Natural Liberation: Padmasambhava's Teachings on the Six Bardos: Written by Padmasambhava
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A perfect companion to the well-known Tibetan Book of the Dead.
In life and in death, in meditation and in sleep, every transitional stage of consciousness, or bardo, provides an opportunity to overcome limitations, frustrations, and fears. The profound teachings in this book provide the under- standing and instruction necessary to turn every phase of life into an opportunity for uncontrived, natural liberation.
Like the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Natural Liberation is a terma, a "hidden treasure" attributed to the eighth-century master Padmasambhava. Gyatrul Rinpoche's lucid commentary accompanies the text, illuminating the path of awakening to the point of full enlightenment. Natural Liberation is an essential contribution to the library of both scholars and practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.
About the Author
Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche was born in 1924 in China near the Tibetan border. At the age of seven he was recognized to be a reincarnate tulku and trained at Payul Dhomang Monastery in eastern Tibet. Rinpoche spent many years in solitary retreat before fleeing the Communist invasion of Tibet in 1959. After living in India for twelve years, Rinpoche moved to America and in 1976 was appointed as H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche's spiritual representative in America. Rinpoche has founded many Buddhist centers, including Tashi Choling in Oregon, Orgyen Dorje Den in the San Francisco Bay area, Norbu Ling in Texas, Namdroling in Montana, and a center in Ensenada, Mexico.
B. Alan Wallace is president of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies. He trained for many years as a monk in Buddhist monasteries in India and Switzerland. He has taught Buddhist theory and practice in Europe and America since 1976 and has served as interpreter for numerous Tibetan scholars and contemplatives, including H. H. the Dalai Lama. After graduating summa cum laude from Amherst College, where he studied physics and the philosophy of science, he earned his MA and PhD in religious studies at Stanford University. He has edited, translated, authored, and contributed to more than thirty books on Tibetan Buddhism, medicine, language, and culture, and the interface between science and religion.
- Miraculous Birth: According to tradition, he was not born normally but appeared miraculously on a blossoming lotus flower in Lake Dhanakosha in the ancient kingdom of Oddiyana (modern-day Swat Valley, Pakistan/India)
- Exile and Travel: As a youth, he renounced his royal upbringing to practice in India's terrifying charnel grounds. He traveled across the Himalayan region, mastering esoteric doctrines and meditating in sacred caves.
- Taming Spirits: Invited to Tibet by King Trisong Detsen in the 8th century, he subdued hostile local spirits and demons that were hindering the spread of Buddhism. By converting these forces into protectors, he successfully established the Dharma in Tibet.
The Eight Manifestations
- Guru Tsokye Dorje: The "Lake-Born Vajra," representing his miraculous birth.
- Guru Shakya Senge: The "Lion of the Sakyas," depicted as a monk.
- Guru Nyima Ozer: The "Ray of the Sun," a wandering yogi.
- Guru Padmasambhava: The "Lotus-Born," who brings harmony to the world.
- Guru Loden Chokse: The "Wise Seeker of the Truth," an intellectual and scholar.
- Guru Senge Dradok: The "Lion's Roar," a fierce form that defeats negative forces.
- Guru Dorje Drolo: The "Wild Wrathful Vajra," riding a tigress to subdue demons.
- Guru Pema Gyalpo: The "Lotus King," a royal form representing his compassionate power.
Legacy and Teachings
- The Second Buddha: Because Tantric Buddhism faded in India, Guru Padmasambhava's work in preserving and establishing the Vajrayana tradition in the Himalayas is considered so profound that Tibetan Buddhists refer to him as a second Buddha.
- Terma Tradition: Before leaving Tibet, he hid numerous spiritual treasures, teachings, and prophecies (known as terma) in lakes, caves, and mountains, to be discovered by future enlightened masters known as tertöns.
- The Nyingma School: He is the principal lineage guru and founding father of the Nyingma school, the oldest of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
- Publisher : Wisdom Publications
- Publication date : June 15 1998
- Language : English
- Print length : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0861711319
- ISBN-13 : 978-0861711314
- Item weight : 499 g
- Dimensions : 13.65 x 2.54 x 21.59 cm
