TSOKNYI RINPOCHE'S WRITTEN STATEMENT OF
THE DRUKPA KAGYU HERITAGE PROJECT'S PURPOSE

  The transmission of the Buddha's teaching occurs in two ways—through words and through realization. Transmission through words occurs through the Buddha's instructions and through the texts which have been com- posed on the basis of his instructions. Generally speaking, the work of the Drukpa Kagyu Heritage Foundation is to preserve the transmission of the Buddha's teaching by preserving the texts which have been composed on the basis of his instructions. Specifically, it is to preserve the texts of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The written works of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage are vast and are currently scattered across Nepal, Bhutan, Ladakh, India and Tibet. Our intent is to search for and gather copies of whatever texts exist and to compile them into a collected edition which accurately transmits the written heritage of the Drukpa Kagyu tradition.

  The texts of the Drukpa Kagyu Lineage transmit the lineage in four main ways: 1. the oral instructions; 2. abhishekas; 3. transmissions and explanations; and 4. lineage matters. To preserve all of these aspects properly requires the inclusion of everything needed to represent the tradition properly and fully; it does not require the inclusion of every single work ever written. Thus, the collected edition will incorporate the bulk of the written material of the lineage into a single collection, leaving out only a few items and the collection itself will be organized according to the four main themes by which the lineage is transmitted.