For those wanting to practice the path to enlightenment, the First Panchen Lamas Easy Path is like a chest of jewel treasures which has, up until now, been locked for English speakers. The translation of the root text here presents that treasure chest, and Gyumed Khensur Rinpoches commentary unlocks it, holding each jewel up to the sunlight to reveal its many facets, beauty and great value.To gain the greatest benefit from this book, it may be useful to imagine each contemplation and meditation discussed as a precious jewel being given to you personally. You may then want to pause, holding each up to the light so slowly and happily examine each facet. I suggest this particularly because Khensur Rinpoche was extremely generous in his teaching this textcarefully and precisely revealing many points from the unique, oral tradition that has come down from Lama Tsongkhapa through Gyalwa Ensapa and the First Panchen Lama as well.If youve read or studied some in the past on the stages of the path to enlightenment, then it may be easy to assume that you already know some of the points that will be explained here. But, if you go slowly and read carefully, you may discover facets here that you have not quite seen before.There is one point in Easy Path when you pray, I must at all costs, quickly, quickly attain the precious state of completely perfect buddhahood for the sake of all mother sentient beings. Khensur Rinpoche explains that one way of interpreting the phrase quickly, quickly is that the first quickly refers to practicing the three lower classes of tantra and the second quickly refers to practicing highest yoga tantra. Of course, that is a very profound point. And then Rinpoche shares another interpretation that is unique to the oral tradition coming down through Gyalwa Ensapa. In that interpretation, the first quickly refers to practicing the stages of the path to enlightenment which is a faster way of attaining full enlightenment than the three lower classes of tantra and the second quickly refers to taking guru yoga as the very life of your practice. By reading this book as you might slowly explore jewel gifts, you can understand how to go about taking guru yoga not just as the heart of your practice but as its life. You can also gain a practical understanding of how to integrate visualizations from highest yoga tantra, guru yoga, and the instructions of the oral tradition with your contemplations and meditations on every single step of the stages of the path. In that way, the Panchen Lamas phrase, quickly, quickly may come to refer not just to practitioners of the past but to you as well!
Easy Path: Illuminating the First Panchen Lama's Secret Instructions, Gyumed Khensur Lobsang Jampa, Lorne Ladner (Editor), Wisdom Publications, Paperback, 328 Pages, $18.95
A student of the Dalai Lama, Gyumed Khensur Lobsang Jampa was
born in Tibet in 1939. A geshe from Sera Monastery and former abbot
(khensur) of Gyumed tantric college, both in South India, he now spends
most of his time in the United States, with active centers in Washington
DC, New York City, and Connecticut. He also teaches annually in the
Silicon Valley. His center in Redding CT, where he lives, will be
hosting a visit from the Dalai Lama in Fall 2012. This is his first
book.
Lorne Ladner,
Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in private practice in the suburbs of
Washington DC, where he also directs and teaches at the Guhyasamaja
Buddhist Center. Dr. Ladner has produced a training video on Mindful Therapy
and provides workshops on the psychology of positive emotions, the
integration of meditation and psychotherapy, and on Buddhist psychology.
He is the author of The Lost Art of Compassion and editor of The Wheel of Great Compassion.
Editors Preface
Introduction
1. The Preliminaries
2. Relying on a Spiritual Teacher
3. Precious Human Rebirth
4. Small-Scope Mind-Training Practices
5. Medium-Scope Mind-Training Practices
6. The Seven-Point Cause-and-Effect Method for Generating Bodhichitta
7. Unique Instructions for Realizing Bodhichitta
8. The Bodhisattva Vow
9. Engaging in the Bodhisattvas Deeds
10. Calm Abiding
11. Special InsightThe Perfection of Wisdom
Appendix: An Extremely Brief Preliminary Practice to Meditation
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