The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to Tantra, Books 1 to 10: Foundations of the Buddhist Path

From the main practice manual studied by the lay yogi-practitioner lineages of Tibet, now in English for the first time, this volume presents the foundational stages of the Buddhist path according to the Nyingma, or Ancient, tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

In 1838, Choying Tobden Dorje, a Buddhist yogi-scholar of eastern Tibet, completed a multivolume masterwork that traces the entire path of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism from beginning to end. Written by a lay practitioner for laypeople, it was intended to be accessible, informative, inspirational, and above all, practical. Its twenty-five books, or topical divisions, offer a comprehensive and detailed view of the Buddhist path according to the early translation school of Tibetan Buddhism, spanning the vast range of Buddhist teachings from the initial steps to the highest esoteric teachings of great perfection. Choying Tobden Dorje’s magnum opus appears in English here for the first time.

In Foundations of the Buddhist Path, which covers the first ten of the treatise’s twenty-five books, the author surveys the scope of the entire work and then begins with the topics that set the cornerstones for all subsequent Buddhist practice: what constitutes proper spiritual apprenticeship, how to receive the teachings, how to make the best use of this life, and how to motivate ourselves to generate effort on the spiritual path. He then describes refuge and the vows that define the path of individual liberation before turning to the bodhisattva’s way—buddha nature, how to uplift the mind to supreme awakening, the bodhisattva’s training, and the attainments of the paths leading to supreme awakening.

• The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to Tantra, Book 13: Philosophical Systems and Lines of Transmission
• The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to Tantra, Books 15 to 17: The Essential Tantras of Mahayoga
• The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to Tantra: An Overview of Buddhist Tantra (Tsadra Foundation)
• Finding Rest in Illusion: The Trilogy of Rest, Volume 3
• Finding Rest in Meditation: Trilogy of Rest, Volume 2
• The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History
• The Emanated Scripture of Manjushri: Shabkar's Essential Meditation Instructions (Tsadra)
• Finding Rest in the Nature of the Mind: Trilogy of Rest, Volume 1
• Dudjom Lingpa's Visions of the Great Perfection
• Words of My Perfect Teacher: A Complete Translation of a Classic Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (Sacred Literature)