Songs of True Accomplishment: Commentaries on Naropa and Lodrö Thaye, Jamgön Kongtrül's Songs

The profound teachings by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche are in the style of penetrating, pith instructions. This book embodies his subtle and percipient wisdom expressed through the age-old tradition of spiritual songs.

The main practice in the Kagyü teaching system is Mahamudra. The lineage of Mahamudra chiefy comes through Marpa Lotsawa’s two root gurus, Naropa and Maitripa. The texts explained here — A Summary of Mahamudra and The View, Concisely Put — were spoken by Naropa.

Naropa’s songs are very important for practitioners of Mahamudra, pithy words, rich with meaning. This is why Khenchen chose to teach them during his courses. The songs and my explanations were translated by lotsawa Erik Pema Kunsang. These teachings are about essential meditation training. Rinpoche considered them very important for future students to pay attention to and study. He expressed that doing so would greatly benefit one’s understanding of the key points of Mahamudra

Given in the style of pith instructions, these profound lectures on the key points of two Songs by Naropa, are accompanied by an explanation of the lord of the Dharma, Jamgön Lodrö Thaye’s song of experience in Mahamudra. Please all Dharma practitioners take the meaning of these extremely precious teachings to heart and make it a personal experience through correct practice.

Naropa was born as the son of a king. Growing up, however, he had no inclination to become the ruler of a country. Instead, he renounced his kingdom and took ordination as a monk. He studied and became extremely learned. Later, he stayed at the great monastic university of Nalanda in eastern India… Naropa underwent twelve minor and twelve major trials. The minor ones were in his search for his master, Tilopa and the major ones were inflicted by Tilopa. In the end, his realization became identical to his teacher.

Naropa’s songs of realization are the Song of Naropa and the Summary of Mahamudra. It is both important and necessary to study and reflect upon such extraordinary teachings on the view of Mahamudra. When put into practice these instructions are incredibly effective.

Teachings like Mahamudra, also known as the path of liberation, as explained by Naropa in this book, have the complete, true view. A beginner can embark on this training in a very gentle and relaxed way. It is not necessary to grapple with too many difficulties.

Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thaye was foretold by Buddha Shakyamuni in the King of Samadhi Sutra. When Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche taught this sutra, he mentioned that Gampopa was predicted but I did not say much about Jamgön Kongtrül. In the sutra the Buddha is recorded as saying, “In the future, when the time of degeneration has begun, there will be a great bodhisattva named Lodrö who will vastly benefit beings by means of the five types of knowledge.” In fact, Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thaye established the body of the Buddha’s teachings, which he collected and composed, within five treasuries. In this way, he delayed the disappearance of the Buddhadharma. When he realized the view of Mahamudra, he spontaneously wrote down the song included here.