Thrangu Rinpoche

The Buddhadharma is a system of training the mind, but in this case "Mind Training" is a bit of jargon in the Tibetan tradition that refers to practices brought from India to Tibet by Atisha, practices to move one's concern from oneself to others in a very direct way. Since selfishness is the root of suffering, these practices may really be considered "The Heart of Dharma".

The challenge, of course, with direct teachings - it's a bit like the direct path up to the summit of a mountain. show more Oftentimes the indirect path is easier! And some direct teachings in Buddhism are a bit like that - looking directly at the way one's mind works, for example, is something that usually takes quite a bit of preparation before yielding proper fruit. The mind training teachings here are not esoteric in the least. They address universal everyday experience. These sort of teachings are essential whatever sort of practice one is engaged it. It is more about the flavor of the practice. The methods here are ways to transform any activity of living, whether sacred in appearance or just mundane chores, into liberating practice.

There must be dozens of books by now on the seven point mind training of Geshe Chakawa - the root text on which Thrangu Rinpoche comments here. Is this book the ultimate reference or the most profound? The real point of reading these books is not to gather information or mark some scorecard. Reading a book like this is a form of meditation. I generally read just a page or two at a time and then let the ideas soak in for a few days. I like to rotate through the various books on Lojong. Coming back to a book like this after a few years, the reading experience can be quite different. One's life situation changes, and that changes the points that hit home on any given reading.

Reading books about shamatha, quieting the mind, seem very daunting to me. My life is so chaotic. In the midst of such constant upheaval, how can I make any progress in achieving the kinds of mental stability and focus that those texts describe? But the seven point mind training taught here is something that works directly with my daily challenges. This is a meditation that thrives in the midst of financial meltdowns, nuclear meltdowns, teenager meltdowns, the whole crazy melting pot. What a miracle! show less

Do different Tibetan Buddhist traditions share an essential, common view?

The great Geluk scholar Changkya Rolpay Dorje (1717-1786) wrote a song describing the view of the Middle Way, comparing it to a mother. Later, the nonsectarian polymath Ju Mipham Rinpoche (1846-1912) and the influential Kagyu master Ch gyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939-1987) wrote songs modeled upon it that describe the views of dzogchen and mahamudra, one comparing dzogchen to a jewel and the other comparing mahamudra to a show more lover. Even though the imagery and the specific points each author makes are different, the songs share many characteristics in structure and content. Read together, the three songs show how the essential points of these three practices are the same and reveal how Buddhism's various traditions--including the pinnacles of the Middle Way, dzogchen, and mahamudra--are harmonious.

The three songs are presented with a commentary by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, who explains how studying the profound view helps develop the certainty that is necessary to bring meditation practice to fruition. He shows how songs such as these can serve as antidotes to discouragement and provide help to people who have had strong meditation experiences but find themselves unable to sustain a high level of practice. Thrangu Rinpoche explains that, in comparison to oral instructions and treatises, songs of this kind are of special benefit because of their engaging eloquence. The songs are not long, and they are a delight to read, reread, and memorize. By clarifying the view again and again in this way, they offer continual inspiration to practitioners. show less

Accessible and practical teachings on the life of Naropa, with verse-by-verse commentary on his two most important Mahamudra songs by a contemporary Karma Kagyu master.

Naropa is one of the accomplished lineage holders of the Mahamudra tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In this book, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, a beloved Mahamudra teacher, first tells the extraordinary story of Naropa’s life and explains its profound lessons. He follows this with lucid and practical commentaries on two of show more Naropa’s songs of realization, explaining their precious instructions for realizing Mahamudra, the nature of one’s mind. Throughout, Thrangu Rinpoche speaks plainly and directly to Westerners eager to receive the essence of Mahamudra instructions from an accomplished teacher. show less

This renowned teacher presents his explication of an important text on mahamudra. Written teachings on mahamudra, one of the most important meditation practices of Tibetan Buddhism, are often not available to general audiences, and therefore what Khenchen Thrangu provides here is unique- clear instructions on the technique by a contemporary master of the tradition who makes this profound Buddhist practice accessible to practitioners at all levels. In this new book, he brings to light the show more basics for practicing and understanding mahamudra in a way that is warm and full of humor.The root text is the longest and most comprehensive of the three well- known treatises on mahamudra that were composed by the widely known ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje (1556- 1603).Thrangu's teachings span the entire path of mahamudra, including the particular preliminaries, the main practice, removing obstacles, and attaining the result (buddhahood)- with detailed instruction in meditation and the insight of meditative awareness. show less