Fifty Stanzas on the Spiritual Teacher

Fifty Stanzas on the Spiritual Teacher PDF

Author: Aśvaghoṣa

Publisher:

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 52

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Fifty Stanzas on the Spiritual Teacher (formerly titled Fifty Stanzas on Guru Devotion) by Aryashura is an indispensable text that deals with how to cultivate the proper relationship between a student and his or her Spritual Teacher. This text along with the oral commentary by Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey have been ably translated by the LTWA translation bureau and reivsed by Dr. Alex Berzin.

The Mahamudra Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance & Fifty Stanzas of Guru-Devotion

The Mahamudra Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance & Fifty Stanzas of Guru-Devotion PDF

Author: The Ninth Karmapa & Aśvaghoṣa

Publisher: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives

Published: 2019-01-01

Total Pages: 188

ISBN-13: 8185102139

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Mahāmudrā or the great Seal, refers to a Mahayana Buddhist system of meditation on nature of the mind and is undertaken for realising Enlightenment. Taught by Buddha manifesting in the form of Vajradhara, its lineage was passed in India from Tilopa to Naropa to Marpa, and then in Tibet to Mila-repa and Gompa-pa, author of The Jewel Ornament of Liberation. The specific lineage represented here is that of the Karma Ka-gyü which passed from Gampo-pa to the First Karmapa and then through successive Gurus until the present day. This text by the Ninth Karmapa (1556-1603) is one of the most famous expositions of this meditational system. It covers both the preliminary practices as well as the actual Mahāmudrā meditations of mental quiescence (samatha) and penetrative insight (Vipasyana). Explaining the stages and paths as travelled in this system, it represents a complete path to Enlightenment. Accompanying the root text is a commentary given orally by Beru Khyentse Rinpoche, based on the teachings of his Guru, His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa. As a proper relation with a Guru is essential for realising Mahāmudrā, also included is the basic text on Guru-devotion by the first century B.C. Indian Master Aśvaghoṣa with an oral commentary by Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey. This work is published under the auspices of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to make available living teachings from the many traditions of Buddhism as preserved in Tibet.

Wise Teacher Wise Student

Wise Teacher Wise Student PDF

Author: Alexander Berzin

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 2010-06-16

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1559393475

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The relationship between a teacher and student can be a most rewarding and life-enhancing experience, yet it can also be fraught with problems and misunderstandings. For Westerners working with Eastern teachers, the difficulties can be compounded by cultural differences, language barriers, and divergent expectations. Wise Teacher, Wise Student examines the teacher-student relationship as it is understood in the Tibetan Buddhist context. The author surveys a wide spectrum of situations, exploring the causes of potential pitfalls. In illuminating the sources of misunderstandings, he offers methods to heal wounds and encourage healthy relationships.

Losing the Clouds, Gaining the Sky

Losing the Clouds, Gaining the Sky PDF

Author: Doris Wolter

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2007-05-16

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 0861713591

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

"This collection of thirty-one essays by contemporary teachers of Tibetan Buddhism, both Western teachers and Tibetan lamas, provides readers a multifaceted glimpse of the Buddhist practice within the Dzogchen tradition, from its biggest authorities. Sogyal Rinpoche, the author of the bestselling Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, is the primary contributor, contributing seven of the teachings included here, but the collection also includes teachings from the Dalai Lama, Ringu Tulku, Francesca Fremantle, Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, Dzogchen Pönlop Rinpoche, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, and many others. From basic advice on turning the mind toward spiritual concerns through expressions of the highest insights on mind and reality, readers will discover how to integrate Buddhist ideas and practices with the activities and experiences that make up our day-to-day lives. "

The Teacher-Student Relationship

The Teacher-Student Relationship PDF

Author: Jamgon Kongtrul

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 2018-01-09

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 0834841258

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

It is crucial for students of Vajrayana Buddhism to find an authentic wisdom teacher and know how to properly rely upon that teacher in order to awaken to their buddha nature and thereby attain full enlightenment. Fortunately, the topic has been thoroughly explored by Jamgon Kongtrul in the tenth chapter of The Treasury of Knowledge. This essential text clearly lays out what credentials and qualities one should look for in a wisdom teacher, why a wisdom teacher is necessary, and how the relationship between this teacher and disciple best develops once it is established.

A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom

A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom PDF

Author: Dudjom Rinpoche

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 2016-12-06

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 1611804035

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Teachings on the foundational practices of Tibetan Buddhism by a renowned and beloved master--now in paperback. In this book, Dudjom Rinpoche explains a key text attributed to Padmasambhava, the great Indian meditation master credited with bringing the Buddha's teachings to Tibet. The instructions here are clear, direct, and personal, illuminating the heart of Vajrayana Buddhist practice and philosophy. Included is the root text ("The Heart Essence of the Dakini") by Padmasambhava and the commentary by Dudjom Rinpoche. Of interest to practitioners of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Introduction to the Kalachakra Initiation

Introduction to the Kalachakra Initiation PDF

Author: Alexander Berzin

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 2011-03-16

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 1559397381

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Kalachakra is a system of highest tantra practice for overcoming the limitations imposed by historical, astrological, and biological cycles so as to become a Buddha for the benefit of all. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other great Tibetan teachers have been conferring the Kalachakra initiation in the West, empowering prepared practitioners to engage in its meditations. Large numbers of people also attend this initiation as interested observers and gain inspiration for their spiritual growth. Introduction to the Kalachakra Initiation explains on a practical level and in everyday language the theory of tantra, the vows, commitments, and their implications, the factors to consider in deciding if one is ready to attend a Kalachakra initiation as a participant, how to visualize during the initiation, and the most important thoughts and feelings for participants and observers at each step of the empowerment. In preparing this guidebook, Alexander Berzin has done a great service to everyone interested in the Kalachakra initiation. It will help people to prepare for the ceremony and understand the essential points of each step of the procedure.

Tibetan Buddhism in Diaspora

Tibetan Buddhism in Diaspora PDF

Author: Ana Cristina O. Lopes

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-12-17

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1317572807

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The imperialist ambitions of China – which invaded Tibet in the late 1940s – have sparked the spectacular spread of Tibetan Buddhism worldwide, and especially in western countries. This work is a study on the malleability of a particular Buddhist tradition; on its adaptability in new contexts. The book analyses the nature of the Tibetan Buddhism in the Diaspora. It examines how the re-signification of Tibetan Buddhist practices and organizational structures in the present refers back to the dismantlement of the Tibetan state headed by the Dalai Lama and the fragmentation of Tibetan Buddhist religious organizations in general. It includes extensive multi-sited fieldwork conducted in the United States, Brazil, Europe, and Asia and a detailed analysis of contemporary documents relating to the global spread of Tibetan Buddhism. The author demonstrates that there is a "de-institutionalized" and "de-territorialized" project of political power and religious organization, which, among several other consequences, engenders the gradual "autonomization" of lamas and lineages inside the religious field of Tibetan Buddhism. Thus, a spectre of these previous institutions continues to exist outside their original contexts, and they are continually activated in ever-new settings. Using a combination of two different academic traditions – namely, the Brazilian anthropological tradition and the American Buddhist studies tradition – it investigates the "process of cultural re-signification" of Tibetan Buddhism in the context of its Diaspora. Thus, it will be a valuable resource to students and scholars of Asian Religion, Asian Studies and Buddhism.