Nagarjuna as Described by Buton

From Butön's History of Buddhism in India and Its Spread to Tibet Four hundred years after the Buddha passed away, in the southern country of Vidarbha, there lived a prosperous Brahmin who was childless. In a dream, gods foretold that if he invited one hundred Brahmins to a religious festival, a son would be born to him. He did as he was told, made prayers, and ten months later a son was born. When he showed the child's distinguishing marks to one who could discern omens, he was told that though the child had excellent marks, he would not live more than one week. [The father] then asked what could help his son. He was instructed that if he invited one hundred Brahmins to a religious festival, his son would live seven months, and if he invited one hundred monks to such an event, the child would live seven years, yet it was impossible for him to live longer than that. The father did as he was told. When the seven-year period drew near, the parents, who couldn't bear the thought of seeing their son's dead body, sent him off to travel, accompanied by a servant. On his travels, the child saw the face of [Bodhisattva] Khasarpana and later arrived at the gates of glorious Nalanda Monastery. There, he recited aloud the poetry of the Vedas, which was heard by the resident Brahmin Saraha. Saraha brought him inside, where the boy related his circumstances. Master [Saraha] said, "If you are able take ordination as a monk, I have the means [to prolong your life]." Thus he took ordination. [Saraha] granted him empowerment within the sacred circle of Buddha of Infinite Life, Conqueror of the Lord of Death, and had him recite the mantra. In particular, the child recited the mantra during the evening and night of the final day of his seventh year and was freed from the Lord of Death. Then he was reunited with his parents, who were overjoyed. Following that, he requested from Brahmin Saraha [empowerment and teaching in] texts along with the meditative instructions for such deities as Matrix of Mystery. He requested Rahulabhadra, the abbot of Nalanda, to be his preceptor and became fully ordained, known as the monk Shriman. Serving as Advisor to Nalanda's spiritual community While he served as an advisor to Nalanda's spiritual community, a great famine struck. Shriman obtained from Ling-bar [a place] an alchemical elixir that could produce gold, and having used it to make gold, he was able to acquire [enough food to provide for] the monastic community's midday meals: they were able to complete their monsoon-season retreat. The monks [leaving retreat] saw starving people and death and asked him, "How have you produced our midday meals during a famine?" When Shriman explained how he had done so, they replied, "Without asking the community, you had us [accept food gained from] wrong means of livelihood. We expel you and order you to construct ten million temples and stupas." The Ornament of Awareness - 1,200,000 verses Thereafter, he gained, through meditation practice, the attainment of both mundane and transcendent accomplishments. During this time, a monk named Shamkara composed a work entitled The Ornament of Awareness in 1,200,000 verses and disputed with everyone. To subdue [this challenge, Shriman] taught at Nalanda. Two boys listened to his teaching and left afterward, going underground. He asked who they were, and, when the boys told him, "We're nagas," he asked them to bring him clay from [the realm of] noxious spirits. They reported this to the naga king, who told them to invite the teacher. [Shriman] knew it would be beneficial [to accept] the invitation and went to the nagas' realm, where he taught the doctrine. The Perfection of Sublime Insight The nagas asked him to stay with them, but he replied, "I have come seeking clay with which to build ten million stupas and to take The Perfection of Sublime Insight in One Hundred Thousand Verses back [to the human realm]. I have no time to stay now, but it is possible that I will later return." He [departed,] taking with him a large amount of clay, as well as The Perfection of Sublime Insight in One Hundred Thousand Verses and The Perfection of Sublime Insight in a Few Words. It is said that the nagas did not give him a portion of the end part of The Perfection of Sublime Insight in One Hundred Thousand Verses. Thereafter, he used the clay to build the ten million stupas and other sacred supports and was assisted by most nagas, of whom some did not return to the naga realm and of whom he became their "mother." Thus, he became known by the name "Nagarjuna," Propitiator of Nagas. Nagarjuna 'Propitiator of Nagas' Thereafter, having used alchemy to produce gold in Pundravardhana, Nagarjuna distributed generous gifts. At that time, an old Brahmin couple, to whom he had given much gold, became faithful to Nagarjuna. The old man served as [Nagarjuna's] attendant and heard his teachings. After death, the man was reborn as the master Nagabodhi. The Jewel Garland, written for a king Nagarjuna then went to the eastern region of Patavesha, where he built many temples, and did likewise in the country of Radha. There was a particular rock that resembled a bell that he hoped to change to gold, but the gods prevented him from doing so. After that he went to the northern continent of Ominous Sound. On the way there, in the city of Salama, he met a young boy named Jitaka, and, from the lines on the boy's palm, [Nagarjuna] foretold that he would become a king. Having arrived at Ominous Sound, [Nagarjuna] hung his clothes on a tree and washed himself. While he did so, [the people of that continent] carried away his clothes. "Those are mine," he protested. They said, "He has an ‘I,' a self!" and stared at him. Then, after he had fulfilled his purposes there, he left. Meanwhile, the boy he had met had become a king and offered Nagarjuna many precious gems. In return, Nagarjuna gave him the precious teaching The Jewel Garland. Letter to a Friend This master served as teacher to the monastic community, built numerous stupas and monasteries, encircled Vajra Seat with a stone lattice fence, and constructed the setting of the glorious Dhanya-kataka Stupa. His treatises in the field of Buddhist inner knowledge include texts that emphasize the view, presenting the middle way beyond extremes from the perspective of the scriptures - A Collection of Praises, and those that present it from the perspective of reasoning - A Collection on Reasoning. Among his treatises that emphasize conduct, The Compendium of the Discourses presents it from the perspective of scripture; Training of the Mind in the Great Way, the perspective of reasoning; and Wish-Fulfilling Counsel on Dreams, which causes the awakening of affinity [with the conduct] of pious attendants. A Letter to a Friend emphasizes conduct for those whose support is [the vows of a] householder; The Awakened Assembly, the conduct of renunciations. Among his treatises concerned with [secret] mantra, A Compendium of Tantras provides a brief exposition of [tantra's] view and conduct. Awakened Mind: A Commentary establishes the view. To present the phase of creation, he wrote Matrix of Mystery: Meditation Technique, a concise version of this, Matrix of Mystery: Blended with the Discourses, and Matrix of Mystery: Twenty-Part Sacred Circle Ritual. The Five Stages teaches the phase of completion. His treatises on medicine include One Hundred Prescriptions. Among his works on secular customs, A Drop of Nourishment for Individuals contains advice for common people, One Hundred Verses on Knowledge contains advice for officials, and The Jewel Garland, written for a king, presents the integration of the great way's view and conduct. His many other original works include The Absolute Nature of the Science of Interdependent Arising, Aroma Prescriptions, and Transmutation into Gold. Those identified as his commentaries on others' texts include Matrix of Mystery Tantra: A Commentary and The Rice Province Discourse: A Commentary. As for The Four Seals: A Presentation, Sheaves of Pith Instructions declares, "Nagarjuna did not write that text." Master Prajnakaramati states in Entering the Conduct of Bodhisattvas: A Major Commentary that Master Nagarjuna composed a text The Compendium of Training [as had Shantideva]. In these ways, Nagarjuna worked on behalf of the doctrine for six hundred years. During that time, King Antivahana or Udayanabhadra had a son, Prince Shaktiman. When his mother gave him a fine seamless mantle, the boy said, "I will need this when I rule the kingdom." His mother replied, however, "You shall never rule the kingdom. Your father and Master Nagarjuna used longevity practice and extracting the essence of matter to gain accomplishment: [your father's] life shall be as long as the Master's." The prince then went to Master Nagarjuna's residence on Shriparvata Mountain. Raising his head, [Nagarjuna] ordered the prince to cut it off, but his sword could not sever his neck. The master said, "I have the ripened karma of having cut an insect with a blade of kusha grass and caused its death. Cut with kusha grass." [The prince] cut off [Nagarjuna's head]; this verse issued from the base of his neck:   I have gone to Blissful Realm, But I will once again enter this body.   As the prince left carrying the head, a female noxious spirit snatched it from him and threw it one league away [from the body]. Neither the head nor the body decay, but with each passing year draw nearer to one another. It is said that when they eventually rejoin, Nagarjuna will work for the benefit of the doctrine and of beings. [In the name] Nagarjuna, naga signifies birth from the basic space of phenomena, abiding in neither the extreme of eternalism or nihilism, mastery over the vault of precious scriptures, and being endowed with the view that burns and illuminates. Arjuna signifies one who has procured worldly power. Thus, he is named Arjuna because he governs the kingdom of the doctrine and subdues the hosts of faulty enemies. Taken together, these two parts form the name "Nagarjuna." The Fundamental Verses on Sublime Insight - A Commentary: Clear Words states: I bow to Nagarjuna, He who has eliminated resting in either of the two extremes And who gained birth in the ocean of the perfect Buddha's intellect; Who compassionately teaches according to his realization Of the treasury of the sacred doctrine's profundity as it is; Whose view is a blazing mass of fire That now consumes the firewood Of opposing scriptural traditions, And overcomes the world's mental darkness. His quiver of arrows, non-dual wisdom speech, Unleashed in this world of his disciples, including the gods, Perfectly accomplishes his sovereignty in the three realms, And triumphs over all legions of mundane enemies. And, Composed by the Bodhisattva Nagarjuna who departed to the Realm of Bliss, Having, out of compassion, severed his head and bestowed it to he who came seeking it. Some contend that The Great Cloud Discourse states, Four hundred years after I have passed away, this Licchavi [clan member] will become a monk called Naga. He will cause my doctrine to flourish and ultimately become Buddha Light of the Source of Wisdom in a world called Light of Purity. The Great Cloud Discourse states: In the southern region of Rishila, a king named Repairing Decline will appear. During his reign, when the king reaches eighty years of age, the sacred doctrine will be destroyed, leaving but a few remnants behind. At that time, on the northern shore of the mountain stream called Beautiful Wealth in the meritorious town known as Mahavaluka, in the vicinity of the land that belonged to the aristocrat Drago-chen, a young Licchavi [clan member] bearing my name, the sight of whom delights the entire world, will be born to spread the doctrine. In the presence of Transcendent Buddha Lamp of the Naga Family, this youth will vow to forsake his life on behalf of the doctrine and the Buddha's teachings. It is he who will propagate the doctrine. So it reads. While it can be said that Nagarjuna is not explicitly mentioned, it must be examined based on some persons' belief that Nagarjuna's [formal Buddhist name] was Shakyamitra. It is also said that Nagarjuna's life is extensively foretold in The Great Drum Discourse, but this too must be researched. From Butön's History of Buddhism in India and Its Spread to Tibet Read more about Nagarjuna here. Butön Rinchen Drup (1290–1364) has been the role model for many of Tibet's greatest masters over the centuries, including the present Dalai Lama. He was a simple monk and a dear spiritual friend of all, high and low, and he embodied the highest degree of Buddhist scholarship and mastery of meditation. Related Books

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In Praise of Longchen Rabjam

The following is an excerpt from The Life of Longchenpa: The Omniscient Dharma King of the Vast Expanse By Jampa Mackenzie Stewart In Praise of Longchen Rabjam By Khenpo Shenga Translated by Adam Pearcey Due to the kindness of Guru Padmasambhava, there have been many great holders of the teachings here in Tibet, the Land of Snows. There have appeared highly accomplished saints who were no different from the vidyadharas of India, the Land of the Aryas. Yet although there have been countless eminent scholars, none of them might be compared with the Six Ornaments and Two Supreme Ones of India in terms of wisdom and enlightened activity. In later times there was the Omniscient One from Samy é, Longchenpa, who was the equal of the Jowo Kadampa gesh és in terms of his ethical discipline and practice of training the mind (lojong), and who was like Jetsun Milarepa in how he first served his teacher and then spent his life meditating in solitude on the guru's instructions. On account of his total mastery of study and contemplation, his fearless eloquence and his achievements in explanation, debate, and composition, we might compare him to the likes of Sakya Pandita, the Lord of Dharma, or the precious Je Tsongkhapa. How he reached the final accomplishment and arrived at the exhaustion of reality within the primordial state was just like the great Chetsun Seng é Wangchuk, Melong Dorj é, and others. In terms of his ability to manipulate phenomenal existence and call upon the assistance of the oath-bound guardians, he was comparable to the great awareness holders of Nub. In keeping to the tenets of the pinnacle of all yanas and surpassing all the views and philosophies fabricated by the ordinary mind, he was like the great Rongzom. If we consider the vast array of instructions he passed on in an oral lineage and the way he cared for the disciples who maintained his tradition, we might compare him to Sachen Kunga Nyingpo or Marpa Lotsawa. His mastery over the conventional sciences and the way in which Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, lent power to his speech made him the equal of the lotsawas of the past. The way great clouds of blessings are amassed within his written instructions makes them identical to the profound Dharma treasures of the great tertöns. His perfect training in bodhichitta and his ability to benefit all those with whom he came into contact was reminiscent of Dromtonpa or the peerless Dakpo Lhaj é (Gampopa). Khenpo Shenga Other Tibetan scholars took as their basis the excellent Indian treatises but then added explanations based on their own clever ideas, with the result that on occasion their statements no longer accord with scripture or valid reasoning. In particular, the works of Nagarjuna and his successors have been fervently debated among Tibetans, with the assertions of earlier Tibetan scholars subjected to a great deal of presumptuous refutation and affirmation by later scholars. Yet the explanations of the Omniscient One remain true to the tradition of the Six Ornaments and Two Supreme Ones in their beginning, middle, and end. Other Tibetan siddhas possessed only a few instructions from the oral lineage and then taught the holders of their tradition to meditate on selected instructions. Gyalwa Longchenpa, by contrast, was the master of countless teachings from profound transmissions. He possessed all manner of instructions, which had been passed down from vidyadharas and accomplished siddhas, from dakas and dakinis, or received directly from Guru Padmasambhava and so on. This meant he could lead the holders of his tradition to attainment by encouraging them to practice diligently those instructions for which they felt the greatest affinity. Other learned and accomplished masters may have given complete teachings on particular instructions, but they did not have practices for all the teachings in their entirety. The Omniscient Guru explained all the teachings completely. He revealed the instructions for gaining supreme and common accomplishments in general, from the kriya- and charyatantras onwards, and all the tantras and pith instructions of Dzogpa Chenpo in particular, and so he is the true charioteer of the essence of clear light teachings. In addition, his wisdom body has appeared in visions before those with great good fortune, granting them realization and so on. In short, I believe Gyalwa Longchenpa to be the unique embodiment of the enlightened qualities of all the learned and accomplished masters of the Land of Snows. If you consider this honestly, you will find this to be just how it is, neither an exaggeration nor an understatement. Gaining experience and realization through meditation- That is common to all forms of pith instruction. But gaining experience and realization through nonmeditation- How could anyone fail to seize upon something so amazing? Ha! Ha! More Books Related to Longchen Rabjam

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Mandarava Reader's Guide

Learn about Mandarava, an enlightened Buddhist master and principal consort of Padmasambhava, whose life, teachings, and legacy inspire Tibetan Buddhism. See Also: Profiles of early Indian Mahayana figures | Tibetan Masters of the 8th Century | Tibetan Masters of the 10th-11th Centuries Guru Rinpoche | Yeshe Tsogyal | Mandarava| Kawa Peltsek | More of Guru Rinpoche's 25 Disciples This series of blog posts are meant to be resources guides to complement the biographies of the great masters and scholars on the Treasury of Lives site. Mandarava Mandarava was one of the great 8th century adepts and was one of the main consorts of Guru Rinpoche. As such a central figure at the time of Guru Rinpoche, she is a focus of many works.A wonderful complete biography was published by our friends at Wisdom Publications as The Lives and Liberation of Princess Mandarava. A short account of her life by Sarah Jacoby is on the Treasury of Lives site. In Crazy Wisdom which is included in The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa, Volume 5, Trungpa Rinpoche describes the scene when Mandarava met Guru Rinpoche:  "One day he visited a nunnery. At this particular nunnery lived a princess called Mandarava, who had just recently become a nun and had completely turned away from worldly pleasure. She lived in seclusion, guarded by five hundred women, whose task was to make sure that she maintained her monastic discipline. When Padmasambhava arrived at the monastery, everyone was quite impressed with him-naturally. He had the innocence of one born from a lotus and a pure and ideal physique. He was very beautiful. He converted all the women in the nunnery: they all became his students. "In Lady of the Lotus-Born, there is a wonderful scene where Mandarava and Yeshe Tsogyal, Guru Rinpoche's most well-known consorts, bestow teachings on each other: "Mandarava requested the twenty-seven pith instructions, a special teaching of the Guru, unknown in India. And Tsogyal offered them to her. Now Mandarava was a dakini of longevity, a Lady of Immortal Life, and so Tsogyal asked her for the seven pith instructions of long life, as well as the thirteen pith instructions on Hayagriva and other deities, all of which teachings she concealed as Treasures. " There follows an exchange of offering verses between the two of them. First, from Yeshe Tsogyal: Om Ah Hung!Dakini who won the diamond state of deathlessness, Whose body, like a rainbow, rides upon the sky, You pass with mastery through things unhindered, And crush the Demon Lord of Death, And overthrow the Demon of the Aggregates.  Freed from shackles of the Demon of Defiled Emotion, You humbled and brought low the Demon Son of Gods: Dakini and mistress of longevity, Is this not yourself? From highest Akanishta down, Throughout the three dimensions of existence, Of every high and noble one you are the mistress. The body of Great Bliss is yours, Mandarava, sublime patterning of voidness,  Mother of wanderers, to you I bow!For beings in the endless karmic stream of birth and death, Caught on the mill-wheel driven By the torrent of impure delusion,  You close the door to their descent and fall. May my prayer to be as you are be fulfilled.When karma is exhausted and the thought of pleasure vanished, When the mire of delusion has dried up,  When the three worlds, all samsara, are exhausted And every thought extinguished- In the sphere of Great Bliss blissfully enclosed, May I be never separate from Samantabhadri of Great Bliss. Thus she prayed and requested many pith instructions that had never been heard of in Tibet. Then the queen of siddhas, Princess Mandarava, answered: Kyeho! Accomplished in the Secret Mantra, Dancer in the sky, Wonder-worker who dissolved her impure form Into the sphere of purity, You drank the nectar of the teachings Of the Lotus-Born And gathered all their essence- Great Mother, Wisdom that has gone beyond, Is this not yourself? Entering the path wherein the truth Of all phenomena is seen, You utterly forsook the eight preoccupations of this life And, practicing austerities, lived upon essential substance, Overcoming all phenomenal existence.  Tsogyal, ever-young, immaculate, to you I bow!Sinful beings in the endless cycle of samsara, Blown by the hurricane of karma- These you tame and guide most skillfully.  Establishing the Dharma, you undid The devilish perversity of Bon. Mistress, sovereign strength, may I be one with you!Hereafter in the purity of infinite pure space,  Which is the pure expanse of Lotus Light, Bathed in the beams of Pema Tho ¨dreng's love, May you and I together send out emanated forms To work enlightened actions, Churning thus the three worlds of samsara! And with this prayer, she disappeared into space. " Mandarava is featured throughout Guru Rinpoche: His Life and Times where Lama Ngawang Zangpo points out it was not her status as consort that mattered but rather that she and Yeshe Tsogyal "were the best among Guru Rinpoche's disciples, men or women; their inclusion in countless paintings and sculptures of the master is a tribute to their personal enlightenment during an era of social enlightenment. " Included in Guru Rinpoche are several short biographies of his life. In Jamgon Kongtrul's account, he introduces Mandarava thusly: "Mandarava, daughter of Arsadhara, king of Zahor, was a woman who showed all the signs of being a dakini. The Master seduced her and accepted her as his consort and companion in spiritual practice. After three months of longevity meditation in Maratika Cave, the lord protector Buddha Infinite Life [Amitayus] appeared in person, bestowed empowerment, and blessed them as inseparable from him. When the Buddha imparted a billion tantras of longevity, they attained accomplishment of the state of an awareness holder who controls longevity. Their bodies became adamantine, beyond birth and death. " Mandarava is an important part of many practices, whether explicitly as Guru Rinpoche's consort, or symbolically as Guru Rinpoche's khatvanga as described in Shechen Gyaltsap's A Practice of Padmasambhava [link and image] or Thinley Norbu Rinpoche's Cascading Waterfall of Nectar. Mandarava is also a close link in the treasure tradition. In the Autobiography of Jamgon Kongtrul, the author relates how he discovered as a terma a piece of Madarava's clothing along with some other precious objects. Mandarava is very strongly associated with the Maratika cave and longevity. This can be seen in Chogyal Namkhai Norbu's account of his experiences at Maratika in Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light where he relates his dreams of Mandarava before discovering a gongter, or earth treasure, there. Mandarava also features in several modern scholarly books as a model of the feminine principle. In Dakini's Warm Breath: The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism, Naropa professor Judith Simmer-Brown explores the importance and role of Mandarava. In Feminine Ground, Jan Willis also explores Mandarva and what she represents, through a contemporary lens. The dakini Niguma, the founder of the Shangpa Kagyu lineage and the sister of Naropa, is considered a reincarnation of Mandarava. Further Resources: TBRC Reference: http://tbrc.org/#!rid=P00AG0428 Treasury of Lives Site: http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Mandarava/9 Related Books See Product See Product See Product See Product See Product See Product See Product See Product

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Nanam Dorje Dudjom

Discover Nanam Dorje Dudjom, one of Guru Rinpoche's 25 disciples, and explore his life, spiritual accomplishments, and legacy in Tibetan Buddhism. See Also:  Profiles of early Indian Mahayana figures | Tibetan Masters of the 8th Century | Tibetan Masters of the 10th-11th Centuries Guru Rinpoche | Yeshe Tsogyal | Mandarava| Kawa Peltsek | More of Guru Rinpoche's 25 Disciples Nanam Dudjom Dorje: A Guide for Readers An exchange between Nanam Dorje Dudjom and Guru Rinpoche is included in Guru Rinpoche: His Life and Times. The full translation includes Nanam Dorje Dudjom requesting a prayer for the benefit of future generations and the 120 line prayer. The Nyingma tradition generally prescribes reciting this prayer in the afternoon as part of a daily cycle of prayers Guru Rinpoche gave to particular disciples. Details on this are included in Khenpo Ngagchung's A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher. In The Dark Red Amulet, Khenpo Palden Sherab, describes how Nanam Dorje Dudjom pointed a phurba at the Tsangpo River near Lhasa and stopped its flow through the power of Vajrakilaya. Nanam Dorje Dudjom also appears in the 19th century Autobiography of Jamgon Kongtrul who relates how he requested a Vajrakilaya empowerment from his teacher. Before granting it, his teacher had a pure vision where he received the transmission directly from Nanam Dorje Dudjom and subsequently bestowed the empowerment on Jamgon Kongtrul. There are many points in Tibetan history where he appears directly or in rebirths. In Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal's biography of Dudjom Rinpoche, Light of Fearless Indestructible Wisdom, the story of his fourteenth century rebirth, Rigdzin Godem Chen relates how he discovered the Guru Rinpoche's treasure, the Gongpa Zangtal, a core text in the Northern Treasures lineage. Khenpo Namdrol, in his book The Practice of Vajrakilaya, talks about how there are three terma transmissions of the Vajrakilaya teachings. One relates to King Trisong Detsen, one to Yeshe Tsogyal, and the other to Nanam Dorje Dudjom. The latter was rediscovered by his reincarnation, Lerab Lingpa. The Gur Khukma Vajrakilaya treasure discovered by the great 20th century master Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok also belongs to this same tradition. On a related note, In Dzogchen: Heart Essence of the Great Perfection, Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche identifies Sogyal Rinpoche as a reincarnation of Nanam Dorje Dudjom. Furthermore, in The Ruby Rosary Kyabje Thinley Norbu Rinpoche offers a commentary on a short prayer written by his father H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche illuminating the lives of great yogis, scholars, and masters of the Buddhist lineage in addition to describing the early spread of Buddhism in Tibet beginning with the direct disciples of Guru Rinpoche such as Nanam Dorje Dudjom. Dudjom Rinpoche also mentions him in The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, published by Wisdom Publications. Lineages associated with him as well as other information are on the TBRC site. (http://tbrc.org/#!rid=P0RK1005) Nanam Dorje Dudjom Related Books See Product See Product See Product See Product See Product

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Words of Advice from Chatral Rinpoche

Remembering the timeless wisdom of Chatral Rinpoche through his advice on compassion, meditation, and living a meaningful spiritual life. The world lost one of its greatest meditation masters and teachers in the past few days, Kyabje Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche,  at the age of 103 or 104.  Chatral Rinpoche was a teacher's teacher - a bridge between the great teachers the 19th and early 20th centuries like Khenpo Ngagchung, Sera Khandro, and Dudjom Rinpoche to the teachers of today.  His list of students is a Who's Who of some of the most brilliant and accomplished teachers, mostly in the Tibetan tradition, but beyond it as well - it was he who  Thomas Merton referred to as  the greatest man he had  ever met.  Chatral Rinpoche's impact cannot be overstated. Below is an excerpt from the  one and only book of  Rinpoche's  teachings,  Compassionate Action, in which he addresses a gathering of practitioners from the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in Bodhgaya, the seat of the Buddha's enlightenment. While this  advice was directed at a specific  tradition with Himalayan Buddhists, the main points of developing compassion and an authentic practice apply to us all. Since I am the eldest of the Nyingma lamas, I have been asked to share some humble thoughts and opinions with all those who have gathered here this year in the sacred place of Bodhgaya, India on the occasion of the Eleventh Annual Great Prayer Festival of the Early Translation School. I will therefore speak a few words of advice to express my point of view, so I hope you all listen well. First of all, I greatly rejoice that by the kindness of many benefactors and volunteers, the Great Nyingma Prayer Festival has been taking place for many years and I myself - an old man - was able to attend it for the first three years. Now, since we are all followers of the Buddha, we should know that taking meat and alcohol is very bad. This is one of the main things we should abandon. So the fact that everyone has agreed that we will refrain from meat and alcohol [during the Great Prayer Festival] and realized that there is simply no need for us to take these things is a result of the buddhas' compassion. Some of you have a lot of responsibilities and things to look after - such as taking care of your wife and children - and in reality are therefore unable to accomplish great deeds for the benefit of the Buddha's Teachings. As for the excellent tradition of the Great Nyingma Prayer Festival, it has been established in general to restore, preserve and expand the teachings of Lord Buddha and in particular those of the luminous Vajrayana tradition of the Early Translation School, which is endowed with the special sixfold greatness. One should not mix the Dharma with worldly affairs because this Festival has been established for the sole purpose of the Dharma. Therefore, if we allow these two to get mixed up together, it is like putting fire and water in the same vessel. If the fire is very strong, the water will dry up. If the water predominates, the fire will die. So don't get mixed up with politics. Above all, what do we need to develop bodhicitta?  Have not all the beings of the six realms - having passed through the bardo and been reincarnated many times - at one point been our mother and father? By following over and over the path of the Mahayana taught by the Buddha, all temporary and ultimate subtle and gross suffering will be mollified for everyone. The temporary and ultimate benefits of happiness and goodness will increase further and further. These days we are living in the age of the five degenerations, also called the "five insurmountables. " In this wild and unruly time, because of such things as the proliferation of many kinds of evil weapons and the spread of different kinds of poisonous drugs such as tobacco, the Buddha's teachings are being taken away as if by an untimely frost. From all angles the explanation and practice of these precious teachings have many obstacles. Favorable conditions are few. It is like a pond that has lost its water through drought or a butter lamp that has run out of oil. Everyone knows and understands that it has come to be like this. So, to focus on restoring these teachings is what we mean here by "contributing to world peace. " Apart from that, you can't simply take "peace " from one country and export it to another one. Each country or state has one person as the leader of that country or state. Different types of dark forces have transformed the minds of all of these people and they view their neighbors with prejudice; the small ones view the big ones with envy, the big ones treat the small ones with contempt and equal-size ones see each other as being competitors. Because of such biases, they engage in all kinds of wars. Even if the country we live in has peace today, in each country war will eventually be fought. These conflicts are as numerous as the grass that grows in a summer meadow or the bright stars that come out at night once the sun goes down. This is something tangible that we can see with our own eyes. So it is in order to pacify these hostilities that we recite prayers of aspiration. The prayers that we are using in this Festival are "Reciting the Names of Manjushri " - which is the quintessence of both the sutras and the tantras - and "The King of All Aspirations, "120 which is the main prayer according to the sutras. These teachings have the complete meaning of both sutra and tantra in them. Along with them,we also recite The Treasure of Blessing: A Sadhana of the Buddha and conclude each day with a prayer that the teachings of the Nyingma Tradition may flourish called "The Words That Rejoice the Dharma King, " both composed by Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche (1846-1912). These are prayers that all of us should include in our daily practice. If that isn't possible, we should at least not fail to recite them on the tenth and twenty-fifth days of the lunar month. It would be wrong to say, as some do, that if we don't recite prayers while being aware of their meaning and merely repeat the words mindlessly, it has no benefit whatsoever - like prayer flags flapping in the wind. However, there are indeed differences in the level of benefits and blessings derived from prayers according to the way we recite them. Therefore, keeping this in mind, at the beginning of the practice, generate bodhicitta. During the main practice, some will use an object of concentration and some will practice without an object of concentration; each person should do what is best according to their level. At the end, one should dedicate the merit in a way that is pure from the three conceptual spheres to the best of one's ability. The most important and essential thing in making this Great Prayer Festival meaningful is to depend on those three stages of practice - generation of bodhicitta, the main practice and dedication of merit. All must do the complete three stages of practice. Especially because we follow the teachings of the Nyingma Early Translation School, in the area of the view, conduct must not get lost and in the area of conduct, the view must not get lost. As Guru Rinpoche said, In the direction of the view, if conduct gets lost, the view goes to the tarnished state of Mara. In the direction of conduct, if the view is lost, having become entangled by the hopes and fears of materialism and ideology, real liberation will never come and there is no way you can reach the level of the unified state. This should be understood. Lamas, tulkus, and khenpos have studied many texts and know and understand this, so there is no need for me to remind them further. These days in our Nyingma Tradition, philosophical colleges and retreat centers are spreading everywhere. What I have said thus far is no different than what the teachers explain in those centers and what the students listen to. As a result of our training, we are participating in this large gathering at Bodhgaya during the twelfth lunar month - the eighteenth day of this month being the anniversary of the passing of the all-knowing Longchen Rabjam. Before that day comes - from the first to the tenth - we strive to perfect the accumulations [of merit and wisdom] and purify obscurations. Many devotees who have faith in the Three Jewels and, especially in this Great Prayer Festival of the Early Translation School of the secret Mantrayana, have made offerings for the benefit of those who have died, for those who are helpless and without a protector and for all living beings. Fellow devotees who are in a position to receive these offerings have accepted them. These religious offerings made for the sole purpose of helping the dead and the living are not something that should be taken lightly. Pondering the significance of these religious offerings, all of you must do dedication prayers and make pure aspirations for the sake of the deceased. For the benefit of the living, we serve them with a protective prayer ritual for the sake of long life and prosperity according to their respective inner wishes. After consulting with the astrologers and doing divination, when the list of prayers to recite in the puja to help that person is announced, make sure you perform the service correctly. It won't be beneficial if you don't chant the prayers and say the dedication, leaving only us to enjoy the faith offerings. This will mature as a heavy karmic burden! We must purposefully take on this great responsibility and put a seal on the practice by doing the aspiration and dedication prayers. If you put a drop of water into the ocean, until the ocean dries up, the drop of water isn't going to dry up. Similarly, by virtue of putting a seal on the practice through dedication prayers, the benefits of the practice will not rot or decay until you achieve Buddhahood. It is the Buddha's wish that this virtue not be wasted; it is the real essence of the flawless teachings of the Buddhist pandits. Everyone having understood this well; engage in the complete three stages of practice. At a sacred place and special event like this when there is an oceanlike gathering of people, several of the great holy masters will be among them. Whoever of these great masters might be present, they should give advice like I am doing and everyone should respect and follow their advice. If you do this, imagine the manner in which the splendor of the teachings of the Nyingma Early Translation School will develop above and beyond what it is now. If you don't do this and try to pass on your responsibility to others, they will be disregarded and people won't listen. Even though some have the ability to teach, they don't use that ability. Other people either don't know or understand very little of the meaning of the teachings and say things unnecessarily. There are a few who think that they don't need to explain general points to others because they are not interested or cannot bear to take on great responsibilities. I think this is wrong. Those who have responsibilities should advise those who don't, encouraging them to work on their discipline so it will improve year after year and become firm. If you place one being at a time on the path of discipline, thinking they will stay firmly on this path for at least one hundred years, then as long as the Buddhadharma remains, there will be harmony in the monastery with good clean discipline and no reason for others to criticize or judge. Nyingmapas and all other religious traditions have their own respective rules on discipline. Each must take responsibility for their own situation. The Nyingmapas cannot take responsibility for the other traditions - it can't be done. Each of us Nyingmapas have either come from the three provinces, the upper, lower, and middle regions of Tibet, or been born in the noble land of India, Nepal, or anywhere in the Himalayan range east of Ladakh. There are hundreds of Nyingma monasteries - large and small - in those areas. In these monasteries, what is known as the Sangha - the monastic community - should distinguish between what is to be accomplished and what is to be avoided according to the threefold training and the Statements of the Tripitaka. By doing this, the so-called "noble Sangha " will be the same in both name and meaning. As it is said: "There is no guide like the Buddha. There is no protector like the Dharma. There is no fertile field like the Sangha. One should always rely on those three. " While saying that, you should also understand that, as a leading figure of the Three Jewels, the Sangha needs to engage seriously in the teachings of the Buddha and encourage others to do so. This is what is meant by being "holders of the Teachings. " Apart from that, even if one is a fortunate businessman - no matter how well they did in amassing great wealth - a mansion itself will not make one a holder of the Buddhadharma. The nature of one's clothing will also not make one a holder of the teachings. Even wearing monk's robes will not make one a holder of the teachings. In reality though, even if a person is a lowly beggar, if they are in harmony with the Dharma they can be called a great person who is a holder of the teachings. If you don't become like this, even if one thinks they are a holder of the teachings by being in various positions like the head of a sitting row or sitting exclusively on an exalted throne, it is a difficult thing if they may have a correction coming as to whether or not they are a holder of the teachings based on how they live. If one speaks purely in accordance with the Dharma, it might offend a few. If what I say is wrong, please forgive me. I openly confess it. It is my misunderstanding. It is a mistake. It is a distortion. It is lack of knowledge. If it may have also just been the phony advice of an old man, I don't know. As an old man saying these things, I am just proclaiming all the thoughts in my mind. It is possible that it is like this - that there was no need for me to discuss these things - that I am discussing that which I don't have reason to discuss and saying that which I don't have reason to say. All people will come to make mistakes like this - not just me. Everyone said that there was a need for some spoken advice for this year's Great Prayer Festival. So, [Penor Rinpoche's attendant] Kunsang Lama was sent to me and came to Yangleshöd. At that time, I had been very busy satisfying some benefactors elsewhere in the Kathmandu Valley and while being in a great hurry I came to Yangleshöd. As soon as I had gotten out of the car, I spontaneously spoke this advice and did not have time to consult texts or write it down. There was no need to do so anyway. I don't expect it to be on the shelf of a Buddhist philosophical college library. For this year alone, it was suggested that among us elder Nyingma lamas, someone should explain how discipline should be kept. That was the opinion of others and I also think that this is right. Other lamas would not feel comfortable listening to the advice of someone who is unknown, so that is why one who is known as a "lama " like myself is speaking out. Lamas, tulkus, and khenpos who are knowledgeable are qualified to give advice and should do so. Otherwise, those who just say things in the way of meaningless gossip and talk nonsense will just create conflicts. There is no benefit whatsoever in saying things that will only go on to increase our attachment, anger and delusion. Talking in this way will harm the Buddha's teachings and be of help to no one. For the benefit of all beings, all the practitioners of the teachings of the Nyingma Early Translation School living in monasteries great or small, from Upper, Middle or Lower Tibet, in a mountain hermitage, a study center with just four monks or even if you are practicing alone; for all of you year after year when you gather here again at this time, you must take responsibility for upholding your discipline. For the period of these ten days, if you don't have something good to say, there is no reason for you to speak. You should behave in such a way that no one will have reason to criticize or gossip about your conduct so that you can be a perfect example to lead the faithful and become worthy objects of the accumulation of merit of the benefactors. I hope and pray that this event will come to be very good through the planning at the beginning, middle and end. It will then serve to benefit the longevity of the great holy beings who hold the teachings of the Dharma. In the long term, it will also help the Buddha's precious teachings by way of the two chakras of teaching and practice to never fade and instead expand and flourish now and always in the four times and ten directions and abide for a long time. During this degenerate age in the outer world, there are many natural disasters due to the upsetting of the four elements. Also, demonic forces come with their many weapons to incite the fighting of wars. All of those forces have caused the world to come to ruin and led all to tremble with fear - so terrified that their hair stands up on end. Still, the demonic forces find it necessary to come up with many new types of weapons. If we were called on to confront them, there's no way we Dharma practitioners could defeat them. That's why we make supplication prayers to the Three Jewels, do the aspiration prayers, the offering prayers and the prayers of invocation. We are responsible for those activities. This is what I urge you to do. So at this great gathering, please think about the pacification of all these forces. Since I don't think there is anything inconsiderate or unacceptable in this advice, please listen to it carefully and take it to heart. If you do so, when the Great Prayer Festival is over, you will have good reason to be happy and will be able to rejoice in the merit you have accumulated. So please make it happen that way! May you have a long life! Please - all of you - make vast prayers of aspiration so that the precious teachings of the Victorious One may flourish in the ten directions. That's about all that an old man like me has to say. May you all keep this advice in your minds. ______________________________________ This oral advice was recorded and transcribed in 2000 and translated from the Tibetan by Zach Larson with the assistance of Tsetan Chonjore and Thinley Dhondrup in 2004. See Product

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Aryadeva: A Reader's Guide

A guide to Aryadeva, the Sri Lankan-born heir of Nagarjuna and Nalanda master, and his Four Hundred Stanzas, a key text of Middle Way philosophy and emptiness. Indian and Early Tibetan Masters Profiles of early Indian Mahayana figures | Tibetan Masters of the 8th Century | Tibetan Masters of the 10th-11th Centuries Nagarjuna | Aryadeva | Asanga | Shantideva | Xuanzang | The Seventeen Pandits of Nalanda Mahayana Buddhist philosophy While early biographies vary in detail and timing, traditional accounts such as those by Taranatha, Butön in his History of Buddhism, and Chandrakirti identify Aryadeva as being born in Sri Lanka in a royal family in the late first or early second century C.E. He rejected the throne and took monastic ordination and mastered all the Tripitaka (Sutra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma) as well as non-Buddhist philosophical systems. He then left to visit the holy sites of India, ending up in Pataliputra, present-day Patna in Bihar, where he became a direct disciple of Nagarjuna. He then accompanied him to Sri Parvata or Nagarjunakonda, the Buddhist center in Andhra Pradesh, now underwater. There, he studied with Nagarjuna and received tantric training, studying and meditating. Later Aryadeva built two dozen monasteries in the area and served the dharma in many ways. Some identify him as being one and the same with Karnaripa, one of the 84 great Mahasiddhas of India, who lived off essences and eventually attained the rainbow body. The Nalanda Period After some time Aryadeva was invited to Nalanda to debate Matriceta, also known as Durdharsakala, a particularly troublesome non-Buddhist philosopher and magician. In a famous story, on his way there, he came across a woman - some accounts say she was a tree goddess, others a tirthika - who asked him for one of his eyes, which he freely gave. Upon arriving in Nalanda, the monks asked him what had happened to his eye and he replied, Shiva has three eyes yet cannot see the true nature of reality. Shakra has one thousand eyes and likewise has never seen the true nature. But Aryadeva, with his single eye, Perceives the reality of all three planes of existence. He debated Matriceta and defeated him three times by means of logic as well as the siddhis he had attained through tantric practice. An exciting blow-by-blow account of this debate is included in the introduction to Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas. His opponent finally relented and took ordination, joining the ranks of the enlightenment factory of Nalanda. He remained at Nalanda a long time, teaching, defeating other tirthikas, and authoring some of his works there. Aryadeva's Works By far the most famous of Arydeva's works is the Chatushataka, or Four Hundred Verses on the Yogic Deeds, published as Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way. For Tibetans this is one of the most important Mahayana texts and is widely studied by all schools today, though of course interpretations vary. Some of the more well-known commentaries on the text are by Chandrakirti, Gyaltsab-Je, Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang, and Khenpo Shenga. Generally Aryadeva's Four Hundred Verses is considered both a commentary on Nagarjuna's Root Verses on the Middle Way and a supplement to it in that it also includes a refutation of non-Buddhist systems and the paths of relative truth. But what is important about the text by all accounts is that it is a means for practitioners to remove their misconceptions about how things really are, to gain an understanding of reality that can then lead to a direct experience of it, beyond conceptions and language. That is why this text matters so much and why it is still in constant use, in monasteries, shedras, classrooms, and dharma centers in the West. See Product Madhyamaka Aryadeva is also the author of the Shatashastra or The Hundred Verses, which is no longer existant in its original Sanskrit or Tibetan, but is preserved in the Chinese tradition as one of the three most important works on Madhyamaka. Mahayana and Vajrayana Many other texts, Mahayana and Vajrayana, are attributed to Aryadeva, though there is debate among contemporary scholars, many of whom assume there were two Aryadevas, about which actually were authored by the same master who penned the Four Hundred Verses. One version of the Tibetan Kangyur lists a group of fifteen and another of nineteen texts by him, and since there is no overlap, the list could be counted as thirty-four. Many of these are no longer existant, and authorship will likely remain the subject of conjecture. Of particular note for English readers interested in the Vajrayana works is the translation of The Lamp That Integrates the Practices published by Columbia University Press in 2008. Path to awakening Regardless, the fact remains that Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas is a major work that has helped many hundreds of thousands over the centuries on their path to awakening. Aryadeva Aryadeva was a disciple of Nagarjuna and author of several important Madhyamaka Buddhist texts. These works all discuss Aryadeva See Product See Product See Product See Product

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The Seventeen Panditas of Indian Buddhism from Nalanda

A guide to the Seventeen Nalanda Masters, from Nagarjuna, Asanga, and Chandrakirti to Shantideva and Atisha, with books that bring their teachings into English.

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Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche: A Reader's Guide

A reader’s guide to Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910–1991), one of the 20th century's greatest masters, a teacher of the Dalai Lama, and author of many books. Also see: Nyingma Lineage Collections Dudjom Tersar | Longchen Nyingtik | Namcho & Palyul Guides to Other Important Nyingma Figures Guru Rinpoche | Yeshe Tsogyal | Mandarava | Rongzompa | Longchenpa | Jigme Lingpa | Patrul Rinpoche | Sera Khandro | Mipham Rinpoche | Dilgo Khyentse | Dudjom Rinpoche Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910–1991) was a highly accomplished meditation master, scholar, and poet, and a principal holder of the Nyingma lineage. His extraordinary depth of realization enabled him to be, for all who met him, a foundation of loving-kindness, wisdom, and compassion. A dedicated exponent of the nonsectarian Rime movement, Khyentse Rinpoche was respected by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism and taught many eminent teachers, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He tirelessly worked to uphold the Dharma through the publication of texts, the building of monasteries and stupas, and by offering instruction to thousands of people throughout the world. His writings in Tibetan fill twenty-five volumes. Khyentse Rinpoche was born in 1910 to the family of Dilgo in eastern Tibet near Dege on the day that Mipham Rinpoche was there completing a ganachakra feast offering after six weeks of teaching. Shortly afterward he blessed and named the infant Tashi Paljor. Though Khyentse Rinpoche was only two when Mipham passed away, the latter's impact on him was immense, as it was for so many in Eastern Tibet. Throughout his life, Khyenste Rinpoche taught extensively from Mipham Rinpoche's teachings, as we will see in a few examples below. While still an infant, he was recognized as the tulku of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, and when he was fourteen, he went to Shechen Monastery where he was enthroned as Khyentse Wangpo's tulku by Shechen Gyaltsap. Over the next four years he was immersed in study and practice of Sutra, Tantra, and Dzogchen, primarily with Shechen Gyaltsap and Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, but also with Khenpo Shenga, Adzom Drukpa, and many more. Throughout his life, Rinpoche had over sixty teachers from all the main schools of Tibetan Buddhism. A few years later, Shechen Gyaltsap passed away, and the eighteen year old Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche went into solitary retreat for the next thirteen years, mostly living and practicing in caves in Eastern Tibet. After he emerged from retreat the next fifty years of his life were devoted to practicing, teaching, and helping invigorate all the practice lineages. After fleeing Tibet and the communist repression in 1959, he settled in Bhutan as the spiritual advisor to the Bhutanese Royal family, but he also continued to teach widely in Nepal, India, and later, the West. He also made three trips back to Tibet in the 1980s, teaching, giving empowerments, and helping to restore monasteries and other institutions, regardless of their lineage. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a student of Khyentse Rinpoche, said, "you see his basic belief, basic attitude, is nonsectarian, which I very much appreciate. " For those interested in reading a more detailed biography, we've posted Tulku Thondup's Brief Biography of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche of which the original can be found in Volume 2 of The Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Recent Releases The Precious Treasury of Essential Instructions with The Nectar of Brilliant Book by Lonchenpa and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche For a more detailed account of his life, there is no better place to start than his autobiography, Brilliant Moon. "Brilliant Moon " is a translation of Rabsel Dawa, which was the ordination name given by the great Rimé master, Khenpo Shenga at the time Khyente Rinpoche became a novice monk. This is not only a beautiful autobiography, but, since Khyentse Rinpoche grew up in the presence of and was educated by some of the most renowned scholars, adepts, and lamas active at the turn of the twentieth century, his life provides a bridge from the flourishing teachings of the nineteenth century to us today. The back section of Brilliant Moon includes reminiscences from his consort Khandro Lhamo, his grandson Shechen Rabjam, Tenga Rinpoche, Trulshik Rinpoche, and many more. See Product Brilliant Moon: The Autobiography of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche For a more detailed account of his life, there is no better place to start than his autobiography, Brilliant Moon. "Brilliant Moon " is a translation of Rabsel Dawa, which was the ordination name given by the great Rimé master, Khenpo Shenga at the time Khyente Rinpoche became a novice monk. This is not only a beautiful autobiography, but, since Khyentse Rinpoche grew up in the presence of and was educated by some of the most renowned scholars, adepts, and lamas active at the turn of the twentieth century, his life provides a bridge from the flourishing teachings of the nineteenth century to us today. The back section of Brilliant Moon includes reminiscences from his consort Khandro Lhamo, his grandson Shechen Rabjam, Tenga Rinpoche, Trulshik Rinpoche, and many more.  See Product Shambhala Publications · The Hundred Verses of Advice audiobook sample Brilliant Moon: The Autobiography of Dilgo Khyentse Through lively anecdotes and stories this highly revered Buddhist meditation master and scholar tells about his life of study, retreat, and teaching. The formative events of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s life, and those insights and experiences that caused him to mature into the warm, brilliant, and highly realized meditation master and teacher he was, are deeply inspiring. The second half of the book comprises recollections by his wife; his grandson, Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche; Tenga Rinpoche; the Queen Mother of Bhutan; and many prominent teachers. https://vimeo.com/27743270 Journey to Enlightenment Another account of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's life is Matthieu Ricard's beautiful, full-color Journey to Enlightenment. Though that volume is now out of print, many of the photos and all the text appear in volume one of the Collected Works which will be discussed below. It is available as an ebook from all ebook vendors including Amazon, Bookshop, etc.  The Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Rinpoche's writing in Tibetan are contained in twenty-five volumes consisting of over ten thousand pages.  Including those mentioned above, there are altogether fourteen books plus some translations of his poetry, all of which are contained in the three volumes of his Collected Works, except where indicated below. This three-volume set presents the collected works of one of the great luminaries of Tibetan Buddhism in our time, published to mark his centennial celebration. A complete exposition of the stages of the Buddhist path is presented through Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's commentaries on the root texts of classic Tibetan masters including Patrul Rinpoche, Jigme Lingpa, Shechen Gyaltsab, and Mipham Rinpoche. Originally given orally to Western students, the texts afford a rare glimpse into the direct transmissions of a master teacher. Moreover, several of the texts have never been published before. Included in these volumes is a commentary by Khyentse Rinpoche on Jigme Lingpa's A Wondrous Ocean of Advice for the Practice of Retreat in Solitude. This work, which is really an exhortation on how to practice correctly in order to actually achieve the goal, appears in volume three of the Collected Works. He also gives a wonderful commentary on a text by Mipham Rinpoche entitled The Wheel of Investigation: An Explanation of Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche's Instructions for Examining the Mind.  In this short text and commentary, which appears only   in the Collected Works volume two, the two masters analyze the mind that  is responsible for the close identification we have with the sense of self.  The point is that through this rigorous methodical examination, one realizes the empty nature of both mind and all phenomena and sees how the roots of samsara have taken hold. The Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Volume 1 Volume one of this three-volume set begins with the inspiring story of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's life told largely in his own words and illustrated with historical photographs. This is followed by two texts that illuminate the instructions of the celebrated Ngulchu Thogme Zangpo on the Seven-point Mind Training and the Thirty-seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, teachings that constitute the heart of the Buddhist path. Volume One Contents: Journey to Enlightenment, Enlightened Courage, The Heart of Compassion See Product The Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Volume 2 Volume two of this collection explores fundamental practices of Vajrayana Buddhism and teachings of both sutra and tantra. It includes a manual for the fundamental practice of ngöndro; a pithy commentary on body, speech, and mind; instructions for guru yoga; and practical guidance on using everyday circumstances on the path to buddhahood. Volume Two Contents: The Excellent Path to Enlightenment, The Wheel of Investigation, The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel, The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones, The Hundred Verses of Advice See Product The Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Volume 3 Volume three expands on the inner core of the Vajrayana teachings and contemplative retreat practice. It begins with a guide to authentic spiritual practice that combines the wisdom of three of the greatest masters of the Tibetan tradition. This is followed by a witty manual of advice for solitary retreat; discussion of the four empowerments and the three samadhis; a commentary on an important dzogchen text; and quintessential teachings on the ultimate nature of the mind. The volume concludes with a selection from the few poems by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche that have been translated into English. All but one of the books in this volume is published here for the first time. Volume Three Contents: Zurchungpa's Testament, A Wondrous Ocean of Advice for the Practice of Retreat in Solitude, Pure Appearance, Primordial Purity, The Lamp That Dispels Darkness, Selected Verse See Product Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche on Classic Mahayana Texts There exists a tradition in Tibetan literature of masters composing short, easy-to-memorize texts that serve almost like crib sheets, making up practical instruction texts based on the classical teachings.  With the proper instructions, these can serve as keys that open up a whole range of teachings and enable them  to be put into practice. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was a master at unpacking these pith instructions for practitioners, and there are four examples of this in English: commentaries on texts by Padampa Sangye, Zurchungpa, and two by Thogme Sangpo. Khyentse Rinpoche has two books based on the teachings of Ngulchu Thogme Zangpo, the fourteenth-century Sakya master-and teacher to greats like Buton Rinchen Drup, whose teachings are a core part of the study curricula for all Tibetan Buddhists. Enlightened Courage, gives a detailed explanation on the Thogme Zangpo's commentary of the Seven Points of Mind Training, a core lojong text. In The Heart of Compassion, Rinpoche gives a commentary on Thogme Zangpo's most famous text, The Thirty-Seven Verses on the Practice of a Bodhisattva. This also contains a fourteen-page biography of Thogme Zangpo. This is also available as an audiobook. Enlightened Courage: An Explanation of the Seven-Point Mind Training By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Translated by Padmakara Translation Group Highly respected by thousands of students throughout the world, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was one of the foremost poets, scholars, philosophers, and meditation masters of our time. Here he speaks frankly, drawing on his own life experience. Condensing the compassionate path to Buddhahood into practical instructions that use the circumstances of everyday life, Rinpoche presents the Seven-Point Mind Training—the very core of the entire Tibetan Buddhist practice. See Product The Heart of Compassion: The Thirty-seven Verses on the Practice of a Bodhisattva By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Translated by Padmakara Translation Group What would be the practical implications of caring more about others than about yourself? This is the radical theme of this extraordinary set of instructions, a training manual composed in the fourteenth century by the Buddhist hermit Ngulchu Thogme, here explained in detail by one of the great Tibetan Buddhist masters of the twentieth century, Dilgo Khyentse. In the Mahayana tradition, those who have the courage to undertake the profound change of attitude required to develop true compassion are called bodhisattvas. Their great resolve—to consider others’ needs as paramount, and thus to attain enlightenment for the sake of all living creatures—carries them beyond the limits imposed by the illusions of “I” and “mine,” culminating in the direct realization of reality, transcending dualistic notions of self and other. Read More See Product Shambhala Publications · Heart of Compassion Audiobook Sample The Hundred Verses of Advice: Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on What Matters Most Translated by Padmakara Translation Group By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche By Padampa Sangye This commentary on Padampa Sangye's classic verses of advise to Tibetan villagers of Tingri—by renowned and beloved meditation master Dilgo Khyentse—offers guidance for people trying to lead a dharmic life in the workaday world. These hundred verses, studied for centuries by Tibetans and students of Buddhism, contain a complete survey of the Tibetan Buddhist path. Dilgo Khyentse's lively explication of each stanza brings to light subtleties and amplifies the richness of the words and their pertinence to our lives. These two venerable teachers advise us in relating to everyday difficulties such as loneliness, craving, family squabbles, competition in business, disagreements with neighbors, and betrayal by friends—as challenging to us as they have been to meditators for centuries. See Product The audiobook edition of The Hundred Verses of Advice is beautifully read by Buddhist practitioner and translator, John Canti. Shambhala Publications · The Hundred Verses of Advice audiobook sample Zurchungpa's Testament By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Translated by Padmakara Translation Group By Zurchung Sherab Trakpa and Shechen Gyaltsap Gyurme Pema Namgyal Zurchungpa’s Eighty Chapters of Personal Advice is the distillation of a lifetime’s experience and practical instructions from a master who truly embodied the teachings of the Great Perfection. Organized into eighty chapters covering the entire path of Dzogchen, this book contains a complete detailed teaching on Zurchungpa’s text by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, based on Shechen Gyaltsap’s notes. Originally intended as essential instructions for a group of practitioners in three-year retreat, it will undoubtedly serve as an indispensable guide to anyone who seriously wishes to practice the Great Perfection. https://vimeo.com/234042702 See Product The Life and Times of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö: The Great Biography by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and Other Stories Inspired by the care and brilliance of his teacher Jamyan Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche wrote the The Great Biography on the life of Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro which forms the second half of The Life and Times of Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro.  The foremost torchbearer of the ecumenical Rime movement, Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (1893–1959) dedicated his life to the study, practice, and propagation of all the schools and lineages that are collectively known as Tibetan Buddhism. The staggeringly long list of teachings he received and transmitted in turn testifies to the depth of his appreciation of all aspects of the Dharma, and the roster of his eminent students reveals how his extraordinary influence transcended sectarian boundaries. The first half of this volume presents informal stories by many of Chökyi Lodrö’s teachers, students, friends, and relatives, collected by Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche and translated here into English for the first time. Intimate, funny, and utterly down-to-earth, these stories—supplemented by sixty-one photographs—paint a tender picture of the man behind the great master, introducing readers to the characters and events in his life, and especially the challenges he faced living under the Chinese occupation of Tibet. The second half comprises an English translation of the spiritual biography, or namtar, by Dilgo Khyentse, one of Chökyi Lodrö’s closest and most brilliant students. In the process of recounting the life and liberation of his beloved guru, Dilgo Khyentse reveals how he saw Chökyi Lodrö as the Buddha in the flesh and provides, essentially, a blueprint of the entire path to enlightenment. See Product Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche on the Preliminary Practices (Ngöndro) Dilgo Khyentse often used the writings of his own teachers, their teachers, or their previous incarnations as the basis of his teachings. In The Excellent Path to Enlightenment: Oral Teachings on the Root Text of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Rinpoche gives a commentary on a short Ngondro practice composed by the great treasure revealer and master Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, the previous incarnation of his own teacher, Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro. While The Excellent Path to Enlightenment contains a pithy explanation of guru yoga, Khyentse Rinpoche also wrote a more elaborate commentary on that specific component of the practice in Guru Yoga: According to the Preliminary Practice of Longchen Nyingtik. Guru Yoga provides a distinct take on the practice and includes some brief contributions by Dzongsar Khyentse, Dzigar Kongtrul, and Tsikey Chokling which are not included in the Collected Works. The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones: The Practice of View, Meditation, and Action  contains Khyentse Rinpoche's commentary on a text by Patrul Rinpoche. The first section is an exhortation to reflect on the defects of cyclic existence.   The second part explains how the antidote is Dharma and what we need to do to put it into practice within the context of the sutras (refuge, generating bodhicitta, purification, and offering) and tantra (empowerment, pure perception, development and completion stages).   The final section details how the results of practice are expressed in a life that is in harmony with the teachings and not caught up in worldly busy-ness. The Excellent Path to Enlightenment: Oral Teachings on the Root Text of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo By Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Translated by Padmakara Translation Group The vow to perfect oneself in order to perfect others is called the thought of enlightenment or bodhichitta. This implies that every single action word or thought even the most trivial is dedicated to the good of all beings. To accomplish the good of others, we must first perfect ourselves by purifying and transforming our minds. This is the aim of what we call the preliminary practices, which establish the foundations of all spiritual progress. In this book, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche explains a key practice text composed by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–1892) on the Vajrayana preliminaries: taking refuge, generating the thought of achieving enlightenment for the sake of all beings, performing the meditation, and recitation of Vajrasattva to remove hindrances on the path to enlightenment, offering the mandala to accumulate merit and wisdom, and developing proper reliance on a spiritual teacher. Clear, direct, and personal, these instructions illuminate the heart of Vajrayana practice. Included here are the Tibetan text as well as the mantras and prayers commonly recited in conjunction with this practice. See Product Guru Yoga: According to the Preliminary Practice of Longchen Nyingtik By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Translated by Matthieu Ricard Why is the practice guru yoga (union with the nature of the guru) so important? Because with the help of the outer teacher, the inner teacher (the true nature of our own mind) is discovered. This particular guru yoga is called "The Wish-fulfilling Jewel," and it is the outer practice of the guru from the Longchen Nyingtik revelation of Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa. It was during a summer retreat in France in 1984 that Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche gave teachings on this text. This is a new commentary and not a re-edit of teachings in the book The Wish-fulfilling Jewel, which is included in the Collected Works. Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones: The Practice of View, Meditation, and Action By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Foreword by H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Translated by Padmakara Translation Group By Patrul Rinpoche In this book, two great Tibetan Buddhist masters of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries challenge us to critically examine our materialistic preoccupations and think carefully about how we want to spend the rest of our lives. At the same time, they provide practical guidance in following the Buddhist path, starting from the most basic motivation and culminating in the direct experience of reality beyond the reach of conceptual mind. The root text is a teaching in verse written in the nineteenth century by Patrul Rinpoche, one of the outstanding teachers of his day. In the accompanying commentary, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910–1991)—lineage holder of the Nyingma school and one of the great expounders of the Dharma in Europe and North America—expands upon the text with his characteristic compassion and uncompromising thoroughness. Patrul Rinpoche's fresh and piercing verses combined with Khyentse Rinpoche's down-to-earth comments offer a concise yet complete examination of the Buddhist path. See Product Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche on Vajrayana and Dzogchen While it is hard to categorize the works of a master like Dilgo Khyentse when a teaching on the so-called basics come from the highest possible view, there are three works that are explicitly on Vajrayana and Dzogchen. The first is Pure Appearance: Development and Completion Stages in Vajrayana Practice,  which is based on a set of teachings Rinpoche gave at Karma Dzong in Boulder, Colorado,  shortly after officiating at the cremation of Chogyam Trungpa in 1987.   This offers an overview of Tibetan tantric practice that explains its concepts, clarifies its terminology, and shows how its myriad pieces fit together, including an extensive teaching on the bardos, or “between states”—essential for those new to the topic and a source of illumination for longtime students. After the teaching in Boulder, Rinpoche went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and again taught, this time on Garab Dorje's famous text, Three Words That Strike the Vital Point, a vital Trekcho text.  This was the basis for the book Primordial Purity: Oral Instructions on the Three Words That Strike the Vital Point. This text is based on the famous seminal statement by Garap Dorje that is said to encapsulate all the myriad dzogchen tantras. The key instructions on it by Patrul Rinpoche—the verses known as “The Special Teaching of Khepa Shri Gyalpo”—form the basis for the discourse in Primordial Purity. It explains that in dzogchen, when one has fully recognized that all the confusion of samsara is the expressive power of great emptiness, confusion is spontaneously liberated into the primordial purity of mind’s essential nature. Compassion spontaneously arises, accomplishing the benefit of sentient beings. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche illuminates this beautifully in this profound work, which will inspire students of Buddhism and deepen their experiential appreciation of the teachings. The final work is a commentary on Mipham Rinpoche's The Lamp that Dispels the Darkness: Instructions That Point Directly to the Nature of Mind According to the Tradition of the Old Meditators found in Lion of Speech. Mipham Rinpoche, whom Khyentse Rinpoche said was Manjusri in human form, wrote this short text that really contains the whole of Dzogchen practice.   Rinpoche said that Mipham Rinpoche's words fall into the category of martri, literally "red instructions," thus called "because they show the essential points of practice as if someone had opened his chest and shown the red of his heart." Pure Appearances: Development and Completion Stages in Vajrayana Practice By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Translated by Ani Jinba Palmo Translated by Nalanda Translation Committee Edited by Nalanda Translation Committee A complex topic is here made crystal clear through the heartfelt teaching of one of the great Tibetan Buddhist masters of the twentieth century. With Pure Appearance Dilgo Khyenste Rinpoche offers an overview of Tibetan tantric practice that explains its concepts, clarifies its terminology, and shows how its myriad pieces fit together, including an extensive teaching on the bardos, or “between states”—essential for those new to the topic and a source of illumination for longtime students. Read More See Product Primordial Purity: Oral Instructions on the Three Words That Strike the Vital Point By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Translated by Ani Jinba Palmo Translated by Nalanda Translation Committee Edited by Nalanda Translation Committee The path of trekchö is the way of directly and thoroughly cutting through the misconceptions of samsara to lay bare the primordial purity of the nature of mind. This powerful practice is illuminated by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in his commentary on an essential text based on the atiyoga dzogchen instructions of the outstanding nineteenth-century master Patrul Rinpoche. Read More See Product Lion of Speech: The Life of Mipham Rinpoche Translated by Padmakara Translation Group By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche By Jamgon Mipham Jamgön Mipham (1846–1912) is one of the great luminaries of Tibetan Buddhism in modern times. He has had a dominant and vitalizing influence on the Nyingma school in particular and, despite spending most of his life in retreat, is one of Tibet’s most prolific authors. The first half of this volume comprises the first-ever English translation of the biography of Mipham Rinpoche written by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, a teacher to His Holiness the Dalai Lama as well as an entire generation of other teachers and students throughout the Himalayan region and the West. Composed in 1939, it was left behind in Tibet in 1959 when Khyentse Rinpoche went into exile and was lost for fifty-one years before its discovery in 2010 by an extraordinary stroke of good luck. Reverential in tone, it is informed by both oral accounts preserved in notes kept by Khyentse Rinpoche’s elder brother and the recollections of Mipham’s devoted personal attendant of thirty-seven years. Read More See Product Other Works Related to Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche There are two other works in English should be mentioned here.    The first is the recent On the Path to Enlightenment edited by Matthieu Ricard, which was inspired by Khyentse Rinpoche who features very prominently in it.  The second is The Life of Shabkar, in which is found information about Khyentse Rinpoche's connection with this amazing nineteenth-century yogi.     When he once stopped under a tree where Shabkar had sat singing songs of realization, the tree let down a shower of flowers on him, which Khyentse Rinpoche indicated to be a sign of a special karmic connection. There are also a few short translations available online from the good folks at Lotsawa House. Some words that  Rinpoche wrote in his commentary to Jigme Lingpa's advice to those on retreat  certainly applies to all his work: "as you read this precious text and my commentary on it, please do so with the perfect motivation of bodhicitta to establish all beings under the sky in the supreme level of the vajradharas and the profound view of the Mantrayana. " Dilgo Khyentse's written works are in themselves a great treasure, but just as important a part of his legacy are the great teachers still with us who were educated at his feet, making the warmth of his realization still so present to all who yearn to practice for the benefit of all sentient beings. On the Path to Enlightenment: Heart Advice from the Great Tibetan Masters By Matthieu Ricard Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche inspired Matthieu Ricard to create this anthology by telling him that “when we come to appreciate the depth of the view of the eight great traditions [of Tibetan Buddhism] and also see that they all lead to the same goal without contradicting each other, we think, ‘Only ignorance can lead us to adopt a sectarian view.’” Ricard has selected and translated some of the most profound and inspiring teachings from across these traditions. The selected teachings are taken from the sources of the traditions, including the Buddha himself, Nagarjuna, Guru Rinpoche, Atisha, Shantideva, and Asanga; from great masters of the past, including Thogme Zangpo, the Fifth Dalai Lama, Milarepa, Longchenpa, and Sakya Pandita; and from contemporary masters, including the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and Mingyur Rinpoche. They address such topics as the nature of the mind; the foundations of taking refuge, generating altruistic compassion, acquiring merit, and following a teacher; view, meditation, and action; and how to remove obstacles and make progress on the path. See Product The Life of Shabkar: The Autobiography of a Tibetan Yogin By Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol Translated by Matthieu Ricard The Life of Shabkar has long been recognized by Tibetans as one of the masterworks of their religious heritage. Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol devoted himself to many years of meditation in solitary retreat after his inspired youth and early training in the province of Amdo under the guidance of several extraordinary Buddhist masters. With determination and courage, he mastered the highest and most esoteric practices of the Tibetan tradition of the Great Perfection. He then wandered far and wide over the Himalayan region expressing his realization. Shabkar's autobiography vividly reflects the values and visionary imagery of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the social and cultural life of early nineteenth-century Tibet. See Product Dilgo Khyentse's written works are in themselves a great treasure, but just as important a part of his legacy are the great teachers still with us who were educated at his feet, making the warmth of his realization still so present to all who yearn to practice for the benefit of all sentient beings. Finally, here are some words that Rinpoche wrote in his commentary to Jigme Lingpa's advice to those on retreat certainly applies to all his work: "...as you read this precious text and my commentary on it, please do so with the perfect motivation of bodhicitta to establish all beings under the sky in the supreme level of the vajradharas and the profound view of the Mantrayana." Dilgo Khyentse and Art While there are no translated works by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche on art specifically, one of his close students Konchog Lhadrepa was trained under his guidance.  In this treasure of a book, readers will find a host of surprises.  For example, Rinpoche preferred to make statues out of clay rather than precious metal. Also, the mandalas from Rinpoche's termas are detailed in this book - the only place where they are done so in English. Here is a section describing just one of these: "The Heart Essence of the Self-Born Lotus (Rangjung Pema Nyingtik) is a mind treasure of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, a practice of the three roots. This was first revealed in Tibet when Khyentse Rinpoche was with Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö. The revelation was kept secret and the texts were left at Mindroling Monastery and later lost. Years later, in exile in Nepal, Trulshik Rinpoche heard about this practice as he was receiving the oral transmission for the Kangyur from Khyentse Rinpoche, and he requested Khyentse Rinpoche to reveal it again. They went to Yangleshö, and after seven days of practice, Khyentse Rinpoche revealed the practice for a second time. Later, when a copy of the original text, which had been found in Tibet, was brought to Nepal, it was found to be identical. In this practice one visualizes oneself as Hayagriva in union with Vajravarahi. At one’s forehead is Pema Tötreng Tsal and the eight vidyadharas. At one’s heart center is Mahottara Heruka. At the navel is Vajravarahi and at the secret center, Ekajati.The measurements and color of this mandala are the same as the usual eight-leveled-archway mandala; the only difference is that there is an underground crossed vajra. The outer surrounding area of the mandala is the same as for Wrathful Deities of the Magical Net, except the spoke-rest here is a yellow sun rim. The measurement for the inner abode is the same as for Vajrasattva except it has a four-petaled lotus rather than an eight-petaled lotus. The center is blue, the lotus pistil rim is orange, and the lotus is in the direction colors or it can be multicolored. The outer rim is a blue vajra beam. The rest of the courtyard, the four doors, and other empty areas are in the colors of the four directions: to the east is white; to the south, yellow; to the west, red; and to the north, green." The Art of Awakening: A User’s Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Art and Practice By Konchog Lhadrepa and Charlotte Davis The sacred arts play an essential, intrinsic role in Tibetan Buddhist practice. Here, one of the great practitioners and master artists of our time presents a guide to the Tibetan Buddhist path, from preliminary practices through enlightenment, from the artist's perspective. With profound wisdom, he shows how visual representations of the sacred in paintings, sculptures, mandalas, and stupas can be an essential support to practice throughout the path. This work, based on the author's landmark Tibetan text, The Path to Liberation, includes basic Buddhist teachings and practices, clearly pointing out the relevance of these for both the sacred artist and the practitioner, along with an overview of the history and iconography of Buddhist art. See Product

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