A classic collection of writings on the meditation practice and theory of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, by the celebrated fourteenth-century scholar and adept Longchen Rabjam (Longchenpa).
Dzogpa Chenpo (Dzogchen) is the pinnacle of Vajrayana Buddhist practice in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It employs a meditative technique that effortlessly uncovers the emotional and intellectual layers of the mind and instantly awakens its essential nature, buddhahood itself. In addition to presenting selections from the writings of Longchenpa, this book draws on the works of later masters of the tradition to clarify the view and practice of the Great Perfection.

The best-selling author of T"he Healing Power of Mind" presents a historical overview and detailed explanation of the phenomenon of incarnate enlightened beings, known as "tulkus" in Tibetan. A tulku, out of kindness for beings, is born again and again as a teacher who dedicates his or her life to serving others, specifically through sharing the teachings of the Buddha. He or she is usually recognized by those well-trained friends and students who were close to the previous incarnation and who have the appropriate insight to recognize their deceased master in the form of a very young child. Throughout the history of Tibetan Buddhism, tulkus have been the standard-bearers of the tradition and providers of spiritual and social guidance for both the ordained and the lay people of that culture.
The book covers the following topics: the fundamental principle of the tulku; the three kinds of tulkus; the methods for recognizing tulkus; stories of tulkus' miracles and clairvoyance; the goals fulfilled by them; the roles tulkus have played in history; and the attainments they have displayed at death.

This commentary is based on the six bardos teachings from a series of hidden treasure texts known as the Profound Dharma of Natural Liberation through the Intention of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones (Zab chos zhi khro dgongs pa rang grol), discovered by the great terton Karma Lingpa in the fourteenth century. The word "bardo," made popular in the West through the English translation of the Bardo Thodol or The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which also belongs to the same series of treasure texts, means an intermediate or in-between state. The practice of the six bardos, according to the hermeneutics of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, is essentially the meditative practice of living and dying. Natural Appearances, Natural Liberation not only contains very practical advice, but also has many teachings of the Nyingma tantric tradition embedded in it. The original text is not intended as a study of spiritualism or psychology. Neither is it intended to be viewed as handbook for taking care of the deceased, nor as a treatise on emptiness. The intention is to condense the very deep and profound tantric teachings of the six bardos into practices approachable by all sentient beings so that many can swiftly attain various states of liberation. This book offers a scholarly but accessible explanation of the ancient wisdom embedded in this ancient Buddhist classic. Tam Shek-wing (1935-) is a Buddhist scholar, painter, poet, writer and social critic. He is the founder of the Vajrayana Buddhism Association and Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies Association in North America. Master Tam was born in Guangzhou, China. As a young man, he received systematic training in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism under the guidance of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche. In 1986, Master Tam emigrated from Hong Kong to Hawaii, and then to Toronto in 1993. As early as the late 1970s, Master Tam began publishing writings on Buddhism, with an emphasis on the teachings and meditative practice in Vajrayana Buddhism. To establish Sino-Tibetan Buddhist studies as a legitimate field in Buddhology, Master Tam helped organize publication of the Monograph Series in Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies. The published works sparked interest in establishing new curricula in Buddhist Studies in a number of universities in China, including Renmin University of China in Beijing, Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, and Nanking University in Nanjin. Since 2008, Master Tam has been a visiting professor at these universities, where he lectures on the tathagatagarbha doctrine and its practice.

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.

"Masters of Meditation and Miracles "presents colorful biographies of thirty-five realized teachers whose lives were full of peace, enlightenment, and amazing miracles. They flourished in Tibet, the Roof of the World, in its golden days. These teachers belong to the Longchen Nyingthig lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, a cycle of mystical teachings revealed by the great scholar and adept Jigme Lingpa. From the first master, Garap Dorje, to the present, each spiritual personality has his or her own distinctive role to play in this great lineage. In retelling their stories in his own words, the author has sought to bring out their inner feelings as well as their external activities: how they faced and healed physical pain, how they dealt with emotional turmoil, how they overcame spiritual or meditative illusions, and most important, what experiences they had when they awakened their own inner Buddha Mind and Buddha qualities. These biographies not only provide great sources of teachings on meditation, but will also kindle a spiritual flame in the hearts of readers.

Tulku Thondup's guidance on healing meditation is addressed to anyone who wishes to become healthier, happier, and more peaceful in his/her everyday life. It will benefit those who want to preserve good health as well as those who need comforting and relief from illness and mental anguish. In this book the main object of meditation is the body, and the reader is given guided instructions to reflect upon the physical body in order to awaken its healing energies, and in so doing to awaken and enlighten the mind. The book includes
-- ways to apply the four healing powers: positive images, positive words, positive feelings, and positive belief
-- detailed instructions for meditative healing exercises that can be done individually or as part of a twelve-stage program
-- meditations for falling asleep and waking up
-- exercises for dispelling anxiety
-- special Buddhist meditations to heal body and mind
-- healing prayers for the dying and the deceased, plus advice for helpers and survivors