New Book: Hevajra and Lam-'bras Literature

Hevajra and Lam-'bras Literature of India and Tibet as Seen Through the Eyes of A-mes-zhabs. Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (2008), (Contributions to Tibetan Studies 6), Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden, ISBN 978-3-89500-652-4, clothbound, 264 pp., 12 b/w illustrations. 68,00 € (http://www.reichertverlag.de/default.asp)

"The Hevajra Tantras and teachings of the 'Path with Its Fruit' (lam ‘bras) that originated in India have been central practices of Tibetan tantric Buddhism for a millenium. The Tibetans translated eight Hevajra transmissions with their tantras, commentaries, rituals, and instructions and authored countless scriptures in the context of the tantra and the 'Path with Its Fruit' that originated with the Indian Mahasiddha Virupa. Drawing on title lists (dkar chag), colophones, and commentaries authored between the 11th and 17th centuries, the author attempts a reconstruction of the Indian and Tibetan corpora of these transmissions, its literary history and relations to one another."

"Contents (key words): Part I, Chapter 1, focuses on the Hevajra literature of India and Tibet (Four Great Transmissions, Hevajra Tantras, Six Great Chariot Systems, the Hevajra cycles of Dombiheruka, Saroruhavajra, Krsna Samayavajra, Ratnakarashanti, Yashobhadra [?sNyan-grags-bzang-po], and Avadhutipa), the two systems of pith instructions, and a description of several categorizations of the Hevajra writings. Chapter 2 deals with Hevajra literature mentioned in A-mes-zhabs’ records of teachings and his other works; chapter 3 with the main lineages of the transmissions."

"Part II focuses on the Path with Its Fruit literature of India and Tibet. Chapter 1 deals with the title list of the Yellow Book and the various categorizations of the Lam ‘bras writings (Extensive Path, Actual Path, Twenty-three Further Clarifications, Medium and Abbreviated Paths, Four Great Fundamental Instructions, Five Teachings to Produce Realization, and the Four Authenticities). Chapter 2 deals with the title list of the (Little) Red Book and the Four Authenticities (of the Guru, Experience, Treatise, and Basic Scriptures), the Four Profound Dharmas conferred to Sa-chen by Virupa, the Dharma Links with the Six Gates, and the Nine Supplements. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the Lam-‘bras teachings mentioned in the records of teachings of A-mes-zhabs, the Black Book, the tradition of rDzong and Kha’u-brag-rdzong, the Eight Later Path-Cycles, and the Lam-‘bras writings of the most important Sa-skya-pa authors."

"Four appendices provide a title list of all the Hevajra and Lam-‘bras related works mentioned in the book, ten rare title lists, the translation of the notes of Chos-dpal-bzang-po on Ngor-chen’s teachings on the Hevajra transmission, and the Tibetan text as edited by A-mes-zhabs. The book also contains an Index of Names and a Bibliography." (Publisher)