The Heart of the Path

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
(Archive #1047)

In this book, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the importance of the spiritual teacher and advises how to train the mind in guru devotion, the root of the path to enlightenment. Edited by LYWA senior editor, Ven. Ailsa Cameron, this is a fantastic teaching on guru devotion and is a great and very important book.

Suggested Further Reading

Abhayadatta. Buddha’s Lions: The Lives of the Eighty-Four Siddhas. Translated by James B. Robinson. Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1979.

Asvaghosa. Fifty Verses of Guru Devotion. Translated by Translation Bureau of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1975.

Berzin, Alexander. Relating to a Spiritual Teacher: Building a Healthy Relationship. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2000.

Chang, Garma C. C. (trans). The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, 1962, 1999.

Cleary, Thomas (trans). The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, 1993.

Conze, Edward (trans). The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines & its Verse Summary. San Francisco: Four Season Foundation, 1973, 1995.

Dhargyey, Geshe Ngawang. An Anthology of Well-Spoken Advice on the Graded Paths of the Mind. Translated by Sharpa Tulku. Edited by Alexander Berzin. Dharamsala, India: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 2001.

——— . Tibetan Tradition of Mental Development: Oral Teachings of Tibetan Lama Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1992.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Guru Yoga: According to the Preliminary Practice of Longchen Nyingtik. Translated by Matthieu Ricard. Edited by Rigpa. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1999.

——— . & Padampa Sangye. The Hundred Verses of Advice: Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on What Matters Most. Translated by the Padmakara Translation group. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, 2005.

Dorje, Rig’dzin. Dangerous Friend: The Teacher-Student Relationship in Vajrayana Buddhism. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, 2001.

Dorje, Wang-chug, the Ninth Karmapa. The Mahamudra Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance, with commentary by Beru Khyentze Rinpoche, and Fifty Stanzas of Guru-Devotion, by Asvaghosa, with commentary by Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey. Translated and edited by Alex Berzin. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1978.

FPMT. Essential Buddhist Prayers: An FPMT Prayer Book, Volume 1, Basic Prayers and Practices. Portland: FPMT, Inc., 2006.

Gampopa. The Jewel Ornament of Liberation. Translated and annotated by Herbert V. Guenther. Boulder: Shambhala Publications, 1971.

——— . The Jewel Ornament of Liberation: The Wish-fulfilling Gem of the Noble Teachings. Translated by Khenpo Könchog Gyaltsen. Edited by Ani K. Trinlay Chödron. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1998.

Guenther, Herbert V. The Life and Teaching of Naropa. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, 1963, 1986.

Gyältsän, Losang Chökyi, the First Panchen Lama. Lama Chöpa: Expanded Edition in Accordance with the Advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Portland: FPMT, Inc., 2004.

——— . Guru Puja. Translated by Alexander Berzin, Jampa Gendun et al. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1979, 2000.

Gyaltsen, Khenpo Könchog (trans). The Great Kagyu Masters: The Golden Lineage Treasury. Edited by Victoria Huckenpahler. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications. 1990, 2006.

Gyatso, Tenzin, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Illuminating the Path to Enlightenment: A Commentary on Atisha Dipamkara Shrijnana’s A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment and Lama Je Tsong Khapa’s Lines of Experience. Translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa. Edited by Rebecca McClen Novick, Thupten Jinpa and Nicholas Ribush. Boston: Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, 2002.

——— . The Meaning of Life: Buddhist Perspectives on Cause and Effect. Translated by Jeffrey Hopkins. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1992, 2000.

——— . Opening the Eye of New Awareness. Translated and Introduced by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1984, 1999.

——— . Path to Bliss: A Practical Guide to Stages of Meditation. Translated by Geshe Thubten Jinpa. Edited by Christine Cox. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1991.

——— . The Path to Enlightenment. Edited and translated by Glenn H. Mullin. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1995.

——— . The Union of Bliss and Emptiness: A Commentary on the Lama Choepa Guru Yoga Practice. Translated by Thupten Jinpa. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1988.

Heruka, Tsang Nyön. The Life of Marpa the Translator: Seeing Accomplishes All. Translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, 1982, 1995.

——— . The Life of Milarepa. Translated by Lhalungpa, Lobsang P. London: Penguin Books (Arkana), 1977, 1992.

Jinpa, Thupten (trans). The Book of Kadam: The Core Texts. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2008.

Kongtrul, Jamgön. The Teacher-Student Relationship. Translated and introduced by Ron Garry. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1999.

Kunga Rinpoche, Lama and Brian Cutillo (trans). Drinking the Mountain Stream: Songs of Tibet’s Beloved Saint, Milarepa. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995.

Loden, Geshe Acharya Thubten. Path to Enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism. Melbourne: Tushita Publications, 1993.

——— . Meditations on the Path to Enlightenment. Melbourne: Tushita Publications, 1996.

Mullin, Glenn H. The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation. Edited by Valerie Shepherd. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Clear Light Publishers, 2001.

Pabongka Rinpoche. Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand: A Concise Discourse on the Path to Enlightenment. Edited by Trijang Rinpoche. Translated by Michael Richards. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1991, 2006.

——— . Liberation in Our Hands, Part Two: The Fundamentals. Transcribed and edited by Trijang Rinpoche. Translated by Geshe Lobsang Tharchin with Artemus B. Engle. Howell, New Jersey: Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Press, 1994.

Patrul Rinpoche. The Words of My Perfect Teacher. Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1998.

Rabten, Geshe. The Essential Nectar: Meditations on the Buddhist Path. Editing and verse translation by Martin Willson. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1984, 1992.

———  and Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey. Advice from a Spiritual Friend. Translated by Brian Beresford. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1977, 1996.

Ribush, Nicholas (ed). Teachings from Tibet: Guidance from Great Lamas. Boston: Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, 2005.

Rinchen, Geshe Sonam. Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment. Translated and edited by Ruth Sonam. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1997.

——— . The Three Principal Aspects of the Path. Translated and edited by Ruth Sonam. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1999.

Shantideva. A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Translated by Stephen Batchelor. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1979, 1992.

——— . A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life. Translated by Vesna A. Wallace and B. Alan Wallace. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1997.

——— . The Way of the Bodhisattva: A Translation of the Bodhicharyavatara. Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1997.

Sherbourne, Richard. S.J. A Lamp for the Path and Commentary. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1983.

Sopa, Geshe Lhundub, with David Patt. Steps on the Path to Enlightenment: A Commentary on Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim Chenmo. Volume I: The Foundation Practices. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2004.

Tegchok, Geshe Jampa. Transforming the Heart: The Buddhist Way to Joy and Courage. Edited by Thubten Chodron. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1999.

Tharchin, Geshe Lobsang. Six-Session Guru Yoga: An Oral Commentary with a Detailed Explanation of the Bodhisattva and Tantric Vows. Howell, New Jersey: Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Press, 1999.

Thurman, Robert A. F. Essential Tibetan Buddhism. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995.

——— (ed). Life and Teachings of Tsong Khapa. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1982.

Trungpa, Chögyam. Cutting through Spiritual Materialism. Edited by John Baker and Marvin Casper. Berkeley: Shambhala Publications, 1973.

——— . Illusion’s Game: The Life and Teaching of Naropa. Edited by Sherab Chödzin. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, 1994.

Tsöndru, Yeshe. The Essence of Nectar. Translated by Geshe Lobsang Tharchin. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archive, 1979.

Tsong-kha-pa. The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment: Volume One. Translated by the Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2000.

——— . The Fulfillment of All Hopes: Guru Devotion in Tibetan Buddhism. Translated and edited by Gareth Sparham. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1999.

——— . Preparing for Tantra: The Mountain of Blessings. Translated by Geshe Lobsang Tharchin with Michael Roach. Howell, New Jersey: Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Press, 1995.

——— . The Principal Teachings of Buddhism. Translated by Geshe Lobsang Tharchin with Michael Roach. Howell, New Jersey: Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Press, 1988.

Wangmo, Jamyang. The Lawudo Lama: Stories of Reincarnation from the Mount Everest Region. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2005.

Wangyal, Geshe (trans). The Door of Liberation: Essential Teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995.

Willis, Janice D. Enlightened Beings: Life Stories from the Ganden Oral Tradition. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995.

Yangsi Rinpoche. Practicing the Path: A Commentary on the Lamrim Chenmo. Edited by Miranda Adams. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2003.

Yeshe, Lama Thubten. The Bliss of Inner Fire: Heart Practice of the Six Yogas of Naropa. Edited by Robina Courtin and Ailsa Cameron. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1998.

——— . Introduction to Tantra: The Transformation of Desire. Edited by Jonathan Landaw. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1987, 2001.