What did Longchen Rabjam actually write and what is the chronology of his writings ? (4) - འཁྲུལ་ཞིག་བློ་གྲོས་སམ། གཡུང་དྲུང་རྒྱལ་པོ། Stéphane Arguillère

To get back to the first section of this series about Lonchen Rabjam's writings, click here.

In the table below, I have, for the sake of readability, listed the preserved works that can reasonably be attributed to Klong chen rab ’byams, until further notice. This list will be taken up again later, for an attempt at an approximate chronological classification, and only then will we give the works an inventory number, while indicating the few elements we can have on their order of composition.

(B), (C), (D)	(A) [1]	(E) [2]
I. First section: secular works, hymns, poems...
(1-2) Yi ge sdeb sbyor la 'jug pa rin chen snye ma che chung gnyis [3]	0	0
(3) Rig pa klog pa'i don bsdus	0	0
(4) sGra bzhi'i mtshams sbyor [4]	0	0
(5) Klog gi bstan bcos zla ba gsal byed	0	0
(6) sDeb sbyor la 'jug pa nyi ma'i shing rta	+	0
(7) lCi yang gi gnas pa [5]rin po che'i lde mig	+	0
(8) mNgon brjod la 'jug pa me tog gi 'khri shing	+	0
(9) sNyan ngag gi bstan bcos me tog rgyas pa'i skyed mos tshal	+	0 [6]
(10) dPer brjod kyi gnas nges pa klu-shing gi me tog	+	0
(11) sPel ma'i gnas la 'jug pa Tshangs pa'i gsungs dbyangs	+	0 [7]
(12) Mi'am ci kun tu dga' ba'i zlos gar	+	0
(13) gZhon nu zhi ba'i rtogs pa brjod pa me tog gi chun po [8]	+	0
(14) Blo gsal ri bong gi rtogs brjod [9]	+	+
(15) Legs par gdams pa lha'i rnga bo che lta bu'i gtam	0 [10]	0
(16) Po ta la kun tu dga' ba'i gtam [11]	+	+
(17) Legs par sbyar ba'i snyan ngag zla ba'i 'khri shing rab tu bzang po	+	0
(18) Me tog gi ra ba	+	0 [12]
(19) Nags kyi gtam pad ma dkar po	+	0
(20) Nags kyi gtam gangs ri'i rgyan	+	0

[1] dKar chag rin po che'i mdzod khang, attributed by tradition to the author himself.

[2] Catalog of the printing house of sDe dge (edition A 'dzom 'Brug pa, corresponding to the corpus attributed to Klong chen rab 'byams by 'Jigs med gling pa and 'Ju Mi pham).

[3] Titles specified in (A) (ed. cit., p. 3): 1. Yi ge sdeb sbyor la 'jug pa nyi ma'i shing rta; 2. lCi yang gi gnas gsal ba rin po che'i mdzod.

[4] In the list given by sMyo shul mkhan po (D), the same text is entitled sGra'i mtshams sbyor.

[5] In (D), we find lCi yang gi gnas ston pa rin po che'i lde mig.

[6] Could it be the opuscule preserved in the gSung thor bu, vol. II, pp. 609-621, entitled Tshigs su bcad pa'i bstan bcos me tog gi rgyan? Nothing is less certain.

[7] The two previous titles are indeed listed in (B), but they appear to be one. In (D), it appears that this is not a title of a work, but a heading in the classification of the author's writings.

[8] Is this the text that appears in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, p. 178-180, under the title 'Phags pa 'Jam dpal la bstod pa me tog gi chun po? This is quite uncertain. This example shows that there are texts in the gSung thor bu whose attribution to our author is not confirmed by old catalogs of his works such as (A).

[9] Text preserved in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, pp. 8-95.

[10] This title appears in (A), but it is an appendix to the title of No. 14 (14 and 15 would be one text).

[11] Text preserved in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, pp. 95-137.

[12] Variation: Me tog gi rabs.

(21) Nags kyi gtam kun tu bzang po	+	0
(22) Nags kyi gtam ku mud da'i 'khri shing	+	0
(23) Nags tshal kun tu dga' ba'i gtam [1]	+	+
(24) Chos kyi sdom bzhi dri ma med pa'i gtam [2]	+	+
(25) Chos bzhi rin po che'i phreng ba [3]	+	+
(26) Slob dpon brtags[4]pa'i [5]rab tu byed pa	+	0 [6]
(27) Rab byung brtags[7]pa'i rab tu byed pa	+	0
(28) sKye bo brtags[8]pa'i rab tu byed pa	+	0
(29) mKhas blun brtags[9]pa'i rab tu byed pa	+	0
(30) bShes gnyen brtags pa'i rab tu byed pa	+	0
(32) Shin tu bya dka' ba'i gnas kyi dper brjod yi ger bkod pa	+	0
(33) dByangs nges pa can gyi rgyan	+	0
(34) Dus la mngon par skyo ba'i rabs [10]	+	+
(35) Rang la gros su btab pa'i rabs [11]	+	+
(36) Thar ba la bskul ba'i rabs [12]	+	+
(37) bDe bar gshegs pa'i thugs rje la bskul[13]ba'i rabs	+	0
(38) Phyogs kyi sde snod 'dzin pa rnams la gtam du bya ba'i rabs	+	0
(39) Bla ma dam pa zhu ba zhu yig rin chen gser gyi mchod sdong [14]	+	+
(40) Zhu yig pad ma stong ldan	+	0

[1] Text preserved in the first volume of gSung thor bu, p. 137-149.

[2] Text preserved in the first volume of gSung thor bu, p. 149-167.

[3] Text preserved in the first volume of gSung thor bu, p. 248-264. Exists in English: The Four-Themed Precious Garland (see bibliography).

[4] Interesting variant in (A): dPon slob (masters and disciples), instead of Slob dpon, master.

[5] More correct spelling variant in (A): brtag pa'i... (for this and the following texts, n° 26 and 31).

[6] Variation, in this title and in the following ones: brtag pa instead of brtags pa.

[7] Incorrect variant in (B): Rang byung (rab byung is found in (A), (C), (D) and (E)).

[8] Incorrect var. in (B): sKye ba...

[9] Variant in (A): mKhas grub...

[10] Text preserved in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, pp. 270-296.

[11] Text preserved in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, pp. 296-312.

[12] Text preserved in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, pp. 312-331.

[13] Var. in (A): thugs rje bskul ba.

[14] Text preserved in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, p. 360-363 according to the table placed at the beginning of the volume of the edition used, but extending, in my opinion, a few pages further. Its authenticity is further corroborated by the fact that it is mentioned in (B) outside the catalog of works (p. 197). (A), p. 4, gives a slightly different title: Dam pa rnam la 'bul ba'i zhu yig rin po che gser gyi mchod sdong.

(41) Zhu yig nor bu'i dra ba	+	0 [1]
(42) Zhu yig rma bya'i nga ro	+	0
(43) Phyogs kyi slob ma la bsngags pa lha'i[2]rnga sgra	+	0
(44) sByin bdag la bsngags pa rin po che'i bang mdzod	+	0
(45) Dri ba nyi-shu pa'i lan rgya cher bshad pa	+	0
(46) Sems dang ye shes kyi dri ba'i lan [3]rgya cher bshad pa	+	0
(47) mKhas grub dam pa rnams kyi myang 'das che chung	+	0
(48) bsTan pa snyigs pa'i skyo[4]ba bsam pa	+	0
(49) rGyu la khams 'dus pa me tog phreng ldan [5]	+	+
(50) rKyen la khams 'dus pa ka kha gsum bcu [6]	+ [7]	+ [8]
(51) gNyis ka la khams 'dus pa dran pa'i me long	+	0
(52) sKye bo dga' ba skyed pa glu gar gyi rtsed mo	+ [9]	0
(53) Byis pa gzhad gad slong[10]ba spre'u'i zlos gar	+	0
(54) 'Jig rten lugs la 'jug pa mdzangs kyi 'phrul yig	+	0
(55) bDe bar gshegs pa la bstod pa rnga bo che'i dbyangs snyan [11]	+	+
(56) Yul la bstod pa yid bzhin nor bu	+	0
(57) Yon tan tshad med par bstod pa	+	0
(58) bSam gyis mi khyab par bstod pa	+	0
(59) dPe las 'das par bstod pa	+	0
(60) sPyan ras gzigs la bstod pa lha'i sil snyan	+	0

[1] Var. drwa ba instead of dra ba.

[2] Var. in (D) : sngags pa - but the form bsngags pa is certainly more correct.

[3] Var. (A) : dris lan.

[4] Var. in (A): bsTan pa rnying pas skyo bsam pa.

[5] Text preserved in the first volume of gSung thor bu, p. 264-268.

[6] Text preserved in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, pp. 268-270. The authenticity of this little work is confirmed by the biographies ((A) p. 177, (B) p. 34), which allow us to date its composition, as we have seen, to 1332.

[7] Var. (A): rKyen la ... gsum bcu'i phreng ba.

[8] Var. (E) : khams 'das pa (obviously a simple typo).

[9] Var. (A): sKye ba dga' ba skyed pa glu gar gi rtsed 'jo.

[10] Var. (D) : bzhad gad.

[11] Text preserved in the first volume of gSung thor bu, p. 170-178.

(61) rTa mgrin la bstod pa glog gi phreng ba	+	0
(62) 'Jam dpal dkar po la bstod pa mu tig phreng ba	+ [1]	0
(63) [Jam dpal] dMar po la bstod pa mi'am ci'i dbyangs snyan [2]	+	+
(64) [Jam dpal] Ser po la bstod pa dri za'i rgyud mangs	+ [3]	0
(65) [Jam dpal] sNgon po la bstod pa sprin gyi nga ro	+	0
(66) (66a) (66b) 'Phags ma dByangs can ma la bstod pa gZhon nu mchog dga'i dbyangs ku mu ta'i phreng ba pad ma'i dra ba [4]	+ [5]	+ ?
(67) 'Phags ma Nor rgyun ma la bstod pa gser gyi sprin phung	+	0
(68) Ku ru ku lle la bstod pa dbang po'i rgyud mangs [6]	+	0
(69) Dug sel ma la bstod pa klu'i gtsug rgyan [7]	+	0
(70) 'Od zer can ma la bstod pa 'jigs pa kun sel	+	0
(71) dPal mo la bstod pa dbang po'i me tog	+	0
(72) Phag mo dkar mo la bstod pa dpal gyi phreng 'dzin	+	0
(73) dMar mo la bstod pa dus [8]kyi phreng ba	+	0
(74) Nag mo la bstod pa dngos grub kun 'byung	+	0
(75) Mi g.yo dkar po la bstod pa ma lle ka'i phreng ba[9]	+	0
(76) dMar po la bstod pa dus mthsan kyi phrin [10]	+	0
(77) sNgon po la bstod pa 'byung po kun 'dul	+	0
(78) sGrol ma la bstod pa dpyid kyi nga ro	+	0
(79) Tshogs bdag la bstod pa nor bu'i bang mdzod [11]	+	+ ?
(80) dBang phyug la bstod pa lha'i me tog	+	0
(81) Khyab 'jug la bstod pa klu'i nga ro	+	0
(82) dBu ma [12]la bstod pa ku mu ta'i gnyen	+	0
(83) Tshangs pa la bstod pa rgya mtsho'i rba rlabs	+	0
(84) Dus kyi lha la bstod pa dpyid kyi thig le	+	0
(85) Ri dang rgya mtsho la bstod pa phyogs kyi nga ro	+	0
(86) mChims phu'i gnas la bstod pa dus bzhi'i me tog	+	0
(87) Yer ba'i gnas la bstod pa pad ma'i phreng ba [13]	+	+
(88) Gangs ri thod dkar la bstod[14]pa rol mo'i dbyangs brnyan [15]	+	0
(89) Lum pa'i gtsug lag khang la bstod pa rgya mtsho'i rba rlabs	+	0
(90) bSam yas kyi yul gyi bkod pa gsal bar byed pa gangs ri'i rgyan	+	0

[1] Var. (A): 'Jam dpal ...bstod pa ku mu ta'i phreng ba.

[2] Probably the text preserved in the first volume of gSung thor bu, p. 180-182.

[3] Var. (A): Ser po la bstod pa dri za'i dbyangs snyan.

[4] Probably the text preserved in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, p. 182-185.

[5] In (A), p. 5, the spelling suggests that these are three separate texts of praise for Sarasvatī, viz.

a) the gZhon nu rab dga'i dbyangs (note the variant);
b) the Ku mu ta'i phreng ba;
c) the Pad ma'i dra ba.

[6] Var. (B): Ku ru ku lli.

[7] Var. (B): Dugs sel ma.

[8] Var. (D) : bdud kyi phreng ba.

[9] Var. (A) and (D): ma lli ka'i.

[10] Var. (A): mtshams sprin; var (D): mtshams kyi sprin.

[11] Is this the text preserved in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, p. 185-189, under the title: Tshogs bdag la bstod pa sdeb sbyor rgya mtsho'i sprin?

[12] Var. certainly more correct in (A) and (D): U ma la bstod pa...

[13] Probably the text preserved in the first volume of gSung thor bu, p. 189-192.

[14] Var. (D): Gangs ri thod gkar gyi...

[15] The authenticity of this apparently lost text is proven by a reference found in the Shing rta bzang po (self-commentary of the sgyu ma Ngal gso) p. 213. This reference itself gives more weight to the dKar chag rin po che'i mdzod khang.

(91) gSang phu'i chos grwa la bsngags pa yon tan phreng tshogs	+	0
(92) Zhwa pad ma dbang chen gyi gtug lag khang la bstod pa rol mo'i sprin phung [1]	+	+
(93) dKar chag rgyas pa rtsig gi yi ge zhib mo [2]	x	x
(94) bsDus pa ngo mtshar dran byed	+	+
(95) gSol 'debs dang rgyan[3] gyi me tog	+	0
II. Treatises on the pāramitāyāna [4]
(96 -97) Byams pa'i chos lnga'i spyi'i don 'grel du sa lam gyi rnam par bzhag pa Rin chen thems skas rtsa 'grel	+	0 [5]
(98) mNgon rtogs rgyan gyi lus rnam bzhag gi gsal byed rgyan gyi snang ba	+	0
(99) 'Dul ba kā ri kā'i gsal byed 'od kyi snye ma	+	0
(100) Rang rgyud shar gsum gyi don bsdus de kho na nyid la 'jug pa [6]	+	0
(101) dBu ma thal 'gyur gyi gnas gsal ba rab tu mi gnas pa'i don bsdus	+	0
(102) bDen pa gnyis rab tu bya ba la 'jug pa [7]	+	0
(103) De'i man ngag lam rim gsal ba	+	0
(104) Sems spyod don gyi snying po	+	0
(105) Lung sbyor rin po che'i phreng ba	+	0
(106) Sems bskyed rin po che gser gyi me tog	+	0
(107) bSlab bya rGyal sras lam bzang	+	0
(108) Zab mo mdo lnga'i don bshad	+	0
(109) sMon lam rgya mtsho'i snying po	+	0
(110) sPyod yul[8]khyer	+	0
(111) Phung po gsum pa'i nyams len	+	0
(112) 'Da' dka' ye shes kyi sgom thabs	+	0
III. Treatises on the mantrayāna
(113) Yid bzhin rin po che'i mdzod rtsa ba [9]	+	+
(114) 'Grel pa Pad ma dkar po	+	+
III. a. On the literature of the Māyājāla
(115) gSang ba snying po de kho na nyid nges pa'i spyi don yid kyi mun sel [10]	+	0
(116) bsDus don ma rig mun sel	+	0
(117) Rigs[11] lnga ye shes snang ba	+	0
(118) Chos spyod thams cad kyi mngon par rtogs pa'i rgyud kyi bshad 'grel byang chub ljon shing	+	0
(119) rGyud sde bzhi'i [12]spyi don bshad pa rdo rje 'byung ba	+	0
(120) Dam tshig gsum bkod kyi rnam bshad nyi ma'i 'od zer	+	0

[1] Probably the text preserved in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, p. 192-203.

[2] This is probably the text preserved in the first volume of the gSungs thor bu, pp. 203-235, under the title: Zhwa pad ma dbang chen gyi dKar chag gtsigs kyi yi ge zhib mo.

[3] Var. (A) : gSol 'debs dad brgya'i me tog. This is obviously several texts, or a collection of short texts.

[4] In the biography (C), a remark (p. 102 of the quoted edition) suggests that by the time it was composed, most of these texts had disappeared for some time ('Grel chen skor rnams 'di nas bsubs gsungs | rnam thar dpe rnying phal cher na yod pa'i bstan bcos rtsa 'grel mang po 'di'i sngon nas bsnubs zin pas 'di rigs la ma thebs zhes bla ma dag gis gsungs |). - A text of logic (tshad ma) signed by our author was recently found in Tibet, published in a new edition of the bka' ma (tradition of the unbroken oral lineage of the rNying ma pa) as well as in a separate edition. Matthieu Ricard first put me on the track of this text, which was then generously communicated to me by Gene Smith. – Prof. L. van der Kujip refuted its authenticity in a recent article, of which he kindly sent me a reprint. [From the 2007 French book – this is not so recent anymore.]

[5] This text, apparently lost (if it was not incorporated into the self-commentary of the Yid bzhin rin po che'i mdzod as I have made the - somewhat gratuitous - assumption), nevertheless did exist: cf. Grub mtha' mdzod, p. 266: “For an elaboration on these matters, see our Staircase of Jewels ('di dag gi tshul rgyas par ni kho bos byas pa'i Rin chen them skas na gsal bas der blta'o |).”

[6] Variant (A): Rang rgyud shes gsum gyi don bsdus...; var. (C): Rang rgyud shar gsum gyi gzhung gi don bsdus de kho na nyid la 'jug pa.

[7] Variant (B), much less likely given the context: bDe ba gnyis...

[8] Variant (B) and (D), certainly incorrect given the context: gCod yul...

[9] It should be noted, with regard to this text and the following (which is the commentary):

That in (A) and (B), as well as in (D), they do not appear in a corpus of the Seven Treasures (mDzod bdun) raises the question of whether these seven treatises are actually part of a larger project or whether they are a classification invented by later editors - which is what I am led to believe, given the absence of indications to the contrary in the work of Klong chen rab ’byams;
That this text is associated with the Mantrayāna, which it deals with only very partially (it has as its subtitle theg pa chen po man ngag gi bstan bcos, i.e., Mahāyāna-upadeśa-śāstra), but not with the rDzogs chen, suggests the strangeness of the serialization of this and other treatises under the category of Theg mchog rDzogs chen bka' gter gyi bcud 'dus mdzod chen bdun. The same could be said of the Grub mtha' mdzod or, even more so, of the Man ngag mdzod.

[10] sMyo shul mkhan po ((D), vol. I, p. 317) adds before this text the gSang ba ... nges pa'i 'grel chen phyogs bcu'i mun sel, which is none other than the one we mention below in n° 308 / 157. Our dear master thus makes up for an obvious deficiency in the dKar chags rin po che'i bang mdzod, without this correction seeming to lead him to question the authenticity and general value of this catalog. – The Yid kyi mun sel appears in the rNying ma bka' ma rgyas pa edited by bDud 'joms rin po che. Its authenticity, as well as that of the following text, is formally confirmed by this – everything but authoritative – catalog, but I retain a strong doubt.

[11] Var. (A) and (D): Rim lnga...

[12] bZhi'i omitted in (A).

III.b Various ritual texts
(121) sGyu 'phrul zhi khro'i skongs bshags kyi cho ga rgyas pa	+	0
(122) De'i le'u yan lag [1]bsdus pa [2]	+	0
(123) Bla ma'i phrin sgrub rin po che'i sgron me [3]	+	0
(124) Thugs rje chen po 'khor ba dong sprugs kyi cho ga pad ma'i cod pan	+	0
(125) Kun rigs rtsa ba'i dkyil 'khor du slob ma 'jug cing dbang bskur ba'i cho ga	+	0
(126) rDo rje slob dpon gyi las rim rgyas pa	+	0
(127) Slob ma'i las rim bsdus pa	+	0
(128) Rab tu gnas pa'i cho ga kun tu bzang po	+	0
(129) Cha gsum rgyas pa 'od kyi snye ma	+	0
(130) bsDus pa rin chen snying po	+	0
(131) Sreg sbyong [4]don rab gsal ba	+	0
(132) Thig rtsa 'od kyi phreng ba	+	0
(133) sGrol ma maṇḍala bzhi pa'i cho ga bde legs kun 'byung	+	0
(134) Khri mun las thar ba'i cho ga yid bzhin nor bu	+	0
(136) 'Phags ma dug sel gyi cho ga bDud rtsi'i ljon shing	+	0
(137) 'Phags ma dbyangs can ma'i khrus kyi cho ga rin chen nor bu	+	0
(138) rNam par rgyal ba'i cho ga yid bzhin phreng ba [5]	+	0
(139) sMan bla'i cho ga yon tan phreng tshogs	0	0
(140) gNas brtan bcu drug gi cho ga gzhan phan nor bu	0	0
(141) Kha 'bar ma'i gtor chen bar chad kun sel	0	0
(142) Khro bo bcu'i srung ba bzlog gi ch o ga gnam lcags 'khor lo	+	0
(143) gTsug tor ch o ga bgegs dpung zhi byed	+	0
(144) Dregs pa spyi'i bskang gso dngos grub kun 'byung [6]	+	0
(145) sPyi gsol chen mo	+	0
(146) Phud rabs rgyas pa	+	0
(147) brNgan yig chen mo	+	0
(148) Bye brag ma mo'i bskang gso khrag mtsho khol ma	+	0
(149) gZa'i bskang gso [7]dgra las rnam rgyal	+	0
(150) gNod sbyin dmar nag gi bskang gso ri brtsegs pa [8]	+	0
(151) Dam chen gyi bskang gso las bzhi lhun grub	+	0
(152) Ma mgon spyi'i bskang gso yid bzhin lhun grub [9]	+	0

[1] Var., certainly incorrect, in (D): ... le'u lag bsdus pa

[2] Var. (A): De'i le lag ...

[3] Text preserved in the gSung thor bu, vol. I, pp. 396-472.

[4] Var. (A): bSreg sbyang...

[5] Var. (A): rnam par rgyal ba'i ch o ga bar chad kun sel.

[6] Var. (A): Dregs pa can spyi'i skong gso'i ch o ga dngos grub kun 'byung.

[7] Var. (A): gZa'i skong gso...

[8] Variant (A): gNod sbyin dmar nag gi skong gso . (A): gNod sbyin dmar nag gi skong gso ... This variant also applies to the next two titles. Perhaps the text in the gSung thor bu, vol. II, pp. 53-69, under the analogous title gNod sbyin dmar nag gi bskang gso dgra las rnam rgyal? In this case, there might have been a confusion with the title of the previous text, which might be the text in gSung thor bu, vol. II, pp. 36-52? Nothing is less certain.

[9] Var. (A): ... yid bzhin nor bu.

III. c. Ritual texts in which the “development stage[1]” predominates
(153) Bla ma'i spyi sgrub dngos grub 'byung gter	+	0
(154) Bye brag Bi ma la'i sgrub pa dngos grub char-'bebs	+	+
(155) Padma zhi bar sgrub pa rin chen khang brtsegs	+	+ [2]
(156) Padma drag por sgrub pa gnam lcags 'bar ba	+	+
(157) [(157 bis[3] )] Yi dam zhi khro spyi sgrub Yang dag don gyi snying po	+	0
(158) rTa mgrin dregs pa mthar byed	+	0
(159) Phur pa sku gsum 'dus pa	+	0
(160) bDe mchog yid bzhin 'khor lo	+	0
(161) 'Jam dpal bDud rtsi 'byung ba	+	0
(162) mKha' 'gro ma spyi'i grub thabs gSer gyi dra ba	+	0
(163) bye brag gTso bo rkyang par sgrub thabs kyi 'khor lo [4]	+	0
(164) dPa' bo rkyang par sgrub pa Shes rab 'khor lo [5]	+	0
(165) sBrag mar sgrub pa bDe chen 'khor lo [6]	+	0
(166) gSang ba snying gi sgrub pa gnad kyi phreng ba	+	0
(167) Yang gsang thod rgal du sgrub pa srog gi thig pa	+	0
(168) Phra mo'i sgrub pa la tshe sgrub bDud rtsi'i bum pa	+	0
(169) 'Chi med dbang po'i phreng ba	+	0
(170) Ngan song sbyong ba lha lnga'i sgrub thabs zla ba'i nor bu	+	0
(171) rNam snang gi sgrub thabs ngan song kun sbyong	+	0
(172) rdo rje sems dpa'i sgrub thabs sgrib pa rnam sel	+	0
(173) Mi 'khrugs pa'i sgrub thabs ngan song rnam sbyong	+	0
(174) Śā kya thub pa'i sgrub thabs 'od zer kun 'byung	+	0
(175) Byams pa'i sgrub thabs padma brtsegs pa	+	0
(176) 'Jam dpal dkar po'i sgrub thabs shes rab gsal byed	+	0
(177) sMra ba'i seng ge'i sgrub thabs blo'i mun sel	+	0
(178) A ra pa tsa na dkar po'i sgrub thabs shes rab 'khor lo	+	0
(179) Ser po'i sgrub thabs 'od kyi snang ba	+	0
(180) Mi g.yo dkar po'i sgrub thabs snying gi mun sel	+	0

[1] The following list is introduced in (A) by the formula: bskyed rim gtso bor bton pa (sic) grub thabs kyi skor la.

[2] This and the following text are probably Nyang gter bla ma drag sgrub gsal ba'i me long (gSung thor bu, vol. I, pp. 472-477) and Nyang gter bla ma zhi ba'i phrin sgrub rin po che'i sgron me (gSung thor bu, vol. I, pp. 396-472).

[3] In (A), there seem to be two distinct titles, Yi dam zhi khro spyi sgrub on the one hand and Yang dag don gyi snying po on the other. This reading is not confirmed by any of the other texts we have used.

[4] Var. (A): dPa' bo skyang par sgrub pa thabs kyi 'khor lo.

[5] Var. (A): dPa' mo rkyang par sgrub pa shes rab 'khor lo.

[6] Var. (A): sBrags mar sgrub pa bde mchog 'khor lo.

(181) Phag mo dkar mo'i sgrub thabs 'od kyi snying po	+	0
(182) Ral gcig ma dkar mo'i sgrub thabs dga' ba bskyes pa	+	0
(183) dByangs can ma dkar mo'i sgrub thabs zla ba 'dod 'jo	+	0
(184) dMar mo'i sgrub thabs nyi ma'i 'dod 'jo	+	0
(185) Ku ru ku lle'i sgrub thabs rin po che'i me tog	+	0
(186) Tshogs bdag dmar po'i sgrub thabs nor bu'i bang mdzod	+	0
(187) rNam thos kyi sgrub thabs rgyal mtshan rtse mo	+	0
(188) Dzam bha la ser po'i sgrub thabs gser gyi khang brtsegs	+	0
(189) Nag po'i sgrub thabs 'byor ba rgya mtsho	+	0
(190) Nor rgyun ma'i sgrub thabs gser [1]gyi bum pa	+	0
(191) A gu li'i sgrub thabs nyi ma'i dkyil 'khor [2]	+	0
(192) 'Od zer can gyi sgrub thabs zla ba'i 'khor lo	+	0
(193) lHa mo gzungs kyi snye ma'i sgrub thabs dkar mo'i phreng ba [3]	+	0
(194) dBang phyug gi sgrub thabs 'jig rten gsum snang	+	0
(195) Khyab 'jug gi sgrub thabs grong khyer sum brtsegs	+	0
(196) Dregs pa spyi'i sgrub thabs ri nag spungs pa	+	0
(197) Ma mgon lcam dral gyi sgrub thabs dus kyi mtshon cha	+	0
(198) 'Jigs pa ma mo'i sgrub pa [4]srog gi spu gri	+	0
(199) Drag po gza'i sgrub thabs [5]'jig rten phung byed	+	0
(200) gShan pa gnod sbyin gyi sgrub thabs [6]ro-langs skar mda' [7] +0	+	0
(201) sKyes bu dam can gyi sgrub thabs [8]ging chen'bar ba+0	+	0
(202) Cho 'phrul gnam lcags kyi sgrub pa ltas ngan'phrul gyi bang mdzod	+	0
(203) 'Gal byed khram la debs pa rgya mtsho du ru ka'i gtad khram [9]	+	0
III. d. Texts where the “completion phase” predominates [10]
(204) sGyu 'phrul rim pa	+ [11]	0
(205) Yang gsang thig le'i gnad yig bstan pa la Yang dag byang chub snying po'i rdzogs rim ye shes 'khor lo	+	0
(206) bDe mchog rim pa lnga pa'i zab don snying po'i [12]yang zhun	+	0
(207) gSang 'dus rim pa lnga pa'i zab don 'od gsal 'khor lo	+	0
(208) sByor ba yan lag drug gi bsdus don [13]de-nyid 'dus pa	+	0
(209) Lam 'bras bu dang bcas pa'i rim gnyis[14] 'khor lo	+	0
(210) Chos drug gi snying po yang zhun	+	0

[1] Var. (A) and (D): gter gyi bum pa.

[2] Var. (A): A gu le'i sgrub thabs nyi ma'i 'khor lo; var. (D): Aṅ gu la'i sgrub thabs nyi ma'i dkyil 'khor.

[3] Var. (A): skar ma'i phreng ba.

[4] Var. (A) : gsang sgrub.

[5] Var. (A) : gsang sgrub.

[6] Var. (A) : gsang sgrub.

[7] Compare with gSung thor bu, vol. II, pp. 69-88: Shan pa srog sgrub nag mo'i skong gso'i cho ga ro langs thal byed.

[8] Var. (A) : gsang sgrub.

[9] Var. (A): 'Gal byed chom la 'bebs pa rgya mtsho du ru ka'i gtad khrom sgrub pa. This is almost the title of a teaching received from master Tshong 'dus pa (a specialist in the gter chos of Guru Chos dbang). Unfortunately, the text of Klong chen pa, if it ever existed, is apparently lost, so it cannot be used to identify this teaching more precisely.

[10] This part of the list is preceded in (A) by the formula: nges don rdzogs rim mthar thug snying po'i don la...

[11] In this text and the next, it should be pointed out that in (A), the division of titles is not the same: there is, in fact, a first text entitled sGyu 'phrul rim pa lnga yang gsang thig le'i gnad yig bstan pa and a second entitled Yang dag byang chub snying po'i rdzogs rim ye shes mar me. In the sMyo shul chos 'byung (vol. I, p. 322), things are different again: the whole nges don rdzogs rim mthar thug snying po'i don la sgyu 'phrul rim pa yang gsang thig le'i gnad bstan pa appears to be a descriptor of the content of the following text. Thus, #204 and #205 in this list would be one and the same text.

[12] Var. (A) : snying po.

[13] Var. (A) : donation bsdus.

[14] Var. (A): Lam 'bras bu dang bcas pa'i zab don rim gnyis 'khor lo.

(211) bsDus pa 'od gsal rnam sbyong [1]	+	0
(212) Thabs lam zab mo'i don bsdus gsang ba'i de nyid	+	0
(213) Shes rab kyi lam rim sems khrid snying por bstan pa	+	0
(214) Phyag rgya chen po'i lam rim gyi zab don rnal 'byor bzhi'i snying po	+	0
(215) Cig car ba'i zab don thog babs+0	+	0
(216) dMar khrid gnyis ka'i cha rkyen sku gsum don khrid nam mkha' skor gsum	+ [2]	0
(217) Me long bzhi'i gnas lugs	+	0
(218) Sems kyi rdo rje'i glu	+	0
(219) sNang ba lam khyer 'khor 'das kha sbyor	+ [3]	0
(220) rKyen snang rang grol zab don 'dus pa	+ [4]	0
(221) Zhi byed don gyi snying po	+	0
(222) gCod yul gnas lugs rang babs	+	0
IV “Treatises of Suchness” (kho na nyid), i.e. presenting the Great Perfection (rDzogs chen) [5]
IV. 1 General presentation
IV.1.a. Presentation of all the Vehicles as introductions to the Great Completeness [6]
(223) [7]Man ngag rin po che'i [mdzod / ] rDzogs pa chen po sems nyid Ngal gso	+ [8]	++
(224) De'i 'grel pa Shing rta chen po	+	+
(225) bsDus don nyi ma'i snying po	+	X [9]
(226) Chos 'byung shes rab gsal byed [10]	+	0
(227) Khrid yig 'khor ba dong sprug	+	X [11]
(228) rDzogs pa chen po bsam gtan Ngal gso	+	+
(229) De'i 'grel pa Shing rta rnam dag [12]	+	+
(230) bsDus don zla ba'i snying po	+	X [13]

[1] In (A) and (D), this text is not distinct from the previous one.

[2] In (A), this title and that of the preceding text do not have the same division: on the one hand, there is a text entitled Cig car ba'i ... dmar khrid and, on the other, a text entitled gNyis ka'i cha rkyen sku gsum don khrid. The end of the title, Nam mkha' gsum don khrid, appears in (A) as that of a separate text (which would be for us n° 216 bis).

[3] In (A), these are two texts: (1) sNang ba lam khyer; (2) 'Khor 'das kha sbyor.

[4] In (A), these are two texts: (1) rKyen snang rang grol; (2) Zab don 'dus pa.

[5] De kho na nyid kyi bstan bcos rgya cher bshad pa - (B), p. 223.

[6] The texts contained in this paragraph constitute the Trilogy of Quietness (Ngal gso skor gsum).

[7] Here, the numbering of the works in (B) is defective: one goes directly from n° 222 to n° 225. I have corrected it, which explains the discrepancy, from this point on, between my numbering and that which appears in the edition followed elsewhere. Incidentally, my numbering itself is only approximately indicative, given the variations found between lists (A), (B) and (C) concerning the division of the titles. What appears as two titles in (A) is often merged into one in (B) - proof, if any were needed, that the works mentioned, if they ever existed, have long since become inaccessible, so that we can confuse their titles.

[8] In (A), before the Sems nyid Ngal gso, we find the Man ngag rin po che'i mdzod, whose title has been merged in (B), (C) and (D) with that of the Sems nyid Ngal gso. In contrast, sMyo shul mkhan po ((D), p. 324) introduces here an additional title: bsDus don padma dkar po.

[9] This abridgement of the Sems nyid Ngal gso does not appear in the catalog of sDe dge's printing house, but it is known elsewhere; however, it bears another ornamental title: Padma dkar po'i phreng ba. Here again, sMyo shul mkhan po corrects, without appearing to question the authority of his primary source. He then adds the title of gNas gsum dge ba gsum gyi don khrid byang chub lam bzang.

[10] Omitted in (D). sMyo shul mkhan po follows (A) in listing the lost texts; but he apparently felt that the oral tradition of the Ngal gso skor gsum, which he possessed perfectly, had more weight than the dKar chag rin po che'i bang mdzod. He therefore deletes here the title of an unknown writing, the existence of which within the Ngal gso skor gsum is, moreover, implausible, given the fact that Klong chen rab 'byams himself composed a detailed table of this cycle, the Padma stong ldan, the authenticity of which appears infinitely better corroborated than that of the dKar chag rin po che'i bang mdzod. The author of the History of the Great Natural Completeness proceeds in the same way for the entire inventory of the Ngal gso skor gsum - which he makes conform to the real corpus.

[11] As in the previous case, such a text exists, although it does not appear in the catalog of sDe dge, but with another ornamental title: Byang chub lam bzang.

[12] Var. (A): ...Shing rta bzang po (which is in fact the title of the commentary of the sgyu ma Ngal gso).

[13] Same case as the previous note. The ornamental title of the text that has come down to us is Puṇḍarīka'i phreng ba.

(231) Khrid yig thar gling gsal byed	+	X [1]
(232) rDzogs pa chen po sgyu ma Ngal gso	+	+
(233) De'i 'grel pa Shing rta dri med	+	+ [2]
(234) Khrid yig nges don snying po	+	X [3]
IV.ba. General presentation of the “Mind Section” [4]
(235) Byang chub kyi sems kun byed rgyal po'i sems '[5]grel nyi ma'i 'od zer	+	0
(235 bis) Kun byed rgyal po'i rgyud kyi bsdus don nyi zla'i dra ba [6]	+	0
(236) Khrid yig nam mkha' klong gsal	+	+ [7]
IV.bb. Explanation of the precepts of the “Mind Section”: the Trilogy of Self-Liberation [8]
(237) rDzogs pa chen po sems nyid rang grol	+	+
(238) 'Grel pa chen po 'od kyi 'khor lo [9]	+	0
(239) Khrid yig chos sku rang shar	+	+ [10]
(240) rDzogs pa chen po chos nyid rang grol	+	+
(241) 'Grel pa 'od kyi snye ma	+	0
(242) Khrid yig chos sku rang babs	+	+ [11]
(243) rDzogs pa chen po mnyam nyid rang grol	+	+
(244) 'Grel pa 'od kyi dra ba	+	0
(245) Khrid yig chos sku lhun grub	+	+ [12]
IV.c. The “Section of the Sphere” [13]
(246) Klong gsum spyi'i don bshad chings	+	0
(247) Nam mkha' rab 'byams 'grel ba [14]yangs dog med pa'i rgya grol	+	0
(248) Man ngag gi don 'grel chos dbyings rin po che'i mdzod [15]	+	?
(249) 'Grel ba chos dbyings gsol ba [16]	+	+
(250) Khrid yig khyab brdal klongs yangs [17]	+	0

[1] As before, the text exists (although it is not mentioned in the sDe dge catalog), but with another ornamental title: sNying po bcud bsdus.

[2] The self-commentary of the sgyu ma Ngal gso does exist, but under the title of Shing rta bzang po.

[3] Same case as in the previous notes. The real title is: Yid bzhin nor bu.

[4] Sems sde spyi'i don bshad pa - (A), p. 223.

[5] Var. (A) : don 'grel rather than sems 'grel.

[6] This text appears only in (D). Perhaps it is a preserved text (though rare: I have never seen it) for sMyo shul mkhan po to find it appropriate to complete its main source in this way?

[7] There is indeed an instruction manual for practice centered on the Tantra of the King Creator of all things, preserved in the gSung thor bu, vol. II, pp. 318-352 (of which there is a rather unreliable American translation under the title You are the Eyes of the World - see table of works and bibliography); but its title is: Byang chub sems kun byed rgyal po'i don khrid Rin chen gru bo. Here again, the author of (D) corrects (A), not by replacing this title with that of the text we know, but, curiously, by leaving the possibly fictitious title, while completing the list by mentioning Rin chen gru bo.

[8] Man ngag gi don 'grel rang grol skor gsum - (A) p. 224 - The Trilogy on Self-Liberation has been translated into French by Ph. Cornu (see bibliography), following several partial English translations.

[9] Var. (A): ... 'od kyi drwa ba. But this is hardly plausible, given the fact that this text and the commentary on the mNyam nyid ran grol would then bear the same title. It is doubtful that an author like Klong chen rab 'byams could have been so unimaginative as to give the same title to two works belonging to the same cycle... Moreover, one must be cautious about the existence of these supposed commentaries on the Rang grol skor gsum: on the one hand, it is true that these writings of great density would benefit from being accompanied by a self-commentary, such as those that illuminate, for example, the Chos dbyings rin po che'i mdzod and the gNas lugs rin po che'i mdzod (texts comparable in style to those of the Rang grol skor gsum); On the other hand, sMyo shul mkhan po himself told me one day that he had never seen these texts, neither in the monasteries of Khams, nor later in Bhutan or elsewhere. If my hunch that this trilogy is one of Klong chen pa's last writings is correct, one can assume that the author was surprised by death before he could bring it to the same degree of completion as the Trilogy on Quietude.

[10] A text of practice instructions on Sems nyid rang grol is known, preserved in the gSung thor bu (vol. II, pp. 210-232), but it does not bear this title; it is actually entitled rDzogs pa chen po sems nyid rang grol gyi lam rim snying po'i don khrid.

[11] There is such a text of instructions on Chos nyid rang grol, preserved in the gSung thor bu (vol. II, pp. 255-275), but it does not bear the ornamental title of 'Od kyi snye ma.

[12] Again, a practice manual on mNyam nyid rang grol is found in the gSung thor bu (vol. II, pp. 302-318), but its ornamental title is Rin chen snying po.

[13] Klong sde spyi'i don bshad pa - (B) p. 224.

[14] Var. (A): De'i 'grel pa yangs dog... (this text is thus given as a commentary on the previous one, and not as a gloss on the tantra Nam mkha' rab 'byams). In (D), we read the following, which overlaps exactly with (A): Klong gsum spyi'i don bshad pa'i chings nam mkha' rab 'byams | de'i 'grel pa yangs dog med pa'i rgya grol. The loss of all these texts devoted by our author to Klong sde, if they ever existed (which I doubt very deeply), is a real disaster, given the paucity of explanatory literature on this rubric of the rDzogs chen, on the one hand, and the impossibility of establishing on the other hand, as we have seen, either on the basis of the preserved works or on the basis of biography, that Klong chen rab 'byams had the slightest in-depth interest in the Rubric of the Sphere.

[15] This should not be the text of this name included in the Seven Treasures, some chapters of which are given below in translation: it is in fact about Khregs chod, a practice associated with the rubric of precepts (Man ngag sde). As it is practically impossible to doubt the authenticity of this text, this does not compromise the authority of the catalogs (A), (B) and (C), in which several other important works of our author are also absent, and even of (D), which merely compensates for their defects.

[16] Var. (A) and (D): gsal ba. This title confirms that no. 247 cannot be the Chos dbyings rin po che'i mdzod as we know it, since its self-commentary is titled Lung gi gter mdzod - or rather, it corroborates my conclusions about the utter aberration of these traditional catalogs of Klong chen rab 'byams works.

[17] sMyo shul mkhan po ((D) p. 325) is the only one to insert between (250) and (251) the gNas lugs rin po che'i mdzod and its commentary, the sDe gsum snying po'i don 'grel. On the one hand this completes the list, where this essential work of certain authenticity was missing; on the other hand, it is more than paradoxical to classify it under the heading of the sphere (Klong sde). He also adds the Man ngag rin po che'i mdzod to the top of the list of texts related to the sphere heading.

IV.d. The “Section of the Instructions”
(251) sKu dang ye shes rgyas pa lhun grub snying po	+	0
(252) 'Grel pa mi nub rgyal mtshan	+	0
(253) mTshan bde [1]sku gsum lam [2]khrid	+	0
(254) Mang ngag gi don 'grel kun 'dus rig pa'i gal mdo	+	0
(255) Kun gsal snying gi don 'grel	+	0
(256) Bar do 'od kyi snye ma [3]	+	0
V. The “great unsurpassable secret”
V.a. General explanations
(257) Grub mtha' rin po che'i mdzod	+	+
(258) rGyud bcu bdun man ngag brgya dang bcu-dgu'i don 'grel Theg mchog rin po che'i mdzod [4]	+	+
(259) Lam khyer gnad kyi don 'grel tshig don rin po che'i mdzod	+	+
(260) Chings nges pa man ngag rin po che gser gyi sgron me [5]	+	+
V.b. Specific explanations
(261) Khrid yig sems sbyong bdun pa	+	0 [6]
(262) Sangs rgyas mnyam sbyor	+	0 [7]
(263) Khyung chen gshog rdzogs [8]	+	0
(264) Bla ma yang tig yid bzhin nor bu chos sde lnga bcu rtsa bzhi pa [9]	+	+
(265) Zab mo yang tig chos tshan sum cu rtsa lnga pa [10]	+	+
(266) mKha' 'gro snying thig [11]	+	+
(267) mKha' 'gro yang tig [12]	+	+
(268) Chos spyod las rim gsol 'debs drug pa	+	+[13]?
(269) sNying po don gyi mgur bcu	+	+ [14]
(270) rdo rje'i glu sum cu [rtsa gsum[15] ]	+	+ [16]

[1] Var. (A) and (D): mTshan dpe...

[2] Var. (D) : Lag khrid.

[3] Since this name does not have a number in (B), one might doubt that it is a text title. However, this seems certain in view of (A) and (C).

[4] The authenticity of this text, which has never been questioned, is further corroborated by the fact that it is mentioned in (B), outside the catalog of works (p. 186).

[5] Var. (A) and (D): sgrom bu. There is in the mKha' 'gro yang tig an approximate title text: Man ngag rin po che gser gyi sgrom bu (no. 184; Rin chen shog 'dra'i skor, pp. 568-588). What is aberrant is that it is mentioned here separately from this cyle, of which it is a part. The "0" in the last column just means the non-existence of this writing as a separate, autonomous text in the catalog of sDe dge.

[6] It is certainly the sNgon 'gro sems sbyong bdun gyi don khrid of the Bla ma yang tig yid bzhin nor bu (no. 55). Same remark as in the previous note: in this part of the list, the same texts are often quoted twice, once collectively, as a collection, and once individually. This is obviously not logical: since these large corpora all contain a table (dKar chag) apparently composed by Klong chen rab 'byams himself, their composition could hardly have floated after his death.

[7] Khrid yig sangs rgyas mnyam sbyor du Zab mo yang tig. Same difficulty as for the previous one.

[8] This text exists because it is cited by the author as one of his works in the Grub mtha' mdzod (p. 405), as a text on sNying thig. However, No. 18 of the Zab mo yang tig is the Khregs chod don gyi mdo chings khyung chen gshog rdzogs (pp. 321-332). It is probably to this text that the Grub mtha' mdzod refers.

[9] Bearing in (B), p. 226, and (D), p. 326, the epithet: man ngag gi lung rDzogs by ston pa. sMyo shul mkhan po corrects: chos sde lnga bcu rtsa gcig pa, "in fifty-one sections".

[10] The current edition (cf. e.g. the sDe dge catalog p. 24-28) does not have 35 sections, but about 50, which is more in line with what is mentioned for the Bla ma yang tig; sMyo shul mkhan po ((D), p. 326) speaks of 48 sections.

[11] Cf. sDe dge catalog, pp. 28-34. 80 subdivisions mentioned. It is curious that this gter ma text, whose principal discovery is attributed to Padma las 'brel rtsal, is counted among the works of Klong chen rab 'byams. But, as we have seen, he seems to have entirely "re-revealed" this cycle in the form of a "Mind-treasure" (dgongs gter). This attribution can be accepted, in a broad sense. But it remains strange to consider the mKha' 'gro snying thig as a writing of Klong chen pa, when it was also revealed, in addition (in whole or in part), by at least two other masters (Padma las 'brel rtsal and Rin chen gling pa). Moreover, if one counts the gter ma as works of the author, this table should then mention the Kun bzang dgongs pa kun 'dus, revealed by Klong chen rab 'byams, according to the biographies, but which we know only in its version "re-revealed" by Padma gling pa much later.

[12] Cf. sDe dge catalog, pp. 28-34. 72 subdivisions mentioned.

[13] Could it be the chos spyod preserved in the gSung thor bu, vol. II, pp. 463-571? It does not have the same title: gSang ba bla na med pa'i chos spyod lam khyer gyi rim pa. In (A), two texts are distinguished here: (1) Chos spyod lam rim; (2) gSol 'debs drug pa. The first could be the text mentioned of gSung thor bu.

[14] Text preserved in the gSung thor bu, vol. II, p. 364-407.

[15] Variant found in (A). In (D), this title and the previous one are merged into one, which in any case refers to a collection of dohā and not to a treatise on continuous composition: sNying po don gyi mgur rdo rje'i glu sum bcu dang bcas pa.

[16] Text preserved in the gSung thor bu, vol. II, pp. 407-456.

Texts of uncorroborated authenticity by the dKar chag rin po che'i mdzod khang, attributed to Klong chen rab 'byams by the editions of sDe dge and by the rNying ma tradition in general (in alphabetical order)

rGyal brngan lag len gnad kyi lde'u mig [1]

rGyal brngan lo rgyus dang bcas pa [2]

rGyal ba zhi khro'i sgrub dkyil rin po che'i gter mdzod [3]

rGyal ba Rang byung rdo rje la phul ba'i dri yig [4]

Ngang pa'i dris lan sprin gyi snying po [5]

Ngal gso skor gsum gyi spyi don legs bshad rgya mtsho [6]

sNga 'gyur rnying ma la rgol ngan log rtog bzlog pa'i bstan bcos [7]

sNgags kyi spyi don Tshangs dbyangs 'brug sgra [8]

sNying gtam sum cu pa [9]

Dam can sde bdun gyi dbang chog lag len dang bcas pa [10]

Drag sgrub gsal ba'i me long [11]

Drang srong gZa'i bcos thabs kyi gdams pa rin chen phreng ba [12]

Dris lan don gyi rab 'byed [13]

sDe gsum snying po'i don 'grel (self-commentary of gNas lugs mdzod)[14].

gNas lugs rin po che'i mdzod

gNas gsum dge ba gsum gyi don khrid byang chub lam bzang [15]

gNod sbyin dmar nag gi bskang gso dgra las rnam rgyal [16]

Padma dkar po'i phreng ba (Shing rta chen po'i bsdus don -) [17]

dPal sngags kyi srung ma'i rjes snang dngos grub rgya mtsho'i rang bzhin [18]

dPal tshogs kyi bdag po'i sgrub thabs rin spungs pa'i rgyal [19]

sPros med dbang gi bum thig dang dag pa sbyar ba [20]

Phrin sgrub kyi bu yig thugs rje lcags kyu [21]

'Phags pa 'Jam dpal gyi sgrub thabs yid bzhin nor bu [22]

'Phags pa dByang can ma'i sgrub thabs 'od kyi dra ba [23]

Bum thang lha'i sbas yul gyi bkod pa la bsngags pa me tog skyed tshal

Man ngag rin po che'i mdzod [24]

Tshad ma'i de kho na nyid bsdus pa [25]

Tshigs su bcad pa'i bstan bcos me tog gi rgyan [26]

rDzogs chen gsol 'debs rtsa gsum gsol ba / bar do'i gdams pa bsngo ba bcas [27]

Zhwa padma dbang chen mi 'gyur lhun gyis grub pa'i phud rabs 'phags pa Kun tu bzang po'i mchod pa'i dga' ston [28]

[1] Text in gSung thor bu, vol. II, pp. 90-93.

[2] Text in gSung thor bu, vol. II, pp. 93-108.

[3] Text in gSung thor bu, vol. I, pp. 516-549.

[4] Text translated above.

[5] This text, which is found neither in (A) nor in (B) which proceeds from it, appears in the first volume of the gSung thor bu, pp. 331-354. Compare with no. 45 in the previous list.

[6] Text mentioned in the catalog of sDe dge's printing house and appearing in the rDo grub chen edition of the Ngal gso skor gsum, which certainly proceeds from that of sDe dge.

[7] A rather rare text, whose authenticity is corroborated by the authority of 'Jigs med gling pa, republished in 1977 by ’Khor gdong gter sprul 'Chi med rig 'dzin (C.R. Lama) in Leh (Ladakh). If this text were authentic (which, in my opinion, is unlikely without being absolutely impossible), it would be of great importance as regards the restitution of our author's relationship to many other earlier or almost contemporary Tibetan authors. The author of this writing, in fact, far from being the haughty genius of a parallel tradition and the exclusive exegete of an almost clandestine literature, is familiar with the writings of Dol po pa Shes rab rgyal mtshan and the works of Bu ston Rin chen sgrub, which are contemporary with Klong chen rab 'byams.

[8] Text mentioned in (D) (sMyo shul chos 'byung), in the initial notice of the gSung thor bu (p. 2; this notice (pp. 1-6), which is by 'Jam dbyangs mKhyen brtse dbang po, mentions an edition of works by Klong chen rab 'byams that included:

the Seven Treasures ;
the Ngal gso skor gsum ;
this text;
the Phyogs bcu'i mun salt and
the gSung thor bu,

and in the catalog of sDe dge (p. 22, table of vol. nga of this edition of the author's works), where it is described as having 23 f°. There is a more recent edition (1967) by Tarthang Tülku, which has become rare, in a small edition, for the use of students at C.I.H.T.S. in Sarnath (see our analysis of this text in the appendix). This text should be republished, especially since the Sarnath edition is burdened with innumerable typos, besides the fact that it is almost impossible to find. [2021 : The text is actually in the 2009 Western edition of the complete works, which did not exist at the time I completed this work: vol. 25, p. 1-51. It is remarkable, by the way, that the text is placed in this edition just before the Yid kyi mun sel, whose authenticity I doubt, and that this edition does not present a "trilogy dispelling darkness" around the gSang ba snying po at all: a clue, perhaps, that I am not the only one who doubts the authenticity of the Yid kyi mun sel]

[9] Appears in vol. I of gSung thor bu, pp. 354-360.

[10] Text in gSung thor bu, vol. II, p. 2-10.

[11] Text in gSung thor bu, vol. I, pp. 472-477.

[12] Text in gSung thor bu, vol. II, p. 36-52.

[13] Mentioned in the biography of Chos grags bzang po, (A), p. 198.

[14] Appears in (D) along with the following text, but omitted elsewhere in (A), (B), and (C).

[15] Text of Ngal gso skor gsum, mentioned in (D) but omitted elsewhere.

[16] Text appearing in the gSung thor bu, vol. II, p. 53-69 - could be the above text n° 150, whose title is close ?

[17] Abridged self-commentary of rDzogs pa chen po sems nyid Ngal gso. Text preserved in the Ngal gso skor gsum, mentioned by the author of (D), but absent from other catalogs.

[18] Text in gSung thor bu, vol. II, p. 10-14.

[19] Text in gSung thor bu, vol. I, pp. 588-613.

[20] Figure in the Bi ma snying thig.

[21] Text in gSung thor bu, vol. I, pp. 477-514. This text and the previous one both relate to no. 123 of this list, which appears in lists (A) and (B); all three are apparently related to the gter ma of Nyang ral Nyi ma'i 'od zer.

[22] Text in the gSung thor bu (vol. I, pp. 549-576).

[23] Text in the gSung thor bu (vol. I, pp. 576-588).

[24] Mentioned in (D), but omitted in (A), (B) and (C).

[25] A recently published text of which L. W.J. Van Der Kujip has given a very precise study (2003), concluding that it is inauthentic.

[26] Text appearing in the gSung thor bu (vol. II, pp. 609-621) with this notice : " Poetical work (kāvya) illustrating the principles of Tibetan poetics ". We have suggested a possible identity with text no. 9 in the list, which has a similar title. Nothing is less certain.

[27] Text in gSung thor bu (vol. II, pp. 573-607) with this brief note: "devotional pieces and liturgical texts outlining higher esoteric practices".

[28] Text in gSung thor bu (vol. II, pp. 108-176).

31. Yid bzhin rin po che'i mdzod kyi don khrid zab don rdo rje'i snying po [1]

32. Rā hu la'i skong gso khrag mtsho 'khyil pa [2]

33. Rig 'dzin chen po Ku ma rā dza'i rnam thar lo rgyus dang bcas pa [3]

34. Lung gi gter mdzod (self-commentary of Chos dbyings mdzod)

35. Shan pa srog sgrub nag mo'i skong gso'i cho ga ro langs thal byed [4]

36. Sems dang ye shes kyi dri lan [5]

37. gSang snying gi lam rim Ye shes sgron ma 'bar ba [6]

38. gSang snying 'grel pa phyogs bcu'i mun sel [7]

39. bSam gtan mig gi sgron ma [8]

It should be added that it is customary to publish the Bi ma snying thig and the mKha' 'gro snying thig with the works of Klong chen rab 'byams, although they are not attributed to him, except for a few texts.[9] In fact, they are only illuminated by the theoretical and practical commentaries that our author has added to them. I am not talking about the works that still lie dormant in the Potala collections[10], because I know nothing about them. [11]

The next part of this series on Longchen Rabjam's writings is here.

[1] Mentioned in the catalog of the printing house of sDe dge, p. 20, as a short text of 11 leaves.

[2] Text in gSung thor bu (vol. II, pp. 14-36).

[3] Text in the Bi ma snying thig.

[4] Text in gSung thor bu (vol. II, pp. 69-88).

[5] This text, which is found neither in (A) nor in (B) which proceeds from it, appears in the first volume of the gSung thor bu (pp. 377-393). Its absence in (A) makes the authenticity of this text somewhat uncertain, insofar as its title is followed, in the table of contents of Thor bu, by the mention: "instructions written at the behest of Slob dpon Chos grags bzang po", who is precisely the author of (A).

[6] The existence of this apparently lost text is known to us from the colophon of Ma rig pa'i mun sel, p. 208 of the edition cited.

[7] This title is curiously absent from the lists (A)-(C); (B) includes only, in parentheses (whose value is not clear), the note: gSang 'grel phyogs bcu mun sel yin nam, associated with text no. 115, as if these two texts could be one. As we have seen, the author of the sMyo shul chos 'byung (D) makes up for these inconsistencies.

[8] Ku ma rā dza instructions, written by Klong chen rab 'byams, found in Bi ma snying thig, no. 94.

[9] 2021: In reality, the matter is more complex, since Klong chen pa seems to have been the "discoverer" or "re-discoverer" of certain parts of the mKha' 'gro snying thig - this is even the only way to make sense of certain colophons, which attribute the discovery to Padma las 'brel rtsal, but with indications of dates which cannot correspond to anything in the life of the "first" Padma las 'brel rtsal. ]

[10] There is a catalog of these Potala collections, but I have not been able to consult it to date. 2021: after the 2009 edition, it can be assumed that there is not much missing from the preserved works that can be attributed with some probability to Klong chen pa. ]

[11] 2121: I also overlooked the volume of texts on gCod (vol. 26 of the 2009 edition), which were inaccessible at the time. A slight skimming once led me to conclude inauthenticity, but the matter should be taken up carefully. ]