Practical Advice for Mahamudra Meditators

Crystal Clear by the learned and realized Tibetan Master Thrangu Rinpoche, is a companion volume to the classic meditation manual - Clarifying the Natural State. In his straightforward and lucid style Rinpoche gives us an indispensable guidebook for insight practice (vipashyana). For people who want more than just theory, this is a handbook that begins with watching the breath and leads practitioners through stages of realization, all the way to complete enlightenment.

Crystal Clear, Thrangu Rinpoche, Rangjung Yeshe Publications, Paperback, 176 pp., $18.95

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is a renowned Tibetan Buddhist master known for his deep compassion and the clarity of his teachings. He was selected by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to serve as the principal tutor to His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Oryen Trinley Dorje. Thrangu Rinpoche is a full holder and teacher of the Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. He founded the Namo Buddha retreat center in Nepal, has established two shedras (monastic universities) in Nepal and India, and serves as Abbot of Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. He also built Tara Abbey, where nuns receive a full dharma education qualifying them to become khenpos or teachers. Thrangu Rinpoche teaches entensively throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. He has centers in Maine and California, and is building the Vajra Vidya Retreat Center in Crestone, Colorado.

Preface	9
Introduction	13
Pure Motivation	13
Background	15
Clarifying the Natural State	15
The Buddha's Enlightenment and Teaching	17
The Special Quality of Mahamudra	19
Preliminary Steps of Guidance	24
General Preliminaries	24
Specific Preliminaries	25
The Main Part of the Meditation Stages	29
Shamatha with Attributes	29
Posture	29
The Nature of Mind and the Purpose of Shamatha	34
Supported Shamatha	35
Unsupported Shamatha With Breathing Practice	38
Unsupported Shamatha Without Breathing Practice	41
Hindrances--Agitation and Dullness	42
Shamatha Without Attributes	43
Tightening and Loosening	43
The Threefold Freely Resting	45
Importance of Shamatha	45
Vipashyana	47
What is Vipashyana?	47
The Paths of Reasoning and Direct Perception	48
Establishing the Identity of Mind and the Perceptions	53
Establishing the Identity of Mind--the Basis	55
Establishing the Identity of Thoughts and Perceptions--the Expression	58
Clearing up Uncertainties about Basis and Expression	63
Resolving that Thoughts and Emotions are Mind	63
Resolving That Perceptions Are Mind	72
Investigating the Calm and the Moving Mind	74
Resolving That All Experience Is Nonarising	76
Steps of Pointing-Out Instruction	79
Pointing Out of the Innate	79
Pointing Out Innate Mind-Essence	80
Pointing Out the Innate in Thinking	87
Pointing Out the Innate in Perception	89
The Flawed and the Flawless Meditation Practice	91
Mistakes and Faulty Meditation	92
Flawless Meditation Practice	97
Subsequent Ways to Continue the Training	102
General Reasons for Meditation Training	102
Special Training without Separating Meditation and Postmeditation	105
Cutting Through Hindrances, Sidetracks and Strayings	110
The Straying with Regard to the Nature of Knowables	110
Straying with Regard to the Path	111
Straying with Regard to the Remedy	112
Straying with Regard to Generalization	113
Sidetracks	113
Enhancement by Transcending into Nonarising	115
Time for Transcending	115
Investigating Thoughts and Perceptions	117
Investigating the Meditation and the Meditating Mind	118
The Actual Transcending into Nonarising Openness	119
Mingling Meditation and Postmeditation, Day and Night	119
Developing Strength by Utilizing the Conducts	121
The Time for Utilizing and the Conducts	121
Utilizing Thoughts	123
Utilizing Emotions	125
Utilizing Gods and Demons	127
Utilizing Suffering	128
Utilizing Sickness	130
Utilizing the Death Process	131
Signs of Realization	133
The Four Schools and the Eight Consciousnesses	133
How Realization Arises and the Enhancement Practices	140
The Various Ways Realization Arises	141
One-Pointedness and its Enhancement	143
Bad Influences and Unfavorable Circumstances	145
Simplicity and its Enhancement	147
One Taste and its Enhancement	150
Nonmeditation and its Enhancement	152
The Way to Traverse the Paths and Stages Through Meditation Training	155
Comparing the Four Yogas to the Paths and Stages	155
Postscript	163
Glossary of Texts, People and Technical Terms	166
Further Suggested Reading	173
Short Biography of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche	175