Author: Jo Nang Taranatha
David Templeman/
Translator(s): David Templeman
Publisher: Library of Tibetan Works & Archives
Year: 1995
Language: multilingual
Pages: 135
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8185102147
Description
The Origin of Tara Tantra by Taranatha, one of the most accomplished scholars of the unorthodox Jo-nan sect, strings together from various fragmentary sources a mine of legends and episodes on the origin and diffusion of Tara’s tantra.
Translated by David Templeman, this work is supplemented with voluminous notes, an excellent appendix and a comprehensive bibliography for the serious readers. Similar in style to the author’s bkah.babs.bdun.ldan (1600), this work heralded Taranatha’s major historic work History of Buddhism in India written four years later in 1608.
The Origin of Tara Tantra, though dependent on legends and largely anecdotal, has nevertheless about it a strong feeling of historic time and provides an important and accurate account of the lineages of the Siddhas who worshipped Tara and passed on her Upadesas, revelations and Tantra besides giving a background to the masters of the Tibetan Siddhas who grew from India’s rich tantric soil.
Contents
Translator’s Introduction
Translation of sgrol ma’i rgyud kyi byung khung gsal bar byed pa’ilo rgyus gser gyi phreng ba zhes bya ba
Notes
Appendix: Homage to the 21 Forms of Tara
Index
Bibliography
Tibetan Text