A Lullaby to Awaken the Heart: The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra and Its Tibetan Commentaries by Karl Brunnhölzl (PDF)

Description

A key Dzogchen text—available together with its Tibetan commentaries, including from the fifteenth Karmapa—from a preeminent translator.The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra, one of the most famous and often-recited Dzogchen texts, is at once an entreaty by the primordial buddha, Samantabhadra, that all sentient beings recognize the nature of their minds and thus become buddhas, and also a wake-up call by our own buddha nature itself. This monumental text outlines the profound view of Dzogchen in a nutshell and, at the same time, provides clear instructions on how to discover the wisdom of a buddha in the very midst of afflictions. In this volume, Karl Brunnhölzl offers translations of three versions of the Aspiration Prayer and accompanies them with translations of the commentaries by Jigmé Lingpa, the Fifteenth Karmapa, and Tsültrim Sangpo. He offers further contextualization with his rich annotation and appendices, which include additional translation from Jigmé Lingpa, Longchenpa, and Patrul Rinpoche. This comprehensive, comprehensible book illuminates this profound text and greatly furthers our understanding of Dzogchen—and of our own nature.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “Among translators, Brunnhölzl is unsurpassed in his knowledge of Tibetan and Sanskrit Buddhist literature. His deep practice experience brings the meaning and intent of texts to life. In A Lullaby to Awaken the Heart he brilliantly presents the teachings in The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra, a gateway into the profundity of the Dzogchen teachings. Through pointing out our originally pure nature again and again, this book will make practitioners smile. Through its detailed explanations and meticulous documentation, it will make scholars rejoice.” — Andy Karr, author of Contemplating Reality: A Practitioner’s Guide to the View in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism“Karl Brunnhölzl’s A Lullaby to Awaken the Heart is a rich and inspiring resource for the study and practice of The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra, containing translations of commentaries by Jigmé Lingpa and the Fifteenth Karmapa as well as a multifaceted introduction. This masterfully translated, well-researched, and comprehensive volume on the most famous of Dzogchen aspiration prayers opens up for us the world of Samantabhadra: our primordial basic awareness.” — Elizabeth M. Callahan, translator of The Profound Inner Principles About the Author Karl Brunnhölzl was originally trained as a physician. He received his systematic training in the Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy and practice at the Marpa Institute for Translators, founded by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, as well as Nitartha Institute, founded by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. Since 1989 he has been a translator and interpreter of Tibetan and English. He is a senior teacher and translator in the Nalandabodhi community of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche as well as at Nitartha Institute. He is the author and translator of numerous texts, including most recently A Lullaby to Awaken the Heart (2018) and Luminous Melodies: Essential Dohas of Indian Mahamudra (2019).

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐To the essential point. Excellent scholarship, beautiful presentation.

⭐so i chew this bit by bit. it is an amazing text. the title a Lullaby to awaken the heart is right on. usually lullabies put us to sleep and this one awakens the heart. kinda neat

⭐Samantabhadra is the buddha that has never not been a buddha, never not been awareness itself, never been confused and entered into Samsara, and so never needed the liberation of Nirvana. As such He represents our essential buddha-nature in the best possible light, and his prayer is one to, by and for Him, pointing out this unique status hidden at the core of our experience. This book, which includes a variety of contextual introductory essays and translations and commentaries by various lineage masters is really fantastic, and sets the bar! It is by far the best book available on the subject!Karl Brunnholzl does a wonderful job to make it clear (and accessible) what is being discussed and why it’s relevant for us. The detailed and comprehensive commentary he provides and his translations of the root prayer and supportive traditional scholarly material (using a wide range of works by the 14th century master Longchenpa) are all excellent and easy to understand; starting with a clear explanation of who Samantabhadra is;“Thus, Samantadhadra’s buddhahood comes about through rigpa’s true nature simply recognizing itself, by itself, without any further conditions or fabrications: it does not arise through any causes or conditions that are extrinsic or external to it, such as teachers, accumulations of conditioned merit, study, reflection, or contrived forms of meditation beyond the sheer recognition of rigpa by itself.” (p.10)He then goes on to give the reader background on the historical context of the Northern Treasure tradition (where the prayer first arose in the mid 14th century with Ridgzin Godemchen), the role of aspirational prayers in the Tibetan traditions, the special non-dual language of such a personification of Buddha Nature, the structure of the prayer and how it an be practiced (through recitation and contemplation). He then presents his translations of three different versions of the prayer (the 19th chapter of the Tantra of Samantabhadra’s Unobsctructed Awakened Mind, the ‘common version’ as well as one intended to be recited).“All sentient being of the three realmsare equal to myself, the Buddha, the ground of all,but for them it has become the ground of meaningless delusion.Right now, they engage in meaningless activities,with six kinds of karma being like delusion in a dream.I, however, am the primordial buddha….A HO!From now on, whenever mighty yogic practitionersmake this powerful aspirational prayerwithin self-luminous awareness free of delusion,all sentient beings who hear itwill fully awaken within three lives.” (from the recitation version, p. 117)Next come three extensive Tibetan commentaries by Jigme Lingpa (1729-98), The Fifteenth Karmapa (1870-1921) and Tsultrim Sangpo (1884-1957). So far all this makes up just the first half of the book. What follows are 125 pages of appendices – including two teachings by Patrul Rinpoche (19th century), and then almost 150 pages of notes!Overall this is a real jewel of a production not to be missed by anyone interested in the radical immediate essence of dzogchen.

⭐Book arrived on time and completely new.Glad to have bought.

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