Lama Yangtik Karchak

String of Pearls

A Catalogue to the Publication of the Lama Yangtik (Quintessence of the Guru), Wish-Fulfilling Jewel

by Ngawang Lodrö[1]

Svasti vijantu!
Without ever wavering from the peace of the dharmadhātu,
Ceaseless manifestations, countless displays of kāyas and wisdom,
Pervade the whole expanse of existence and quiescence—
Samantabhadra guru, grant virtue and excellence here and now!

For those to be trained, the wisdom of all victorious ones
Assumed the guise of a mahāpaṇḍita of the five sciences,
Achiever of vajrakāya, splendour of great secret teachings—
Vimalamitra, whom I honour with hundredfold faith at my crown.

His oral tradition, pith of the six million four hundred thousand
Tantras of the Great Perfection, the supreme vehicle,
Contained in this, the heart-essence, the ultimate instruction,
Has been praised a hundredfold by the victorious in vajra speech.

Longchenpa stirred this great ocean-like tradition of Dharma
Through his diligent application of wisdom and discernment
To create a snowy peak filled with the ambrosia of profundity,
This precious, wish-fulfilling quintessence—how wondrous!

As if a great vajra knot of the six limits and four modes
Were spontaneously released with fingers of discernment
And profound points placed on the palms of the fortunate—
Nothing could compare to such an excellent instruction!

Thus, I shall here set out the sections of this profound teaching
In a catalogue of excellent explanation, a veritable String of Pearls,
Crafted and well fashioned with an expressive thread of words,
And offered as an ornament to delight the intelligent. Please enjoy!

Having ushered in the work with these few verses, now I shall present a catalogue for this newly printed edition of the Quintessence of the Guru, Wish-Fulfilling Jewel, a supplement to the great Heart-Essence, the wisdom nectar of the great paṇḍita Vimalamitra.

Historical Background

In general, the Great Perfection or Atiyoga is known to have three divisions: the outer mind series, inner space series, and secret pith-instruction series. The pith instruction series is itself further divided into the outer cycle, inner cycle, secret cycle, and most secret unsurpassable cycle, and there are further subdivisions too. The mind series and space series cycles were extremely widespread in the past, when there were also many adepts who attained bodies of light without residue. These days, the traditions of empowerment and transmission remain unbroken, yet they no longer appear to be flourishing. By contrast, the Heart-Essence cycles from the pith instruction series remain undiminished even today.

It seems there were many who upheld the tradition of the Secret Heart-Essence in the past, and there were many learned and accomplished masters from different schools who practised these teachings. To cite just a few examples, venerable Sakya Paṇḍita, Milarepa Zhepé Dorje, and others took them to heart in practice, as is clear from their respective writings. Similarly, the successive Gyalwang Karmapas, venerable Tsongkhapa, and the omniscient Fifth Dalai Lama and others made these teachings the focus of their practice, as can be understood by consulting their individual biographies. Not only that, there are also many traditions of Dzogchen that came about within these other systems but which do not rely solely on the Nyingma line of transmission. In the Sakya tradition, there is the profound and vast cycle of teachings known as the Ati of Samten Lingpa.[2] The Kagyü tradition has the Karma Nyingtik cycle of Dzogchen instructions that Vimalamitra transmitted directly to the Dharma sovereign Rangjung Dorje, and there is also the account of how the protector of beings Zhang Yudrakpa, an illusory manifestation of Buddha Amitābha, received Dzogchen teachings as part of his own treasure revelation. Then, there is the Yutok Nyingtik, which the ḍākinī Palden Trengwa conferred upon Yutok Yönten Gönpo, the nirmāṇakāya blessed by the Medicine Buddha himself. In addition, as the heart practice of the great Tsongkhapa, the peerless second Buddha of this degenerate age, there is the extensive teaching cycle that accords with the profound key points of the view and realization of the Great Perfection, called Zhülen Dütsi Menchok (Supreme Medicinal Nectar of Questions and Answers), based on the great siddha Lekyi Dorje’s conversation with glorious Vajrapāṇi, Lord of Secrets.[3] As these examples illustrate, there are many such teachings that derive from oral transmission lineages or pure visions within the various traditions, and it would be impossible to list them all. In our own tradition, there is a vast, ocean-like multitude of Dzogchen teaching cycles, among which the extremely profound methods for bringing direct, immediate liberation—akin to applying moxibustion on a vital point—are found in the great, most secret unsurpassable Heart-Essence cycles.

There are two major systems of teaching, one that derives from the great master Vimalamitra and one that derives from Padmasambhava, the second buddha of Oḍḍiyāna. Here, we are concerned with the system of the great paṇḍita Vimalamitra. This mahāpaṇḍita crossed to the far shore of the ocean of learning, having mastered the five sciences, the three scriptural collections and the classes of tantra. He was such a great scholar that there was no philosophical system, outer or inner, that he did not know. Having received all the Dzogchen teachings from the learned Śrī Siṃha and great paṇḍita Jñānasūtra, he trained in and mastered their words and meaning. Through the force of his diligent application of the profound meaning, he perfected the realization of the four visions and attained the utterly pure body of great transference. This meant that he did not pass away but remains in a vajra body working for the benefit of sentient beings. Even now, he resides in Wutai Shan in China, from where he sends an emanation to Tibet once every hundred years to spread the Nyingtik teachings, as is well known.

While the great paṇḍita Vimalamitra was residing in India, land of the āryas, as the royal chaplain at the court of King Indrabhūti, he was invited to Tibet by the dharma-protecting king Tri Songdeutsen. Here, he translated teachings of the greater and lesser vehicles and taught the Great Perfection to the king, the prince and others. He saw that Nyang Tingdzin Zangpo, who was known as "the clairvoyant of Nyang" and who could see the four continents simultaneously and spend seven years in a single session of meditation, was a suitable recipient and conferred upon him all the Nyingtik instructions in their entirety. Nyang then divided the teachings into two: the textual transmission and the aural transmission. He passed on the aural transmission to Dro Rinchen Barwa and concealed the textual transmission as treasure before passing into an immaculate body of light. One hundred years later, Dangma Lhüngyi Gyaltsen, who was Vimalamitra’s emanation, retrieved the textual transmission as treasure. He also sought and received the aural transmission, which he then passed on to Chetsün Senge Wangchuk. Chetsün himself met Vimalamitra in person, extracted the four volumes as treasure and meditated upon them, so that he disappeared into a body of light. The tradition then passed in stages to Tulku Gyalwa Zhangtön and the rest, before it was received by the all-knowing Drimé Özer.

This great omniscient Longchenpa thoroughly clarified the difficult points of the great Nyingtik and composed the contents of the Yangtik Yizhin Norbu (Innermost Essence, Wish-Fulfilling Jewel)—instructions of profound meaning in brief texts that are easy to understand and readily accessible—as treatises of profound mind treasure, and thus guided many fortunate disciples. As a result, the Nyingtik teachings spread far and wide, flourishing throughout upper and lower Tibet and as far as the southern regions of Mön.

Through the kindness of the great omniscient one in particular, Dzogchen became an independent system unmixed with other traditions. Based on his unerring explanations of the profound view and tenets of the Heart-Essence, Dzogchen developed its own unique vocabulary. Numerous holders of the teachings and tradition emerged, so that the essential practices and methods for developing experience and realization continued without decline. The tradition spread even further through the kindness of the teacher of beings Terdak Lingpa and his brother, as well as the precious Fifth Dalai Lama, and others. Later, the omniscient Jigme Lingpa showed great kindness through his composition of several treatises that elaborate upon the profound key points of the Heart-Essence and his extensive activity on behalf of the essential teachings. Here, in the land of greater Tibet, the Drubwang Dzogchen Rinpoches and their lineage have also been especially kind through upholding the profound view and tenets of the Heart-Essence and maintaining the pure tradition of the great omniscient one. Their lineage of empowerment, scriptural transmission and instruction has remained unbroken down to my very own guru. Through their kindness in spreading these teachings throughout the six ranges of Dokham, this region of greater Tibet has become a font of the Heart-Essence teachings, and there have been numerous custodians of Nyingtik in this area of Dokham.

Publication Process

Having briefly described the background and how the teachings came about, the main topic concerns how these profound instructions were then published. The teachings of scripture and reasoning depend upon words and letters, and any progress or deterioration may be determined by the accuracy of such text. For this reason, this great kingdom, victorious over all directions and indestructible, covered by a single white umbrella of sovereignty—a vast territory where the wheel of power turns upon the ground of greater Tibet—is governed according to the Dharma, the precious teachings of the Buddha are upheld with incontrovertible strength, and the highest reverence is shown to all the teachings in a non-sectarian manner. Here, the king, who is caring and has unrivalled comprehension of the spiritual and temporal traditions, the prince who is a wish-fulfilling jewel, and especially the queen mother Tsewang Lhamo are intent that the Buddhist teachings in general and the tradition of the great secret essence in particular should not decline but flourish; that, upon such a basis, the excellence of benefit and happiness should spread throughout the world; that all the subjects of the kingdom should enjoy the splendour of perfect happiness and well-being; and that the dharma-protecting king and wish-fulfilling-jewel-like prince, who are allies of the teachings, should live long as their influence expands. With such altruistic motivation, pure as the moon, the queen mother commissioned this set of profound teachings together with the Khandro Yangtik collection.

Within the Heart-Essence corpus, the source texts are likened to mothers and the treatises that derive from them are likened to children. Thus, the mother and child Nyingtiks, including the Yangtik collections that reveal the profound key points of the respective Nyingtiks, are known collectively as the Nyingtik Yabzhi—the Fourfold Heart-Essence. Understanding the crucial, indispensable importance to individual practitioners of these two Innermost Essence collections, in which the profound key points are so brilliantly elucidated, the queen mother commissioned their publication. At the outset, she instructed me to check the texts repeatedly and create a pure set of proofs. I therefore compared several uncorrupted editions and corrected any erroneous constructions, which could not be ignored, in accordance with the grammatical treatises. I found several ancient spellings and some mantras—in takdrol, for instance—which did not conform to Sanskrit convention. In such cases, I retained most of the ancient orthography that would be inappropriate to revise. For the remainder, I did not leave anything incorrect but checked and revised everything to the best of my ability.

Throughout this process, the queen mother, extended her hand, long accustomed to munificence, and opened wide the doors of the inexhaustible treasury of space, so that, in accordance with ancient custom, she was able to support each and every scribe, carver and editor. Publication commenced in the female Fire Hare year (1807) at the beginning of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle, during the summer season when flowers and foliage were all abloom, and concluded auspiciously in the autumn of the male Earth Dragon (1808) at that wondrous time when fruit and crops are fully ripened.

List of Contents

There follows a catalogue listing the individual sections of the great volume of profound Dharma, which has been published as described. This does not diverge from how the sections are presented in the inventory, but is presented here in such a way as to make it convenient for locating individual texts and easy to understand how the sections are arranged.

ka) Circle of the Sun Inventory
kha) Jewel Rosary History
ga) Clouds of Blessings Homage
nga) Clouds of Nectar Prayer
ca) Maṇḍala Offering Ritual and Enlightened Body, Speech and Mind Maṇḍala Offering
cha) Net of Purity: Elaborate Empowerment Rite
ja) List of Names for Elaborate Empowerment
nya) Net of Precious Gems: Unelaborate Empowerment Rite
ta) Symbolism of the Vase: A Key Instruction
tha) Cloud-Banks of Blessings Descent of Wisdom
da) Net of Lotuses: Extremely[4] Unelaborate Empowerment Rite
na) Adornment of the Four Continents Maṇḍala Offering
pa) Net of Light: Utterly[5] Unelaborate Empowerment Rite
pha) Wish-Fulfilling Web Five-Set Maṇḍala Offering Ritual[6]
ba) Ocean of Liberation: The Aspects of Samaya
ma) Ocean of Wish Fulfilment: The Stages of Gaṇackara Offering
tsa) Ocean of Siddhis: The Stages of Guru Service
tsha) Essential Instruction on the Preliminary, Sevenfold Mind Training
dza) Essential Instruction on the Main Practice: the Luminous Essence
wa) Essential Instruction on Trekchö, Revitalization in the Primordial State
zha) Supporting Text on Trekchö: Immaculate Sky
za) Supporting Text on Tögal: Sun, Moon and Constellations
'a) Supporting Text on Liberation Upon Wearing: Spontaneous Fulfilment of Wishes
ya) Trekchö Supplement: Vast Expanse of Space
ra) Tögal Supplement: Clear Expanse of Space
la) Supplement to Both: Vast Expanse of Space
sha) Cloud-Banks of Bliss-Emptiness Nectar
sa) Cloud-Banks of Wisdom: the Practice of Prāṇa
ha) Cloud-Banks of Non-Conceptual Space
a) Wisdom Lamp of Ground Appearance
ki) Luminous Lamp Clarifying the Meaning of Examples[7]
khu) Lamp of the Key Points of Practice
ge) Tree of Nectar: A Key Instruction
ngo) Immaculate Nectar
ci) Sovereign Nectar: A Key Instruction on the Practice of Luminosity
chu) Secret Dharmatā Wheel of the Three Crucial Points
je) Luminosity Wheel Beyond the Duality of Day and Night
nyo) Wisdom Wheel That Encapsulates What Is Most Profound
ti) Ambrosial Tree That Dispels Hindrances of the Body
thu) Illuminating Lamp That Dispels Hindrances of the Gateways
de) Immaculate Wisdom That Dispels Hindrances of the Mind and Awareness
no) Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the Guru
pi) Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the Yidam
phu) Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the Ḍākinī
be) Definitive Essence of Awakening
mo) Ultimate Wish-Fulfilling Essence
tsi) Transference: The Essence of Clear Light
tshu) Mindfulness Mirror of Introduction
dze) Mindfulness Mirror That Clarifies Indications of Death
wo) Mindfulness Mirror of the Most Profound Death Ransom
zhi) Short Whispered Transmission: Self-Manifestation of Primordial Wisdom
zu) Medium-Length Whispered Transmission: Self-Manifestation of Luminosity in the Bardo
'e) Long Whispered Transmission: Self-Manifest Definitive Meaning
yo) Heart-Fragment Sādhana of the Glorious Mantra Protectress
ri) Heart-Fragment Secret Practice of Rāhula
lu) Swirling Wind of Fire: Secret Practice of the Planetary Spirit (This is not strictly part of the Yangtik, but does appear to be Longchenpa’s composition.)
she) Heart-Fragment Secret Practice of Damchen
so) The Essence of Luminosity Inventory

This includes all the sections that have been published as they appear in the collection’s own inventory with nothing missing. The merit accruing from the widespread distribution of these well produced works is hereby dedicated towards perfect awakening.

Not requiring many aeons of training and purification,
But bringing three-kāya realization in a single lifetime,
The Great Perfection, innermost essence of the tantras,
Stands at the pinnacle of all the Conqueror’s teachings.

This Dharma teaching, so vast and profound in theme,
Is a wish-granting jewel retrieved by a master seafarer,
Longchenpa, the gentle lord and sovereign of Dharma,
From the ocean that is the single path all victors follow.

It is as if Vimalamitra himself had arrived
In the form of words and letters to convey
Conveniently the intent of Samantabhadra
To fortunate disciples without obscuration.

This magic whereby a single text yields multiple copies
As a gift of the teachings from an undiminished system
Is like a source that brings an unending rain of Dharma
From the clouds arrays that are the wonders of printing.

From this great kingdom of fourfold well-being and tenfold virtue,
Where the Buddhist teachings are revered without sectarian bias,
A vast and golden region in the land of Greater Tibet,
Made independent through its own mighty power,
The virtuous intentions of his majesty the king,
Queen and prince have brought a glorious spring
That heralds summery welfare for the teachings and beings.
For such a purpose was this unstinting offering of Dharma initiated.

Through the force of dedicating the merit that flows
From the pure snowy mountains of such fine deeds
To the pleasant shore, free from the three concepts,
And easily into the ocean of complete awakening,
May infinite beings, led by the king and his circle,
Banish entirely the darkness of karma and kleśas,
And arrive at the vast citadel of the four kāyas,
To savour the radiance of liberation’s sanctuary.

Even in the shorter term, may all the world be freed
From the venomous vapours of discord and misfortune
Exhaled by the wicked serpent of fivefold degeneration,
So that nothing remains of such adversity but names.

May the flute of the harmonious deeds of many aeons
Summon friends of unending benefit and well-being,
So that all may have the excellent fortune to savour
The pleasures and resources of a perfect golden age.

May the king, queen and prince of the ruling family
Live for a hundred aeons as splendours of this world,
And may their political power and influence increase
Like a river nurtured by the youthful maid of summer.

May they raise aloft the banner of perfect victory
Over all directions through their might and majesty,
As if the full moon light emanating from their feet
Were to surmount the crowns of all who rule elsewhere.

The source of benefit and well-being for infinite beings—
May the impartial teachings of the victors spread far and wide.
And may the sun of the vajra pinnacle of luminosity rise,
Never to set thereafter, above existence and quiescence.

May spiritual friends who shine as magnificent Dharma suns—
Banishing darkness with the light of teaching and practice
And nurturing the lotus garden of scripture and realization—
Live long as the vernal splendour of the teachings and beings.

In short, may the chariots of our minds of longing be filled
With the perfect satisfaction of temporary and ultimate aims,
As the great wondrous blessings of the guru and Three Jewels
Grant the supreme auspiciousness that fulfils our aspirations.

The lazy and foolish Ngawang Lodrö composed this brief catalogue on the occasion of this collection’s publication by the great dharma-king, queen and prince. He respectfully honoured the command of the precious queen mother Sakyong Wangmo as if it were a crown upon his head and set this down by hand in the great seat of government at Lhundrup Teng in the assembly hall of a hundredfold perfection. Maṅgalam bhavantu!

| Translated by Adam Pearcey with the generous support of the Tsadra Foundation, 2025.

Bibliography

Tibetan Edition

klong chen rab 'byams dri med 'od zer. "bla ma yang tig yid bzhin nor bu'i chos skor par du bzhengs tshul dkar chag mu tig phreng ba". In kun mkhyen klong chen rab 'byams kyi gsung 'bum, Dpal brtsegs bod yig dpe rnying zhib 'jug khang nas bsgrigs. Mes po'i shul bzhag 115. Pe cin: Krung go'i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang, 2009. Vol. 10: 279–290.

Secondary Sources

Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye. The Hundred Tertöns. Translated by Yeshe Gyamtso. Woodstock: KTD Publications, 2011.

Ronis, Jann. "Derge Queen Tsewang Lhamo," Treasury of Lives, accessed October 10, 2025, https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Tsewang-Lhamo/13187

Thupten Jinpa, Tsongkhapa: A Buddha in the Land of Snows. Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publications, 2019.

Version: 1.0-20251020