Six greatnesses of the Early Translations

The six greatnesses of the Early Translations (Tib. སྔ་འགྱུར་ཆེ་བ་དྲུག, Wyl. ngagyur chewa druk) — Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo explains that the Early Translations (Tib. Nyingma) are superior to the New Translations (Tib. Sarma) in six ways:

1. The greatness of the benefactors who brought the teachings
2. The greatness of the location where the teachings were translated
3. The greatness of the lotsawas who translated the teachings
4. The greatness of the panditas who clarified the teachings for the translators
5. The greatness of the offerings
6. The greatness of the teachings translated

Alternative Translations

• Six superiorities of the Ancient Translations (Dorje & Kapstein)
• Six sublime features of Secret Mantra's Earlier Translation School

Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha

• Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 1-7 August 2010, Vol. I, Section One, 'Prologue and Teachings on the Title, The Sign Script, and The Homage' (Chapters 1-3)

Further Reading

• Almogi. 2016. “Translation as Proofs and Polemics of Authentication: rNying ma versus gSar ma Translation Practices.” In Cross-Cultural Transmission of Buddhist Text: Theories and Practices of Translation. Dorji Wangchuk, ed. Hamburg: Department of Indiana and Tibetan Studies, Universität Hamburg, pp. 1-22.