Other skillful means tantras (Tengyur Section)

Tib.: thabs rgyud skor sna tshogs/

First published 2010. Last updated 3rd Aug 2023.

Commentaries and liturgical works related to father tantras centered on Yamāri, Vajrabhairava, Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti, Ekajaṭa, and Vajrapāṇi (Toh 1918-2216)

1.1

The 301 works in this subsection, taking up some five volumes of the Degé Tengyur, are related to seven further cycles of skillful means (or father) tantras other than the Guhysamāja works, which were grouped in the preceding subsection.

1.2

I. The 172 works related to Yamāri (or Yamantaka) and Vajrabhairava (the dkar chag counts 180, probably by counting separately some multi-part liturgical works that the Tōhoku catalogue treats as a single text), in six subgroups:

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a) the 52 works related to Black Yamāri (gshin rje gshed nag po, Toh 1918-1969); the dkar chag counts 54. The first 5 works (Toh 1918-1922) are commentaries, and the remaining 47 (Toh 1923-1969) are liturgical works and other instructions;

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b) the 44 works related to Vajrabhairava (rdo rje ’jigs byed, Toh 1970-2013); the dkar chag counts 47. The first 5 works are commentaries, and the remaining 39 are liturgical works and other instructions;

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c) the 3 works related to Six-Faced Yamāri (gshin rje gshed gdong drug pa, Toh 2014-2016); the dkar chag counts 4;

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d) the 70 works related to Red Yamāri (gshin rje gshed dmar po, Toh 2017-2086); the dkar chag counts 72. Included here is a set of 36 sādhanas (Toh 2047-2083) by Prajñārakṣita (shes rab skyong);

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e) the 3 works related to Yamakālāyuṣpāti (gshin rje gshed tshe bdag nag po, Toh 2087-2089).

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II. The 32 works related to the Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti (’jam dpal mtshan yang dag par brjod pa, Toh 2090-2121) elucidated according to Unexcelled Yoga tantra; the dkar chag counts 33. The first 5 works are commentaries, and the remaining 27 (or 28) are liturgical works and other instructions. Note that other works on this tantra are found in the Non-dual tantra subdivision of this Unexcelled Yoga group, in the Yoga tantra section, and in the “Other works on tantra” collections.

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III. The 25 works related to Ekajaṭā (bde chen ral gcig, Toh 2122-2146). The dkar chag (which counts 26 works here) mentions that some of these tantras might seem to be better classified as mother tantras, but have been traditionally placed here. It also appears to describe Ekajaṭā as an Unexcelled Yoga form of Avalokiteśvara, and this group of works includes several sādhanas of the various forms of Avalokiteśvara and Hayagrīva as well as works related to Amitāyus.

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IV. The 70 works related to Vajrapāṇi (phyag na rdo rje, Toh 2147-2216) elucidated according to Unexcelled Yoga tantra.