+enlarge

The texts are arranged by different levels of difficulty and length. From this body of texts, the most significant are to be chosen and translated with the background study of the historical material and the secondary literature. Such is my modern account of the complexity and size of the tantra. It is here where the huge mass of work is further underscored by the impossibility of completion without financial sponsoring.

In order to introduce the tantra, what follows, is a translation-sketch of original descriptions from the history of the tantra and it might serve to illustrate the translators' dilemma, even more clearly.

Intome historical persons and additional facts:

• Dombhi Heruka the great Indian Mahasiddha the visionary composer of the father-mother tantra (about 750A.D.).
  
  
• Padmasambhava a great force of spread of the Buddhist tantric tradition in the first period of translation during the first millennium. The great Saint of Tibet with his huge collection of during political problems hidden treasure, the rin chen gter mdzod, nowadays he is considered as the founder of the rnying ma (he is said to have entered Tibet in 747 A.D.).
  
  
• The translator Marpa who has influenced different orders (1012-1097 A.D).
  
  
• The lineage of the historical Karmapas (starting 1110 A.D.) especially ka r+ma pak+Si the second Karmapa (1204-1283 A.D.) who is renown as the magician Marco Polo saw at the court of the Chinese emperor (probably Kublai at this time) and the lineage of the historical Situ (starting 1377 A.D.) and Shamar Rinpoches (starting 1283): These comprising mainly the representatives of the present day Karma Kagyu order that has further extensions as the smaller Kagyu orders.
  
  
• The bstan 'gyur, the huge collection of Indian commentaries that had been translated from Sanskrit to Tibetan.
  
  
• The maNDala of the tantra may be seen on the website www.himalayanart.org choose item no. 215
  
  
• As a scholar and historian my deceased friend pad ma rgyal mtshan working at the  Central Institute of higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath assisted me for the specific context.

From ka rma pak+Si's commentary to the ritual:

+enlarge

The listening-tradition-instruction without letters of the great accomplished ka r+ma pa k+Si having notes of the instruction and an oral guide of the mother-and- guardian-kissing-countenances / here generation-stage, different actions, the completion stage, the accomplishment of the ritual are completely present /[1]

na mo gu ru maha+'a ka+'a la+'a ya also from the tantra big black circle of life[2]:the glorious black guardian and / the black goddess not as two" and from the tantra superior jewel shoulder ornament[3]: "embracing on the left the mother's way / one's pure mind the deity's body / really having meditated this accomplished" and from the great secret-forceful-deity tantra[4]: "the three mantras of the kissing countenances of body speech and mind / the long mantra of the kissing countenance and the black print[5] the extensively taught tantra-meaning and / after having been prophesised to Do m+bi he ru ka by both mother and guardian by subsuming the intent of the eighteen tantras the thus arranged Indian scripture of the kissing countenances accomplishing method and the oral-instruction-wind-guide[6], the instruction of lord mar pa, the topic of the lho brag[7]guardian," all these, have been gathered into one and this according to the vision of the great accomplished pa kSi himself composed scripture, this is the root.

Regarding this, after having added the main bare father guardian of the ras chen[8] tradition to the main bare mother deities of the dus mkhyen[9] tradition into one ritual the meditaion as four staggered wheels[10] was composed by lord sky-

+enlarge

conduct[11]. Although mtshur phu's[12]'jam dbyangs pa[13] prohibited it the secret biography of lord sky-conduct says: It was taught that the great accomplished ones of India and Tibet, the empowerments' and winds'[14] instructions of sutras' and tantras' instructions and all personal deities were requested during real experience dream[15] and as it is unsure if he has produced it himself lord mthong ba don ldan[16] being a follower of sky-conduct has composed a sleepy guardian ritual.

Regarding this mi bskyod zhabs[17] ordered: "as there are some of my adherents that regarding the food wanted can't cope with studying write this one ritual guide condensing the guardian to a smaller form" and based on the order lord dkon mchog 'bangs[18] after having composed this present printed edition of three classes[19] he recorded it as a print.

Regarding this one ritual to be recited: like the ras chen tradtion, the bare father accomplishing tradition, like the tradition of dus mkhyen, the bare mother accomplishing tradition, like the father-law of ka rma pa k+Si, the black-print accomplishing method, like mar pa's tradition, the limitless different channel-wind-practice means of applying[20] and so forth, thus the volume concerning lord dbang phyug rdo rjes's[21] small block print and so forth, the volume that has all these arranged by dkon mchog 'bangs into one direction, some former old scriptures of numerous different classes i have seen and si tu chos kyi rgyal mtshan pa[22] and dpal khang lo tsa' ba's origin-law[23] then if well examining the two quite big volumes of the mother and guardian tantra all seems to be entirely complete in this present printed edition, thus in this regard uncommon to others the instruction that the great accomplished pa k+Si declared, this being quite profound and in the scripture not a mere root-word scattered, therefore as the master's guide only is important, like this.  

A further similar description:

This is the black-mantra[24]-text elucidating gaps, missing or unclear parts for the clearly arranged visualisation steps of the fulfilling and restoring ritual of the glorious brothers-sisters-guardian of primordial knowledge with a black cloak[25]

na mo ma ha+'a sa r+va j+ny+'ada r+kSa dha r+ma+'a ka ra ya[26] / Here the visualisation steps of the fulfilling and restoring ritual of "the glorious big black guardian of primordial knowledge with the black cloak" and the meaning of the words[27] will be explained a bit. Generally it has been taught that this guardian comes from "the naked one with the copper knife" of "the thunderbolt tent tantra"[28] and from the accomplishing methods  of the guardians starting from the two armed up to the sixteen armed of the before arisen guardian tantra[29].

+enlarge

Nowadays in his lordship's hands[30] in an early not translated tantra of the guardian in the Indian text there are even many of such accomplishing methods[31] and after having been entrusted to the great master of the glorious heruka[32] the padma-arisen[33] the tantra arisal of accomplishment[34] and the small twenty one tantras[35] etc. were transmitted by treasure[36] or instruction[37] whichever fitting. From a powerful lineage being endowed with a fruition not deluded about the two types of accomplishment revealed from the expanse of visions of some naturally realised heroes and yoginis having held the ways of mantra here in Tibet, also the text and instruction of the three actions of recitation accomplishment[38] of this guardian appear to be taught whichever fitting.

The single father guardian from the entourage of "mixing wind"[39]  by lho brag mar pa lo tsa' ba[40]is asserted to be based on "the Dakini thunderbolt"[41]tantra. This and what is called the single guardian of g+ha ya d+ha ra seems to be an identical form[42].

The present Sakya tradition tent guardian[43] with the sa ga position[44], this, and what is known as the eight deities[45] ,this also, has been hidden as a treasure by master pad ma for the sake of the sa s+kya pa teaching and then been taken out by the earth treasure teacher pa dma dbang phyug in gangs 'khar hole and then passed to the great lord rgya gar ba[46] and regarding the pu Ta s[47] this one was invited by lha btsun byang chub 'od from bsam yas, then entrusted to rje bla ma dam pa[48] and is right this strong and powerful blessing comprising treasure[49] and oral transmission[50].

Accomplishment methods like these, because being the tantras present here in Tibet and because being the ones which were not taught anywhere in the Indian texts, for these exactly "treasures" is very much correct and so forth as bzlog blo gros rgyal mthsan has also explained like that well. I have seen some being later renown as learned explaining this wrongly.

The bare father surrounded by the guardians of the ten directions[51], this, is known as the tradition of 'gro dgon ras chen. This appears to be given from master Do m+bi pa[52]to mal lo blo gros grags pa[53] and then it seems to be transmitted up to 'gro dgon ras chen. It is asserted that this mal jo lo 'tsa' is identical with zangs dkar lo tsa', and also my reverend[54] asserts him to be mal glo gros grags. Thus the story that this origin is slob dpon pa dma Do m+bi he ru ka is there in the plain-letter[55] and, being interlinked thus, it is only certain that master pa dma[56] has handed it to mal lo. So it is explained that based on the ten directions' guardians ging kara tantra[57] master pa d+ma has done it. 

What is reknown as "kissing countenances" (the deity in union with the consort), this, ka rma pa k+Si's father-law[58] master pa d+ma[59] has hidden it in a treasure for god's son mu khri[60] and then when not yet having conquered the four borders[61] of Tibet[62] god's son took out this profound natural law from the treasure.

From stag nam mka'i lha bzung up to ka r+ma pak+Si it became a successive lineage among the heads of monastic supervisors. This, the guardian to be meditated as oneself, is the tradition that is to be accomplished like the primordial knowledge.

This self arisen godess[63] is here in Tibet concerning rdo rje phur pa from the oral tradition[64] and gzhin rje dmar nag[65] and regarding phur srung re ma Ti[66] from this it is the part ma mo tantra scipture ocean[67] of what is reknown as the the ma bshin phur gsum[68] and Master pa dma[69], having a bit a connection to it, has handed it to pu rang's[70] zhang btsun da r+ma rin chen. Many the like transmitted oral traditions[71] of the goddess re ma Ti[72]  have been gathered at dus gsum khyen pa[73] and thus regarding the guardian the three main ones have been made kissing countenances, and by this, this ritual joined into one was made by lord mighty-sky-conduct[74] after he the guardian himself gave him the order and in addition to that ka r+ma pa mthong ba don ldan has elucidated and extended it.

In this way after just mentioning names the scripture has to be entered[75]. Furthermore in case the self generation is done by dgyes rdor[76] phag mo[77] rgyal ba rgya mtsho[78] the tantra guardian with the copper knife[79] the entourage of the guardian is to be aroused in front: it is accomplished like the guardians of law[80] that means it is accomplished as the worldly guardian[81] and if after one has meditated the self generation as legs ldan[82] together with the protecting circle one has to visualise in front the supreme son the black one with a cloak. This has then been accomplished as the action guardian[83] and if oneself and in front both have to be accomplished as father-mother kissing countenances then this has been accomplished as primordial knowledge guardian[84]. From these the fastest blessing, strength and great power is right the last tradition.