Gone Beyond: The Prajnaparamita Sutras, The Ornament of Clear Realization, and Its Commentaries in the Tibetan Kagyu Tradition, Vol. 2 Hardcover – May 16, 2012

Gone Beyond is a two volume work on Abhisamayalamkara, the Ornament of Clear Realization, from the perspective of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Abhisamayalamkara - one of the five dharmas of Maitreya - is an exposition of the hidden meaning of Prajñaparamita sutras, elucidating the states of mind of a bodhisattva while on the path to perfect buddhahood. Abhisamayalamkara is a description of a series of ever rarified clear realizations of emptiness, which is the explicit meaning of Prajñaparamita sutras. These clear realizations are an ornament which beautifies the body of Prajñaparamita; hence the "Ornament of Clear Realization."

Abhisamayalamkara is one of the five great treatises of the sutra tradition taught in the Kagyu shedras or monastic colleges. The definitive Kagyu commentary on Abhisamayalamkara was written by the 8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje, called "The Noble One's resting at Ease." Its abridgement, more practical as a shedra textbook, was written by the 5th Shamarpa Göncho Yenla.

Regarding the layout of Gone Beyond, the main arch of the narrative is the translation of the 5th Shamarpa's commentary in its entirety. This is accompanied by extensive excerpts from the 8th Karmapa's (and partially 7th Karmapa's) meaning commentary on all the main topics of discussion. The third layer of the book are very extensive endnotes (more than 1700 in just the first volume) which contain further long excerpts from 8th Karmapa's commentary on the Abhisamayalamkara root verses as well as many other notes which are summaries of additional commentaries. Finally, there is an appendix with dozens of very helpful charts which correlate lists of categories of Buddhist philosophy taught in Prajñaparamita literature. The charts help facilitate quick understanding of ideas buried in the traditional narrative.

The best way to proceed through this difficult yet rewarding material is to start with the concise commentary by the 5th Shamarpa. If the reader gets stuck by the conciseness of the presented material, it is time to venture out to at least some of the extensive excerpts of the 8th Karmapa's meaning commentary. Then the footnotes can be read by the specialists or whenever the reader desires to explore a given section of the word commentary in more detail.

Because of the sheer volume of the material laid out in this way, Gone Beyond was divided into two volumes. The first volume deals with the first three chapters of Abhisamayalamkara: The knowledge of all aspects (which is what is to be attained), the knowledge of the path (which is the means for attaining the knowledge of all aspects) and the knowledge of entities (which is the root of the knowledge of all aspects).

The first volume has an extensive introductory section, where the author discuses Prajñaparamita sutras, Abhisamayalamkara and its Indian and Tibetan commentaries. This section includes two very provocative chapters called: "Is there any practical relevance to the Abhisamayalamkara" and "The Abhisamayalamkara as a contemplative manual". Finally there is a detailed presentation of the views of the 8th Karmapa and the 5th Shamarpa as presented in their Abhisamayalamkara commentaries, finally shedding light, often surprising, on the simplistic categorizations of Mikyo Dorje's view we have had access to so far.

Last but not the least, I was fortunate that I could attend online courses on the Gone Beyond book taught by the teacher most qualified to teach them - the author himself, Khenpo Dr. Karl Brunnhölzl. It was only when I could listen to the MP3 files or watch Khenpo Karl's presentations from a streaming video archive that I truly benefitted from these difficult teachings. These online courses are available in a self-paced manner from Nitartha Institute website, highly recommended for any student of this book.

In short, I am recommending this book to any serious student/practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, a student who is not satisfied with mere vague, general ideas about the spiritual path he or she is treading, a student who actually cares and wants to know what's up there for you in terms of the states of mind to be cultivated in the journey to perfect buddhahood.

This a profound text for students who wish to deepen their knowledge of the the Four Noble Truths (Realities) and how they are practiced in light of the prajnaparamita sutras and the Mahamudra teachings. It is the second work in a series (of three). The translator is brilliant with in in-depth knowledge of the teachings and the practices. The book is heavily footnoted. A friend and I enjoy working through these teachings on a word/word, sentence/sentence basis. This book is highly recommended for those with a mentor in the tradition or has the support of one or more spiritual friends to digest the ideas and make them come alive.

amazing but not for the novice.

Extremely comprehensive and profound discussion. Highly recommended but not a casual read!

I am in the process of reading volume I. I like vol I a lot. This volume is set up the same way and I am sure I will get a great benefit from the text and the commentaries.

This text provides not only the dharma, but it has commentaries and thought provoking explanations. I am happy to have it.

(some more details...)

Contents

An Aspiration by H.H. the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje 13
Foreword by H.H. the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje 15
Foreword by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche 17
Acknowledgments 19

Introduction 21
The prajñ'p'ramit' s'tras 23
The Abhisamay'la'k'ra and its commentaries 47
What is the view of the Abhisamay'lamk'ra? 81
The Abhisamay'la'k'ra in its traditional setting 93
The place of the prajñ'p'ramit' s'tras and the Abhisamay'lamk'ra in modern scholarship 107
Is there any practical relevance to the Abhisamay'la'k'ra? 111
The Abhisamay'la'k'ra as a contemplative manual 119
Some remarks on the distinct exegetical approaches of the commentaries
by the Eighth Karmapa and the Fifth Shamarpa 129
Overview of the present three-volume study of commentaries on the AA 201

Translation:
A Concise El ucidat ion of the Abhisa may'la mk'ra (Topics One to Three)1 205
Paying homage, which is the cause for other persons giving rise to openness for the fruitional mother 207
The purpose and the connection, which are the causes for others giving rise to openness for this treatise 222
The eight topics as what is to be explained 225
The knowledge of all aspects (what is to be attained) 235
The generation of bodhicitta (the motivation) 235
The instructions that teach the means of practice 241
The explanation of the branches of penetration (the result of practicing the instructions) 264
The disposition as the foundation for the arising of practice 283
The focal object of practice 292
The aim of practice 296
The armorlike practice in six sets of six 298
The practice of ninefold engagement 301
The practice of the seventeen equipments 309
The practice of final deliverance 328
The knowledge of the path (the means to attain the knowledge of all aspects) 331
The causes of the knowledge of the path 331
The manner of the knowledge of the path of 'r'vakas 333
The manner of the knowledge of the path of pratyekabuddhas 336
The manner of the knowledge of the path of bodhisattvas 341
The path of seeing 341
The path of familiarization 345
The function of the path of familiarization 345
The path of familiarization as aspiration, which accumulates virtue 347
Its benefit 348
The path of familiarization as dedication, which makes virtue not going to waste 349
The path of familiarization as rejoicing, which makes virtue increase 351
The nature of the uninterrupted path--the path of familiarization as accomplishment 351
The nature of the path of liberation--the pure path of familiarization 352
The knowledge of entities (the root of the knowledge of all aspects, which includes the points to go astray) 357
The nature of the knowledge of entities 362
The reason for being close or distant 362
The divisions of antagonistic factors and remedies 363
The training (the engagement) 366
The path of seeing (the fruition of engagement) 368

Appendix I:
Selected General Topics fr om JG and JNS 371
1) The knowledge of all aspects 371
2) The way in which the two realities become the objects of the wrong ideas of apprehending them as mutually exclusive 409
3) The way in which the two realities are not mutually exclusive 415
4) The qualms that are to be eliminated 415
5) The reasoning that is the means for eliminating these qualms 416
6) The manner of eliminating said qualms 416

D) The path of preparation 417
1) The four stages of the path of preparation 417
2) The focal objects and aspects of the path of preparation 420
3) The four conceptions in the context of the path of preparation 423

E) The disposition 428
1) General explanation 428
2) The disposition is not a nonimplicative negation 446
3) The single y'na and buddha nature in all beings 447
4) Other commentaries on the disposition 454

F) The focal object of practice 488
G) The equipment of wisdom 492
1) The nature of phenomena and wisdom in relation to being self-empty versus other-empty 492
2) The explanation of emptiness (the object) and the way in which it is observed by wisdom (its subject) 495
3) Various ways of asserting the definite number of emptinesses (including the wisdoms that correspond to the twenty emptinesses) 501
4) The basis of emptiness 505
5) The manner of being empty 506
6) Nondual wisdom 508
(.............)

more, until page 678

Be warned: You will really need to be a dedicated academic or scholar to get much out of this book. It's not made for easy reading or digestible insight. I have no doubt it's a very valuable resource for "pros" but for anyone wanting to get usable understanding, don't think you are going to get it soon from these 900 plus pages. Three stars for lack of directness and usability, but would give it five for it's thoroughness and depth. Just way, way too much to take in and not easy to navigate. I returned it.