Creation and Completion : Essential Points of Tantric Meditation

by Kongtrul, Jamgon; Rinpoche, Khenchen Thrangu; Harding, Sarah

• ISBN13: 9780861713127
• ISBN10: 0861713125
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-04-01
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications

Summary

Creation and Completion represents some of the most profound teachings of Jamgon Kongtrul (1813-99), one of the true spiritual and literary giants of Tibetan history. Though brief, it offers a lifetime of advice for all who wish to engage in-and deepen-the practice of tantric Buddhist meditation.

The original text, beautifully translated and introduced by Sarah Harding, is further brought to life by an in-depth commentary by the contemporary master Thrangu Rinpoche. Key Tibetan Buddhist fundamentals are quickly made clear, so that the reader may confidently enter into tantra's oft-misunderstood "creation" and "completion" stages.

In the creation stage, practitioners visualize themselves in the form of buddhas and other enlightened beings in order to break down their ordinary concepts of themselves and the world around them. This meditation practice prepares the mind for engaging in the completion stage, where one has a direct encounter with the ultimate nature of mind and reality.

Author Biography

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, (1813-99) was the leading figure in the nineteenth-century rime (nonsectarian) revival of Tibetan Buddhism. One of the most prolific and accomplished teachers and writers in Tibetan history, his works continue to guide and inspire students and practitioners alike.

Sarah Harding has been a Tibetan Buddhist translator and practitioner since 1974. She is the author of The Life and Revelations of Pema Lingpa. She has served since 1992 as a faculty member at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is a senior scholar within the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the author of many books and commentaries. He was born in Kham, Tibet, in 1933 and entered Thrangu Monastery at age seven. He serves as the main tutor to His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa and travels worldwide giving teachings and leading retreats. Based in Nepal and India, he is also abbot of Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia and founder of Vajra Vidya Retreat Center in Crestone, Colorado.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Preface	ix
Technical Note	xi
Introduction	1	(1)
Buddhism	2	(1)
Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma	2	(4)
Buddhism in Tibet	6	(1)
Deity Practice	7	(4)
The Guru	11	(2)
Creation Stage	13	(3)
Completion Stage	16	(4)
Jamgon Kongtrul	20	(4)
Literary Works	24	(3)
The Root Text in Tibetan and Englis	27	(56)
The Essential Points of Creation and Completion That Will Benefit the Beginner Who Has Entered the Path	29	(54)
Commentary	83	(72)
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
Introduction	83	(1)
Essential Points for Approaching the Path	84	(10)
Essential Points for Traversing the Path	94	(12)
Purification	106	(14)
The Emergence of Confusion	120	(14)
Working with Confusion	134	(7)
Cultivating Lucidity	141	(14)
Notes	155	(22)
Bibliography	177	(4)
Index	181