Groundless Paths: The Prajaparamita Sutras, the Ornament of Clear Realization, and Its Commentaries in the Tibetan Nyingma Tradition (Tsadra Foundation)

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The Abhisamayalamkara summarizes all the topics in the vast body of the prajnaparamita sutras. Resembling a zip-file, it only comes to life through its Indian and Tibetan commentaries. Together, these texts not only discuss the "hidden meaning" of the prajnaparamita sutrasthe paths and bhumis of sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas, but also serve as contemplative manuals for the explicit topic of these sutrasemptinessand how it is to be understood on the progressive levels of realization of bodhisattvas. Thus, these texts describe what happens in the mind of a bodhisattva who meditates on emptiness, making it a living experience from the beginner's stage up through buddhahood.

Groundless Paths contains the first in-depth study of the Abhisamayalamkara (the text studied most extensively in higher Tibetan Buddhist education) and its commentaries from the perspective of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. This study consists mainly of translations of Maitreya's famous text and two commentaries on it by Patrul Rinpoche. These are supplemented by three short texts on the paths and bhumis by the same author as well as extensive excerpts from commentaries by six other Nyingma masters, including Mipham Rinpoche. Thus, this book helps close a long-standing gap in the modern scholarship on the prajnaparamita sutras and the literature on paths and bhumis in mahayana Buddhism.

"Groundless Paths contains Dza Patrul Rinpoche's brilliant commentaries on the Abhisamayalamkara, masterfully translated and annotated by Karl Brunnhölzl. This third volume completes the presentation of the major Kagyü and Nyingma works on the prajñaparamita literature in English for the first time."-Elizabeth Callahan, translator of The Treasury of Knowledge, Book Six, Part Three: Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy...

The Practice of the Essence of the Sublime Heart Jewel, View, Meditation and Action

Dza Patrul Rinpoche - The Practice of the Essence of the Sublime Heart Jewel - View, Meditation and Action

The Nectar Flows

Longchen Nyingtik Ngondrö_The Nectar Flows

Togal Positions

Togal Positions

Togal Postures

Togal Postures

The Supreme Doctrine of the Wise and Glorious King

Dza Paltrul Rinpoche - The Supreme Doctrine of the Wise and Glorious King

Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche

Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche

Lion's Roar - Buddha Nature in a Nutshell

mipham-stong-thun-senge-ngaro-g.avertin

Verses of Praise to the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche, Shantarakshita And Trisong Deutsen

Verses of Praise to the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche, Shantarakshita And Trisong Deutsen

Naturally Liberating Whatever You Meet

Naturally Liberating Whatever You Meet

Distinguishing the Middle From the Extremes

Distinguishing the Middle From the Extremes

The Brightly Shining Sun

The Brightly Shining Sun, commentary on Bodhicaryavatara, by Patrul Rinpoche

Vajrakilaya Sadhana

Vajrakilaya Sadhana - Pema Lingpa

LongNying Phowa

Kunmon's LongNying Phowa

Shower of Blessings

Shower of Blessings

Teachings on Chod

Chod Teachings Garchen Rinpoche

Exile Life and Times of Kunkhyen Longhen Rabjam in Bumthang

Oral Construction of Exile Life and Times of Kunkhyen Longhen Rabjam in Bumthang

Highest Wisdom

A Guidebook to the Stages of the Path of the Primal Guardian According to Longchen Nyingthig by Jigmey Lingpa

The text here by Jigmey Lingpa is commonly known by its abbreviated Tibetan name, Triyig Yeshe Lama orGuidebook Called “Highest Wisdom”.  It is the central text in the Longchen Nyingthig tradition of Great Completion or Dzogchen, and is used to explain the highest practices of the system.


The author, Lama Tony Duff, has spent much time at Dzogchen Monastery, East Tibet, receiving the complete transmissions of the Longchen Nyingthing system.  He made and verified this translation during attendance at a number of extended teaching retreats on the text.  Thus, the translation bears the blessings of one of the greatest living holders of the Longchen Nyingthig lineage, Padma Kalzang Rinpoche.  The blessings are conveyed to those outside of Tibet through the author, who is one of the very few translators capable of receiving, understanding, and practising teachings in the purely Tibetan environment found in the depths of Tibet.  These blessings are beautified with the ornaments of practical knowledge passed on to the author by the many yogins and khenpos steeped in the tradition, his close friends who live permanently in mountain retreats at the monastery.  Tibetan lamas who know the Longchen Nyingthig teaching and who can speak English sufficiently well to judge the matter say that it is by far the best translation available in English.

It has to be said that this Guidebook Called “Highest Wisdom” is sealed and locked.  The reason for this is that the text is a summation of the key points for practice found in theSeventeen Tantras, the tantras which are the very root of Great Completion.  Those tantras explicitly warn that one must have the necessary empowerments, and so on, before beginning to be instructed in and read about these teachings.  This is not a meaningless requirement; there is great danger in reading this material without first having the necessary empowerments and related instructions.  Therefore, there is a mandate by the lineage that this text is only to be read after having received the Rigpa Liveliness Empowerment (Tib. rigpa’i tsal wang) or by those who are about to receive it during a session of teaching on the text.

Flight of the Garuda --the first of a trilogy

A Complete Explanation of Thorough Cut by Zhabkar -- 248 pages

Flight of the Garuda is a series of twenty-three songs sung by the Dzogchen master Tshogdrug Rangdrol [1781–1850 C.E.] for the sake of his students.  The songs explain the practice called Thorough Cut (Thregcho), which is one of the two innermost practices of Dzogchen or Great Completion.  Tshogdrug Rangdrol, who is more commonly known as Zhabkar, later compiled the songs into a text.  Over time, this text became one of the most popular texts used to explain Thorough Cut because of its complete and very clear treatment of the practice.

Zhabkar went further and made Flight of the Garuda into the first of a trilogy of texts.  The other two texts in the trilogy explain the second innermost practice of Dzogchen, called Direct Crossing (Thogal).  These two texts are not included in this book, though a clear explanation of all three texts in the trilogy is given in the introduction.  Note that the second text of the trilogy is essentially the famous text by Jigmey Lingpa Guidebook called “Highest Wisdom” (Triyig Yeshe Lama) re-arranged by Zhabkar and put into verse.  Jigmey Lingpa’s text is available in English through PKTC, which means that there is way to obtain the content of the second text of the trilogy without it being translated into English.  The third text of the trilogy contains personal instructions on Thogal which were meant for Zhabkar’s students and which might not be suitable for publication in English.

The translation here is a fresh translation of Flight of the Garuda which improves considerably on two earlier translations.  The translation was made by Lama Tony in Tibet, while receiving an extended teaching on the entire text by the great treasure revealer Ontrul Tenpa’i Wangchuk.  The translation benefits from the exceptional knowledge and high realization of this master and the general atmosphere of pure blessings of the Nyingthig Dzogchen (Quintessential Great Completion) tradition in his retreat centre.

Those who have read either of the other translations available will be surprised and delighted at this translation.  Verse and prose versions of the translation are provided to accomodate all needs.  A summary of topics of the text, by Ontrul Tenpa’i Wangchuk, which has not been seen before and which helps considerably to understanding the many topics within the text itself has been included.

A lengthy introduction helps the reader understand the background to the text.  Extensive footnotes and a long glossary have been provided so that the reader can clearly understand all the details involved.

Ontrul Tenpa’i Wangchuk’s principal lineage of Dzogchen teachings is that of Dzogchen Monastery, Tibet.  Dza Patrul is an early figure of the same lineage who wrote a very famous commentary on Thorough Cut called Feature of the Expert Glorious King; Ontrul Tenpa’i Wangchuk has written a commentary to it which is available from PKTC under the title Relics of Dharmakaya.

The book contains translations of the following texts:

	Song of the View of the Thorough Cut of Luminosity Great Completion Called “Flight of the Garuda Capable of Quickly Traversing All the Levels and Paths”
	A Summary of the Guidebook to the Thorough Cut View, Flight of the Garuda, Called “A Key to Unravel the Treasury of the Three Lineages’ Instructions”