mkhyen brtse'i bka' babs
The Khyentse Kabab collection, in twenty-two volumes, is structured around the notion of the seven types of authoritative transmission (bka' babs bdun) that were considered an essential aspect of Khyentse Wangpo's unique endowment as a highly influential promulgator of the Buddhist teachings. In his biography of Khyentse Wangpo, Jamgön Kongtrul mentions an early reference to this set of seven in an unnamed work by Thangtong Gyalpo that prophesied the arrival of Khyentse Wangpo, referring to him as bka' babs bdun ldan mdo sngags gling, which references his treasure revealer (gter ston) title Pema Ösel Dongak Lingpa (Pad+ma 'od gsal mdo sngags gling pa) along with the epithet "Possessor of the Seven Authoritative Transmissions." These seven, in the order that they structured within this collection, are: 1) Oral Tradition (bka' ma or bka' nas bkar brgyud), 2) Earth Treasure (sa gter), 3) Rediscovered Treasure (yang gter), 4) Mind Treasure (dgongs gter), 5) Recollection (rjes dran), 6) Pure Vision (dag snang), and 7) Aural Lineage (snyan brgyud). These types of transmission are common in certain Tibetan traditions, however this specific set of seven seem to have originated with Khyentse Wangpo, though he does also apply them to the revelations of Chogyur Lingpa in the biographical prayer he composed for this master after his passing. It should also be noted that these seven, as they apply to this collection, are categorized according to Khyentse Wangpo's role as a conduit of a particular teaching or practice rather than being indicative of the nature or origins of the teachings themselves. In other words, these categories are demonstrative of how Khyentse Wangpo received a certain set of teachings. Of these seven only the first, the Oral Tradition consisting of the verbal explanations and initiations passed down in a succession of teachers and their students, applies to a somewhat commonplace type of transmission that would be accessible to ordinary individuals. The remaining six involve the more extraordinary aspects of transmission that are the purview of only the most accomplished or karmically destined practitioners. The first three of these are related to the revelation of types of treasures (gter ma), namely those revealed from the earth, the practitioner's mind, and the rediscovery of previously revealed treasures. Recollection refers to the ability to access memories from previous lives, while the final two involve new visionary encounters with enlightened beings and the accomplished masters of the past.
