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Esoteric Instructions

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This volume, Esoteric Instructions, deals with meditation—specifically tantric meditation. Esoteric Instructions is a collection of intimate records of personal teachings by masters that simplify tantric meditations by providing pertinent examples and very personal and helpful hints to disciples based on the master's own experience. Although originally oral in nature, they have been codified and passed down through specific lineages from teacher to student. (Source: Shambhala Publications)

Citation	Harding, Sarah (Kalu Rinpoché Translation Group), trans. The Treasury of Knowledge, Book Eight, Part Four: Esoteric Instructions, A Detailed Presentation of the Process of Meditation in Vajrayāna. By Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Tayé ('jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas). Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 2007.

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• Foreword by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoché9
• Preface13
• Introduction17

• The Root Text: Esoteric Instructions:
        A Detailed Presentation of the Process
         of Meditation in Vajrayāna49

** 1. Nyingma63
**  2. Kadampa97
**  3. Lamdré113
**  4. Marpa Kagyu137
 ** 5. Shangpa Kagyu233
 ** 6. Zhijé and Chöd255
 ** 7. Jordruk289
 ** 8. Dorjé Sumgyi Nyendrup331
 ** 9. Supplement: Śāntigupta339

* Appendix One: Outline of Book Eight, Part Four:
      Esoteric Instructions345

Appendix Two: General Contents of Kongtrul’s Treasury of Knowledge 355 Abbreviations 359

Notes 363 Bibliography of Works Cited by the Author 451 Reference Bibliography 473 Index 495

1. The Treasury of Knowledge (Shes bya mdzod). Root text: The Encompassment of All Knoweldge (shes bya kun khyab). Autocommentary: The Infinite Ocean of Knoweldge (shes bya mtha' yas pa'i rgya mtsho).
   1. Text 1: rdo rje rgyal po and thub bstan nyi ma, eds. 3 vols. Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1982/1985.
   2. Text 2: 'Jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse, ed. 4 vols. Shechen Monastery, Nepal: snga 'gyur snying ma, n.d.
   3. Text 3: Lotsawa Tony Duff, Padma Karpo Translation Committee, ed. "The Treasury which is an Encyclopedia of Knowledge." Published electronically by PKTC, 2003. PKTC

Vajrayāna - The esoteric Buddhist tradition which developed as a syncretic system involving deity worship, use of mantras, physical energy, and mystical practices. It is also known as the mantra tradition and the tantric school as a result of being based on texts known as tantras. Skt. वज्रयान Tib. རྡོ་རྗེ་ཐེག་པ། Ch. 金剛乘

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Nyingma - The Nyingma, which is often described as the oldest tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, traces its origin to Padmasambhava, who is said to have visited Tibet in the eighth century. Tib. རྙིང་མ་

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Kagyu - The Kagyu school traces its origin to the eleventh-century translator Marpa, who studied in India with Nāropa. Marpa's student Milarepa trained Gampopa, who founded the first monastery of the Kagyu order. As many as twelve subtraditions grew out from there, the best known being the Karma Kagyu, the Drikung, and the Drukpa. Tib. བཀའ་བརྒྱུད་

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