Many times Thrangu Rinpoche has said that Buddhist practitioners often concentrate on meditation and that is, of course, good. But if they don't match their meditation with compassion, unselfish behavior and engaging in virtuous actions, their meditation will never go well. To encourage his students to engage in these positive behaviors, he has recommended that they study the Bodhisattva Path.
Rinpoche has published a translation of Shantideva's Bodhisattva's Way of Life which covers compassion, bodhichitta, and each of the six paramitas in a very detailed manner. So some of his students asked him if there were something a little shorter.
In this book the great practitioner, Tokme Zangpo, condensed these teachings on the Bodhisattva's way into 37 profound verses. Each verse is short and many monks have memorized these verses to remind them when they have strayed from the path of compassion and bodhichitta. This teaching covers relative and ultimate bodhichitta, meditation and practice, abandoning the disturbing emotions, and the practice of the six paramitas.
The Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa has said, "The 37 practices of a Bodhisattva is considered both deep and broad, comprehensive and concise. It includes all the necessary points for understanding the practices of a bodhisattva."
The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, Thrangu Rinpoche, Namo Buddha Publications, Paperback, 2020, 130 Pages, $12.95
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is a renowned Tibetan Buddhist master known for his deep compassion and the clarity of his teachings. He was selected by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to serve as the principal tutor to His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Oryen Trinley Dorje.
Thrangu Rinpoche is a full holder and teacher of the Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. He founded the Namo Buddha retreat center in Nepal, has established two shedras (monastic universities) in Nepal and India, and serves as Abbot of Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. He also built Tara Abbey, where nuns receive a full dharma education qualifying them to become khenpos or teachers. Thrangu Rinpoche teaches entensively throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. He has centers in Maine and California, and is building the Vajra Vidya Retreat Center in Crestone, Colorado.
CONTENTS: The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva
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Foreword
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1
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The Root Text
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5
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1.
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An Introduction to the Text
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13
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A.
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The Homage
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13
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B.
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The Expression of Veneration
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15
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C.
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The Reason for Composing This Text
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18
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2.
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The Preliminaries
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21
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3.
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The Main Practice
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41
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A.
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The Path for the Lesser Individual
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41
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B.
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The Path for the Average Individual
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43
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C.
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The Path for the Superior Individual
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44
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4.
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Cultivating Relative Bodhichitta
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49
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A.
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Exchanging Oneself for Others
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49
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B.
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Post-Meditation of Relative Bodhichitta
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50
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5.
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Cultivating Absolute Bodhichitta
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69
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A.
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The Meditation of Absolute Bodhichitta
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69
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B.
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Post-Meditation of Absolute Bodhichitta
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74
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6.
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Cultivating Relative and Absolute Bodhichitta7
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77
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A.
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The Six Paramitas
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77
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B.
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The Four Things to be Trained In
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87
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7.
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How to Abandon Disturbing Emotions
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95
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A.
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Benefits of Mindfulness and Attentiveness
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98
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8.
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The Conclusion
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103
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A.
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The Dedication
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111
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B.
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The Colophon
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112
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Glossary
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117
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Glossary of Tibetan Terms
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125
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Bibliography
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127
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Index
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129
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