Chogyam Trungpa's unique ability to express the essence of Buddhist teachings in the language and imagery of modern American culture makes his books among the most accessible works of Buddhist philosophy. Here Trungpa explores the true meaning of freedom, showing us how our preconceptions, attitudes, and even our spiritual practices can become chains that bind us to repetitive patterns of frustration and despair. This edition features a new foreword by Pema Chodron, a close student of Trungpa and the best-selling author of "When Things Fall Apart. "

In this rare personal investigation, His Holiness the Dalai Lama discusses his vision of science and faith working hand in hand to alleviate human suffering. Drawing on a lifetime of scientific study and religious practice, he explores the great debates and makes astonishing connections between seemingly disparate topics - such as evolution and karma - that will change the way we look at the world. While he sees science and faith as 'complementary but different investigative approaches with the same goal of seeking the truth,' the fact is that the two have often been at the root of human conflict for centuries. The Dalai Lama challenges us to see that the benefits of opening our hearts and minds to the connections between science and faith are far preferable to perpetuating the divisive rhetoric that often surrounds them. Now, as we face such troubled and uncertain times, the need has never been greater for this extraordinary man's compassion and wisdom.

Patrul Rinpoche's collection of the Dzogchen teachings of Aro Yeshe Jungne illuminated by practical meditation instructions that can be applied on-the-go in daily life by students of all backgrounds.

Patrul Rinpoche, the beloved nineteenth-century master best known for Words of My Perfect Teacher, collected the teachings of the tenth-century adept Aro Yeshe Jungne and synthesized them into the short text translated here as Clear Elucidation of True Nature. How to put these essential teachings into practice is the subject of the lively commentary by the two Khenpo brothers, the late Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche.

The Dzogchen meditation instructions of the Aro lineage are divided into nine sets, or nine levels, with specific instructions for each on how to identify the nature of the mind, how to abide in it as a way of life, and how to liberate turbulent thoughts and emotions when they arise. The commentary enfolds this instruction into a broad general teaching suitable for beginners that serves as an introduction to Dzogchen meditation, to the Nyingma tradition, and to basic Buddhism.

Succinct and easy to read, the text encapsulates the entire path of the nine levels of study and practice described in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. As a result, it has much to offer both beginners and longtime meditators to support their understanding and practice.

"The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way " was written in the second century and is one of the most important works of Nagarjuna, the pioneering commentator on the Buddha's teachings on the Madhyamika or Middle Way view. The subtle analyses presented in this treatise were closely studied and commented upon by many realized masters from the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Using Nagarjuna's root text and the great modern master Ju Mipham's commentary as a framework, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso explains the most important verse from each chapter in the text in a style that illuminates for modern students both the meaning of these profound teachings and how to put them into practice in a way that benefits both oneself and others.

The Dalai Lama has represented Buddhism as a religion of non-violence, compassion, and world peace, but this does not reflect how monks learn their vocation. This book shows how monasteries use harsh methods to make monks of men, and how this tradition is changing as modernist reformers - like the Dalai Lama - adopt liberal and democratic ideals, such as natural rights and individual autonomy. In the first in-depth account of disciplinary practices at a Tibetan monastery in India, Michael Lempert looks closely at everyday education rites - from debate to reprimand and corporal punishment. His analysis explores how the idioms of violence inscribed in these socialization rites help produce educated, moral persons but in ways that trouble Tibetans who aspire to modernity. Bringing the study of language and social interaction to our understanding of Buddhism for the first time, Lempert shows and why liberal ideals are being acted out by monks in India, offering a provocative alternative view of liberalism as a globalizing discourse.

Following the upheavals of the Cultural Revolution, the People's Republic of China gradually permitted the renewal of religious activity. Tibetans, whose traditional religious and cultural institutions had been decimated during the preceding two decades, took advantage of the decisions of 1978 to begin a Buddhist renewal that is one of the most extensive and dramatic examples of religious revitalization in contemporary China. The nature of that revival is the focus of this book. Four leading specialists in Tibetan anthropology and religion conducted case studies in the Tibet autonomous region and among the Tibetans of Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. There they observed the revival of the Buddhist heritage in monastic communities and among laypersons at popular pilgrimages and festivals. Demonstrating how that revival must contend with tensions between the Chinese state and aspirations for greater Tibetan autonomy, the authors discuss ways that Tibetan Buddhists are restructuring their religion through a complex process of social, political, and economic adaptation. Buddhism has long been the main source of Tibetans' pride in their culture and country. These essays reveal the vibrancy of that ancient religion in contemporary Tibet and also the problems that religion and Tibetan culture in general are facing in a radically altered world.

Happily, we do not have to remain trapped by the past. His Holiness reveals how life-enhancing Buddhist practices, as relevant today as they have ever been, can help us break free from the cycles of suffering that ensnare us. He encourages us to broaden our outlook and to adjust our personal values. And he gives us the tools to deal with any negative emotions we may experience in the process. Practical, step-by-step exercises, steeped in wisdom, show how to make the most of each moment; how to undo the negative effects of past deeds; and how you can enjoy spiritual growth and find deep inner happiness.

The first Tibetan to attain complete enlightenment was in all probability the woman Yeshe Tsogyal, the closest disciple of Padmasambhava, the master who brought Buddhism to Tibet in the eighth century. This classical text is not only a biography but also an inspiring example of how the Buddha's teaching can be put into practice. "Lady of the Lotus-Born " interweaves profound Buddhist teachings with a colorful narrative that includes episodes of adventure, court intrigue, and personal searching. The book will appeal to students of Tibetan Buddhism and readers interested in the role of women in Buddhism and world religions.

The first complete translation of the classic Buddhist text

One of the greatest works created by any culture and overwhelmingly the most significant of all Tibetan Buddhist texts in the West, "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" has had a number of distinguished but partial translations. Now the entire text has not only been made available in English but also in a translation of remarkable clarity and beauty. Translated with the close support of leading contemporary masters, this complete edition faithfully presents the insights and intentions of the original work. It includes one of the most detailed and compelling descriptions of the after-death state in world literature, practices that can transform our experience of daily life, guidance on helping those who are dying, and an inspirational perspective on coping with bereavement.

It is often assumed that a revelation must be new and innovative, and indeed, that the point of a new sacred text must be to revitalize the heritage. Yet in the Tibetan Nyingma Treasure Revelatory tradition, the ongoing vitality of textual production often has more to do with the fresh blessings, rather than altogether novel content. This book for the first time analyses precise continuities and changes in comparing the new and the old, considering examples of the creation and development of tantric revelations, including further re-workings in subsequent generations. In doing so, the focus enlarges to encompass materials from the broader religious heritage, as well as from specific lineages of related visionary lamas. By identifying such exact linkages and departures, it is possible to answer questions both of how and why developments may occur, not limiting the purview merely to the individual stories of the virtuoso lamas producing the books, but looking also to the tantric communities they are part of. The case studies in the book stem from the prolific writings of the famous 20th century scholar-lama, Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje Rinpoche, who contributed to numerous revelatory traditions of the past, as well as producing his own revelations. They concern a single tantric deity, Vajrakilaya, the most popular Nyingma deity, whose tantras and ritual practices stem from the earliest formulations of Tibetan tantric Buddhism, and who is closely connected with the culture heros and founding fathers of the Nyingmapa. This particular focus gives us the opportunity to discover patterns in the creation of new tantric texts which have significance beyond the specific examples.

A leading writer and researcher on Tibet, Sam van Schaik offers an accessible and authoritative introduction to Tibetan Buddhism by examining its key texts, from its origins in the eighth century to teachings practiced across the world today. In addition to demonstrating its richness and historical importance, van Schaik's fresh translations of and introductions to each text provide a comprehensive overview of Tibetan Buddhism's most popular teachings and concepts-including rebirth, compassion, mindfulness, tantric deities, and the graduated path-and discusses how each is put into practice. The book unfolds chronologically, conveying a sense of this thousand-year-old tradition's progress and evolution. Under the spiritual leadership of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism has an estimated ten to twenty million adherents worldwide. Written for those new to the topic, but also useful to seasoned Buddhist practitioners and students, this much-needed anthological introduction provides the deepest understanding of the key writings currently available.

While yoga has become a common practice for health and well-being, Tibetan yoga still remains a mystery. Translated as 'magical movements', Tibetan yoga can improve physical strength and support positive emotional and mental health, healing the body-energy-mind system with a full sense of awareness. In Tibetan Yoga for Health & Well-Being, Alejandro Chaoul PhD focuses on the five principal breaths of Tibetan medicine and yoga, and how special body movements for each of these breaths engage the five chakras of the body. Alongside photos of each movement, Chaoul will guide you through the physical practice with a focus on simplicity and accessibility. He shares his experiences of daily practice in different cultures, and provides a contextual understanding of the history of Tibetan yoga so that you can fully incorporate its ancient teachings in your present day lifestyle.

Atisha, the eleventh-century Indian Buddhist scholar and saint, came to Tibet at the invitation of the king of Western Tibet, Lha Lama Yeshe Wo, and his nephew, Jangchub Wo. His coming initiated the period of the second transmission of Buddhism to Tibet, formative for the Sakya Kagyu and Gelug traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Atisha's most celebrated text, "Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment," ""sets forth the entire Buddhist path within the framework of three levels of motivation on the part of the practitioner. Atisha's text thus became the source of the lamrim tradition, or graduated stages of the path to enlightenment, an approach to spiritual practice incorporated within all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

In this anthology, Matthieu Ricard gathers together the most clarifying and authentic texts he has come across in his 40 years of practice and study with great Tibetan masters. His compilation represents a wide range of Tibetan spiritual traditions, with each selection illuminating the stages of the Tibetan Buddhist path through its own lens.

Based on the Buddhist wisdom tradition, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple but inspiring language how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. The author represents a new voice among Dharma teachers.

The definitive biography One of the best-known and respected public figures of modern times, The Dalai Lama's message of peace and compassion resonates with people of all faiths and none. And yet, for all his worldwide fame, he remains personally elusive.

Alexander Norman, acclaimed Oxford-trained scholar of the history of Tibet and the Dalai Lamas, draws on his thirty years of special access to His Holiness to deliver the definitive biography - unique, revelatory, controversial. Norman gives unparalled insights into the Dalai Lama's life, from being chosen as a young boy, his exile from Tibet and his involvement in political negotiations, to the present day. He confronts a dark history, revealing the spiritual and political leader as never seen before.

Listen to an audio excerpt online in MP3 format--click here.
Buddhist teachings on facing death with openness and insight, from the author of The Healing Power of Mind--now in paperback with a CD of guided instructions by the author.
Buddhism teaches that death can be a springboard to enlightenment--yet for all but the most advanced meditators, it will be the gateway to countless future lives of suffering in samsara. Tulku Thondup wrote this guide to help us heal our fear and confusion about death and strengthen our practice in anticipation of this transition, and to help us realize the enlightened goal of ultimate peace and joy--not only for death and rebirth, but for this very lifetime. In simple language, he distills a vast range of sources, including scriptures, classic commentaries, oral teachings, and firsthand accounts. The book includes:
A CD of guided meditations
An overview of the dying process, the after-death bardo states, and teachings on why, where, and how we take rebirth
Accounts by Tibetan "near-death experiencers" (delogs), who returned from death with amazing reports of their visions
Ways to train our minds during life, so that at death, all the phenomena before us will arise as a world of peace, joy, and enlightenment
Simple meditations, prayers, and rituals to benefit the dead and dying
Advice for caregivers, helpers, and survivors of the dying
The paperback edition includes an audio CD providing guided instructions by the author on how to visualize Amitabha Buddha in the Pure Realm; how to receive his blessings; how to visualize transforming your body into light and sound at the time of death; how to share the blessings withcompassion for all sentient beings; and how to rest in oneness. By becoming intimate with this practice while we're alive, we can alleviate our fear of death, improve our appreciation of this life, and prepare for death in a very practical way, while planting the seeds for rebirth in the Pure Land.