Treasury of Knowledge
In Tibetan religious literature, Jamgön Kongtrul's Treasury of Knowledge in ten books stands out as a unique encyclopedic masterpiece embodying the entire range of Buddhist teachings as they were preserved in Tibet.
The tantric path is often referred to as "the indestructible way of secret mantra," the essence of which is the indestructible union of wisdom (the understanding of emptiness) and method (immutable great bliss). This volume sets forth the various systems that constitute this path, both those of the ancient tantra tradition and of the new tradition.
"This crucial section of Jamgön Kongtrul's seminal masterpiece The Treasury of Knowledge will fill a long-standing critical gap in our understanding of Buddhist tantra. Never before has there been such a thorough and systematic exposition of the subject available in a Western language. Elio Guarisco and Ingrid McLeod have done an excellent job in translating this profound work to make it accessible to both scholars and practitioners. Finally, we might know what we are doing!"--Sarah Harding
"...a magnificent overview of the Vajrayana traditions of Tibet...yet another jewel in the setting that is the expression of Kalu Rinpoché's intent - the complete English translation of The Treasury of Knowledge."--Chökyi Nyima (Richard Barron)
The Treasury of Knowledge excellently presents the entire corpus of the sutra and mantra traditions, from the paths of the common sciences all the way up to the uncommon Great Perfection, or Atiyoga, which is the culmination of the nine vehicles."--H.H. Dudjom Rinpoché
"Jamgön Kongtrul was a true saint, a great scholar, an exemplary teacher, a renowned physician, a peacemaker, and one of the most prolific writers of Tibet...The Five Great Treasuries of Kongtrul...enshrine all the wisdom of Tibet."--Ringu Tulku
"Jamgön Kongtrul is considered to be one of the great leaders of the nonsectarian movement in Tibetan Buddhism, and his Treasury of Knowledge is considered to be one of the most important texts for reference and study in Tibetan Buddhism. Many Tibetan teachers have a compact edition of this monumental work in their travel bags in order to consult it again and again for detailed questions of all types, and not infrequently whole chapters serve as the basis for courses."--Cornelia Weishaar-Günter
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Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé (1813-1899), a pivotal figure in eastern Tibet's nonsectarian movement, was one of the most outstanding writers and teachers of his time. In his monumental Treasury of Knowledge he presents a complete account of the major lines of thought and practice that comprise Tibetan Buddhism.
Elio Guarisco met with and learned from major exponents of the Theravada tradition in the early 1970s. At the end of the 1980s, he was invited by Kalu Rinpoché to work on the ambitious project of translating Kongtrul's Treasury of Knowledge, a work which he is still continuing. In the interim, he met his main teacher, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, becoming an active member of the Dzogchen Community, in which he now coordinates training for translators.
Ingrid Loken McLeod began her studies of Buddhism and the Tibetan language in 1970 in Sonada, India, where she met her principal teacher, Kalu Rinpoché. Following a six-year period devoted to meditation training, she served as the resident teacher of a Kagyu center in Canada. For the past decade, she has been working as a member of the committee formed to translate the complete Treasury of Knowledge. |