This book contains two grammar texts by Yangchen Drubpay Dorje, an important Tibetan grammarian of the eighteenth century. They are beginners' texts which explain the first of Thumi Sambhota's treatises that define Tibetan grammar--The Thirty Verses and Application of Gender Signs (rtags kyi 'jug pa). Yangchen Drubpay Dorje's texts were so well written that they rapidly became the standard texts used within Tibet for teaching and learning Tibetan grammar. The two grammar texts, called The Great Living Tree and Explanation of the Great Living Tree are, even now, used in all Tibetan schools both inside and outside Tibet as the textbooks for teaching grammar. These textbooks are the ideal starting place for anyone wanting to learn Tibetan grammar.

The author of the book, Lama Tony Duff, has had a long association with Tibetan grammar as taught by Tibetans. He first learned Tibetan grammar using the books available in English but later learned it in Tibetan from Tibetans in Tibetan contexts. He found a distinct difference between how Westerners and Tibetans present Tibetan grammar and, with that, found that the presentations given by Westerners have been lacking and even mistaken. For this reason, he undertook the major task of translating the most important Tibetan grammar texts and publishing them together with extensive notes and explanations so that Westerners, and especially those translating the Buddha-Word, could finally gain a correct understanding of Tibetan grammar. As a result, there are four books in this series in which key Tibetan grammar texts are individually presented. In a second series, there are two grand treetises which collectively explore all of the minutest details of Tibetan grammar, called the Standard Reference to Tibetan Grammar volumes I and II.

Lama Tony's deep knowledge of Tibetan grammar as understood by Tibetans themselves has been a key factor in his production of many authentic translations of Tibetan Buddhist texts. Because of his extensive and highly regarded translation work, he has been invited to prestigious institutions to teach Tibetan grammar according to the Tibetan system and is constantly endeavoring to pass on his knowledge of translation to other translators.

Great Living Tree Tibetan Grammars: Beginner's Level Tibetan Grammar Texts by Yangchen Drubpay Dorje, Tony Duff, PKTC, Paperback, 182 pp, $20.00

Lama Tony is a very well-known practitioner, scholar, and translator who has spent over forty years of his life fully dedicated to studying, practising, teaching, and translating the Buddhist teachings. He has been a full-time Buddhist practitioner-scholar since 1973. He was a member of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's Nalanda Translator Committee in which he retains honorary status. He was Tsoknyi Rinpoche's personal translator during the 1990's and has translated orally and in writing for many other great teachers during the years. He has been a member of several translation committees and has published or been involved in the publication of many Tibetan Buddhist texts.

CONTENTS: Great Living Tree Tibetan Grammars
INTRODUCTION				v
	1.	The native texts of Tibetan grammar		v
	2.	The need to study Tibetan grammar using native texts		vi
	3.	A set of books to fulfill that need		x
	4.	Thumi's treatises that define Tibetan grammar		xiv
	5.	The commentaries used today to explain the treatises		xvi
		a.	Beginner's level: The Great Living Tree Tibetan grammars	xxii
		b.	Medium to advanced level: Situ's Words and Essence of Elegant Explanation	xxv
		c.	Advanced level dealing exclusively with The Application of Gender Signs: A Mirror that Reveals Difficult Points and its Commentary	xxviii
	6.	About the Great Living Tree grammars presented in this book		xxix
	7.	Sanskrit		xxx
"THE GREAT LIVING TREE", THE ESSENCE OF THONMI'S FINE EXPLANATION THE THIRTY BY YANGCHEN DRUBPAY DORJE				1
"THE FINE EXPLANATION GREAT LIVING TREE", THE CLARIFIER OF THE MEANING OF THE ESSENCE OF "THE THIRTY" BY YANGCHEN DRUBPAY DORJE				7
"THE GUIDANCE-GIVING GREAT LIVING TREE", A GUIDE TO YANGCHEN DRUBPAY DORJE'S GREAT LIVING TREE TEXTS BY TONY DUFF				29
GLOSSARY OF TERMS				53
SUPPORTS FOR STUDY				71
TIBETAN TEXTS
	The Great Living Tree			79
	The Fine Explanation Great Living Tree			82
INDEX				95