This compelling study of the Ri-me movement and of the major Buddhist lineages of Tibet is comprehensive and accessible.

It includes an introduction to the history and philosophy of the Ri-me movement; a biography of the movement's leader, the meditation master and philosopher known as Jamgon Kongtrul the Great; helpful summaries of the eight lineages' practice-and-study systems, which point out the different emphases of the schools; an explanation of the most hotly disputed concepts; and an overview of the old and new tantras.

Jamgon Kongtrul the Great (1813 - 1899) is a giant in Tibetan history, renowned for his scholarly and meditative achievements, but also for his energetic yet evenhanded work to unify and strengthen the different lineages of Buddhism. The Ri-me movement, led by Kongtrul and several other leading scholars of the time, was a unifying effort to cut through interscholastic divisions and disputes that were occurring between the different lineages. These leaders sought appreciation of the differences and acknowledgment of the importance of variety in benefiting practitioners with different needs. The Ri-me teachers also took great care that the teachings and practices of the different schools and lineages, and their unique styles, did not become confused with one another. This lucid survey of the Ri-me movement will be of interest to serious scholars and practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Ri-me Philosophy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great, Shambhala Publications, Ringu Tulku, Paperback, 2006/2007, 304 Pages, $34.95

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist Master of the Kagyu Order. He was trained in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism under many great masters such as HH the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and HH Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche. He took his formal education at Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok and Sampurnananda Sanskrit University, Varanasi, India and has served as Professor of Tibetology in Sikkim for 17 years. His doctoral thesis was on the Ecumenical Movement in Tibet. Since 1990 he has been traveling and teaching Buddhism and meditation at more than 50 Universities, Institutes and Buddhist Centres in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and Asia. He also participates in various interfaith dialogues. He authored several books on Buddhism as well as some childrens books both in Tibetan and European languages.

He founded Bodhicharya (www.bodhicharya.org ), an international organization that coordinates the worldwide activities to preserve and transmit Buddhist teachings, to promote inter-cultural dialogues and educational & social projects. He also founded Rigul Trust which supports his projects in his birthplace, Rigul, Tibet ( www.rigultrust.org ).

Rinpoche is the Official Representative of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa for Europe and the Founder of Karmapa Foundation Europe ( www.karmapafoundation.eu).

	Contents: Ri-me Philosophy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great : A Study of the Buddhist Lineages of Tibet
	Homage	xi
	Preface	xiii
1.	The Meaning of Ri-me	1
2.	The Biography of Kongtrul Yonten Gyatso	15
3.	The History of the Teaching Lineages That Came to Tibet	55
	The Teaching Lineages of the Sutras	55
	Vinaya	55
	Abhidharma	58
	Pramana	60
	Prajnaparamita	65
	Madhymaka	68
	The Teaching Lineages of the Tantras	74
	The Teaching Lineages of the Nyingma Tantras	74
	The Sarma Teachings of the Mother and Father Tantras	79
	The Three Lower Tantras	93
4.	The History of the Eight Practice Lineages	97
	The Teachings of Nyingma Lineage	97
	The Mind Transmission Lineage	97
	The Symbolic Transmission Lineage	98
	The Hearing Transmission Lineage	98
	The Six Transmission Lineages	99
	Kama: The Oral Tradition	105
	Terma: The Hidden Treasures	117
	The History of the Kadampa Tradition	121
	Jowo Je Atisha	121
	Atisha's Main Students	122
	The Gelugpa Tradition	124
	Tsongkhapa Lozang Dragpa	124
	Tsongkhapa's Students and Lineage Holders	126
	The History of the Lamdre Practice Lineage	127
	Virupa and Drogmi	127
	Sachen Kunga Nyingpo	129
	Sakya Pandita and Chogyal Phagpa	131
	Other Sakya Lineage Holders	132
	The History of the Marpa kagyu Lineage	133
	Marpa Lotsawa	134
	Milarepa	135
	Rechungpa and His Lineage	135
	Gampopa and His Lineage	136
	The Tsalpa Kagyu and Barom Kagyu	137
	The Kamtsang Kagyu and the Karmapas	138
	The Phagdru Kagyu Lineage	140
	The First Three of the Eight Kagyu Lineage Subschools	141
	The Drugpa kagyu Lineage	142
	The Last Four kagyu Subschools	143
	The History of the Shangpa Kagyu Lineage	143
	The History of the Shije, or Pacification, Lineage	146
	The Chod Lineage	148
	Jordruk: The Lineage of the Six-Branched Practice of Vajra Yoga	150
	The History of the Approach and Accomplishment of the Three Vajras	153
5.	The Essential Teachings of the Eight Practice Lineages	155
	Ngagyur Nyingma: The Early Translation Tradition	155
	Dzogchen	155
	Kama	158
	Terma	158
	Pure Vision	160
	Refutation of Criticism of the Nyingma Teachings	161
	The Main Teachings of the Kadampa	161
	Specific Scriptures, Instructions, and Oral Instructions	162
	Teachings for the Three Types of Individuals	162
	The Esence of the Teachings of the Gelugpa	164
	The Three Foundations of Practice	165
	Ground, Path, and Result	165
	The Teachings of the Glorious Sakyapa	167
	The Three Visions	167
	The Presentation of the Path	168
	Tantric Practice	169
	The Golden Teachings of the Sakya	171
	The Teachings of the Dagpo Kagyu	172
	Ground, Path, and Result	172
	The Six Yogas of Naropa	173
	Sutra Mahamudra	174
	Tantra Mahamudra	175
	Special Teachings of of the Individual kagyu Lineages	177
	The Teachings of the Shangpa Kagyu	180
	The Six Yogas of the Shangpa Kagyu	180
	Mahamudra in the Shangpa Kagyu Tradition	181
	Descriptions of Acomplishment	181
	The Teachings of Pacification Lineage	182
	The Teachings of the Chod Lineage	184
	The Six-Branched Practice of Vajra Yoga	187
	The Approach and Accomplishment of the Three Vajras	189
6.	Rangtong and Shentong Madhyamaka	193
	An Overview of Madhyamaka	193
	Rangtong Madhyamaka	195
	The Svatantrika Tradition	195
	The Prasangika Lineage in Tibet	196
	The Common View of the of Prasangika and Svatantrika	197
	The Five Great Reasonings of Madhyamaka	199
	Distinctions between Prasangika and Svatantrika Madhyamaka	202
	An Overview of the Prasangika Analysis	204
	The Three Special Points of Chandrakirti	208
	The Eight Special Points of Tsongkhapa	209
	Tagtsang Lotsawa's Way of Teaching Prasangika Madhyamaka	213
	Shentong Madhyamaka	214
	The Sources of Shentong	214
	The Views of Shakya Chogden and Dolpopa	216
	The Shentong View of the Ground Madhyamaka	218
	The Shentong Understanding of the Three Natures	220
	Shentong Is Not the Same as Chittamatra	223
	Taranatha's Refutation of Shentong as Vedanta	224
	The Main Differences between Rangtong and Shentong	226
	Equal Respect for the Traditions of Nagarjuna and Asanga	227
	Distinguishing Vijnanavada and Chittamatra	230
	Tantra Madhyamaka	232
7.	The Traditions of the Nyingma and Sarma Tantras	237
	Classifications of the Tantras	237
	Commonalities of the Nyingma and Sarma Trantras	239
	Distinctions in the Nyingma and SarmaTantras	241
	Mipham Rinpoche's Rebuttal of the Criticism of the Nyingma Tantras	244
	Thukan Chokyi Dorje's Refutation	251
	Atisha's Statement on the Early Tantras	255
	Specific Criticism of the Dzogchen Teachings	257
	Shechen Gyaltsap's Refutation of the Criticsim of the Dzogchen Teachings	260
	Acknowledgments	287
	Notes	289
	Sources	293
	Index	311