The Essence of Benefit and Joy: A Method for the Saving of Lives

by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, Alak Zenkar (Translator), Peter O'Hearn (Translator)

This is a multilingual translation of the Tibetan text by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, also known as Jamgon Kongtrul the Great. It contains both English and Chinese translations of the profound Buddhist practice of releasing life, as well as the original text in Tibetan script and English phonetics. In this key practice of generosity, one ransoms beings who would otherwise be killed, thereby saving their lives, and releases them with this liturgy.

50 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

About the author

The first Jamgon Kongtrul, Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thayé (འཇམ་མགོན་ཀོང་སྤྲུལ་བློ་གྲོས་མཐའ་ཡས་ 'jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas), was one of the preeminent scholars in 19th century Tibet, often referred to as Jamgon Kongtrul the Great. The name Kongtrul is a contraction of Kongpo Bamtang Tulku, of whom he was held to be an incarnation. He also was a tertön, or "revealer of Dharma treasures," and in that capacity was given the name Pema Garwang Chimé Yudrung Lingpa.

He was also a respected physician and diplomat. He is credited as one of the founders of the Rimé (རིས་མེད་ ris-med "unbiased" or non-sectarian) movement of Tibetan Buddhism, and he compiled what is known as the Five Great Treasuries.