Acrostic Series

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Ka rtsom, the Tibetan term for abecedarian composition

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A series of acrostic poetry and composition, especially the abecedarian form known in Tibetan as katsom (ka rtsom) or kashé (ka bshad):

Advice

Advice in abecedarian form, meaning that each line begins with the successive letters of the Tibetan alphabet (ka, kha, ga, nga, and so on).

In response to a question from his spiritual consort, Khandro Tsering Chödrön, Jamyang Khyentse explains the essence of the path in just a few lines. (Khandro's question is in the form of an acrostic poem, the opening syllables of its four lines being the first four syllables of the Tibetan alphabet).

A four-line Dzogchen poem in abecedarian form.

Two verses of Dzogchen advice composed for Lama Kyab. The first verse is in abecedarian form.

Poems

Longchenpa composed this famous abecedarian poem to express his disgust at the conduct of his classmates from Kham, Eastern Tibet, which had prompted his decision to leave the college of Sangpu Neuthog.

Praise

An acrostic poem in praise of Thönmi Sambhoṭa who is credited with inventing the Tibetan writing system and composing the first Tibetan grammatical treatises.

An acrostic text extolling the goddess Tārā, which Jamyang Khyentse wrote in 1924 when he was 31 years old (or 32 by Tibetan reckoning).

Composed in Darjeeling in 1958, these verses in praise of the goddess Tseringma are in abecedarian form, meaning that each line begins with successive letters of the Tibetan alphabet (ka, kha, ga, nga, and so on).

Songs

A simple song of advice addressed to yogins and yoginīs in abecedarian form, meaning that each line begins with the successive letters of the Tibetan alphabet—an effect that is (inadequately) reproduced in the translation.

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