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Treasury of Precious Qualities: A Commentary on the Root Text of Jigme Lingpa

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It is wonderful to finally have a translation of this precious Tibetan text written in the 18th century by one of the greatest Tibetan scholars and masters, Jigme Lingpa. The insightful and indispensable commentary is provided by Kangyur Rinpoche (1898-1975), highly revered as one of the greatest Tibetan masters of the 20th century. This text provides a detailed overview of the Buddhist path as taught within the Nyingma school. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to cultivate their knowledge and to deepen their understanding of Tibetan Buddhism.

This review reveals a number of characteristics of the author that ought to give rise to questioning these comments in light of the dharma. Any student of the dharma who has taken the trouble to sit through hours of teachings will tell you straight away: anyone who claims to dispense with the preliminaries and get straight to the highest view is foolish. Even in receiving transmissions of Dzogchen texts,the preliminaries are never dispensed with. Dudjom Rinpoche says:

"Therefore, for the ultimate truth of the Great Perfection to appear in your mind depends upon the preliminary practices. This is what Drikungpa meant when he said: 'Other spiritual teachings regard the main practice as being profound. We regard the preliminary practices as being profound.'
It is just as he said."

It is just as he said. This is the voice of the great Terton and Regent of Guru Rinpoche himself.

Therefore: Please understand: The practice of dharma is a long, long commitment to learn through progressing in many stages over many lifetimes. The first stage is the cultivation of renunciation, followed by the development of Bodhicitta, and then engaging in the skillful means of the sacred mantrayana. The text this author alludes to as a point of comparison, the Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena, is not to be studied by individuals who have not bothered to cultivate a relationship with a genuine master and have not recived the oral transmissions nor the ripening empowerments. And in recieving those, you will also recieive them within the context of the entire dharma, right from the four thoughts that turn the mind.

So friend: do not disparage a book which forms part of the preliminaries to the great terma cyclde the Longchen Nyingthik, revealed by Jigme Lingpa himself after receiving visions from Longchenpa. And the commentary is by a great terton of the 20th century, Kangyur Rinpcohe. That alone should be enough to bring any genuine practitioner to prostrate in refuge.

This is the founder of the Padmakara Translation Group's commentary on Jigme Lingpa's root text including excerpts (esp. the appendices) from prior commentaries & extensive endnotes (IMHO the new ones are the best part of the book). Similar to Deshung Rinpoche's Sakya "Three Levels of Spiritual Perception," this Nyingma one is the 1st (sutra-only here) of 2 vols. (2nd to be tantra) & is therefore quite basic (the 1st third is pretty boring IMHO). Much of it is in Khetsun Sangpo Rinbochay's small "Tantric Practice in Nying-Ma." Similar to other modern introductions to Buddhism (or other religions), it includes lots of mythology, primitive beliefs, religious guilt trips (beneficial for those needing self-discipline or motivation-- p. 118: "The excellent determination to be free from samsara is a powerful enchantment cast over the demon of complacency, by means of which each & every practice will propel one further along the path to liberation"), & culturally specific dogmas (e.g., p. 113--not walking behind/in front of one's guru & "demonic influences") despite saying p. 8: "The kind of reader for whom this translation is intended, namely Western Buddhists eager to enlarge & deepen their understanding of the Dharma" & p. 22: "The present text represents the quintessence of the whole of Longchenpa's Seven Treasuries." Perhaps the 2nd vol.?, but this one has precious little Dzogchen & cannot compare to Longchenpa's magnificent "Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena." However, it does include concise descriptions of guru & yidam yoga, the 6 perfections, the Bardos, the 10 meanings of `Dharma,' etc. & quite extensive descriptions of Buddhist cosmology, vows & their relationships, philosophical systems (esp. Madhyamika), & religious lists/symbols (e.g., p. 373 note 129: the symbolism of the Dharma wheel is explained in different ways & p. 375 note 140: "Although 18 downfalls are enumerated, they in fact amount to 14, since 4 of the downfalls of a king & 4 of the downfalls of a minister coincide."). As usual there is much rhetoric lacking sufficient justification, rendering arguments (not necessarily their conclusions) invalid; much comparison with "Hinayana" (e.g., pp. 84-5: arhats are reborn in Buddha fields &, in one life of Mahayana, obtain Buddhahood); much hyperbole of the value of various practices; binary arguments (i.e. existence vs. non-existence) rather than set theory wherein two sets have both common & differing elements or differing levels of abstraction/detail which provide differing perspectives (i.e. conventional vs. absolute); & critique of inherent existence/self (p. 329: Songs of Realization by Jangya Rolpa'I Dorje: `look for hare with horns as something to refute'). But, p. 333: "Eradicate all clinging to position or theories, which are imputations arising from philosophical inquiry & which are found in all tenet systems whether Buddhist or non-Buddhist," pp. 131-2 & p. 358 note 50 per the Lankavatara sutra: `The unborn nature is the only truth, while `4 truths' is the talk of mere children. For those abiding in the essence of enlightenment, not one is found, why speak of 4?', & provides a Buddhist description of the religious life cycle on p. 358 note 54. So, for beginners, the book contains much information on Buddhist beliefs, & for practitioners, it might be worthwhile to wade through the basic material to find the handful of buried, gems herein.