The Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice known as "Dzogchen" (pronounced ZOG-chen) is a practical method for accessing the pristine, clear awareness that lies beneath the chatter and confusion of our daily thoughts. "The Dzogchen Primer " provides the keys for understanding Dzogchen and putting it into practice.
Marcia Schmidt, a long-time Buddhist practitioner, has gathered here the most accessible, down-to-earth writings published on this subject and has organized them into a study guide for the serious beginner on the Buddhist path. The collection includes writings from such well-known...

"The Light of Wisdom Vol. II" contains the root terma - hidden treasure text - of Padmasambhava, The gradual Path of the Wisdom Essence and its commentary "The Light of Wisdom" by Jamgon Kongtrul the Great. Annotations on the commentary "Entering the Path of Wisdom" spoken by Jamyang Drakpa and recorded by Jokyab Rinpoche are included as well as clarifications from other masters.
"Volume II" presents in-depth explanations of the Vajrajana Buddhist perspective. It begins with the nature of empowerment and the tantric commitments followed by clarification of the development stage.

With unsurpassed honesty and humility, the highly influential meditation master Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche offers a glimpse into the remarkable reality of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as an in depth portrait of the lost culture of old Tibet. This grand narrative stretches across generations, providing an inspiring glimpse into a realm of remarkable human achievement quite different from our familiar, mundane world. Intimate in tone, these personal memoirs recount the influences and experiences that shaped one of the great spiritual teachers of our time. "Blazing Splendor" is of both spiritual and...

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche spent many years in retreat, assimilating the teachings within his experience. He spoke with humor and true understanding, expressing plainly and simply what he himself had undergone. Consequently, his teachings are uniquely accessible, with a powerfully beneficial impact on those who hear or read his words. This book, a selection of his oral and written teachings, spells out the essential points of spiritual practice and leads readers along the same path they would follow in the presence of a master. Through direct, pithy instructions, students are encouraged to...

From 2005 to 2007, teacher Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche gave classes on Buddhist scholar Shantideva's "The Way of the Boddhisattva "at a noted retreat center in Northern California. His commentaries revealed such a deep understanding that practitioner Marcia Binder Schmidt decided to collect them for other students of Buddhism as an independent work. This book is the result.Beginning with an overview of the entire path of Buddhism, Kongtrul Rinpoche goes on to examine different aspects of Shantideva's text, always relating the teachings to individual experience. He explores in depth the training...