Table of Contents

Editor's Preface
1. The Stages of the Path for Persons of Great Capacity
2. Compassion, the Entrance to the Mahāyāna
3. The Seven Cause-and-Effect Personal Instructions
4. Exchanging Self and Other
5. The Ritual for Adopting the Spirit of Enlightenment
6. Maintaining the Spirit of Enlightenment
7. An Introduction to the Six Perfections
8. Training in the Mahāyāna: Precepts and Perfections
9. The Perfection of Generosity
10. How to Give
11. The Perfection of Ethical Discipline
12. The Perfection of Patience
13. The Perfection of Joyous Perseverance
14. The Perfections of Meditative Stabilization and Wisdom
15. Helping Others to Mature: The Four Ways to Gather Disciples
Appendix 1: Outline of the Text
Appendix 2: Glossary
Appendix 3: Emendations to the Tibetan Text
Notes
Abbreviations
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

JE TSONG-KHA-PA (1357-1419), founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, was one of Tibet's greatest philosophers and a prolific writer. His works combine a profound meditative spirituality with meticulous reasoning. THE LAMRIM CHENMO TRANSLATION COMMITTEE is composed of Jose Cabez n, Daniel Cozort, Joshua W. C. Cutler, Natalie Hauptman, Roger R. Jackson, Karen Lang, Donald S. Lopez Jr., John Makransky, Elizabeth S. Napper, Guy Newland, John Newman, Gareth Sparham, B. Alan Wallace, and Joe B. Wilson.

Reviews

"Of the many works of the Tibetan master Tsong-kha-pa, none compare in terms of popularity and breadth of influence with his Great Treatise, which has been treasured by practitioners and scholars alike for centuries. What distinguishes it as one of the principal texts of Mahayana Buddhism is its scope and clarity. It expounds the entire path from the way one should rely on a spiritual teacher, which is the very root, right up to the attainment of Buddhahood, which is the final fruit. The various stages of the path are presented so clearly and systematically that they can be easily understood and are inspiring to put into practice."—H.H. the Dalai Lama

“One of the greatest religious or secular works in the library of our human heritage.”
—Robert A. F. Thurman, Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Columbia University

"The present translation in three volumes is a remarkable accomplishment and a great gift to all students and practitioners of Vajrayana. The teachings, given open-handedly in this key text, are essential for anyone hoping to enter into or attain success in the higher (Tantric) stages of the path. The wisdom found in the nearly 1,200 pages of this work is truly astonishing and liberating. As Robert Thurman mentions in his foreword, Je Tsong-kha-pa's treatise can cause a 'paradigm shift' in the reader from a self-centered individual concerned with his own happiness to a bodhisattva for whom the happiness of others has become an ultimate concern. May it be so!"—Georg Feuerstein, author of The Encyclopedia of Yoga and Tantra

"As timely and radiant as ever. An indispensable work for Buddhists of all stripes."—Tricycle

"This is a classic of religious thought and is essential for libraries with a demonstrated interest in Buddhism or comparative religion. It should also be considered for all larger research collections and public libraries."—Library Journal