Essential instructions on the Vajrayana path to ultimate enlightenment, from the foundational contemplations about the nature of reality to the ultimate realizations of the wisdom of Dzogchen.

In the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, before one can receive empowerments and pointing-out instructions from a dharma master, one must first open and prepare the mind by engaging in the foundational practices (ngondro). This consists of completing a specified number of repetitions of the rituals of taking refuge, arousing the mind of awakening (bodhichitta), mandala offering, Vajrasattva purification, and Guru Yoga.

In this book, Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche brilliantly explains how to engage in the foundational practice according to the New Treasures of the Dudjom tradition, the Dudjom Tersar. And from the outset, Orgyen Chowang introduces the pristine teachings of Dzogchen, the pinnacle of the Nyingma path, to provide the context that informs every stage of the path to awakening.

This book is based on a series of oral teachings on Thinley Norbu's text A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar, itself a teaching on the Dudjom Tersar, that Orgyen Chowang gave to Western students over a three-month period in 1997. He explains in a very fresh, uncomplicated way such topics as receiving the blessings from the lama, the nature of awakening, the role of pointing-out instructions, tranquility and insight meditation, the three bodies of enlightenment, and the Dzogchen practices of trekchod (cutting through) and thogal (passing over). This book will be of immense benefit to those engaged in the Dudjom Tersar ngondro, those who have already finished their ngondro accumulations, and those engaged in the foundational practice from other Nyingma lineages.

From Foundation to Summit: A Guide to Ngondro and the Dzogchen Path, Orgyen Chowang, Shambhala Publications, Paperback, 456 pages, $29.95

Orgyen Chowang is a master of meditation, especially the pinnacle meditation of Tibetan Buddhism called Dzogchen. He trained for many years in the Nyingma lineage with his principal teacher, Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, one of the greatest Dzogchen masters in modern times. He is the founder and spiritual director of Pristine Mind Foundation, which sponsors extensive programs and teachings by Orgyen Chowang, and the author of Our Pristine Mind: A Practical Guide to Unconditional Happiness.