The Thirteen Core Indian Buddhist Texts: A Reader's Guide

Khenpo Shenga (1871–1927) There are thirteen classics of Indian Mahayana philosophy, still used in Tibetan centers of education throughout Asia and beyond, particularly the Nyngma tradition, with overlap with the others.  They cover the subjects of vinaya, abhidharma, Yogacara, Madhyamika, and the path of the Bodhisattva.  They are some of the most frequently quoted texts found in works written from centuries ago to today. Below is a reader's guide to these works. Khenpo Shenga, who penned influential commentaries on all 13 texts. 1. Pratimokṣha Sūtra The first text is the Sutra for Individual Liberation or Sutra of the Discipline or Pratimokṣha Sūtra from the Buddha, containing all the precept for monastics.  We have a commentary of the Bhiksuni Pratimoksha Sutra, Choosing Simplicity. Related Books 2. The Vinayasutra by Gunaprabha The second text is the Vinayasutra by Gunaprabha (7th century) who was a student of Vasubandhu. According to Ringu Tulku's The Ri-me Philosopy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great, "Vasubandhu had many great students, and four of them were considered to be better than himself; Gunaprabha was the one who was better in the Vinaya. Gunaprabha put the four sections of the Vinaya into the proper order, and condensed the seventeen topics of the Vinaya into a shorter format; this is called the Vinaya Root Discourse. He wrote another text called the Discourse of One Hundred Actions, which gives practical instructions on activities related to the Vinaya." 3. The Compendium of Abhidharma or the Abhidharmasamuccaya by Asanga This work on abhidharma does exist in a full, if somewhat dated English translation by Walpola Rahula.  There is an excellent commentary on it by Traleg Rinpoche, published by KTD, Asangha's Abhidharmasamuccaya. 4. The Abhidharmakosha by Vasubandhu Vasubhandu's Abhidharmakosha is the Hinayana treatise on abhidharma and is translated in Jewels from the Treasury which also includes the commentary by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje. 5. The Root Stanzas of the Middle Way or Mulamadhyamakakarika Nagarjuna most famous work, The Root Stanzas of the Middle Way or Mulamadhyamaka-karika is the first work on Madhyamyaka. The Root Stanzas holds an honored place in all branches of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as in the Buddhist traditions found in China, Japan, and Korea, because of the way it develops the seminal view of emptiness (shunyata), which is crucial to understanding Mahayana Buddhism and central to its practice. The latest translation of the text, by the esteemed team of the Padmakara Translation Group, translated this for the occasion of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's visit to Dordogne, France. This version includes the Tibetan text. In a concise presentation of this, its translator said, "It is important to see that in his explanations, or rather presentations, of the Middle Way, Nāgārjuna is formulating neither a religious doctrine nor a philosophical theory. He is not giving us yet another description of the world. He simply points to phenomena—the things of our experience that appear so vividly and function so effectively—and shows by force of reasoned argument that they cannot possibly exist in the way that they appear to exist, and that, in truth, they can be said neither to exist nor not to exist. Existence and nonexistence, however, form a perfect dichotomy. And since phenomena are said to lie in neither of these two ontological extremes, we are forced to the conclusion that their nature is ineffable. It cannot be spoken of or even conceived of. And yet it cannot be nothing—for how can anyone possibly deny the vivid experience of the phenomenal world? And thus we come to the nub of the question: How is the true nature of phenomena to be understood? How are we to lay hold of, or rather enter into, the kind of wisdom that, by revealing the emptiness of phenomena, is alone able to uproot our clinging to their apparent reality and thereby dissipate the tyrannical power that they have over us?" 6. The Introduction to the Middle Way or Madhyamakavatara Chandrakirti's Introduction to the Middle Way or Madhyamakavatara.  This book includes a verse translation of the Madhyamakavatara by the renowned seventh-century Indian master Chandrakirti, an extremely influential text of Mahayana Buddhism, followed by an exhaustive logical explanation of its meaning by the modern Tibetan master Jamgön Mipham, composed approximately twelve centuries later. Chandrakirti's work is an introduction to the Madhyamika teachings of Nāgārjuna, which are themselves a systematization of the Prajnaparamita, or "Perfection of Wisdom" literature, the sutras on the crucial, but elusive concept of emptiness. 7. The Four Hundred Stanzas or Chatuḥshataka Shastra Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas or Chatuḥshataka shastra was written to explain how, according to Nāgārjuna, the practice of the stages of yogic deeds enables those with Mahayana motivation to attain Buddhahood. Both Nāgārjuna and Aryadeva urge those who want to understand reality to induce direct experience of ultimate truth through philosophic inquiry and reasoning. Aryadeva's text is more than a commentary on Nāgārjuna's Treatise on the Middle Way because it also explains the extensive paths associated with conventional truths. The Four Hundred Stanzas is one of the fundamental works of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy, and Gyel-tsap Je's commentary is arguably the most complete and important of the Tibetan commentaries on it. Mahayana practitioners must eliminate not only obstructions to liberation, but also obstructions to the perfect knowledge of all phenomena. This requires a powerful understanding of selflessness, coupled with a vast accumulation of merit, or positive energy, resulting from the kind of love, compassion, and altruistic intention cultivated by bodhisattvas. The first half of the text focuses on the development of merit by showing how to correct distorted ideas about conventional reality and how to overcome disturbing emotions. The second half explains the nature of ultimate reality that all phenomena are empty of intrinsic existence. Gyel-tsap's commentary on Aryadeva's text takes the form of a lively dialogue that uses the words of Aryadeva to answer hypothetical and actual assertions questions and objections. Geshe Sonam Rinchen has provided additional commentary to the sections on conventional reality, elucidating their relevance for contemporary life. 8. The Way of the Bodhisattva or Bodhicharyavatara The Bodhicharyavatara, or The Way of the Bodhisattva, composed by the eighth-century Indian master Shantideva, has occupied an important place in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition throughout its history. It is a guide to cultivating the mind of enlightenment through generating the qualities of love, compassion, generosity, and patience. We have a lot of resources on this site for this text - you can start with Way of the Bodhisattva Resource Page. In particular, we strongly recommend watching the immersive workshop from May of 2016 with esteemed translator Wulstan Fletcher who is part of the Padmakara Translation Group. In addition, we have the famous commentary on this text, The Nectar of Manjusri's Speech. In this commentary, Kunzang Pelden has compiled the pith instructions of his teacher Patrul Rinpoche, the celebrated author of The Words of My Perfect Teacher. The Five Maitreya Texts And then there are the five Maitreya texts that he imparted to Asanga.  For an explanation of these texts see two of the foremost translators of them explain them in this pair of interviews with Karl Brunnnholzl and Thomas Doctor. 9. The Ornament of Clear Realization or Abhisamayalankara The Abhisamayalamkara summarizes all the topics in the vast body of the Prajnaparamita Sutras. Resembling a zip-file, it comes to life only through its Indian and Tibetan commentaries. Together, these texts not only discuss the "hidden meaning" of the Prajnaparamita Sutras—the paths and bhumis of sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas—but also serve as contemplative manuals for the explicit topic of these sutras—emptiness—and how it is to be understood on the progressive levels of realization of bodhisattvas. Thus these texts describe what happens in the mind of a bodhisattva who meditates on emptiness, making it a living experience from the beginner's stage up through buddhahood. Gone Beyond contains the first in-depth study of the Abhisamayalamkara (the text studied most extensively in higher Tibetan Buddhist education) and its commentaries in the Kagyu School. This study (in two volumes) includes translations of Maitreya's famous text and its commentary by the Fifth Shamarpa Goncho Yenla (the first translation ever of a complete commentary on the Abhisamayalamkara into English), which are supplemented by extensive excerpts from the commentaries by the Third, Seventh, and Eighth Karmapas and others. Thus it closes a long-standing gap in the modern scholarship on the Prajnaparamita Sutras and the literature on paths and bhumis in Mahayana Buddhism. Groundless Paths takes the same material and looks at in the context of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. This study consists mainly of translations of Maitreya's famous text and two commentaries on it by Patrul Rinpoche. These are supplemented by three short texts on the paths and bhumis by the same author, as well as extensive excerpts from commentaries by six other Nyingma masters, including Mipham Rinpoche. Thus this book helps close a long-standing gap in the modern scholarship on the prajñaparamita sutras and the literature on paths and bhumis in Mahayana Buddhism. 10. Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sūtras or Mahayanasutralankara The Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sūtras or Mahayanasutralankara The Ornament provides a comprehensive description of the bodhisattva’s view, meditation, and enlightened activities. Bodhisattvas are beings who, out of vast love for all sentient beings, have dedicated themselves to the task of becoming fully awakened buddhas, capable of helping all beings in innumerable and vast ways to become enlightened themselves. To fully awaken requires practicing great generosity, patience, energy, discipline, concentration, and wisdom, and Maitreya’s text explains what these enlightened qualities are and how to develop them. This volume includes commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham, whose discussions illuminate the subtleties of the root text and provide valuable insight into how to practice the way of the bodhisattva. Drawing on the Indian masters Vasubandhu and, in particular, Sthiramati, Mipham explains the Ornament with eloquence and brilliant clarity. This commentary is among his most treasured works. 11. Middle beyond Extremes or the Madhyāntavibhāga Middle Beyond Extremes contains a translation of the Buddhist masterpiece Distinguishing the Middle from Extremes. This famed text, often referred to by its Sanskrit title, Madhyāntavibhāga, is part of a collection known as the Five Maitreya Teachings. Maitreya, the Buddha’s regent, is held to have entrusted these profound and vast instructions to the master Asaṅga in the heavenly realm of Tuṣita. 12. Distinguishing Phenomena from Their Intrinsic Nature -Dharmadharmatavibhanga We have three works that explore this text. Outlining the difference between appearance and reality, Distinguishing Phenomena from Their Intrinsic Nature shows that the path to awakening involves leaving behind the inaccurate and limiting beliefs we have about ourselves and the world around us and opening ourselves to the limitless potential of our true nature. By divesting the mind of confusion, the treatise explains, we see things as they actually are. This insight allows for the natural unfolding of compassion and wisdom. This volume includes commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham, whose discussions illuminate the subtleties of the root text and provide valuable insight into the nature of reality and the process of awakening. Mining Wisdom from Delusion The introduction of the book discusses these two topics (fundamental change and non-conceptual wisdom) at length and shows how they are treated in a number of other Buddhist scriptures. The three translated commentaries, by Vasubandhu, the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, and Gö Lotsāwa, as well as excerpts from all other available commentaries on Maitreya’s text, put it in the larger context of the Indian Yogācāra School and further clarify its main themes. They also show how this text is not a mere scholarly document, but an essential foundation for practicing both the sūtrayāna and the vajrayāna and thus making what it describes a living experience. The book also discusses the remaining four of the five works of Maitreya, their transmission from India to Tibet, and various views about them in the Tibetan tradition. Distinguishing Phenomena and Pure Being was composed by Maitreya during the golden age of Indian Buddhism. Mipham's commentary supports Maitreya's text in a detailed analysis of how ordinary, confused consciousness can be transformed into wisdom. Easy-to-follow instructions guide the reader through the profound meditation that gradually brings about this transformation. 13. Treatise on the Sublime Continuum or the Uttaratantra Shastra The Treatise on the Sublime Continuum or the Uttaratantra Shastra presents the Buddha's definitive teachings on how we should understand this ground of enlightenment and clarifies the nature and qualities of buddhahood. A major focus is “Buddha nature” (tathāgatagarbha), the innate potential in all living beings to become a fully awakened Buddha. We have two books on this work. The first is When the Clouds Part: The Uttaratantra and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra.  This book discusses a wide range of topics connected with the notion of buddha nature as presented in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and includes an overview of the sūtra sources of the tathāgatagarbha teachings and the different ways of explaining the meaning of this term. It includes new translations of the Maitreya treatise Mahāyānottaratantra (Ratnagotravibhāga), the primary Indian text on the subject, its Indian commentaries, and two (hitherto untranslated) commentaries from the Tibetan Kagyü tradition. Most important, the translator’s introduction investigates in detail the meditative tradition of using the Mahāyānottaratantra as a basis for Mahāmudrā instructions and the Shentong approach. This is supplemented by translations of a number of short Tibetan meditation manuals from the Kadampa, Kagyü, and Jonang schools that use the Mahāyānottaratantra as a work to contemplate and realize one’s own buddha nature.   The second title, Buddha Nature, includes commentaries by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso. And One More As Georges Dreyfus notes in his The Sound of Two Hands Clapping, there is another core text that is often included in this group, for example at Namdroling:  Shantarakshita's Adornment of the Middle Way including Mipham Rinpoche's commentary.

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A Reader’s Guide to Greening Your Bookshelf

by Lindsay Michko As spring begins, warmer temperatures and longer days call upon us to deepen our connection to the natural world. We begin spending more time outside and taking notice of all the new growth and colors popping up in the world around us. As a celebration of Earth Day, Shambhala Publications has compiled a guide to books that will help readers to continue to connect to and celebrate the Earth, no matter the season. Mindfully Green: A Personal and Spiritual Guide to Whole Earth Thinking by Stephanie Kaza For those wishing to live more in harmony with their environment, author Stephanie Kaza offers a “green practice path.” This Buddhist-inspired approach to practical and effective environmental action encourages deeper reflection on our personal impact on the natural world, and its impact on us. As Kaza explains, “When we come to see ourselves as part of the great web of life, in relationship with all beings, we are naturally drawn to respond with compassion” (xii). Wild Comfort: The Solace of Nature by Kathleen Dean Moore What can nature teach us during times of suffering? Kathleen Dean Moore explores this question in this collection of essays as beautifully descriptive as they are raw, personal, and insightful. After suffering the loss of multiple loved ones, Moore seeks healing in the form of solitude in nature, finding comfort and wisdom in her experiences, including this advice: “I don’t know why we live or die, whether that’s necessary or contingent. But I will tell my students this: life and death are all or nothing. When you die, it’s done, the chance is gone. So when you live? When you live, make it all. Don’t wait for the rain to stop. Climb out of your tent with your mind engaged and your senses ablaze and let rain pour into you” (168). Integral Ecology: Uniting Multiple Perspectives on the Natural World by Sean Esbjorn-Hargens & Michael Zimmerman The issues facing our environment today are increasingly complex, and with so many different interests at stake, conflicting perspectives on what to do and what is even a “problem” abound. Here, authors Sean Esbjorn-Hargens and Michael Zimmerman present a framework for reconciling the varied, and often conflicting, views on our environment. Based on Integral Theory and the work of Ken Wilber, as well as more than a decade of research, this theoretical framework informs us in how we respond to issues such as climate change and species loss. Case studies and personal practices are also included to further clarify the theories presented in this highly informative text. Compost City: Practical Composting Know-How for Small-Space Living by Rebecca Louie Living in urban environments or with little space can pose some challenges for those looking to connect with nature or live more ecologically responsible lives. Author Rebecca Louie is here to help solve these challenges with this fun and highly informative guide to making a composting practice fit into a busy life and limited amount of space. Louie debunks common myths about composting and presents several indoor and outdoor composting options, providing tips and troubleshooting for each. As our environment faces ever-increasing stresses, deepening our connection to Earth remains invaluable. Whether spiritual, practical, or creative, our continued engagement with the natural world results in a heightened sense of interdependence with and compassion for the world around us. May these books help inspire green living and a joyful celebration of our home.

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Kalachakra Tantra Reader’s Guide

A guide to Kalachakra, the Wheel of Time tantra: books on its initiation, practice, and the Shambhala myth, with teachings by the Dalai Lama and Sakya masters.

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The Levels of Study of the Karma Kagyu at Larung Gar

We were very pleased to host a talk with Khenpo Jamyang of Larung Gar in Golok on Monday, April 18th, 2016 who discussed  the Kagyu curriculum at the largest center of Buddhist study and practice in the world. Below is a list of the texts that Khenpo discussed and the available English translations.  Most of these are from Shambhala Publications but there are a few from other publishers listed below as well. Larung Gar's Kagyu Curriculum: A Talk by Khenpo Karma Jamyang Gyaltsen from Shambhala Publications on Vimeo. The Five Major and Five Minor Sciences An excellent source on this topic is Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye's The Treasury of Knowledge - Book Six, Parts One and Two: Indo-Tibetan Classical Learning and Buddhist Phenomenology which goes into detail on these topics. The translator summarizes these as, "the range of general subjects that fall within the scope of Indo-Tibetan classical learning traditionally include the "five major sciences " of Sanskrit grammar, logic, fine arts, medicine, and Buddhist philosophy, along with a further group of "five minor sciences "-astrology, poetics, prosody, lexicography or synonymics, and dramaturgy" Valid Cognition (Pramana) Dharmakīrti’s The Seven Treatises on Valid Cognition (Pramāṇavārttika, Pramāṇavārttika, Nyāyabindu, Hetubindu, Saṃbandhaparīkṣā, Vādanyāya, Saṃtānāntarasiddhi) The Seventh Karmapa Chödrak Gyamtso’s commentary on The Ascertainment of Valid Cognition (Pramāṇaviniścaya). While there is not much in English on logic and valid cognition that is specifically Kagyu, The Treasury of Knowledge: Book Six, Part Three, Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy discusses these topics in some detail. John Dunne's Foundations of Dharmakirti's Philosophy is also a good resource. Vinaya The Essence of Discipline While there is not an immense amount of material on the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya – which the Tibetan traditions follow – in English, the 84000 project has a growing body of work. Abhidharma Vasubandhu’s The Lower Treasury of Manifest Knowledge (Abhidharmakośa) A great source for this is Jewels from the Treasury: Vasubhuandu’s Verses on the Treasury of Abhidharma published by KTD.  This includes the Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje’s commentary Youthful Play as well. Another important work on Vasubandhu’s Abhidharma literature is translated and detailed in The Inner Science of Buddhist Practice: Vasubandhu’s Summary of the Five Heaps with Commentary by Sthiramati which is a translation of his Pañcaskandhaprakaraṇa Asangha’s  The Higher Compendium of Manifest Knowledge (Abhidharmasamucchaya).  Traleg Rinpoche has a wonderful short commentary on this text as well. The Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā) The Five Maitreya Texts The texts below are the Five Maitreya texts.  For a concise overview of the importance of these texts, see two short articles by Thomas Doctor and Karl Brunnhozl, two excellent translators of many of these texts. The Ornament of Clear Realization of the Perfection of Wisdom (Abhisamayālaṃkāra) An excellent translation and in-depth overview of this is the two-volume Gone Beyond: The Prajnaparamita Sutras, the Ornament of Realization, and Their Tibetan Commentaries from the Tsadra series. Māhayānasūtrālaṃkāra The full translation of this text along with Mipham Rinpoche’s commentary and Khenpo Shenga’s annotations is available as The Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sutras. Another translation which will include an extended section contextualizing this essential text will be forthcoming in 2017 from the Padmakara Translation Group. Madhyāntavibhāga Middle Beyond Extremes includes Mipham Rinpoche’s commentary and Khenpo Shenga’s annotations. Another important and influential commentary of this text by the great 12th century Sakya master Rontongpa was released in 2017. Dharmadharmatāvibhāga A translation of this text which includes Mipham Rinpoche’s commentary and Khenpo Shenga’s annotations is available as Distinguishing Phenomena from Their Intrinsic Nature from the Dharmachakra Translation Committee.Another translation which also includes Mipham’s commentary and the Tibetan was featured in an article in the Snow Lion Newsletter. Uttaratantraśāstra An in-depth analysis on this treatise on Buddha Nature is included in When the Clouds Part: The Uttaratantra and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra  The Middle Way (Madhyamaka) The most Kagyu-specific presentation of these is the in-depth Center of the Sunlit Sky: Madhyamaka in the Kagyu Tradition. Also for a more specific treatment, see The Moon of Wisdom: Chapter Six of Chandrakirti's Entering the Middle Way with Commentary from the Eighth Karmapa Mikyo Dorje's Chariot of the Dagpo Kagyu Siddhas The Karmapa's Middle Way contains the Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje's comprehensive commentary on the Indian master Chandrakirti's seminal text, the Madhyamakavatara or Entrance to the Middle Way. This commentary, Feast for the Fortunate, is the Ninth Karmapa's abridgement of the Eighth Karmapa Mikyo Dorje's masterpiece, the Chariot of the Takpo Kagyu Siddhas. In it, readers will find previously unavailable material on the Karmapa's Middle Way view and a rare window into a philosophically charged era of Middle Way exposition in Tibetan Buddhism. Also highly recommended is Introduction to the Middle Way,  a superb book which has an introduction from the Padmakara Translation Group that is extremely helpful and clear, followed by Chandrakirti's text with Mipham Rinpoche's commentary. Nagarjuna's The Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way (Mulamadhyamakarika) Also highly recommended is Introduction to the Middle Way,  a superb book which has an introduction from the Padmakara Translation Group that is extremely helpful and clear, followed by Chandrakirti's text with Mipham Rinpoche's commentary. Shambhala has a new translation of this coming out this summer from the Padmakara Translation Group as The Root Stanzas of the Middle Way: The Mulamadhyamakakarika Āryadeva's Four Hundred Verses (Catuḥśataka) Though not with a Kagyu specific commentary, the source text is available as Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way With Commentary by Gyel-tsap Mind Training of the Tantra Section The Dakpo Jewel Ornament of Liberation Khenchen Konchog Gyaltsen’s edition is an updated translation of this key text of the Ten-Rim genre. The Preliminary Practices of the Great Seal (Mahāmudrā) We have two texts related to this. Ocean of the Ultimate Meaning is Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s through commentary on the Ninth Karma Wangchuk Dorje’s famous text which takes the reader through the preliminary practices and then onto Mahamudra. Torch of Certainty by Jamgon Kongtrul is the classic commentary on the first part of the text, the ngondro. Commentaries and Pith Instructions on Tantra Dakpo Tashi Namgyal’s commentary on the Hevajra Tantra. Jamgon Kongrtul discusses this text in his Autobiography: The Gem of Many Colors but it is not available in published form in English. The Great Seal (Mahāmudrā) and The Six Yogas of Nāropa There are many superb references for these topics, though as with tantra section above, learning and practicing about these should only be done under a qualified master. For a simple overview of the Six Yogas of Naropa, see Traleg Rinpoche’s Essence of Buddhism, and Ringu Tulku’s Confusion Arises as Wisdom. For more on Mahamudra, see our Mahamudra topic page.

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Mad Monk: An Excerpt from Zen Confidential

A lot of pissed-off people wind up at our monastery. This place has a tractor beam like the Death Star's in Star Wars that pulls in anyone within a thousand-mile radius with a four-letter word on the tip of his or her tongue. Her marriage tanked; he's got an itch in his brain he just can't scratch; she's forty-five and smells of cabbage and lives in a small studio apartment and nobody ever calls her back. . . . They all wind up here, sold on the promise that Buddhism can alleviate suffering. "Zen practice is good for angry people. The form is tight. It squeezes that deep red heart pulp, pushing up emotions from way down inside you." I said "they " all wind up here, but I guess I mean we. I had one of those moments recently where, upon the much-anticipated departure of an enemy that, as a Buddhist, I could never quite admit was an enemy, I found myself peering around the zendo and thinking, "Wow, there are no assholes living here anymore. " Whereupon came a sinking feeling, "Wait a minute, there's always at least one. So if I'm looking around the zendo and I can't find him . . . guess who the asshole is! " Zen practice is good for angry people. The form is tight. It squeezes that deep red heart pulp, pushing up emotions from way down inside you. A lot of "stuff " comes up when you do this practice. Zen gets your juices flowing. And with these juices come seeds-the seeds of your behavior, your character, your anger, all flushed out into the open for you to see. In Zen we learn that human consciousness is an eminently natural operation. You plant a seed, it grows. Similarly, when something happens to you on the outside, in "the world, " the seeds of this experience take root within you, becoming sensations, thoughts, memories-your inner life. Conversely, when something arises within you, some inner experience, a notion, emotion, or dream, then the seeds of this inner event are disseminated on the outside, in the world, through your words and actions. Buddhists call this codependent origination: all things arise together in a mutually interconnected and interpenetrating  web of being. "To see the world in a grain of sand, " William Blake wrote. Or as that great metaphysician Tom "Jerry Maguire " Cruise put it: "You complete me. " Sounds romantic. But what if the seeds at the root of your behavior are the seeds of hate and anger? "We got into a fight about something and I smacked him. It came out of nowhere and was meant to be light. Only it clearly did not come out of  nowhere, and it was not light." A year ago, freshly escaped from the monastery for a day, I was slaloming through bustling foot traffic on Santa Monica Boulevard with my mentor, whom I love and adore. We got into a fight about something and I smacked him. It came out of nowhere and was meant to be light. Only it clearly did not come out of  nowhere, and it was not light. I can still hear the thwack of my open palm against his belly: the hollow thud of a red rubber ball hitting pavement. There was a long stretch of silence, wherein I should have begged for his forgiveness. But I couldn't catch up to the moment. I couldn't admit to the violence that had just erupted from within me. I couldn't tell whether I meant it, whether it was real, where it came from, or how it got there. I have violence in me, unfortunately. The seeds were planted long ago by my father, the poor man. How about all the times he didn't whack me? The time he sighed and let it go when I stole one of his antique firearms and ran around the house with it or sat on a sibling and released a cloud of flatulence? No, I remember only the five moments when his anger broke through. All it takes is one seed. I've apologized, and even sent my mentor a cute homemade card with two stick figures sitting zazen side by side. But my blow planted a hate seed in my mentor, and something irreconcilable has grown between us. I can't seem to reclaim the friendship. I feel as if I'm losing him. "This is one of the great misconceptions about spiritual work: that if applied correctly, it will make us 'better people' (whatever that means)." Zen practice can be a tricky thing because, done right, sooner or later all the issues and energies you've been repressing your whole life will ooze, trickle, and burst to the surface through your tight little smile. And I'm afraid that the practice itself doesn't necessarily equip you to deal skillfully with these issues and energies. This is one of the great misconceptions about spiritual work: that if applied correctly, it will make us "better people " (whatever that means). Zen is not a psychiatric or therapeutic discipline; it's  a spiritual one. It's supposed to get energy moving on a deep, fundamental, life-changing level. Its purpose is to orient you toward the truth, toward reality, whatever this takes. It's not supposed to boss you around with behavioral or self-help dictates or to shoehorn you into the slipper of well-adjusted citizenhood. In other words, spiritual work isn't always just "instructive "-it's also transformative, and this kind of transformation can get messy. The Sanskrit term for this is clusterfuck. Excerpted from  Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk  by Shozan Jack Haubner

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Remembering S.N. Goenka

We join our palms and say goodbye to a teacher who had an immense impact on the world. S.N. Goenka was a pioneer in making Vipassana meditation widely available to a secular audience. Over 170 meditation centers have been established around the globe under his auspices. His legacy will resound indefinitely.   29 January 1924 – 29 September 2013 The following excerpt by S.N. Goenka is from "The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation," from The Buddha is Still Teaching: Contemporary Buddhist Wisdom, selected and edited by Jack Kornfield By learning to remain balanced in the face of everything experienced inside, one develops detachment towards all that one encounters in external situations as well. However, this detachment is not escapism or indifference to the problems of the world. Those who regularly practice Vipassana become more sensitive to the sufferings of others and do their utmost to relieve suffering in whatever way they can-not with any agitation, but with a mind full of love, compassion, and equanimity. They learn holy indifference-how to be fully committed, fully involved in helping others, while at the same time maintaining balance of mind. In this way they remain peaceful and happy while working for the peace and happiness of others. This is what the Buddha taught: an art of living. He never established or taught any religion, any "ism. " He never instructed those who came to him to practice any rites or rituals, any empty formalities. Instead, he taught them just to observe nature as it is by observing the reality inside. Out of ignorance, we keep reacting in ways which harm ourselves and others. But when wisdom arises-the wisdom of observing reality as it is-this habit of reacting falls away. When we cease to react blindly, then we are capable of real action-action proceeding from a balanced mind, a mind which sees and understands the truth. Such action can only be positive, creative, helpful to ourselves and to others.

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The Passing of Lama Tharchin Rinpoche

We are deeply saddened when Lama Tharchin Rinpoche passed away  Monday, July 22, 2013. Lama Tharchin was born in Tibet and was a dzogchen master who received his training at Dudjom Rinpoche's monastery. He fled Tibet in 1959 to live in India and Nepal, before arriving in the United States in 1984. He was the tenth lineage holder of the Repkong Ngakpas, a family lin­eage of yogis. Rinpoche founded the Vajrayana Foundation and established a monastic college and three-year retreat center. He taught throughout the United States, and his gentle presence endeared him to thousands.  Hhe was the driving force for the publication of The Complete Nyingma Tradition, a masterwork from the 19th century. The following interview was conducted in Boulder, Colorado, and is excerpted from Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition by Andrew Holecek. -------------------------------------------------------- What is the best thing for a practitioner to do before death? We are now in the bardo of this life, which is from the moment of birth until the moment of a sickness that leads to our death. This is the time that is the best time to prepare. Dharma is how we can come to die professionally. That includes prostrations, circumambulation [around sacred sites and the gathering of merit], mandala offerings, Vajrasattva, taking refuge and generating bodhichitta, ngöndro, and then guru yoga. It is especially helpful to prepare with phowa practice. This is really powerful. We can practice phowa now, then when the time comes to actually do it, our chances for success are much greater. Reading Karma Lingpa's six bardo teachings is also helpful, along with the creation stage practices (of mahayoga). These deity and visualization practices are really wonderful. Then there are the completion stage practices and the Six Yogas of Naropa. This is all really important to do. The main point is the recognition of your own enlightened buddha nature. When that wakes up in the bardo there is a chance you can be liberated at the level of the dharmakaya. The deity practices prepare you for the sambhogakaya. Any kind of practice is multiplied in the bardo, because consciousness is nine times smarter in the bardo. Therefore if we can practice in the bardo it's easier to attain liberation at that time. What's the best thing one can do during death? It is good if someone can read or remind the dying person to practice the teachings on the six bardos. In addition, try to remember these six things: remember the view, remember the deity, remember mantra, remember your samaya, remember your faith and devotion, remember love and compassion. It is also helpful to remember the Nyingma forms of liberation: liberation through taste (and the blessing substances, the relics), liberation through touching, through hearing, through seeing, through remembering, and through wearing. One can also read the Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra, or the Coppered-colored Mountain prayers-that can all be really helpful. It is also very helpful to give teachings that will help the dying person recognize the bardo of dharmata, and to help them remember phowa. Practitioner or not, remind them to focus at the top of their head. You can also touch up there, or pull a little hair. Remember not to touch any lower parts of their body. Feeling directs consciousness, and it can make the consciousness exit from a lower door and take rebirth in a lower realm. You want consciousness to exit from the crown and merge with luminous emptiness awareness, so that your consciousness becomes vast like the sky. Reminding them of this is very helpful. There's also the recitation of all the Buddha's names, and the Chöying Dzö [Treasury of Dharmadhatu], by Longchenpa (which is what I usually recite). The root text is good to read. What's the best thing to do after someone dies? Each week, on the day that they died, they repeat the death experience, so this is a very special time for them and a time we can really help. You can do tsog (feast) offering on those days. Butter lamp offering is also special for those times, because the lamps represent clear mind-and help them find their way. If a practitioner is available, until the forty-ninth day, every day they could do the né dren ceremony, which is when you bring their consciousness into the support and then give empowerments and teachings and introduce the path that leads them to the pure land. You can also offer food and drink, and perform the sur offering. If you can do this every day until the forty-ninth day that is best (because seven weeks is the longest they can stay in the bardo), but especially in the first week, and then again for the third week. There is a phowa component in the né dren as well, so phowa is being practiced for them with this practice. You can read also The Tibetan Book of the Dead, because bardo beings come back to hover around their loved ones during the bardo of becoming. This is the time when your prayers can penetrate and reach them directly, helping them. They can truly receive this help. (from Preparing to Die by Andrew Holecek)

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Drive All Blames into One

The following is an excerpt from Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong By Norman Fischer It is quite counter-intuitive, quite upside down. What it is saying is: whatever happens, don't ever blame anyone or anything else, always blame only yourself. Eat the blame and it will make you strong. There's another Zen story about this one. In Zen there's a formal eating ritual called oryoki. In Zen monasteries this is the way the monks eat all of their meals: in robes, seated on meditation cushions on raised platforms, with formal serving and chanting, eating in a dignified prescribed style, even washing out the bowls with water and wiping and putting them away as part of the ritual. When I was a monastic, I ate this way every day, and even now at some of our retreats we practice oryoki. At first the practice seems intimidating and overly complicated, but when you do it for a while, it becomes second nature and you see its beauty. You realize that actually it is the simplest, most elegant, and most efficient way that a group of people could eat together. In a way, it is a bit like mind training itself: it seems at first impossible and complicated, but when you get used to it, you see how beautiful and even how simple and natural it is. In any case, once in ancient China an abbot was eating oryoki style with the monks in the meditation hall. He discovered a snake head in his soup. This was not snake soup; Zen monasteries are vegetarian. It was definitely a mistake. Probably a farmer monk out in the fields hadn't noticed that he'd cut off the head of a snake while cutting the greens, and the snake's head had found its way into the soup pot because the soup-cook monk also hadn't noticed it. Such things happen, even when you are practicing mindfulness and doing good organic farming and trying not to kill anything. But a mistake is a mistake, and a mistake that ends up in the abbot's bowl is a mistake compounded. The abbot called the tenzo, the head cook. "Look!" He held up the snake's head. And the tenzo, without saying a word, snatched the snake's head and swallowed it. He didn't blame the farmer, he didn't blame the soup cook. He didn't make excuses. He didn't feel guilty or ashamed. He ate the blame. It was probably very nourishing. From Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong by Norman Fischer, pages 50-51. Norman Fischer is a Zen priest, poet, translator, and director of the Everyday Zen Foundation. His numerous books include What Is Zen? Plain Talk for a Beginner’s Mind, Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong, and Opening to You: Zen-Inspired Translations of the Psalms.     Related Books Other Books on Lojong / "Mind Training"

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