Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism

by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Helen Tworkov, Matthieu Ricard (Foreword by)

Overview

Advice and encouragement from a leading spiritual teacher and popular author on how to approach the foundational practices of Tibetan Buddhism.

For anyone interested in Buddhist practice and philosophy, this book gives detailed instruction and friendly and inspiring advice for those embarking on the Tibetan Buddhist path in earnest. By offering guidance on how to approach the process and giving instruction for specific meditation and contemplation techniques, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche provides gentle yet thorough commentary, companionship, and inspiration for committing to the Buddhist path.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611801217
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	07/08/2014
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	313,191
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

YONGEY MINGYUR RINPOCHE, born in Nepal in 1975, is the author of the acclaimed books The Joy of Living and Joyful Wisdom. His teachings integrate the practical and philosophical disciplines of Tibetan training with the scientific and psychological orientations of the West. His enthusiasm for explaining Buddhist philosophy and practices in an accessible style that addresses the needs of the modern world has made him a favorite among a new generation of Tibetan teachers. Mingyur Rinpoche is the youngest son of celebrated Tibetan meditation master and author Tulku Urgyen. He began his formal monastic studies at the age of eleven and two years later entered his first three-year retreat.
HELEN TWORKOV is the founder of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review and author of Zen in America: Profiles of Five Teachers. Having first encountered Buddhism in Japan and Nepal during the 1960s, she has studied in both the Zen and Tibetan traditions. She began studying with Mingyur Rinpoche in 2006.

Table of Contents

Foreword Matthieu Ricard vii

Acknowledgments xiii

Part 1 Entering the Path

1 First Steps 3

2 Meditation: The Essential Tool 27

3 Glimpses of My Gurus 57

Part 2 The Four Common Foundation Practices

4 The First Thought That Turns the Mind: Precious Human Existence 71

5 The Second Thought That Turns the Mind: Impermanence 93

6 The Third Thought That Turns the Mind: Karma 113

7 The Fourth Thought That Turns the Mind: Suffering 131

Part 3 The Four Unique Foundation Practices

8 The First Unique Practice: Taking Refuge 163

9 The Second Unique Practice: Purification 229

10 The Third Unique Practice: Mandala: The Accumulation of Wisdom and Merit 257

11 The Fourth Unique Practice: Guru Yoga 289

12 After Ngondro 337

Glossary 345

Recommended Reading 354

Credits 355

Author Biographies 357

About the Tergar Meditation Community 358

Index 359

Editorial Reviews

A lively, helpful, and inspiring guide to the teachings on the foundations of the Vajrayana path.”—Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, author of Rebel Buddha

“Mingyur Rinpoche’s mastery of the teachings and subtle understanding of the mind enable him to capture the foundation practices in all their clarity and transformative power, demonstrating why they were so deeply cherished by the great masters of the past and why they are just as important for practitioners today.”—Sogyal Rinpoche

“The foundational teachings of ngondro form the very basis of Vajrayana Buddhist studies and practice. Here is a masterful presentation of these timeless teachings by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, with his characteristic brilliance, mastery of the Buddhadharma, and superior understanding of the contemporary world. It is a must-read for all who aspire to undertake the quintessential practice of ngondro preliminaries.”—Mindrolling Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche

“Mingyur Rinpoche embodies the fruits of deep contemplative practice. A gifted  teacher, he shares with us here his teachings on preliminary practices for beginning the spiritual path he guides. And, as we have come to love, Rinpoche does so with his rare combination of wit, accomplishment, and wisdom.”—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

From the Publisher