OUR SPIRITUAL FOUNDER
Khenchen Rinpoche consistently strives to make important texts available to the public and to provide his students with thorough and systematic training in the Dharma. A skilled and dedicated author and translator, he has published ten books:
* Prayer Flags is a small book that contains brief life stories of Dharma Lord Gampopa, Phagmo Drupa, and Lord Jigten Sumgön, as well as some Dharma-realization songs by lineage masters. There are some short teachings on the stages of Mahamudra practice, and condensed instructions on how to carry the experiences of sickness and death into one’s practice.
* The Garland of Mahamudra Practices is very helpful for those who already have a little understanding of the Dharma. It contains a description of several practices: the four foundation thoughts (precious human life, awareness of impermanence, karma, and the suffering of samsara); the four extraordinary preliminary practices (refuge, Vajrasattva, mandala offering, and Guru Yoga); the special Ngondro practices of love, compassion, and bodhicitta; yidam deity practice; special four-kaya guru yoga; a mahamudra session; and dedication.
* In Search of the Stainless Ambrosia was written by Khenchen Rinpoche as an introduction for beginners and a reminder for more advanced practitioners. First, it summarizes the fundamental teachings of refuge, love and compassion, and the six paramitas. Then, there are short sections on mahamudra and yidam practices, the experience of dying, an explanation of Chöd practice, and some Phowa teachings.
* The Great Kagyu Masters is a translation of a thirteenth century text that puts the life stories of the great masters together in one volume: Tilopa, Naropa, Atisha, Marpa, Milarepa, Gampopa, Phagmo Drupa, and Jigten Sumgön. It is very helpful for practitioners to have these accounts available for inspiration and guidance.
* The Jewel Treasury of Advice is a translation of a profound teaching, written in verse by Drigung Dharmaradza. The text describes the complete path of the Buddha’s teachings. Its commentary, A Complete Guide to the Buddhist Path, made these teachings more accessible, and easier for modern practitioners to understand these profound teachings.
* The Jewel Ornament of Liberation is a translation of Lord Gampopa’s essential philosophy text, which is said to act as Gampopa’s regent in these times. This book contains a complete form of the sutra system called lam rim, or stages of the path—right from the starting point, the ground where you enter into the path, until you achieve Buddhahood and manifest activities for the benefit of infinite sentient beings.
* Calling to the Lama from Afar is a collection of accounts of Lord Jigten Sumgön, the founder of Drigung Kagyu, some in verse and prose. The prayers and praises translated in this text express the depth of genuine devotion in a manner that is characteristic of this genre of Tibetan literature.
* Khenchen Rinpoche wrote Transformation of Suffering: A Handbook for Practitioners for study by individuals or groups without ready access to a qualified spiritual master. The book contains all the foundations of Buddhism in very accessible terms. This book is in very accessible language, but it contains information essential for beginners and advanced practitioners alike.
* Pearl Rosary is work that Khenchen Rinpoche himself wrote. It contains detailed commentary on ten common deity yoga practices, such as Chenrezig, Tara, and Manjushri, as well as the translated sadhanas or practice texts. It includes the meaning and importance of each practice, the significance of the symbolism and attributes of each deity, and detailed instructions on visualization. This book is also especially valuable for those who do not have the good fortune to see a qualified lama often, and for serious practitioners to use as a reminder.
* A Complete Guide to the Buddhist Path is Khenchen Rinpoche’s commentary on The Jewel Treasury of Advice. This book goes right to the point by providing clear instruction on the practical meaning of Dharma and on meditation practice. The root text is organized into two parts. The first part contains general advice for daily life and the second part id directed more specifically to practitioners. Realistically, if we want to attain enlightenment without facing any obstacles, we have to know what to do and how to do it. This book outlines what to expect and gives us very valuable counsel from the author’s own experience of the reality of samsara and nirvana.
Forthcoming Title: Confusion Dawning into Wisdom is a book of commentary on some of the vajra songs of Milarepa and Jigten Sumgön. Those vajra songs contain vast and profound meaning, which Khenchen Rinpoche has simplified and clarified so that practitioners can understand their meaning directly.
These translations and commentaries were done to benefit all sentient beings, especially sincere Dharma practitioners. It is not easy to translate and write commentaries; these books took a long time and many painful measures to produce. But Rinpoche underwent this hardship without much support with a sincere wish to bring enlightened wisdom into the world. So many people are desperate to become free from suffering while at the same time they indulge in the causes of suffering. Rinpoche prays for those individuals to be exposed to these teachings, find the path, and follow it with incisive wisdom so that they can breathe in peace and happiness–for them to really solve life’s problems, not just with material consumption but by understanding the importance of the mind or consciousness. He request that anyone who has a chance to see these books to please read them carefully, digest their meaning, and apply their teachings. There can be no doubt that the result will arise.
September 29th 2011:
I hope and pray that you are well. I think of you in my meditations. We are very fortunate having this precious human life and taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sanga and following the path. You have been writing me off and on for the last couple of years and I’m grateful you are keeping in contact and I cherish this opportunity. Usually I can’t write long letters because I don’t know how to type but today I have a good secretary so I’m taking the opportunity to say a few things.
Without the Dharma our life in samsara is only suffering or a condition of suffering and we create more causes of suffering. We are also very smart creating the causes of suffering. Since we have the Dharma in our life it gives us wisdom to penetrate the reality nature of the causes of suffering and causes of peace and happiness in this life and eventually for complete enlightenment. So it is for our own benefit and for others as well that we utilize this precious human life as best as possible. This precious human life is a venue to do all the good things.
First, take a deep breath and release all the tension both physically and mentally and then contemplate all phenomena which is composite. The nature of impermanence and the nature of disintegration. Including our human body. So by contemplating this, purify all attachment and anger.
Second, this samsara is a state of suffering. Either suffering of suffering, suffering of change or in the condition of suffering. So contemplate this carefully and those who are suffering in the world, physically or mentally, including our enemies, develop sincere compassion wishing them to be free from suffering and to achieve complete enlightenment.
Third, these manifestations, happiness and suffering within impermanence, are based on causes and conditions . Nothing functions independently. All are in the constitution of causes and conditions. And all the causes and conditions are infallible. So it is to our own benefit using our empirical wisdom, avoiding and purifying all the causes of suffering and creating and accumulating all the causes of peace and happiness. As an example, avoiding the ten non virtues and practicing the ten virtues.
With this understanding, we take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sanga and keep the moral ethics. This makes the person pure and a subject of respect. And then, having kept the moral ethics well, for ones own benefit to free from samsara, cultivate Bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment for all others. Based on sincere loving kindness and compassion. Remind yourself of this practice every day and every moment when you are working or sitting. This will give us wisdom and courage to do good things in our daily life and for others. This altruistic thought inspired all the Buddhas of the past and the present. They adopted this mind, the universal mind of bodhicitta, and they applied and practiced it in their lives and they attained Buddhahood and benefited countless sentient beings. We can also take that example and inspire ourselves and follow the path. So when we do these practices, our main focus is to purify all the mental afflictions. For example ignorance, anger, pride, jealousy and so forth. They are called the three poisons or five poisons and so forth. They are the root cause of all our suffering and conflict for the individual and for society. Without touching base on this no matter how much we try the real peace and happiness is impossible to attain. This kind of experience is shared by all sentient beings. So Dharma gives us this wisdom to understand the reality nature of suffering and happiness. The Dharma has also great method and skill to tackle all these causes of suffering.
To purify these obscurations and mental delusions, the Vajrayanna teaching gives great skill. Through this method, one gets the opportunity to manifest into the form of the deities which is called Yidam practice. Inseparable of appearance and emptiness. With this we repeatedly manifest into the Yidam deity and dissolve into emptiness based on ultimate bodhicitta that is supported by moral ethics.
Here I mention a few words of the purpose of the practice. There are many other books translated as a reference on how to practice. I want you to have real peace and happiness and to be free from confusion and ignorance which are the root cause of suffering. I will say prayers for your good health and successful meditation practice. If you’d like you may place this letter on your Facebook or web page.
Sincerely,
Khenchen K. Gyaltshen
