A Song for the King: Saraha on Mahamudra Meditation [Paperback]

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (Author), Michele Martin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 2006

Mahamudra meditation is growing in popularity in the West, since it involves no rituals and can be easily incorporated into daily activities. Saraha's A Song for the King is the basis for the tradition, and though widely known in Tibetan Buddhist circles, it has only been available to Western followers in a badly outdated translation. This welcome new edition features Michele Martin’s clear, accessible translation, the original Tibetan text, and extensive notes and commentary from contemporary master Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications (April 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0861715039
• ISBN-13: 978-0861715039
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,258,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely doha, nice commentary, February 5, 2007

By 

Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Song for the King: Saraha on Mahamudra Meditation (Paperback)

This book is based on talks given in Colorado in 2002 updating Karma Trinlepa's (1456-1539) commentary on the Mahasidda Saraha's doha (p. 17: "song of attainment" or "song of experience" on Mahamudra (MM). Saraha's unique system has 4 joys/seals/symbols/samadhis (see chart on p. 100) & uses poetic metaphors extensively. As translator Michele Martin states on p.1: "Metaphors have the capacity to evoke an experiential reality that transcends the intellect, & so they are not only a teaching tool to deepen understanding but an opening form another dimension." The song is relatively straightforward at first but becomes progressively more difficult, using Tibetan allusions etc. Thus, while Thrangu R. provides some personal amplification at first, his commentary becomes absolutely necessary as the text progresses-- p. 83: "To avoid a possible misunderstanding, it is crucial to know what this verse does & does not say." Helpful Q&A from the oral presentations & an appendix with text translated are also provided. Some of the main points in the text are the obstacles to practice including the need for Mahamudra such that the path of method (generation/completion stages & the 4 Yogas of Naropa) are incomplete without MM. While some value is assigned to logical analysis, the emphasis is on meditation experience. Indeed, p. 75: "Milarepa said to Gampopa: `While meditating on Mahamudra, do not engage in logical analysis. Non-conceptual wisdom will vanish if you do.'" Method path techniques are useful if performed under the MM view [similar to Kabbalist view of performing rituals with proper kabbalistic kavvanah or intention]. Perhaps the most important distinction that Thrangu R. makes is that between self-awareness & self-aware wisdom. My favorite metaphor is his comparison of p. 77: television pixels (colored dots on the screen) with viewer's emotional involvement in the show as depicting our ignorance. Overall, the doha is quite lovely & the commentary is helpful, but there isn't much new here if one has read several of Thrangu Rinpoche's prior books.