DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17503850
title: Buddhist Classics AI Translation Series Vol.2: The Collected Tantras of the Nyingma (Nyingma Gyubum) - Tibetan-Chinese-English Parallel Corpus (Version 4.0) | 佛典AI译丛第二卷:宁玛十万续(4.0版)

description: This is **Volume 2** of the comprehensive *Buddhist Classics AI Translation Series*, featuring the **Collected Tantras of the Nyingma** (*Nyingma Gyubum* / *rNying ma rgyud 'bum*, 宁玛十万续), one of the most important and mysterious collections in Tibetan Buddhist literature.

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## About the Nyingma Collected Tantras

The **Nyingma Gyubum** (literally "100,000 Tantras of the Ancient Ones") is the definitive canonical collection of tantric texts transmitted by the Nyingma school, the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism. This corpus comprises:

- **Sanskrit-origin tantras**: Translated from Sanskrit during the 8th-9th centuries by masters including:  - **Vairocana** (Tib. *Bai ro tsa na*): Chief Tibetan translator  - **Nubchen Sangye Yeshe** (*gNubs chen Sangs rgyas ye shes*): Early Nyingma master  - Guided by Indian masters **Padmasambhava**, **Vimalamitra**, and Chinese master **Wujigong** (Song Huishou, 宋惠寿)

- **Treasure texts** (*terma*, 伏藏): Revealed teachings rediscovered by later masters- **Indigenous Tibetan tantras**: Compositions reflecting Himalayan cultural integration

**Historical Significance**:- **First complete Chinese translation** of this 950+ text corpus (~30 million characters)- **75% previously untranslated** into any modern language- **First scholarly access** to comprehensive English translations- **Represents lost civilizations**: Many texts preserve Indus Valley, Dravidian (*lu yig*, "spiral script"), and ancient Urdu (*mkha' 'gro yig*, "ḍākiṇī script") traditions now extinct in their regions of origin

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## Dataset Scope and Structure

### **Source Editions**

This volume integrates multiple textual traditions:

**1. Thimphu Edition (廷布版, 46 volumes)**- Modern Bhutanese compilation (mid-20th century)- Standard reference for contemporary scholarship- Organized by tantra class (Mahāyoga, Anuyoga, Atiyoga)

**2. Peltsek Edition (Gpb版, 58 volumes)**- Based on older manuscript traditions- Includes variant readings and colophons- Preserves editorial notes indicating complex transmission history- Source: http://www.rkts.org/ and https://texts.thdl.org/

**3. Degé Edition (德格版)**- 18th-century woodblock edition- Compiled under Jigme Lingpa's guidance (1730-1798)- Derived from the 25-volume Mindrolling catalog

**4. Kangyur Three Volumes (甘珠尔三函)**- Earliest canonical Nyingma tantras included in Tibetan Buddhist Canon- Integrated for comparison

**Version 4.0 Enhancements**:- **47-volume Peltsek edition**: Complete Gemini 2.0 translations (Tibetan-Chinese-English)- **Degé edition**: Parallel version for textual criticism- **Cross-edition concordance**: Linked references across all versions- **Expanded supplements**: Longchenpa's complete works (Vol. 49), Tengyur Mahāmudrā texts (Vol. 48)

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## Translation Methodology

### **AI Models and Quality Tiers**

**Primary Translation (Highest Quality)**:- **Claude 3.5-3.7 Sonnet** (Anthropic): Used for major treatises and poetic sections- **Continuous narrative style**: Superior handling of verse and liturgical texts- **Terminology consistency**: Cross-validated with Longchenpa's commentaries

**Comparative Translations**:- **Gemini 2.0** (Google DeepMind): Complete corpus coverage- **GPT-4o** (OpenAI): Supplementary translations for ambiguous passages

**Technical Features**:- **Automatic segmentation** with validation overlaps (1-2 sentences at boundaries)- **Manual annotation**: Critical passages reviewed by project team- **Cross-model validation**: Ambiguous terms checked across 2-3 AI systems

**Quality Disclaimer**:- Gemini 2.0 translations have **higher error rates** than Claude versions- **For scholarly citation**: Always verify against Tibetan originals- **For practice guidance**: Consult qualified teachers- **Best approach**: Compare multiple AI versions + original text

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## Historical and Cultural Context

### **Transmission History**

**Tang Dynasty (8th-9th centuries)**:- Initial translation phase under royal Tibetan patronage- Collaborative work of Tibetan, Indian, and Chinese masters- Some texts translated from Chinese sources (e.g., *Bodhicitta Lamp of Three Realms*: "汉地三卷已毕" / "Three Chinese volumes complete")

**Yuan Dynasty (13th-14th centuries)**:- Longchenpa's systematization and commentary- Compilation of *Seven Treasuries* providing interpretive framework- Recognition of Nyingma corpus as distinct tradition

**Qing Dynasty (18th century)**:- Jigme Lingpa's catalog and Degé printing- Wider dissemination through woodblock technology

**Modern Era (20th-21st centuries)**:- Thimphu edition (mid-20th century, Bhutan)- First public catalogs in mainland China (1990s-2000s)- Digital editions (2010s-2020s)- Complete Chinese translation (2024-2025, AI-assisted)

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### **Cultural and Philosophical Significance**

**Lost Civilizations Preserved**:- **Indus Valley tantric traditions**: Texts in ancient scripts (*lu yig*, *mkha' 'gro yig*)- **Dravidian Buddhist practices**: South Indian ritual systems- **Himalayan indigenous beliefs**: Pre-Buddhist shamanic elements integrated into Buddhist framework

**Philosophical Richness**:- **Dzogchen (Great Perfection)**: Highest yoga tantra teachings on primordial awareness- **Anuyoga**: Perfection-stage practices emphasizing subtle body yogas- **Mahāyoga**: Generation-stage deity yoga and maṇḍala systems

**Phenomenological Insights**:- **Embodied cognition**: Practices linking physical postures, breath, and mental states- **Non-dual time-space**: Descriptions of consciousness beyond linear temporality- **Linguistic ontology**: Mantras as constitutive of reality (not merely descriptive)

**Anthropological Value**:- **Ritual technology**: Detailed instructions for ceremonies, dances, amulets, divination- **Medical knowledge**: Plant-based medicines encoded in symbolic language- **Social history**: Reflects tribal conflicts, shamanic practices, gender dynamics in ancient Tibet

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## Critical Content Notice

**Important Reader Advisories**:

This corpus contains materials that:1. **Reflect historical worldviews** (8th-14th centuries) incompatible with modern ethics2. **Include tribal warfare elements**: Curses, protective rituals, substitution techniques3. **Contain gender-biased language**: Patriarchal assumptions of ancient societies4. **Describe non-vegetarian offerings**: Symbolic or literal use of animal products5. **Use shocking rhetoric**: Designed to challenge conventional thinking (upāya / skillful means)

**Editorial Position**:- **No censorship**: Texts preserved in full for scholarly integrity- **Historical context required**: Readers must situate content in original cultural milieu- **Not prescriptive**: Descriptions ≠ endorsements for contemporary practice- **Symbolic interpretation**: Many "literal" descriptions are metaphors (e.g., "human offerings" = internal subtle-body channels, per Longchenpa's commentaries)

**Recommended Approach**:- **Critical reading**: Apply modern ethical frameworks while studying- **Consult teachers**: Qualified guides can clarify symbolic meanings- **Cross-reference**: Compare with mainstream Buddhist ethics in other texts- **Academic distance**: Treat as historical documents, not lifestyle manuals

**Parallel to Traditional Medicine**:- Just as ancient medical texts contain harmful prescriptions (mercury, lead), these tantras contain outdated social prescriptions- **Value lies in understanding historical thought**, not literal application

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## Longchenpa's Interpretive Framework

### **Essential Companion Text**

**Longchenpa (龙钦巴, 1308-1364)** wrote the definitive commentarial framework for the Nyingma Gyubum, particularly in:

- ***Seven Treasuries*** (*mDzod bdun*): Systematic exposition of Dzogchen philosophy- ***Dispelling Darkness of the Ten Directions***: Comprehensive guide to tantra classifications- ***Trilogy of Natural Freedom***: Practice instructions synthesizing tantric systems

**Why Read Longchenpa First**:- **Philosophical grounding**: Explains Madhyamaka and Yogācāra foundations- **Symbolic decoding**: Clarifies metaphorical meanings (e.g., "五毒" / five poisons = five wisdoms)- **Practice hierarchy**: Guides gradual approach vs. sudden realization- **Cultural translation**: Interprets Indian-origin concepts for Tibetan (and now global) audiences

**Included in This Volume**:- **Volume 49**: Longchenpa Complete Works (26-volume edition)- **Volume 48**: Tengyur Mahāmudrā texts (frequently cited references)- **Volume 47 (Supplement)**: Additional tantras not in Thimphu edition

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## Textual Challenges and Research Value

### **For Scholars**

**Manuscript Studies**:- **Version comparison**: Thimphu vs. Degé vs. Peltsek reveals editorial choices- **Colophon analysis**: Transmission lineages and translation teams documented- **Linguistic archaeology**: Preserves 8th-century Tibetan, Sanskrit loans, indigenous terms

**Historical Research**:- **Tang-Tibet relations**: Chinese Buddhist master Wujigong's role- **Gender studies**: Mother tantras reflect matriarchal societies (pre-10th century Tibet)- **Religious evolution**: Integration of Bon, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna elements

**Comparative Religion**:- **Shamanic continuities**: Parallels with Central Asian, Siberian traditions- **Apocalyptic literature**: Eschatological themes (cf. Zoroastrian, Abrahamic texts)- **Esotericism**: Secret language, initiation rites, graded disclosure

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### **For Practitioners**

**Meditation Instructions**:- **Subtle body yogas**: Detailed *tsa-lung-tigle* (channel-wind-essence) practices- **Maṇḍala visualization**: Step-by-step generation-stage protocols- **Guru yoga**: Devotional practices for lineage connection

**Liturgical Resources**:- **Daily practice texts**: Short sādhanas for householder practitioners- **Feast offerings** (*gaṇacakra*): Community ritual manuals- **Empowerment ceremonies**: Templates for tantric initiations

**Philosophical Study**:- **Madhyamaka-Dzogchen synthesis**: Non-dual view grounded in emptiness- **Appearance-emptiness indivisibility**: Phenomenology of luminous clarity- **Self-liberation**: Instant recognition of primordial awareness

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## Phenomenological and Philosophical Analysis

### **Embodied Cognition Perspectives**

**Soma-Psychic Integration**:- Practices directly link body postures (*āsana*), breath control (*prāṇāyāma*), and mental states- **Empirical testability**: Modern neuroscience can investigate claims about altered states

**Environmental Cognition**:- Sacred geography (pilgrimage sites, cave hermitages) as cognitive extensions- **Place-based practice**: Location affects consciousness (cf. environmental psychology)

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### **Husserlian Phenomenology**

**Intentionality Structures**:- Mantra-deities as *noematic* objects (intentional contents of consciousness)- **Transcendental reduction**: Meditation as bracketing (*epoché*) of natural attitude

**Time-Consciousness**:- **Eternal now**: Descriptions of awareness beyond past-future duality- **Protention-retention collapse**: In Dzogchen, temporal flow dissolves into timeless presence

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### **Heideggerian Existentialism**

**Being-toward-Death**:- **Chöd practice** (cutting ego): Ritual enactment of death-anxiety confrontation- **Authentic existence**: Liberation through facing impermanence

**Language and Being**:- Mantras as **constitutive of reality** (not representational)- **Primordial language**: Seed-syllables (*bīja*) as ontological foundations

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### **Possible Worlds Semantics**

**Modal Logic Applications**:- **Necessity statements**: "One must realize primordial awareness" (deontic modality)- **Counterfactuals**: "If one practices X, then Y arises" (subjunctive conditionals)- **Epistemic modalities**: "It is knowable that..." vs. "It is hidden that..."

**Alternative Cosmologies**:- Tantric universe as *possible world* with distinct causal laws (mantras affect reality)- **Accessibility relations**: Initiation creates access to otherwise-inaccessible states

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## Technical Specifications

- **Total size**: ~30 million characters (Tibetan + Chinese + English)- **Text count**: 950+ individual tantras- **Volume structure**:   - Vols. 1-46: Thimphu edition (primary)  - Vol. 47: Peltsek-exclusive texts  - Vol. 48: Tengyur Mahāmudrā supplements  - Vol. 49: Longchenpa Complete Works- **File formats**: Plain text (.txt), Markdown (.md), compressed archives (.7z)- **Encoding**: UTF-8- **Metadata**: Source edition, page numbers, translation model, editorial notes

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## Intended Use Cases

### **Academic Research**- Tantric Buddhism studies- Tibetan literature and linguistics- History of religions- Manuscript studies and textual criticism- Gender studies in ancient Tibet- Comparative mythology

### **Religious Practice**- Meditation and yoga instruction- Ritual liturgy- Guru yoga and devotion- Philosophical contemplation

### **AI and NLP Applications**- Training specialized language models on Tibetan Buddhist domain- Cross-lingual translation research (Tibetan-Chinese-English)- Semantic analysis of religious symbolism- Computational liturgy (generating practice texts)

### **Digital Humanities**- Corpus linguistics (mantra analysis, vocabulary distribution)- Topic modeling (philosophical themes across tantras)- Network analysis (citation patterns, lineage maps)

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## Copyright and Licensing

### **Public Domain Status**

**Historical Texts** (8th-14th centuries):- Authors deceased >650 years ago- International copyright expired 1414-1464 CE- Treated as shared cultural heritage

**Modern Editions**:- Thimphu, Degé, Peltsek compilations: Editorial work in public domain (50+ years post-publication)- Digital transcriptions: Derived from openly accessible sources

### **Translation Copyright**

- **AI-generated translations**: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)- **Permitted uses**:  - Academic research and publication  - AI training and model development  - Commercial applications (with attribution)  - Modification and redistribution- **Attribution format**: "Buddhist Classics AI Translation Project (2025)"

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## Version History

- **Version 1.0** (2024 early): Microsoft Translator + Chinese tool (deprecated)- **Version 2.0** (2024 August): Claude 3.0 Opus, manual processing- **Version 2.1** (2024 August): Claude 3.5 Sonnet upgrades- **Version 3.0** (2025 August): Gemini 2.0 Peltsek edition- **Version 4.0** (2025 September): Complete 47-volume Peltsek + Degé parallel edition

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## Citation

If you use this dataset, please cite:

 
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## 中文说明

### 关于《宁玛十万续》

**《宁玛十万续》**是藏传佛教宁玛派的核心密续总集,包含950余篇文献,约3000万字。本卷为**人类历史上首次完整汉译**,标志着佛教密续文献研究的重大突破。

### 本卷特点

- **多版本对照**:  - 廷布版(46函,现代标准)  - 德格版(18世纪吉美林巴编)  - Peltsek版(58函,古抄本汇编)  - 甘珠尔三函(最早正典收录)

- **AI翻译技术**:  - Claude 3.5-3.7:主要译本(最高质量)  - Gemini 2.0:全覆盖译本  - GPT-4o:辅助对照

- **学术价值**:  - 75%内容此前从未被译成任何现代语言  - 保存印度河流域、南印度失落文明  - 8-14世纪原始文献完整呈现

### 版本演进

- **1.0版**(2024年初):微软翻译器(已废弃)- **2.0版**(2024年8月):Claude 3.0,手工处理- **2.1版**(2024年8月):Claude 3.5升级- **3.0版**(2025年8月):Gemini 2.0 Peltsek版- **4.0版**(2025年9月):47卷完整Peltsek版+德格平行版

### 重要提示

**内容警告**:- 部分内容反映8-14世纪历史观念- 不应字面照搬于现代实践

**最佳阅读方式**:1. 先读龙钦巴全集(第49卷)建立框架2. 对照多个AI译本4. 参考原文进行学术研究

### 版权说明

- 原始文献:公共领域(作者逝世650+年)- AI译本:CC BY 4.0许可- 明确允许AI训练使用

### 引用格式