The Mahayana path of Buddhism requires the development of wast loving-kindness and compassion. The foundation for developing impartial compassion for all sentient beings is based on understanding the emptiness of self and the emptiness of phenomena.

In Shentong and Rangtong Thrangu Rinpoche begins with a lucid description of the four major schools of Buddhism and their tenents. Each school had its own view of reality and Rinpoche describes the similarities and differences of these views.

The Middle-way path had two important schools in Tibet: the Shentong and the Rangtong. In the discussion of the Rangtong, Rinpoche shows how important it is to understand the emptiness of persons and of phenomena because this understanding helps develop an accurate view of the world and thus how to proceed in one's practice.

In the discussion of Shentong, Rinpoche describes the empty, luminous clarity of mind and how this is developed in meditation. This clarity is also closely related to understanding Buddha-nature and meditation in the Vajrayana.

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is a renowned Tibetan Buddhist master known for his deep compassion and the clarity of his teachings. He was selected by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to serve as the principal tutor to His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Thrangu Rinpoche is a full holder and teacher of the Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. He founded the Namo Buddha retreat center in Nepal, has established two shedras (monastic universities) in Nepal and India, and serves as Abbot of Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. He also built Tara Abbey, where nuns receive a full dharma education qualifying them to become khenpos or teachers. Thrangu Rinpoche teaches extensively throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. He has centers in Maine and California, and is building the Vajra Vidya Retreat Center in Crestone, Colorado. Contents: The Practice of Tranquillity and Insight Foreword vii Acknowledgments xi 1. INTRODUCTION TO TRANQUILLITY AND INSIGHT MEDITATION 1 Why One Should Practice Meditation 3 The Essential Nature of Samatha and Vipasyana 7 Etymology of Samatha and Vipasyana 11 The Necessity of Both Samatha and Vipasyana 12 The Progressive Order of Meditation 13 PART ONE 2. SAMATHA: TRANQUILLITY MEDITATION 17 The Prerequisites for Practicing Samatha 17 Categories of Samatha 19 Posture 21 Four Objects of Meditation 25 Four Obstacles to Meditation 29 The Specific Stages of Meditation 31 3. IDENTIFYING EXPERIENCES IN SAMATHA MEDITATION 39 The Five Faults 39 The Eight Antidotes 42 The Six Powers, Nine Levels, and Four Engagements 46 The Tradition of Oral Instruction 55 The Accomplishment of Samatha 58 The Purpose of Accomplishing Samatha 61 PART TWO 4. VIPASYANA: INSIGHT MEDITATION 65 The Prerequisites for Practicing Vipasyana 65 The Different Forms of Vipasyana 69 Categories of Vipasyana 84 Methods of Vipasyana 93 The Accomplishment of Vipasyana 104 PART THREE 5. THE UNION OF SAMATHA AND VIPASYANA 111 The Practice of This Union 111 The Time of the Union 119 The Result of the Union 125 Different Kinds of Samatha 129 Levels and Results of Meditation 135 Notes 143 Glossary 149 Transliteration and Pronunciation of Tibetan Terms 159 Bibliography 163 About the Author 165 Index 167

	Contents: Shentong & Rangtong: Two Views of Emptiness
	Editor's Foreword	1
	Preface	11
	Chapter 1
	The Correct View of Buddha-dharma
	The Correct View of Buddha-dharma	15
	Chapter 2
	Why a Correct View is Necessary
I	Why a Correct View is Necessary	23
	Chapter 3
	Developing the Wisdom that Realizes Egolessness
II	Developing the Wisdom that Realizes Egolessness	27
	A. The Egolessness of the Individual	27
	B. The Egolessness of Phenomena	28
	C. The Four Incorrect Views	29
	Chapter 4
	The Four Seals
III	The Four Seals	35
	A. Seal 1: Whatever is Composite is Impermanent	35
	B. Seal 2: Everything that is Impure is Suffering	36
	C. Seal 3: All phenomena are Empty	37
	D. Seal 4: Nirvana is Peace	37
	Chapter 5
	How to Abandon the Two Extremes
IV	Not Falling into the Two Extremes	39
	A. The Two Extremes of the Four Traditions	40
	1. The Great Exposition Tradition	40
	2. The Sutra-school Tradition	41
	3. The Mind-only Tradition	42
	4. The Middle-way Tradition	44
	Chapter 6
	The Middle-way School
	B. The Middle-Way School	47
	1. The Main Characteristic of the Middle- Way	47
	2. The Rangtong Tradition of the Middle- Way	48
	a. Sixteen Emptinesses	48
	b. Summary of the Four Emptinesses	53
	3. The Shentong Tradition	54
	a. The Three Natures	56
	b. The Fourteen Emptinesses	58
	c. Emptiness of non-existence of phenomena	64
	Chapter 7
	The Two Kinds of Egolessness
V	Analysis of the Two Egolessnesses	69
	A. The Purpose for Teaching Egolessness	69
	1. The Two Obscurations	72
	2. Eliminating the Two Obscurations	72
	B. Analysis of Egolessness	74
	1.Egolessness of Phenomena	74
	a. Essential Meaning of Egolessness of Phenomena	74
	b. The Nature of the Egolessness of Self	79
	c. Why the Self of Phenomena must be Refuted	79
	d. Egolessness of Phenom. in Different Traditions	81
	e. Middle-way Analyses of Egolessness of Phenom.	85
	Chapter 8
	The Egolessness of the Individual
	2. The Egolessness of the Individual	89
	a. Essential Meaning of Egolessness of Individual	89
	b. The Nature of the Self of the Individual	94
	c. The Reasons to Negate Self	95
	d. Egolessness of Individual in Different Traditions	96
	e. Middle-way Analyses of Egoless. of Individual	97
	3. Egolessness of Individual and Phenomena	101
	a. The Two Egolessnesses as One or Separate	101
	b. The Purpose of Two-fold Egolessnesses	101
	c. What must be Refuted Concerning Egolessness	103
	d. Refuting the Existence of Self and Phenomena	104
	e. Analysis of Ultimate Truth	105
	Chapter 9
	The Two Middle-way Schools
	4. The Definitive Analyses of Middle-way Traditions	109
	a. The Rangtong School	109
	b. The Shentong School	112
	i. Three Phases of Manifestation	116
	ii. Examples of Buddha-nature	116
	iii. Difficulty Perceiving Buddha Nature	118
	5. The Union of the Profound View and Vast Conduct	118
	Chapter 10
	The View of the Tantras
VI	The View of the Tantras	125
	A. The General Explanation of the Middle-way masters	125
	B. The Explanation of Gargyi Wangpo, in Particular	128
	1. Union of Appearances and Emptiness	128
	2. Union of Clarity and Emptiness	129
	3. Union of Bliss and Emptiness	129
	Chapter 11
	The View of the Birthless Union
VII	The View of the Birthless Union in Brief	131
	Chapter 12
	Applying these Teachings to our Practice
	Applying these Teachings to our Practice	135
	Notes	143
	Glossary	149
	Tibetan Glossary	159
	Bibliography	161
	Index	165