Khetsun Sangpo - Strand of Jewels: My Teachers’ Essential Guidance on Dzogchen

A highly accomplished adept here masterfully distills different Buddhist philosophies, insightfully reveals the naked wisdom-light of Dzogchen, and deeply inspires with his life stories. A must-read for all seekers of true, innate realization.

Tulku Thondup, author of The Healing Power of Mind

This book is a rare gift. These teachings, so generously presented, are not only beautiful, we can use them day to day to transform our lives.

Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness at Work

The late Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche was among the leading contemporary exponents of the Tibetan tradition of Dzogchen meditation. His instructions, as presented here, are clear and practical even as they are profound and subtle, their accessibility enhanced in Anne Kleins elegant translation. A gift for all those who wish to explore the remarkable path of the Great Perfection.

Matthew Kapstein, Director of Studies, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes; Numata Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies, University of Chicago

Elucidating the profound and exacting path of the Great Perfection, these teachings of an esteemed Tibetan master have been preserved and given fresh light by an excellent practitioner-translator. It is delightful to see these teachings presented according to the intentions of the holders of their lineage.

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, author of Rebel Buddha

ABOUT THE BOOK

The teachings here are the distillation of a lifetimes commitment to Dzogchen realization and practice. Khetsun Sangpo offers to readers with varying levels of experience the peak of Dzogchen wisdom, largely from hermit masters unknown in the West.

KHETSUN SANGPO (19212009) was born in central Tibet and worked in a monastery as a servant when he was a boy, learning to read and write during his free hours. He later pursued study for several years with a renowned nun. (It was unusual for a man to seek teachings from a woman.) He eventually pursued formal monastic education in both the Gelukpa and Nyingma traditions. He fled Tibet to India in 1959. He had a close relationship with Dudjom Rinpoche, who asked him to teach in Japan for ten years as his representative. After that period, he spent the rest of his life in India and Nepal.

Sign up to receive weekly Tibetan Dharma teachings and special offers from Shambhala Publications.

Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/edharmaquotes.

Strand of Jewels

My Teachers Essential Guidance on Dzogchen:Heartfelt and Straightforward

bLa mai zhal gdams kyi snying po thams cad phyogs gcigtu btus pai snying gtam nor bui do shal

Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche

COMPILED , TRANSLATED , AND INTRODUCED BY

Anne Carolyn Klein (Rigzin Drolma)

Lama Tenzin Samphel, advisor

A DAWN MOUNTAIN RESEARCH

INSTITUTE PUBLICATION

S NOW L ION

BOSTON & LONDON

2015

Snow Lion

An imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Horticultural Hall

300 Massachusetts Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts 02115

www.shambhala.com

2015 by Anne C. Klein

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Khetsun Sangpo, Rinbochay, 19202009, author.

[Nor bui do shal. English]

Strand of jewels: my teachers essential guidance on dzogchen

/ Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche; translated, introduced, and compiled

by Anne Carolyn Klein (Rigzin Drolma).First edition.

pages cm

A Dawn Mountain Research Institute Publication.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

eISBN 978-0-8348-0036-6

ISBN 978-1-55939-438-3 (hardback: alk. paper)

1. Rdzogs-chen. I. Klein, Anne C., 1947 II. Title.

BQ7662.4.k46813 2015

294.3420423dc23

2014026245

To the real liberation, in every sense,

of all people everywhere

Contents

His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoches Long Life Prayer for Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche

C OMPOSED BY H. H. D UDJOM R INPOCHE

This long-life prayer indicates the esteem in which Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche was held by the world-renowned Dudjom Rinpoche and acknowledges the devotion that Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche himself had for his lifelong mentor. Khetsun Sangpo spent nearly forty years of his life building, administering, and teaching at the Nyingmapa Wish-Fulfilling Center for Study and Practice, the school he started at the behest of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It first opened in Dalhousie, India, then moved to Mussoorie, India, and from there to Boudhanath, Nepal; finally settling where it is today, in Sundarijal, Nepal. This poetic text is now part of the historic record of Rinpoches life.

O SVSTI .

By the truthful force of our pure excellent intention,

By the power and blessings of the infinite ocean of refuge,

May the roots at the tree of your being, guide to liberation and

Excellent spiritual friend, be steadfast and unmoving.

Your skillful (khey) discernment has severed all mistaken undervaluing of knowable things.

The manifest sign of your illlustriousness (tsun) is your pure wish to help others, your compassionate mind of enlightenment.

Your predispositions for gentle goodness (zang) have awakened the supreme Mahayana lineage.

Excellent being, may you live long.

Through the jewel of your rich hearing you are skilled (khey) in attracting seekers of liberation.

Through the lamplight of your reflection you are illustrious (tsun) in illuminating the darkness of our ignorance.

Through meditation your primordial knowing, experience, and realization are supremely gentle and good (zang).

Heroic yogi, may you live long.

In the expansive, empty sky, suffused with uncontrived mindnature,

Visions dawn as ornaments of sheer awareness (