Guhyagarbha Tantra

Peaceful Deities from the mandala of Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities

Guhyagarbha Tantra (Skt.; Tib. Gyü Sangwé Nyingpo; Wyl. rgyud gsang ba'i snying po) The Essence of Secrets Tantra — the main tantra of the Mahayoga. For centuries, detailed study of its root verses and many celebrated commentaries, including Longchenpa's Trilogy of Dispelling Darkness, Dodrupchen Jikmé Tenpé Nyima's Key to the Precious Treasury and Mipham Rinpoche's Essence of Clear Light, has been the key to understanding the Vajrayana’s most prominent themes and practices, such as empowerment, samaya, mantra recitation and the use of mandalas.

Commentaries

Indian

• Vilasavajra, Guhyagarbhamahātantrarājatīkā (dpal gsang ba snying po'i 'grel pa rin po che'i spar khab)

Tibetan

• Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo, The Jewel Commentary
• Longchen Rabjam, Trilogy of Dispelling Darkness
• Lochen Dharmashri, Oral Instructions of the Lord of Secrets

• Ornament of the Wisdom Mind of the Lord of Secrets

• Mipham Rinpoche, Essence of Clear Light
• Dodrupchen Jikmé Tenpé Nyima, Key to the Precious Treasury

Teachings on the Guhyagarbha Tantra

These teachings have been given several times to the Rigpa Sangha, including:

• Khenpo Petse Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 1997, using Mipham Rinpoche's Essence of Clear Light commentary.
• Khenpo Namdrol, Lerab Ling, 2003-2006, using Dodrupchen Jikmé Tenpé Nyima's Key to the Precious Treasury commentary.

Further Reading

• Nathaniel DeWitt Garson, Penetrating the Secret Essence Tantra: Context and Philosophy in the Mahāyoga System of rNying-ma Tantra, unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Virginia, 2004
• Ringu Tulku, The Ri-me Philosophy of Jamgön Kongtrul the Great, Shambhala Publications, 2006, pp. 75-79