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This 14th-century lively history introduces basic Buddhism as
practised throughout India and Tibet and describes the process of
entering the Buddhist path through study and reflection.
From the main practice manual studied by the lay yogi-practitioner
lineages of Tibet, now in English for the first time, this volume
presents the foundational stages of the Buddhist path according to
the Nyingma, or Ancient, tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
Choying Tobden Dorje (1787-1848), a Buddhist yogi of far-eastern
Tibet, composed a multivolume masterwork that traces the path of
the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism from beginning to end and
that is still cherished as a main source of instruction by the
Ngakpa, or non-monastic practice lineages. This first volume--one
of six--offers a comprehensive, in-depth view of the foundations of
the Buddhist path. Written by a lay practitioner for laypeople, it
is intended to be accessible, informative, and above all,
practical.
Even the most casual contact with the culture, politics, or
religion of Tibet and the surrounding region brings outsiders face
to face with the institution of reincarnate spiritual masters. Past
masters are identified as small children installed in their
predecessor's monastery in a ceremony called "enthronement" and
educated to continue the work of their former incarnation. This
custom has provided a principal source of spiritual renewal for
Himalayan Buddhists for the past thousand years. The introduction
places the subject of reincarnate meditation masters within two
major contexts: the activity of bodhisattvas, and in modern Tibetan
society, where the reappearance of past masters is both natural and
profoundly moving.
Tai Situpa Rinpoche, a contemporary reincarnate master and a leader
of the Kagyu lineage, describes the process of finding other
reincarnate masters. Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, an outstanding
writer and meditation master, offers a traditional view of the
enthronement of reincarnate masters.
The Kagyu and Nyingma traditions of Himalayan tantric Buddhism
require a long period of intensive training in meditation--a
three-year, three-month retreat--before a practitioner is
considered to be a qualified teacher. "Jamgon Kongtrul's Retreat
Manual" was written in the mid-nineteenth century for those who
wish to embark on this rigorous training. It guides them in
preparing for retreat, provides full details of the program of
meditation, and offers advice for their re-entry into the world.
"Jamgon Kongtrul's Retreat Manual" also introduces us to one of the
towering figures of nineteenth-century Tibet: Jamgon Kongtrul the
Great (1813-99). The three-year retreat center he describes in this
book was his creation, and its program consisted of those practices
Kongtrul treasured enough to pass on to future generations through
the spiritual leaders he trained.
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