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The Great Medicine

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"I will speak a little about how to destroy one's clinging to the notion of reality with the great medicine, bodhichitta, the essence of the Mahayana path, the road travelled by all the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Keep this in mind when in dire straits upon the vast plain of clinging to life's appearances."

        So begins THE GREAT MEDICINE: A Remedy that Conquers Clinging to Reality, a moving text written in verse by Shechen Gyaltsap Gyurme Pema Namgyal. Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche's commentary explores the foundation of awakened mind, the inner workings of loving kindness and compassion, the view of emptiness, and the practical applications of this understanding on the path. Rinpoche's teaching style is refreshing and direct, using examples from his own experience and anecdotes about his teachers and the lineage to illustrate the importance of mingling the Buddhist teachings into ones own life.

        "We need to gain real experience with these valuable instructions and integrate them into our lives. Doing so is the only reason to study them. The result of spiritual practice should be our inner transformation into a better human being. After years of practice we should gain a sense of inner peace and become less vulnerable to outer circumstances. Inner freedom, relaxed and open happiness, as well as joy will arise when negative emotions and mental confusions disappear. In contrast, we will have missed the point of the practice if our mental poisons remain all-powerful, torment us constantly, and cause us to remain preoccupied with ourselves."

        Shechen Gyaltsap Gyurme Pema Namgyal, (1871-1926) was one of the most learned and accomplished practitioners of his time. His 13 volumes of writings contain many lucid and profound commentaries. He was the root teacher of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

        The 7th Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, born in 1966, is the grandson and spiritual heir of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. He is the abbot of Shechen Monasteries and Nunnery in Nepal, India, and Bhutan and the founder of a number of on-going humanitarian projects. (Source: Back Cover)

Citation	Namgyal, Shechen Gyaltsap Pema. The Great Medicine: A Remedy That Conquers Clinging to Reality; Steps in Meditation on the Enlightened Mind. Explained by Shechen Rabjam Gyurme Chokyi Senge. New Delhi: Shechen Publications, 2006.

Table of Contents About the Book Texts Translated Quotes

Foreword 7 Acknowledgements 9 Introduction 11 The Virtuous Beginning 19 1. An Introduction to the Text 21 Virtuous in the Middle • The Main Teaching 2. The Identification of the Awakened Mind 29 3. Preliminaries and Refuge 35 4. Developing the Awakened Mind 45 5. How to Overcome Obstacles 53 6. The Sublime Exchange of Happiness and Suffering 63 7. The Root of Suffering 71 8. Stages of Training in the Ultimate Awakened Mind 75 9. The Great Perfection 85 10. Deviations from the View 95 11. Post Meditation: The Six Transcendent Perfections 99 Virtuous at the Conclusion 105 12. Dedication of Merit 107 Root text 111 Endnotes 129

Glossary 130

This work consists of an oral commentary given by Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche on:

1. Zhechen Gyaltsab, 4th. byang chub kyi sems bsgom pa'i rim pa bdag 'dzin 'joms pa'i sman chen. In gsung 'bum pad+ma rnam rgyal, Vol. 8: 41-56. Paro: ngodup, 1975-1994.