Jigme Lingpa

Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798) was a great master of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The root of the Khyentse lineage, he was a tertön, or discoverer of treasure teachings, and revealed the Longchen Nyingtik, one of the most important cycles of meditative practice in the Nyingma school.

Longchenpa

Longchen Rabjam (1308–1363), also known as Longchenpa, is a great luminary of Tibetan Buddhism. He was highly skilled in all aspects of scholarship from an early age and excelled throughout his life in the practice and accomplishment of the Dharma. Regarded as a great Dzogchen master, Longchenpa had many pure visions where he was given direct instructions from Guru Padmasambhava and is recognized as an emanation of Vimalamitra. Longchenpa’s prolific writings have made him one of Tibet’s most renowned and precious teachers.

Cortland Dahl

CORTLAND DAHL is a scientist, Buddhist scholar and translator, and meditation teacher. Beginning in the early 1990s, his passion for training the mind led him on a journey to Buddhist centers across Asia, culminating in eight years living in Tibetan refugee settlements near Kathmandu, Nepal. He is actively involved in scientific research on meditation and human flourishing at the Center for Healthy Minds, and he cofounded Tergar, a network of meditation centers with activities on six continents, with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Cortland lives with his wife and son in Madison, Wisconsin.

"The sevenfold mind training of the Dzogchen lineage is very important, since it gives us a practical set of instructions to help us to get in touch with the fundamental wisdom of the Buddhist path. In ancient times, it was often said that these foundational teachings are even more important than the advanced instructions of our tradition. I am very happy to see these important texts now appearing in the English language. They will be of great benefit to all those interested in the path of awakening." —Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, author of Turning Confusion into Clarity

"The great vidyādhara Jigme Lingpa left an abundance of literary and instructional treasures for us—methods for awakening our hearts and freeing our minds. Among those, the sevenfold mind-training instructions presented in The Steps to Liberation are an especially powerful set of teachings that unite many of the key points of sutra and tantra in an utterly pragmatic way. I am therefore very happy and grateful that Cortland Dahl has made an excellent translation of these precious teachings available to the English-reading public. I encourage readers to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to deepen and expand their compassion and wisdom." —Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, author of Rebel Buddha: A Guide to a Revolution of Mind