Description

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Gesar of Ling is well known in Tibetan history, literature, and folklore. But, for Buddhist practitioners, he is an enlightened tantric protector and deity—an emanation of Padmasambhava. Engaging in Gesar practice is meant to generate positive circumstances and increase one’s experiences and realization in Buddhist practice.

Gesar of Ling is widely known as the hero of Tibet’s national oral epic, considered the longest epic in the world. But he is also the focus of Buddhist practices in which his enlightened form, known as King Gesar the Jewel, becomes one of the numerous spiritual methods offered by Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism to progress toward buddhahood. This work contains the complete selection of practice texts compiled by the early modern Tibetan polymath Jamgon Mipham and included in his Collected Works.   

Gesar personifies the ideal of the spiritual warrior, who tames negative forces which obstruct the Buddhist path. The practices presented here detail poetic imagery of offerings and their recipients, including Gesar, his court, and the spirits who dwell in his personal belongings. Vajrayana practices such as these are considered mind treasures, meaning rather than being composed, they appeared fully formed as a transmission with the mind of a Vajrayana master.

The practices in this book are meant to be done only by those who have received Gesar Dorje Tsegyal empowerment or “entrustment with his life force,” the reading transmission of the practice, and the associated instructions from a qualified master.

About the Author

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JAMGON MIPHAM (1846–1912) was one of the great luminaries of Tibetan Buddhism in modern times. Monk, mystic, and brilliant philosopher, he shaped the trajectory of Tibetan Buddhism’s Nyingma school and reinvigorated the Nyingma monastic university tradition. A prolific writer, he is well known for his lengthy composition, The Epic of Gesar of Ling, which arose out of Tibet's oral tradition and is said to be equivalent to the Greek Iliad or the Odyssey. 

GYURME AVERTIN has served as the principal translator for Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche and several other eminent Tibetan teachers, accompanying them on their frequent visits to the West. Spending extended periods of time in India and Nepal, he has trained extensively in both the sutra and tantra teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, studying with some of the most accomplished masters of our times. His published works include The Gathering of Vidyadharas: Text and Commentaries on the Rigdzin Düpa (Snow Lion, 2017), Sublime Lady of Immortality: Teachings on Chimé Phakmé Nyingtik (Rangjung Yeshe, 2021), as well as numerous talks and prayers.

Praise For…

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“Today’s world moves so fast. Joy, sadness, or simply reading a short email can open the door to emotional volatility and uncertainty more quickly and intensely than ever before—it’s why the tsunami of human emotion is so out of control. Now more than ever before, we need to develop our ability to remain strong and kind within the fortress of who we really are. If someone like Mipham Rinpoche had no qualms about using Gesar—the king, the legend, the protector, the guide, and the guru—as a path to accomplishing authentic presence and emotional stability, why shouldn’t we make use of this extraordinary path too?”
—Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse


“Collects together for the first time the Gesar practices and supplications written by the eminent nineteenth-century master Jamgön Mipham. Helpful introductory essays by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche elucidate the tantric significance of Gesar practice.”
—Buddhadharma