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Tibetan Buddhism
Calling the Lama From Afar: The Yogini Nuns of Nangchen's Gebchak Gompa by Jampa Kalden
£18.99
Calling the Lama from Afar is a journey into the world of the remarkable yoginis of Gebchak Gompa, a nunnery in a remote valley in the Eastern Tibetan region of Nangchen, known as the land of meditators. Situated at an altitude of over 14,000 feet, Gebchak is home to more than 300 nuns renowned for their practice and realisation and is the heart and hub of a group of more than 30 gompas under the care of Tsoknyi Rinpoche III. Bokar Rinpoche wrote that of the many practice centers for women, Gebchak Gompa is “the most renowned center” in Tibet. The Gebchak yoginis are particularly known for their accomplishment of the practice of tummo or inner fire meditation, which they demonstrate in an annual winter ceremony, using tummo to dry wet sheets wrapped around their bodies as they walk slowly around the gompa in temperatures far below freezing. At the heart of the book are interviews with Gebchak nuns, including some very accomplished elderly yoginis who speak openly about their lives and their meditative realization. Just as inspiring are the new generation of yoginis who maintain the Gebchak tradition of meditation, and attain realization even as young nuns. Those interviewed include nuns in their 30’s who have been authorized to give pointing out instruction on the nature of mind. Others talk about taking part in the annual tummo ceremony, and about their lives at Gebchak Gompa. The nuns also recount tales of the deaths of Gebchak yoginis – events marked by wondrous signs of attainment. These nuns’ stories are first-hand, contemporary accounts, not history or legend. This is a living tradition that did not end with the yoginis of old but continues to this day, despite the destruction of the gompa during what they call “the troubled times.” Many humorous episodes enliven the text, and the nuns’ story is enriched with historical accounts of early visitors to the region, side trips to other gompas and meetings with remarkable Nangchen lamas.
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Kurukulla: Goddess of Bewitchment by Verónica Rivas
out of stock - £120.00
Out of print hardback edition.
Condition: Fine - As New.
In Kurukulla: Goddess of Bewitchment – A Devotional Path to the Red Enchantress of Uddiyana, author Verónica Rivas combines academic research with personal experience to offer a theoretical-practical study of Kurukulla, the goddess in Hinduism related to desire, lust, magic, and witchcraft.
Many of these aspects were left aside, however, as her importance and popularity within Tantric Buddhism continued to grow. In Kurukulla, we have a goddess of tribal origins, initially venerated as a protector by various nomadic clans who related her to fertility and material affairs, yet also considered her dangerous and fearsome. Progressively, the goddess was incorporated into the Buddhist pantheon, and during this process, Kurukulla acquired different roles and lost others. Many practices were developed related to issues such as protection against animals and certain diseases, obtaining influential positions in society, love affairs, and even getting rid of one’s enemies.
Kurukulla: Goddess of Bewitchment offers a tantric perspective on a deity considered the goddess of eroticism, the mistress of enchantments and bewitchment, who uses desire as a weapon for transcendence. Practicing with Kurukulla allows us to reach our true nature by making our daily life, our fears and weaknesses, the very source of liberation.
The goddess of the red body represents the pure manifestation of intrinsic wisdom, the primordial energy that nourishes all realms of existence, as well as life and death as complementary opposites.
The rituals and devotionals presented in this book are intended to openly and freely establish a deep connection with the deity. They are shared in a simple and understandable way that will allow practitioners to integrate them into their life easily and completely.
Rainbow Body by Loel Guinness
£85.00
There is no better illustration of the radical transformative power of the ancient Tibetan contemplative teachings of Dzogchen than the extraordinary phenomenon of bodily disappearance or “rainbow body”, which is considered its ultimate fruit. In this groundbreaking study of rainbow body in the Bön tradition, which is the first of its kind in a western language, the neophyte reader is guided into the profound insights of Dzogchen, while all the components required to understand this most mysterious and enigmatic of phenomena are laid out gently and methodically.
Illustrated by unique thangkas commissioned especially for this study, the book’s emphasis is on clarity of exposition. Simple enough for the layman, but detailed enough to do justice to these ancient and subtle traditions, Rainbow Body serves both as an introduction to Bön Dzogchen, and also as a pioneering study of Tibetan textual sources related to the phenomenon of rainbow body. It is offered to the public in the hope that as many people as possible may benefit from the profundity of this ancient wisdom. For as Loel Guinness states in his preface, “Dzogchen is not just for monks. It is as suitable for the businessman, the academic, the adventurer, or the practitioner. The insights of Dzogchen are relevant for all”.
The 2021 edition is updated and revised in a smaller, more accessible format, of the 2018 edition.
The Profound Inner Principles
£49.00
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In accordance with the instructions of Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, this book is intended only for people who have completed the preliminary practices, received pointing-out instructions, and begun a niruttara yidam practice (i.e., any yidam practice from the higher tantras) under the guidance of a qualified teacher. |
With masterful clarity and precision, The Profound Inner Principles delineates the principles and foundations of Vajrayāna practice. Rangjung Dorje presents the nature of things—mental and physical—and looks at the cause of delusion, what delusion creates, and how delusion is corrected. His explanations capture the principles of the Vajrayāna’s niruttara tantras, with a special focus on the structure and functioning of the body. Just as sugatagarbha, or buddha nature, is the nature of our mind, the potential for awakening lies within our body. The Mahāyāna literature refers to this pure potential as the evolving gotra, whereas the Vajrayāna refers to it as the “vajra body”—the subtle body of channels, winds, and bindus with six elements (earth, water, fire, wind, space, and wisdom-bliss). The vajra body is not only our innate capacity, it is also our path. Understanding its components and properties is essential for most meditators. The overarching theme of the text is that we need to understand how buddha nature is present in sentient beings, those on the path, and buddhas. All the details concerning the mind’s workings, the vajra body’s structures, and the meditations, paths, and stages will reinforce that understanding and give us insight into how and why the Vajrayāna path provides access to wisdom through the body.
This translation includes a commentary by Jamgön Kongtrul with extensive footnotes containing extracts from all the other important commentaries to The Profound Inner Principles; several glossaries with annotations by the translator; a works cited list and a selected bibliography; and an index
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