The Treasury of Precious Instructions

Essential Teachings of the Eight Practice Lineages of Tibet

The Treasury of Precious Instructions or Dam-ngak Rinpoché Dzö is one of Jamgön Kongtrul’s Five Treasuries. It can be considered one of the most important contributions to Tibetan literature, and a further statement of Jamgön Kongtrul’s non-sectarian values, because it contains the collected transmissions and esoteric instructions of the eight principal practice lineages of Tibetan Buddhism that trace their lineages back to India. The project to translate all eighteen volumes of The Treasury of Precious Instructions will take many years and involve numerous translators experienced in the different traditions represented in the collection.

Sarah Harding has completed the Chöd (Severance Lineage) and Zhijé (Pacification Lineage) volumes as well as the two Shangpa Kagyu volumes, the first of which was printed in 2022. The Jonang volume was published at the beginning of 2021 as well as the Mahasiddha teachings volume sixteen from Stephen Gethin. Art Engle is working on the Kadam volumes, the first of which will arrive in 2023. Malcolm Smith finished both Sakya Volumes with the first arriving in 2022. Elizabeth Callahan’s Marpa Kagyu 1 arrived in early 2023 and she is already well into the second of four volumes. Wulstan and Helena are currently working on the Nyingma volumes. Gavin Kilty is working his way through the Kalachakra volume. To mark the official beginning of this project, Tsadra Foundation printed Richard Barron’s initial translation of Kongtrul’s Catalog (dkar chag) of The Treasury, which is freely available for download on this page.

The 18 volumes of The Treasury of Precious Instructions comprise:

• Secret Mantra of the Nyingma – Two Volumes (876 pages) (gsang sngags rnying ma)
• Kadampa Tradition – Two Volumes (1190 pages) (bka’ gdams)
• Sakya Tradition’s Path & Result – Two Volumes (930 pages) (sa skya lam ‘bras)
• Marpa Kagyu – Four Volumes (1567 pages) (mar pa bka’ brgyud)
• Shangpa Kagyu – Two Volumes (1304 pages) (shangs pa bka’ brgyud)
• Pacification & Severance – Two Volumes (900 pages) (zhi byed dang bchod)
• Kalacakra & Orgyen Nyendrup – One Volume (626 pages) (dus ‘khor dang o rgyan bsnyen sgrub)
• Miscellaneous Teachings – Two Volumes (1088 pages) (khri skor sna tshogs)
• Jonang Tradition & Catalog – One Volume (630 pages) (jo nang khrid brgya dang dkar chag brgyud yig)