Vivid Awareness: The Mind Instructions of Khenpo Gangshar

by Khenchen Thrangu, Sakyong Mipham (Foreword by)

Overview

Powerful guidance on how to work with strong emotions in overwhelming circumstances through Buddhist meditation—from a renowned Tibetan Buddhist master
 
In the summer of 1957, the revered Buddhist teacher and scholar Khenpo Gangshar foresaw the difficulties that would soon fall upon Tibet and began teaching in a startling new way that enabled all those who heard him to use the coming difficulties as the path of Dharma practice. The teaching consisted of the essential points of mahamudra and dzogchen, both view and practice, presented in a way that made them easy for anyone to use, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche was one of the grateful recipients of these teachings, which he regards as among the most important he has ever been given. He transmits them here, for the benefit of all of us who strive to practice in challenging times. They include contemplations on the ephemeral nature of both joy and suffering, meditations for resting the mind, and guidance for cultivating equanimity in any situation.
 
“These instructions are exceptionally concise and easy to follow . . . They could save your life too—giving you the tools to stabilize the mind even in the most terrifying and challenging of circumstances.” —Pema Chödrön, author of Taking the Leap

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590308165
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	01/11/2011
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,113,232
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Khenchen Thrangu was born in Tibet in 1933. He has founded numerous monasteries and nunneries, schools for Tibetan children, and medical clinics. He has taught extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States, and is the abbot of Gampo Abbey. He was appointed by the Dalai Lama to be the personal tutor for the Seventeenth Karmapa.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Translator's Introduction ix

Preface xiii

Part 1 Helpful Advice for Good Times and Bad

1 Prophecies of Hidden Lands 3

2 Recognizing Our Good Fortune 19

3 The General Preliminaries 30

Part 2 The Special Preliminaries: The Analytic Meditation of a Pandita

4 The Foundation: Karma, Cause, and Result 45

5 The Importance of Mind 62

6 Appearances and Mind 78

7 Looking at the Mind 94

8 A Summary of the Analytic Meditation of a Pandita 107

Part 3 The Resting Meditation of a Kusulu

9 Devotion and Stability 113

10 Getting Right Down to Meditation 121

11 The Benefits of the Kusulu's Meditation 133

12 Distinguishing Mind and Awareness 154

Part 4 Following Through in Our Lives

13 Taking the Situations of Our Lives as the Path 169

14 Taking Joy and Sorrow as the Path 175

15 Taking Pain and Illness as the Path 179

16 Taking Afflictions and Emotions as the Path 182

17 Taking the Bardo as the Path 199

18 Closing Words 210

Appendix: The Texts of Khenpo Gangshar 215

The Concise Mind Instructions Called Naturally Liberating Whatever You Meet 217

Naturally Liberating Whatever You Meet: Instructions to Guide You on the Profound Path 221

Bibliography 234

Index 235

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"These instructions are exceptionally concise and easy to follow. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche received this distillation of the essential points of Mahamudra from the renowned master Khenpo  Gangshar, and he credits them with saving his life. They could save your life too—giving you the tools to stabilize the mind even in the most terrifying and challenging of circumstances."—Pema Chödrön, author of Taking the Leap

"We are fortunate to have an actual disciple of Khenpo Gangshar who has mastered these teachings to both explain and demonstrate how enlightenment can manifest in our mind and in our life."—Sakyong Mipham, author of Ruling Your World

Editorial Reviews

"These instructions are exceptionally concise and easy to follow. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche received this distillation of the essential points of Mahamudra from the renowned master Khenpo  Gangshar, and he credits them with saving his life. They could save your life too—giving you the tools to stabilize the mind even in the most terrifying and challenging of circumstances."—Pema Chödrön, author of Taking the Leap

"We are fortunate to have an actual disciple of Khenpo Gangshar who has mastered these teachings to both explain and demonstrate how enlightenment can manifest in our mind and in our life."—Sakyong Mipham, author of Ruling Your World

From the Publisher