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The Tibetan term, bcud len, "imbibing the essence juice", is considered an equivalent for the Sanskrit term, rasāyana. But in Tibetan Buddhist ritual manuals, both terms occur, apparently with slightly different connotations. Practices classified as bcud len are frequently relatively short, and seem primarily designed for the use of individual yogis, usually as a subsidiary practice to complement their main tantric meditation. The production of bcud len pills which are said to sustain, rejuvenate and extend the life of the body, or even to bring immortality, is often an integral part of the practice. The term, rasāyana, is used in Tibetan transliteration (ra sā ya na), not as a title or classification for a specific ritual practice or recipe for pills, but rather to refer to the processes of alchemical transformation of substances within complex ritual "medicinal accomplishment" (sman sgrub) performances which are generally communal. In this case too, pills are produced, of the broader "sacred elixir dharma medicine" (dam rdzas bdud rtsi chos sman) type. This paper will consider a range of the practices, and of substances used in the sacred medicinal compounds.

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and is currently involved in a major research project (2017)(2018)(2019) at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. She specialises in Tibetan and Himalayan tantric rituals of all periods from the 10 th century CE. Her publications include, A Noble Noose of Methods, the Lotus Garland Synopsis: A Mahāyoga Tantra and its Commentary" (Vienna 2012, with Robert Mayer). Reincarnation and personal identity in the lives ofTibetan masters: linking the revelations of three lamas of the Dudjom tradition This paper explores Tibetan understandings of character, personal identity, and questions of authorship, when the life story and spiritual writings involve persons linked by a line of incarnation. The focus is the 20 th -century Dudjom Rinpoche (bDud ʼjoms ʼjigs bral ye shes rdo rje, 1904-1987), his immediate predecessor, Dudjom Lingpa (bDud ʼjoms gling pa, 1835-1904), along with a 17 th -century lama, Düdül Dorje (bDud ʼdul rdo rje, 1615-1672). While Tibetan accounts of reincarnating lamas sometimes emphasise continuities, stories of the two Dudjoms make no secret of the contrast between them in terms of their characters and behaviour. Dudjom Rinpocheʼs main textual work is his important contributions to the Nying ma literature of previous generations. It is clear that the identification between these three lamas gave Dudjom Rinpoche a specific responsibility in this case.