• The book is still being updated, please contact publications@nitarthainstitute.org for inquiries. Thank you for your patience. 
  • NOTE: For shipping within the US only. One hundred and thirteen definition flashcards drawn from the Classifications of Mind root text. English, Tibetan, and Sanskrit translations included.
  • NOTE: For shipping within the US only. Ninety six definition flashcards drawn from the Collected Topics root text. English, Tibetan, and Sanskrit translations included.
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    Author: Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

    In this life-changing book, acclaimed Buddhist teacher Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche shows how to free yourself from being a victim of your emotions by gaining the awareness and understanding that will help you harness their power. Emotions bring color and meaning to our lives, but they can also put us on an exhausting rollercoaster ride that takes us to blissful peak states, the depths of delusion and despair, and everything in between. It is only by learning to relate to our emotions skillfully that we benefit from their richness and glean wisdom, rather than letting them control us. Emotions get their power from a simple but deep-seated source: our lack of self-knowledge. When we bring awareness to our experience of emotions, something truly amazing happens—they lose their power to make us miserable. In this book, Rinpoche leads us through the three steps of his Emotional Rescue Plan. Mindful Gap is the practice of creating a safe distance between you and your emotions, which gives you the psychological space to work with their energy. Clear Seeing involves recognizing the bigger picture. Last, Letting Go is the practice of releasing stressful physical and emotional energy through exercise, relaxation, and awareness. With each step, we become increasingly familiar with the inner workings of our emotions, seeing straight to the heart of anger, fear, passion, jealousy, and pride. With time and practice, instead of leading us astray, our emotions become our guide towards living a more compassionate, creative, and fulfilling life.   Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is a widely celebrated Buddhist teacher and the author of Rebel Buddha: A Guide to a Revolution of Mind. ("Rinpoche" is an honorific reserved for highly respected Buddhist teachers.) He is the founder and president of Nalandabodhi, an international network of Buddhist centers.
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    Author: Mitra Dr. Karl Brunnhölzl

    A guide to the famous Heart Sūtra that reveals the tenderness and compassion underlying the striking rhetoric of this popular Buddhist text The radical message of the Heart Sūtra, one of Buddhism’s most famous texts, is a sweeping attack on everything we hold most dear: our troubles, the world as we know it, even the teachings of the Buddha himself. Several of the Buddha’s followers are said to have suffered heart attacks and died when they first heard its assertion of the basic groundlessness of our existence—hence the title of this book. Overcoming fear, the Buddha teaches, is not to be accomplished by shutting down or building walls around oneself, but instead by opening up to understand the illusory nature of everything we fear—including ourselves. In this book of teachings, Karl Brunnhölzl guides practitioners through this ‘crazy’ sutra to the wisdom and compassion that lie at its core.   Karl Brunnhölzl, MD, was trained as a physician and also studied Tibetology. He received his systematic training in Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy and practice at the Marpa Institute for Translators, founded by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. Since 1989 he has been a translator and interpreter from Tibetan and English. He is presently involved with the Nitartha Institute as a teacher and translator.  
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    Author: Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje

    If you are inspired to take up his challenge, the Karmapa offers a path for participating in a global community that is based on compassion. In these chapters, he shares his vision for bringing social action into daily life, on a scale we can realistically manage through the choices we make every day—what to buy, what to eat, and how to relate honestly and bravely with our friends and family and coworkers. His fresh and encouraging perspective shows us that we have the strength to live with kindness in the midst of the many challenges we face as socially and environmentally conscious beings. Because he sees the world through the lens of the interdependence of all beings, he sees that humans can change social and environmental problems by changing their attitudes and actions. And so, he shows ways that we can change our world by changing ourselves—by examining our own habits of consumption and by being willing to look into how our food reaches our table and how the products we buy are made. In his chapter on gender, he points out that we don’t have to label others according to a social construct.

    If his viewpoint seems optimistic, it is—and it’s also demanding. The Karmapa calls on us to open our mind and heart to the innumerable connections we share with others—in our families, communities, social systems, and on our planet. Thanks to the depth of his spiritual training, and the breadth of his curiosity about the world and his love for it, he presents a relevant framework for understanding what it means to be human now—and why it’s imperative that we concern ourselves with the well-being of all others. He points to a world we can create through our own effort, using a resource we already have in abundance—the basic nobility of our human heart.   The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is the spiritual head of one of the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 900-year-old lineage of Karmapas has included some of Tibet’s greatest spiritual masters. Born to nomadic parents in rural Tibet, he was identified while still a young child as the heir to this leadership position. In 2000, the Karmapa’s dramatic escape to India from Chinese-ruled Tibet at the age of fourteen propelled him onto the world stage. Since then, he has emerged as an international Buddhist leader and environmental activist, founding Khoryug, a region-wide environmental protection program. The Karmapa has been dubbed the "new face of Tibetan Buddhism," and many Tibetans look to the Karmapa for inspiration in their struggle to preserve their embattled culture. In 2008, he made his historic first visit to America. 
  • Translator: Ari Goldfield

    A root text by Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. It presents the divisions and definitions logic, and what constitutes valid and invalid reasoning as presented in the tradition of Dignāga and Dharmakīrti.
  • Traducción del tibetano al inglés por Karl Brunnhölzl Traducción del inglés al español por Israel Lifshitz

    Un texto raíz escrito por Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. Presenta las divisiones y definiciones de los tipos de mente identificados en la tradición epistemológica de Dignāga y Dharmakīrti.
  • Author: Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen Translators: Kimberly Colwell and Marcus Perman

    Root text written by Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen. It presents the divisions and definitions of the Mind Only philosophical system.
  • Translator: Dr. Mitra Karl Brunnhölzl

    A root text compiled by Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen. It presents the divisions and definitions of objects as presented in the abhidharma tradition of Vasubandhu.   Available in print and as an eBook for Apple or Android devices.
  • Translator: Dr. Mitra Karl Brunnhölzl

    A root text written by Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. It presents the divisions and definitions of the types of mind identified in the epistemological tradition of Dignāga and Dharmakīrti. Also available as an eBook for Apple or Android devices.
    • The hardcopy book is shipped from the US. International customers may wish to explore local booksellers, Shambala Publications, or Amazon to save on shipping cost.

    Author: Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

    In the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, the Great Perfection is considered the most profound and direct path to enlightenment. The instructions of this tradition present a spiritual shortcut--a radically direct approach that cuts through confusion and lays bare the mind's true nature of luminous purity. For centuries, these teachings have been taught and practiced in secret by some of the greatest adepts of the Buddhist tradition. Great Perfection: Outer and Inner Preliminaries contains detailed instructions on the foundational practices of this tradition, from "The Excellent Chariot," a practice manual compiled by the Third Dzogchen Rinpoche. Distilling the teachings of the Heart Essence of the Dakinis into an accessible, easy-to-practice format, The Excellent Chariotleads the reader through the entire Buddhist path, starting with basic Buddhist contemplations that work to dislodge deeply ingrained patterns of thinking and behaving, and continuing on to the most advanced and secret meditative practices of the Great Perfection. The teachings in this volume are drawn largely from the writings of the great Nyingma master Longchenpa and the root texts of the Heart Essence of the Dakinis itself. The Third Dzogchen Rinpoche begins by discussing the correct way to study and practice the Great Perfection teachings before presenting an overview of the Great Perfection lineage and an explanation on the meaning and importance of empowerment. In the chapters that follow, he presents practical instructions on the outer and inner preliminaries, the so-called "ng ndro" practices. These practices enable the practitioner to transform and purify the mind, preparing it for the advanced Great Perfection meditation of Trekch and T gal, the breakthrough and direct leap. In addition to the translation mentioned above, Great Perfection: Outer and Inner Preliminaries contains a beautiful introduction by the Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, a contemporary Great Perfection master, and an extensive glossary of key Great Perfection terminology. The Heart Essence Series presents translations of seminal writings on the Great Perfection. Beginning with the works of the Heart Essence of the Dakinis and the Heart Essence of Vimalamitra, two cycles that lie at the core of the Great Perfection lineage, the series aims to provide scholars, teachers, and practitioners of these profound teachings with accurate and readable translations of the most important Great Perfection texts. Great Perfection: Separation and Breakthrough, a companion volume of restricted teachings, is also available, containing advanced teachings on the separation or rushen practices and the breakthrough stage of Great Perfection meditation. The Third Dzogchen Rinpoche (1759-1792) was the abbot of Dzogchen Monastery, one of the largest monastic centers in eastern Tibet. He was known particularly for his mastery of the Great Perfection teachings and his clear and accessible works on this topic.
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    Author: Bötrül Translator: Douglas Samuel Duckworth

    An annotated translation of an essential work of twentieth-century Tibetan Buddhist thought, one that explicates teachings on the Middle Way.

    This is an essential work of Tibetan Buddhist thought written by an influential scholar of the twentieth century. From the same Nyingma school as the great Tibetan philosopher Mipam, Botrul in this text provides a systematic overview of Mipam’s teachings on the Middle Way. Presenting the Nyingma tradition within a rich constellation of diverse perspectives, Botrul contrasts Nyingma views point-by-point with positions held by other Tibetan schools. Botrul’s work addresses a wide range of complex topics in Buddhist doctrine in a beautifully structured composition in verse and prose. Notably, Botrul sheds light on the elusive meaning of "emptiness" and presents an interpretation that is unique to his Nyingma school. Distinguishing the Views and Philosophies exemplifies the vigorous tradition of Tibetan Buddhist scholarship and is widely studied in the contemporary monastic colleges of Tibet, India, and Nepal. Douglas Samuel Duckworth’s translation will make this work widely available in English for the first time, and his thoughtful commentary will provide insight and context for readers. Bötrül (1898-1959) was an ordained monk from central Tibet, who was recognized as an incarnate lama. He taught at several monastic colleges in eastern and central Tibet, and many of his students were among the most influential leaders of the Nyingma school.   Douglas Samuel Duckworth is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at East Tennessee State University. He is the author of Mipam on Buddha-Nature: The Ground of the Nyingma Tradition, also published by SUNY Press.
    • Also available as an eBook for Android  and Apple devices.

    Author: Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thayé Translator: Karl Brunnhölzl

    A root text based on sections of Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye’s Treasury of Knowledge. It systematically presents the Madhyamaka view of the two truths, the assertions of the subschools of the tradition, and formulates the emptiness reasonings.  
  • A commentary by Ācārya Kelsang Wangdi

    • Also available as an eBook for Apple or Android devices.
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    Buddha Nature: The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra with Commentary by Maitreya, Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Tayé and Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche

    Author: Arya Maitreya Commentary: Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Tayé and Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche Translator: Rosemary Fuchs

    All sentient beings, without exception, have buddha nature—the inherent purity and perfection of the mind, untouched by changing mental states. Thus there is neither any reason for conceit nor self-contempt. This is obscured by veils that are removable and do not touch the inherent purity and perfection of the nature of the mind. The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra, one of the “Five Treatises” said to have been dictated to Asanga by the Bodhisattva Maitreya, presents the Buddha’s definitive teachings on how we should understand this ground of enlightenment and clarifies the nature and qualities of buddhahood. This seminal text details with great clarity the view that forms the basis for Vajrayana, and especially Mahamudra, practice.  
  • 2023 Updated Edition. Ebook available soon!

    Author: Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen, and Acharya Kelsang Wangdi Translator: Karl Brunnhölzl

    A root text written by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen, and Acharya Kelsang Wangdi. It presents the divisions and definitions of the Vaibhashika and Sautrantika philosophical systems.

  • Commentary by Acharya Sherab Gyaltsen. Root Text Translation by Ari Goldfield. Oral Translation by Elizabeth M. Callahan. This transcript was produced from a series of talks given by Acharya Sherab Gyaltsen at Nitartha Institute, Gampo Abbey, Nova Scotia, Canada, in June and July 1997.
    • Available as an eBook for Apple and Android devices.
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    Translator: Dr. Mitra Karl Brunnhölzl

    An extraordinary collection of writings on buddha nature by the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339). The Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje’s unique and balanced view synthesizes Yogācāra Madhyamaka and the classical teachings on buddha nature. His work focuses on the transition from ordinary deluded consciousness to enlightened wisdom, the characteristics of buddhahood, and a buddha’s enlightened activity. Included are commentaries by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé that supplement the view of the Third Karmapa on two fundamental treatises on buddha nature, emphasizing the luminous empty mind of buddha nature as presented by the great Indian masters Maitreya and Asaṅga. For those practicing the sutrayāna and the vajrayāna in the Kagyü tradition, what these texts describe can be transformed into living experience.  
  • A commentary by Ācārya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen

    This series (Introduction to Topic 8)  presents Maitreya’s Ornament of Clear Realization based on the commentary by the eighth Karmapa Mikyö Dorje, Relief of the Noble Ones. Maitreya’s work is the central Mahayana text on the stages of the path and their fruition, for both the Hinayana and Mahayana. It is traditionally summarized in seventy points, or more generally in eight chapters. Whereas the Madhyamaka literature presents the explicit meaning of the Prajnaparamita Sutras, the subject matter of the Abhisamayalamkara is the hidden or implied meaning: the various stages of bodhisattvas, shravakas, and pratyekabuddhas on the path of the meditation on emptiness, from the stage of beginner up through buddhahood. Includes root text by Maitreya and commentary by Mikyö Dorje, translated by Mitra Dr. Karl Brunnhölzl.
  • Commentary by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

    This series explicates one of the principal Indian classics of the Madhyamaka tradition, Chandrakirti’s Madhyamakavatara (Entrance to the Middle Way), along with the Kagyü commentary by the eighth Karmapa, The Chariot of the Dakpo Kagyüs. These transcripts cover the Madhyamakavatara’s eleven chapters, which correlate with the ten bhumis (grounds) and the ten paramitas (perfections), plus the ultimate bhumi of buddhahood. The focus is particularly on the sixth chapter of the Madhyamakavatara, which discusses prajna (transcendental knowledge) and its realization of emptiness. Main topics include the selflessness of phenomena and the individual, and the impossibility of finding a self anywhere with the range of phenomenal experience. Includes root text by Chandrakirti and commentary by Mikyö Dorje, translated by Elizabeth M. Callahan.
  • A commentary by Acharya Sherab Gyaltsen

    Root verses and commentary on An Exposition Of The Presentation of the Philosophical Systems of the Great Vehicle An Exposition that Reveals the Presentation of the Philosophical Systems of the Chittamatrikas of the Great Vehicle by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. Translated by Karl Brunnhölzl, Tyler Dewar, and Scott Wellenbach.
  • A commentary by Āchārya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen

    This series (Introduction to Topic 8) presents Maitreya’s Ornament of Clear Realization based on the commentary by the eighth Karmapa Mikyö Dorje, Relief of the Noble Ones. Maitreya’s work is the central Mahayana text on the stages of the path and their fruition, for both the Hinayana and Mahayana. It is traditionally summarized in seventy points, or more generally in eight chapters. Whereas the Madhyamaka literature presents the explicit meaning of the Prajnaparamita Sutras, the subject matter of the Abhisamayalamkara is the hidden or implied meaning: the various stages of bodhisattvas, shravakas, and pratyekabuddhas on the path of the meditation on emptiness, from the stage of beginner up through buddhahood. Includes root text by Maitreya and commentary by Mikyö Dorje, translated by Mitra Dr. Karl Brunnhölzl.

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