The Mother Tantra (Ma rgyud) in the Bon tradition. Introduction to the ye shes thig le’i mchan ’grel (Commentary and notes to the Mother Tantra, Essence of Primordial Wisdom)

Within the horizon of Bonpo tantric literature, Mother Tantras (Tib. Ma rgyud) are celebrated for their remarkable philosophical soteriology. The article introduces elements and features of seminal Ma rgyud tenets unravelled through the exegesis of Lopon Tendzin Namdak (1926-), the major spiritual authority in the field of Bonpo hermeneutics. Specifically, it presents an analytical overview of the opening section of the latter’s Ma rgyud ye shes thig le’i mchan ’grel (Commentary and notes to the Mother Tantra, Essence of Primordial Wisdom). The pivotal point is that the eschatologic prin ciples of the Ma rgyud set out in the work prove relevant to the core of rDzogs chen metaphysics.