An unusually detailed, clear, and complete instruction manual for the meditation practice of Mahamudra, by a renowned eighteenth-century Tibetan master in the Drukpa Kagyu lineage. 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 he presents explanations—even to those in the earliest stages of training—that are grounded in insight into the nature of mind, demonstrating how all experience, thoughts, and perceptions may be used as the path to enlightenment.

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.

The concluding volume of a Tibetan meditation classic for realizing our buddha nature. This second and final volume of a treasured meditation manual outlines the major teachings and practices of the Tibetan Mahamudra tradition. This esoteric tradition focuses on the realization of our minds as naturally pristine and clear as a direct means to true awakening. While part one focuses on the basic practices of calm abiding (shamatha) and insight (vipashyana), the second volume explains how Mahamudra is pointed out and cultivated, how to overcome obstacles to meditation, and how buddhahood is ultimately attained. Refreshingly readable and concise, this volume is a source of inspiration for practitioners and anyone wishing to learn about the tradition of Mahamudra.

The concluding volume of a Tibetan meditation classic for realizing our buddha nature. This second and final volume of a treasured meditation manual outlines the major teachings and practices of the Tibetan Mahamudra tradition. This esoteric tradition focuses on the realization of our minds as naturally pristine and clear as a direct means to true awakening. While part one focuses on the basic practices of calm abiding (shamatha) and insight (vipashyana), the second volume explains how Mahamudra is pointed out and cultivated, how to overcome obstacles to meditation, and how buddhahood is ultimately attained. Refreshingly readable and concise, this volume is a source of inspiration for practitioners and anyone wishing to learn about the tradition of Mahamudra.

Mahamudra practice can lead to a profound realization, but it is also a peaceful and gentle practice.

A fascinating biography of Drukpa Kunley, a Tibetan Buddhist master and crazy yogi. The fifteenth-century Himalayan saint Drukpa Kunley is a beloved figure throughout Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal, known both for his profound mastery of Buddhist practice as well as his highly unconventional and often humorous behavior. Ever the proverbial trickster and “crazy wisdom” yogi, his outward appearance and conduct of carousing, philandering, and breaking social norms is understood to be a means to rouse ordinary people out of habitual ways of thinking and lead them toward spiritual awakening. Elizabeth L. Monson has spent decades traveling throughout the Himalayas, retracing Drukpa Kunley’s steps and translating his works. In this creative telling, direct translations of his teachings are woven into a life story based on historical accounts, autobiographical sketches, folktales, and first-hand ethnographic research. The result, with flourishes of magical encounters and references to his superhuman capacities, is a poignant narrative of Kunley’s life, revealing to the reader the quintessential example of the capacity of Buddhism to skillfully bring people to liberation.