The Buddha from Dolpo is a revised and enlarged edition of the only book about the most controversial Buddhist master in the history of Tibet, Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen (1292-1361), who became perhaps the greatest Tibetan expert of the Kalacakra, or Wheel of Time, a vast system of tantric teachings. Based largely on esoteric Buddhist knowledge from the legendary land of Shambhala, Dolpopa's insights have profoundly influenced the development of Tibetan Buddhism for more than 650 years.

Dolpopa emphasized two contrasting definitions of the Buddhist theory of emptiness. He described relative phenomena as "empty of self-nature," but absolute reality as only "empty of other," i.e., relative phenomena. He further identified absolute reality as the buddha nature, or eternal essence, present in all living beings. This view of an "emptiness of other," known in Tibetan as shentong, is Dolpopa's enduring legacy.

The Buddha from Dolpo contains the only English translations of three of Dolpopa's crucial works. A General Commentary on the Doctrine is one of the earliest texts in which he systematically presented his view of the entire Buddhist path to enlightenment. The Fourth Council and its Autocommentary (which was not in the first edition of this book) were written at the end of his life and represent a final summation of his teachings. These translations are preceded by a detailed discussion of Dolpopa's life, his revolutionary ideas, earlier precedents for the shentong view, his unique use of language, and the influence of his theories. The fate of his Jonang tradition, which was censored by the central Tibetan government in the seventeenth century but still survives, is also examined.

Buddha from Dolpo: A Study of the Life and Thought of the Tibetan Master Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, Cyrus Stearns, Snow Lion Publications, Hardcover, 480 Pages, 2010, $39.95

Stearns is a longtime student of Tibetan language and religion, and has served as a translator for Tibetan teachers of all traditions. Stearns has a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle.

	Preface to the Revised Edition		vii
	List of Illustrations		xi
	List of Plates		xiii
	Introduction		1
Part 1	The Life and Teachings of the Omniscient Dolpopa
Chapter 1	The Life of the Buddha from Dolpo		9
	1.	Childhood and Early Education	10
	2.	Studies at the Great Monastery of Sakya	11
	3.	The Move to Jonang	15
	4.	Raising Mount Meru and Revealing the Shentong View	19
	5.	The Initial Reception of the Shentong Teachings	22
	6.	The New Jonang Translation of the Kalacakra Tantra and the Stainless Light	24
	7.	Years of Retreat and Teaching	29
	8.	Invitation to China by the Y�an Emperor Toghon Tem�r	29
	9.	Changes in the Jonang Leadership and the Beginning of the Journey to Lhasa	31
	10.	Teachings in Central Tibet and the Return to Tsang	33
	11.	The Aborted Meeting with But�n Rinchen Drup	35
	12.	The Last Months at Jonang	36
Chapter 2	A Historical Survey of the Shentong Tradition in Tibet		41
	1.	The Shentong Tradition in Tibet before Dolpopa	42
	2.	Dolpopa and the Shentong View	46
	3.	The Shentong Tradition after Dolpopa	55
Chapter 3	The Doctrine of the Buddha from Dolpopa		85
	1.	Emptiness of Self-nature and Emptiness of Other	87
	2.	A Redefinition of Cittamatra and Madhyamaka	91
	3.	Two Approaches to Enlightenment	103
Part 2	Texts in Translation
	Introduction to the General Commentary on the Doctrine		113
	1.	Supplication Entitled General Commentary on the Doctrine	119
	Introduction to the Fourth Council and the Autocommentary to the Fourth Council		131
	2.	Great Calculation of the Doctrine That Has the Significance of a Fourth Council	135
	3.	Autocommentary to the Fourth Council	205
	Notes		313
	Bibliography		413
	Index		449