Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

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Knotty Veneer
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Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by Knotty Veneer »

A friend has writen to me asking me to recommend a good general introduction to Tibetan Buddhist practice particularly in the Kagyu tradition.

I've read a lot of stuff but can't think of anything that might fit bit the bill. This is someone who is not a Buddhist (although they have done a mindfulness course).

Anyone like to help me out with some suggestion?
This is not the wrong life.
KonchokZoepa
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by KonchokZoepa »

i would recommend Lama Zopa Rinpoche's '' how to practice Dharma - teaching on the eight worldly dharmas '' this is not a kagyu book as you know but i think it is a very important and one of a kind work on buddhist psychology and the core of buddhist mind training practice, even though its not lojong.

i would cover this buddhist psychology and mind training aspect of mahayana before introducing vajrayana.

the other book would maybe be sun of wisdom by khenpo tsultrim gyamtso. some middle way text.
If the thought of demons
Never rises in your mind,
You need not fear the demon hosts around you.
It is most important to tame your mind within....

In so far as the Ultimate, or the true nature of being is concerned,
there are neither buddhas or demons.
He who frees himself from fear and hope, evil and virtue,
will realize the insubstantial and groundless nature of confusion.
Samsara will then appear as the mahamudra itself….

-Milarepa

OMMANIPADMEHUNG

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Schrödinger’s Yidam
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

It's not a practice book, but as a general introduction I'd recommend Dr. Reginald Rays' "Indestructible Truth" and "Secret of the Vajra World". He wrote them as a college level text for and introductory course in Tibetan Buddhism. Dr. Ray was the senior meditation instructor for Trungpa's organization so they don't read like a college text. They read like they were written by a practitioner. There is absolutely no Trungpa 'spin' on the Dharma at all though. He gets everything right, and is a good writer as well.

Once you've got a good general ed type knowledge then you can get specific instructions on beginner's practice. Or you can cut to the chase and sign up with Dzogchen Community, if you're so disposed. I'm not, but that's just me.
1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
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Lama: Even If you had died the 3 Jewels would still have protected you. (DW post by Fortyeightvows)
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justsit
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by justsit »

Perhaps The Essence of Buddhism, by Traleg Rinpoche
palchi
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by palchi »

Mingyur Rinpoche's book 'The joy of living' is very good for beginners.
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bryandavis
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by bryandavis »

Greetings,

I would say if your friend wants an outline of what the Kagyu system is about then "wild awakening" by Dzogchen Ponlop is very good. Half the book is The mahamudra aproach especially in Karma Kagyu then the other Half is the Dzogchen approach. Then It would be a very good idea for them to read the forward and ending discussion of the translation "rain of wisdom" by the Nalanda Translation Committee and Trungpa.

This will cover both the technical steps and basic overview of the Kagyu schools in general, by reading Ponlop Rinpoches outline, and by reading the Rain of Wisdom forward / end section it will cover a lot of important specifics of devotion and the kagyu view on that.

thats my three cents.

all the best

bryan.
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practitioner
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by practitioner »

I second the recommendation of The Joy of Living
One should do nothing other than benefit sentient beings either directly or indirectly - Shantideva
philji
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by philji »

Following on from Joy of Living is Joyful Wisdom by Mingyur Rinpoche...
As mentioned earlier Ponlop Rinpoche is always worth reading as is Tai Situ Rinpoche.
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dzogchungpa
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by dzogchungpa »

I think Reginald Ray's 2 books would fit the bill nicely.
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by Palzang Jangchub »

Many of the books I would've suggested have already been mentioned. The only ones I would add are Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche's Dharma Paths and Kyabjé Bokar Rinpoche's Meditation: Advice to Beginners.

Really anything written by Bokar Rinpoche is taught in such a way that it's accessible to everyone from the total beginner to the most seasoned practitioner.

Many of his works are out of print, but can be found online in places like Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/133140786/Bok ... -Beginners
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"The Sutras, Tantras, and Philosophical Scriptures are great in number. However life is short, and intelligence is limited, so it's hard to cover them completely. You may know a lot, but if you don't put it into practice, it's like dying of thirst on the shore of a great lake. Likewise, a common corpse is found in the bed of a great scholar." ~ Karma Chagme

དྲིན་ཆེན་རྩ་བའི་བླ་མ་སྐྱབས་རྗེ་མགར་ཆེན་ཁྲི་སྤྲུལ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ཁྱེད་མཁྱེན་ནོ།།
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dharmagoat
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by dharmagoat »

I found Gampopa's "Jewel Ornament of Liberation" to be a good introductory text for those wanting to acquaint themselves with the foundations of Kagyu practice without the introductory preamble.
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by Punya »

dharmagoat wrote:I found Gampopa's "Jewel Ornament of Liberation" to be a good introductory text for those wanting to acquaint themselves with the foundations of Kagyu practice without the introductory preamble.
There is a great commentary by Thrangu Rinpoche. :twothumbsup:
We abide nowhere. We possess nothing.
~Chatral Rinpoche
ylee111
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by ylee111 »

What's a good book on the practices of the Drukpa lineage?
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Grigoris
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by Grigoris »

dharmagoat wrote:I found Gampopa's "Jewel Ornament of Liberation" to be a good introductory text for those wanting to acquaint themselves with the foundations of Kagyu practice without the introductory preamble.
This one here. The bible of Kagyu practice.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
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futerko
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Re: Introductory Book on Tibetan Buddhism - especially Kagyu

Post by futerko »

Sherab Dorje wrote:
dharmagoat wrote:I found Gampopa's "Jewel Ornament of Liberation" to be a good introductory text for those wanting to acquaint themselves with the foundations of Kagyu practice without the introductory preamble.
This one here. The bible of Kagyu practice.
http://www.amnyitrulchung.org/teachings ... mplete.pdf
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