Description
We’ve all heard platitudes about cultivating love and compassion, but how can we really develop these qualities in ourselves and—crucially—share them in our world? The Power of Mind provides a proven path.
Khentrul Rinpoche teaches that regardless of what’s unfolding in our lives, our route to freedom lies in our minds—and how we work with them. A thousand years ago, the Indian saint Atisha endured great hardship to bring the Buddha’s teachings to Tibet, where they flourished. This book introduces a primary text that emerged—the Seven Key Points of Mind Training. (Source: Shambhala Publications)
- Foreword by Tsultrim Lodro xi
- Translator's Guide for How to Read This Book xiii
- Introduction: Why Tame the Mind? 1
- PART ONE
- BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR FREEDOM: THE PRELIMINARIES 11
- 1. This Precious Human Life: The Power of Being Human 13
- 2. Impermanence: No One Lives Forever 23
- 3. Karma, Cause, and Result: Actions Have Consequences 34
- 4. Suffering: The Unsatisfying Nature of All Things 41
- PART TWO
- MIND FREEING MIND: THE PRACTICE 51
- 5. Ultimate Bodhichitta: The True Nature of Reality 53
- 6. Relative Bodhichitta: The Awakened Heart 74
- PART THREE
- TRANSFORMING ADVERSITY: TURNING HARDSHIPS INTO OPPORTUNITIES117
- 7. Using Relative Reality for Transformation 119
- 8. Using Ultimate Reality for Transformation 132
- 9. Using Creative Methods for Transformation 139
- PART FOUR
- TRAINING IN LIVING AND DYING: APPLYING THE PRACTICE IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES153
- 10. How to Train During This Life 155
- 11. How to Train While Dying164
- PART FIVE
- ASSESSING PROFICIENCY: RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS OF PROGRESS 171
- 12. Four Ways to Measure Your Growth173
- PART SIX
- LIVING IN HARMONY WITH PRACTICE: COMMITMENTS OF THE PATH 181
- 13. Sixteen Actions to Avoid That Contradict Mind Training 183
- PART SEVEN
- SUPPORT FOR TAMING THE MIND: KEY ADVICE203
- 14. Twenty-One Actions to Adopt That Support Mind Training 205
- 15. The Excellent Conclusion 227
- Acknowledgments 231
- Appendix 1: Atisha's Life Story and the Lineage of Mind Training233
- Appendix 2: The Root Text of the Seven Points of Mind Training 239
- Appendix 3: The Six Classes of Beings 243
- Appendix 4: Tonglen Meditation 246
- Extracted from Practice Instructions given by Kamyang Khyentse Wangpo
- Appendix 5: Dedication and Aspiration Prayers248
- Dedication Prayer extracted from the Kagyur
- Glossary 250
- Notes 256
- Index 265
- About the Author 277
