Luminous Essence by Jamgon Mipham
Foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama
Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Snow Lion Publications
I have no doubt that interested and initiated practitioners of the Guhyagarbha Tantra cycle of practices will derive great benefit from reading and relying on this explanatory text. – From the foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The Luminous Essence (gsang snying spyi don ’od gsal snying po) is a complete introduction to the world of tantric thought and practice. Composed by the renowned Tibetan master, Jamgon Mipham (1846-1912), the text provides an overview of the theory and experiential assimilation of a seminal tantric scripture, the Tantra of the Secret Essence (Guhyagarbha-tantra). Embodying the essence of tantric practice, this text has been a central scripture in Tibetan Buddhism for well over a thousand years. Mipham’s explanation of this text, here translated for the first time, is one of the most celebrated commentaries on the Tantra of the Secret Essence, which today occupies an important place in the tantric curriculum of Tibetan monastic colleges.
The Luminous Essence is a specialized guide meant for initiated tantric practitioners. To fully appreciate and assimilate its message, it should be studied under the guidance of a qualified teacher by those who have received the appropriate empowerments, reading transmissions, and oral instructions.
