During a month-long seminar in France during 1990, Vajrayana Buddhism master Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-91) presented this teaching on the mind training of the Indian master Atisha (982-1054) and the Tibetan master Thogm Zangpo (1295-1369). It is translated from the Tibetan by the Padmakara Translation Group. The first edition appeared in 1993.

In this book, two great Tibetan Buddhist masters of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries challenge us to critically examine our materialistic preoccupations and think carefully about how we want to spend the rest of our lives. At the same time, they provide practical guidance in following the Buddhist path, starting from the most basic motivation and culminating in the direct experience of reality beyond the reach of conceptual mind. The root text is a teaching in verse written in the nineteenth century by Patrul Rinpoche, one of the outstanding teachers of his day. In the accompanying commentary, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991)--lineage holder of the Nyingma school and one of the great expounders of the Dharma in Europe and North America--expands upon the text with his characteristic compassion and uncompromising thoroughness. Patrul Rinpoche's fresh and piercing verses combined with Khyentse Rinpoche's down-to-earth comments offer a concise yet complete examination of the Buddhist path.

The vow to perfect oneself in order to perfect others is called the thought of enlightenment or bodhichitta. This implies that every single action word or thought even the most trivial is dedicated to the good of all beings. To accomplish the good of others, we must first perfect ourselves by purifying and transforming our minds. This is the aim of what we call the preliminary practices, which establish the foundations of all spiritual progress. In this book, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche explains a key practice text composed by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892) on the Vajrayana preliminaries: taking refuge, generating the thought of achieving enlightenment for the sake of all beings, performing the meditation, and recitation of Vajrasattva to remove hindrances on the path to enlightenment, offering the mandala to accumulate merit and wisdom, and developing proper reliance on a spiritual teacher. Clear, direct, and personal, these instructions illuminate the heart of Vajrayana practice. Included here are the Tibetan text as well as the mantras and prayers commonly recited in conjunction with this practice.

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.

A collection of texts and commentaries from the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism on Dzogchen, or Great Perfection teachings, which introduce us to our most basic nature—the clear and pristine awareness that is the nature of the mind.

The Treasury of Precious Instructions, compiled by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, one of Tibet’s greatest Buddhist masters, is a shining jewel of Tibetan literature, presenting essential teachings from the entire spectrum of practice lineages that existed in Tibet. In its eighteen volumes, Kongtrul brings together some of the most important texts on key topics of Buddhist thought and practice as well as authoring significant new sections of his own.

Teachings and practices of the Nyingma lineage, the first of the eight lineages, are presented in the first and second volumes of the series, the second one of which is translated here. These texts are all related to the three yogas: Mahāyoga, Anuyoga, and Atiyoga. The first Nyingma volume includes works that are representative of the first two yogas, while this volume focuses especially on those belonging to the “pith-instruction class,” specifically those related to the unsurpassed secret section—the Heart Essence, or Nyingtik. According to the understanding of the Nyingma school, the most profound tenet of the Buddha’s teachings is that within the mind of every being—as its bedrock, fundamental stratum, or element—lies the buddha nature. The teachings of this volume each present this essential tenet in a variety of ways and are composed by various Tibetan and Indian masters, including the Buddha, Garab Dorje, Mañjuśrīmitra, Śrīsiṃha, Jñānasūtra, Padmasambhava, Longchen Rabjam, and Jamgon Kongtrul Lodrö Taye.

This commentary on Padampa Sangye's classic verses of advise to Tibetan villagers of Tingri--by renowned and beloved meditation master Dilgo Khyentse--offers guidance for people trying to lead a dharmic life in the workaday world. These hundred verses, studied for centuries by Tibetans and students of Buddhism, contain a complete survey of the Tibetan Buddhist path. Dilgo Khyentse's lively explication of each stanza brings to light subtleties and amplifies the richness of the words and their pertinence to our lives. These two venerable teachers advise us in relating to everyday difficulties such as loneliness, craving, family squabbles, competition in business, disagreements with neighbors, and betrayal by friends--as challenging to us as they have been to meditators for centuries.