Mipham's Beacon of Certainty

Mipham's Beacon of Certainty
Author: John W. Pettit
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 594
Release: 1999
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0861711572

Dzogchen--the oft-misunderstood Tibetan meditation practice--is dissected inreat detail here, revealing the buried rational origins and interpretationf this spiritual practice. Original.

Mipham's Beacon of Certainty

Mipham's Beacon of Certainty
Author: John W. Pettit
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 594
Release: 2013-02-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0861717198

For centuries, Dzogchen - a special meditative practice to achieve spontaneous enlightenment - has been misinterpreted by both critics and malinformed meditators as being purely mystical and anti-rational. In the grand spirit of Buddhist debate, 19th century Buddhist philosopher Mipham wrote Beacon of Certainty, a compelling defense of Dzogchen philosophy that employs the very logic it was criticized as lacking. Through lucid and accessible textural translation and penetrating analysis, Pettit presents Mipham as one of Tibet's greatest thinkers.

Journey to Certainty

Journey to Certainty
Author: Anyen Rinpoche
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2012-05-15
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1614290091

Approachable yet sophisticated, this book takes the reader on a gently guided tour of one of the most important texts Tibetan Buddhism has to offer. "Certainty" in this context refers to the unshakeable trust that develops as meditators discover for themselves the true root of reality. In this authoritative presentation, master teacher Anyen Rinpoche opens wide the storehouse of this richly philosophical text in a way that lets readers of all backgrounds easily benefit.

Journey to Certainty

Journey to Certainty
Author: Anyen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2012-06-12
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1614290172

Approachable yet sophisticated, this book takes the reader on a gently guided tour of one of the most important texts Tibetan Buddhism has to offer. "Certainty" in this context refers to the unshakeable trust that develops as meditators discover for themselves the true root of reality. In this authoritative presentation, master teacher Anyen Rinpoche opens wide the storehouse of this richly philosophical text in a way that lets readers of all backgrounds easily benefit.

Jamgon Mipam

Jamgon Mipam
Author: Jamgon Mipam
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2011-12-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0834827638

Jamgön Mipam (1846–1912) is one of the most extraordinary figures in the history of Tibet. Monk, mystic, and brilliant philosopher, he shaped the trajectory of Tibetan Buddhism’s Nyingma school. This introduction provides a most concise entrée to this great luminary’s life and work. The first section gives a general context for understanding this remarkable individual who, though he spent the greater part of his life in solitary retreat, became one of the greatest scholars of his age. Part Two gives an overview of Mipam’s interpretation of Buddhism, examining his major themes, and devoting particular attention to his articulation of the Buddhist conception of emptiness. Part Three presents a representative sampling of Mipam’s writings.

Mipam on Buddha-Nature

Mipam on Buddha-Nature
Author: Douglas Samuel Duckworth
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2016-10-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0791477983

Mipam ('ju mi pham rgya mtsho, 1846–1912) is one of the most prolific thinkers in the history of Tibet and is a key figure in the Nyingma tradition of Buddhism. His works continue to be widely studied in the Tibetan cultural region and beyond. This book provides an in-depth account of Mipam's view, drawing on a wide range of his works and offering several new translations. Douglas S. Duckworth shows how a dialectic of presence and absence permeates Mipam's writings on the Middle Way and Buddha-nature. Arguably the most important doctrine in Buddhism, Buddha-nature is, for Mipam, equivalent to the true meaning of emptiness; it is the ground of all and the common ground shared by sentient beings and Buddhas. This ground is the foundation of the path and inseparable from the goal of Buddhahood. Duckworth probes deeply into Mipam's writings on Buddha-nature to illuminate its central place in a dynamic Buddhist philosophy.

The Union of Dzogchen and Bodhichitta

The Union of Dzogchen and Bodhichitta
Author: Anyen Rinpoche
Publisher: Shambhala
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2006-04-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1559398876

An illuminating look at key aspects of Tibetan Buddhist practice--of interest to many practitioners--is presented in this practical and interesting book. Through demonstrating the interrelationship of the outer inner and secret teachings and a textual analysis of the words of four renowned Dzogchen yogis, it makes clear that the practice of Bodhichitta is a necessary aspect of every practice within Tibetan Buddhism.Unlike other books that present either the teachings of Bodhichitta or the teachings of Dzogchen as their own system of practice, this book presents them not as complementary practices but as a deconstructed inner and outer practices which are fundamentally intertwined. Anyen Rinpoche works to create a new generation of holistic practitioners who value the depth found in the entire spectrum of teachings. While Anyen Rinpoche acknowledges the profundity of the Dzogchen teachings, he dispels the myth that they are an effortless path to liberation and rather shows that they are a progressive path that requires diligence, insight, and the compassionate mind of a Bodhisattva. He presents a style of contemplation that combines Dzogchen meditation on the ultimate view with the generation of Bodhichitta, such as has been taught by Nyingmapa yogis throughout the centuries. This book presents the union of Dzogchen and Bodhichitta not only through philosophy and scripture but also through concrete methods for practice.

Freedom from Extremes

Freedom from Extremes
Author: Jose Ignacio Cabezon
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 434
Release: 2013-02-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0861718577

What is emptiness? This question at the heart of Buddhist philosophy has preoccupied the greatest minds of India and Tibet for two millennia, producing hundreds of volumes. Distinguishing the Views, by the fifteenth-century Sakya scholar Gorampa Sonam Senge, is one of the most important of those works, esteemed for its conciseness, lucidity, and profundity. Freedom from Extremes presents Gorampa's elegant philosophical case on the matter of emptiness here in a masterful translation by Geshe Lobsang Dargyay. Gorampa's text is polemical, and his targets are two of Tibet's greatest thinkers: Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug school, and Dolpopa, a founding figure of the Jonang school. Distinguishing the Views argues that Dolpopa has fallen into an eternalistic extreme, whereas Tsongkhapa has fallen into nihilism, and that only the mainstream Sakya view - what Gorampa calls "freedom from extremes" - represents the true middle way, the correct view of emptiness. Suppressed for years in Tibet, this seminal work today is widely regarded and is studied in some of Tibet's greatest academic institutions. Gorampa's treatise has been translated and annotated here by two leading scholars of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, and a critical edition of the Tibetan text on facing pages gives students and scholars direct access to Gorampa's own words. Jose Cabezon's extended introduction provides a thorough overview of Tibetan polemical literature and contextualizes the life and work of Gorampa both historically and intellectually. Freedom from Extremes will be indispensable for serious students of Madhyamaka thought.

A Direct Path to the Buddha Within

A Direct Path to the Buddha Within
Author: Klaus-Dieter Mathes
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 626
Release: 2013-02-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0861719158

Maitreya's Ratnagotravibhaga, also known as the Uttaratantra, is the main Indian treatise on buddha nature, a concept that is heavily debated in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. In A Direct Path to the Buddha Within, Klaus-Dieter Mathes looks at a pivotal Tibetan commentary on this text by Go Lotsawa Zhonu Pal, best known as the author of the Blue Annals. Go Lotsawa, whose teachers spanned the spectrum of Tibetan schools, developed a highly nuanced understanding of buddha nature, tying it in with mainstream Mahayana thought while avoiding contested aspects of the so-called empty-of-other (zhentong) approach. In addition to translating key portions of Go Lotsawa's commentary, Mathes provides an in-depth historical context, evaluating Go's position against those of other Kagyu, Nyingma, and Jonang masters and examining how Go Lotsawa's view affects his understanding of the buddha qualities, the concept of emptiness, and the practice of mahamudra.

The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

The Tibetan Yoga of Breath
Author: Anyen Rinpoche
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2013-11-12
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0834829177

Heal the body, quiet the mind, and find emotional balance with simple practices from Yantra Yoga Modern science and classic spiritual traditions agree: regulating the breath leads to radiance and wellness of body, mind, and spirit. With the simple teachings and cutting-edge research offered in The Tibetan Yoga of Breath, you can start thriving just by integrating breathwork into your daily practice. Basic Yantra Yoga techniques—also called wind energy training—are the key to achieving this kind of vitality, down to the cellular level. Anyen Rinpoche and Allison Choying Zangmo skillfully examine the teachings of Yantra Yoga and Buddhism through the lens of Western medical science. Their wise and accessible instruction reveals practices that are nourishing and transformative, delivering dramatic results—no experience with yoga or Buddhist meditation necessary.