Ebook: Theory and Practice of Other Emptiness Taught Through Milarepa's Songs

Other Emptiness, or Zhantong in Tibetan, is the most profound view
taught by the Buddha. It is the very basis of the majority of Tibetan
Buddhist schools, though it has been overshadowed by the views of some
schools who have argued against it. As a result, it has not been well
understood in the West, where it is often thought of as a complicated
and possibly questionable philosophical view. In fact, Other Emptiness
is the penultimate teaching of the sutras and the root of all tantras. Th is
book shows for the fi rst time that the Buddha did not teach this ultimate
of views as a complicated philosophy for scholarly argument but as a
practical view to be used for the attainment of enlightenment.
Th e teachings of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism have been
based on Other Emptiness from the beginning. Th e early lineageholder
Milarepa sang many songs which present it and two especially
important ones are presented in this book. Fresh translations of the songs
come with full explanations based on teachings heard from the Kagyu
masters Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso, Th rangu Rinpoche, and others. Th ese
explanations have the special feature of being the actual instructions
of the lineage. Th ey are practical in nature and free of the convoluted
philosophical argument often but mistakenly claimed to be the meaning
of Other Emptiness. Th us, for the fi rst time in English, the teaching
of Other Emptiness is clearly shown as a practical instruction, using the
teachings of the Kagyu lineage.
Th e author has received extensive explanations on the Middle
Way view during nearly forty years of close association with eminent
teachers of all four Tibetan Buddhist schools, so has an unusually clear
and comprehensive understanding of the Other Emptiness view. He
has recently written a series of books to clarify the meaning of Other
Emptiness. This book has an extensive introduction which will go far
towards clarifying the view and meditation of Other Emptiness for
scholars and