A traditional biography on the life of Mipham Rinpoche--one of the greatest 19th-century masters--from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, one of the greatest 20th-century masters.

The first half of this volume comprises the first-ever English translation of the biography of Mipham Rinpoche written by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, a teacher to His Holiness the Dalai Lama as well as an entire generation of other teachers and students throughout the Himalayan region and the West. Composed in 1939, it was left behind in Tibet in 1959 when Khyentse Rinpoche went into exile and was lost for fifty-one years before its discovery in 2010 by an extraordinary stroke of good luck. Reverential in tone, it is informed by both oral accounts preserved in notes kept by Khyentse Rinpoche's elder brother and the recollections of Mipham's devoted personal attendant of thirty-seven years.

In keeping with the identification of Mipham as an emanation of Manjushri, the lion of speech, the second half comprises a selection of Mipham's writings, designed to give the reader an experience of Mipham's eloquent speech and incisive thought. It includes both a new translation of The Lion's Roar: A Comprehensive Discourse on the Buddha-Nature and A Lamp to Dispel the Dark, a teaching of the Great Perfection, as well as excerpts from previously published translations of his works on Madhyamaka and tantra.

Lion of Speech: The Life of Mipham Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse, Jamgon Mipham, Padmakara Translation Group, Shambhala Publications, Hardcover, 272 pp, $27.95

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991) was a highly accomplished meditation master, scholar, and poet, and a principal holder of the Nyingma lineage. His extraordinary depth of realization enabled him to be, for all who met him, a foundation of loving-kindness, wisdom, and compassion. A dedicated exponent of the nonsectarian Rime movement, Khyentse Rinpoche was respected by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism and taught many eminent teachers, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He tirelessly worked to uphold the Dharma through the publication of texts, the building of monasteries and stupas, and by offering instruction to thousands of people throughout the world. His writings in Tibetan fill twenty-five volumes.

Jamgon Mipham (1846-1912), one of the great luminaries of Tibetan Buddhism in modern times, has had a dominant and vitalizing influence on the Nyingma School and beyond. He was an important member of the Rime, or nonsectarian movement, which did much to strengthen and preserve the entire tradition. A scholar of outstanding brilliance and versatility, his translated works are eagerly anticipated by English-language readers.

The Padmakara Translation Group, based in France, has a distinguished reputation for its translations of Tibetan texts and teachings. Its work has been published in several languages and is renowned for its clear and accurate literary style.

CONTENTS: Lion of Speech
Foreword by Alak Zenkar Rinpoche		xi
Translator's Introduction		xiii
The Light of Wondrous Nectar: The Essential Biography of the Omniscient Mipham Jamyang Namgyal Gyatso
	Prologue	3
1.	The Ground of Emanation	7
2.	The Birth of a Bodhisattva	21
3.	Entering the Dharma	27
4.	Study and Reflection	33
5.	Practice	61
6.	A Hidden Life	75
7.	Activities for the Doctrine and Beings	93
8.	The Final Deed	109
A Selection of Jamgon Mipham's Writings
9.	Selections on Madhyamaka	127
10.	The Lion's Roar: A Comprehensive Discourse on Buddha-Nature	148
11.	An Explanation of the Seven-Line Prayer to Guru Rinpoche	191
12.	A Lamp to Dispel the Dark	199
Notes		205
Bibliography		221
Sources		225
The Padmakara Translation Group Translations into English		227
Index		229