This rare offering by Kyabje Dodrupchen Rinpoche is a uniquely concise volume of the teachings of the path to liberation that is authentic, authoritative, and complete.
In Liberation from Samsara, the Fourth Kyabje Dodrupchen Rinpoche presents the Longchen Nyingthik preliminary teachings, with a special focus on guru yoga. These teachings, from the innermost secret instruction of Dzogchen, constitute a complete path to enlightenment.
Rinpoche's precious instruction begins with meditations on the common and uncommon preliminary practices, including
- the difficulty of obtaining a fortunate human birth;
- the impermanence of life;
- the implacability of karmic causes and results;
- samsaric suffering in the six realms;
- taking refuge;
- developing bodhichitta;
- purification by Vajrasattva recitation;
- and accumulating merits by mandala offerings.
After discussing the ways to turn our mind toward Dharma and the trainings, Rinpoche provides guru yoga instruction as he turns to the main tantric practice: meditations on unifying one's mind with Guru Rinpoche's wisdom mind. This rare teaching by Rinpoche, though intentionally succinct to accommodate the needs of contemporary Western practitioners, presents a complete path to enlightenment. It contrasts three different paths to liberation: Shravakayana (the way of the disciple), Pratyekabuddhayana (the way of the self-enlightened buddha), and Mahayana (the way of the bodhisattva), which is our way, our boundless intention to seek refuge in order to free all sentient beings from samsaric suffering.
Liberation from Samsara: Oral Instructions on the Preliminary Practices of Longchen Nyingthik, Kyabje Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Wisdom Publications, Hardcover, 312 pages, $44.95
Kyabje Dodrupchen Rinpoche was born in 1927 in the Golok province of Far Eastern Tibet, and was one of the most important living masters in the Nyingma and Dzokchen traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche has made frequent visits to the West, sharing important teachings of the Nyingma lineage, the root volumes of Longchen Nyingthik, the essential empowerments of Dzokchen, and many other teachings on how to be liberated from the suffering of samsara by practicing guru yoga. Rinpoche passed into parinirvana on the afternoon of January 25, 2022 in Sikkim, northern India.
Tulku Thondup Rinpoche (translator) was born in Eastern Tibet and came to the United States as a visiting scholar at Harvard University. For the past three decades he has written, translated, and taught under the auspices of the Buddhayana Foundation. Tulku Thondup has given many teachings at Mahasiddha Nyingmapa Center, the seat of Dodrupchen Rinpoch� in the United States
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CONTENTS: Liberation from Samsara
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Editor's Preface
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vii
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Translator's Introduction
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ix
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Introduction by Kyabje Dodrupchen Rinpoche
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1
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THE GURU PRAYER
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5
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PART 1:
Prayers to Buddhas and Lineage and Root Lamas
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9
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PART 2:
The Four Common Preliminary Practices
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19
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Session 1
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Fortunate Human Birth
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21
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Session 2
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The Impermanence of Human Life
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31
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Session 3
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Karma: Cause and Result
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53
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Session 4
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The Suffering of Samsara: The Six Realms
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59
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Session 5
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The Bodhisattva Intention
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91
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Session 6
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The Realms of the Gods and the Jealous Gods
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97
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Session 7
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The Ten Defilements
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105
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Session 8
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Contemplating the Result of Liberation and the Teacher as a Guide
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119
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PART 3:
The Four Uncommon Preliminary Practices
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133
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Session 9
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Taking Refuge
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135
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Session 10
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The Manner of Taking Refuge
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149
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Session 11
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Developing Bodhichitta
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167
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Session 12
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Three Types of Bodhichitta
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181
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Session 13
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Actualizing the Bodhisattva Goal through the Six Paramitas
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195
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Session 14
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Vajrasattva Purification
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213
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Session 15
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Mandala Offering
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227
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PART 4:
The Practice: Merging with Guru Rinpoche
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235
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Session 16
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The Visualization
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237
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Session 17
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The Invitation
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241
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Session 18
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Accumulation of Merit
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243
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Session 19
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The Invocation of Guru Rinpoche
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247
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Session 20
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The Mantra Recitation
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251
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Session 21
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The Four Empowerments
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253
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Session 22
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The Dissolution of the Visualization
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257
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PART 5:
Dedication of Merit and Prayer of Aspiration
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259
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Session 23
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Rinpoche's Closing Statement
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261
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Appendix: Dodrupchen Rinpoche's Talk to Mahasiddha Members
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267
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Notes
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273
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Illustration Credits
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279
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Index
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281
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About the Author
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291
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About the Translators
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295
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