Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche : Zurchungpa's Testament

Zurchungpa's Eighty Chapters of Personal Advice was the final teaching given by the great Nyingma master Zurchung Sherab Trakpa before he passed away. His counsels are the distillation of a lifetime's experience and comprise the practical instructions of a master who had made the teachings of the Great Perfection truly part of himself. The original text consists of almost 580 maxims organized into eighty chapters covering the entire path of Dzogchen, from fundamental teachings on devotion and renunciation through to a whole series of pith instructions that bring the Dzogchen view to life. Much of the meaning of these pithy, often cryptic instructions could be lost on the reader without the help of the notes Shechen Gyaltsap Rinpoche provided in his annotated edition, which he based on the explanations he received from his own teacher, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo.

This book contains a complete, detailed teaching on Zurchungpa's text by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, based on Shechen Gyaltsap's notes. Originally intended as essential instructions for a group of practitioners in three-year retreat, it will undoubtedly serve as an indispensable guide to anyone who seriously wishes to practice the Great Perfection.

"Among the senior Tibetan teachers in our generation, it is well known that Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's commentaries are not merely scholarly explanations but interpretations coming directly from the depth of his own personal experience. This wonderful text by Zurchungpa is further enriched by his remarkable commentary."--Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche

"When I think of Zurchungpa, for his great scholarship, years of practice in solitary retreats and for his great wisdom, compassion and charisma to lead countless students of all levels, my mind naturally goes to Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche. He must have been someone like him. This book enshrines the living experience and heart of two truly realized masters translated by people who not only understand but also practice the teachings."--Ringu Tulku

"An extraordinary guide to authentic spiritual practice combining the wisdom of three of the greatest masters of the Tibetan tradition."--Matthieu Ricard

"In the early history of Nyingmapa, the great secret, ancient translation tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the entirety of the vajrayana cascaded through three tiers of lineage holders. The first is associated with the translator gNyags Jnanakumara; the second, with gNubs Sangs-rgyas Yeshe Rinpoche; and the last with the two Zur masters, Shakya 'Byung-gnas and Shes-rab Grags. The consummate master, Zur-chung Shes-rab Grags, upheld the entire Nyingma tradition which, without interruption, has been transmitted to the present day. How wonderful it is that his exposition dating from the eleventh century--combined with the wisdom and blessing of the great twentieth century dzogchen master, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche--is burgeoning in this new millennium."--Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche

"This splendid volume gathers the collective wisdom of three of the greatest masters of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism--Zurchung Sherab Trakpa (1014-1074), Shechen Gyaltsap Rinpoche (1871-1926), and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991). The focal point is Zurchung Sherab Trakpa's work 'Eighty Chapters of Personal Advice,' which consists of nearly 580 maxims distilled from his own experience and deep study of the Buddha Dharma. These pithy statements, based on orally transmitted teachings, cover the entire approach of Dzogchen--from faith and discipline to concentration and the flowering of wisdom.

"Many of Zurchungpa's highly condensed sayings are intelligible only thanks to Shechen Gyaltsap Rinpoche's remarkable annotations, and they are further illuminated by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, who was as famous for his spiritual attainment as for his profound learning and great compassion. Dilgo Rinpoche says this about Zurchungpa's work: '...if we practice in accordance with the meaning of this, his final testament, it will greatly help us in the future. The way to do so is gradually, day after day, to reflect and meditate one by one on each of the pieces of advice in this series he has given us. Then they will be like flowers, which emerge as shoots in spring and grow day after day, finally coming into full bloom in summer' (p. 12).

"It is impossible to read this work with an open mind and heart without being deeply affected by the realized wisdom found on its pages. If we do not yet possess the deep trust, or faith, that makes our encounter with the Dharma fruitful, this book has all the qualities necessary to ripen our mind to the point where it can readily 'mingle' with the Dharma, as Dilgo Rinpoche put it."--Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D., is the author of over 40 books on yoga and health, including Yoga Morality: Ancient Teachings at a Time of Global Crisis, The Deeper Dimension of Yoga, Holy Madness: Spirituality, Crazy-Wise Teachers, and Enlightenment, and Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga, and the periodical, Traditional Yoga Studies

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991) was one of the foremost lamas to come out of Tibet and was revered for his wisdom and compassion by members of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He was untiring in preserving and propagating the Dharma, through the publication of important Buddhist works (including twenty-five volumes of his own writings), the building of monasteries and stupas, and transmissions and instructions to countless practitioners. He made several visits to the West, where he had a large number of disciples.

Zurchung Sherab Trakpa (1014-1074) was a key teacher in the Zur tradition, one of the handful of kama lineages through which the teachings of the Ancient Tradition were transmitted from master to disciple, beginning with Guru Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra right down to the Nyingma masters of the present day. He was a learned scholar and accomplished meditation master who spent many years in retreat practicing the teachings of the Great Perfection.

Shechen Gyaltsap Rinpoche (1871-1926) was an important disciple of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo the Great and one of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's root teachers. An accomplished meditator, he was also one of the most respected scholars of his day, whose writings fill thirteen volumes.

The Padmakara Translation Group has a distinguished reputation for its translations of Tibetan texts and teachings, and is renowned for its clear and accurate literary style.

SHAMBHALA PUBLICATIONS
03/23/2020
PAGES: 448
SIZE: 6 X 9
ISBN: 9781559394925