Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime & FREE Returns

FREE delivery: Friday, July 23 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Details

Fastest delivery: Thursday, July 22
Order within 17 hrs and 12 mins Details

Only 10 left in stock (more on the way).
As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app.

$$18.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from	Amazon.com
Sold by	Amazon.com

Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Return policy: This item is returnable

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery: Monday, July 26 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Details

Fastest delivery: Friday, July 23
Order within 17 hrs and 12 mins Details

Used: Good | Details

Sold by Vistancia Books

Fulfilled by Amazon

Other Sellers on Amazon

$12.00
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: belskiy

$13.74
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: allnewbooks

$18.02
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: Book Depository US

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

Follow the Author

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche

Essentials of Mahamudra: Looking Directly at the Mind Paperback – March 1, 2004

by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (Author)

47 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$13.81

—

Paperback

"Please retry"

$18.95

$12.00

$3.27

What would you see if you looked directly at your mind?

The Tibetan Buddhist teachings on mahamudra are known for their ability to lead to profound realization. Peaceful and infinitely adaptable, these teachings are as useful for today's busy world as they have been for centuries.

Written by the tutor to the seventeenth Karmapa, Essentials of Mahamudra is a commentary on Tashi Namgyal's famous Moonlight of Mahamudra - a text that the sixteenth Karmapa had identified as the most valuable for Westerners. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche recognized that Western meditators don't just need to know how to maintain our meditation practice - we need to know why we should do it. Unmatched in its directness, Essentials of Mahamudra addresses both these needs, rendering one of the most advanced forms of meditation more easily adaptable to our everyday lives.

Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Wisdom Publications
Publication date

March 1, 2004
Dimensions

6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

9780861713714
ISBN-13

978-0861713714
See all details

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
37
Hardcover
32 offers from $31.81
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
30
Paperback
15 offers from $30.33
Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
31
Paperback
36 offers from $16.99
Khenchen Thrangu
57
Paperback
28 offers from $11.89
Khenchen Thrangu
32
Paperback
31 offers from $9.69
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
23
Paperback
33 offers from $5.99

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
37
Hardcover
32 offers from $31.81
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
30
Paperback
15 offers from $30.33
Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
45
Paperback
6 offers from $5.04
Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
81
Paperback
5 offers from $10.00
Chögyam Trungpa
552
Paperback
82 offers from $4.22
Khenchen Thrangu
17
Paperback
28 offers from $5.18

Special offers and product promotions

Amazon Business: Make the most of your Amazon Business account with exclusive tools and savings. Login now

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche [is] one of the foremost mahamudra teachers. 'It [mahamudra meditation] is peaceful and gentle,' he writes in Essentials of Mahamudra. The book is based on Tashi Namgyal's 'Moonlight of Mahamudra,' a sixteenth-century text that lays out the rationale behind the mahamudra practices, along with detailed instructions, including how to continue practicing off the cushion. Essentials contains answers to students' questions--helpful to practitioners at any level." ― Tricycle

"What makes Rinpoche's work distinctive is the clarity and vividness of his religious thought." ― Library Journal

"Makes the practice of mahamudra, one of the most advanced forms of meditation, easily acessible to Westerners' everyday lives. A wonderful way of bringing us to the path." ― Mandala

"Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is one of the few remaining living Tibetan Buddhist teachers who was born in a free Tibet. Between 1990 and 1995, he conducted five retreats at Big Bear Lake, California. His talks there have been edited into Essentials of Mahamudra. During these talks, Rinpoche presented a comprehensive introduction to the mahamudra path. Similar to the practice of Dzogchen, mahamudra is a direct and powerful practice. There are two central meditative practices: peaceful abiding, shamatha, and insight, vipashyana. This work discusses these two corrollary meditative approaches in great detail, moving back and forth between the two. As always, Rinpoche's instructions are beautifully [clear]." ― Ashe Journal

"A comprehensive overview. Invaluable." ― Shambhala Sun

About the Author

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is a senior scholar within the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the author of many books and commentaries. He was born in Kham, Tibet, in 1933 and entered Thrangu Monastery at age seven. He serves as the main tutor to His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa and travels worldwide giving teachings and leading retreats. Based in Nepal and India, he is also abbot of Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia and founder of Vajra Vidya Retreat Center in Crestone, Colorado.

Start reading Essentials of Mahamudra: Looking Directly at the Mind on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0861713710
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wisdom Publications; 1st edition (March 1, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780861713714
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0861713714
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,014,101 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #916 in Buddhist Rituals & Practice (Books)
- #1,007 in Tibetan Buddhism (Books)
- #9,362 in Meditation (Books)

Customer Reviews:
47 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		83%
4 star		8%
3 star		5%
2 star		4%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Steve W.

Precise and clear

Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2016

Verified Purchase

Very accurately and succinctly describes the Mahamudra teachings as well as basic Buddhist meditation foundations. Thrangu Rinpoche has a gift for articulating the ineffable, if such a thing is possible.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Too complicated

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

I was hoping for a simple, down to earth explanation and how to. This takes a rocket scientist to understand.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kindle Customer

Doesn't come any better than this manual of Mahamudra meditation

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

Doesn't come any better than this manual of Mahamudra meditation. Not for reading, like a book. It's an instruction, to practice, day by day, page by page, until you, too, realize who you really are.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Nancy Z

Solid

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2010

Verified Purchase

Wonderful commentary. It stands on its own as a very good meditation text. Not only is there enough practical instruction in the book for beginners to start meditating, but also there is enough wisdom for intermediate and even expert contemplatives to gain valuable insights. Besides the 'practical' aspects, the book offers a much needed conceptual framework. Understanding why we meditate, with what intent, and for what goal is equally as important as the meditation instructions themselves. 5 Stars. Thank you so much for this Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

Neal J. Pollock

Solid Text

Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2004

Verified Purchase

This book is Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche's commentary on Tashi Namgyal's "Moonlight of Mahamudra." A translation of the root text by Lobsang Lhalungpa is also available, entitled: "The Quintessence of Mind and Meditation." Thrangu Rinpoche had earlier published a book entitled "Moonlight of Mahamudra" but unfortunately it is presently unobtainable. Thrangu Rinpoche writes in a comprehensive & highly readable style. He does utilize typical Vajrayana mythology without reservation here--though in his wonderful "Medicine Buddha Teachings" he provides explanation and reality-based descriptions. Also, I don't think the Madhyamaka argument is scientifically conclusive. However, I have recently read "Mind at Ease" by Traleg Kyabgon which did put my mind at ease on most of these points. And, after all, Thrangu Rinpoche is commenting on a much older text. He's also published 3 books on the 9th Karmapa's Ocean of Definitive (or Ultimate) Meaning as well. Much of the material in this volume is covered in these other texts on Mahamudra (e.g. Shamatha, Vipashyana, Bodhichitta). However, chapters 15 ("The Practice of Utterly Releasing") and 16 ("Bringing Obstacles to the Path") of this book add new (to me) refreshing and very helpful material--further elucidating similarities to Dzogchen. Thus, despite having read many other Mahamudra texts, this book had a definite, useful value to me. Nevertheless, having now read the full translation (mentioned above), a monumental work, this commentary seems a bit sparse especially regarding the enlightening descriptions and advice to meditators in the last few chapters of the root text.

26 people found this helpful

Helpful

Susan K. Noel

Insurpassable

Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is one of the great dharma texts of all time.
You could spend a lifetime reading it, and still not be "done."
Beautiful and profound teachings, beautiful and clear translation.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Karp

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2016

Verified Purchase

Fine book to add to a meditation library

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Rick

it is a very helpful text

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2013

Verified Purchase

The Mahamudra is a big part of my practice. I find this book is easy reading and has good apendicies.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

kate grierson

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2015

Verified Purchase

Fantastic book, very clearly written

michele biotti

Straordinario

Reviewed in Italy on March 2, 2015

Verified Purchase

Questo libro è un commentario del tomo di Tashi Namgyal sulla Mahamudra. Capitolo dopo capitolo, Rinpoche ci porta dai livelli più semplici e basilari di meditazione alle vette della Mahamudra. Il nocciolo è esperire vividamente la natura della nostra mente perché, se realizzato e ripetuto più volte possibile, ciò ci consente di liberarci delle affiliazioni appena sorgono. Perché? Perché abbiamo "visto" la loro natura e la loro non realtà. Questo testo è un viaggio nel Dharma, per cui...Buon viaggio!

Translate review to English

Calin

Info

Reviewed in Canada on July 17, 2010

Verified Purchase

Written by the tutor to H.H. the Karmapa, this clear book details the whys as well as the hows of Mahamudra, a direct and powerful practice that can be done in conjunction with a busy work life.

"Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche [was] one of the foremost mahamudra teachers. 'It is peaceful and gentle,' he writes in Essentials of Mahamudra. The book is based on Tashi Namgyal's 'Moonlight of Mahamudra,' a sixteenth-century text that lays out the rationale behind the mahamudra practices, along with detailed instructions, including how to continue practicing off the cushion. Essentials of Mahamudra contains answers to students' questions - helpful to practitioners at any level."--Tricycle

"Makes the practice of mahamudra, one of the most advanced forms of meditation, easily acessible to Westerners' everyday lives. A wonderful way of bringing us to the path."-- Mandala: A Tibetan Buddhist Journal

"Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is one of the few remaining living Tibetan Buddhist teachers who was born in a free Tibet. Between 1990 and 1995, he conducted five retreats at Big Bear Lake, California. His talks there have been edited into Essentials of Mahamudra. During these talks, Rinpoche presented a comprehensive introduction to the mahamudra path. Similar to the practice of Dzogchen, mahamudra is a direct and powerful practice. There are two central meditative practices: peaceful abiding, shamatha, and insight, vipashyana. This work discusses these two corrollary meditative approaches in great detail, moving back and forth between the two. As always, Rinpoche's instructions are beautifully [clear]."-- Ashe Journal

"A comprehensive overview. Invaluable."-- Shambhala Sun

"In an accessible commentary on Tashi Namgyal's 'Moonlight of Mahamudra,' this well-regarded tutor to the seventeenth Karmapa presents the Mahamudra path largely in terms of the familiar samatha and vipassana meditations common to [many] Buddhists. The exploration of how these terms are redefined in this context is a major strength, as is the exceptionally clear prose in which it appears. The result is a broad yet detailed and practical guide to Mahamudra meditation, its obstacles, and their remedies. It is fortified by the thought of Gampopa and other major figures of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, in addition to useful question-and-answer sections at the end of each chapter. Because of its remarkable balance of philosophical rigor and experiential instruction in meditation, this text should be useful to students of various education-levels and orientations."-- Altar magazine

One person found this helpful

bon livre

Reviewed in France on April 17, 2012

Verified Purchase

bon livre! toutefois une traduction du sens accompagnée d'une traduction littérale serait bienvenue avec le tibétain en référence de surcroit. Ainsi ce livre deviendrait un texte de référence, mais là il laisse un goût d'inachevé et s'est extrêmement dommage.

One person found this helpful

Translate review to English

John Hawes

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on September 4, 2017

Verified Purchase

I likey .

2 people found this helpful

See all reviews