According to the Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism, the teachings of Dzogchen, "the Great Perfection," were first expounded by the Buddhist master Garab Dorje in the country of Uddiyana. This tradition of Buddhist teachings, which directly introduces the practitioner to the Nature of Mind, was then transmitted to India and later to Tibet. The essence of Garab Dorje's message is found in the "The Three Statements that Strike the Essential Points." In the nineteenth century, the famous master Patrul Rinpoche wrote a brilliant commentary on these three statements together with the practices relating to them, entitled "The Special Teaching of the Wise and Glorius King." These important Dzogchen texts are translated from the Tibetan; notes, commentaries, and glossary of terms are also included.

Golden Letters, Translation, Introduction and commentaries by John Myrdhin Reynolds, Snow Lion Publications, 389 pp, $39.95

John Myrdhin Reynolds (Vajranatha) is a writer teacher translator and scholar/practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. He was trained and ordained as a Tantric Yogin or Ngagpa in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

	Contents: Golden Letters
	Preface	7
	Foreword by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche	11
	Introduction
	The Primordial Origin of Dzogchen	21
	The Place of Dzogchen in Buddhist Teaching	24
	The Three Series of Dzogchen Teachings	31
	PART ONE: The Three Statements that Strike the Essential Points
	The Three Statements that Strike the Essential Points, by Garab Dorje	39
	A Short Commentary on the Three Statements of Garab Dorje, by H. H. Dudjom Rinpoche	39
	The Special Teaching of the Wise and Glorious King: The Root Text, by Patrul Rinpoche	40
	The Special Teaching of the Wise and Glorious King: Auto-Commentary, by Patrul Rinpoche	42
	Commentary on The Special Teaching of the Wise and Glorious King by the Translator	46
	PART TWO: The Last Testament of Garab Dorje	64
	The Last Testament of Garab Dorjeg of th	115
	Interlinear Commentary to The Last Testament of Garab Dorje by the Translatorlar	125
	PART THREE: The Life of Garab Dorje
	The Life of Garab Dorje: Translator's Introduction	163
	Guru Sadhana for Garab Dorje, by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche	165
	PART FOUR: Historical Origins of Dzogchen
	The Problems of Historiography	185
	The Historical Existence of Garab Dorje
	Possible Historical Sources of Dzogchen
	Indian Buddhism
	Ch'an Buddhism
	Bon
	Four Early Texts Relating to Dzogchen	211
	Rig-pa'i khu-byug, The Earliest Dzogchen Text
	Kun-byed rgyal-po, The Principal Dzogchen Tantra
	bSam-gtan mig sgron, A Philosophical Exposition of Dzogchen
	'Dra bag chen-mo, The Biography of Vairochana
	Is Dzogchen an Authentic Buddhist Teaching?	244
	The Primordial State of the Great Perfection
	Note on the Translation of Dzogchen Technical Terms	269
	Appendix: Brief Biography of Patrul Rinpoche	279
	Glossary of Dzogchen Terms	289
	Notes	313
	Selected Bibliography	315
	General Index	349
	Index of Tibetan Terms