The Nyingma canon brims with layers of revelation, from the cliff-hanging cliff-hangers of mind-treasures to the grand tantras first set down by Padmasambhava. At its heart sits the Nyingma Gyubum, a vast treasury of tantras unique to the “Ancient Ones.” Carved into nine vehicles (nine yanas), it ranges from foundational Sutras and Mahāyāna teachings to the pinnacles of Atiyoga, or Dzogchen.

Key Dzogchen texts include the Seventeen Tantras—texts like the Tantra of the Blazing Lamp and the Mind Mirror—that unpack the nature of rigpa (pure awareness). Those searching for pith instructions often turn to the Vima Nyingtik and the Khandro Nyingtik, rediscovered terma cycles revealed by Vimalamitra and Padma Lingpa respectively. More recently, Longchenpa’s Longchen Nyingtik (The Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse) has become the beating heart of Nyingma practice worldwide.

Longchenpa’s Seven Treasuries (mdzod bdun) read like a masterclass in Buddhist thought and poetic flair. From the philosophical Jewel of Enlightened Mind to the Precious Treasury of Pith Instructions, these works weave metaphysics, ethics and meditation into tapestries of luminous insight. At the same time, the Bardo Thödrol (Tibetan Book of the Dead) by Karma Lingpa remains a household name even outside monastic walls—its vivid guidance on death and rebirth famously inspired Western readers in the 20th century.

Oral lineages shine through the vast termas—treasure texts—discovered across centuries: fresh revelations of scriptures, sadhanas and liturgies hidden in rocks and lakes. Modern scholarship and digital projects, like the 2024 Namgyal Monastery digital archive, are now making these treasures accessible to practitioners and academics alike.

This living literature, passed down through unbroken lineages and ever-revealing new waves of terma, keeps Nyingma’s flame flickering bright—even as the world races forward.