Guru Rinpoché

GURU RINPOCHE: His Life and Times by Ngawang Zangpo

To Tibetan Buddhists, Guru Rinpoché is a Buddha. This book recounts Guru Rinpoché's historic visit to Tibet and explains his continuing significance to Buddhists. In doing so, it illustrates how a country whose powerful armies overran the capital of China and installed a puppet emperor came to abandon its aggressive military campaigns: this transformation was due to Guru Rinpoché, who tamed and converted Tibet to Buddhism and thereby changed the course of Asian history.

This book recounts Guru Rinpoché's historical visit to Tibet and explains his continuing significance to Buddhists. Four very different Tibetan accounts of his story are presented:

A Biography of Guru Rinpoché; by Jamgon Kongtrul;

One according to the pre-Buddhist Tibetan religion, Bön:
The Bon Version of the Life of Guru Rinpoché; by Jamyang Kyentse Wongpo;

One based on Indian and early Tibetan historical documents:
The Indian Version of the Life of Guru Rinpoché; by Taranata;

One by Dorjé Tso.

In addition, there are supplications by Guru Rinpoché and visualizations to accompany them by Jamgon Kongtrul.

"The presence of Guru Rinpoché, a figure so important to Tibetan Buddhists he is called simply 'The Precious Master', can be felt still in each of these liberating stories translated here. Read side-by-side, they reveal an even wider picture, deftly highlighted by Ngawang Zangpo's introduction, of how history and culture interact with the inner spirituality that is beyond time and place."--Sarah Harding, author of Creation and Completion

"With a thought-provoking introduction and stimulating cultural, religious, and literary insights, Ngawang Zangpo offers welcome translations of four biographies of Guru Rinpochéand a set of famous supplications. This new work will certainly be enjoyed by everyone interested in the vast spiritual legacy of the 'Second Buddha' in Tibet."--Cyrus Stearns, author

"To experienced practitioners, the Tsadra Foundation Series is more precious than gold dust."--Tricycle Magazine

"Overall, the book provides an authentic account of Padmasambhava's life from the Tibetan devotional perspective"--Religious Studies Review


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Timeless Rapture

Timeless Rapture: Inspired Verse from the Shangpa Masters
Throughout history awakened ones have celebrated the rapture of mystical states with inspired verse, sung extemporaneously. This book offers a rare glimpse into the mysticism of the Shangpa Kagyu lineage, a tradition based mainly on the profound teaching of 2 women. This compendium of spontaneous verse sung by tantric Buddhist masters from the 10th century to the present includes translations as well as short descriptions of each poet's life and a historical overview of the lineage.
Ngawang Zangpo's fluid translation and rich commentary truly brings us into the presence of the extra-ordinary masters of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition. As we listen to their verse, we are transported by their devotion, awakened wisdom, and blessing to the Vajra world that has become their home."- Lama Drupgyu Tenzin A selection of excerpts from Timeless Rapture follow.

In Nepal, I once translated for a Tibetan lama visited by both Westerners and Tibetans. As the private interviews were given at random, I stayed in the room while he spoke directly with Tibetans who came for his advice. On one occasion, an ordinary Tibetan woman in her 40s50s asked a question, which I hadn't listened to, and which the yogi began to answer in normal, conversational language. He then abruptly switched into song. He continued for a few minutes, singing his advice to her in verses that seemed to me both fluid and impromptu. It was stunning. There was a naked meeting of minds between them that produced the song. Yes, if one were technical about it, there was a singer and a listener, two bodies and two faces, one of which had tears streaming down it. But there were less than two minds in that encounter, or even less than one mind: there was only nondual wisdom and the song that emerged from it.

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