top of page

Tibetan literature brought to you through beautifully translated publications, engaging audio narrations & immersive videos.

Song

Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Song on the Nature of Mind

Tsangnyon Heruka

A song by Tsangnyön Heruka, using the imagery of ocean, waves, and wind to point directly at the nature of mind.

Today's Picks

FIFTH LELUNG_edited.jpg

Biography

The Hook Which Invokes Blessings: A Supplication to the Life and Liberation of Knowledge-Holder Jalu Dorje

Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje

A self-penned biographical prayer by Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, composed at the request of Trokyab's king Namkha Lhündrub, invoking blessings through life stories.

FIFTH LELUNG_edited.jpg

Biography

The Biography of Ḍākki Losal Drölma

Tubten Chödar

A realized female master, Ḍākki Losal Drölma served as custodian of her half-brother Do Khyentse's treasure teachings while deepening her own spiritual attainments in Tibet's sacred sites

FIFTH LELUNG_edited.jpg

Biography

The Biography of Dzogchen Khenchen Abu Lhagang

Khenpo Tsöndru

Khenpo Tsöndru chronicles his teacher Pema Tegchok Loden (1879–1955), from his studies with renowned masters to his role as Dzogchen Śrī Siṃha's abbot, culminating in solitary meditation practice.

FIFTH LELUNG_edited.jpg

Buddhist

A Prayer to Lord Atiśa and His Spiritual Sons

Khenpo Ngawang Palzang

Khenpo Ngawang Palzang's devotional prayer to Jowo Je Atiśa and his successors captures the essence of spiritual lineage while embodying profound Buddhist devotion.

Song

Song of the Dharma Dance

Śākya Śrī

Song of the Dharma Dance draws on the imagery of Tibetan ritual cham dance to guide an assembly of vajra siblings through successive Dzogchen contemplative instructions toward the recognition of great awareness-emptiness.

Screenshot 2024-11-25 at 17.00.13.png
jatson nyingpo_edited_edited.jpg

Biography

Namkechenma: A Dream of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk

Guru Chökyi Wangchuk

Armed with the 'scroll of devastation' from his father, Guru Chöwang's first treasure excavation leads to a terrifying encounter with the Nine-Headed Nāga Demon, guardian of hidden teachings.

Read

LATEST PUBLICATIONS

Śākya Śrī

Song of the Dharma Dance

Tib Shelf Tibetan Translations 30.jpg

Sera Khandro

Don’t Place Your Trust in…

Tib Shelf Tibetan Translations 30.jpg

Nyagla Pema Dudul

Five Aphoristic Couplets

Tib Shelf Tibetan Translations 30.jpg

Tsangnyon Heruka

Ocean, Waves, and Wind: A Song on the Nature of Mind

Tib Shelf Tibetan Translations 30.jpg

Sera Khandro

Song of the Vulture

Tib Shelf Tibetan Translations 30.jpg

Khenpo Ngawang Palzang

A Prayer to the Three Roots

Tib Shelf Tibetan Translations 30.jpg

People

A painted portrait of Shakya Shri seated outdoors against a dark, mountainous landscape. He appears as an elderly Ngakpa with a calm, contemplative expression, wearing round glasses, a long grey beard, and a tall black meditation hat. Draped in layered robes of ochre, cream, and deep red, he sits cross-legged on a low seat covered with patterned fabric. His hands rest gently in his lap, suggesting composure and meditative presence. The muted, natural background—trees, water, and shadowed hills—frames him as a solitary spiritual figure, emphasizing stillness, depth, and quiet authority.

1853–1919

Śākya Śrī

A vibrant thangka painting depicting the First Dodrubchen Jigme Trinle Özer seated on a lotus throne surrounded by intricate floral motifs. He wears an ornate, multicolored hat and richly patterned robes adorned with dragon designs. Holding a vajra in his right hand and a bowl in his left, he emanates a serene and enlightened presence. The backdrop features intricate golden patterns, and offerings, including fruits and sacred symbols, are placed at the base of the image. The thangka is crafted in the traditional Tibetan artistic style, with vivid colors and exquisite details.

1745–1821

The First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Özer

This is a tangka-style depiction of Jatsön Nyingpo, a prominent Nyingma treasure revealer. He is shown seated on a lotus throne within a circular maṇḍala, surrounded by a radiant halo of light. Wearing traditional monastic robes and a red pandit's hat, he raises one arm in a gesture of teaching or empowerment, while holding a flaming vajra in the other, symbolizing his mastery of tantric practices. The intricate details and vibrant colors emphasize his spiritual authority and connection to the sacred treasures he revealed.

1585–1656

Jatsön Nyingpo

Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje at the center (1), seated in a dynamic and powerful posture, holding a vajra and bell, symbolizing wisdom and compassion. Above him are three lineage masters (2, 3, and 4), seated on clouds with serene expressions, representing the unbroken Nyingma Buddhist transmission.

1800–1866

Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje

WEEKLY QUOTES

བྱང་བསྟན་ཕུག་པར་རྟ་ལྗང་ཅན་གྱི་ཟེར། ། 
Sun rays do not enter a northern facing cave;  

མི་འཇུག་དངོས་པོའི་གཤིས་ལ་བཅོས་མེད་ཀྱང་། །  
The nature of such things cannot be changed.

ཕྱོགས་གཞན་བུག་པར་ཤར་བའི་སྣང་བ་ཡིས། །  
However, light shining through the other opening 
འཐིབས་པོའི་སྨག་རུམ་སེལ་བ་འབྱུང་སྙམ་བགྱིད། །
Dispels the thick darkness
One can contemplate this 

 

The 5th Dalai Lama – Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (1617–1682)

AUDIO NARRATION

A Series of Spontaneous Spiritual Songs

Lelung Zhepe Dorje

Two spontaneous songs by Lelung Zhepe Dorje: one honouring the 2nd Dzogchen Drubwang Gyurme Thekchog Tenzin, the other celebrating the experience of unobstructed, effortless awareness. Both transmit direct spiritual realization through verse.

FIFTH LELUNG_edited.jpg

CLICK PLAY TO LISTEN

Publications for Download

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube

Subscribe to our newsletter

Support Tib Shelf's ongoing work & Subscribe Today!

Tib Shelf is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to translating, presenting and preserving primary source Tibetan texts across a vast array of genres and time periods. We make these literary treasures accessible to readers worldwide, offering a unique window into Tibet's rich history, culture and traditions.

Tib Shelf has been accredited by the British Library with the International Standard Serial Number 
(ISSN):  2754–1495
CONTACT US | SHELVES@TIBSHELF.ORG
© 2024 Tib Shelf. All rights reserved.
bottom of page