The Swift Path

The Swift Path

This collection of guided meditations from eighteenth-century Tibet harnesses elements of tantric visualization to induce realizations while contemplating the steps on the path to buddhahood. The Swift Path by the Second Panchen Lama has long been heralded in the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism as one of the “eight great lamrims,” or works presenting the stages of the path to enlightenment, but it is the last to become widely available in English translation. Composed by a preceptor of two Dalai Lamas, this practical and systematic guide to meditating on the lamrim is based on the Easy Path, a more concise work by the First Panchen Lama. In The Swift Path, Panchen Losang Yeshé expands on the earlier Panchen Lama’s meditation guide with more detailed instructions on how to generate a clear and profound experience of the key recognitions that allow us to advance on our spiritual journey. These include the recognition of the opportunity afforded by our human existence, both its preciousness and its precariousness, and the way to adopt and live out the practices of a bodhisattva. The guided meditations here make use of a visualization of one’s teacher in the guise of Sakyamuni Buddha to unlock our own innate potential for buddhahood, complete enlightenment, to best benefit humanity and all living beings.

Steps on the Path to Enlightenment

Practicing the Path

"Practicing the Path" is a complete commentary on Tibetan Buddhism's Lamrim Chenmo in a single volume. Yangsi Rinpoche, a thirty-something tulku who has spent the last several years in Madison, Wisconsin, gave these teachings to a group of Western students over a month-long period a few years ago in Dharamsala, India. While having the full training of a Tibetan scholar, Rinpoche uses Western metaphors and demonstrates an appreciation for the Western mind. The text is particularly well edited and is a pleasure to read, and will be an excellent resource for those studying and meditating on the lamrim, the steps on the path to enlightenment. The Lamrim Chenmo is a comprehensive overview of the entire path to enlightenment, superimposing the essential principles of renunciation, bodhicitta, and the pure view of emptiness. It is unique in combining scriptural authority and perfect logic in order to clarify all doubts on the path. The author's deep knowledge of the traditional teachings and his ability to elucidate them in contemporary language and form provide a unique opportunity for readers to refine their understanding and develop their practice.