Principles of Buddhist tantra : a commentary on Chöje Ngawang Palden's illumination of the tantric tradition : the principles of the grounds and paths of the four great secret classes of tantra

Translators' Introduction Illumination of the Tantric Tradition: The Principles of the Grounds and Paths of the Four Great Secret Classes of Tantra Introduction Part 1: The Three Lower Tantras 1. Action Tantra 2. Performance Tantra 3. Yoga Tantra 4. Grounds and Paths Part 2: Mainstream Highest Yoga Tantra 5. The Generation Stage 6. The Completion Stage 7. Physical Isolation 8. Verbal Isolation 9. Mental Isolation 10. Relative Illusory Body 11. Ultimate Clear Light 12. Learner's Union 13. Alternate Systems of Highest Yoga Tantra 14. Enhancing and Manifesting Results. Part 3: Kālacakra Tantra15. Practitioners 16. Vows 17. The Generation Stage 18. The Vajra Body of the Completion Stage 19. The Six Branches of Practice of the Completion Stage 20. Manifesting Results Appendix: Tables Notes Glossary Bibliography Index About the Contributors. Kirti Tsenshap Rinpoche was a renowned teacher of Tibetan Buddhism with students worldwide. Revered as a teacher by even the Dalai Lama, he was known especially as a master of Buddhist tantra, the powerful esoteric methods for attaining enlightenment swiftly. The teachings in this book are a singular record of his deep learning in that field. Originally delivered in California to a group of Western students, the teachings comment on a classic introduction to tantra by the nineteenth-century Mongolian lama Choje Ngawang Palden. The work, Illumination of the Tantric Tradition, is a staple even today of the curriculum for training young monastics. Kirti Tsenshap Rinpoche explains the distinctive features of the four classes of tantra--action tantra, performance tantra, yoga tantra, and highest yoga tantra--by describing the way to progress through their paths and levels. He illuminates key issues in tantric practice that are still a matter for debate within the tradition. Finally, he gives a special treatment of the unique methods of Kalacakra tantra, which is regularly taught around the globe by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Kirti Tsenshap Rinpoché was a renowned teacher of Tibetan Buddhism with students worldwide. Revered as a teacher by even the Dalai Lama, he was known especially as a master of Buddhist tantra, the powerful esoteric methods for attaining enlightenment swiftly. The teachings in this book are a singular record of his deep learning in that field. Originally delivered in California to a group of Western students, the teachings comment on a classic introduction to tantra by the nineteenth-century Mongolian lama Chöjé Ngawang Palden. The work, Illumination of the Tantric Tradition, is a staple even today of the curriculum for training young monastics. Kirti Tsenshap Rinpoché explains the distinctive features of the four classes of tantra—action tantra, performance tantra, yoga tantra, and highest yoga tantra—by describing the way to progress through their paths and levels. He illuminates key issues in tantric practice that are still a matter for debate within the tradition. Finally, he gives a special treatment of the unique methods of Kalacakra tantra, which is regularly taught around the globe by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Translators' Introduction Illumination of the Tantric Tradition: The Principles of the Grounds and Paths of the Four Great Secret Classes of Tantra Introduction Part 1: The Three Lower Tantras 1. Action Tantra 2. Performance Tantra 3. Yoga Tantra 4. Grounds and Paths Part 2: Mainstream Highest Yoga Tantra 5. The Generation Stage 6. The Completion Stage 7. Physical Isolation 8. Verbal Isolation 9. Mental Isolation 10. Relative Illusory Body 11. Ultimate Clear Light 12. Learner's Union 13. Alternate Systems of Highest Yoga Tantra 14. Enhancing and Manifesting Results. Part 3: Kālacakra Tantra15. Practitioners 16. Vows 17. The Generation Stage 18. The Vajra Body of the Completion Stage 19. The Six Branches of Practice of the Completion Stage 20. Manifesting Results Appendix: Tables Notes Glossary Bibliography Index About the Contributors.