Softcover, 224 pages, Archidosso 2014, new
The root text of the Precious Mala of the Four Dharmas translated by Jacob Braverman
One thousand years ago, Gampopa, the illustrious heart son of Tibet's great yogin Milarepa, essentialized the entire Buddhist path in a concise set of pith instructions that became known as the Four Dharmas of Gampopa. Since that time, this profound teaching has been used by many eminent masters as a vehicle for imparting the key points of Buddhist practice, including, in the fourteenth century, the incomparable Longchenpa, whose brilliant exposition of the Four Dharmas illuminates the culmination of the path from a Dzogchen perspective.
The Light of the Sun presents a new translation of Longchenpa's Precious Mala of the Four Dharmas alongside the original Tibetan text, with the lucid, accessible, and relevant commentary of contemporary Dzogchen master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu.
Translator’s Preface IX Root Text: Longchenpa’s Precious Mala of the Four Dharmas 1 Introduction to the Teaching 45 The Lineage of This Teaching 46 The Lineage of the Dzogchen Transmission 47 Title and Introductory Verses 51 The First Dharma: Turning Your Mind to the Dharma 55 The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind from Samsara 57 Abandoning Worldly Goals 84 Practicing in Solitude 95 The Second Dharma: Taking the Dharma as Your Path 103 Avoiding Faults and Deviations 104 Following a Qualified Teacher 107 Integrating the Dharma in Daily Life 123 Taking the Path of Mahayana 127 The Third Dharma: Clearing Away Illusion on the Path 141 The Path of Renunciation 142 The Path of Transformation 150 The Path of Self-Liberation 162 View 172 Meditation 179 Conduct 184 The Fourth Dharma: Purifying Illusion as Wisdom 189 Provisional Purification 189 Definitive Purification 192 Concluding Verses 205 Bibliography 209 Index 213 Phonetic Pronunciation Guidelines 223