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Tibetan Literary Encyclopedia > Specific Tibetan Text Studies > rnying ma rgyud 'bum > NGB Structure

Doxographical Categories in the Master Catalog of The Collected Tantras of the Ancients

The master catalog of The Collected Tantras of the Ancients (rnying ma rgyud ’bum) will include every text found within one or more of the specific editions. Texts included in several editions will be completely cross-referenced and their bibliographic information from the different editions compiled into a single master record. Since this will be a purely electronic edition, the master catalog will of course have no “volumes” and hence lack any “volume” references. Instead, its organization will be solely based on doxographical classifications: (i) the first layer being the tripartite division into Atiyoga, Anuyoga and Mahāyoga; (ii) the second layer being divisions of each of those three; and (iii) the third layer being subdivisions of those divisions in turn. The present master catalog is based on the sDe dge edition and uses its organizational structure, as that edition is the most well organized. However, even that scheme has some idiosyncrasies and will need to be modified over the coarse of time through on-going scholarly input. The following is a more-consistent, generalized version of the master doxographical scheme, with English translations:

I. ATIYOGA LITERATURE

1. Mind Series (sems sde):
   1. The Eighteen Mind Series Texts
   2. The All Creating Cycle (kun byed skor)
   3. Miscellaneous
2. Space Series (klong sde)
3. Experiential Precept Series (man ngag sde)
   1. External and internal cycles (phyi nang skor)
   2. Esoteric Cycles (gsang skor)
   3. Seminal Heart (snying thig)
   4. Miscellaneous
4. Crown Pith (spyi ti)
5. Ultra Pith (yang ti)
   1. Brahmin cycles (bram ze’i skor)
   2. Padma-related
   3. Miscellaneous
6. Miscellaneous

II. ANUYOGA LITERATURE

1. The four root sutras (rtsa ba’i rgyud bzhi)
2. The six tantras clarifying the six limits (mtha’ drug gsal bar byed pa’i rgyud drug)
3. The twelve rare tantras (dkon rgyud)
4. Miscellaneous

III. MAHĀYOGA LITERATURE

1. Tantra Series (rgyud sde)
   1. The eightfold set of root Magical Emanation Tantras (rtsa bar gyur sgyu ’phrul sde brgyad)
   2. The eighteenfold set of explanatory tantras (bshad pa dang cha mthun gyi rgyud tantra sde bco brgyad)
      1. Enlightened Body (sku)
      2. Enlightened Speech (gsung)
      3. Enlightened Mind (thugs)
      4. Enlightened Qualities (yon tan)
      5. Enlightened Activities (phrin las)
   3. Miscellaneous
2. Practice Series of the Eight Proclamation Deities (sgrub sde bka’ brgyad)
   1. The Practice Series (sgrub sde)
      1. Summary of the Highest Intention (bla ma dgongs pa ’dus pa)
      2. Consortium of Sugatas (bde gshegs ’dus pa)
      3. Miscellaneous
   2. The Eight Proclamation Deities (bka’ brgyad)
      1. The Mañjuśrī Cycle on Enlightened Form (’jam dpal sku’i skor)
      2. The Lotus Tantras on Enlightened Communication (pad ma gsung gi rgyud)
      3. The Real Tantras on Enlightened Mind (yang dag thugs kyi rgyud)
      4. The Nectar Tantras on Enlightened Qualities (bdud rtsi yon tan gyi rgyud)
      5. The Sacred Dagger Cycle on Enlightened Activities (phrin las phur pa’i skor)
      6. The Cycle on Invoking the Fierce Ma-mo Deities (ma mo rbod gtong skor)
      7. Offerings and Praises to Protect the Teachings (bstan srung mchod bstod)
      8. The Cycle on Fierce Mantras (drag sngags skor)
      9. Miscellaneous
3. Miscellaneous

IV. UNCLASSIFIED LITERATURE