Great Sakya Books

[Virgo]

I practice mostly in the Nyingma tradition; however, I like to read across all schools because of the wealth of knowledge and blessings contained in each of the schools. There have been some great books from the Sakya tradition. What great Sakya books have you read and which do you recommend here?

Some great ones that I have read are:

A Clear Differentiation of the Three Codes, by Sapan (Sakya Pandita)

Ordinary Wisdom, by Sapan

Parting from the Four Attachments (which I've received teachings on), by Chogye Trichen Rinpoche

Can anyone help create a list?

[Josef]

I practice mostly in the Nyingma tradition; however, I like to read across all schools because of the wealth of knowledge and blessings contained in each of the schools. There have been some great books from the Sakya tradition. What great Sakya books have you read and which do you recommend here?

Some great ones that I have read are:

A Clear Differentiation of the Three Codes, by Sapan (Sakya Pandita)

Ordinary Wisdom, by Sapan

Parting from the Four Attachments (which I've received teachings on), by Chogye Trichen Rinpoche

Can anyone help create a list?

Those are excellent books.
I would also recommend The Three Levels of Spiritual Perception by Deshung Rinpoche.

[Ngawang Drolma]

"Treasures of the Sakya Lineage-Teachings From the Great Masters"
by Migmar Tseten, forwarded by H.H. Sakya Trizin

[Mr. G]

A Saint in Seattle

Visions - Volumes 1 - 4 put out by Manjushri Press

Three Visions by Ngorchen Kongchog Lhundrub

[Virgo]

Nangwa, Ngawang Drolma, and Mr. Gordo, those sound like great suggestions.

In particular, A Saint in Seattle looks really good.

Kevin

[Josef]

Nangwa, Ngawang Drolma, and Mr. Gordo, those sound like great suggestions.

In particular, A Saint in Seattle looks really good.

Kevin

yes. that is a very good book as well.

[Mr. G]

Also:

Taking the Result as the Path: Core Teachings of the Sakya Lamdre Tradition (Library of Tibetan Classics) by Cyrus Stearns

The Dharma's Gatekeepers: Sakya Pandita on Buddhist Scholarship in Tibet by Jonathan C. Gold

The History of the Sakya Tradition by Chogay Trichen

[kirtu]

"Biography of the Great Mahasiddha Virupa", Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen
"Brief Illumination of the View: Dispelling the Cataract of Darkness", Khenpo Kunga Wangchuk
"Opening the Door of Liberation: A Collection of Buddhist Morning Practices with Commentaries"

These are not publicly available in terms of being able to buy them at a bookstore but are part of the works that Khenpo Kalsang Gyaltsen and Ani Chodron translated at Sakya Phuntsok Ling.

I do have all three of these at home but can only find the biography at this very moment. Brief Illumination is a brief exposition on the Sakya view and Opening the Door is a collection of general Tibetan Buddhist prayers and short (generally) recitations but this is also clearly a Sakya text.

Also did anyone mention "Luminous Lives, the Story of the Early Masters of the Lam'bras Tradition", by Stearns?

There is also "Hermit of Go Cliffs, Timeless Instructions from a Tibetan Mystic" also by Stearns. These are the poems of Godrakpa Sonam Gyaltsen. While not a Sakya text per se Godrakpa was an important Lam Dre teacher.

Kirt

[Mr. G]

Great stuff Kirt!

I haven't been up to Walden in two years, though I live on Long Island. Does Khenpo Gyaltsen send those selections you mentioned out?

Also,

BODHISATTVACHARYAVATARA - Engaging in the Conduct of the Bodhisattvas by Shantideva with a
Commentary by Sazang Mati Panchen, translated by Khenpo Kalsang Gyaltsen and Ani Kunga Chodron (which can be purchased at the site)

[kirtu]

I haven't been up to Walden in two years, though I live on Long Island. Does Khenpo Gyaltsen send those selections you mentioned out?

I'm pretty sure he will. Biography of Virupa and Dispelling the Cataract of Darkness were given out several years ago at the end of a teaching by HHST.

Kirt

[Sonam Wangchug]

Biography of virupa? That sounds like a fun read.

[muni]

Teachings about awareness is been bundled in this book: Development of Awareness and Conduct. (from Good Sayings by Sa Skya Pandita) Edited by Lozang Jamspal in Leh, Ladakh.

It is in Tibetan and English. The translation is by Lozang Jampspal and Ngawang Sonam Tenzin.

ISBN-81-901230-3-3

[Virgo]

So many great books. . .

V

[Rafael Maurin]

"Rain of Clarity" by Lama Jampa Thaye.

Rain of Clarity is a guide to all aspects of the Buddhist path according to the glorious Sakya tradition, including a detailed presentation of the Madhyamaka system of Sakya, known as 'Madhyamaka free from extremes'. The text is one of the first English-language treatises which, as well as possessing the qualities of a traditional shastra, also addresses issues facing contemporary Western practitioners of Buddhadharma.

[kirtu]

"To Dispel the Misery of the World: Whispered Teachings of the Bodhisattvas", by
Ga Rabjampa, translated by Rigpa Translations. The late Khenpo Appey has a foreword.

[Karma Dorje]

To the list I would add:

Freedom from Extremes: Gorampa's "Distinguishing the Views" and the Polemics of Emptiness

The Two Truths Debate: Tsongkhapa and Gorampa on the Middle Way

These discuss what we call around here the "schooling" of Tsongkhapa by Gorampa.

[kirtu]

To the list I would add:

Freedom from Extremes: Gorampa's "Distinguishing the Views" and the Polemics of Emptiness

The Two Truths Debate: Tsongkhapa and Gorampa on the Middle Way

These discuss what we call around here the "schooling" of Tsongkhapa by Gorampa.

I would agree, but Freedom from Extremes was written by Jose Cabezon and deals primarily with a commentary by Geshe Lobsang Dargyay ,a Gelug scholar, on Gorampa's "Distinguishing the Views". So I'm not sure how much schooling got done in that.

Is there anything by Shakya Chokden available or was he just completely banned?

Kirt

[Karma Dorje]

Is there anything by Shakya Chokden available or was he just completely banned?

Kirt

Three Texts on Madhyamaka includes: the Wish Fulfilling Meru, Drop of Nectar of Definitive Meaning, and Great Ship of Discrimination That Sails into the Ocean of Definitive Meaning.

[ratna]

[

Is there anything by Shakya Chokden available or was he just completely banned?

Kirt

24 volumes of his collected works survive (in Tibetan). In addition to the book Karma Dorje mentioned, there's Visions of Unity.

[ratna]

I'll add a few:

- Although unpublished, Khenpo Ngawang Jorden's PhD thesis Buddha-nature: Through the Eyes of Go Rams Pa Bsod Nams Seng Ge in Fifteenth-Century Tibet is a great study of the Sakya understanding of the Uttaratantra. It can be ordered from Proquest or perhaps found somewhere on the web by Googling around.
- Anything by David Jackson, really: Enlightenment by a Single Means, The Entrance Gate for the Wise. A Saint in Seattle has already been mentioned.
- Also by David Jackson, the forthcoming translation of Elucidating the Intention of the Sage (in the volume Stages of the Buddha's Teachings in the Library of Tibetan Classics, was supposed to have been out by now but has apparently been postponed till November)
- Mind training: the great collection in the Library of Tibetan Classics series includes a number of texts on the Parting from the Four Attachments.

R