The Crown Pith. A Great Perfection (rdzogs chen) tradition that emerged in the twelfth century, centered around a set of revelations made by nyang ral nyi ma 'od zer (1124/36-1204). Given this date, the Crown Pith was one of the newer Great Perfection traditions. Focused on the figure of Padmasambhava, it advocated a return to a more pristine form of the Great Perfection, in contrast to Great Perfection traditions that were (a) more practical, and offered detailed descriptions of yogic practices, and (b) were filled with horrific imagery and tantric discourses of death. The tradition did survive far beyond nyang ral nyi ma 'od zer and his close disciples.

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