The garland of views of Padmasambhava and Mipham Rinpoche

This unique and classic text, written by Padmasambhava, has been passed down, studied and revered by Tibetans for centuries. It is a concise guide to the view and the nine spiritual vehicles (Yānas) that culminate in the Dzogpa Chenpo, the Great Perfection, and is accompanied by the indispensable explanations of the incomparable Mipham Rinpoche. It should be read by anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this ancient tradition of extraordinary Tibetan Buddhist wisdom. The Tibetan text of the core teaching is set against its translation. The Garland of Views presents both a concise commentary by the eighth-century Indian Buddhist master Padmasambhava on a chapter from the Guhyagarbha Tantra on the various Buddhist and non-Buddhist philosophical views, including the Great Perfection (Dzogchen), and an explanatory commentary on Padmasambhava's text by the nineteenth-century scholar Jamgön Mipham (1846-1912). Padmasambhava's text is a major text of the Nyingma tradition because it forms the basis for the system of nine vehicles (three Sūtra and six Tantra vehicles), which later became the accepted way of classifying the various Buddhist paths in the Nyingma tradition. It forms an important part of the curriculum in Tibetan Buddhist monastic universities. Mipham's commentary is the one most often used to explain Padmasambhava's teaching. Mipham is known for his prolific, lucid and original writings on many topics, including