The author examines two gter-mas (‘revealed texts’), the Bka’ chems ka khol ma and the Maṇi bka’ ’bum, both transmitted as the testaments of the ancient Tibetan king Srong btsan sgam po. The doctrines and practices elucidated in these gter mas focus on the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. Those of the Maṇi bka’ ’bum in particular are known as the King’s Tradition, which emphasizes mind-oriented practices aimed towards the recognition of one’s own mind as Buddhahood, the Buddha-nature that pervades all sentient beings. The author explores these gter mas in connection with the Meditation Tradition of the Ratnagotravibhāga interpretation lineages in Tibet, contrasting that tradition with another distinct lineage, the Logic Tradition, in terms of their understandings of the mind, emptiness, and the Buddha-nature, and arguing that the later dichotomy between intrinsic emptiness (rang stong) and extrinsic emptiness (gzhan stong) developed from two orientations of rang stong that emerged in response to the confrontation between the sectarian Buddhism of Śrāvakayāna and Mahāyāna Buddhism (Pāramitāyāna and Vajrayāna). The latter advanced the Meditation Tradition, which stands on extrinsic emptiness and embodies the early Mahāyāna traditions envisaged by King Srong btsan sgam po, as depicted in these gter mas, in alignment with Atiśa’s teachings. The author presents a comprehensive overview of the Meditation Tradition, shared by the Bka’ gdams (Rwa sgreng / Reting monastery), Bka’ brgyud, Rnying ma, Jo nang, Bon, and East Asian Buddhist followers of Mahāyāna traditions such as Chan/ Zen. The present work includes critical editions and three dbu can texts derived from dbu med manuscripts of the Bka’ chems ka khol ma.

Tomoko Makidono earned a master’s degree (M.A.) in South Asian Area Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and a doctorate (Dr. Phil.) in Tibetology from the University of Hamburg. Her doctoral research, on the Rnying ma scholar Dge rtse Mahāpaṇḍita (1761–1829) and his exposition of the doctrine of extrinsic emptiness, was published in 2016. Currently, she is a research associate at Minobusan University in Japan, where she also serves as a part-time lecturer. Since beginning her doctoral studies, she has conducted extensive field research in India and Nepal under the guidance of Khenpo Karma Gendun from the Karma Kaṃtsang lineage of the Bka’ brgyud school of Tibetan Buddhism. In 2021, she published a book on the Maṇi bka’ ’bum.