The Great Tantra of Vajrasattva: Equal to the End of the Sky

This is a Tantra of the Great Perfection tradition of Buddhism, and is a thorough presentation of instantaneous enlightenment, translated from a Tibetan manuscript first translated into Tibetan in the 8th Century by Vairochana Rakshita. The text presents itself as an esoteric work of Buddhism, but contains ideas that are considered unorthodox by most Buddhist traditions, such as an eternal luminescent wisdom. It is possible that Gnostic or Upanishadic thinking are elements. Scholars interested in the early period of Buddhism in Tibet and the history of Indian philosophy, those interested in possible connections between Buddhist and non-Buddhist tradition, and those who wish to read authentic source material on the Great Perfection will be most interested. The Tantra is a brilliant elucidation of Sudden Enlightenment, which will make it of particular interest to those interested in the debate regarding whether enlightenment is sudden or gradual.