Description
In Essence reunited, In a most lapidary text, the Venerable Phabongka Rinpoce offers all the necessary guidance for travelling the path to Enlightenment and attaining Enlightenment.
Master Gonsar Rinpoce commented in detail on these teachings during a course in the summer of 2002 in Leysin (Switzerland). The lectures given on that occasion have been collected in this volume, entitled Essence of Buddhist doctrine. With unrivalled verve and clarity, he has succeeded in emphasising the depth of the teachings of the master Kyabje Phabongka Rinpoce, making the source text accessible to everyone. Here we find simple and precise advice which, practised with sincerity, zeal and enthusiasm, becomes the key to opening the door to liberation.
This text contains all the essential points of the Dharma, clearly and precisely explained.
„True Dharma is not outside ourselves, but must be produced by the mind. Qualities such as wisdom, patience, loving-kindness, etc. are necessary and we must develop them by familiarising ourselves with them and practising them. But for the Dharma to come into being, it is necessary first to listen to the teachings taught by the Masters or those found in the scriptures and retain them.” - quote from the book
Current Gonsar Rinpoche was born in 1949 in Shigatse, Tibet, into an aristocratic family known to be descended from the ancient kings of Tibet. At the age of three, Gonsar Rinpoche was recognised as the fifth incarnation of the Gonsar Rinpoche lineage, a fact confirmed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. At the age of six he entered Sera Monastery, which was then the second largest monastic university in Tibet. Gonsar Rinpoce received a large number of teachings and transmissions from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and many other masters, in particular Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang and Geshe Rabten Rinpoce.
In 1959, when Tibet fell to the Chinese communist regime, Gonsar Rinpoce fled to India with his master and continued his studies there. At the same time, he learnt English and Hindi. In 1969, he began to translate into English the Buddhist teachings taught by his teacher Geshe Rabten to students in the West.
Since the death of Venerable Geshe Rabten in 1986, Gonsar Rinpoce has continued the activities of his master, having spent thirty-three years as his closest disciple. Today, Gonsar Rinpoce is director of the Rabten Choeling Centre in Mont Pèlerin (Switzerland) and of the other Rabten centres in Europe.
He regularly teaches the teachings, directly in English, French, German and Tibetan, and is renowned as one of the very few contemporary masters able to clearly and movingly convey all aspects of the Buddha's teachings.
