Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom is a translation of the root verses of the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, accompanied by a line-by-line commentary by Thrangu Rinpoche, the foremost scholar of this tradition. 
Rinpoche with his vast experience in meditation explains how the eight consciousnesses function and how they are transformed into the five wisdoms at enlightenment. 
This is book on Buddhist psychology written 800 years ago by one of the greatest scholars and meditators of his time. Thrangu Rinpoche's very lucid commentary makes it clear that what Rangjung Dorje's text is extremely relevant and important to the meditator of today.

Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom

Religion & Spirituality

Rinpoche, Thrangu

Buddhism

Namo Buddha Publications

In this book Rinpoche discusses The Four Common Foundations which are the four thoughts to contemplate before beginning a spiritual practice. The first foundation, precious human birth, explains in detail why practice is important. The second foundation, impermanence, teaches us to find something meaningful in life. The most difficult to understand foundation, karma, is lucidly explained by Thrangu Rinpoche. Because of karma, we can determine if we will have a fortunate or unfortunate future. Then after we have practiced we must return to conventional reality (samsara) and so the fourth reminder is a review of the characteristics of samsara. This book also includes Khenpo Karpo's excellent survey of the points of meditation and practice to round out the four foundations. "Thrangu Rinpoche's fine new book will be a great support to anyone making the effort to study, reflect upon, and put the teachings of the four foundations into practice." -- David Curtis, Director Tibet Language Institute

Four Foundations of Buddhist Practice

Study relates to doctrines of Theravåada, Mahåayåana, and Vajrayåana - the three main vehicles (yåanas) according to Tibetan Buddhist.

The Three Vehicles of Buddhist Practice

Milarepa, Tibet's greatest saint, had two major disciples: Gampopa, who established the monastic foundation of the Kagyu lineage and Rechungpa, who traveled to India and brought back profound teachings which were absorbed into several Kagyu lineages. 
Rechungpa's biography stand out because of the unorthodox unfolding of his realization. Rechungpa's pride and arrogance caused him to go against Milarepa's advice three times, putting his practice at risk. Even with this obstacle, Rechungpa's undying devotion to Milarepa served as the cause for enlightenment as evidenced by Rechungpa's achievement of rainbow body at his death.

Rechungpa: A Biography of Milarepa's Disciple

Biographies & Memoirs

Thrangu Rinpoche

The Mahayana path of Buddhism requires the development of wast loving-kindness and compassion. The foundation for developing impartial compassion for all sentient beings is based on understanding the emptiness of self and the emptiness of phenomena. In Shentong and Rangtong Thrangu Rinpoche begins with a lucid description of the four major schools of Buddhism and their tenents. Each school had its own view of reality and Rinpoche describes the similarities and differences of these views. The Middle-way path had two important schools in Tibet: the Shentong and the Rangtong. In the discussion of the Rangtong, Rinpoche shows how important it is to understand the emptiness of persons and of phenomena because this understanding helps develop an accurate view of the world and thus how to proceed in one's practice. In the discussion of Shentong, Rinpoche describes the empty, luminous clarity of mind and how this is developed in meditation. This clarity is also closely related to understanding Buddha-nature and meditation in the Vajrayana. Thrangu Rinpoche bases this discussion on Jamgon Kongtrul's encyclopedic text The Treasury of Knowledge. If you liked Khenpo Tsultrim's Progressive Stages of Meditation you will like this book because it is the same topic but in much, much more detail and tied more to how this topic relates to one's practice.

Shentong and Rangtong: Two Views of Emptiness

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche

In this book Rinpoche discusses The Four Common Foundations, which are the four thoughts to contemplate before beginning a spiritual practice.  The first foundation, precious human birth, explains in detail why practice is important. The second foundation, impermanence, teaches us to find something meaningful in life. The most difficult to understand foundation, karma, is lucidly explained by Thrangu Rinpoche. Because of karma, we can determine if we will have a fortunate or unfortunate future. Then after we have practiced we must return to conventional reality (samsara) and so the fourth reminder is a review of the characteristics of samsara.  This book also includes Khenpo Karpo's excellent survey of the points of meditation and practice to round out the four foundations.  "Thrangu Rinpoche's fine new book will be a great support to anyone making the effort to study, reflect upon, and put the teachings of the four foundations into practice."  -- David Curtis, Director Tibetan Language Institute  This book is published by Thrangu Rinpoche's press and is newly edited and corrected and printed in the USA on high quality paper with a four color cover.

Third edition, copyright 2012 by Thrangu Rinpoche.\nThis edition includes an English translation of the source text.\nOne of the most important concepts in Mahayana Buddhism is the concept of Emptiness. We have experiences that in fact appear, but when they are examined closely in four careful analyses of the Middle-way (Madhyamaka) they are found to have no substantiality or inherent reality. This fact has led the Buddha and many highly realized masters to declare that our reality is like a mirage, a dream, a drop of dew.\nThis is important because if we don't fully comprehend the insubstantiality of phenomena, we cannot really reduce our attachment to the world. Without this, we cannot develop true, universal compassion for all sentient beings.\nIn this book, Thrangu Rinpoche gives a careful evaluation of the four great analyses of Mipham Rinpoche in his Gateway to Knowledge in a simple, direct and practical manner.\nRinpoche has taught high lamas, ordinary monks, Western and Eastern lay practitioners for over 30 years in his centers in North America, Europe, India, Nepal, and Asia.\n"The teachings of Thrangu Rinpoche, the supreme lord of refuge and great abbot, are to be taken not as mere commentary upon the words and an explanation of their meaning, but rather as actual blessings and instructions drawn from his experience ornamented by love, compassion, and realization." 
--Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche\nThis book is published by Thrangu Rinpoche's press and is newly edited and corrected and printed in the USA on high quality paper with a four color cover.

The Open Door to Emptiness

Khenchen Thrangu

Milarepa, Tibet's greatest saint, had two major disciples: Gampopa, who established the monastic foundation of the kagyu lineage and Rechungpa, who traveled to India and brought back profound teachings which were absorbed into several lineages.\nRechungpa's biography stands out because of the unorthodox unfolding of his realization. His pride and arrogance caused him to go against Milarepa's advice three times, putting his practice at risk. Even with this obstacle, Rechungpa's undying devotion to Milarepa served as the cause for his enlightenment as evidenced by Rechungpa's achievement of rainbow body at his death.\n"At this time, as the precious teachings of the incomparable Buddha spread throughout the world, the numbers of the faithful grow daily. These various people want to know of the great learned and accomplished holy beings who arose impartially in the past -- the chronicles of their legacy of good activity for the doctrine, their deeds, their songs, and so forth.\n"With these needs and aspirations in mind, Namo Buddha Publications and Kamtsang Shrab Choling have collaborated to translate and publish this essential summary of the activities of Jetsun Rechung Dorje Drakpa. I rejoice in their efforts in this virtuous activity for which they have the highest altruistic intentions." 
--His Holiness, The 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje 
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This book is published by Thrangu Rinpoche's press and is newly edited and corrected and printed in the USA on high quality paper with a four color cover.

The entire path of Buddhism can be characterized as a quest for understanding the mind and then ridding the obstacles to mind. While the mind is the foundation of Buddhism, it is rarely directly described in its complexity. For this reason the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, wrote a treatise called Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom, which describes the eight consciousnesses in great detail and explains how we as ordinary beings are deluded by them. He then describes how to transcend ego and transform these consciousnesses into the five enlightened wisdoms. Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom presents a translation of Rangjung Dorje's brilliant 36 verse doha spanning this topic and includes a lucid and accessible commentary on these verses by Thrangu Rinpoche. This book is a virtual textbook of Buddhist psychology by an authentic teacher from a lineage that continues to be alive today even though it is a thousand years old. "An illuminating text which provides the 'missing link' between Yogacara philosophy and Mahamudra practice, demonstrating how we might transform our confusion and emotional obscurations into wisdom. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche has lucidly and generously provided a commentary which will deepen your understanding and enliven your practice. A must for all practitioners of Vajrayana!" --Judith Simmer-Brown, Ph.D. Professor of Buddhist Studies, Naropa University

Politics & Social Sciences

Philosophy

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Books by Namo Buddha Publications

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Namo Buddha Publications publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom

Four Foundations of Buddhist Practice

The Three Vehicles of Buddhist Practice

Rechungpa: A Biography of Milarepa's Disciple

The Three Vehicles of Buddhist Practice

Shentong and Rangtong: Two Views of Emptiness

Four Foundations of Buddhist Practice

The Open Door to Emptiness

Rechungpa: A Biography of Milarepa's Disciple

Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom