Parting from the Four Attachments (ཞེན་པ་བཞི་བྲལ།) presents the quintessential mind training teaching of the Sakya tradition, the famous four-line instruction bestowed by Manjushri to Sakya Kunga Nyingpo. In December 2014, during the 32nd Kagyu Monlam in Bodhgaya, the 4th Jamgön Kongtrul Rinpoche taught this based on the well-known commentary composed by Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen. It was the very first public teaching gave by Jamgön Kontrul Rinpoche and was published in a book in 2015. The ebook features a few photographs of Rinpoche taken during the Kagyu Monlam in Bodhgaya as well as an Appendix with The Aspiration for Mind Training composed by Jamgön Kontrul Lodrö Thaye.
The teaching on Parting from the Four Attachments is universally regarded as one of the jewels of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche leads the reader through a detailed and lucid exploration of the nature of mind, pointing out inevitable pitfalls in spiritual practice and showing how they can be avoided.
"Freeing the Heart and Mind "perfect introduction to the basic teachings of Buddhism, wisdom, compassion, and liberation for all beings. Learning about Buddhism is a gradual process, a process that lasts a lifetime and is deeply rooted in tradition and personal experience. Sakya Trizin expertly presents the essential Buddhist teachings of the four noble truths, compassion, and the correct motivation for practice. This lovely book also includes a biography of the Indian saint and Sakya forefather Virupa as well as the classic Sakya teaching on "parting from the four attachments. His Holiness Sakya Trizin is the head of one of the four major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. "Freeing the Heart and Mind "is his first book. This beautiful cloth volume will be a treasure for students of Buddhism both new and old.
The teaching on Parting from the Four Attachments is universally regarded as one of the jewels of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche leads the reader through a detailed and lucid exploration of the nature of mind, pointing out inevitable pitfalls in spiritual practice and showing how they can be avoided.
A Life of Happiness: A Practice Guide for Older Practitioners is the first Buddhist practice guide intended for older people. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is a highly regarded lama with many students and centres worldwide. He has dedicated his life to serving the Dharma and is one of the most revered teachers in the Karma Kagyu. Rinpoche draws on his own personal experiences of the problems encountered with ageing, declining health and end of life to give advice on the Dharma practices they should follow, the attitudes they should adopt, and the actions they should take. He includes advice to family members and care-givers and instructions about what they should do when someone dies. The methods of practice that Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche explains here are easy to understand, yet extremely important and pithy. Rinpoche’s lifetime of pure and genuine practice is distilled into concise words of advice; each word and sentence conveys Rinpoche’s warm wishes and deep blessings.
Tara, the feminine embodiment of enlightened activity, is a Buddhist deity whose Tibetan name means "liberator," signaling her ability to free beings from the delusion and ignorance that keep them trapped in ever-recurring patterns of negativity. She embodies a challenge, but one that is profoundly nurturing: to transform our minds and become like her, reflecting the tranquility, compassion, and wisdom that make her so beautiful. Thubten Chodron describes a simple meditation on Tara, explaining its benefits and its application to daily life. She also presents two well-loved praises—"Homage to the Twenty-one Taras" and "A Song of Longing for Tara, the Infallible"—together with reflections on their meanings for modern practitioners.
This easy-to-understand introduction to Buddhism is “written for people wanting to understand basic Buddhist principles and how to integrate them into their lives” (H.H. the Dalai Lama) This user’s guide to Buddhist basics takes the most commonly asked questions—beginning with “What is the essence of the Buddha’s teachings?”—and provides simple answers in plain English. Thubten Chodron’s responses to the questions that always seem to arise among people approaching Buddhism make this an exceptionally complete and accessible introduction—as well as a manual for living a more peaceful, mindful, and satisfying Life. Buddhism for Beginners is an ideal first book on the subject for anyone, but it’s also a wonderful resource for seasoned students, since the question-and-answer format makes it easy to find just the topic you’re looking for, such as: • What is the goal of the Buddhist path? • What is karma? • If all phenomena are empty, does that mean nothing exists? • How can we deal with fear? • How do I establish a regular meditation practice? • What are the qualities I should look for in a teacher? • What is Buddha-nature? • Why can't we remember our past lives?
A collection of liturgical and instructional practice texts on the Eight Ancillary Path Cycles of the Sakya lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, compiled by one of Tibet's greatest Buddhist masters. The Treasury of Precious Instructions by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, one of Tibet's greatest Buddhist masters, is a shining jewel of Tibetan literature, presenting essential teachings from the entire spectrum of practice lineages that existed in Tibet. In its eighteen volumes, Kongtrul brings together some of the most important texts on key topics of Buddhist thought and practice as well as authoring significant new sections of his own. Volumes in this series may be engaged as practice manuals while also preserving ancient teachings significant to the literature and history of world religions. Volume 6 of the series, Sakya: The Path with Its Result, Part Two, presents a selection of teachings and practices from the Eight Ancillary Path Cycles of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The Sakya lineage derives from Virūpa, Dombi Heruka, and other Indian masters, or mahāsiddhas, and passes through Gayadhara and his Tibetan disciple Drokmi Lotsāwa Śākya Yeshe (992–1072). The practice tradition centers around the teaching and transmission of the Hevajra Tantra and its subsidiary texts. This second volume of Sakya texts contains oral instructions transmitted to Drokmi Lotsāwa by the early eleventh-century Indian masters, Ācārya Vīravajra, Mahāsiddha Amoghavajra, Paṇḍita Prajñāgupta of Oḍḍiyāna, and Paṇḍita Gayadhara. These texts broaden our understanding of how mahāmudrā, the teaching on the nature of mind, is understood and practiced in the Sakya school.
Eating as a spiritual practice: wisdom from the Buddhist tradition that you can use at home. Every aspect of our daily activities can be a part of spiritual practice if done with compassion—and this compact guide offers wisdom from the Buddhist tradition on how eating mindfully can nourish the mind as well as the body. Thubten Chodron, abbess of Sravasti Abbey in Washington state, shows us that eating and activities related to it—preparation of food, offering and consuming it, and cleaning up afterward—can contribute to awakening and to increased kindness and care toward others. Chodron offers traditional Buddhist teachings and specific practices used at the Abbey, along with advice for taking the principles into our own home in order to make the sharing of food a spiritual intention for anyone. By eating consciously and mindfully—and by including certain rituals—we find ourselves less obsessive about food and can enjoy our meals more.
This teaching, the path of all Buddhas of the past and of the future that contains all the deep meanings of all the Sutras combined in a practical way, is known as the Mind Training or Pith Instructions, presented by the great masters in the most practical way through their own experience. The history of this teaching is this. When the great Lama Sakyapa was twelve years old, his spiritual master suggested that since he was the son of a great spiritual master he should study the teaching; however, in order to study the teaching he needed first to acquire wisdom. In order to acquire wisdom, he had to practise Manjushri, the manifestation of all the Buddhas' wisdom. Sakyapa's spiritual master, Pari Lotsawa, one of the greatest translators, gave him the initiation of Manjushri and all the teachings related to Manjushri and then asked his disciple to do a meditation retreat. After completing six months of meditation, one day in his pure vision he saw Manjushri in person sitting on a jewel throne, his hands in the teaching mudra, with two Bodhisattva attendants, one on each side. Then the main deity Manjushri gave this teaching, which is made up of four lines: If you have attachment to this life, you are not a religious person. If you have attachment to the world of existence, you do not have renunciation. If you have attachment to your own purpose, you have no Enlightenment Thought (Bodhicitta). If grasping arises, you do not have the view. All the paths of the Sutrayana are included in these four lines.
