The Great Medicine That Conquers Clinging to the Notion of Reality: Steps in Meditation on the Enlightened Mind [Paperback]

This is an outstandingly clear commentary on an excellent text, by a truly accomplished master. Out of the ocean of Dharma books available in English the ones which could match this are not so many. As a heir and grandson of H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Rabjam Rinpoche is a holder of most of the Rime transmissions alive today. This is his first published book in English and it is a rare gem. Anyone ho is serious about Dharma should read this.

Shechen Rabjam's (Dilgo Khyentse's grandson) stanza-by-stanza commentary on Shechen Gyaltsap's Tibetan text is somewhat Nyingma (including some Dzogchen) but primarily Rime--ecumenical Tibetan Buddhism--respecting/valuing all Buddhist schools, esp. the 4 Tibetan (Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, & Gelug). I liked the organization--full direct translation followed by the stanza/commentaries, separated into chapters & followed by a few endnotes & Glossary. The text itself is a p. 126: "short explanation;" the commentary is very well written but, as the author states: "you might have already been familiar with these teachings. Although I had nothing extraordinary to add, I wanted to offer this book to you as a reminder." Both text & commentary are concise expositions of readily available doctrines & techniques but Shechen Rabjam (SR) adds valuable illustrative examples--dieting (p. 127), the value of suffering (p. 82), & samsara resembling an unrolled parchment--which tends to roll back up again (p. 91). He also provides useful ego (p. 84) & Tonglen (p. 127) exercises.

There is the usual strong emphasis on (1) ego--p. 84: "The source of the 5 obscuring emotions, the 8 worldly concerns, & all the afflictive mental factors is ego-clinging. The purpose of all Dharma practice is to destroy the curse of grasping to an ego...simple though it seems, ego-clinging or self-importance is the source of all our problems" (2) reality/existence--p. 95: "Both external objects & the grasping mind that perceives them have no fixed inherent existence" & (3) p. 115: "the 6 transcendent perfections" (right actions prescribed by Buddha) & the 3 concepts ((the subject who acts, the object of the action, & the action itself)." However, he successfully explains the interrelationship of the perfections & the 3 concepts (i.e. the non-duality of higher Buddhist teachings). I found this quite valuable--most authors merely allude to it. This Union reminds me of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (P.S.). SR demonstrates his balancing of Western Buddhism with Eastern in his Glossary wherein he includes the translation of Dharmakaya as p. 133: `body of truth' or `absolute dimension' & p. 139: Sangha to include Buddhist lay practitioners--which more traditional authors deny. Additionally, he provides (under Wisdom p. 142) different, clear definitions of prajna (Binah or understanding in Kabbalah) & jnana (Chokmah or wisdom in Kabbalah).

I once took an empowerment (& had an interview) with Shechen Rabjam at the Shambhala Center in southern Maryland. I was impressed with his sincerity, modesty/humility, and obvious bodhichitta.