CHÖD PRACTICE IN THE BON TRADITION
by Alejandro Chaoul, foreword by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

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August, 2008      1559392924, 978-1559392921
118 pages, 12 b&w photographs
#CHPRBO    $18.95 cloth    Special Sale! $15.16

This book is the first to trace the history of Chöd practice in Tibet's indigenous Bön tradition. Chod ("cutting through") is a meditative practice in which the practitioner imagines offering his or her body in sacrifice through elaborate contemplative visualization. Although a meditative practice, Chod is not done sitting comfortably on a cushion in a shrine room, but instead is often practiced in terrifying places like cemeteries or charnal grounds. The feelings of fear that result are used by the Chod practitioner to "cut through" his or her own ego. Chod contains elements of early shamanism, of sutric and tantric teachings also found in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, and of the Tibetan highest school of Dzogchen.

"In the last few years the interest in chod has suddenly re-emerged, and a few books have been written about it from the Buddhist perspective. Chaoul's work on chod from the Bon's perspective could not be more timely. His thorough analysis of this syncretic and fascinating religious practice and the use of the metaphor of cutting as a way to go beyond assumed boundaries, provides a broader picture of chod and sheds light on the interrelation of Buddhism and Bon."—Giacomella Orofino, University of Naples

Alejandro Chaoul obtained his Ph.D. at Rice University and has also completed the seven-year program at the Ligmincha Institute for the study of the Bon-Buddhist tradition of Tibet. He is currently Assistant Professor at the John McGovern Center for Health, Humanities and the Human Spirit in University of Texas Medical School at Houston, where he teaches meditation and yoga to patients. He lives in Houston, Texas.

THE KARMAPA'S MIDDLE WAY: Feast for the Fortunate
by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje, introduction by Dzogchen Ponlop, translated by Tyler Dewar

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August, 2008      1559392894, 978-1559392891
850 pages
#KAMIWA    $59.95 cloth    Special Sale! $47.96

Marked by eloquent poetry, vigorous and extensive analysis, and heart instructions on breaking through the veils of confusion to independently experience the true nature of things, The Karmapa's Middle Way contains the Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje's comprehensive commentary on the Indian master Chandrakirti's seminal text, the Entrance to the Middle Way. This commentary, A Feast for the Fortunate, is the Ninth Karmapa's abridgement of the Eighth Karmapa Mikyö Dorje's masterpiece, The Chariot of the Takpo Kagyü Siddhas. In it readers will find previously unavailable material on the Karmapas' Middle Way view and a rare window into a philosophically charged era of Middle Way exposition in Tibetan Buddhism.

In this book, Chandrakirti and the Karmapa present in precise detail the essential Buddhist concept of emptiness, through which the Mahayana path of compassionate altruism becomes complete.

"Of all the philosophical traditions that claim to be the Middle Way, it is only the view of Nagarjuna, the Middle Way tradition's progenitor, that is universally accepted as the Middle Way. Chandrakirti's Madhyamakavatara, moreover, is renowned in all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism as the supreme commentary on Nagarjuna's approach to emptiness and is considered mandatory reading in all Tibetan Buddhist colleges. The Karmapa's Middle Way is a presentation of the full text of the Madhyamakavatara along with an illuminating and at times controversial commentary by the Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje of Tibet's Karma Kagyu lineage. By elucidating the intention of the Eighth Karmapa Mikyo Dorje's Chariot of the Takpo Kagyu Siddhas, this book will provide a great contribution to the field of Middle Way studies and enlighten English language readers as to a unique and relatively unexplored presentation of the vital concept of emptiness."—Dzogchen Ponlop

The Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje (1556-1603), was a prolific author on a wide range of sutra and tantra topics and is most renowned in the Kagyu tradition for his instructions on Mahamudra.

Tyler Dewar translates for Nalandabodhi Buddhist centers and lives in Seattle, Washington.

LIGHT OF FEARLESS INDESTRUCTIBLE WISDOM: The Life and Legacy of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche
by Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche

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August, 2008      1559393041, 978-1559393041
336 pages, replete with color and b&w photos
#LIFEIN    $18.95 paper    Special Sale! $15.16

Master of masters, visionary, poet, revealer of profound spiritual treasures, Dudjom Rinpoche was a paramount figure in the history of twentieth-century Tibet. He worked closely with the present Dalai Lama to reinvigorate Tibetan culture and spiritual practice following the Chinese invasion of their homeland. Nyingma masters and devotees, both lay and ordained, unanimously appointed him Supreme Head of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, and he served in this capacity until his death in 1987. He wrote over two dozen volumes of poetry, music, history, and philosophy. In addition, he assembled and published texts which might otherwise have been lost and delivered unprecedented numbers of initiations and teachings to thousands of individuals.

Written by a Nyingma master who served for several years as Dudjom Rinpoche's secretary, this biography celebrates a teacher whose hardships in exile did not diminish his zest for scholarship and practice. "I, the tiger, do not need a rich mansion," he wrote after leaving Tibet. "The tiger's forest thickets are my rich mansion."

Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche (Khentrul Tsewang Dongyal) is a teacher at Padmasambhava Buddhist Centers. He lives in New York.

THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE, Book Eight, Part Three: The Elements of Tantric Practice
by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé, translated by Ingrid Loken McLeod and Elio Guarisco

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September, 2008      155939305X, 978-1559393058
448 pages
#TRKN83    $34.95 cloth    Special Sale! $27.96

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye's Treasury of Knowledge in ten volumes is a unique encyclopedic masterpiece embodying the entire range of Buddhist teachings as they were presented in Tibet. The Elements of Tantric Practice sets forth the inner system of meditation—that of highest yoga tantra, which comprises two phases. The phase of creation relies primarily on the use of the imagination to effect personal transformation. In the phase of completion, practitioners actually achieve these transformations by the use of powerful inner yogas that manipulate the inner energies and constituents of the mind and body, leading to the realization of the fundamental nature of mind and phenomena. Together these practices constitute, in Kongtrul's words, "a magnificent tradition composed of teachings explicitly set forth in the tantras...cherished by scholars and siddhas of [ancient] India who achieved total realization [by relying] on it."

Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé (1813-1900), a pivotal figure in eastern Tibet's nonsectarian movement, was one of the most outstanding writers and teachers of his time.

IMPERMANENCE: The Time of Man
by David Hodge and Hi-Jin Hodge

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October, 2008      1559393076, 978-1559393072
144 pages, 108 b&w photographs and DVD
#IMEMCH    $29.95 cloth    Special Sale! $23.96

Impermanence, one of Buddhism's "three marks of existence," expresses the idea that all conditioned existence is in flux. Asked to contribute to a 2005 exhibit celebrating the work of the Dalai Lama, multimedia artists David and Hi-Jin Hodge interviewed over a hundred people about impermanence and change in their lives. Their subjects ranged from philosophers to gardeners, economists to spiritual leaders, doctors to patients. The Hodges promised themselves that they would stop when the interviews started to duplicate each other—but that never happened. Even the shyest people could talk about the topic for a long time; even those who appeared far from contemplative had thought deeply about impermanence. The result was incredibly moving. The Hodges' installation consisted of a large, circular arrangement of mounted iPods on which the interviews played simultaneously, each on its own screen. The San Jose Mercury News called the piece "one of the most popular works in the exhibition."

Now this unique record has been made available for a wider audience; it includes both a book and a DVD so that the interviews can be viewed as they were seen in the original exhibit. The book is more than a beautiful record of the exhibit; it blends art, philosophy, and everyday life to present a kaleidoscope of views on a topic everyone has wrestled with. What does it mean that we are constantly changing? How do people confront ideas like death and change? Though impermanence is a central Buddhist concept, it's also a universal concern. We all grow up, change, and eventually pass into another state. Impermanence: The Time of Man provides a range of voices, both profound and heartwarming, that address these questions.

Although the museum installation was a powerful experience, this book and its accompanying DVD stand alone, a potent exploration of the issue of impermanence in everyday life and how individuals learn to stay open and present in a world of constant change.

David Hodge and Hi-Jin Hodge are filmmakers and artists whose work explores complex human and social questions. They live in Half Moon Bay, California.

NATURAL GREAT PERFECTION: Dzogchen Teachings and Vajra Songs
by Nyoshul Khenpo and Lama Surya Das

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October, 2008      1559393122, 978-1559393126
202 pages, 7 b&w photographs
#NAGR2E    $16.95 paper    Special Sale! $13.56

Dzogchen is the consummate practice of Tibetan Buddhism. A pure awareness practice applicable to any circumstance and readily integrated into modern life, Dzogchen directly introduces us to the inherent freedom, purity and perfection of being that is our true nature.

"This book is wonderful—a treasure house of liberating Dharma. Nyoshul Khenpo's wisdom...opens our minds and inspires our practice."—Joseph Goldstein, author of Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom

"A spiritual gem. These heart-songs and teachings of this spiritual master are essential reading."—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence and The Meditative Mind

"...a testament to the vibrancy of Dzogchen lineages, proof that the Natural Great Perfection is alive and well."—The Mirror

Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche, one of the most eminent Tibetan meditation masters, is remembered for his brilliant teaching style.

Lama Surya Das is an author, meditation teacher, poet, and founder of the Dzogchen Meditation Center. His many books include The Big Questions, Buddha Is as Buddha Does, Natural Radiance, and Awakening the Buddha Within. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts.

YANTRA YOGA: The Tibetan Yoga of Movement
by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, translated by Adriano Clemente

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October, 2008      1559393084, 978-1559393089
424 pages, 45 b&w photographs, 838 b&w line drawings
#YAYOTI    $34.95 paper    Special Sale! $27.96

Yantra Yoga offers the practitioner an intriguing new approach to awareness practice, parallel to the Hatha Yoga of the Hindu tradition. It will serve to enhance one's physical health, energy, and mental balance. Called the Union of Sun and Moon energy, it is a dynamic system of trulkhor (movement) and differs from more widespread yogas in that it is done without the holding of the asanas (postures). The progression of postures is done with coordinated breath that helps us to relax and achieve a state that is beyond our normal dualistic concepts. Yantra Yoga is a very rich body of knowledge that includes 4 preliminary series, 75 various asanas, 7 breathing practices, 7 lotuses and the vajra wave—108 aspects in all.

Profusely illustrated with drawings and photographs,Yantra Yoga presents Tibet's trulkhor yoga tradition as taught by one if its master exponents, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.

Yantra Yoga's movements, exercises, and methods of concentration are all based on an eighth-century text whose translation is included, illuminated by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu's commentary. Detailed charts for the timing of the breathing exercises are also included.

Chögyal Namkhai Norbu is one of the great living masters of Dzogchen. He was a professor at the Oriental Institute of the University of Naples, Italy, and is the author of The Crystal and the Way of Light and Dzogchen: The Self-Perfected State.

Adriano Clemente first studied Yantra Yoga with Chogyal Namkhai Norbu in the 1970s. He lives in Italy.

THE DARK RED AMULET: Oral Instructions on the Practice of Vajrakilaya
by Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche

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November, 2008      1559393114, 978-1559393119
160 pages, illustrations, line drawings
#DAREAM    $16.95 paper    Special Sale! $13.56

The wrathful deity Vajrakilaya embodies the enlightened activity of all the buddhas in order to subjugate delusion and negativity that can arise as obstacles to spiritual practice. The Vajrakilaya system of meditation is practiced widely in Tibet as well as in Western Buddhist centers.

Written by the renowned scholars Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche, The Dark Red Amulet presents a line-by-line description of this Vajrayana practice and describes the history of its oral transmission lineage. This book conveys the essential meaning of the Vajrakilaya teachings and provides an invaluable guide for Tibetan Buddhist practitioners to "discover the absolute vajra nature that will transform every duality hindrance into clear wisdom and compassion."

The book includes a translation of a brief biography of the text's terton, Tsasum Lingpa, and a chapter of students' questions and the Khenpos' answers.

Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche are co-founders and co-directors of Padmasambhava Buddhist Centers. They live in New York.

HEART ESSENCE OF THE VAST EXPANSE: A Story of Transmission
by Anne Carolyn Klein

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November, 2008      1559392835, 978-1559392839
231 pages, 96 color photographs, 32 line drawings, with accompanying CD
#HEESVA    $32.95 cloth    Special Sale! $26.36

This book is for anyone who appreciates the splendor of landscape, the beauty of spiritual music, anyone with an anthropologist's eye for other cultures, and especially for Western practitioners of Buddhism, members of the large community that takes "Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse" as central to its practice. Tibetan tradition lives through the performance of its religious texts—transmission through songs, images, and words. This book offers elements of all three, and is designed as a beautiful gift for the mind, the eye, the ear, and above all, the heart.

The first-ever chantable English translation of one of the most beloved and widely used of practice texts, this multimedia edition also provides a CD of the chanted text and a selection of rare photographs of sacred sites in Tibet. The vocalist, Jetsun Kacho Wangmo, is a Tibetan Buddhist teacher and singer.

Anne Carolyn Klein, author of Unbounded Wholeness, is professor of religious studies at Rice University. She lives in Houston.

LIVING IN THE FACE OF DEATH: The Tibetan Tradition
by Glenn H. Mullin

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November, 2008      1559393106, 978-1559393102
240 pages
#LIFA2E    $16.95 paper    Special Sale! $13.56

Until recently, contemporary Western society viewed death the way the Victorians viewed sex—as taboo, a forbidden subject. Yet Tibetan tradition incorporates death into everyday life. Over the centuries Tibetans have developed a wide-ranging literature on death, of which The Tibetan Book of the Dead—whose author, Karma Lingpa, has a selection included here—is perhaps the best-known. Eight other short texts include works by the Second, Seventh, and Thirteenth Dalai Lamas, and cover meditation techniques to prepare for death, rituals for preparing the dead, and accounts of what transpires during the bardo (the state of consciousness between death and rebirth).

"The translations of the nine texts sparkle with such clarity that the multi-faceted gems of Tibetan Buddhist belief shine boldly."—Publisher's Weekly

"This study performs the service of presenting the Tibetan understanding of death as a whole—circumambulating it, as we might say, to view it in the round."—Huston Smith

Glenn H. Mullin is an internationally renowned Tibetologist, author, and expert on Buddhist meditation. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and Ulan Baatar, Mongolia.

TIBETAN LOGIC
by Katherine Manchester Rogers

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December, 2008      1559393157, 978-1559393157
528 pages
#    $39.95 paper    Special Sale! $31.96

In the Ge-luk-pa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, training in analytical reasoning is considered essential not only for the academic path, but because it enhances the pursuit of meditation. The Ge-luk-pa system of logic (the "path of reasoning") produces a mind that is trained, powerful, flexible, and able to approach an idea from numerous points of view. When it is applied in meditation on emptiness, it is an essential tool for self-transformation.

Tibetan Logic is based on an introductory logic manual by Pur-bu-jok Jam-ba-gya-tso (1825-1901) widely used in Ge-luk-pa monastic universities. Rogers takes up each of the manual's topics in turn, providing explanation and commentary, and investigates the role of reasoning in the Ge-luk-pa system of education, highlighting conflicting points of view in different oral traditions as they arise. A complete translation of Pur-bu-jok's text, a glossary of technical terms, and a detailed table of contents are included.

Katherine Manchester Rogers received a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from the University of Virginia in 1992. She lives in Reston, Virginia.

AS LONG AS SPACE ENDURES: Essays on the Kalacakra Tantra in Honor of the Dalai Lama
edited by Edward A. Arnold on behalf of Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies, foreword by Robert A. F. Thurman

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January, 2009      1559393033, 978-1559393034
496 pages, 8-page color insert
#    $39.95 paper    Special Sale! $31.96

The Kalacakra Tantra—Kalacakra means "wheel of time"—is a tradition of Buddhist theory and practice whose root text treats a fantastic expanse of knowledge ranging from observations of the cosmos to investigations of meditative states and vital bodily energies. In the Tibetan-speaking world, a public Kalacakra initiation remains the most sought-after event in the life of a devout Buddhist. The Fourteenth Dalai Lama has long had a strong connection with the Kalachakra Tantra and brought the initiation to the West in 1981, performing it in the U.S. (several times), Switzerland, Spain, and Australia. This volume has been created to celebrate his long involvement with the Kalacakra teachings and the inauguration of the new Kalachakra Temple in Ithaca, New York by Namgyal Monastery.

The twenty-five contributors, scholars who have made tantric studies their specialty, have contributed translations of works by great Indian and Tibetan Kalacakra masters, analyses of historical figures, methods of practice, essays on medicine, ritual expertise, and ethical discipline. The collection also includes practical advice for Western students and practitioners from contemporary Tibetan Kalacakra masters.

Edward A. Arnold is an independent scholar of Tibetan Buddhism living in Ithaca, New York.