Beginner study material

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Kjigme
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2019 2:17 am

Beginner study material

Post by Kjigme »

Dear Dharma friends,

I am not completely new to buddhism, so I've read a few books here and there, but I've come to realize that I need some sort of systematic study of the doctrine. I really want to get a good grasp of the essential philosophy, specially the middle way. I was thinking about purchasing Gateway to Knowledge, Volume I- IV A Condensation of the Tripitaka by Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, but I don't know if that will do it.

Is that a good place to start? Are there other books that would be better? Sorry if this questions has been asked and answered already.

Thanks! :anjali:
SilenceMonkey
Posts: 1448
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:54 am

Re: Beginner study material

Post by SilenceMonkey »

Kjigme wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:00 am Dear Dharma friends,

I am not completely new to buddhism, so I've read a few books here and there, but I've come to realize that I need some sort of systematic study of the doctrine. I really want to get a good grasp of the essential philosophy, specially the middle way. I was thinking about purchasing Gateway to Knowledge, Volume I- IV A Condensation of the Tripitaka by Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, but I don't know if that will do it.

Is that a good place to start? Are there other books that would be better? Sorry if this questions has been asked and answered already.

Thanks! :anjali:
Hi Kjigme, it sounds like you are looking to study in the Nyingma tradition? If so, I might be on a similar path. The books on the four tenet systems by the Khenpo brothers in NY were a big help for me. They also have a book on Sword of Wisdom, as does Khenpo Sodargye, which would introduce the Nyingma approach to pramana and the four reliances. Then there are Mipham's commentaries on The Adornment of The Middle Way (Shantarakshita) and Introduction to the Middle Way (Chandrakirti). Beacon of Certainty is a bridge from madhyamaka to the dzogchen view, and can be studied by anyone, regardless of having received empowerment or DI or not.

I also hear that DJKR's commentaries on Madhyamaka and Buddha Nature are quite detailed and the closest you would find in English to a traditional Tibetan commentary.

Of course Gateway to Knowledge (Khenjuk) would be useful as a good intro to Abhidharma, with some madhyamaka spruced in. Some of the language is a bit uncommon, so it might help to look up terms on Rigpa Wiki. Also helps if you can read the Tibetan, just so you can understand the style of translation. I haven't gotten past vol 1 of Khenjuk, I moved on to other things.

I get the sense that not many westerners out there study Nyingma in the traditional way of shedra, maybe only at Rangjung Yeshe. There are also Khentrul Lodro Thaye Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal in the US who are trained scholars, but I'm not sure how they are training their students.

If you're not looking to go the way of the scholar, I've been told that there are three books that are essential to read as a lay Nyingma practitioner. Words of My Perfect Teacher, Nectar of Manjushri's Speech (along with Bodhicaryavatara) and Treasury of Precious Qualities. There's also The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to Tantra, which was designed as a manual for lay practitioners. Ngawang Tenzin Norbu's commentary on the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva is also good.

https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=4963
Kjigme
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2019 2:17 am

Re: Beginner study material

Post by Kjigme »

SilenceMonkey wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:23 am
Kjigme wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:00 am Dear Dharma friends,

I am not completely new to buddhism, so I've read a few books here and there, but I've come to realize that I need some sort of systematic study of the doctrine. I really want to get a good grasp of the essential philosophy, specially the middle way. I was thinking about purchasing Gateway to Knowledge, Volume I- IV A Condensation of the Tripitaka by Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, but I don't know if that will do it.

Is that a good place to start? Are there other books that would be better? Sorry if this questions has been asked and answered already.

Thanks! :anjali:
Hi Kjigme, it sounds like you are looking to study in the Nyingma tradition? If so, I might be on a similar path. The books on the four tenet systems by the Khenpo brothers in NY were a big help for me. They also have a book on Sword of Wisdom, as does Khenpo Sodargye, which would introduce the Nyingma approach to pramana and the four reliances. Then there are Mipham's commentaries on The Adornment of The Middle Way (Shantarakshita) and Introduction to the Middle Way (Chandrakirti). Beacon of Certainty is a bridge from madhyamaka to the dzogchen view, and can be studied by anyone, regardless of having received empowerment or DI or not.

I also hear that DJKR's commentaries on Madhyamaka and Buddha Nature are quite detailed and the closest you would find in English to a traditional Tibetan commentary.

Of course Gateway to Knowledge (Khenjuk) would be useful as a good intro to Abhidharma, with some madhyamaka spruced in. Some of the language is a bit uncommon, so it might help to look up terms on Rigpa Wiki. Also helps if you can read the Tibetan, just so you can understand the style of translation. I haven't gotten past vol 1 of Khenjuk, I moved on to other things.

I get the sense that not many westerners out there study Nyingma in the traditional way of shedra, maybe only at Rangjung Yeshe. There are also Khentrul Lodro Thaye Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal in the US who are trained scholars, but I'm not sure how they are training their students.

If you're not looking to go the way of the scholar, I've been told that there are three books that are essential to read as a lay Nyingma practitioner. Words of My Perfect Teacher, Nectar of Manjushri's Speech (along with Bodhicaryavatara) and Treasury of Precious Qualities. There's also The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to Tantra, which was designed as a manual for lay practitioners. Ngawang Tenzin Norbu's commentary on the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva is also good.

https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=4963
Thanks a lot! I am definitely interested in the Nyingma tradition. I will look into all theses different books and approaches you suggested to me.

Thanks again! :anjali:
SilenceMonkey
Posts: 1448
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:54 am

Re: Beginner study material

Post by SilenceMonkey »

No problem
Kjigme
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2019 2:17 am

Re: Beginner study material

Post by Kjigme »

What book would you recommend as a starter for madhyamika?
You mentioned Mipham's commentaries on The Adornment of The Middle Way (Shantarakshita). Should one start with this book?
SilenceMonkey
Posts: 1448
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:54 am

Re: Beginner study material

Post by SilenceMonkey »

Kjigme wrote: Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:28 am What book would you recommend as a starter for madhyamika?
You mentioned Mipham's commentaries on The Adornment of The Middle Way (Shantarakshita). Should one start with this book?
I did tenets first. Each of the four philosophical schools builds on the one below it. Some knowledge of the five aggregates and karma would help. Five aggregates from Khenjuk and the fourth chapter of abhidharmakosha would go into karma very in depth. I studied karma and the hinayana topics in Lamrim Chenmo, which is super thorough and clear.

Mipham Rinpoche has a text called The Wheel of Analytical Meditation. If you could find teachings on that, it would help study of Madhyamaka. Analytical meditation is how to bring Madhyamaka into our own experience.

A geluk teacher of mine told me all I really need is Prasangika (Chandrakirti and Nagarjuna), and although Mind Only is fun and interesting, it's not necessary to spend much time on. I think Shantarakshita's text would be only a means of deepening one's understanding of Chandrakirti from this perspective. But in Nyingma, Adronment of the Middle Way and Entering the Middle Way are equal. I was recently told by a Nyingma scholar to start with Shantarakshita and then go onto Chandrakirti, as the Nyingma view is heavily influenced by Shantarakshita's Madhyamaka. And after those, you could look into Mipham's Beacon of Certainty.
Kjigme
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2019 2:17 am

Re: Beginner study material

Post by Kjigme »

Once again thank you! There are so many books and teachings available that it's a bit overwhelming for the newcomer. I will look into your suggestions.
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Taikor.Taikun
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 4:40 am

Re: Beginner study material

Post by Taikor.Taikun »

I am also following a Nyingma Rinpoche.

These are the books he recommended to get me started:
- Refuge and the Mind Generation by Patrul Rinpoche
- The Jewel Ornament of Liberation by Gampopa, translated by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche
- The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva
- The Words of My Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche
- A Guide to The Words of My Perfect Teacher by Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang
- Gate to Knowledge Vol 1-IV by Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche
- The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way by Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika
- Nagarjuna's Seventy Stanzas, a Buddhist Psychology of Emptiness

And spend time on the Sutras
Kjigme
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2019 2:17 am

Re: Beginner study material

Post by Kjigme »

Taikor.Taikun wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:07 am I am also following a Nyingma Rinpoche.

These are the books he recommended to get me started:
- Refuge and the Mind Generation by Patrul Rinpoche
- The Jewel Ornament of Liberation by Gampopa, translated by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche
- The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva
- The Words of My Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche
- A Guide to The Words of My Perfect Teacher by Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang
- Gate to Knowledge Vol 1-IV by Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche
- The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way by Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika
- Nagarjuna's Seventy Stanzas, a Buddhist Psychology of Emptiness

And spend time on the Sutras
Thanks!
Archie2009
Posts: 1582
Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2020 10:39 pm

Re: Beginner study material

Post by Archie2009 »

I am currently reading Tony Duff's The Six Topics That All Buddhists Learn. It is presented on the author's website as a more accessible alternative to Mipham's Gateway to Knowledge (mkhas 'jug).
The Buddha himself said in a Lesser Vehicle sutra:

"Son of the family! You are to become expert in the skandhas. You are to become expert in the āyatanas. You are to become expert in the dhātus. You are to become expert in pratītyasaṃutpāda. You are to become expert in topics. You are to become expert in non-topics."

With these words, the Buddha indicated that there are six topics which must be learned, at least to some extent, by every one of his followers. Although the Buddha gave these teachings in the Lesser Vehicle, they are a necessary foundation for practitioners of all levels, from those studying the Lesser Vehicle to those practising Mahamudra and Great Completion.

This book gives a thorough explanation of the six topics using a text written by Zhanphen Chokyi Nangwa, or Khenchen Zhan-ga as he is more commonly known, the greatest of all abbots to have presided over the famous Shri Singha monastic college at Dzogchen Monastery, Tibet. The author of the book, the well-known teacher and translator Tony Duff, supplements the explanations in the text with many clarifications in an extensive introduction.

The text is very similar to Mipham Namgyal's famous "mkhas 'jug" or Gateway to Knowledge as it has been called. Unfortunately, Mipham's text is difficult for beginners. Zhan-ga's text is quite different; it was not written merely as a piece of scholarship, but was carefully composed so as not to exclude beginners with excessively difficult explanations and moreover to be helpful to practitioners of all levels. For these reasons, Gangteng Tulku has selected our book rather than Mipham's Gateway of Knowledge in order to teach this topic to students in the second year of his shedra.

The book begins with an explanation of all six topics that everyone should learn, then proceeds to explain the details of the Great Vehicle according to Mind Only, then according to the Middle Way, and finally according to Great Completion.

The text itself is a product of a very glorious period in East Tibet when Jigmey Lingpa and his main disciples were transmitting the innermost, unsurpassed Quintessence Great Completion teachings received in visions of Longchen Rabjam. Following that, there was a period of scholars of astounding levels of knowledge who also attained very high realization through the Longchen Nyingthig system of teachings that was being freshly transmitted. Thus, this text is not just another text on scholarly matters but is fully connected with the flourishing of the exceptionally profound Great Completion or Dzogchen teachings at Dzogchen and other nearby monasteries. The connection of the text to that period is clearly explained, with short biographies of the main people involved—Zhanphen Thaye, Orgyan Tenzin Norbu, and Zhanphen Chokyi Nangwa—included.
https://pktc.org/books/six-topics-all-buddhists-learn/

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