The Practice of Tranquility and Insight: A Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Meditation

Rating:
Summary: A practical guide to the two types of Buddhist meditation
Review: The very essence of a true path according to Tibetan Buddhism, is precious bodhichitta, or the mind that seeks awakening for the sake of all beings. Bodhichitta can be understood as having two aspects, ultimate and relative. It is the basis of both samsara (endless cyclic existence) and nirvana (peace).

All of the Buddha's teachings can be subsumed under the two categories of shamatha (tranquil abiding) and vipasyana (direct, spontaneous insight in the nature of reality). Therefore, in all vehicles of Tibetan Buddhism, these two categories appear.
On the one hand they are experienced "mixed" together; while on the other hand they appear as relative separate stages in practice, which may be stressed, the one or the other:

First-turning (sutra hinayana) teachings: "renunciation" and insight in "karmic causality";
Second-turning (sutra mahayana) teachings: "emptiness" and insight through transformative "compassion";
Third-turning (tantrayana) teachings: "generation stage" (cultivating intrinsic purity) and "completion stage" (dissolution towards intrinsic perfection);
Mahamudra (Great Seal) teachings: "luminous emptiness" and "pure bliss";
Dzogchen (Great Completion) teachings: "trekcho" (cutting through all distractions and obscurations) and "togal" (the "leap-over" of spontaneous presence).

[I read this in the Preface of "Medicine Buddha Teachings" by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, ISBN 1877294152].

This book is a practical guide to the two types of meditation that form the core of Buddhist spiritual practice, particularly from the Sutra perspective. These teachings, meant for students both beginning and advanced, are based on the eighth chapter of the "Treasury of Knowledge" by Jamgon Kongtrul the Great.
All books with Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche's commentaries are very clear and accessible, and very worthwhile to read and study.


Rating:
Summary: How to meditate
Review: Thrangu Rinpoche, who is one of the most outstanding living teachers of the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, elaborate here on a text on basic meditation by Jamgon Kongtrul the Great. The book gives a detailed explanation on tranquility meditation (shamatha) and insight meditation (vipasyana). The book is very detailed and accesible, and is useful for all meditators, no matter what level they are on, as it deals with all levels in meditation and also on how to deal with different experiences that may arise. I can't recommend it enough!

Rating:
Summary: How to meditate
Review: Thrangu Rinpoche, who is one of the most outstanding living teachers of the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, elaborate here on a text on basic meditation by Jamgon Kongtrul the Great. The book gives a detailed explanation on tranquility meditation (shamatha) and insight meditation (vipasyana). The book is very detailed and accesible, and is useful for all meditators, no matter what level they are on, as it deals with all levels in meditation and also on how to deal with different experiences that may arise. I can't recommend it enough!