This latest release in our Oral Commentary Series combines explanations of two unique
works on the singularly important topic of transcendent wisdom.
Part One is a translation and
commentary on a poem by the great Lama Je Tsongkapa, known popularly as
"In Praise of Dependent Origination" (Tib: Tendrel Töba).
This hymn, expressing profound and joyous gratitude to Buddha
Shakyamuni for having taught the unparalleled doctrine of Dependent
Origination, was composed while Je Tsongkapa was observing a year-long
retreat accompanied by several of his closest disciples. After much prayer
and intense meditation, he experienced a dream in which the
Indian master Nagarjuna and several of his followers, including the
Madhyamaka Prasangika scholar Buddhapalita,
bestowed their blessings on him. The following day, while reading
Buddhapalita's commentary on Nagarjuna's Root Treatise on Wisdom,
Je Tsongkapa gained complete and unerring insight into the true meaning of
Buddha's profound teaching on emptiness. The poem was composed
immediately afterwards, and is especially venerated for its descriptions
of what Je Tsongkapa considered the most subtle elements in Buddha
Shakyamuni's teaching on the nature of ultimate truth.
Part Two is a commentary on the most
widely renowned of the Prajńa Paramita Sutras, the Heart Sutra. Khen
Rinpoche's exposition not only provides a word-by-word explanation of
every section in this holiest of discourses, but also draws on the
commentarial tradition of the great Indian Mahayana scholars to elaborate
on those essential points that practitioners must grasp in order to gain a
proper understanding of this profound teaching. Most notably, the
explanations are expressed in a warm and straightforward style that makes
them particularly accessible to readers of all levels.