King of Samadhi: Commentaries on the Samadhi Raja Sutra and the Song of Lodrö Thaye [Paperback]

Khenchen Rinpoche (Author), Erik Pema Kunsang (Translator), Chokyi Rinpoche (Foreword), Thrangu Rinpoche (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 2004

King of Samadhi contains two commentaries given by His Eminence Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche in January 1993, as part of his yearly Namo Buddha Seminar at his monastery in Boudhanath, Nepal. The first commentary is on the King of Samadhi Sutra, a famous sutra spoken by the Buddha. The second is on the Song of Lodro Thaye, written by the great 19th-century master Jamgon Kongtrul the First, also known as Lodro Thaye.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is a sublime being whose eminent character never departs from loving kindness and compassion. He is a great Buddhist teacher possessing the three qualities of learning, pure conduct and noble-mindedness. He is also an expert in exposition, debate and composition. Given in the style of pith instructions, these profound lectures contain the key points of the Samadhi Raja Sutra, the words of our compassionate Buddha. This is accompanied by an explanation by the lord of the Dharma, Jamgon Lodro Thaye's song of experience in Mahamudra. It is therefore my request that all Dharma practitioners take the meaning of these extremely precious teachings to heart and make it a personal experience through correct practice. Please treasure this Dharma book with great care and appreciation."
- Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche

About the Author

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, a realized teacher of Tibetan Buddhism's Kagyu lineage, has been the abbot of Rumtek monastery in Sikkim and currently directs numerous monasteries and retreat centers. On his frequent world tours he teaches all levels of Buddhist philosophy and practice.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books (May 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9627341193
• ISBN-13: 978-9627341192
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #861,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wheat and chaff, October 21, 2007

By 

Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: King of Samadhi: Commentaries on the Samadhi Raja Sutra and the Song of Lodrö Thaye (Paperback)

This is one of TR's older books, based on 1993 seminars in Nepal, including a very loose commentary (per most of his books) on a sutra recommended by the Karmapa as an introduction to Mahamudra (MM) study plus a stanza-by-stanza commentary on Jamgon Kongtrul's "The Song of Lodro Thaye. As usual, TR gives the traditional view of Ngondro preliminaries, definitions of emptiness, etc. The translator has interspersed some chapters from the sutra but not enough IMHO; an appendix & glossary would have been helpful. As TR says: p. 19: "If we only examine the superficial meaning it does not seem to be about Mahamudra at all." Indeed, he works hard to map it to MM. But, he also states: p. 53: "We should possess two qualities--the quality of being independent of other people's statements and the quality of being unswayed by what others assert." I didn't find the sutra very helpful but the commentary explains many terms not well explained elsewhere (e.g. retaining the sutra, discriminating knowledge & wisdom, & conceptual mind). It supports the contention that translators have chosen strange English words--for example: p. 75: "The Tibetan word for `discipline' is tsultrim, which means `keeping a gentle, correct mode of behavior...The Sanskrit word for `discipline' is shila, which means `tranquility' or `serenity.'" Then why translate these terms as "discipline?" It doesn't fit very well. Importantly for Westerners, TR explains the psychological vs. psychic or literal nature of blessing, empowerment, sacrifice, dedication, & custom.

Antithetically, I found the Song of Lodro Thaye quite wonderful--esp. TR's elucidating commentary. He contrasts the 12 segments of MM with the 6 yogas of Naropa; provides a detailed & logical 5-stage life cycle for Samsaric creation; relates mother or ground luminosity to son or path luminosity; & explains the 3 stages of birth (i.e. 3 types of students or approaches to learning--gradual, instantaneous, & skipping-the-grades--which Namgyal calls evanescent), stating p. 172: "Whichever of these 3 categories we may fall into we should connect with or realize those qualities." Thus, p. 179: "The great master Shang Tsalpa once said, `Mahamudra training is the sudden path, and it is delusion to divide it up into different stages'" but TR takes exception to this because IMHO TR represents the gradual approach vs. Tsalpa's instantaneous approach. The book concludes with a great quote: p. 191: "As Tilopa said, `You are not fettered by the way you experience, but by your attachment to it;'" i.e. avoid attachment even to the words of Buddhist masters.

3.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful book with a serious issue, April 5, 2011

By 

Leo Rivers "Leo Rivers" (www.madimi.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King of Samadhi: Commentaries on the Samadhi Raja Sutra and the Song of Lodrö Thaye (Paperback)

The Sutra is one that is quoted often. Please see the wiki page for some valuable background on it, ([...]). The previous reviewer has pleaded out what I think is a real problem with the book and I know its origin. For a book with the title the "King of Samadhi Sutra", there is very little of the Samdhiraja Sutra or Candrapradapa Sutra in it! I understand a full 40 chapter sutra may have been impractical, but so little of the sutra makes getting an actual taste of it difficult. The source for this kind of problem is that when Tibetan Buddhist teachers came from Tibet the source tracts were not translated and easily available. They would use outlines of the texts as outlines for a lecture presenting the teachings of the text. For a sutra that even the scholars say speaks in generalities that makes this particular sutra's point of view hard to pin down, this kind of presentation even further distances the reader from the text. As the previous reviewer noted the second section is much more successful and a joy. I really like the author and translators, Khenchen Rinpoche (Author), Erik Pema Kunsang (Translator), and have many other books by them that have amazing qualities ---- yes this book is a keeper for me. But bottom line... It Just was not the book I thought I was buying.