Available texts on "Sky-gazing"

[dwight at unixg.ubc.ca]

Dear Shailendra,

In response to your question regarding available texts. There are no
translations published for many of these works, but I myself have
translated  all the main texts concerning the "Chedika" (gcod) tradition
from the Tibetan
for publication as a book in the near future along with their most
important commentaries. I am also trying to compare them with materials
still existing in other Indian languages. As to the
"Prajnaparamita-upadesa", I need to type-up and formalize it, but I would
be glad to share it with you and any other interested parties. Please give
me a few days and I will make it available. As to the other references to
Naths, I would have to consult my notebooks and field notes I collected on
Tantric Sects in the Indo-Tibetan regions. I also think if I can remember
when in Bali that the Saivo-Buddhist Tantric Brahmin priests also practice
a similar technique. This is one Sanskritic tradition many of us Indologist
fail to remember.

As to the Santimaha texts these are numerous and some can be found in
translation. These stem from the Bon and Buddhist traditions. If you want  
  more information on these texts, translations, etc. I can gladly supply
these. One that is very good can be found in the first and second issues of
"Kailasa: Journal for Himalayana Studies". In the second issue Per Kvaerne
the Norwegian Indo-Tibetologist translates an excellent text from the Bon
tradition in which "sky-gazing" is described in detail for an actual yogic
retreat. "Sky-gazing"  is also described as one of the twenty-one
sems.'dzin ("Ways of Holding the Mind") in the writings of gLong.chen.pa.
Apparently it originated from the Santimaha tantra called "Kun.byed
rgyal-po'i mdo" ("The Sovereign All-Creating Mind"; Skt.
"Sarvadharma-santimaha-bodhicitta-kulaya-raja"). This work has been
translated by E.K. Dargyay with the above English title by SUNY press
(1992). There are numerous others. If fact this last summer in Virginia,
one of the high scholar/monks of the Bon tradition gave just such a retreat
on this practice in the Blue Ridge Mountains where a number of scholars and
practitioner attended.
I hope this information will help.

                                               Sincerely Yours,

                                               Dwight A. Tkatschow
                                               Ritsumeikan Institute
                                               University of British
Columbia      



P.S. Most of the "Chedika" (gcod) texts in Tibetan are found in the multi-volume
collection of tantric precepts called, "gDams.ngag.mdzod" ("The Treasury of
Tantric Precepts") Vol.IX, Delhi edition, 1971. It contains both
translations of 
Indian texts and indigenious Tibetan commentaries and liturgical practices, etc.