Tantric Practice in Nyingma


Book Description

...an all-encompassing presentation of Vajrayana philosophy and practice. There is much here for repeated reading, contemplation and absorption. Shambhala Sun




Creation and Completion


Book Description

Creation and Completion represents some of the most profound teachings of Jamgon Kongtrul (1813-99), one of the true spiritual and literary giants of Tibetan history. Though brief, it offers a lifetime of advice for all who wish to engage in-and deepen-the practice of tantric Buddhist meditation. The original text, beautifully translated and introduced by Sara Harding, is further brought to life by an in-depth commentary by the contemporary master Thrangu Rinpoche. Key Tibetan Buddhist fundamentals are quickly made clear, so that the reader may confidently enter into tantra's oft-misunderstood "creation" and "completion" stages. In the creation stage, practitioners visualize themselves in the form of buddhas and other enlightened beings in order to break down their ordinary concepts of themselves and the world around them. This meditation practice prepares the mind for engaging in the completion stage, where one has a direct encounter with the ultimate nature of mind and reality.




The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to Tantra, Books 1 to 10


Book Description

In 1838, Choying Tobden Dorje, a Buddhist yogi-scholar of eastern Tibet, completed a multivolume masterwork that traces the entire path of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism from beginning to end. Written by a lay practitioner for laypeople, it was intended to be accessible, informative, inspirational, and above all, practical. Its twenty-five books, or topical divisions, offer a comprehensive and detailed view of the Buddhist path according to the early translation school of Tibetan Buddhism, spanning the vast range of Buddhist teachings from the initial steps to the highest esoteric teachings of great perfection. Choying Tobden Dorje’s magnum opus appears in English here for the first time. In Foundations of the Buddhist Path, which covers the first ten of the treatise’s twenty-five books, the author surveys the scope of the entire work and then begins with the topics that set the cornerstones for all subsequent Buddhist practice: what constitutes proper spiritual apprenticeship, how to receive the teachings, how to make the best use of this life, and how to motivate ourselves to generate effort on the spiritual path. He then describes refuge and the vows that define the path of individual liberation before turning to the bodhisattva’s way—buddha nature, how to uplift the mind to supreme awakening, the bodhisattva’s training, and the attainments of the paths leading to supreme awakening.




Tantric Practice in Nying-ma


Book Description




The Gathering of Intentions


Book Description

The Gathering of Intentions reads a single Tibetan Buddhist ritual system through the movements of Tibetan history, revealing the social and material dimensions of an ostensibly timeless tradition. By subjecting tantric practice to historical analysis, the book offers new insight into the origins of Tibetan Buddhism, the formation of its canons, the emergence of new lineages and ceremonies, and modern efforts to revitalize the religion by returning to its mythic origins. The ritual system explored in this volume is based on the Gathering of Intentions Sutra, the fundamental "root tantra" of the Anuyoga class of teachings belonging to the Nyingma ("Ancient") school of Tibetan Buddhism. Proceeding chronologically from the ninth century to the present, each chapter features a Tibetan author negotiating a perceived gap between the original root text—the Gathering of Intentions—and the lived religious or political concerns of his day. These ongoing tensions underscore the significance of Tibet's elaborate esoteric ritual systems, which have persisted for centuries, evolving in response to historical conditions. Rather than overlook practice in favor of philosophical concerns, this volume prioritizes Tibetan Buddhism's ritual systems for a richer portrait of the tradition.







Pure Appearance


Book Description

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. Vajrayana methods for realizing the true nature of the mind take the resultant state of buddhahood as the path, or what is to be practiced. Pure Appearance focuses on the generation and completion stages of tantra that work with the pure form aspect of enlightenment. In this short but densely packed teaching Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche explains the structure of the tantric path and how its stages are put into practice, in terms that apply generally across the spectrum of deity practices. He emphasizes the distinctive features of the Nyingma approach but frequently correlates them with their counterparts in the New Translation traditions.







Deity, Mantra, and Wisdom


Book Description

Deity, Mantra, and Wisdom contains four of the most cherished Tibetan Buddhist commentaries on the practices of visualization, mantra recitation, and meditative absorption. These three elements form the core of development stage meditation, one of the most important practices of Buddhist Tantra. The authors of these timeless classics—Jigme Lingpa, Patrul Rinpoche, and Getse Mahapandita—have all profoundly shaped Tibetan Buddhism with their vast scholarship and deep spiritual realization. In these eloquent and inspiring writings, they explain the fundamental philosophy of the development stage, showing not only its profound insights into the nature of reality, but also how to make this view a living experience through the practice of meditation. The four works here translated for the first time are: "Ladder to Akanistha" by Jigme Lingpa, "Clarifying the Difficult Points in the Development Stage" by Patrul Rinpoche, "The Four Stakes That Bind the Life-Force" by Patrul Rinpoche, and "Husks of Unity" by Getse Mahapandita Tsewang Chokdrub.




Guide to the Deities of the Tantra


Book Description

Vessantara explains the key characteristics of the Tantra, introduces its many Deities, and explores its symbolism. This guide provides the foundations for a gradual and thorough understanding of Tantric Buddhism, encouraging confidence in the exploration of its many themes and lavish forms. Mantra recitation and colourful visualizations of the Deities lie at the heart of the Tantric practice and Vessantara provides beautiful meditations on each of the key figures while also explaining the reasoning, theory and history behind each practice.