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Jamgön Mipam: His Life and Teachings

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Jamgön Mipam (1846-1912) is one of the most extraordinary figures in the history of Tibet. Monk, mystic, and brilliant philosopher, he shaped the trajectory of Tibetan Buddhism's Nyingma school. This introduction provides a most concise entrée to this great luminary's life and work. The first section gives a general context for understanding Mipam's life. Part Two gives an overview of Mipam's interpretation of Buddhism, examining his major themes, and devoting particular attention to his articulation of the Buddhist conception of emptiness. Part Three presents a representative sampling of Mipam's writings. (Source: Shambhala Publications)

Citation	Duckworth, Douglas S. Jamgön Mipham: His Life and Teachings. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2011.

ContentsSourcesQuotes

• • Introduction vii

• Part One: Life and Context
  • One. Mipam's Life 3
  • Two. Background of Buddhism in India 17
  • Three. Buddhist Identity in Tibet 39
  • Four. Survey of Mipam's Works 55

• Part Two: Overview of Mipam's Buddhist Works
  • Five. Unity 67
  • Six. Mind-Only and the Middle Way 81
  • Seven. Emptiness and the Nonconceptual 99
  • Eight. Immanent Wisdom 119
  • Conclusion 135

• Part Three: Select Translations
  • 1. Emptiness and Analysis 141
  • 2. Conceiving the Inconceivable 142
  • 3. Unity and Buddha-Nature 143
  • 4. Steps to the Middle Way 145
  • 5. No-Self 146
  • 6. Unmistaken Emptiness 147
  • 7. Meditation on Emptiness 149
  • 8. Mind- Only and the Middle Way 150
  • 9. Mind-Only and the Middle Way II 151
  • 10. Reflexive Awareness 155
  • 11. Consequence and Autonomy 157
  • 12. Consequence and Autonomy II 158
  • 13. Two Truths 160
  • 14. Unconditioned Buddha-Nature 163
  • 15. Appearance and Reality 167
  • 16. From the Two Wheels of Sutra to Tantra 169
  • 17. EstablishingAppearancesasDivine 170
  • 18. Fourfold Valid Cognition 173
  • 19. Practical Advice for Beginners 175
  • 20. Practical Advice for Monastics 176
  • 21. Practical Advice on the Path of Illusion 179
  • 22. Stages to Calm Abiding 182
  • 23. Stillness, Movement, and Awareness in the Great Seal 187
  • 24. Method for Sustaining the Nature of Awareness 189
  • 25. A Quintessential Instruction on the Vital Point in Three Statements 191
  • 26. Ground, Path, and Fruition of the Great Perfection 192
  • 27. Bringing Afflictions onto the Path 194
  • 28. Mind and Wisdom 196
  • 29. Sutra and Tantra 198
  • 30. Sword of Intelligence: Method for Meditating on Bodhicitta 201
  • 31. Lily of Wisdom s Presence 204
  • 32. Verse of Auspiciousness 208

• • Acknowledgments 209
  • Notes 211
  • Glossary 225
  • Bibliography 229
  • Index 239

Mi pham rgya mtsho. Partial translations of the following works, listed in order of appearance:

1. Words That Delight Guru Mañjughoṣa: Commentary on the Ornament of the Middle Way [dbu ma rgyan gyi rnam bshad 'jam byangs bla ma dgyes pa'i zhal lung]. In dbu ma rgyan rtsa 'grel. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 1990: 88.
2. Light of the Sun [brgal lan nyin byed snang ba]. In spyod 'jug sher 'grel ke ta ka. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 1993: 276-278.
3. Lion's Roar: Exposition of Buddha-Nature [bde gshegs snying po'i stong thun chen mo seng ge'i nga ro]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 4 (pa), 585-586.
4. Overview: Essential Nature of Luminous Clarity [spyi don 'od gsal snying po]. In bka brgyad rnam bshad dang spyi don 'od gsal snying po yang dag grub pa'i tshig 'grel bcas bzbugs, 461-462. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 2000.
5. A Feast on the Nectar of the Supreme Vehicle: Commentary on the Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sutras [theg pa chen po mdo sde'i rgyan gyi dgongs don rnam par bshad pa theg mchog bdud rtsi'i dga'ston]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 2 (a), 102-103. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
6. Words That Delight Guru Mañjughoṣa: Commentary on the Ornament of the Middle Way [dbu ma rgyan gyi rnam bshad 'jam byangs bla ma dgyes pa'i zhal lung]. In dbu ma rgyan rtsa 'grel. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 1990: 470-472.
7. Beacon of Certainty [nges shes sgron me]. In nges shes sgron me rtsa 'grel. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 1997: 13.
8. Light of Wisdom: Commentary on Distinguishing Phenomena and Suchness [chos dang chos nyid rnam 'byed 'grel pa ye shes snang ba]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 4 (pa), 626-627. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
9. A Feast on the Nectar of the Supreme Vehicle: Commentary on the Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sutras [theg pa chen po mdo sde'i rgyan gyi dgongs don rnam par bshad pa theg mchog bdud rtsi'i dga'ston]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 2 (a), 96-101.
10. Commentary on the Wisdom Chapter of the Way of the Bodhisattva [spyod 'jug sher 'grel ke ta ka]. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 1993: 30-31.
11. Words That Delight Guru Mañjughoṣa: Commentary on the Ornament of the Middle Way [dbu ma rgyan gyi rnam bshad 'jam byangs bla ma dgyes pa'i zhal lung]. In dbu ma rgyan rtsa 'grel. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 1990: 99.
12. Words That Delight Guru Mañjughoṣa: Commentary on the Ornament of the Middle Way [dbu ma rgyan gyi rnam bshad 'jam byangs bla ma dgyes pa'i zhal lung]. In dbu ma rgyan rtsa 'grel. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 1990: 97.
13. Commentary on the Words of the Eighteenth Chapter [of the Wish-Fulfilling Treasury] [le'u bco brgyad pa'i tshig 'grel]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 21: 566-570. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
14. Lion's Roar: Exposition of Buddha-Nature [bde gshegs snying po'i stong thun chen mo seng ge'i nga ro]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 4 (pa), 575-579. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
15. Trilogy of Innate Mind [gnyug sems skor gsum]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 24, 526-528. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
16. Trilogy of Innate Mind [gnyug sems skor gsum]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 24, 490-491. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
17. Overview: Essential Nature of Luminous Clarity [spyi don 'od gsal snying po]. In bka brgyad rnam bshad dang [spyi don 'od gsal snying po] yang dag grub pa'i tshig 'grel bcas bzbugs, 457-459. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 2000.
18. Overview: Essential Nature of Luminous Clarity [spyi don 'od gsal snying po]. In bka brgyad rnam bshad dang [spyi don 'od gsal snying po] yang dag grub pa'i tshig 'grel bcas bzbugs, 447-448. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 2000.
19. Advice for Beginners [las dang po pa la 'dams pa]. In Dispelling the Darkness in the Hearts of Fortunate Ones: A Compilation of Mipam's Definitive Meaning Advice, 186-87. Serta: Serta Buddhist Academy of the Five Arts, n.d.
20. A Talk to Monastics [dgon sde rnams la gtam du bya ba]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 23: 267-69. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
21. Concise Points of Bringing Illusion onto the Path: Advice for Practitioners [dge sbyong rnams lag tam du bya ba]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 23: 274-77.
22. Overview: Essential Nature of Luminous Clarity [spyi don 'od gsal snying po]. In bka brgyad rnam bshad dang [spyi don 'od gsal snying po] yang dag grub pa'i tshig 'grel bcas bzbugs, 479-485. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 2000.
23. Stillness, Movement, and Awareness in the Great Seal [phyag chen pa'i gnas 'gyu rig gsum]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 27: 22-23. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
24. Wisdom Essence: The Method for Sustaining the Nature of Awareness [rig ngo skyong thabs ye shes syning po]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 27: 218-20. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
25. A Quintessential Instruction on the Vital Point in Three Statements [tshig gsum gnad kyi man ngag). In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 27: 134. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
26. Concise Summary of the Philosophies from the Wish-Fulfilling Treasury [yid bzhin mdzod kyi grub mtha' bsdus pa]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 21: 498-500. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
27. Overview: Essential Nature of Luminous Clarity [spyi don 'od gsal snying po]. In bka brgyad rnam bshad dang [spyi don 'od gsal snying po] yang dag grub pa'i tshig 'grel bcas bzbugs, 520-522. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 2000.
28. Trilogy of Innate Mind [gnyug sems skor gsum]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 24, 446-450. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
29. Discourse on the Eight Commands [bka' brgyad rnam bshad]. In bka' brgyad rnam bshad dang spyi don od gsal snying po yang dag grub pa'i tshig 'grel bcas bzhugs, 43-46. Sichuan, China: Nationalities Press, 2000.
30. Sword of Intelligence: Method for Meditating on Bodhicitta [byang chub kyi sems sgom pa'i thabs blo yi ral gri]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 27,491-94. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
31. Lily of Wisdom's Presence [ye shes grub pa'i utpal]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 27: 479-83. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.
32. Verse of Auspiciousness [gro don bstan pa]. In Mipam's Collected Works, vol. 27: 741-43. Kathmandu, Nepal: Zhechen Monastery, 1987.

Since wisdom is unconditioned, it cannot be produced by anything, and for this reason, wisdom must be present from the primordial beginning as the true nature, the buddha-nature, of all sentient beings.  

~ pp. 119-120

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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śūnyatā - The state of being empty of an innate nature due to a lack of independently existing characteristics. Skt. शून्यता Tib. སྟོང་པ་ཉིད་ Ch. 空,空門

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tantra - Tantra, when juxtaposed with Sūtra, generally refers to the scriptures and texts which discuss esoteric topics. While the term is used to refer to texts on other topics, it is mostly used to refer to the genre of scriptures and texts on themes and topics associated with Vajrayāna Buddhism. Skt. तन्त्र Tib. རྒྱུད། Ch. 密宗

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bodhicitta - The altruistic thought to seek enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. It is said to have two aspects: compassion aimed at sentient beings and their problems and the wisdom of enlightenment as the solution. Skt. बोधिचित्त Tib. བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས། Ch. 菩提心

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