Jetsun Taranatha

Jetsun Taranatha

Kunga Nyingpo, also known as Jetsun Taranatha or Drolway Gonpo, was one of the most well known Jonang lineage masters and composer of many of the tantric empowerments, rituals and teachings for all the Tibetan lineages. He lived from 1575 until 1635 and was believed to be the reincarnation of the great Rimé Master, Jonang Kunga Drolchok. Studying intensively at Cholung Jangtse Monastery, he quickly covered the five main subjects of the Buddhist scriptures as well as the tantras, and thereby received transmission for all lineages of Vajrayana Buddhism.

One of Taranatha’s most renowned accomplishments was the composition of a Dharma history of India, based on recollections from one of his previous lives as the Indian Mahasiddha Drupchen Nakpopa. To this day, this Dharma history is still considered authoritative and is widely used by many scholars. Taranatha also established the great Jonang monastery of Takten Damchö Ling where he composed roughly forty volumes of texts on a wide variety of subjects. In particular, texts like The Essence of Other Emptiness were influential in clearing away confusion regarding the Zhentong View and reviving Dolpopa’s original philosophy. He benefited beings in countless ways and was hailed as a great ornament of the Buddha’s definitive teachings and the source of all that is good.

Jetsun Taranatha’s Essence of Zhentong

The Zhentong Nyingpo is a very special text that explains the Zhentong (emptiness-of-other) view of the great middle way in relation to other spiritual systems. This is an opportunity to examine and learn how the Zhentong view is similar and different from that of other views. Of course, for those who understand and believe the Buddhist perspective, this text shows the arguments of how the philosophical system of Zhentong is superior in relation to Rangtong (emptiness of self) and also other spiritual systems. This establishes Zhentong as the completion of Dharma. You don’t necessarily have to believe in the superiority of Zhentong to listen to and benefit from understanding this text. You can look at the text as a learning opportunity to understand the strengths, weaknesses, differences, and essence of various systems. This creates a philosophical, mental map of how spiritual systems are in relation to each other. This is a huge subject that Jetsun Taranatha has taken and compared in such a small text. Hence this text is considered to be the essence (nyingpo).

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