All sentient beings, without exception, have buddha nature, the inherent purity and perfection of the mind, untouched by changing mental states. The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra, one of the "Five Treatises" said to have been dictated to Asanga by the Bodhisattva Maitreya, presents the Buddha's definitive teachings on how we should understand this ground of enlightenment and clarifies the nature and qualities of buddhahood. This seminal text details with great clarity the view which forms the basis for Vajrayana, and especially Mahamudra, practice. Thus it builds a bridge between the Sutrayana and Vajrayana levels of the Buddha's teaching, elaborated here in Jamgon Kongtrul's commentary.

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye (1813-1899), the profoundly learned and realized master who compiled what are known as the "Five Great Treasures," wrote the outstanding commentary to the Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra translated here. Called the Unassailable Lion's Roar, it presents Maitreya's text as a background for the Mahamudra teachings in a way that is especially clear and easy to understand.

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche provided the annotations and the explanations on which the present translation is based. A renowned scholar and highly accomplished yogi, he is a living example of the ongoing tradition of oral transmission. He first visited the West in 1977, at the request of H.H. the Sixteenth Karmapa, and since then has been looking after an ever-growing number of disciples throughout the world.

Buddha Nature: The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra with Commentary; Maitreya, Jamgon Kongtrul, and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso; Snow Lion; Paperback; 407 pages; $29.95

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche is a noted Buddhist scholar and teacher who was born in Eastern Tibet in 1934. Known for his highly engaging teaching style, he has traveled and taught in North America, Europe, and Asia from 1977 to 2007. He is the author of The Sun of Wisdom, The Moon of Wisdom, and Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness, and numerous songs of realization.

CONTENTS: Buddha Nature
Foreword by Tenzin Dorje				8
Preface by Rosemarie Fuchs				10
Introduction by Acharya Lodro Namgyal				12
PART ONE: Root Text				17
1.	Tathagathagarbha			19
		Introduction		19
		The First Three Vajra Points: The Three Jewels		20
			Buddha	20
			Dharma	20
			Sangha	21
		The Three Refuges		22
		The Last Four Vajra Points		22
		The Fourth Vajra Point: The Element		23
2.	The Fifth Vajra Point: Enlightenment			43
3.	The Sixth Vajra Point: Qualities			53
4.	The Seventh Vajra Point: Activity			59
5.	Benefit			73
PART TWO: Commentary, The Unassailable Lion's Roar				79
Table of Contents				81
1.	Tathagathagarbha			97
		Introduction		97
		The First Three Vajra Points: The Three Jewels		101
			The First Vajra Point: Buddha	101
			The Second Vajra Point: Dharma	105
			The Third Vajra Point: Sangha	108
		The Three Refuges		112
		The Last Four Vajra Points		114
		The Fourth Vajra Point: Element		117
2.	The Fifth Vajra Point: Enlightenment			182
3.	The Sixth Vajra Point: Qualities			218
4.	The Seventh Vajra Point: Activity			238
5.	Benefit			283
PART THREE: Explanations by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche				299
PART FOUR: Translator's Notes				391