Traditionally the Buddhist teachings are divided into three major divisions: the Sutras, the Vinaya, and the Abhidharma. The Vinaya are the discourses of the Buddha on the conduct of the monks and nuns and also lay persons.

The Buddha taught the Vinaya to monks and nuns so that they had a set of rules allowing them to devote their complete energy to reaching enlightenment. The Buddha, however, did not simply one day give these rules. Rather he waited for the proper situation to arise and would give a teaching on that particular situation.

Thrangu Rinpoche is eminently qualified for explaining the Vinaya and Buddhist conduct because he has lived since the age of four in a monastic situation. He has maintained his vows and is abbot of Gampo Abbey, one of the few Tibetan monasteries in North America. These teachings are Rinpoche's detailed explanation of this poorly understood part of the Buddhist canon.
Tibetan Vinaya: Guide to Buddhist Conduct, Ven Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, 132 pages, $16.00

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, Ogyen 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 extensively 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 Tibetan Vinaya: Guide to Buddhist Conduct
	Foreword	3
1.	The Pratiomoksha Precepts	7
2.	Discipline and the Precepts	15
3.	The Vow of Individual Liberation	21
4.	Karma and the Accumulation of Merit	27
5.	The Outer, Inner, and Secret Pratimoksha	35
6.	Nine Aspects of a Noble Being	43
7.	Three Aspects of the Bodhisattva Vow	49
8.	The Five Classes of Vajrayana Precepts	55
9.	The Vows of the Three Yanas	63
10.	The Vows of the Shravakas	71
11.	The Vows of the Bodhisattva	83
12.	The Vows of the Vajrayana	93
13.	The Samaya Vow	101
14.	This is my Monastery	109
15.	Glossary of Terms	113
	Glossary of Tibetan Terms	125
	Bibliography	129
	Khenchen Thrangu, Rinpoche	131