Sheja Dzö
Encyclopedia
The Sheja Dzö or 'The Treasury of Knowledge' is a voluminous work by Jamgon Kongtrul
(1813–1899). It is constituted by a root text in verse 'The Encompassment of All Knowledge' and an autocommentary in prose, 'The Infinite Ocean of Knowledge' . The Treasury of Knowledge is widely considered Jamgon Kongtrul's magnum opus
, covering the full spectrum of Buddhist history
according to the knowledge then current in the Himalaya; the Abhidharma
through the lens of Vasubandhu
(i.e. the Abhidharma-kośa
and its commentaries and secondary literatures); the Buddhist philosophy
preserved, categorized and developed in the Himalaya; and the many streams of Buddhist practice
both exoteric (sutrayana
) and esoteric (tantrayana), transmitted to, maintained and developed by the many trans-Himalayan lineages
, such as Mahamudra
and Dzogchen
. The breadth of the Sheja Dzö is encyclopedic and its approach ecumenical. The root text in verse is terse and ostensibly glib approaching telegraphic. Whereas, the tone and register
of the commentary is non-sectarian in regards to the many systems of Buddhadharma it enshrines. The Sheja Dzö is the central reference and general auspice work in the Rimé
literature.
Jamgon wrote the root text and its commentary when he was fifty years old in the Tibetan calendar
years of Dog and Pig: that equates to 1862-1863 CE according to the Gregorian calendar
.
As Dudjom (1904–1987), et.al. (1991: p. 861) of the principally Nyingma
view
hold in respect to the expansive 'vase' (Sanskrit: bumpa
) and flow
of Jamgon's mind[stream
] which is evident as an aureole in his hagiographic iconography:
(1905–1989).
Jamgon Kongtrul
Jamgön Kongtrül is a name of a prominent line of Tibetan Buddhist teachers , primarily identified with the first Jamgon Kongtrul, but also the name shared by members of a lineage held by tradition to be his subsequent reincarnations , to date....
(1813–1899). It is constituted by a root text in verse 'The Encompassment of All Knowledge' and an autocommentary in prose, 'The Infinite Ocean of Knowledge' . The Treasury of Knowledge is widely considered Jamgon Kongtrul's magnum opus
Masterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
, covering the full spectrum of Buddhist history
History of Buddhism
The History of Buddhism spans the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama on the Indian subcontinent, in what is now Lumbini, Nepal. This makes it one of the oldest religions practiced today. The religion evolved as it spread from the northeastern region...
according to the knowledge then current in the Himalaya; the Abhidharma
Abhidharma
Abhidharma or Abhidhamma are ancient Buddhist texts which contain detailed scholastic and scientific reworkings of doctrinal material appearing in the Buddhist Sutras, according to schematic classifications...
through the lens of Vasubandhu
Vasubandhu
Vasubandhu was an Indian Buddhist monk, and along with his half-brother Asanga, one of the main founders of the Indian Yogācāra school. However, some scholars consider Vasubandhu to be two distinct people. Vasubandhu is one of the most influential figures in the entire history of Buddhism...
(i.e. the Abhidharma-kośa
Abhidharma-kosa
Abhidharma-kośa is a key text in verse written in Sanskrit by Vasubandhu. It summarizes Sarvāstivādin tenets in eight chapters with a total of around 600 verses...
and its commentaries and secondary literatures); the Buddhist philosophy
Buddhist philosophy
Buddhist philosophy deals extensively with problems in metaphysics, phenomenology, ethics, and epistemology.Some scholars assert that early Buddhist philosophy did not engage in ontological or metaphysical speculation, but was based instead on empirical evidence gained by the sense organs...
preserved, categorized and developed in the Himalaya; and the many streams of Buddhist practice
Sadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
both exoteric (sutrayana
Sutrayana
Sūtrayāna, in the Indo-Tibetan three-fold classification of yanas, is the yana that leads to the realization of emptiness. It consists of Hinayana and Mahayana. The other two yanas, according to this classification, are Tantrayana and Dzogchen, which together constitute Vajrayana....
) and esoteric (tantrayana), transmitted to, maintained and developed by the many trans-Himalayan lineages
Lineage (Buddhism)
An authentic lineage in Buddhism is the uninterrupted transmission of the Buddha's Dharma from teacher to disciple.The transmission itself can be for example oral, scriptural, through signs, or directly from one mind to another....
, such as Mahamudra
Mahamudra
Mahāmudrā literally means "great seal" or "great symbol." It "is a multivalent term of great importance in later Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism" which "also occurs occasionally in Hindu and East Asian Buddhist esotericism."The name refers to the way one who...
and Dzogchen
Dzogchen
According to Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of the mind, and a body of teachings and meditation practices aimed at realizing that condition. Dzogchen, or "Great Perfection", is a central teaching of the Nyingma school also practiced by...
. The breadth of the Sheja Dzö is encyclopedic and its approach ecumenical. The root text in verse is terse and ostensibly glib approaching telegraphic. Whereas, the tone and register
Register (sociolinguistics)
In linguistics, a register is a variety of a language used for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting. For example, when speaking in a formal setting an English speaker may be more likely to adhere more closely to prescribed grammar, pronounce words ending in -ing with a velar nasal...
of the commentary is non-sectarian in regards to the many systems of Buddhadharma it enshrines. The Sheja Dzö is the central reference and general auspice work in the Rimé
Rime movement
Rimé is a Tibetan word which means "no sides", "non-partisan" or "non-sectarian". In a religious context, the word ri-mé is usually used to refer to the "Eclectic Movement" between the Buddhist Nyingma, Sakya, and Kagyu traditions, along with the non-Buddhist Bön religion, wherein practitioners...
literature.
Jamgon wrote the root text and its commentary when he was fifty years old in the Tibetan calendar
Tibetan calendar
The Tibetan calendar is a lunisolar calendar, that is, the Tibetan year is composed of either 12 or 13 lunar months, each beginning and ending with a new moon. A thirteenth month is added every two or three years, so that an average Tibetan year is equal to the solar year.The Tibetan New Year...
years of Dog and Pig: that equates to 1862-1863 CE according to the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
.
As Dudjom (1904–1987), et.al. (1991: p. 861) of the principally Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
view
View (Buddhism)
View or position is a central idea in Buddhism. In Buddhist thought, in contrast with the commonsense understanding, a view is not a simple, abstract collection of propositions, but a charged interpretation of experience which intensely shapes and affects thought, sensation, and action...
hold in respect to the expansive 'vase' (Sanskrit: bumpa
Bumpa
The bumpa , or pumpa, is a ritual vase with a spout used in Tibetan Buddhist rituals and empowerments. It is understood to be, in some contexts, the vessel or the expanse of the Universe....
) and flow
Flow (psychology)
Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. Proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the positive psychology concept has been widely referenced across a variety of...
of Jamgon's mind[stream
Mindstream
Mindstream in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment "continuum" of awareness. There are a number of terms in the Buddhist literature that may well be rendered "mindstream"...
] which is evident as an aureole in his hagiographic iconography:
"When the vase of Jamgön Kontrül's mind had been filled with textual exegeses and oral explanations of the transmitted precepts, treatises, tantras, transmissions and esoteric instructions, along with their rituals, practical techniques, and fine points, he too composed treatises. These form the wonderful legacy of his studies, reflections and meditations: [such as for example, his premier work...]
(i) The Store which Embraces All Knowledge (shes-bya kun-la khyab-pa'i mdzod) excellently presents the entire corpus of the sutra and mantra traditions, from the paths of the common sciences all the way up to the uncommon Great Perfection, or Atiyoga, which is the culmination of the nine vehicles...".
English
There is an ongoing effort to translate the masterwork of the Sheja Dzö into English and the project was given the initial impetus and direction by Kalu RinpocheKalu Rinpoche
Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche was a Buddhist meditation master, scholar and teacher. He was one of the first Tibetan masters to teach in the West.-Early life and teachers:...
(1905–1989).
Translation methodology
Kalu advised the translation team of three principles to guide the rendering of the Tibetan into the English:- translating the text without interpretation or commentary, that is 'translating the words' rather than interpreting the text or 'translating the meaning' ;
- "...he [Kalu] was more interested in an accurate translation than one that sacrificed accuracy for elegance...";
- "...he [Kalu] encouraged us to use a vocabulary that would be accessible to the average educated reader rather than a highly technical vocabulary that depended on prior training in Buddhist or East Asian studies...".
Myriad Worlds
The facilities necessary for the translation team were provided by Lama Gyaltsen Ratak over a number of years. In addition, as the many who collaborated and mentored the work who have not already been mentioned in this article were not given title credit for the work and instead are known as the 'Kalu Rinpoche Translation Team' they have been luxuriously quoted herewith with metatext enhancement not to be found in the print original:"The translation of Myriad Worlds was largely prepared by Elio Guarisco, Könchog Tenzin, Tenpa Kalsang, Peter Roberts, Sarah Harding, Ingrid McLeod, Anthony Chapman, Ngawang Zangpo and Yeshe Wangmo; research of the citations was conducted by Lydia and Oliver Brunet; and the Introduction was written by Elio Guarisco. Grateful acknowledgement is made to several other translators with whom we collaborated: Daniel Boschero, Ken McLeodKen McLeodKen McLeod is a senior Western translator, author and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. He received traditional training mainly in the Shangpa-Kagyu lineage, through a long association with his principal teacher Kalu Rinpoche, whom he met in 1970. McLeod resides in Los Angeles, CA where he founded...
, Eric Pema Kunzang, Dechen Cronin, Norbu Tsewang, Daniel Perdue, Surya DasSurya DasLama Surya Das is an American-born lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. He is a poet, chantmaster, spiritual activist and author of many popular works on Buddhism; a teacher and spokesperson for Buddhism in the West. He has long been involved in charitable relief projects in the Third World...
, and Samten Zangmo...Susan Kyser, Shawn Woodyard, and Daniel Reid for their careful revision of the final English manuscript, Kristine Paknys and David Patt for their correction of the Sanskrit, Roar Vestre for his technical assistance...".
"At every stage of the translation of Myriad Worlds, the committee has sought the advice of Tibetan and Western scholars and meditation masters. Our sincere thanks go to Bokar Trulku Rinpoché and Kenpo Lodrö Dönyö, not only for their wisdom and patience in providing answers to our many questions but also for their continued encouragement and support: To Dodrup Chen Rinpoché, Dilgo Kyentsé RinpochéDilgo KhyentseDilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was a Vajrayana master, scholar, poet, teacher, and head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism from 1987 to 1991.-Biography:...
, and Nyoshul Kenpo Rinpoché for their detailed clarification of the subject of primordial purity; to Sakya Kenpo Rinpoché, Gyaltsap Rinpoché, Zenkar Rinpoché, Tara Trulku, and Kenpo Tsultrim Gyatso for their invaluable assistance in explicating the difficult points in the text; and to Pönlop Rinpoché and Karma Trinlé Rinpoché for their helpful suggestions regarding the translation."
English rendering
In the English rendering, the Sheja Dzö is divided as follows:- •Book One: Myriad Worlds (Snow Lion, 2003. ISBN 1-55939-188-X)
- •Book Two: The Advent of the Buddha (parts 2, 3, and 4 forthcoming)
- Part One: The Teacher's Path to Awakening
- Part Two: The Buddha's Enlightenment
- Part Three: The Buddha's Twelve Deeds
- Part Four: Enlightenment's Bodies and Realms
- •Book Three: The Buddha's Doctrine—The Sacred Teachings
- Part One: What Are the Sacred Teachings?
- Part Two: Cycles of Scriptural Transmission
- Part Three: Compilations of the Buddha's Word
- Part Four: Origins of the Original Translations' Ancient Tradition (Nyingma)
- •Book Four: Buddhism's Spread Throughout the World
- Part One: Buddhism's Spread in India
- Part Two: How Buddhist Monastic Discipline and Philosophy Came to Tibet
- Part Three: Tibet's Eight Vehicles of Tantric Meditation Practice
- Part Four: The Origins of Buddhist Culture
- •Book Five: Buddhist Ethics (Snow Lion, 2003. ISBN 1-55939-191-X)
- •Book Six: The Topics for Study
- Part One: A Presentation of the Common Fields of Knowledge and Worldly Paths
- Part Two: The General Topics of Knowledge in the Hinayana and Mahayana
- Part Three: Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy (Snow Lion, 2007. ISBN 1-55939-277-0)
- Part Four: Systems of Buddhist Tantra (Snow Lion, 2005. ISBN 1-55939-210-X)
- •Book Seven: The Training in Higher Wisdom
- Part One: Gaining Certainty about the Keys to Understanding
- Part Two: Gaining Certainty about the Provisional and Definitive Meanings in the Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma, the Two Truths and Dependent Arising
- Part Three: Gaining Certainty about the View
- Part Four: Gaining Certainty about the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind
- •Book Eight: The Training in Higher Meditative Absorption (Samadhi)
- Part One, Two: Shamatha and Vipashyana; The Stages of Meditation in the Cause-Based Approaches (forthcoming)
- Part Three: The Elements of Tantric Practice (Snow Lion, 2008. ISBN 1-55939-305-X
- Part Four: Esoteric Instructions, A Detailed Presentation of the Process of Meditation in Vajrayana (Snow Lion, 2008. ISBN 1-55939-284-3)
- •Book Nine: An Analysis of the Paths and levels to Be Traversed (forthcoming)
- Part One: The Paths and Levels in the Cause-Based Dialectical Approach
- Part Two: The Levels and Paths in the Vajrayana
- Part Three: The Process of Enlightenment
- Part Four: the Levels in the Three Yogas
- •Book Ten: An Analysis of the Consummate Fruition State (forthcoming)
- Part One: the Fruition in the Dialectical Approach
- Part Two: The More Common Attainment in the Vajrayana
- Part Three: The Fruition in the Vajrayana
- Part Four: The Fruition State in the Nyingma School