Mahāyoga treatise

A complete treatise written by the early ninth century Tibetan scholar,gnyan dpal dbyangs. At least two additional copies of the work are found in the Dunhuang collections (IOL Tib J 578/819and837). The present copy is almost certainly copied from837, which is our other complete copy. Additionally, a canonical redaction may be found at5082. Note that470counts 179 lines, but if the interlinear notes are not counted there are actually 152 lines.

The text is comprised of fifty-one (despite the colophon's claim of fifty-three) questions and answers, all about "the system of the supremeMahāyoga " ( R1.1rnal 'byor chen po mchog gi lugs ). The question-and-answer genre was a popular one among early Tibetan authors (see too, for example,IOL Tib J 419/6andIOL Tib J 705/818). Presumably the dialogical format facilitated the Tibetan assimilation of Buddhism for their own concerns. Thus the present text raises such issues as the potential conflict betweenMahāyoga's rhetoric of effortlessness and its use of complex ritual (questions 13-14;R1.38-45; and 22;R1.67-70), the relationship betweenMahāyogapractice and exoteric Buddhist philosophy (questions 24-26;R1.72-77), and the acceptability of worshipping local Tibetan spirits (question 36;R1.102-105).

The present version (as with837) includes many interlinear notes. The notes seem to reflect a slightly later state of development, particularly with regards to doxographical categories. Thus, for example, the notes refer toAtiyogatwice (in reference to questions 13 and 31), while the actual text refers only once tordzogs chenin question 9. Similarly, the notes to question 35 restricts the text's general reference to "Yoga" to "Mahāyoga."

Appended is a colophon that explains the purpose behinddpal dbyangscomposing the work. The name of the scribe is also added:

" R1.147This was composed by the masterdpal byams. As is implied by the meaning of the title, the compilations and the tantras belonging to the class ofMahāyogavary from one scriptural system to another, and this was taught in order to clarify the obscure or doubtful points in the tantras. Regarding the purpose, it was taught for thesna namandldongclans, and for the minds of future generations of yogins, with the aim of clarifying any unclear, doubtful, or difficult points. This aim, which is there from beginning to end, is formulated as fifty-three questions in verse. [?] Moreover, each of those are gathered into two parts--a question and an answer. This was penned byPhu shi men hwe'i 'gyog. "

References