Illuminating the Gateway to the Teaching, by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu

Providing in-depth insight into the nature and characteristics of the Buddhist teachings in their totality, this book expounds the fundamental aspects of the Sūtrayāna and Vajrayāna that practitioners are meant to approach and integrate in themselves in their journey toward Buddhahood. It guides us from the first steps of taking refuge and cultivating bodhicitta up to the awakening to our real condition according to Dzogpa Chenpo, the pinnacle of all yānas and the essence of the profound knowledge transmitted by Buddha Śākyamuni. Illuminating the Gateway to the Teaching is structured around essential explanations of various vehicles of realization according to the celebrated Garland of Views Upadeśa, one of the earliest and most authoritative texts in the Nyingma tradition, whose composition is attributed to the eighth-century master Padmasambhava. The upadeśa is elucidated here by means of quotes primarily from the writings of Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo (1012–1088).

Largely extracted from The Precious Vase: Instructions on the Base of Santi Maha Sangha, the textbook of the foundation level of the Santi Maha Sangha training.