Vajrayāna treatise

A short tantric treatise containing two discussions, first a doxography of the Buddhist vehicles (Tib.theg pa, Skt.yāna), and second a presentation of the different levels ofvidyādharathat can be attained. The first discussion presents a system of nine vehicles (theg pa dgu) that is almost identical to the well known system adopted by theRnying maschool. Along with theDgongs pa 'dus pa'i mdo(), this manuscript is one of the earliest examples of this system, though alternative nine vehicles systems are found in other works from the same period (see for example849). Each vehicle is described using the following set of criteria: the deity lineage which is focused upon (lha rgyud), the central difference (khyad bar), and the measure of accomplishment (grub tshad).

The second discussion organizes the various kinds ofvidyādharas according to the tantric vehicle with which they correspond. In the context of the second of three kinds ofvidyādharaassociated withKriyā tantra, namely thevidyādharaof dwelling on the levels (sa la gnas pa'i rigs 'dzin), a story is told about an unnamed figure going to anAsura Caveto meditate:

" 2r.6de nas phyag na rdo rje gshegs nas/dngos grub sbyin ba dang/a su ra'i brag phug du phyin
pa dang/de na phyag na rdo rje'i sprul pa gcig bzhugs pa'i zhal mthong nas brag la rkang pa gcig brgyab pa dang/zan la brgyab bzhin snang ngo/
rjes de nas dam babs nas/nang de na chu myig yan lag brgyad dang ldan ba brgyad yod pa la/gcig ni ri rab kyi lho ngos su rdol te2vchu myig rta rna zhes bya'o/bdun a su ra'i nang na 'bab pa la khrus byed cing bsgrub pa de/sa la gnas pai rigs dzin ces bya'o/ " " 2r.6ThenVajrapāṇiarrived and granted thesiddhis. Then he went to theAsura Cave, and then, upon beholding the visage of an emanation ofVajrapāṇipresent there, he struck the rock with his foot. It seemed as if he had stuck it into dough. From that footprint descended thesamaya, whereupon there came from within a spring with eight branches. One flowed to the south face of Mt.Sumeru, so the spring was called theAśvakarṇa(rta rna). Seven of them fell inside of theAsura Cave. In them he cleansed himself and became accomplished. Thus he was called avidyādharawho dwells on the levels. "

On the resemblances between this story and the legendary activities ofPadmasambhavadescribed in44and the twelfth centuryZangs gling ma(), see.

At the bottom of folios2v,3r, and3vis found some faded writing which does not seem to be part of the main text. The last folio side attributes the translation of two well known tantras as follows:

" 3v.1gu hya ti la ka dnya na mi tra dang brang ti a tsa rya dzA ya go tsas bsgyur/ sa rba bu ta sa ma yo ga bum ste las/a tsa rya nya na ga rba dang bye ma la mi tras bsgyur cing bstrags so// " " 3v.1TheGuhyatilaka( [Q] 111) was translated byJñānamitraandBrangti Acārya Jāyagoca. The Sarvabuddhasamayoga ( [Q] 8) [extracted] from the hundred thousand verses was translated byĀcārya JñānagarbhaandVimalamitra. "

Neither of these attributions agree with those found in the canons.