Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
First-ever translations on Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen by famous Rime masters of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This selection of profound, provocative, and at times humorous classics from Tibet introduces the reader to the little-known Rime tradition and its emphasis on the esoteric Great Perfection (Dzogchen) tradition. These teachings are from some of the greatest masters of Tibetan Buddhism including Patrul Rinpoche, Jamgon Mipham, and Dodrupchen Jigme Tenpe Nyima.
The translator has masterfully provided clear and succinct historical context to each of the translations, threading the individual works together into a story of an intellectual renaissance based on emphasizing the pure awareness that is beyond our ordinary mind. The reader is seamlessly immersed into the world of nineteenth-century Tibetan Buddhism, in which we are taught that our true nature is wisdom, which can be developed through both scholastic investigation as well as through spontaneous realization by seeing reality directly as it is.
Synopsis
A unique collection of essays, instructions, letters, and personal advice on Dzogchen, Rime, and other topics by famous Tibetan Buddhist masters of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This selection features profound, provocative, and at times humorous texts from some of the leading figures associated with the Rime tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, including Patrul Rinpoche, Jamgon Mipham, and Dodrupchen Jigme Tenpe Nyima. The emphasis of these works is on the esoteric path of Dzogchen, or the Great Perfection, through which the nature of reality is pointed out directly, just as it is.
Throughout the book the translator provides clear, succinct introductions to the translations, masterfully setting the scene and seamlessly threading together the individual works to tell a story of intellectual renaissance, intersectarian debate, and the transmission of cherished insights. The overall effect is to immerse the reader in a world in which scholarly analysis is of limited benefit and genuine wisdom means transcending the ordinary mind.