Eighteen tantras of Mahayoga
The eighteen tantras of Mahayoga (Wyl. ma ha yo ga'i rgyud sde bco brgyad) were divided by the great Indian master Kukkuraja. They are also known as the eighteen great tantrapitaka (Wyl. tantra chen po sde brgyad).[1]
Khenpo Namdrol says:
- The eighteen tantras of Mahayoga can be correlated to the five-fold set of the enlightened body, speech, mind, noble qualities and activity of the Buddha. Each category is sub-divided into three, and correlated to the enlightened body, speech and mind, so that for the enlightened body, for example, there is a triad of the enlightened body of the enlightened body, the enlightened body of the enlightened speech, and the enlightened body of the enlightened mind. This same pattern is reproduced in the other four categories: speech, mind, noble qualities and activity. The resulting fifteen categories correspond to the first fifteen tantras, while the remaining three tantras are termed ‘general tantras’, which are also divided up to correspond with the triad of the enlightened body, speech and mind.[2]
List
Root tantra:
- (1) Guhyagarbha Tantra (Skt.; Wyl. rdo rje sems dpa' sgyu 'phrul drwa ba rtsa ba'i rgyud gsang ba'i snying po)
Five major tantras:
- (2) Enlightened body: Union with Buddha (Skt. buddhasamāyoga; Wyl. sangs rgyas mnyam sbyor)
- (3) Enlightened speech: Secret Vital Essence of the Moon (Skt. śrīcandraguyatilakanāmamahātantrarāja; Wyl. zla gsang thig le)
- (4) Enlightened mind: gsang ba 'dud pa
- (5) Enlightened qualities: dpal mchog dang po
- (6) Enlightened activity: kar ma ma le
Five tantras of sadhana:
- (7) Yamantaka (Tib. Shinjé), enlightened body, in his black and red forms: snying rje rol ba
- (8) Hayagriva (Tib. Tamdrin), enlightened speech: rta mchog rol ba
- (9) Vishuddhaheruka (Tib. Yangdak Heruka), enlightened mind: heruka rol ba
- (10) Amritakundali (Tib. Düdtsi Yönten), enlightened qualities: bdud rtsi rol ba
- (11) Vajrakila, enlightened activity: phur ba bcu gnyis pa 'byung ba
Five tantras of activity or conduct:
- (12) ri bo brtegs pa
- (13) ye shes rngam glog
- (14) dam tshig bkhod pa
- (15) ting 'dzin rtse gcig
- (16) glang chen rab 'bog
Two tantras of accomplishment:
- (17) rnam snang sgyu 'phrul drwa ba
- (18) 'phags pa thabs kyi zhags pa
Notes
- ↑ Source: Dudjom Rinpoche's History of the Nyingma School.
- ↑ Khenpo Namdrol, Vajrakilaya (Dharmakosha, 1997 or Snow Lion: 1999), pages 8-9.