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.
Unveiling your Sacred Truth
- a Gradual Discovery
of Enlightenment from the Rime and Jonang Kalachakra Perspective
Synopsis
This
book is a
comprehensive manual detailing the steps of the Buddhist path to
enlightenment. It aims to give unique and concise instructions on
how to
practise the 84,000 difficult and vastly profound Buddhist teachings in
one
manual. In so doing it makes mention of all traditional Tibetan
Buddhist views
and practices rather than those of one tradition, and hopes to clarify
any
confusion that may be experienced when students refer to many of the
hundreds
of Buddhist texts currently available. In addition, it focuses
especially
on the extraordinary and sacred Kalachakra practice of the Jonang
lineage and
their unique Shentong Madyamaka view, which is largely unknown in the
West. It also gives a brief history of all the Buddhist lineages which
flourished
throughout Tibet
and the rest of the world.
The author,
Khentrul Rinpoche, believes that people can gain knowledge of all traditions in
this one book, and as far as he is aware there are no publications which
incorporate so many subjects in such a concise and clear way. Furthermore, he
has attempted to describe the theory and practices in ways that both Buddhists
and non-Buddhists can understand and apply to their own lives in search of meaning
and happiness.
Background
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
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.
* 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.
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