Great Masters Guides
The Works of Zen in the Song Dynasty This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this
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The Samurai and Zen This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this series or simply explore
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Dogen: A Guide to His Work This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this series or
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Early Zen in Japan This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this series or simply explore
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The Works of the Chan & Zen Patriarchs This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this
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The Works of Zen in the Tang Dynasty This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this
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The Seon Tradition of Zen in Korea This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this series
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The Great Koan Collections This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this series or simply explore
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Zen Buddhism: A Reader's Guide to the Great Works There have been surprisingly few clear introductions to the full range of the East Asian tradition of what is popularly commonly referred to, in its Japanese variant, as Zen Buddhism but also known as Chan, Soen, and Tien in original Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. All these
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The Treasury of Precious Instructions Learn More The eighteen volumes of the Treasury of Precious Instructions or Dam-ngak Rinpoché Dzö by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, one of Tibet’s greatest Buddhist masters, is a shining jewel of Tibetan literature Palpung Monastery, Tibet Explore the Treasury of Precious Instructions Page Navigation Menu Home Page of the Treasury
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The Treasury of Precious Instructions Learn More The eighteen volumes of the Treasury of Precious Instructions or Dam-ngak Rinpoché Dzö by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, one of Tibet’s greatest Buddhist masters, is a shining jewel of Tibetan literature Palpung Monastery, Tibet Explore the Treasury of Precious Instructions Page Navigation Menu Home Page of the Treasury
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The Treasury of Precious Instructions Guide for Readers This guide to exploring The Treasury of Precious Instructions includes selections from the text, words of advice and praises from distinguished Tibetan teachers, audio and video series from the translators, and helpful resources. Use the navigation menu below to explore each page and discover this truly remarkable
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The Life of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo: An excerpt from Tulku Thondup Rinpoche's Masters of Meditation and Miracles According to Nyingma tradition, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo is the body incarnation of Jigme Lingpa. 259 He became one of the greatest masters, in whom the lineages of all of Tibetan Buddhism find their confluence. He became a prominent
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An excerpt from Tibetan Astrology, where Phillipe Cornu summarizes Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche's explanation of each month's 10th day, or Guru Rinpoche Day. The 10th is Guru Rinpoche day. Guru Rinpoche or Padmasambhava is the Buddha who established Tantric Buddhism in Tibet. At the esoteric level, he is the essence of all buddhas and masters. He
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Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche: A Guide for Readers Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (1933 – June 4, 2023) was an eminent teacher of the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He was appointed by the Dalai Lama to be the personal tutor for His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa and has authored many books, including Tilopa’s Wisdom, Naropa’s Wisdom, The Mahamudra Lineage
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Chan Master Sheng Yen (1930–2009) was a widely respected Taiwanese Chan (Chinese Zen) master who taught extensively in the West during the last thirty-one years of his life. He had numerous teaching centers throughout North America, as well throughout the world. He co-led retreats with the Dalai Lama, and he is the author of numerous
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Jigme Lingpa A Guide to His Works Learn More A guide to the works available in English from Jigme Lingpa, the founder of the Longchen Nyintik tradition and a central figure in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. See Also: Some Nyingma Lineages: Dudjom Tersar | Longchen Nyingtig | Namcho & Palyul Guides to Other
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Buddha Nature Read More In the eleventh century, the great Tibetan scholar-practitioner Gampopa (1079–1153) began his composition known as The Jewel Ornament of Liberation with an exposition on the cause for awakening. What is the cause for awakening? In the Vajrayana and third turning traditions of Buddhism it is buddha nature. Buddha nature is our
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Khandro Tsering Chödrön, from The Life and Times of Jamyang Chokyi Lodro One of the most remarkable Buddhist women of the 20th century surely was Khandro Tsering Chödrön. Born in 1925, she became the spiritual consort of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, one of the most important teachers of the 20th century. As Tulku Thondup, who
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The Role of the Teacher in Tibetan Buddhism: A Reader’s Guide to the Teacher-Student Relationship
The Teacher-Student Relationship Learn More To truly understand Tibetan Buddhism, one must come to grips with the unique role of the teacher, the dynamics of the teacher-student relationship, and the possibilities that having a teacher can open up. To truly understand Tibetan Buddhism, one must come to grips with the unique role of the teacher,
Milarepa: A Reader's Guide Learn More There are few figures more beloved in the Buddhist Himalayas than the 11th century yogi-hero Milarepa. Namkading Cave area where Milarepa spent many years in retreat Related Reader Guides: Profiles of early Indian Mahayana figures | Tibetan Masters of the 8th Century | Tibetan Masters of the 10th-11th Centuries The Kagyu Tradition |
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A Guide to Sera Khandro Learn More Sera Khandro (1892 - 1940), also known as Kunzang Dekyong Wagmo, was one of the great masters of the early 20th century and the English speaking world is fortunate now that both her story and her writings have been emerging more and more. Explore Nyingma Lineages: Dudjom Tersar
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The following article appeared in Volume 5 (Winter, 1976) of the Shambhala Review of Books and Ideas, a magazine that was part of Shambhala Publications (unaffiliated with Shambhala International or the Shambhala Sun), a magazine that ran a few issues in the mid 1970's. This interview with Dudjom Rinpoche was conducted by Shambhala Publications' staff with
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Tsongkhapa A Guide to His Works Related Topics Profiles of early Indian Mahayana figures | Lives of the Masters Series | Atisha | Aryadeva The Kadam Tradition | The Gelug Tradition | Madhyamaka Milarepa | His Holiness the Dalai Lama Tsongkhapa Lobsang Drakpa (1357-1419) Tsongkhapa., from the cover of The Great Exposition of Secret Mantra (Essen Collection)
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Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s impact on the transmission of Buddhism to the West cannot be overstated. In the quarter century he spent in the West, he taught tens of thousands of students, in many cases introducing them to Buddhism for the first time. His legacy is nearly impossible to measure, but one gauge is his literary
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Related Reader's Guides Guide to the Sakya Tradition Guides to Other Important Sakya Figures: Sakya Pandita | Sakyasribhadra Drogön Chögyal Phagpa Lodrö Gyaltsten (1235-1280) Drogon Chogyal Phagpa Lodro Gyaltsen (1235-1280), better known to the world as Chögyal Phagpa (or Phakpa) is one of the five great founding masters from the Sakya tradition in Tibet. In
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See also our Reader Guide to Milarepa. Who is Milarepa? Milarepa, the famous Tibetan yogi, lives on through his joyous, instructional songs and poetry. Both the new translation of The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, from Christopher Stagg, and Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s exploration of his life in Milarepa: Lessons from the Life & Songs of
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What follows is a guide to some of our books and other resources available on Shambhala.com that relate to the Drikung Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The Drikung lineage comes from Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa through Phagmo Drupa and Jigten Sumgön, who is considered the root of the tradition. His most famous work, the Gongchik, or “Single
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Sakyasribhadra: A Reader’s Guide to the 12th Century Kashmiri Pandita
Image from HAR Sakyasribhadra, also known as Sakyasri or Khache Panchen, was an important Kashmiri pandita in the 12th and early 13th centuries who came to Tibet. His full biography is on the Treasury of Lives site. He has a connection with many of the lineages in Tibet extant during his visit. He is well
Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye A Guide for Readers Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye (1813–1900) was a versatile and prolific scholar and one of the most outstanding writers and teachers of his time in Tibet. He was a pivotal figure in eastern Tibet’s nonsectarian movement and made major contributions to education, politics, and medicine. Jump to: Books
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