The Flowing River of Dharma: Instructions on Parting from the Four Attachments Featuring Sakya, Kagyu, Nyingma, Kadam of Old, and Gelug Teachings

Discover succinct instructions for ending the habits that cause you so much suffering in this contemporary exploration of a foundational four-line teaching from Vajrayana Buddhism.

How do we break free from the habits and compulsions that bring us suffering? In the 12th century, Sakya Drakpa Gyeltsen penned four short but significant lines, known as Parting from the Four Attachments, offering a concise guide to becoming a genuine dharma practitioner and charting a path to enlightenment. 

In The Flowing River of Dharma, Anyen Rinpoche and Allison Choying Zangmo offer a fresh, contemporary exploration of this foundational text, drawing on insights from Anyen Rinpoche’s teacher, Khenchen Tsara Dharmakirti Rinpoche, and a cave-dwelling hermit known as Lama Tsepel. Introducing the rimé movement, which promotes cross-traditional learning to uncover core teachings, the authors use this approach to offer a comprehensive review of the text, referring to teachings from a variety of traditions, including The Four Dharmas of Gampopa, as well as texts from the Longchen Nyingthig lineage and Nyingma, Sakya, and Kagyu schools. 

With clear language and a candid look at the challenges of dharma practice, the authors delve into the power of renunciation, understanding samsara’s true nature, and cultivating bodhicitta—the altruistic intent to relieve others’ suffering—as pathways to genuine happiness. Buddhists of all backgrounds will discover how these lojong (mind training) teachings can anchor us firmly on the path and ensure that we don’t stray from it until we reach complete liberation.