8.5”x11” Printed on Recycled Paper
Spiral Bound with a Clear Protective Cover
81 pages
This is one of the central commentaries of Longchenpa’s (1308-1364) vast mind treasure, his Innermost Bindu of the Dakinis (Khandro Yantig). His Innermost Bindu of the Dakinis cycle includes three texts which cover all the main points of the practice of the Heart Bindu of the Dakinis (Khandro Nyingthig) that was revealed by his predecessor Padma Ledrel Tsal a generation earlier. The most concise is the Precious Treasury of Meaningful Words (also available here at Buddha Visions as included in the Secret Treasury of the Dakinis). The most elaborate commentary is the vast and extensive Cloud Oceans of the Profound Meaning of the Pith Instructions of the Heart Bindu of the Dakinis (forthcoming).
This Precious Golden Garland of Instructions is Longchenpa’s medium length mind treasure on such material. All three commentaries are unique. The Precious Golden Garland of Instructions is quite special in that it contains almost exclusive original prose by Longchenpa himself. Through the treasure of Longchenpa’s own realization, the key points of Dzogchen pith instructions are revealed in all their majestic glory.
This text specifically covers the most practical aspects of the path. This marvelous commentary goes through the common preliminaries from the Dzogchen perspective, the uncommon Dzogchen preliminaries of separation (ru shan) and such, the introduction and practice of cutting through (khregs chod), extensive guidance on the introduction and practice of direct transcendence (thod rgal), navigating death, the bardos, and rebirth if necessary. Essentially, with proper guidance, these instructions provide the entire scope of means to attain complete enlightenment and the rainbow body of the great transfer.
This translation includes the original Tibetan side by side with the English to facilitate study and transmission. Note that these teachings were traditionally intended to be studied and practiced under the careful guidance of a qualified teacher, who not only held the lineage for such teachings, but also had full experiential realization of their inner meanings.
Outline of the Precious Golden Garland of Instructions:
1. Lineage of Gurus of the Natural Great Perfection
2. The Main Lineage Instructions
2.1. Instructions to Attain Buddhahood in this Life for those of the Highest Diligence
2.1.1. Resting Naturally Without Fabrication through Preliminaries to Destroy the House of the Mind
2.1.1.1. Common Preliminaries to Cultivate Renunciation from Samsara
2.1.1.1.1. Taking the Guru of All Possible Appearances onto the Path
2.1.1.1.1.1. Refuge
2.1.1.1.1.2. Relative and Ultimate Bodhichitta
2.1.1.1.1.3. Arising as Guru Vajradhara united with Vajravarahi with the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities
2.1.1.1.1.4. The Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche
2.1.1.1.1.5. Visualization and Recitation
2.1.1.1.1.6. Completion Stage
2.1.1.1.2. Taking the Obscuration-Purifying Mandala Offering onto the Path
2.1.1.1.2.1. Offering the Mandala of the Great Aeon of Brahma’s Abode
2.1.1.1.2.2. Offering the Mandala of the Resounding of Brahma’s Drum
2.1.1.1.2.3. Offering the Mandala of the Vajra Essence Pure Realm
2.1.1.1.3. Taking the Cause and Effects of Samsara onto the Path
2.1.1.1.4. Taking the Impermanence of this Life onto the Path
2.1.1.1.4.1. Meditating on Impermanence, Contemplating the Outer Four Times
2.1.1.1.4.2. Meditating on Impermanence of Your Life Relying on the Four Inner Changing Elements
2.1.1.1.4.3. Meditating on Impermanence, Contemplating the Secret Dissolution of the Four Elements
2.1.1.1.5. Taking Love and Compassion onto the Path
2.1.1.1.5.1. Meditating on Love for All Beings who do not have Happiness
2.1.1.1.5.2. Compassion, Praying for Beings to be Freed from the Torments of Suffering
2.1.1.1.5.3. Meditation on Bodhichitta
2.1.1.2. Uncommon Preliminaries to Reveal How the Mind Abides
2.1.1.2.1. Making the Separations (ru shan)
2.1.1.2.1.1. Separation of the Body
2.1.1.2.1.2. Separation of the Speech
2.1.1.2.1.3. Separation of the Mind
2.1.1.2.2. Purifying Obscurations
2.1.1.2.3. Preliminaries of Body, Speech, and Mind
2.1.1.2.3.1. Preliminary of the Body
2.1.1.2.3.2. Preliminaries of the Speech
2.1.1.2.3.2.1. Sealing
2.1.1.2.3.2.1.1.Sealing Outer Appearances
2.1.1.2.3.2.1.2. Sealing the Inner Body
2.1.1.2.3.2.2. Developing Proficiency
2.1.1.2.3.2.2.1. Developing Proficiency in Outer Appearances
2.1.1.2.3.2.2.2. Developing Proficiency in the Inner Body
2.1.1.2.3.2.3. Making it Workable
2.1.1.2.3.2.4. Taking to the Road
2.1.1.2.3.3. Preliminaries of the Mind
2.1.1.2.3.3.1. Cutting the Root in the Beginning
2.1.1.2.3.3.2. Finding the Hidden Flaws
2.1.1.2.3.3.3. Investigating How the Mind Is
2.1.1.2.4. Resting in Naturalness
2.1.2. Main Instruction Teachings on Nakedly Seeing the Dharmakaya Luminosity through the Self-Introduction to Awareness
2.1.2.1. The Ground of Cutting Through (khregs chod) to Determine Reality being Consumed into Primordial Purity
2.1.2.1.1. Introduction to Cutting Through
2.1.2.1.2. Developing Proficiency in Cutting Through
2.1.2.1.2.1. Developing Proficiency in the State of the Concentration of Self-Abiding
2.1.2.1.2.1.1. Recognizing the Concentration of Self-Abiding
2.1.2.1.2.1.2. Teaching on the Method of Mixing Evenly-Resting and Post Meditation
2.1.2.1.2.2. Developing Proficiency in the Display of the Primordial Wisdom of Self-Radiance
2.1.2.1.2.2.1. Abiding Arises as an Ornament of the Mind
2.1.2.1.2.2.2. Proliferation Arises as the Display of the Mind
2.1.2.1.2.2.3. Abiding in the State of Non-Dual Equanimity
2.1.2.1.3. Enhancing Cutting Through
2.1.2.1.3.1. Self-liberation of the Five Poisons
2.1.2.1.3.2. Self-liberation of the Five Doors
2.1.2.1.3.3. Self-liberation of the Six Types of Consciousness
2.1.2.2. Introduction to Direct Transcendence (thod rgal), the Path of the Key Points to the Luminosity of Spontaneous Presence
2.1.2.2.1. Preliminaries of Ways to Generate Unconditioned Primordial Wisdom in the Mindstream
2.1.2.2.1.1. Giving up the Activities of Body, Speech, and Mind, Abiding at Ease
2.1.2.2.1.2. Key Points of Body, Speech, and Mind
2.1.2.2.2.2.1. Abiding in the Three Posture of the Key Points of the Body
2.1.2.2.2.2.1.1. Dharmakaya Posture of the Lion
2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2. Sambhogakaya Posture of the Elephant
2.1.2.2.2.2.1.3. Nirmanakaya Posture of the Sage
2.1.2.2.2.2.2. Key Points of the Speech
2.1.2.2.2.2.2.1. Abiding
2.1.2.2.2.2.2.2. Stability
2.1.2.2.2.2.2.3. Resolving
2.1.2.2.2.2.3. Key Points of the Mind
2.1.2.2.1.3. Way of Pointing out the Secret Path of Primordial Wisdom
2.1.2.2.2. Main Introduction to Direct Transcendence
2.1.2.2.2.1. Introduction to the Five Kayas
2.1.2.2.2.2. Introduction to the Five Primordial Wisdoms
2.1.2.2.2.3. Introduction to the Five Buddha Families
2.1.2.2.2.4. Introduction to the Five Colors of Light
2.1.2.2.2.5. Introduction to the Five Subtle Winds
2.1.2.2.2.6. Introduction to the Five Types of Knowledge
2.1.2.2.2.7. Introduction to the Five Dakinis
2.1.2.2.3. Conclusion of the Ways to Practice through the Four Yogas
2.1.2.2.3.1. Yoga of the View
2.1.2.2.3.2. Yoga of Meditation
2.1.2.2.3.3. Yoga of Action
2.1.2.2.3.4. Yoga of the Fruition
2.1.3. Teaching the Way of Practice through Revealing the Way the Experiential Visions Arise
2.1.3.1. Recognizing the Way the Four Visions Arise
2.1.3.1.1. Vision of Seeing Reality Directly
2.1.3.1.2. Vision of the Increase of Experiences
2.1.3.1.3. Vision of the Climax of Awareness
2.1.3.1.4. Vision of Being Consumed into Reality
2.1.3.2. Way of Training in the Nature of the Four Supporting Instructions
2.1.3.2.1. Establishing the Ground through the Three Ways of Not Moving
2.1.3.2.2. Taking Measurement through the Three Ways of Staying
2.1.3.2.3. Planting the Stakes of the Three Attainments
2.1.3.2.4. Teaching on the Measure of Liberation through the Four Types of Confidence
2.1.3.3. Way of Seizing Your Own Ground, the Great Ground of Liberation
2.2. Instructions to Attain Buddhahood in the Bardo for those of Average Diligence
2.2.1. Instructions like a Captain Reaching an Island of Gold
2.2.1.1. Like a Snake Unknotting Itself in Space
2.2.2.2. Like Snow Falling in a Lake
2.2.2.3. Like Ice Melting in Water
2.2.2. Instructions like a King Issuing a Command
2.2.2.1. Like Seeing your Beloved Lover
2.2.2.2. Like Seeing your Face in a Mirror
2.2.2.3. Like Threading a Needle
2.2.3. Instructions like a Child Climbing into Their Mother’s Lap
2.2.3.1. Like Breaking Open a Vase
2.2.3.2. Like Seeing a Stuffed Lion
2.2.3.3. Remembering Instructions Like a Golden Needle
2.2.4. Instructions like Placing a Drain on a Broken Pipe
2.2.4.1. Knowing that the Mother’s Womb and So Forth is Not Truly Existent
2.2.4.2. Visualizing the Illusory Body of the Generation Stage, Being Liberated as the Yidam Deity
2.2.4.3. Reversal through Going for Refuge
2.3. Instructions to Attain Buddhahood in Natural Nirmanakaya Realms for those of Lesser Diligence
3. Placing the Very Important Seal