The Three Series

The Three Series (sde gsum) came to be the dominant way to organize the historical development and internal diversity of Great Perfection (rdzogs chen) traditions, though it does do not include all texts and traditions within the Great Perfection. The three series represent overlapping phases of development in early Great Perfection practice, thought, and literature. The Mind Series (sems sde) represents the earliest stage (8th-11th c.), the Space Series (klong sde) the next stage (10th-11th c.), and the Esoteric Precept Series (man ngag sde) the final stage (11th-14th c.).