Luminous Heart

A superb collection of writings on buddha nature by the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339) focusing on the transition from ordinary deluded consciousness to enlightened wisdom, the characteristics of buddhahood, and a buddha's enlightened activity--now in paperback.

The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, propounded a unique synthesis of Yogacara, Madhyamaka, and the classical teachings on buddha nature. His work occupies an important position between its Indian predecessors and the later, often highly charged, debates in Tibet about rangtong ("self-emptiness") and shentong ("other-emptiness"). The Third Karmapa is widely renowned as one of the major proponents of the Tibetan shentong tradition. This book contains a collection of some of his main writings on buddha nature; the transition of ordinary deluded consciousness to enlightened wisdom; and the characteristics of buddhahood.


Though relying strictly on classical Indian sources, the Karmapa's texts are not mere scholarly documents. Their topics and styles bear great significance for practicing the Sutrayana and the Vajrayana as understood in the Kagyü tradition to the present day, thus making what is described in these texts a living experience.