Introduction
We have published a range of books which together form a complete set of books for serious practitioners.  This page sets out how these books form a complete plan of study.  Many of the titles can be purchased as a single set of books at a good discount; the titles in this set are marked with .

Overview of Topics
Our titles cover the whole range of what needs to be studied by a person who is practising Mahamudra or Great Completion (Dzogchen).  There is a book for every step of the way.  Basically, someone who wants to proceed in that way has to start with taking refuge and arousing the enlightenment mind (bodhichitta), and there has to be some development of the view with that.  Next there has to be an entrance into the Vajra Vehicle, which is done with empowerment.  Having entered the Vajra Vehicle, there are the preliminary and then the main practices of the particular practice to be undertaken.  There are two main practices, Mahamudra and Mahasamdhi or Dzogchen.  Mahamudra is usually practised either as the Four Yogas of Mahamudra or as essence Mahamudra.  Dzogchen is usually done through the two main practices of Thorough Cut (thregcho) and Direct Crossing (thogal).

Refuge and Bodhicitta
The course of study starts with:

Teachings of the Mountain Hermit of Mandong

This book contains two medium-length texts by the Hermit of Mandong.  The first text covers the practical details of taking refuge and the second covers the practical details of arousing the enlightenment mind.  The text on refuge is supported by our major publication on arousing faith in the Three Jewels of Refuge:

Unending Auspicious, the Sutra of the Recollection of the Three Noble Jewels with Commentaries by Ju Mipham, Taranatha, and Tony Duff

The text on enlightenment mind is supported by several free publications on this web-site concerning Shantideva's famous text, Entering the Bodhisatva's Conduct;

Commentaries on the Entering the Bodhisatva's conduct

Sutra Practices for Gathering Merit
Traditionally, Buddhist lay people took the eight vows on new and full moon days in order to create positive habits, avoid negative actions, and to accumulate merit. The standard liturgy and a complete explanation of how to use it and the meaning of the vows is here:

Liturgy and instructions for the Poshadha rite

A complete explanation of the monastic practice of eating as practised in Tibetan Buddhism, with liturgy and instructions included is here:

Oryoki and the Oryoki Chant

Verses to recite before undertaking any activity in order to make the activity auspicious are the Eight Noble Ones written by Mipham available here:

Free texts

The View According to the Sutras
The next step is to develop an understanding of the view at the sutra level.  The view as it is taught in most Tibetan Buddhist schools ends up as a presentation of Emptiness of Other Emptiness (Tib. Zhantong).  The original source of the Other Emptiness teachings is the Buddha's own teaching in the third turning of the wheel.  There are ten sutras in particular that are the prime sources for the view.  We have translated the most essential of those.  This sutra is short but amazing.  It shows not only the view of Other Emptiness but the view of Mahamudra and Dzogchen, too:

The Noble One Called “Point of Passage Wisdom”, A Great Vehicle Sutra

The main source of the other emptiness teaching for Tibet was the Indian master Maitripa.  Therefore, the next book to study is:

Maitripa's Writings On The View

It contains the most important writings of Maitripa concerning the view.  The book contains a complete commentary to each text written by the author so that the main points being made by Maitripa can be understood.  A free sampler of a few of the teachings in this book is available on the free texts pages.  A further support for this view is the most famous text by Ju Mipham which lays out the Other Emptiness view and the debates around it very clearly:

The Lion's Roar That Proclaims Zhantong by Ju Mipham Namgyal

The Vajra Vehicle or Tantric Practice
The Preliminaries
In order to be empowered into the Vajra Vehicle, it is usual to engage in a series of preliminary practices.  Each school has its own preliminary practices.  An example of the preliminary practices for Kagyu Mahamudra can be seen in the book:

“The Complete Path for the Ocean of Profound Meaning”, An Extensive Liturgy for the Visualization Procedures of the Mahamudra Preliminaries with a Listing of the Key Topics of the Main Practice

This book is a very extensive Drukpa Kagyu liturgy that contains all the aspects of the four types of practice to be done for the Kagyu Mahamudra preliminaries.  It is also a very beautiful composition.  For Great Completion, there are also many liturgies.

For Longchen Nyingthig preliminaries, there is the major resource:

Longchen Nyingthig Preliminary Practices, with texts, commentaries, and support materials

Entrance: Empowerment
The next step is empowerment, which is the actual entrance into the Vajra Vehicle.  A book by Lama Tony Duff explains empowerment fully and shows in particular the meaning of the fourth empowerment:

Empowerment and Atiyoga by Tony Duff

There is a guide to the Kalachakra empowerment here:

Free texts

Blessings
Blessings are an all-important part of Vajra Vehicle practice.  They are brought down by devotion to the guru.  There are many techniques for arousing devotion and then bringing down the blessings of the guru.  For the Mahamudra side, there is the book of spiritual songs sung by the First Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa:

Dusum Khyenpa's Songs and Teachings

There are songs of Milarepa and the great Drukpa Kagyu yogin Gotshanga here:

Free texts

For the Nyingma side, there is the Condensed Chronicle, which chronicles the life of Padmasambhava and which can be read out as a devotional practice:

The Condensed Chronicle by Orgyan Padma

Main Practice: Development Stage
There are two main levels of practice within Vajra Vehicle: Development Stage and Completion Stage.  Development Stage consists of developing oneself into a deity.  In the Nyingma Tradition, one of the most important instructions for Development Stage as a whole is called ?Four Nails Pinning the Key Points”.  An excellent explanation of the entire instruction was given by Dza Patrul:

Key Issues of Visualization: The Four Nails Pinning The Life-Forces

One of the core texts of Longchen Nyingthig is a text by Jigmey Lingpa which explains the whole of deity practice within the context of innermost Dzogchen.  It also has a further explanation of the Four Nails teaching.  As Chatral Sangyay Dorje Rinpoche once said, “These two texts (Patrul's and Jigmey Lingpa's) are crucial for anyone doing deity practice, especially for those practising Dzogchen”:

A presentation of the Instructions of the Development Stage Deity, “A Stairway Leading to Akanishtha”

A book on Chod Severance practice, based on the core practice of Longchen Nyingthig Chod shows this particular style of deity practice:

Longchen Nyingthig Chod, Sound of Dakini Laughter

The Main Practice: Completion Stage with Signs
Completion Stage with signs is the practice of the vajra body done using the physical body.  It is also known as channels, winds, and drops practice.  It is extremely secret.  Chogling Tesar and Longchen Nyingthig texts at this level are available privately from us.

The Main Practice: Completion Stage without Signs
Completion Stage without signs is the direct practice of innate wisdom.  In the Nyingma it is Dzogchen or Great Completion practice and in the new translation schools, such as the Kagyu, it is Mahamudra.

The Main Practice: Mahamudra
For the main practice of Mahamudra according to the Kagyu tradition as a whole, there is the system of practice taught by Gampopa called “Five-Part Mahamudra”:

Gampopa's Mahamudra: The Five Part Mahamudra of the Kagyus

There is also the dharmakaya dakini hearing lineage of the Kagyus.  This book includes the original texts of Telopa, Naropa, and Marpa that contain the very root of Kagyu lineage practice:

Bodyless Dakini Dharma: The Dakini Hearing Lineage of the Kagyu: The Five Part Mahamudra of the Kagyus

The Main Practice: Great Completion
The highest level of Dzogchen called innermost, unsurpassed, or Nyingthig meaning quintessential, Dzogchen, has two main main practices called Thorough Cut (thregcho) and Direct Crossing (thogal).  We have specialized in preparing the really important texts on Thorough Cut and Direct Crossing for the sake of practitioners.

Thorough Cut
The main way that Thorough Cut is taught in the Longchen Nyingthig transmission is through the Three Lines that Strike the Key Points teaching of Garab Dorje.  By far the most popular practical text on it is the text by Dza Patrul, one of the main early lineage-holders of the teaching.  Dodrubchen Tenpa'i Nyima wrote an excellent commentary on the Three Lines practice with a clear explanation of how it leads to Direct Crossing (thogal) practice.  The very best commentary on Dza Patrul's text that we know of is one by one of the current Tibetan masters Ontrul Tenpa'i Wangchuk; it covers every single word in depth and has astounding blessings with it.  These three texts as a group are probably the most important resource for Thorough Cut practitioners:

	The Feature of the Expert, Glorious King by Dza Patrul
	About The Three Lines That Strike Key Points by Dodrupchen III
	Relics of the Dharmakaya by Ontrul Tenpa'i Wangchuk

Following that, there are very popular, general texts on Thorough Cut.  First, there are two from Zhechen Gyaltshab IV of Zhechen Monastery, the master of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.  These are intensely practical texts:

	Essential Points of Practice: A Manual of Basic Instructions on Thorough Cut
	Words of the Old Dog Vijay

Then, there are two excellent general texts, also very popular.  The first is by Dudjom Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje, the previous Dudjom Rinpoche.  He himself said that his disciples should keep the text nearby always.  It started as the initial talk given to a set of three-year retreatants which he later wrote into a text.  It gives an exceptionally clear presentation of what a practitioner does and is well-known for having many blessings.  The second is by Ju Mipham; it is very famous because it was written for the city-dwelling yogi or urban yogi and avoids all the complicated talk of teachings given for those living in the monastery:

	Alchemy of Accomplishment by Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje
	The Way of the Realized Old Dogs, Advice that Points Out the Essence of Mind, called “A Lamp That Dispels Darkness” by Ju Mipham Namgyal

After that comes a series of texts dealing with individual, crucial subjects for the practice.  First is a book of two texts by Shakya Shri.  The first text explains the topic of introduction to the nature of mind; this is a gem because this subject is rarely explained in writing.  The second text details Thorough Cut practice and also includes some instruction on inner Parting into Sides (rushen) of mind.

Peak Doorways to Emancipation; Great Completion Texts on the Introduction to the Nature of Mind and Thorough Cut from the Collected Works of Shakya Shri

Next comes a text on the method of preserving, by Mipham:

The Method of Preserving the Face of Rigpa, The Essence of Wisdom by Ju Mipham

Next comes a text on differentiations, a subject almost not written about ever.  This was taught to Lama Tony in private by Tsoknyi Rinpoche with the wish that, after being translated, it could be used by Tsoknyi Rinpoche's students when he explained it.  It is applicable to all Thorough Cut practitioners:

Differentiating Non-Distraction and So Forth

Direct Crossing
Little is written about Direct Crossing because it is a practice that is transmitted privately and not much can be said about it in writing.  However, there is this text on Direct Crossing that can be purchased, by those who qualify:

Key Points of Direct Crossing, called “Nectar of the Pure Part”, by Khenchen Padma Namgyal

We have other texts on Direct Crossing as well, for example Jigmey Lingpa's Guidebook Called “Highest Wisdom” (Triyig Yeshe Lama) and the Kunzang Thugtig from the Chogling New Treasures.  These are available to qualified practitioners on request.

Conclusion
In that way, we have created an unsurpassed set of texts needed for a full program of study when travelling the path of the Vajra Vehicle, especially those needed by Dzogchen practitioners.  Books on other topics, such as instruction guides on translation, Tibetan grammar texts and explanations, and so on are also available both on the free pages and from the main page of books for sale.