Kilung Rinpoche Profile

We were pleased to have Dza Kilung Rinpoche founder of Pema Kilaya and the Kilung Foundation.  Rinpoche paid a few visits to our Shambhala Publications' Prajna Studios in Boulder and we are delighted to share a series of videos where he discusses his book, The Relaxed Mind.  We will also be offering a course with him in 2017. Born in 1970, Rinpoche was officially discovered as a tulku in his youth. There had been signs that he was a reincarnated lama before, during and after his birth, but because of tumultuous times, all such information was kept secret. He was later recognized by a series of lamas, and confirmed to be the reincarnation of H.H. Jigme Ngotsar Gyatso. These lamas include H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, H.H. Minling Trichen Rinpoche, H.H. Dodrupchen Rinpoche, and H.E. Dzogchen Rinpoche. As a young teenager, Kilung Rinpoche completed a three-year retreat in secret with his first teacher, Kyab-lo, of Dzagya Monastery. In his later teens, Rinpoche was able, with his father and other relatives, to recover Kilung Monastery from the hands of Chinese cadres, no longer enthusiastic about living in such a remote place. This joyful recovery was the cause for the return of the former Kilung tribe, and for young people to join the monastery, a beginning. Then Rinpoche, at the age of 17, took over the running of the monastery. He went to work traveling the country gathering religious artifacts: statues, paintings, 1,000 brocade thangkhas, sacred texts, lama dance costumes and masks. He revived sacred dance at the monastery, and also helped a group of nuns rebuild Kilung nunnery in the next valley. In 1993, Rinpoche left home on pilgrimage. Intending to be gone less than a year, it became a seven-year adventure. It was on this journey that he began developing the Kilung Foundation. In 1998 he traveled to America, where the Foundation was officially created in Seattle; that year he also began to teach Buddhism to westerners. Since then Rinpoche has divided his time in and outside Tibet. While accepting invitations  to teach in Beijing, Denmark, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brazil, and Argentina, he focuses his dharma activities in America, and especially the Pacific Northwest. His home is on south Whidbey Island in the Salish Sea.   Note: There are five videos in this series and links to them will appear at the end of each one. See All Videos >>  

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Anne Klein Discusses Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche's Life and Work

We were pleased to have Anne Klein, professor at Rice University and founder of the Dawn Mountain Buddhist center, pay us a visit and talk about her 2016 work, a translation of and introduction to the great Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche's Strand of Jewels: My Teachers Essential Guidance on Dzogchen.  Also see our interview with Khetsun Sangpo from the Snow Lion newsletter of October, 2006   ANNE KLEIN TITLES

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Chokhor Duchen

The following is an excerpt from the great Buton Rinchen Drup's History of Buddhism in India and Its Spread to Tibet: A Treasury of Priceless Scripture.   Upon arriving at Varanasi, the Buddha collected alms of food, ate, and then went to Descent of the Sages. The group of five saw the Teacher approaching and said, "The mendicant Gautama who violated his renunciant’s vows approaches, relaxed and well-fed. No one need go to greet him. No one need stand, or take his robes or alms bowl. If he likes, he can sit in this extra seat." And so, privately, they agreed on a course of action, though within his mind Ajnatakaundinya did not accede. But when the Teacher reached them, the five disciples were overwhelmed by his presence, abandoned their plan, and rose from their seats. Some welcomed him. Some laid out a seat. Some prepared washing water for his feet. "Welcome, please rest here on this cushion," they invited. The Teacher, seated on the cushion, exchanged many pleasant words with the group of five. The disciples then asked him, "O long-lived Gautama, your faculties are clear, and your skin is perfectly pure. Have you manifested the special qualities of wisdom’s sight?" The Buddha replied, "You mustn’t address a transcendent buddha with the familiar form 'long-lived.' To do so will definitely result in long-term sorrow. I have obtained nectar. I am enlightened, omniscient. Did you not just make a secret agreement like this?" As he spoke these words, they become monks. They touched the Teacher’s feet, confessed their mistake, and were filled with respect. The Teacher washed his body and thought, "Where shall I turn the wheel of the doctrine?" In that place appeared one thousand thrones, decorated with the seven treasures of a universal monarch. The Teacher circumambulated the first three and then, as he seated himself upon the fourth, a light illuminated the entire three-thousandfold-universe, made the earth tremble, and purified all sentient beings. The gods offered him a thousand-spoked wheel of gold and beseeched him to turn the teachings’ wheel. The Teacher remained silent for the first part of the day, spoke during the noon session, and addressed the five disciples during the latter part of the day: O Monks, renunciants do not enter these two extremes—the extremes of indulgence in desire or of exhausting hardship. Having abandoned both extremes, transcendent buddhas teach the doctrine in the middle way in this manner: the noble eightfold path. O Monks, these are the four truths: suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. Further, Fully understand suffering. Abandon its sources. And, I fully understood suffering. I abandoned its sources. And so on he spoke, repeating the four noble truths three times, thus turning the teachings’ wheel in twelve aspects. Kaundinya thereby attained the level of arhat: the three jewels came into being. Thus, with twelve aspects, He fully turned the teachings’ wheel. Kaundinya achieved omniscience And the three jewels manifestly came into being. Regarding the wheel of the doctrine, there are five points to be distinguished, namely, the teaching’s (1) location, (2) time, (3) gathering, (4) doctrine, and (5) purpose. The first, the location, is the regions around the place calleD Destruction of the Wheel. Second, some say that the period of this first cycle was six years and six months, while Chimpa claims that it was seven years, and Chak holds it to be two months short of seven years. Third, the gathering was of five human beings—Kaundinya, Advajit, Vaspa, Mahanaman, and Bhadrika—and a circle of many gods. Fourth, the doctrine was that of the four noble truths repeated three times, thus a wheel of twelve aspects. The Treasury of Observed Phenomena states: The wheel of the doctrine is the path of seeing, It resembles a wheel in its swiftness and its spokes. The path of seeing is called the wheel of the doctrine because its qualities are consistent with a wheel’s in its swift movement, rejecting some places and entering others, in conquering what was not conquered, in establishing what is conquered in its natural state, and in ascending and descending. Venerable Ghosaka states: The eightfold noble path’s view, intention, effort, and mindfulness have qualities consistent with the spokes; speech, actions, and livelihood, with the hub; and meditative concentration, with the circumference. Thus, it is a wheel. The path of seeing is the wheel of the doctrine. Its arising in Kaundinya is called "the turning of the wheel." Its threefold repetition is indicated by "This is suffering" and so on; "It must be truly understood" and so on; and "It has been truly comprehended" and so forth. With each of these three repetitions, the passage "Sight arose; knowledge arose; awareness arose; and understanding arose" indicates the arising of the path of union, the path without obstacles, the path of perfect freedom, and the special path—the twelve aspects. However, if you ask, "Were there twelve repetitions and sixty-four aspects?" this would not be a mistake because that framework’s characteristics correspond to those of the threefold and twelvefold framework. According to the great exposition school, the three repetitions present the path of seeing, the path of meditation, and the path beyond learning. If this were the case, the three repetitions of the turning of the wheel of the doctrine could not comprise twelve aspects: the path of seeing alone has no threefold repetition and twelve aspects. Fifth, the purpose is as follows: At the first turning of the wheel, the path of seeing arose in Kaundinya and in many gods. With the second turning, Kaundinya attained the state of an arhat, and the path of seeing arose in the four other disciples. At the third turning, the four disciples likewise became arhats. This was the direct aim. The indirect or special aim was to turn disciples from grasping to an individual self, establishing them in the four results of arhat, nonreturner, returner, and stream-enterer.Therefore, this series itself is the wheel of the doctrine: "The three repetitions" refers to the three repetitions of the four noble truths. The twelve aspects consist of: "the truth of (1) suffering, (2) the origin of suffering, (3) the cessation of suffering, and (4) the path"; (5) "suffering must be fully understood, (6) its causes must be abandoned, (7) its cessation must be made manifest, (8) the path must be meditated upon"—the four truths’ function; "(9) suffering is fully understood, (10) its causes are abandoned, (11) its cessation is made manifest, and (12) the path has been meditated upon"—the four truths’ effect. It is called "turning" the wheel of the doctrine because it causes understanding or knowledge to arise in another’s mindstream.  

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Larung Gar Resource Guide

About Larung Gar Larung Gar, or “The Encampment of the Larung Valley”, is a magical, incredible place.  Located in the remote high-altitude grasslands in the region of Golok in the far east of Tibet, outside of the Chinese demarcated Tibetan Autonomous Region in the province of Sichuan, it is has become home to the world’s largest Buddhist institute of study and practice. It is a striking place.  Founded in the late 1800s by Dudjom Lingpa, the predecessor of Dudjom Rinpoche, it is most famous today for the community that grew around the incredible master Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche (1933-2004). It is now filled with tens of thousands of practitioners.  There are monks, nuns, yogis and yoginis, and many lay people studying Mahayana and Vajrayana, and there are people from all the Tibetan schools there.  It has, with some ups and downs, been able to thrive and stay out of politics, focusing only on the Four Pursuits whose purpose Khenpo Sodargye, one of its leaders, describes as “to unite Buddhists in harmony; to uphold pure precepts; to study, reflect upon, and practice the sacred Dharma; and to propagate the Dharma and benefit all beings.” The students of Jigme Phuntsok are having a huge impact on the spread of Dharma well beyond these remote grasslands.  Here is a profile of Jigme Phuntsok RInpoche himself as well as just a few of the teachers who trained under him and are currently making an incredible mark on Buddhism the world over. Paperback | eBook Voices from Larung Gar: Shaping Tibetan Buddhism for the Twenty-First Century Voices from Larung Gar is the first collection of talks and writings by the leading voices of Larung Gar, the largest Buddhist institution on the Tibetan plateau. The book offers a compelling vision for Buddhism in the twenty-first century by some of the most erudite, creative, and influential Tibetan Buddhist luminaries today. In everyday language, these leaders delve into an array of contemporary issues, including science, ethics, gender equity, and animal welfare. This collection features contributions from a range of prominent figures who are forging dynamic, modern paths forward for an ancient tradition. Included are the internationally renowned Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, founder of Larung Gar, his distinguished successors Khenpos Sodargye and Tsultrim Lodro, and erudite nuns holding the scholarly title Khenmo, who are becoming known for their impressive publishing projects. Larung Gar is thus one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most vital communities, actively balancing cultural preservation and innovation. A  Symposium on Voices from Larung Gar.  Panel 1: Larung Gar, Its Impact and Founding Figures featuring Anam Thubten, David Germano, and Antonio Terrone, moderated by Holly Gayley. Panel 2: Voices of Second Generation at Larung Gar on Buddhist engagement with animal rights, gender equality, and science, moderated by Michael Sheehy, with Padma 'tsho, Geoff Barstow, Sarah Jacoby, and Catherine Hardie. https://vimeo.com/536920946 I am deeply honoured and grateful for the opportunity to remark on the writings of the eminent teachers of Larung Gar, especially the heart sons of the great and formidable Kyabje Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. My observations of both Khenpo Tsultrim Lodro and Khenpo Sodargye over the years have turned gradually to admiration and then to real veneration. Their “walk the talk” approach to the dharma they teach gives great hope to all followers of the Buddhadharma. And so, I want to express my joy that having their words now in printed form will provide at least a glimpse of the unfathomable and infinite activity of these great teachers from Larung Gar. —Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, on Voices from Larung Gar The Leaders of Larung Gar Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche See also Lotsawa House’s collection of translations by Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. Paperback | eBook The Golden Garuda: The Extraordinary Life of Modern-Day Mahasiddha Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche (1933–2004) was one of the most influential Buddhist teachers of the twentieth century. In this moving biography, Khenpo Sodargye—a lead teacher at Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy—brings his beloved root teacher’s remarkable story and accomplishments to life with wisdom and reverence. His personal anecdotes coupled with the prophecies of great masters and verse from Buddhist texts offer a portrait that is at once intimate and profound, revealing Jigme Phuntsok’s legacy as the mythical “golden garuda” who was instrumental in the flourishing of Buddhism. During a pivotal period in modern Tibetan history, he created the world’s largest Buddhist institution, attracted thousands of followers with his nonsectarian teachings, and taught some of today’s great Tibetan Buddhist teachers. The engaging narrative unfolds chronologically in dozens of short, impactful chapters. We’re introduced to Jigme Phuntsok’s previous incarnations and learn about his early years. We experience his teaching trips, including a journey to the holy Mount Wutai in China together with ten thousand Tibetan disciples. We learn about his visionary experiences and revelations, including one that failed—a rare account in Tibetan literature of such an occurrence. With elements of biography, travelogue, and magical tale, this life story contains adventure, suffering, and human connection. This portrayal of the great Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche’s compassionate life dedicated to spiritual practice and teaching will inspire Buddhist practitioners and meditators and readers with an interest in modern Tibetan and Buddhist history. "The memory of his shockingly confident, authentic presence is unforgettable, along with his tireless enthusiasm to benefit others accompanied with profound lineage transmissions mostly given by heart. In these times, when meeting such an authentic master is as rare as a daytime star, this book—like the sighting of a Golden Garuda—gives us a renewed sense of hope and faith in the timeless wisdom of the Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Ati Yoga traditions." —Sangye Khandro, cofounder of Light of Berotsana Translation Group Paperback | eBook Always Present: The Luminous Wisdom of Jigme Phuntsok From Khenpo Sodargye's preface to Always Present: On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of His Holiness’s parinirvana, I began an exhaustive search through the recordings of the teachings he gave both at home and abroad. From these, I selected some teachings and translated them as an offering to all who have an affinity with His Holiness. As the First Dodrupchen Jigme Trinle Özer prophesied over two hundred years ago, any being that forms a connection with His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche can be reborn in a pure land of great bliss. It is therefore auspicious that His Holiness’s teachings are now being shared. "Khenpo Sodargye’s teachings, techniques, and guidance are not only those of a highly accomplished scholar but also reflect his vast practical experience in working with people of greatly different capacities and backgrounds. I deeply treasure Khenpo’s words and teachings in this book." —Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, Khenpo Tsultrim Lodro Khenpo Tsultrim Lodro, one of the main contributors to Voices from Larung Gar above, is one of the leading teachers at Larung Gar and also has many thousands of students.  Shambhala was very honored to have a visit from him in 2014 where we discussed Buddhist publishing and Dharma in the west. Official Website Lama Mumtso (Jetsünma Mumé Yeshe Tsomo) Lama Mumtso is the niece of Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok and renowned as an incarnation of Jetsün Mingyur Paldrön.  She is one of the most revered leaders at Larung Gar. Lotsawa House has some translations of her work and further teachings can be found on Khenpo Sodargye's website, as well as in Voices of Larung Gar. Khenpo Sodargye Khenpo Sodargye was born in 1962 into a nomadic family in a small valley of the Tibetan region of Kham. He was ordained in 1985 and went on to become a lineage holder of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen) tradition, as well as a preeminent practitioner and scholar at Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy in Sertar. Khenpo Sodargye was the great Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche’s chief Tibetan-Chinese translator. He has traveled extensively in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia to offer teachings at Dharma centers and universities. As a Tibetan high lama of Nyingma Lineage, Khenpo endorses Rimé spirit and offers teachings from a variety of Buddhist lineages to hundreds of thousands of worldwide students. Khenpo emphasizes a systematic approach of listening, contemplating and meditating on the Dharma. He has been teaching traditional Mahayana Buddhism such as The Way of Bodhisattva, The Ornament of the Middle Way and the whole collection of Five Great Treaties since 1987. As a Vajra guru and a Dzogchen lineage holder, Khenpo is empowered to transmit Vajrayana teachings and practices such as Yeshe Lama, Lama Yangtik, Seven Treasuries, Trilogy of Rest, Trilogy of Natural Freedom, The Guhyagarbha Tantra, The Dzogchen Practice of Peaceful Manjushri, and much more. As an experienced meditator of high level realization, Khenpo believes that meditation goes beyond sitting practice. Using a Mahayana approach, he promotes “Meditation in Life” which helps people reach a meditative state of mind even while walking, talking, eating and cooking. Khenpo has translated, from Tibetan to Chinese or vice versa, more than 100 sutras, shastras, commentaries, liturgies, and pith instructions of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in the past 30 years. Since 2010, in order to extend the spirit of wisdom and compassion, the essence of Buddhism, to an even wider audience, Khenpo has given talks at more than 100 universities across world. Their topics are as diverse as happiness, compassion, meditation, Buddhist psychology, and Buddhism in Modern Society. Official Website Paperback | eBook Tibetan Buddhist: A Guide to Contemplation, Meditation, and Transforming Your Mind by Khenpo Sodargye This guide shares Tibetan Buddhist insight and tools that will benefit everyone in transforming their mind. Khenpo Sodargye, who has attracted hundreds of thousands of students worldwide with his concise, easy-to-follow teaching style, sketches the big picture of the Mahayana path in straightforward language with stories relevant to everyday life. He draws on authentic texts and teachings by renowned Buddhist masters to explain complex concepts like: The Four Dharma Seals Faith Bodhicitta The Three Supreme Methods The Two Truths Rebirth and karma Spiritual teachers The Great Perfection This book introduces a systematic approach to studying Buddhism. Through proper listening, contemplating, and meditating, we can generate the wisdom that enables us to recognize, control, and uproot our afflictions, which is the essence of Buddhism. This book is the perfect companion for anyone wanting to learn more about the basics of Mahayana Buddhism or to strengthen the foundations of their spiritual practice. "Khenpo Sodargye’s teachings, techniques, and guidance are not only those of a highly accomplished scholar but also reflect his vast practical experience in working with people of greatly different capacities and backgrounds. I deeply treasure Khenpo’s words and teachings in this book." —Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, Important Teachers from Larung Gar Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche is the founder of the Pristine Mind Foundation was one of the first group of Khenpos trained by Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche.  Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche released his first book, Our Pristine Mind: A Practical Guide to Unconditional Happiness in the spring of 2016 to very enthusiastic reviews from both long-time practitioners and people completely new to Buddhism – a rare pairing.  In the foreword, he briefly describes his experience at Larung Gar: "At the age of fourteen I received the rare opportunity to become a  stu­dent of one of the greatest enlightened masters of the twentieth century, Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. I left home and started my studies at Larung Gar, my teacher’s famous retreat center. The living conditions at Larung Gar at that time were harsh, with very cold winters, scanty food, and few comforts. For the first year I lived on my uncle’s porch, with only a cur­tain protecting me from the snow. After that, my parents built me a small house, where I stayed for the next eight years of my training. Even though the living conditions continued to be challenging, they never felt too dif­ficult to bear. In fact, this was a time in my life when I experienced tre­mendous joy. "During these nine years, my focus was on studying the canon of Bud­dhist literature, particularly the advanced teachings known in Tibet as Vajrayana and Dzogchen. But my studies were not just dry reading and test taking, as you might imagine. I found great inspiration and joy through singing “vajra songs”—poems that have arisen in the minds of enlight­ened masters out of their meditation experiences. These poems express extraordinary wisdom. After each day of class and study, I went back to my little house and sang many vajra songs, particularly those of the great masters Longchenpa (fourteenth century) and Mipham Rinpoche (nine­teenth century). "After many years of study, I was given the title Khenpo, the rough equivalent of a Ph.D. It indicates having a full understanding of the Bud­dhist literature and also means having achieved some degree of meditation experience, so that I was qualified to give teachings and guide others in their practice as well. Overall, the training I received during these years gave me the knowledge and practical tools I needed in order to lead a life of fulfillment and transformation, for both myself and others." Official Website Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche's Books: Paperback | eBook Our Pristine Mind: A Practical Guide to Unconditional Happiness The true nature of our mind is brilliant, clear, and joyful. But we don’t experience this reality amid the swirl of stresses, thoughts, and emotions of day-to-day life. Our Pristine Mind is a practical guide to uncovering our naturally comfortable state of mind and reconnecting with the unconditional happiness that is already within us. Using straightforward, accessible language, Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche leads us through the path of Pristine Mind meditation, a practice from the profound teachings known as Dzogchen. This book presents the entire journey of meditation, from the very beginning all the way to the complete happiness of enlightenment. It is a realistic, natural process that can be practiced and experienced by anyone. "A beautiful and potentially life-altering book. The teachings here, at once ancient and revolutionary, are offered with astonishing frankness, clarity, and affection. I felt myself improved by my first read and will be going back to read it again at once." —George Saunders, New York Times best-selling author of Tenth of December and Lincoln in the Bardo Paperback | eBook From Foundation to Summit: A Guide to Ngöndro and the Dzogchen Path In this book, Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche brilliantly explains how to engage in the foundational practice according to the New Treasures of the Dudjom tradition, the Dudjom Tersar. And from the outset, Orgyen Chowang introduces the pristine teachings of Dzogchen, the pinnacle of the Nyingma path, to provide the context that informs every stage of the path to awakening. This book is based on a series of oral teachings on Thinley Norbu’s text A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar, itself a teaching on the Dudjom Tersar, that Orgyen Chowang gave to Western students over a three-month period in 1997. He explains in a very fresh, uncomplicated way such topics as receiving the blessings from the lama, the nature of awakening, the role of pointing-out instructions, tranquility and insight meditation, the three bodies of enlightenment, and the Dzogchen practices of trekchöd (cutting through) and thögal (passing over). This book will be of immense benefit to those engaged in the Dudjom Tersar ngöndro, those who have already finished their ngöndro accumulations, and those engaged in the foundational practice from other Nyingma lineages. "I feel sure that the publication of Orgyen Chowang’s commentary on Thinley Norbu’s A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar will be of immense benefit, and my aspiration is that it will inspire the blessings and fearlessness of the great tertön Dudjom Lingpa to shower down ceaselessly on this earth." —Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, author of Living Is Dying Paperback | eBook The Tibetan Book of Success: A Guide to Relationships, Leadership, Communication, and Happiness Drawn from a long tradition of secular Tibetan teachings on how to live a good life, these four texts from Tibetan masters provide clear and succinct instructions for creating happiness, success, harmonious relationships, and just communities. These teachings continue to be emphasized at Larung Gar In the spirit of the writings of the Stoics, Dale Carnegie, Stephen R. Covey, Viktor Frankl, Don Miguel Ruiz, and others, these texts reveal that for centuries, Tibetan wisdom has extolled principles and values like honest communication, integrity, decency, fairness, reliability, respect, and generosity as the foundation for a good life. Translated by meditation master Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche, founder of the Pristine Mind Foundation, the collection includes an 8th-century scroll from the Dunhuang caves as well as writings from some of the greatest luminaries of the Tibetan tradition: Sakya Pandita (1182-1251), Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche (1846-1912), and Patrul Rinpoche (1808-1887). With a message that’s more relevant than ever in our chaotic, disconnected times, The Tibetan Book of Success explains how leaders, entrepreneurs, parents, young adults, and anyone interested in improving themselves and the world can develop the compassion and wisdom required to do so in a fair and responsible way. Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche is a United States-based Tibetan monk and the director of Katog Choling, a Tibetan Cultural Center. He oversees meditation groups across North America and in Australia and South Africa. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, he traveled year-round teaching seminars and leading retreats, and he now holds online retreats for his students around the globe. He is also the abbot of a monastery in Tibet. Khentrul Rinpoche is one of the only monks in the world with three khenpo degrees—equivalent to three PhDs in Buddhist philosophy. Many of his students have nicknamed him “the mind training Khenpo” for his passion for teaching mind training practices. Official Website Paperback | eBook The Power of Mind: A Tibetan Monk’s Guide to Finding Freedom in Every Challenge A modern guidebook based on ancient Buddhist techniques for transforming emotional pain, anxiety, and stress into complete mental well-being that benefits us and the people around us. We’ve all heard platitudes about cultivating love and compassion, but how can we really develop these qualities in ourselves and—crucially—share them in our world? The Power of Mind provides a proven path. Khentrul Rinpoche teaches that regardless of what’s unfolding in our lives, our route to freedom lies in our minds—and how we work with them. A thousand years ago, the Indian saint Atisha endured great hardship to bring the Buddha’s teachings to Tibet, where they flourished. This book introduces a primary text that emerged—the Seven Key Points of Mind Training. Khentrul Rinpoche learned these practices from teachers who faced innumerable hardships during the Cultural Revolution. Rinpoche was moved by the ability of these teachers who, like alchemists, were able to follow these techniques to transform their suffering into something good. The Power of Mind shares instructions that we can work through, one by one—from recognizing the preciousness and impermanence of our lives to avoiding drama and self-centeredness—along with meditations and practices. This wisdom is accessible to anyone seeking inner transformation—whether Buddhist or not. As Khentrul Rinpoche states, “Peace and happiness can be attained, but not by searching for something in the outside world. They start within us then extend out to the entire globe.” Chakung Jigme Wangdrak Chakung Jigme Wangdrak was born in eastern Tibet as the fourth descendant of the nineteenth-century Buddhist master Dudjom Lingpa, who resided in the Serta valley near Larung Gar.  At the age of fifteen, Jigme Wangdrak was recognized as the reincarnation of the great seventeenth-century treasure revealer Rigzin Longsal Nyingpo. He studied Buddhist philosophy at Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy with Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche and received teachings from the prominent female teacher Dakini Kunzang Wangmo. In Tibet, Jigme Wangdrak published many revelatory writings from Dudjom Lingpa and an original woodblock edition of the Nyingma Gyudbum. Since 2012, he has lived in the San Francisco Bay area, where he teaches several Buddhist communities and is the Spiritual Director of the Abhaya Fellowship. Official Website Paperback | eBook Loving Life as It Is: A Buddhist Guide to Ultimate Happiness Practical Buddhist wisdom and mindful methods for finding the silver lining in all circumstances—from a remarkable new voice in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. This includes some remarkable stories about Jigme Phuntsok RInpoche who the author was an attendant for. Chakung Jigme Wangdrak gives concrete advice on how to reorient your thinking when faced with the challenges, mess, and chaos that inevitably occur in life. By embracing pain and suffering, you can learn to see their roots, begin to work with them, and eventually let them go. This will create joy and ease, allowing you to fully savor happiness. In clear language, Jigme Wangdrak conveys the steps, stages, and categories of mental exercises and methods that everyone—from beginner to experienced practitioner and non-Buddhists—can use to train their mind toward happiness: Take happiness and suffering as the path Cultivate courage, gratitude, and compassion Practice contentment (not complacency) Recognize outer and inner obstacles when faced with challenging situations Dispel self-grasping to reduce suffering Develop patience and tolerance A true Buddhist master and unique lineage holder, Jigme Wangdrak offers a roadmap to freedom with teachings that will benefit your spiritual practice and daily life—he shows you how to love your life as it already is! "His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok, my teacher at Larung Gar, would quote from the great Mahayana Buddhist master Arya Asanga in a verse: “For the one who has realized the illusory display of phenomena, it is like watching a spectacle.” Whatever arisings and fallings this person experiences, whatever attainment and worldly gain they may have, or whatever downfalls, tragedies, and misfortunes they may experience, they do not feel at the mercy of these situations. They have realized the illusory nature of phenomena. Sometimes positive circumstances arise: you have fame, success, good fortune, and everything going your way, but you do not show pride, arrogance, ego, or conceit because it is merely arising as if you are watching a movie. Similarly, you may be sick or experience a downfall, loss, or tragedy, but you do not feel you are bound up in misery or swept away by the force of misfortune. It does not affect your mind." —From Loving Life As It Is Khenpo Sherab Sangpo Khenpo Sherab Sangpo trained in Tibet with many renowned Dzogchen masters, including Padma Tsewang and Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok, earning two degrees in Buddhist philosophy and practice from Pukang and Larung Gar's monastic universities. His innate abilities and extensive training allowed him to master the Buddhist teachings, both in terms of theoretical knowledge and experiential realization. He travels the world teaching Buddhism and is the Spiritual Director of Bodhicitta Sangha | Heart of Enlightenment Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he has taught and lived since 2006. Official Website Paperback | eBook The Heart of Tibetan Buddhism: Advice for Life, Death, and Enlightenment This profoundly clear presentation of the core of Tibetan Buddhism offers authentic guidance for Buddhist practice and living a deeply meaningful life. Khenpo Sherab Sangpo, a highly trained and qualified teacher, here offers teachings and practices that are as relevant to experienced Buddhist practitioners as they are to those who want to know how Buddhism might inform and benefit their lives. These timeless teachings will show you how to cultivate a kind mind (bodhichitta), handle difficult emotions in relationships, receive guided mindfulness and awareness practices from a teacher, meditate on love and forgiveness, engage in breathing practice, and prepare for life’s most monumental moments—including death, rebirth, and maybe even enlightenment. Khenpo Karma Jamyang Gyaltsen visited Shambhala and discussed the Kagyu tradition's curriculum that takes place there. We are pleased to make the entire talk available online. Please enjoy a Reader's Guide to the works he discusses in his talk as well. There are many other excellent teachers who frequently visit or live in the west who were disciples of Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche including Tulku Tenzin Gyatso Rinpoche, Tulku Rigsang, Lama Drimed Rinpoche, and many more. See Khenpo Jamyang's talk on the Kagyu  curriculum at Larung Gar. https://vimeo.com/172946015

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Larung Gar's Kagyu Curriculum: A Talk by Khenpo Karma Jamyang Gyaltsen

Shambhala Publications, the Tsadra Foundation, and the Tibet Himalaya Initiative at the University of Colorado were pleased to present this talk by Khenpo Karma Jamyang Gyaltsen on the Kagyu curriculum of Buddhist study and practice in Tibet’s largest center for monastic and lay study and practice. Khenpo Jamyang is a senior teacher at the Larung Gar Buddhist Institute in Serthar, Sichuan, part of the Tibetan area known as Kham. He is the director of training in the Kagyu tradition at Larung Gar and was designated by the 17th Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu tradition, to oversee the reconstruction of monasteries in Kham. For more about Larung Gar and some of its teachers, please visit our Resource Guide for Larung Gar You can also right-click to download an mp3 of this talk. Larung Gar's Kagyu Curriculum: A Talk by Khenpo Karma Jamyang Gyaltsen from Shambhala Publications on Vimeo. Many thanks to Sarah Plazas, Jules Levenson, and Dolmakyab for helping with the translation. Larung Gar's Kagyu Curriculum: A Talk by Khenpo Karma Jamyang Gyaltsen from Shambhala Publications on Vimeo.

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When Things Fall Apart: The App

New! When Things Fall Apart: The App   There is a fundamental opportunity for happiness right within our reach—yet we usually miss it, ironically, while we are caught up in attempts to escape pain and suffering. Drawn from traditional Buddhist wisdom, Pema Chödrön’s When Things Fall Apart reveals her radical and compassionate advice for what to do when things fall apart in our lives. There is only one approach to suffering that is of lasting benefit, Pema teaches, and that approach involves moving toward painful situations with friendliness and curiosity, relaxing into the essential groundlessness of our entire situation. It is there, in the midst of chaos, that we can discover indestructible truth and love. This app includes an introduction to the When Things Fall Apart teachings by Pema, the complete audiobook read by Pema herself (2½ hours, abridged), and in-app study cards for further reflection and practice.     “Pema’s deep experience and her fresh way of looking at things are like mountain water—clear and refreshing, as good dharma should be.”—Jack Kornfield “Pema Chödrön’s writings have been helpful to countless numbers of people trying to find some ground for their being in this chaotic world.”—Bill Moyers “The advice Chödrön offers is radically different from other self-help prescriptions on the market. This book could serve you for a lifetime.”—Natural Health       BUY FROM THE APPLE STORE BUY FROM THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE  

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Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism and Meditation in Action

Reviewed by Charles Prebish In the spring of 2002, following a short bout with cardiac problems, I decided to move most of my books from my university office to my home study to allow me to work in a more relaxing environment. By some odd chance-probably karmically inspired-the very first books I grabbed down off the shelf were old, yellow, held-together-by-Scotch-tape copies of Chogyam Trungpa's Meditation in Action and Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism. These were the first books of Trungpa Rinpoche's I had read, and to me, they remain his very best. As I leafed through my tattered old copies, I was propelled back in time to the fall of 1973, when I was planning to teach a course called 'East Meets West: Chogyam Trungpa and Carlos Castaneda.' While students were walking around Penn State's campus with TheTeachings of Don Juan or Tales of Power stuffed in the back pocket of their jeans-much the way I walked around ten years earlier with Kerouac's The Dharma Bums stuffed in mine-I was reading Meditation in Action and Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism again and again, finding something new and startling with each reading. In my youthful naivete, I even wrote to Trungpa Rinpoche, whom I had never met, and asked him if he would consider coming to Penn State to lecture to the course about his experiences in Tibet and in bringing the buddhadharma to America. I was shocked when I got back a handwritten note from him, saying simply: ÒYes, if you think itÕs important.Ó Overjoyed, I immediately went about the business of securing funding to pay for his expenses and an honorarium, and when everything was in place, wrote him back inquiring as to his travel requirements. In typical fashion, he never answered. Nevertheless, the course was held the following spring as planned, with Meditation in Action and Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism as texts. And of course I was shocked when I eventually did hear from Trungpa Rinpoche, although it was only to invite me to teach Sanskrit at the first summer of Naropa Institute, and without even a mention of my then in-progress course. I bet I've read Meditation in Action fifty times over the years. One wouldnÕt think you could pack so much interesting material into a tiny little book thatÕs just over one hundred pages, but Trungpa Rinpoche didÑfor me at least. Each time I flip back through those turned-down pages, I find something new. This last time I was struck by the simple purity and power of the chapter on transmission. He says, 'Transmission does not mean that the Teacher is imparting his knowledge or his discovery to youÑthat would be impossible, even Buddha could not do so. But the whole point is that we stop collecting more things, and we just empty out whatever we have.Ó A little later he went on to say, ÒAnd when he has opened himself the Teacher will say a few words, which probably do not mean very much. Or perhaps he will not say anything. The important thing is to create the right situation, both on the TeacherÕs part and on the pupilÕs part. And when the right situation is created, then suddenly the Teacher and the pupil are not there anymore. The Teacher acts as one entrance and the pupil acts as another, and when both doors are open there is a complete Emptiness, a complete Oneness between the two.Ó One wonderful morning in 1970, at the conclusion of my weekly debate with my academic mentor Richard H. Robinson, I had exactly the experience Trungpa Rinpoche described. Only this time, for some reason, Robinson had required that my wife and newborn son be present for our intellectual battle. Any grasping at permanence was quickly dispelled, as later that afternoon Robinson was caught in a house explosion and fire. The injuries he sustained ended his life a month later. In 1974, when I told Trungpa Rinpoche about that experience, he simply smiled and hugged me. The same continual lessons emerge from the chapter on self-deception in Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism. When Trungpa Rinpoche points out that ÒSelf-deception needs the idea of evaluation and a very long memory,Ó he couldnÕt be smarter. I am always reminding myself of the immense truth of one small sentence in that chapter: ÒIf we regard something as valuable and extraordinary, it becomes quite separate from us.Ó He goes on to explain how we grasp after that inspiration precisely because we donÕt want to lose it. Over the years, IÕve learned again and again just how accurate and pervasive those two magical little books are, as goals, friendships and even desires slip away with each new act of fear and grasping. In recent years I've found a more portable little book to carry around with me, and I take it everywhere. It fits right in my jacket pocket, near my heart. It's John Daido Loori's Invoking Reality: Moral and Ethical Teachings of Zen. In it, Daido Roshi reviews taking refuge in the three treasures, the three pure precepts, and the ten grave precepts. His prose has the same simplicity and power that Trungpa RinpocheÕs volumes have, and they tear away my pretenses just as quickly. I suppose itÕs no wonder I met Daido Roshi at that first summer of Naropa Institute. Perhaps Trungpa Rinpoche wanted to make sure I had new dharma books to read and teachers to learn from long after he was writing no more. From Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly (www.thebuddhadharma.com). Charles Prebish is Professor of Religious Studies at Pennsylvania State University and coeditor of Buddhism in the Modern World: Adaptations of an Ancient Tradition (Oxford University Press, 2003).

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How to Build a Caravan of Joy: a review of The Mishap Lineage

Excerpt reprinted with permission from Tricycle Magazine Reviewed by Stuart Smithers I almost met Chogyam Trungpa. When I arrived at the steps of the New York Historical Society, just off Central Park, there was a notice posted on the massive wooden doors: Trungpa RinpocheÕs talk had been canceled for health reasons. I was disappointed, and didn't realize at the time that he would soon die and I would never have the chance to see him teach. I was young, studying Buddhism at Columbia University. Chogyam Trungpa wasn't part of my academic agenda, but I was excited and touched by his reputation and early books. Fresh, maybe a little wild, unpredictable, but mostly he sounded like he was authentic, with both feet on the ground. Through the years I have kept up with my Trungpa reading, supplementing books with conversations with his students. The video and audio recordings have given me a different sense of the man, particularly his voice and what singers might call his 'phrasing.' I am delighted when new material appears, but there is also something bittersweet about the loss and the disappearance of figures like Trungpa. Looking back on these encounters and missed meetings, it now feels as though the seventies and eighties were like that: fate or luck seemed to be playing a part in all of this. The Mishap Lineage is the edited version of a seminar Trungpa gave in December 1975 on the lineage of the Trungpa tulkus, or Trungpa reincarnations, which began in the fifteenth century. But Trungpa's personal reflections on the lives of the Trungpas were primarily means to encourage students to practice-'to sit a lot,' as he was fond of sayingÑand to invite questions about fundamental principles of Kagyu teachings, and to reflect on the obstacles, challenges, and possibilities of building a community that supports practice. How to build a sangha seems to be the driving motive behind the seminar talks... Click here to read the full review

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