Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen Preliminaries serves as an accessible introduction to the history and practices of the Great Perfection, one of the most profound systems of meditation in Tibet. In addition to providing background information on the origins and development of this tradition, Entrance to the Great Perfection also offers practical guidance on its so-called "preliminary practices."

Unlike most works on Tibetan Buddhism, which tend to offer either traditional teachings or a modern perspective on Buddhist practice, this work blends these two perspectives. It includes classic commentaries on the preliminary practices by the eighteenth-century Tibetan saint Jigme Lingpa and Rime master Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, alongside a lively contemporary discussion by filmmaker, author, and renowned spiritual teacher Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse that approaches these practices from a modern perspective, discussing how to incorporate them into the fast-paced lifestyle of the Western world. Also included are a lengthy introduction to the world of Tibetan Buddhism and its meditative practices, the long and short preliminary practice liturgies, and numerous appendices on the nine yanas and other topics.

Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen Preliminaries, Cortland Dahl, Snow Publications, Paperback, 260 pp, $29.95

Cortland Dahl is a Buddhist scholar and translator, a meditation teacher, and a collaborator on various scientific studies. Cortland's interest in meditation began more than twenty years ago. After receiving a Master's Degree in Buddhist Studies, he lived for eight years in India and Nepal, where he spent long periods in solitary retreat in the Himalayan foothills and taught courses on Buddhism, meditation, and Tibetan language at Kathmandu University's Center for Buddhist Studies and at the Tergar Institute, which he cofounded in 2007. He currently serves as a Senior Instructor in Tergar, a global network of meditation groups and centers, and as Chairman of Tergar International. As an author and translator, Cortland has published numerous translations on meditation and Buddhist philosophy, as well as scientific articles on meditation research and the cultivation of well-being. Cortland is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Wisconsin under the guidance of the renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson.

	Acknowledgments	ix
	Introduction	1
	How to Practice: Instructions on the Common Great Perfection Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse by Jigm Lingpa	41
	The Application of Mindfulness: Instructions on the Unique Great Perfection Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse by Jigm Lingpa	61
	The Quintessential Nectar of the Profound Meaning: A Concise Explanation of the Great Perfection Preliminary Practices of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse by Jamyang Khyents Wangpo	81
	Advice on the Longchen Nyingtik Preliminary Practices by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche	96
	The Sublime Path to Omniscience: A Liturgy for the Preliminary Practices of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse by Jigm Trinl zer	193
	The Sublime Path to Enlightenment: A Concise Liturgy for the Longchen Nyingtik Preliminary Practices by Jamyang Khyents Wangpo	210
Appendix I	Learning to Visualize	213
Appendix II	Retreat in the Longchen Nyingtik Lineage	215
Appendix III	The Fourfold Heart Essence	218
Appendix IV	The Nine Yanas	230
Appendix V	Longchen Nyingtik Ngndro Literature	247
	Abbreviations	249
	Glossary	252
	Recommended Reading	286
	Notes	291
	Index	299