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The primary purpose of this book is to make the prayer called "The Prayer of Threefold Ground, Path, and Fruition" available in English for practitioners of the Dzogchen teaching. The Prayer came into this world through what is called the Longchen Nyingthig tradition of the Dzogchen teaching. As is explained extensively in the very long and comprehensive introduction to the book, Longchen Nyingthig is the name for one of several transmissions of the most profound level of Dzogchen teaching that appeared in Tibet.
In Tibet, daily recitation of the Prayer is an essential part of the practice of those who follow the Longchen Nyingthig tradition of the Dzogchen teachings. More than that though, it is such an amazing presentation of the most profound level of Dzogchen teaching that it is widely used by Dzogchen practitioners in general. With that in mind, this book was produced so that all English-speaking practitioners of the Dzogchen teaching would have full access to the prayer.
The prayer is very condensed. It contains, in just nine four-line verses, the whole meaning of profound Dzogchen as understood by Longchen Rabjam. Because of that, even those who know the Dzogchen teaching will find it hard to comprehend the full import of the prayer. Therefore, this book starts with the prayer, then has an outline of the meaning of the verses of the prayer, followed by a short commentary and then a long commentary to the prayer. For many people the brief outline and short commentary will be sufficient to enable them to recite the prayer in a meaningful way. For others who need a very detailed explanation of the prayer, the longer commentary will provide that.
It does have to be noted that the longer commentary not only gives a more detailed explanation of the prayer but a significantly more profound one as well. That is because the longer commentary extensively shows how both of the practices of the most profound level of Dzogchen teaching Thorough Cut and Direct Crossing are set forth in the prayer, whereas the shorter commentary only shows the meaning of the prayer in relation to Thorough Cut.
The longer commentary has a further advantage. It goes through the meaning of the prayer in such depth that it becomes a complete teaching in its own right on the system of Dzogchen coming to us from the extraordinary master of those teachings, Longchenpa. As a result, it should be a teaching of great interest to all Dzogchen practitioners, quite aside from its intended function as a commentary on the prayer.
The Prayer of Threefold Ground, Path, and Fruition, Jigmey Lingpa, Yontan Gyatso, and Tshewang Chogdrub, Tony Duff, PKTC, Paperback, 222 pp, 2018, $25.00
Prefiguring Jamgon Kongtrul's creation of the Five Collections, Jigme Lingpa gathered Nyingma texts that had become rare, starting with Nyingma tantras held in the manuscript collection of the Mindrolling Monastery. This collection of the Nyingma tantras led to the amassing of the Nyingma Gyubum soliciting the expensive and labour intensive project of carving the woodblocks for the woodblock printing. The wood block carving was forded through the patronage of the royal family of Derge of Kham, who favoured and honoured Jigme Lingpa. Getse Mahapandita also arranged for the printing of texts by Jigme Lingpa and Longchenpa. Getse Mahapandita proofread the works of Jigme Lingpa, Longchenpa and the Nyingma Gyubum. Jigme also wrote a nine-volume history of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and other works. His nonsectarian presentation of the Madhyamaka follows Je Tsongkhapa's system. A major precursor of the Rime movement, Jigme Lingpa had many distinguished disciples in all four lineages. The first Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Dodrupchen Jigme Trinle Ozer, became his main lineage-holder. Among those held by tradition to be Jigme Lingpa's reincarnations are Ye shes rdo rje, the Mdo mkhyen brtse ye shes rdo rje, Patrul Rinpoche and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo . In Bhutan his tradition is held by successive incarnation of the Petsheling tulku and Jikme Kundrol Namgyel. Both Druptop Namgyel Lhundrup, 1st Petselling Tulku (1718-1786) and Jikme Tenpe Dorje, 2nd Petselling Tulku (788-1850) were students of Jigme Lingpa. Jigme Lingpa, translated by Sam van Schaik, states how his learnings commenced and he mentions grammar, the "glorious Chimpu" site of Samye, the cave wherein Padmasambhava first transmitted the Vajrayana lineage in Tibet vajra, and Longchenpa
Introduction
Body of Book:
* From Longchen Nyingthig: The Prayer of Threefold Ground, Path, and Fruition by Jigmey Lingpa.
* Outline and Commentary to Jigmey Lingpa's Prayer of Threefold Ground, Path, and Fruition" by Yontan Gyatso.
* Commentary that Clarifies the Meaning of the Longchen Nyingthig Prayer "Threefold Ground, Path, and Fruition", called "The Authoritative Words of Samantabhadra" by Tshewang Chogdrub.
List of Texts Cited
Glossary of Terms Supports for Study Tibetan Text Index
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