Khentrul Rinpoche's books*

The Secret Incarnation - Autobiography of a Tibetan Lama

Synopsis

The land of Tibet often captures our imagination, isolated from the rest of the world for centuries, it is perceived as a land of great beauty and mystery. A stronghold of spirituality, it is where many of the great Buddhist teachings and living lineages were preserved. In this remarkable and controversial autobiography, Khentrul Rinpoche demystifies life in Tibet. He speaks candidly about the day to day lives of its people, the trials and tribulations of the monastic system, the challenges of life under Chinese rule and the training he underwent as a lama who, recognized as a child to be a high reincarnation, was advised to keep his identity secret. One of Tibet’s foremost Buddhist scholars, he also reflects personally on his decision to live in a Western country where he hopes to introduce some important teachings, particularly the Kalachakra practice, and to share the ancient wisdom of Tibet which has the pursuit of happiness as its foremost goal.

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Unveiling your Sacred Truth - a Gradual Discovery of Enlightenment from the Rime and Jonang Kalachakra Perspective

Synopsis

This book is a pioneering manual detailing the steps of the Buddhist path to enlightenment, unique in many different ways. It uniquely presents both Buddhist philosophy and pith instructions and includes all the essential subjects which are necessary to understand the ground, path and final fruition of Buddhahood.  It takes a Rime or non-sectarian perspective, making mention of all traditional Buddhist views and practices rather than those of one tradition, and embraces the Theravada, Mahayana and Tantrayana teachings. In addition, it is the first book to present practical instructions leading to the extraordinary Kalachakra Tantra as practiced by the Jonang tradition (the main holders of this practice), a rare and precious teaching which until recent times could only be found in remote monasteries of Tibet. It also combines the Kalachakra practice with the unique Shentong Madyhamika view, in accordance with the Shambala tradition.

The author, Khentrul Rinpoche, undertook his training in remote areas of Tibet, where traditional values are incredibly strong, and believes this is the first practice manual written in the English language by a Lama with this kind of background. Nonetheless, he has attempted to present the teachings in such a way that both Buddhists and non-Buddhists can understand and apply them to their own lives, without losing the profound meaning of the traditional teachings.

Rinpoche is currently teaching from the manuscript of  "Unveiling your Sacred Truth" and hopes it will be published in the near future. The inspiration for writing this book came from a meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who commented that his previous book, entitled “Paths of Pure Vision”, could be further elaborated upon, given the rarity of the Rime and Jonang traditions and his appreciation of their importance. The current book has therefore been amalgamated with “Paths of Pure Vision”.

Following is a forward by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Rinpoche’s original book (translated by Michael Sheehy, 2003):      

In Paths of Pure Vision, Khentrul Rinpche Jamphal Lodro from Dzamthang Monastery has concisely written on the different lineage accounts, views, and practices of the Jonang, Sakya, Gelug, Kagyu, Nyingma, and Bon spiritual traditions that flourished in the snowy land of Tibet. His hard work has led to presenting these spiritual traditions in ways that bring us fresh understandings and insights into what is most valuable about these traditions.

Our previous sublime teachers and spiritual masters of the Land of Snow taught various views, practices, and customs in different ways, according to personal experiences, dispositions, inclinations, and the varying intellectual capacities of students. Because these authors deliberately developed discernment and sharpness of mind through establishing their refutations based upon Buddhist scriptures and logical reasoning, they were able to be of supreme benefit to beings.

Since the ultimate intent of the Buddha's teachings is difficult to fathom, I urge you to use your own discerning wisdom in order to investigate these teachings, and then determine if they can be accepted and put to good use.

I pray to always be connected to that which is a refuge of virtue.

Shakyamuni Buddha's monk, the Dalai Lama
The sixth month of the Water Sheep year of the Seventeenth Rabjung
August, 2003

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A Happier Life
- A Guide to Living Wisely through the Six Stages of Life

Synopsis

No matter what kind of person you are, no matter what you do, your deepest wish is to be genuinely happy. A Happier Life a treasury of wisdom which aims to guide us towards achieving this, point by point, at every stage of life. It journeys through childhood, teenage years, young and mature adulthood, and then ends with some heart advice for achieving a good, peaceful death; at each stage drawing attention to many of the opportunities and obstacles we all face. The author, Jamphal Lodro, has experience of three completely different lifestyles: the remote, primitive nomadic culture of Tibet, many years of intensive training as a Tibetan Lama, and finally the completely different modern lifestyle in the West, giving a rich perspective on our attitudes to life and living. It is hoped you will find this book quite unique, different to all other books of this genre. It is also hoped that you will find true happiness if you consider this book precious and use it as a guide for navigating through the different stages of life. 

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* The three books listed here are currently not available to general readers as they are still undergoing revisions and are yet to be published. However, a draft version of The Secret Incarnation  and Paths of Pure Vision are available from our bookshop. If  you have experience with editing or knowledge of the publishing process, we would greatly appreciate some assistance.

Also, Khentrul Rinpoche plans other books from the Jonang tradition on many different subjects, and he intends to arrange translations of these books in the near future.  These books are rare and offer teachings mainly for  Buddhists practitioners.