The Kagyu Monlam Book

The Kagyu Monlam Book was composed by H.H. 17th Karmapa, for the annual monlam in Bodhgaya, India and North America. A rich source of Tibetan Buddhist prayers, with the Tibetan, English, and transliteration, it consists of 438 pages and a 138-page supplement.

Inspired by the Kagyu Monlam gatherings, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa undertook this compilation for recitation.

In 2008, His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa revised the text of the Tibetan edition of The Kagyu Monlam Book, adding some new prayers and pujas, removing a few old ones, giving more information on the sources of some passages, and reediting the entire text"--p.ix.

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye's classic text The Torch of True Meaning gives clear and concise instructions on the preliminary and main practices of mahamudra meditation. But it not only teaches mahamudra, it describes vividly what is necessary for any meditation practice. It is presented here in a new translation that includes the previously unpublished final chapter of Jamgn Kongtrul's work, a brief yet inspiring description of the actual practice of mahamudra. Paired with Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye's instructions is The Chariot That Travels the Noble Path, the standard practice text for the mahamudra preliminaries in the Karma Kagyu lineage, in a new version compiled by the Seventeenth Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Together, these two works are essential for anyone who wants to practice mahamudra.

A direct, pithy, and accessible guide to the entire path of Tibetan Buddhism by one of the most beloved and respected contemporary lamas. Accessible, playful, and genuine, this concise guide shows how we can incorporate our own daily experiences into our spiritual path and awaken to how things truly are. By embracing sadness, love, and openness in our lives, we develop an altruistic attitude to help all beings who suffer and to reduce our own greed and aggression. This easy-to-read manual by one of the most widely loved and respected Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our time teaches us how to honestly explore and deal with our own hang-ups and neuroses. Through knowing our own true nature as aware and compassionate, we can progress, step-by-step, on the Buddhist path and use Rinpoche’s pithy wisdom along the way as a touchstone. Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s fresh and engaged approach to timeless Buddhist wisdom enables us to deeply connect with authentic teachings in a modern context. This work is a delight and inspiration to read, outlining the major teachings and practices of Buddhism in a succinct way.

Here in one compact volume are all of the stages of instruction on the path of Mahamudra. Included are concise and complete formal instructions on the ground path and fruition of this penetrating practice. This vast and profound commentary originates with the Eighth Situpa, a remarkable scholar and practitioner who is considered the most accomplished of all the Situ emanations.

The birth, life, teachings, writings, and legacy of Kyabje Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche (1905-1989), including contributions by his disciples and related art work and photographs.

The Dorje Chang Tungma is probably the most well-known of the Kagyu prayers, traditionally recited before teaching sessions and often recited by practitioners as part of their daily practice. Nearly everyone knows this prayer by heart, but such familiarity can be dangerous. It is all too easy to recite the prayer mindlessly, like a parrot, without focusing on the words or reflecting on the meaning of what we are saying. By studying it, we should gain deeper understanding and be able to appreciate its profundity more fully. In so many ways, it is much more than an ordinary prayer. It includes all the important stages of the training in mahamudra: revulsion at samsara, renunciation, devotion to the guru, undistracted meditation, and so forth. As such, it is like a pith instruction. In the beginning, the prayer recalls all the lineage masters of the Kagyu. When we talk about lineage, we mean more than the one-to-one, physical transmission from teacher to student. Lineage is an unbroken spiritual line that begins with the source and continues uninterrupted from generation to generation. Not only that, as we recite the body of the prayer, we are reminded of the core practices of mahamudra: revulsion is the legs of the practice, uncontrived devotion is the head of the practice, non-distraction is the core of meditation practice, and so on. Originally, this teaching was part of the 29th Kagyu Monlam Chenmo and was given under the most auspicious circumstances. It happened at the perfect place, Dorje Den, the sacred site where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment; at the perfect time, just after Tibetan New Year during the Month of Miracles; and all four pillars of the sangha -- bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasikas and upasikis --were present, along with many rinpoches, tulkus and khenpos of the Karma Kamtsang.From the preface by The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje