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Classical texts of Mahayana

NamelessRiverNamelessRiver Veteran
edited February 2010 in Buddhism Basics
What would be some of the most important authors\books in tibetan Buddhism?

I mean the ones you would like to take along if you had to pick just a few to save from a burning library :p Or to take to a cave for 3 years or humm...something along those lines.

Comments

  • BrigidBrigid Veteran
    edited February 2010
    I like questions like this!

    I'd take one of HHDL's, one of Chogyam Trungpa's and one of Pema Chodron's. That's if I still had time after saving all my Theravada books first though. :D

    Pretty mainstream, I know, but I just love them. I wouldn't want to go without them.
  • shenpennangwashenpennangwa
    edited February 2010
    NamelessRiver wrote: »
    What would be some of the most important authors\books in tibetan Buddhism?

    I mean the ones you would like to take along if you had to pick just a few to save from a burning library :p Or to take to a cave for 3 years or humm...something along those lines.

    rather than titles I will give examples of masters whose works I feel are essential to the development of their lineage in chronological order.

    From the Nyingma Lineage:
    Lonchenpa
    Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo
    Jigme Lingpa
    Dudjom Rinpoche
    Kunzang Dechen Lingpa

    Sakya:
    Sakya Pandita
    Gorampa
    Deshung Rinpoche

    Kagyu:
    Marpa
    Gampopa
    Jigten Sumgon
    Jamgon Kongtrul

    Gelug:
    Tsongkhapa
    Jamyang Sheba
    Gelek Rinpoche
  • ManiMani Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Well, the title of the thread is "Classical Books of the Mahayana", so I will approach it from there also...

    I would then have to include the works of Nagarjuna (or Chandrakirti) and the texts on the "middle way", as well as Arya Asanga's Uttaratantra.

    I would think that if I were to go into retreat for an extended length of time, I would hope to have much of the "study" out of the way by then, though. :p
  • RichardHRichardH Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Lama Mipham. "Wheel of Analytic Meditation" published in translation with commentary by Tarthang Tulku as "Calm and Clear". Picked this up back when I started and didnt understand it, but kept going to it again over the years. Its beautiful.
  • shenpennangwashenpennangwa
    edited February 2010
    Mani wrote: »
    Well, the title of the thread is "Classical Books of the Mahayana", so I will approach it from there also...

    I would then have to include the works of Nagarjuna (or Chandrakirti) and the texts on the "middle way", as well as Arya Asanga's Uttaratantra.

    I would think that if I were to go into retreat for an extended length of time, I would hope to have much of the "study" out of the way by then, though. :p
    these are hugely important.
    I would ad Aryadeva to the list as well.
    Not to mention Shantideva.
    Khenpo Shenga was a Sakya/Nyingma khenpo who established the shedra's (monastic academic centers) in many monasteries in Tibet. He wrote precise commentaries on pretty much all of the "high-value" Mahayana texts that are used for this purpose. Unfortunately only a couple of things by him are available in English.
  • RichardHRichardH Veteran
    edited February 2010
    One little quibble here NamelessRiver. On seeing the Thread title it looks like you are referring to Classical Mahayana, but you are really referring to Classical Tibetan Mahayana. "The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch" for instance is also Classical Mahayana, All Chan/Zen/Soen texts are Mahayana.
  • NamelessRiverNamelessRiver Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Thanks for the answer guys :)
    On seeing the Thread title it looks like you are referring to Classical Mahayana, but you are really referring to Classical Tibetan Mahayana.
    Oh yes, my mistake, I should have specified it better.
    rather than titles I will give examples of masters whose works I feel are essential to the development of their lineage in chronological order.
    It is nice to know the great masters by schools. Putting them together gives an idea of the massive amount of information you can delve into. Would I be incorrect to say that Gampopa sums up Kagyu (Jewel Ornament of Liberation), Tsongkhapa sums up Gelug (Lam Rim Chen Mo), Sakya Pandita the Sakya (Clarifying the Sage's Intention) and Dudjom Rinpoche the Nyingma (The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History)?
    I'd take one of HHDL's, one of Chogyam Trungpa's and one of Pema Chodron's.
    I like Pema's audio material, and Chogyam Trungpas Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism
    I would then have to include the works of Nagarjuna (or Chandrakirti) and the texts on the "middle way", as well as Arya Asanga's Uttaratantra.
    I am yet to read something of Nagarjuna (with extensive commentaries preferably :P)
  • shenpennangwashenpennangwa
    edited February 2010
    NamelessRiver wrote: »
    Thanks for the answer guys :)



    It is nice to know the great masters by schools. Putting them together gives an idea of the massive amount of information you can delve into. Would I be incorrect to say that Gampopa sums up Kagyu (Jewel Ornament of Liberation), Tsongkhapa sums up Gelug (Lam Rim Chen Mo), Sakya Pandita the Sakya (Clarifying the Sage's Intention) and Dudjom Rinpoche the Nyingma (The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History)?


    That would definitely be a good start. Nyingma is a bit more difficult to pin down though because of all the variety. For instance, I primarily practice in the Nyingma lineage but feel that the Sakyapa's have the most nuanced presentation of emptiness of all four schools and there is a lot of Nyingma/Sakya cross over.
    But for the most part those four cover a lot of what their lineages are all about and in my opinion Tsongkhapa himself is definitely the place to go for Gelug textual material.
  • BrotherBobBrotherBob
    edited February 2010
    Nagarjuna and Shantideva, big time!! Lotus Sutra, Lamrim, Chandrakirti yes!!
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited February 2010
    In the kagyu tradition the Jewel Ornament of Liberation is (for me) an inspirational text to understand the path. I was a little fearful when I encountered the teaching of emptiness. JOL while very 'old school' in some respects let me to see how we as buddhists practice nonetheless in light of the emptiness teachings.
  • DazzleDazzle
    edited February 2010
    Jeffrey wrote: »
    In the kagyu tradition the Jewel Ornament of Liberation is (for me) an inspirational text to understand the path. .

    If you are interested in Gampopa's 'Jewel Ornament of Liberation' then I suggest you read "Path to Buddhahood " by Ringu Tulku, which is a commentary on the text.


    Kind regards,

    Dazzle

    .
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