A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom: Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practices

by Dudjom Rinpoche, Padmakara Translation Group (Translator)

Overview

The foundations of Vajrayana practice are laid out with eloquence and precision here by one of the greatest Tibetan Buddhist masters of our age. His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche’s commentary on the preliminary practices (ngöndro) is informed by his profound realization and wide-ranging scholarship, and illuminated with an array of quotations from the Vinaya, Sutra, and Tantra traditions. In addition to the commentary on the outer and inner preliminary practices, he provides other invaluable instructions on the correct view, conduct, and activity of a practitioner. Dudjom Rinpoche taught that the realization of the teachings of the Great Perfection depends entirely on the practice of these preliminary practices, thus his compassionate exposition of them here makes this book a particularly precious resource for anyone who seeks to remove the obstacles between themselves and the total freedom of enlightenment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780834827608
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	11/08/2011
Series:	Shambhala Publications
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje (1904-1987) was a highly revered Buddhist meditation master and the leader of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He also traveled and taught extensively, proving instrumental in bringing Buddhism to people in Europe, North America, and other parts of Asia. He founded a teaching and meditation center in Dordogne, France, in 1980, where he lived until his death in 1987.

Read an Excerpt

“Unless we have faith, however many other good qualities we might have, they will not be of much use to us—as though we were very beautiful, but blind. So we have to make an effort to develop faith—by meditating on impermanence four times a day; by reflecting minutely on actions and their effects; by reflecting on the positive aspects of everything; by reflecting on how rare the Dharma is; by thinking of our teacher’s kindness; by thinking of our spiritual brothers and sisters with pure perception; and by thinking of the excellent qualities of the Buddha. It is important to consider that other people are—all of them—marvelous, and to be free of partiality and notions of high or low status, thus making a habit of faith and taming your own mind.”—from A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Renowned Tibetan Buddhist master H. H. Dudjom Rinpoche offers Dharma teachings drawn from an array of subjects. Sharp, forthright, direct—this work is a treasure of heart advice.”—Tricycle

“The detailed commentary by world-renowned meditation master and teacher Dudjom Rinpoche makes it accessible to students at all levels of Buddhist practice. Solidly anchored in Eastern spiritual tradition, A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom speaks very clearly to those listening with a Western ear.”—Anna Jedrziewski, New Age Retailer

“Like a coach prepping an athlete for heightened performance, Dudjom Rinpoche leads the practitioner systematically through the stages of preparing for Tantra.”—Buddhadharma

Editorial Reviews

Renowned Tibetan Buddhist master H. H. Dudjom Rinpoche offers Dharma teachings drawn from an array of subjects. Sharp, forthright, direct—this work is a treasure of heart advice.”—Tricycle 

“The detailed commentary by world-renowned meditation master and teacher Dudjom Rinpoche makes it accessible to students at all levels of Buddhist practice. Solidly anchored in Eastern spiritual tradition, A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom speaks very clearly to those listening with a Western ear.”—Anna Jedrziewski, New Age Retailer 


“Like a coach prepping an athlete for heightened performance, Dudjom Rinpoche leads the practitioner systematically through the stages of preparing for Tantra.”—Buddhadharma 

From the Publisher