The Chariot that Transports to the Kingdom of the Four Kayas: Stages of Meditation that Accomplish the Excellent Path of the Six-Branch Yogas of the Completion Stage of Glorious Kalachakra [commonly referred to as Stages of Meditation of the Excellent Path ] by Jonang Tibetan master, Bamda Thubten Gelek Gyamtso, is a commentary and guiding instruction manual text of major importance in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of Kalachakra. In this text, Bamda Gelek gives practical and clear guidance on how to practice all the stages of Kalacakra: the common preliminaries, the uncommon preliminaries and the completion stage six vajra-yogas. Here, the five common preliminaries of the Kalacakra tradition, according to the Dro lineage, contained in this text, are translated and published in written English for the first time. The instructions on the completion stage, the six yogas themselves, are only supposed to be given and disseminated in a private retreat or group situation, with students who have completed all the seven, common and uncommon, preliminaries and whom the lama thinks are ready to practice the completion stage. This text is currently used not only in the Jonang tradition, but also in the Rimey, Kagyu and Nyingma traditions. It is an indispensable and authentic instruction source for anyone who wishes to begin and practice the excellent path of Klachakra. The foreword for this book was kindly provided by the eminent Dharma scholar-translator, Dr. Cyrus Stearns. Adele Tomlin is an independent scholar and translator from England, with an MA in Philosophy from King s College, London and an MA in Tibetan Buddhist Studies from the University of Hamburg. She has also spent several years studying Buddhist Philosophy and the Tibetan language in Nepal and India.



Chariot That Transports to the Kingdom of the Four Kayas: Stages of Meditation that Acomplish the Excellent Path of the Six Branch Yogas of the Completion Stage of Glorious Kalacakra: The Five Common Preliminaries, Bamda Gelek Gyamtso, LTWA Publications, 158 pages, $22.00

An important modern master of the Jonang school. He was born in the village of "Bamda," hence the name, near Tsangwa Tratsang (gtsang ba grwa tshang) in the Dzamthang valley of Amdo, Tsangwa being the largest of the three faculties of the large Dzamthang monastery, the present-day main seat of the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism. From his childhood days, he received a thorough education in the Jonang tradition. He later traveled to Derge in Kham and became a close student of both the great Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, as well as the famous Dzogchen master Paltrul Rinpoche. Upon his return to Dzamthang, several years later, he received most extensive instructions on the Kalacakra system of the Jonang tradition, and especially on the Six Vajra Yogas perfection process meditations of that system. He wrote extensively on many subjects, but especially on all aspects of Kalacakra practice and theory. These writings are counted among the most extensive and authoritative works on Kalacakra to the present day. But he did not write on Kalacakra or Jonangpa subjects only. He also wrote widely on Prajnaparamita, on various Shangpa Kagyu subjects, on mandala drawing and construction, and his works on the Six Doctrines of Naropa are considered among the best and most detailed theoretical writings which exist on the subject matter. His entire literary output is collected in 22 volumes.