The Mahamudra Prayer by the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje is a short yet thorough and profound text which presents all the essential points of Mahamudra teaching in terms of view, practice, and fruition. It is a classic that, especially in the tradition of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, has been and is widely used whenever a disciple is given a first introduction into Mahamudra. The Third Karmapa shows how to recognize our ultimate potential as a buddha. The short root text is further explained by Khentin Tai Situpa Pema Donyo Nyingje Wangpo, the twelfth incarnation of the Tai Situpa lineage, which is one of the most important lineages of the Kagyu tradition. His deep understanding of Western culture, especially of the Western psychological perspective, allows him to expound the Dharma with a clarity and directness that is truly inspiring.

Here in one compact volume are all of the stages of instruction on the path of Mahamudra. Included are concise and complete formal instructions on the ground path and fruition of this penetrating practice. This vast and profound commentary originates with the Eighth Situpa, a remarkable scholar and practitioner who is considered the most accomplished of all the Situ emanations.

Here in one compact volume are all of the stages of instruction on the path of Mahāmudrā. Included are concise and complete formal instructions on the ground, path, and fruition of this penetrating practice. This vast and profound commentary originates with the Eighth Situpa, a remarkable scholar and practitioner who is considered the most accomplished of all the Situ emanations.

The first comprehensive overview of the life and writings of the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje, a revolutionary figure in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Known for his mastery of teachings across sectarian lines, his treatises on medicine and astrology, and his work as spiritual advisor to the last Yuan emperor of China, Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339) is considered one of the most important and influential figures in Tibetan Buddhist history. First recognized as a tulku, or reincarnated Buddhist master, at the age of five, Rangjung Dorje became the Karma Kagyu lineage holder and instituted the reincarnation-based inheritance structure within Tibetan Buddhism that led to the formation of important lineages of tulkus such as the Dalai Lamas. In this groundbreaking work, Ruth Gamble synthesizes her extensive research on Rangjung Dorje into a sweeping biography covering his life, legacy, and important selected writings. Included in her discussions are Rangjung Dorje's synthesis of Dzogchen and Mahamudra in his writings, his devotion to spreading the teachings of Buddha nature, and several works never before translated into English. As the most comprehensive work available on Rangjung Dorje, this book is an indispensable resource for scholars and Buddhist practitioners alike.

The only book in English on a popular Tibetan Buddhist lineage prayer that explains how it can be used as a guide to practice. One of the most beloved and oft-recited prayers in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, The Mahamudra Lineage Prayer combines a supplication to the Mahamudra lineage with a concise guide to Mahamudra practice and the stages of the path to enlightenment. In this commentary on the prayer, Thrangu Rinpoche teaches in his down-to earth yet direct manner the importance of the Mahamudra lineage, how to develop renunciation and devotion through the common and uncommon preliminary practices, and how to practice calm abiding (Shamatha) and insight (Vipashyana) meditation in the Mahamudra tradition. He explains that Mahamudra teachings are easy to practice yet are very powerful, and are especially appropriate for serious Western Dharma students.

Widely renowned as one of the major proponents of the Tibetan shentong tradition, the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339), propounded a unique synthesis of Yogacara, Madhyamaka, and the classical teachings on Buddha nature. This book is a collection of some of his main writings on Buddha nature, the transition of ordinary deluded consciousness to enlightened wisdom, and the characteristics of buddhahood.

This guidebook for cultivating the meditative practices of stability and insight—the first major work from the Drukpa Kagyu lineage to become available in English—stands out among works of its kind as one of the clearest and most comprehensive presentations of coemergence, or mahamudra. In it, the eighteenth-century Tibetan master Ngawang Kunga Tenzin, the Third Khamtrul Rinpoche, details a step-by-step program of spiritual exercises that bring the meditator directly to clear realization of the fully perfect, ever-present, nondual nature of mind. Beginning with the close relationship between phenomena and mind and the immense benefits of meditating on the nature of mind, the Third Khamtrul Rinpoche offers careful instructions on the four yogas of mahamudra together with advice on how to recognize genuine progress and how to remove obstacles that arise during meditation. Characteristic of the Drukpa Kagyu approach is that, even from the earliest stages of training, the author explains how all experience, thoughts, and perceptions may be used as the path to enlightenment from the perspective of insight into the nature of mind.

Daring Steps stands out among the multitude of books on Tibetan Buddhism as being a uniquely accessible overview of the Buddhist path that encompasses all three yanas, or traditional Buddhist spiritual paths. Ringu Tulku—renowned for both his insight and approachable style—consistently brings the teachings back to the reader's own experience as he reveals the vital role of each path in the attainment of genuine realization. This book draws on several venerable sources, among them the Buddha's earliest teachings, and a Vajrayana text by the yogi known as Crazy Khyentse. The author takes us from the most basic meditation practice to the rarefied realm of Mahamudra, touching on a dazzling range of teachings and techniques along the way. This lively presentation will be welcomed as both a trustworthy introduction for the beginning student and an indispensable reference for practitioners at every stage of the path.

The Dorje Chang Tungma is probably the most well-known of the Kagyu prayers, traditionally recited before teaching sessions and often recited by practitioners as part of their daily practice. Nearly everyone knows this prayer by heart, but such familiarity can be dangerous. It is all too easy to recite the prayer mindlessly, like a parrot, without focusing on the words or reflecting on the meaning of what we are saying. By studying it, we should gain deeper understanding and be able to appreciate its profundity more fully. In so many ways, it is much more than an ordinary prayer. It includes all the important stages of the training in mahamudra: revulsion at samsara, renunciation, devotion to the guru, undistracted meditation, and so forth. As such, it is like a pith instruction. In the beginning, the prayer recalls all the lineage masters of the Kagyu. When we talk about lineage, we mean more than the one-to-one, physical transmission from teacher to student. Lineage is an unbroken spiritual line that begins with the source and continues uninterrupted from generation to generation. Not only that, as we recite the body of the prayer, we are reminded of the core practices of mahamudra: revulsion is the legs of the practice, uncontrived devotion is the head of the practice, non-distraction is the core of meditation practice, and so on. Originally, this teaching was part of the 29th Kagyu Monlam Chenmo and was given under the most auspicious circumstances. It happened at the perfect place, Dorje Den, the sacred site where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment; at the perfect time, just after Tibetan New Year during the Month of Miracles; and all four pillars of the sangha -- bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasikas and upasikis --were present, along with many rinpoches, tulkus and khenpos of the Karma Kamtsang.From the preface by The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje

Masters of esoteric knowledge and miraculous practices, the lineage of the Karmapas is the earliest of all the recognized incarnate lineages and is said to descend from the great Indian tantric master Tilopa through a chain that includes Naropa, Marpa, and Milarepa. The Karmapas are distinguished by their black crowns, said to have been woven by dakinis and symbolizing the activity of the buddhas. Unlike other Tibetan Buddhist lineage heads, each Karmapa has specific knowledge of his next reincarnation and leaves behind a "Last Testament," a letter to his disciples describing the place and circumstances of their future rebirth, the name of their parents, and so on. At a very young age, each successive incarnation is often able to recognize himself as the Karmapa. In their recounting of the histories of the seventeen Karmapas, the authors reveal the universal and marvelous concealed in the everyday world. Their lively account peppered with anecdotes is the most comprehensive in the West on this subject, with information from Tibetan, Chinese, Mongolian, French, and English sources.