Personal and heartfelt teachings on the Buddhist path by one of the most influential Tibetan lamas of the twentieth century, compiled and edited by an acclaimed Tibetan scholar and leader of a key center of Buddhist learning.

Jigme Phuntsok presents the core of the Tibetan Buddhist path in this series of dharma talks collected by his student Khenpo Sodargye. Oriented toward the ultimate well-being of students, his teachings are inviting, intimate, and direct, revealing profound insights on the way of right practice and steering the reader clear of the pitfalls they will inevitably face along the way. Taken together, these talks offer a concise handbook for Buddhist practice that readers will want to return to again and again for encouragement and guidance.

Always Present: The Luminous Wisdom of Jigme Phuntsok, Khenpo Sodargye, Snow Lion, Paperback, 130 pages, 2015, $16.95

Jigme Phuntsok was the most influential lama of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism in contemporary Tibet (according to Khenpo Samdup who was his disciple). A Tibetan Buddhist meditation master and renowned teacher of Great Perfection (Dzogchen), he established the Sertha Buddhist Institute in 1980, known locally as Larung Gar, a non-sectarian study center with approximately 10,000 monks, nuns, and lay students at its highest count. He played an important role in revitalizing the teaching of Tibetan Buddhism following the liberalization of religious practice in 1980. Jigme Phuntsok was also an extraordinary Terton (Buddhist treasure revealer), uncovering many treasures texts in Tibet, as well as other parts of China, and India. In the 1990s, he began an appeal to traditional Tibetan yak herders to refrain from commercial sale of their livestock for spiritual and cultural reasons that has grown into the Anti-Slaughter Movement.

After being ordained at Larung Gar Serthar Buddhist Institute in 1985, Khenpo Sodargye relied on Kyabje Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche as his root guru. After intensive study of the five principle treatises on Madhyamaka, Prajnaparamita, Abhidharma, Vinaya, and Buddhist logic, Khenpo received direct transmissions of tantric teachings such as the Dzogchen, Kalachakra, and the Web of Magical Illusion from Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche and gained unshakable faith in the Omniscient Longchenpa and Mipham Rinpoche. Through his practice, he obtained supreme realization of these teachings. After engaging in classic Tibetan Buddhist debate and undergoing oral and written examination, he obtained his �khenpo� degree. Khenpo Sodargye was then placed in charge of the institute by Kyabje Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche and became Kyabje�s chief translator for Chinese disciples.

Contents: Always Present, The Luminous Wisdom of Jigme Phuntsok
Editor's Preface	ix
Introduction	1
1. Why We Are Not Happy	3
2. The True Face of Afflictions	15
3. Suffering and Happiness Are Both Impermanent	25
4. Buddha Mind	35
5. It's Never Too Late	49
6. Triumph over Suffering	59
7. The Power of Right View	73
8. When You Ask for Directions, Ask Those Who Have Gone Before	83
9. Who Is the True Field of Merit?	97
Editor's Afterword	121
Glossary	122
About the Author	129
About the Editor	130