgyud) D451, P86
Yoga Tantra:
Mahvairocanbhisambodhivikurvatyadhisthnavaipulyastraindrarj-nma-dharmaparyya
[ Vairocanbhisambodhi] (Rnam par snang mdzad chen po
mngon par rdzogs par byang chub pa rnam par sprul ba
byin gyis rlob pa shin tu rgyas pa mdo sde'i dbang po rgyal
po zhes bya ba'i chos kyi rnam grangs)* D494, P I26 (Tr.)
Tantric sstras
Comment: With the exception of the hapramnasamyak, these are
mostly commentaries related to tantras mentioned in the

178

The Indian International Journal o f Buddhist Studies 9, 200H

immediately preceding list. I have indicated parenthetically

the corpus of which each is a part.

Saroruhavajra, Hevajratantrapanjikpadman [P: Hevajratantrapahjikdpadmini] [Padmint] (Khve'i rdo rje'i rgyud k\n
dka' 'grel padma can zhes bya ha) D 1181, P2311 (Hcvajra
and sometimes K lacakra)

Prajnklrti [sic. for Pundarika] Vimalaprabh-nma-mlatantrnusrindvdasashasrik-laghuklacakratantrarja tk [Vimalaprabh] (.Bsdus pa'i rgvud kyi rgyalpo dus kyi
'khor lo'i 'grel bshadrtsa bai rgyud kyi rjes su 'jugpa stong
phrag beu pa beu gnvis pa dri ma medpa'i 'od ces bva ba)
D1347, P2064 (pTr.) (Klacakra)
o Note: Although only mentioned once, this Klacakra
commentary is of great importance to all New
Translation School interpretive traditions.

Candrakrti, Pradpodyotana-nma-tk [.Pradipoddyottana]

(Sgron ma gsal bar byedpa zhes bya bai rgya cher bshad
pa) D1785, P2650 (Guhyasamja)

Ngrjuna, Pahcakrama (Rim pa Inga) D1802, P2667 (pTr.)

(Guhyasamja)

jhsamyakpramna-nma-dkinyupadesa [Ahapramnasamyak] (Bka yang dag pa 7 tshad ma shes bya ba mkha

gro ma 7 man ngag) [Bka dpe] D2331, no P
o Note: In a form that differs significantly from that
found in the Bstan gyur, this anonymous
independent treatise is included by Jam among the
Indian texts authoritative for traditions of the Six
Dharmas of Nropa; see Jam: Mar pa bka brgyud
skor, Thun min chos drug gi skor: 68-89; Kragh,
forthcoming.

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