From Foundation to Summit

"In the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, before one can receive empowerments and pointing-out instructions from a dharma master, one must first open and prepare the mind, by engaging in the foundational practice (ngèondro). This consists of completing a specified number of repetitions of the rituals of taking refuge, arousing the mind of awakening (bodhichitta), mandala offering, Vajrasattva purification, and Guru Yoga. In this book, Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche brilliantly explains how to engage in the foundational practice according to New Treasures of the Dudjom tradition, the Dudjom Tersar. But this book is much more than that because, from the outset, Orgyen Chowang introduces the pristine teachings of Dzogchen, the pinnacle of the Nyingma path, to provide the context that informs every stage of the path to awakening. This book is based on a series of oral teachings on Thinley Norbu's text A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar, itself a teaching on the Dudjom Tersar, that Orgyen Chowang gave to Western students over a three-month period in 1997. He explains in a very fresh, uncomplicated way such topics as the blessings from the lama, the nature of awakening, the role of pointing-out instructions, tranquillity and insight meditation, the three bodies of enlightenment, and the Dzogchen practices of trekchèod (cutting through) and thèogal (passing over). This book will be of immense benefit to those engaged in the Dudjom Tersar ngèondro, those who have already finished their ngèondro accumulations, and those engaged in the foundational practice from other Nyingma lineages"--