Books

A beautiful summary of the subject of Vinaya, The Vows of an Ethical Life.  This book describes in detail different kinds of vows taken by both Buddhist monks and lay practitioners.

A detailed commentary on the Abhidharma school, the oldest wisdom of Buddhism.

The promise of these ancient books, for more than two thousand years, is that there exists—in tandem with the world we know—an invisible higher world, going on around us all the time. We can call it the “Diamond World,” but a simpler (and easily misunderstood) name is simply “Emptiness.”

The idea is that—if we can make contact with this higher world, if we can touch it directly—then that touching sets into motion unstoppable wonderful changes in our being. The touching sets off a transformation in the flesh of our very body itself, sort of a wonderful cancer, which inexorably spreads through our entire being and changes it into living diamond: eternal and infinite beauty and wisdom. We could call it paradise—a paradise available to every living being in the entire universe, where we live together into all future time, in perfect harmony and happiness.

A clear and thorough commentary on perceptual theory and logic.

A detailed explanation of logic and philosophy as originally presented by Master Dharmakirti.

This detailed book on logical thinking is derived from Master Dharmakirti’s Commentary on Valid Perception. It is a common book used to train young monks in the art of debate and is sometimes known as the door to emptiness.  In our translation program this book represents the logic school.

“The Golden Key” is a wondrous exploration of some of the deepest ideas in Buddhist philosophy.  This commentary to Je Tsongkapa's classic work on the Mind only school is both easy to read and deep in its import.  The annotations Jigme Rikpay Reltri provides makes this very difficult subject clearer.  This might be the most comprehensive book translated on the Mind only school into English today.

Je Tsongkapa's  “Difficult Questions in the Mind only School” is an auto commentary to one of his earlier works. It helps to clarify many of the finer points discussed in his original poem.  He gives an in depth description of the two additional consciousnesses of the Mind only school.  His work is founded upon and backed by the great works of the Mind only scholars of India including Masters Asanga and Vasubandhu and of course Buddha Shakyamuni. The contents of this text codifies the works of 1900 years before it in one place.

An Explanation of the First Principal and the Divisions of the Dependence by Master Vasubandhu (350AD).  A detailed explanation of the 12 links of dependence, and how we can become free from pain.

A very detailed textbook for the study of the lower branch of the Middle-Way school of philosophy.

A commentary on Nagarjuna’s famous text proving that the lower schools of Buddhism do accept the profound concept of emptiness as accepted by the higher schools.  This book, representing the viewpoint of the Consequence school of the Middle Way, also explains the differences between the two branches of the Middle Way.

The translators’ goal was to translate definitive works that would help people all over the world master these two combined practices: quietude, or deep meditation; and then the insight into reality which is only possible from inside this state of quietude. The book begins by presenting theory—a treatise called Light on the Path to Freedom: An Explanation of the Steps for Developing an Understanding That Nothing Is Itself, by Choney Lama, Drakpa Shedrup (1675–1748). It then continues with four different classics which—when taken together—are just about everything one would ever need to know for developing the platform of quietude: Stages of Meditation, by Arya Nagarjuna (200AD); the third Stages of Meditation, by Master Kamalashila (775AD); The Illustrated Stages of Meditation, by Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche (1900–1981); and a selection on how to develop quietude from The Gift of Liberation, Thrust into Our Hands, notes taken by Trijang Rinpoche, on an oral teaching given by Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche (1878–1941), on Je Tsongkapa’s Great Book on the Steps of the Path.

Truly a praise of Lord Buddha for teaching dependence. It is not so much about dependence as it is emptiness.

The Diamond Cutter Sutra is one of the most famous Buddhist books of all time; it was taught by the Buddha 25 centuries ago, and then spread throughout India, China, Tibet, Japan, and many other countries. The Chinese edition seen here is the oldest printed book in the world with a date inside. The sutra focuses on the concept of emptiness, which is a key to success and happiness in the modern world, if we get a good explanation of how to apply it at work and at home.

The Heart Sutra, along with its cousin the Diamond Cutter Sutra, are the two most famous pieces of Buddhist literature ever taught. This is a unique translation with the root text in four languages, along with a comprehensive commentary by one of the greatest of all Tibetan writers.

A short and powerful text on practicing the steps of the path with personal advices from Je Tsongkapa. This is the first time Je Tsongkapa talked about his own inner life, and throughout the text he repeats one verse, “I, a yoga practitioner, this is how I practiced. For those of you who want to attain liberation, I encourage you to do the same.”

A young man named Shuka runs into the Buddha in a garden near the ancient Indian city of Shravasti, and the Buddha agrees to share with him how to identify all the seeds we need to plant—in the months and years to come—a wonderful life.

Teachings on the subject of how to develop a good heart, that is how to develop great compassion through how we interact with other people.  The story of the “Crown of Knives” outlines many specific causes and effects that we observe and apply in our own lives.

Representing the subject of Comparative Philosophy in our program, this book is a survey of the ancient Schools of Wisdom. It describes the beliefs of both Buddhist and non-Buddhist ancient schools of thought.

Every small group of people, on every small patch of land on this huge planet, has a different belief system.  This system determines everything about how those particular people run their lives, down to how they cut their hair, and what clothes they wear.  And by this belief system, people everywhere do their very best to be happy & prosperous.

Some belief systems work better than others, when measured by how much happiness or prosperity they produce.  It seems for example that the belief system of modern medicine has led people to have longer lives than they did, say, a few hundred years ago.