Customer Reviews

Empowerment and the Path of Liberation: Tsele Natsok Rangdrol

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The author is justly famous for his "Lamp of Mahamudra" & "Mirror of Mindfulness." He addresses both Mahamudra (MM) & Dzogchen, including many very fine quotes from Kagyu & Nyingma masters & from Tantras. For example: p. 17: from "Subsequent Tantra of the Bathing Elephants"-"The mind essence of sentient beings is the luminous nature of self-awareness, the unfabricated awakened state, a continuity that is spontaneously present. Once you embark on the path of ripening and liberating this luminous nature, you clearly perceive the fruition within your own being." The 1st ½ of the book addresses the nature of Tantric empowerment; I didn't find it applicable as it mostly reproaches people of his era (Middle Ages) though some may still apply: p. 61: "There are many meditators, but few who know how to meditate." But the 2nd ½ includes very rare & valuable teachings such as the limitations of Gampopa's "Jewel Ornament of Liberation"-now I know why I didn't really like this famed text! He explains the differences in Madhyamaka & MM in depth, stating that: p. 71: "This creation of emptiness out of mere belief is the Middle Way of meditation. It possesses the dualistic concepts of a meditator & an object of meditation. One doesn't realize the view through that. Because it counteracts the fixation of a concrete reality it can exhaust an immense amount of obscurations, but it cannot bring enlightenment." He also explains that rigid meditation requirements are not necessarily applicable to MM practitioners: p. 91: quoting Lord Kodragpa, "I, a yogi of Mahamudra, have no posture, gaze, or fixed attention. I simply practice in whatever thought arises." The Glossary provides some data on the masters cited in the text. Of course, the book must be read considering the Middle Age, Tibetan multi-school context. Unlike most authors, Rangdröl minces no words & deftly points out important differences in views & practices. He is a heavy proponent of practice lineages vs. academic/rationalist approaches. This small book is worth reading.