Christopher Wilkinson - The Jewel Maker: The Great Tantra on the Consequence of Sound

The Jewel Maker The Great Tantra on the Consequence of Sound With Tibetan Text Translated by Christopher Wilkinson The painting on the cover is the work of Tsering Kelsang, a master painter who is currently residing in Daramsala, India. If you are interested in commissioning a Thangka or other work of art, he may be reached at: tsekelsang1984@gmail.com. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote excerpts in a review. Published by Christopher Wilkinson Portland, Oregon, USA Copyright 2017 Christopher Wilkinson All rights reserved. ISBN : 1978085737 ISBN-13 : 978-1978085732 DEDICATION To all teachers and students of the Great Perfection.

Also Translated By Christopher Wilkinson The Six Spaces of the All Good: An Upadesha Tantra of the Great Perfection The Mirror of the Heart of Vajrasattva: Two Upadesha Tantras of the Great Perfection The Lion Stops Hunting: An Upadesha Tantra of the Great Perfection The Pearl Necklace Tantra: Upadesha Instructions of the Great Perfection The Secret Kissing of the Sun and Moon: Three Upadesha Tantras of the Great Perfection Eight Early Tantras of the Great Perfection: An Elixir of Ambrosia The Royal Tantra on the Brilliant Diffusion of Majestic Space The Secret Tantras of the Fish Wheel and the Nine Spaces: Two Ancient Scriptures of the Great Perfection Ten Early Tantras of the Great Perfection: A Basket of Diamonds The Gods and the Demons Are Not Two: A Tantra of the Great Perfection The Tantra of Great Bliss: The Guhyagarbha Transmission of Vajrasattvas Magnificent Sky Secret Sky: The Ancient Tantras on Vajrasattvas Magnificent Sky The Great Tantra of Vajrasattva: Equal to the End of the Sky Beyond Secret: The Upadesha of Vairochana on the Practice of the Great Perfection Secret Wisdom: Three Root Tantras of the Great Perfection CONTENTS

I also want to thank some people whose support has made this translation possible. Thanks to Giovanni Santuz, Diana McPhee, Robert J. Barnhart, and Jotham Wong. The many people who made sustaining contributions toward the success of this translation, too many to name, are remembered for their kind generosity. The many people who have contributed to my understanding and ability to do this work cannot be counted. I wish to thank everyone who has taken a kind interest in these translations, however slight, for their part in making this work a reality.

Introduction The Great Perfection, also known as the Atiyoga or Dzogchen ( rDzogs chen ), is a tradition of esoteric Buddhism that propounds instantaneous enlightenment and was first brought to Tibet in the Eighth Century of the Common Era. The Indian manuscripts of this tradition have been lost in time, and only the Tibetan translations remain. The original teachings of this tradition are contained in books called Tantras, and are generally divided into three categories: The Mind Section, the Space Section, and the Upadesha Instruction Section. The Upadesha Instruction section is devoted to the pointing out instructions or practical advice in the understanding and application of the Great Perfection. It is generally described as having seventeen root scriptures. The Jewel Maker here translated is considered to be the source for the other sixteen Tantras, which form the body of the seventeen works.

As such, we may say that this Tantra is the core of the core teachings on the Upadesha instructions of the Great Perfection. This Tantra is also secret, and is said to be under the guardianship of dakinis. The Tantra itself proclaims the importance of keeping it, copying it and preserving it. This translation is part of an effort to preserve and maintain this ancient literature, in keeping with the directives written in the Tantra itself. The tradition holds that Vimalamitra, an Indian pundit who came to Tibet in the Eighth Century, translated The Jewel Maker into Tibetan. Seeing the need for commentary, Vimalamitra wrote The Lamp that Makes Things Visible ( sGron ma snang byed ), a magnificent work filling two large Tibetan volumes.

This commentary is to be found in the bKa ma shin tu rgyas pa collection of ancient manuscripts. Its first volume is 710 pages in length. The second is 960 pages. Word has it that Chogyal Namkai Norbu Rinpoche is organizing the translation of this great work, and I hope that it will soon be released. The translation you are holding here is the Tantra itself, without commentary, a timely release being the priority. The Jewel Maker has six chapters.

Each chapter begins with a list of questions, which are then followed by the answers. In chapters one to three, numbers are written into the manuscript to help readers keep track of which question is being addressed, and I have put them into the translation. Chapters four to six do not have these numbers in the Tibetan manuscript, so they are also absent in the translation. I have included images of the Tibetan manuscript for your convenience and to help preserve this ancient literature. All the best, Christopher Wilkinson The Jewel Maker: The Great Tantra on the Consequence of Sound In the Indian language: abda Tadratra Mah Ratnakara Tantra Nma In the Tibetan language: Rin po che byung bar byed pa sgra thal gyur chen poi rgyud ces bya ba In the English language: The Jewel Maker: The Great Tantra on the Consequence of Sound . The Roots of the Upadea Instructions Arranged in a Variety of Ways and Brought into Certainty I bow to the Blessed One, The teacher of the excellence of majestic self-origination, The glorious All Good One.