His Eminence Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche often says that breathing easily in a relaxed state free from stress and worry is a sign of inner freedom. Since time without beginning, our true nature has been, is, and always will be, naturally free. The Path to Perfect Freedom is a collection of teachings by Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche, delivered across the United States and Asia over the past 35 years. It highlights Rinpoche's direct, spontaneous, and engaging style.
Part One features general teachings on the Tibetan Buddhist path. These talks cover topics such as the purity of being, the essence of wisdom, the infallible law of karma, unconditional intelligence, pure aspiration, and the way of the bodhisattva.
Part Two focuses on the teachings of the vajrayana and Dzogchen. It begins with a line-by-line commentary on His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche's
Calling the Lama from Afar, and a talk on devotion within the lineage of Padmasambhava. It includes Rinpoche's teachings on the five extraordinary preliminary practices of the Pema Sangtig Ngondro: taking refuge, generating bodhichitta, Vajrasattva purification, mandala offering, and Guru Yoga, followed by a review and commentary on His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche's
Quintessence of Accomplishment: Instructions for Mountain Retreat. It concludes with an exploration of Patrul Rinpoche's teachings on
The Inner Treasure of Self-Liberation. Part Three, Key Topics, includes a selection of short teachings on specific subjects, such as
The Kindness of the Teacher,
Beyond Death, and
Unborn Awareness. Rinpoche delivered many of these teachings in response to students' questions.
Finally, the appendix includes Shyalpa Rinpoche's
Spontaneous Verse on Precious Human Life and his oral translation of
The Final Testament of Padampa Sangye.
