Instructions for Practising the View of Other Emptiness: A Text of Oral Instructions by Jamgon Kongtrul

by Lama Tony Duff

Other Emptiness, or Zhantong in Tibetan, is the most profoundview taught by the Buddha. It is the very basis of the teaching of themajority of Tibetan Buddhist schools, though has been overwhelmedby some reactive Tibetan Buddhist schools who have argued againstit. As a result, it has not been well understood in the West, where itis often thought of as a complicated philosophical view enshroudedin argument. In fact, Other Emptiness is the penultimate teachingof the sutras and the root of all tantras. Th is book unequivocallyshows that the Buddha did not teach this ultimate of views as acomplicated philosophy for scholarly argument but as a practicalview to be used for the attainment of enlightenment.Th e author has received extensive explanations on the Middle Wayview during nearly forty years of close association with eminentteachers of all four Tibetan Buddhist schools, so has an unusuallyclear and comprehensive understanding of the Other Emptinessview. He has recently written a series of books which show OtherEmptiness from Kagyu, Nyingma, and Jonang perspectives. Th isbook showcases an instruction manual for the actual practise ofthe Other Emptiness view. Th e manual was written by JamgonKongtrul, one of the great masters of the Kagyu school. He wrotethe manual after going to the throne-holder of the Jonang school,who gave him the entire Jonang transmission of Other Emptiness.Th is book has an extensive introduction which will go far towardsclarifying Other Emptiness for scholars and practitioners alike. Th eintroduction examines Other Emptiness from many sides, so thateven readers who are not technically inclined can understand it. Forthose who are technically inclined, the text itself provides a wealthof detail on how to develop the view and do the meditation of OtherEmptiness.

150 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2012