A Commentary on Tsongkhapa's Lamrim Chenmo, Volume One: The Foundation Practices

The first volume of a much-anticipated, comprehensive commentary on the Lamrim Chenmo by the renowned Buddhist scholar, Geshe Sopa. This landmark commentary - on what is perhaps the most elaborate and elegant Tibetan presentation of the Buddhist path - offers a detail overview of Buddhist philosophy which will be especially invaluable for those who want to enact the wisdom of the Buddha in their lives.

In the Lamrim Chenmo, Tsongkhapa explains the path in terms of the three levels of practitioners, those of small capacity who seek happiness in future lives, those of medium capacity who seek liberation from the cycle of suffering, and those of great capacity who seek full enlightenment in order to benefit all beings. This volume covers the topics common to the first level: Tsongkhapa's explanations of the role of this teacher, his exhortation to take the essence of human existence, the contemplation of death and future lives, and going for the refuge.
Given his vast knowledge and his experience in both the Tibetan and Western contexts, Geshe Sopa is the ideal commentator for this work for the modern student of Tibetan Buddhism.


Steps on the Path to Enlightenment, Geshe Lundrup Sopa with David Platt, Wisdom Publications, Hardcover, 582 pp., $29.95

Lhundub Sopa is one of the few remaining Tibetan masters to have been trained in his homeland of Tibet prior to the Chinese occupation. He gained a reputation early on as a dedicated and brillant scholar and was chosen as one of the Dalai Lama's debate examiners during the annual Prayer Festival in 1959. Shortly thereafter, he joined the exodus of Tibetans to India, and in 1962 moved to New Jersey. In 1967, he was invited to teach in the recently formed Buddhist Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is now Professor Emeritus. He is the founder of Deer Park Buddhist Center in Oregon, Wisconsin.

Foreword	VII
Editor's Preface	XI
Technical Notes	XXI
Editor's Homage	XXIII
Introduction	1
Prologue	7
Atisa: The Source of the Lamrim Tradition	21
The Greatness of the Teaching	43
How to Listen to and Explain the Teachings	63
Relying on the Spiritual Teacher	103
The Meditation Session	163
Refuting Misconceptions about Practice	231
A Human Life of Leisure and Opportunity	245
The Three Types of Persons	275
Mindfulness of Death	307
Reflecting on Your Future Life	361
Going to the Three Jewels for Refuge	397
The Precepts of Refuge	439
Outline of the Text	509
The Refuge Field	520
Glossary	529
Endnotes	539
Bibliography	555
Index	573