These deeply personal songs of realization by Nyingmapa yogi Shabkar Tshog-druk Rangdrol (1781-1851), composed in a simple yet richly poetic style, charm by their beauty and directness, often expressing the delights of nature. Drawn from the vast and mostly untranslated collection The Festival of Melodious Songs, they have been organized thematically to reflect Shabkar's quest for spiritual awareness.
Lovers of poetry, experts in Tibetology, and spiritual seekers of any tradition will be uplifted by Shabkar's rigorous honesty on the path toward self-understanding.
The superb translations are enhanced by the Tibetan script, copious explanatory notes, a glossary of Buddhist terms, maps, and over fifty full-size color photos.
Shabkar Tshogdruk Rangdrol was born in 1781 in Shohong Lakha in the Rebgong region of Amdo. When he was ten, he entered Shohong Lakha Ngagdra, and joined a community of Nyingmapa yogis. In 1794, he received Dzogchen teachings from Jampel Dorje. Later, he met his root teacher, Ngakyi Wangpo, a Mongolian king who had renounced the throne and become a Nyingmapa master. While his main practice was Dzogchen, he also received teachings from many Gelukpa teachers, and was known for his nonsectarianism. For several decades, Shabkar sought the most suitable retreats for solitary practice, across Tibet from east to west, as well as Nepal. In 1828, when he was forty-seven, he returned to Amdo, and was in retreat principally at Yama Tashikhyil. He passed away in 1851. He was the first of a lineage of which the fourth is alive today.
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Contents: Songs of Shabkar: The Path of a Tibetan Yogi Inspired by Nature |
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Publisher's Preface |
ix |
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Translator's Preface |
xi |
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Acknowledgments |
xvii |
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| 1. |
Lamas
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3 |
| 2. |
Impermanence
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21 |
| 3. |
Passing Away of Mother & Father
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31 |
| 4. |
Nature
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57 |
| 5. |
Death
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77 |
| 6. |
Renunciation
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97 |
| 7. |
Old Age
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119 |
| 8. |
Self-Criticism
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135 |
| 9. |
Nonsectarianism
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145 |
| 10. |
Hermitage
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161 |
| 11. |
Meditation Experiences
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197 |
| 12. |
Happiness
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227 |
| 13. |
Singing
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257 |
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Abbreviations
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284 |
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Notes
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296 |
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Glossary
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299 |
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Sources for the Songs
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311 |
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Biography
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317 |
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Bibliography
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319 |
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Table of Tibetan Words
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328 |
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Index
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330 |
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Maps
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