The Power of Mind: A Tibetan Monk's Guide to Finding Freedom in Every Challenge

by Khentrul Lodrö T'hayé Rinpoche, Paloma Lopez Landry (Translator), Ibby Caputo (Editor), Paul Gustafson (Editor)

Overview

A modern guide to lojong—ancient Buddhist techniques for transforming all circumstances, including  pain, anxiety, and stress, into mental well-being that benefits us and the people around us.

We’ve all heard platitudes about cultivating love and compassion, but how can we actually develop these qualities in ourselves and—crucially—share them in our world? The Power of Mind provides the proven path of lojong, or mind training, for changing our experience from the inside out.
 
Regardless of what’s happening in our lives, Khentrul Rinpoche teaches that our route to freedom lies in our minds. A thousand years ago, the Indian saint Atisha risked his life to seek out lojong teachings in Indonesia, and then brought them to Tibet, where they flourished and spread to the rest of the world. This book introduces those teachings—the Seven Key Points of Mind Training—which have been passed down from teacher to student for centuries. Khentrul Rinpoche was inspired by his own teachers, who like alchemists, were able to follow these techniques during the Cultural Revolution and transform their immense suffering into something positive.
 
The Power of Mind guides the reader through these transformative practices one by one—from recognizing the value of our human life to overcoming the sources of suffering, together with meditation advice for incorporating these insights into our daily lives. This wisdom is accessible to everyone—whether Buddhist or not. As Khentrul Rinpoche states, “Peace and happiness can be attained, but not by searching for something in the outside world. They start within us then extend out to the entire globe.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780834844476
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	09/06/2022
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	296
Sales rank:	910,280
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche is a United States-based Tibetan monk and the director of Katog Choling, a Tibetan Cultural Center. He oversees meditation groups across North America and in Australia and South Africa. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, he traveled year-round teaching seminars and leading retreats, and he now holds online retreats for his students around the globe. He is also the abbot of a monastery in Tibet. Khentrul Rinpoche is one of the only monks in the world with three khenpo degrees—equivalent to three PhDs in Buddhist philosophy. Many of his students have nicknamed him “the mind training Khenpo” for his passion for teaching mind training practices.

Table of Contents

Foreword Tsultrim Lodrö xi

Translator's Guide for How to Read This Book xiii

Introduction: Why Tame the Mind? 1

Part 1 Building a Foundation for Freedom: The Preliminaries 11

1 This Precious Human Life: The Power of Being Human 13

2 Impermanence: No One Lives Forever 23

3 Karma, Cause, and Result: Actions Have Consequences 34

4 Suffering: The Unsatisfying Nature of All Things 41

Part 2 Mind Freeing Mind: The Practice 51

5 Ultimate Bodhichitta: The True Nature of Reality 53

6 Relative Bodhichitta: The Awakened Heart 74

Part 3 Transforming Adversity: Turning Hardships into Opportunities 117

7 Using Relative Reality for Transformation 119

8 Using Ultimate Reality for Transformation 132

9 Using Creative Methods for Transformation 139

Part 4 Training in Living and Dying: Applying the Practice in All Circumstances 153

10 How to Train during This Life 155

11 How to Train While Dying 164

Part 5 Assessing Proficiency: Recognizing the Signs of Progress 171

12 Four Ways to Measure Your Growth 173

Part 6 Living in Harmony with Practice: Commitments of the Path 181

13 Sixteen Actions to Avoid That Contradict Mind Training 183

Part 7 Support for Taming the Mind: Key Advice 203

14 Twenty-One Actions to Adopt That Support Mind Training 205

15 The Excellent Conclusion 227

Acknowledgments 231

Appendix 1 Atisha's Life Story and the Lineage of Mind Training 233

Appendix 2 The Root Text of the Seven Key Points of Mind Training 239

Appendix 3 The Six Classes of Beings 243

Appendix 4 Tonglen Meditation 246

Appendix 5 Dedication and Aspiration Prayers 248

Glossary 250

Notes 256

Index 265

About the Author 277

Editorial Reviews

05/30/2022

Editors Landry, Ibby Caputo, and Paul Gustafson assemble in this superb manual the oral teachings of Tibetan monk T’hayé on lojong (“mind training”) practices in Buddhism. T’hayé expounds on the Buddhist text The Seven Key Points of Mind Training and distills its wisdom on “taming the mind” and “refining away mental afflictions until we aren’t ruled by our circumstances.” He proffers advice on how to follow each of the “key points” (which include practice, transformation, and commitment), suggesting that to integrate Buddhist teachings into one’s everyday life (point four), readers should adopt a mindset characterized by a resolve to develop such qualities as generosity and diligence. To practice taming one’s mind (point two), the author recommends continually reminding oneself that everything is an illusion and a construct of one’s perception. Practitioners will appreciate the emphasis on practical application and enjoy the thoughtful guided meditations on such questions as “What does it mean to have freedoms?” and “Does everything have a cause and is everything a result?” This sage volume offers something for Buddhism students of all levels. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

A deep well of both timeless and practical wisdom, Khentrul Rinpoche’s new book helps us uncover the relaxed awareness and freedom that is our very essence.”—Tara Brach, author of Trusting the Gold

“Knowing that nothing about mind is ordinary, Tibetan Buddhism abounds with surprisingly simple, down-to-earth techniques for harnessing the innate magic of our mind, allowing it to transform adversity into advantage. For many centuries, Tibetans have relied upon the easy-to-apply slogans found in the Seven Points of Mind Training to serve as the very heart of their spiritual path. Here, with crystal clear insight into the complexities of modern life, the exceptionally learned Khentrul Lodro T’haye Rinpoche inspires his readers to take up those same ancient tools of lojong to infuse their lives with more compassion, equanimity, understanding, patience, and loving kindness for others.”—Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, author of Sadness, Love, Openness: The Buddhist Path of Joy

“If you train the mind, you can live a happy and fulfilled life. The Power of Mind is a practical manual sharing seven key points that form a complete training. Anyone can apply them to their lives—you don’t need to have any particular belief system to embrace the benefits. Khentrul Rinpoche shares his deep understanding of these teachings so that the subject is most relevant for these times.”—Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Change

“This book is a user’s guide for something that all of us possess: mind. It is written in such clear, simple, and plain terms, yet contains deep meaning and complexity. The wisdom that Rinpoche imparts in The Power of Mind can benefit us all; from the absolute beginner to the most seasoned dharma practitioner.”—Michael Imperioli, actor, director, and writer

“This sage volume offers something for students of Buddhism of all levels.”—Publishers Weekly

“A detailed yet concise framework with which to remap our mind-state.”—Buddhistdoor Global

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