Traleg Kyabgon's mastery of the English language and his insight into Western culture make for a very approachable translation of this magnum opus of the Kagyu tradition.
The Mahamudra path of direct perception is the pre-eminent method of the Dakpo Kagyu tradition. This definitive manual systematically explains its approach to meditation, complete with definitions, pointing-out instructions, and advice for the many pitfalls and errors that beset practitioners. Central to these errors is our failure to acknowledge the difference between understanding and experience, and our tendency to fixate on meditative experiences and mistake them for realization. This translation conveys the freshness and immediacy of these instructions. Belonging to the generation of teachers to first bring Tibetan Buddhism across cultures, Traleg Kyabgon (1955-2012) presents these Mahamudra instructions in a direct, relaxed, and intimate style.
Moonbeams of Mahamudra: The Classic Meditation Manual, Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche,Shogam Publications, 2016, 520 pages, $32.95
Traleg Kyabgon (1955-2012) is the founder of the Kagyu E-Vam Buddhist Institute, which is headquartered in Melbourne, with a major practice center in upstate New York and a practice community in New York City. He taught extensively at universities and Buddhist centers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia, and is the author of such books as Essence of Buddhism and Karma: What It Is, What It Isn't, Why It Matters.
CONTENTS: Moonbeams of Mahamudra: The Classic Meditation Manual
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Biography
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ix
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Foreword
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xiii
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Preface
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xv
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Introduction
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1
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BOOK ONE: A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMON SYSTEM OF MEDITATION
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1. Common Meditation
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11
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2. Common Tranquility and Insight
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13
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3. Common Tranquility Meditation
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32
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4. Common Insight Meditation
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43
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5. Misconceptions about Common Meditation
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60
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BOOK TWO: AN EXTENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE UNCOMMON SYSTEM OF MAHAMUDRA MEDITATION
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Part I: The Preliminaries
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1. An Explanation to Arouse Confidence
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83
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Part II: Mahamudra Meditation
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2. Kagyu Tradition of Meditation
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115
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Guiding Meditators on the Path
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3. Tranquillity Meditation
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119
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4. Insight Meditation
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151
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The Stages of Virtuous Practice
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5. Stages of Identification
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193
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Consolidating our Meditative Experiences
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6. Integrating Meditation and Post-meditation
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231
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7. Eliminating Meditative Deviations
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272
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8. Determining the Originless Nature of Mind
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300
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9. Transforming Adversity on the Path
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322
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The Dawning of Realisation
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10. Four Yogas of Mahamudra
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349
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Footnotes
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421
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Quoted People
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466
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Quoted Texts
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472
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Topics Outline
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485
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Index
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493
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