Books and Translations

The Mythology of the Lotus-Born

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman

Guru Pema is Padmasambhava, the wandering tantric yogin from Orgyen who became Tibet’s Great Guru. To his disciples he was the Lotus Born and, later, to his followers, he became Guru Rimpoche, the precious guru-buddha who resides in our heart center. Identical to the nature of mind, he emanates tulkus to demonstrate Dzogchen, the Great Perfection. In this ground-breaking work Keith Dowman brings the guru-myths and the means of invoking Guru Pema together with an analysis that provides immediate contemporary meaning.

Some readers will consider the core of the book to be the mythic truths revealed in the lives of Guru Rimpoche described in the Zanglingma, a treasure-text of Nyangrel Nyima Wozer. Others will look at The Seven Line Prayer as the essence because Mipham Namgyel’s commentary provides the secret means to personal attainment of union with Guru Rimpoche.

In a way similar to that in which Mipham elucidates the hidden meanings of The Seven Line Prayer, exposing thereby the treasures hidden in a common prayer, hitherto taken at face value, so the extensive introduction written in Keith Dowman’s inimitable style and perspective, brings Padmasambhava into the twenty-first century and actually verbalizes what we have hitherto only surmized.

The guru-myths are presented as code describing ...

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Line Drawings by Gomchen Au Leshe

Special Presentation Edition
Introduction and Translation by Keith Dowman

The sacred art of Tibet is best known through its painted scrolls, or tankas. Each tanka describes a contemplative vision arisen in meditation containing images of lamas, buddha-deities, dakinis and protectors. The ninety-four line-drawings that comprise The Nyingma Icons delineate the graphic basis of these tankas, incorporating the principal images of the Nyingma pantheon.

This collection of buddhas in The Nyingma Icons was chosen by His Holiness the late Dudjom Rinpoche to illustrate his encyclopedic work The History of the Nyingma Dharma (Dudjom Rinpoche, The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History, two volumes, translated by Gyurme Dorje and Matthew Kapstein, Boston, MA, Wisdom, 1991). Dudjom Rinpoche (see illustration no. 64) was a great yogin and master of Dzogchen and a scholar steeped in the theoretical learning of his school. As he writes in his brief introduction to The Nyingma Icons, the buddhas and deities belong primarily to the lineage of his Khandro Tuktik.

The structure of the book follows the metaphysical pattern employed in his History. After the first eight drawings, which represent the principals of Indian Mahayana Buddhism, the buddhas are divided into three classes, called the three roots, lamas, buddha-deities and dakinis, and ending with a fourth class – dharma protectors and guardians. Brief descriptions of these various classes are to be found ...

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Longchenpa's Precious Treasury of the Dharmadhatu

A Radical Dzogchen Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman.

This famous seminal text of radical Dzogchen provides a profound yet simple poetic statement of how it is to immerse oneself in the matrix of the now, to allow pure presence and recognize buddha. It is a personal statement of a yogin-adept who, evidently, has passed through the throes of transfiguration. Certainly the magic of his poetry impresses us that way and surely this Treasury of the Dharmadhatu, the Choyingdzo, is a personal revelation of the consummation of Dzogchen. In it we are assured that over and above all the yogas and dhyanas of Hindustan, all the ritual and magic of Tibet and all the commercialized quasi-religious new-age therapies of the West there exists a simple, timeless manner of being, of easy access, requiring no onerous technique or renunciate lifestyle, that can give us a constant modicum of satisfaction in this vale of laughter and tears between birth and dying.

Generous excerpts from the book can be found here

Longchenpa's Precious Treasury of the Dharmadhatu

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman.

This is the first edition, published in Nepal. While general readers are directed to the updated edition, information about earlier editions is included here for completeness.

Detail contents and excerpts have been moved to the newer edition.

Jigme Lingpa's Dzogchen Atiyoga Manual

A Radical Dzogchen Translation by Keith Dowman.

Here is the great Yeshe Lama, the most renowned, comprehensive and the most efficacious of the Dzogchen manuals. It is a sourcebook for Dzogchen Breakthrough/Leapover precepts. Certainly, the Yeshe Lama lives up to its reputation.

It is still the crown jewel of the latter-day Dzogchen lineages. It is at the apex of the Longchen Nyingtik corpus of literature, presenting the essential Dzogchen yogas in pith instruction.

The Longchen Nyingtik is based firmly in Longchen Rabjampa’s vision, a massive, vast and profound Dzogchen vision written down as the Seven Treasuries, which in turn were based intimately upon the tantras of the Nyingma Gyubum, the treasure house of Dzogchen.

Overview
The translation was made for the benefit of students who have received transmission and oral instructions from a teacher and need clarification and elucidation from an authoritative literary source.

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Lonchenpa's Finding Comfort and Ease in Enchantment

A Book of Dzogchen Precepts

A Radical Dzogchen Translation by Keith Dowman.

Maya Yoga is the title of the translation of "Finding Comfort and Ease in Enchantment" written by the inimitable Longchen Rabjampa. In the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, this text is considered second to none in its power to evoke the nature of the nondual reality of the Dzogchen view.

With poetic mastery, Longchenpa provides the precepts that can instantly illuminate the buddha-reality that is our ordinary everyday experience. He asserts that we are presently under the spell of magical illusion and that by recognizing it we are instantaneously released from a conceptual cage into an enchanting reality which is pure pleasure itself. That reality is maya, apparent yet absent, and the recognition of it in that state of natural relaxation is maya yoga.

In this renowned atiyoga manual, we find the key to the natural mystical state that Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, constantly evokes.

More details and excerpts can be found here

Lonchenpa's Finding Comfort and Ease in Enchantment

A Book of Dzogchen Precepts

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman.

This is an earlier edition, published in Nepal, which may still be of interest to many.

Available at
www.vajrabooks.com.np
www.namsebangdzo.com in the USA and
www.wisdom-books.com in the UK

Detailed contents and excerpts have been moved to the newer edition.

Longchenpa's Radical Dzogchen

Longchenpa's Treasury of Natural Perfection

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman

This translation of Longchenpa's Precious Treasury of Natural Perfection (Gnad lugs mdzod) includes commentary by Keith Dowman and a foreword by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.

Dzogchen, or the "Great Perfection," is considered by many to be the apex of Tibetan Buddhism, and Longchen Rabjam is the most celebrated of all the saints of this remarkable tradition. Natural Perfection presents the radical precepts of Dzogchen, pointing the way to absolute liberation from conceptual fetters and leading the practitioner to a state of pure, natural integration into one's true being.

Transcending the Tibetan context or even the confines of Buddhist tradition, Longchen Rabjam delivers a manual full of practical wisdom. Natural Perfection is a shining example of why people have continued to turn to the traditions of Tibet for spiritual and personal transformation and realization. Keith Dowman's illuminating translation of this remarkable work of wisdom provides clear accessibility to the profound path of Dzogchen in the here-and-now.

More information and excerpts can be found here. Root Verses in Tibetan Pecha Text can be seen here.

An earlier edition published in Kathmandu is titled Old Man Basking in the Sun by Vajra Publications The excerpts on this page are taken from that Kathmandu edition.

Longchenpa's Treasury of Natural Perfection

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman

This is an earlier edition of Keith Dowmans's translation of Longchenpa's Precious Treasury of Natural Perfection (Gnad lugs mdzod), published in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was retitled as Natural Perfection and republished as Natural Perfection. Also includes commentary by Keith Dowman and a foreword by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.

The Root Verses in Tibetan Pecha text can be seen here

For details and excerpts refer to Natural Perfection here. The excerpts on this page are taken from that Kathmandu edition.

Vairotsana's Five Early Transmissions

Translation with Commentary by Keith Dowman

These early, foundational Dzogchen texts--clear, lyrical, and rich in metaphor--were smuggled into Tibet in the eighth century on white silk, written in goat-milk ink that would become visible only when exposed to heat.

These five texts are the root of Dzogchen practice, the main practice of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Vairotsana, a master among the first generation of Tibetan Buddhists, reveals here a truth that is at once simple and deeply profound: that all existence--life itself, everyone one of us--is originally perfect, just as is.

Keith Dowman's sparkling translation and commentary provide insight and historical background, walking the reader through the truths encountered in this remarkable book.

Eye of the Storm is an earlier edition of this translation, published in Kathmandu by Vajra Publishing, and available at www.vajrabooks.com.np

With a commentary from the Dochu, by Keith Dowman and a foreword by Bhakha Tulku Pema Rigdzin. More details and excerpts can be found here.

Vairotsana's Five Original Transmissions

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman

The Eye of the Storm, published in America as Original Perfection, is a translation of Vairotsana's five early transmissions of Dzogchen (snga 'gyur lnga) from Sri Singha in Orgyen to King Trisong Detsen of Tibet and his court. They comprise the five seminal tantras of the Mind Series of Dzogchen precepts, translated here with a commentary from the Mdo bcu by Keith Dowman, with a foreword by Bhakha Tulku Pema Rigdzin. Eye of the Storm is published by Vajra Publications, Kathmandu, Nepal, [www.vajrabooks.com.np] and the excerpts on this page are taken from that edition. Original Perfection is published by Wisdom Publications, Boston, MA [www.wisdompubs.org].

More details and excerpts can be found here

Special Instructions on the Nonduality of Dzogchen

By Tulku Pema Rigdzin
Translation and Introduction by Keith Dowman.

Dzogchen (Great Perfection) goes to the heart of our experience by investigating the relationship between mind and world and uncovering the great secret of mind's luminous nature. Weaving in personal stories and everyday examples, Pema Rigtsal leads the reader to see that all phenomena are the spontaneous display of mind, a magical illusion, and yet there is something shining in the midst of experience that is naturally pure and spacious. Not recognizing this natural great perfection is the root cause of suffering and self-centered clinging.

After introducing us to this liberating view, Pema Rigtsal explains how it is stabilized and sustained in effortless meditation: without modifying anything, whatever thoughts of happiness or sorrow arise simply dissolve by themselves into the spaciousness of pure presence. The book is divided into chapters on the view, meditation as the path, conduct, the attainment, and the four bardos. Each chapter consists of mini-sections that can be read as stand-alone Dharma talks. Pema Rigtsal has studied and lived with several authentic Dzogchen masters and has surprising stories to tell about their unconventional methods to introduce students to the subtle view of Dzogchen.

More details and excerpts can be found here

The Dzogchen Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism

Compiled and Translated by Keith Dowman

Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, is the quintessence of the tantric paths to Buddhahood. This book contains the translation of four Dzokchen texts belonging to the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, together with an introduction and commentaries by Keith Dowman. These sacred revealed texts, never before freely available, provide inspiration and instruction for the Dzogchen aspirant.

The Flight of the Garuda, which gives the collection its title, written by Shabkar Lama in the nineteenth century, comprises a series of twenty-three songs designed to inspire and instruct the yogin practicing Dzogchen trekcho meditation.

Secret Instruction in a Garland of Vision is one of three texts said to have been written by Padma Sambhava, Tibet's great Guru, himself, who visited Tibet in the eighth century. It belongs to the lam rim genre, a stage--by--stage description of the path to Buddhahood.

An extract from Emptying the Depths of Hell, revealed by Guru Chowong in the thirteenth century, provides a Dzogchen confessional liturgy.

The Wish-Granting Prayer of Kuntu Zangpo, revealed by Rikdzin Godemchan in the fourteenth century as part of an extensive Dzogchen tantra, is a prayer for attainment of the Dzogchen goal.'

The Wheel of Analytic Meditation
Instructions on Vision in the Middle Way
by Lama Mipham

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman

The Wheel of Analytic Meditation - Sems kyi dpyod pa rnams par sbyong ba so sor brtag pa' i dpyad sgom 'khor lo and Instructions on Vision in the Middle Way dBu ma'i lta khrid zab mo by Lama Mipham, translation and commentary by Keith Dowman under the auspices of Tarthang Tulku. Includes a foreword by Dr. Herbert Guenther and images of the original Tibetan pages.

A manual of basic, simple Buddhist meditation for the beginner that takes him all the way.

Translator's Note: In the Tibetan Tradition it was customary for the disciple to attribute his work to his lama. Tarthang Tulku was one of my Refuge Lamas, and since the project was initiated by him and some initial spadework on the translation was done by his disciples, notably Mervin Hanson and John Reynolds, the work is attributed to him in some contexts in the book. I am solely responsible, however, for the translation and commentary of Calm and Clear.

Find more detailed information and excerpts here

The Sublime Life and Songs of Drukpa Kunley

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman

Newly republished 2014 edition!

A compilation of anecdotes and songs ('Gro ba' i mgon po chos rje kun dga' legs pa'i rnam thar rgya mtsho'i snying po mthong ba don ldan) by the Bhutanese scholar, Geshe Chaphu, in 1966.

Translation and introduction by Keith Dowman and Sonam Paljor; preface by Dugu Choegyal Gyamtso Tulku; introduction by the editor James Steinberg; illustrations by Lee Barslaag; cover painting by Dugu Choegyal Gyamtso Tulku.

More details and book excerpts can be found here.

The Sublime Life and Songs of Drukpa Kunley

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman

An early edition, published by Pilgrims Book House in Kathmandu.

More details, contents and excerpts are published with details of the newest edition, here.

The Secret Life and Songs of Lady Yeshe Tsogyel

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman

The biography of Yeshe Tsogyel (Bod kyi jo mo ye shes mTsho rgyal gyi mdzad tshul rnam par thar pa gab pa mngon byung gyud mangs dri za'i glu 'phreng), a revealed text (terma) attributed originally to Gyelwa Jangchub and Namkhai Nyingpo and revealed by Taksham Nuden Dorje. Translated by Keith Dowman and Choepel Namgyel; introduction and commentarial essays by Keith Dowman; foreword by Trinley Norbu Rimpoche.

Yeshe Tsogyel, consort of Guru Padmasambhava, is the most famous of the enlightened women of Tibet. Women have a special place in tantra, but except for Sky Dancer there are few writings that present the spiritual practices and evolution of female aspirants. Here women are in an eminent position, and a path of practice is given for present-day initiates to emulate. Keith Dowman has added a commentary on the path of inner tantra, woman and the dakini, and the Nyingma lineages.

The instruction and existential method of the aspiring female buddha through the life and songs of the Great Guru's Consort.

Along with the translator's introduction, this edition includes indexes for Sanskrit words, Tibetan words, Place-names, Texts and Buddhas-Gods-Demons, as well as an extensive commentary.

More detail and book excerpts can be found here

Lives of the Tantric Masters

Translated by Keith Dowman
Illustrations by Robert Beer

Newly revised and republished in 2014.

Fifty-four of the legends of the Buddhist Tantric adepts selected from the Legends of the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas (Grub thob brgyad bcu tsa bzhi'i lo rgyus), translated by Keith Dowman and Bhaga Tulku Pema Tenzin (see Masters of Mahamudra ), and rewritten in a more accessible style to complement the 30 full page colour paintings and 26 full page line drawings of Robert Beer; autobiographical note by Robert Beer, and an introduction to the Siddhas' lives and practices by Keith Dowman.

More details and excerpts can be found here

Older editions under different titles:
Buddhist Masters of Enchantment (2nd edition)
Buddhist Master of Enchantment (1st edition)
Masters of Mahamudra

The Lives and Legends of the Mahasiddhas

Translation by Keith Dowman

An earlier published edition of Legends of the Mahasiddhas. Detailed information and excerpts can be found with that newer edition, here.

Other editions under different titles:
Buddhist Masters of Enchantment (2nd edition)
Buddhist Master of Enchantment (1st edition)
Masters of Mahamudra

The Lives and Legends of the Mahasiddhas

Translation by Keith Dowman

An earlier published edition of Legends of the Mahasiddhas. Detailed information and excerpts can be found with that newer edition, here.

Other editions under different titles:
Buddhist Masters of Enchantment (2nd edition)
Buddhist Master of Enchantment (1st edition)
Masters of Mahamudra

Songs and Histories of the Eighty-four Buddhist Siddhas

Translated by Keith Dowman with Tulku Pema Tenzin

The methods of spiritual liberation of the eighty-four Indian Tantric Masters through legend, precepts and history.

The Legends of the Eight-four Mahasiddhas (Grub thob brgyad bcu tsa bzh'i lo rgyus) by Mondup Sherab, originally dictated by Abhayadatta Sri (12th century) and Vajra Songs: the Heart Realizations of the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas (Grub thob brgyad bcu rtogs pa'i snying po rdo rje'i lu) by Vira Prakesh.

Includes introduction and commentaries by Keith Dowman, and cover and 20 lines drawings by H.R.Downs, some of which can be seen here.

Excerpts from the book are here.

Fifty-four of these 84 adepts were selected and their stories told and images published in several subsequent editions of Buddhist Masters of Enchantment. Details about the latest edition, Legends of the Mahasiddhas, can be found here.

The Pilgrim's Guide

by Keith Dowman

A hands-on guide to pilgrimage in Central Tibet, following the 19th century route of Khyentse The Great.

This pilgrim’s guide to the power places of Central Tibet is based upon Guide to the Holy Places of Central Tibet by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo a 19^th century pilgrim.

Excerpts from the book can be found here

Hindu and Buddhist Sites in the Sacred Valley of Nepal

by Keith Dowman

A lyrical introduction to pilgrimage in the Kathmandu Valley illustrated by Kevin Bubrinski's brilliant photographs and Keith Dowman's evocative text.

‘In Hindu mythology the Himalayas have always been the abode of the gods. The sages and seers of the Indian subcontinent envisioned the snowy peaks as the thrones of divine authority. The remoteness and inaccessibility of the mountains, their awesome majesty, and the symbolic significance of their immutable mass have all contributed to their aura of divinity. In the lap of these mountains lies the Kathmandu Valley, a landscape charged with the presence of the divine. In this fertile and temperate valley the Hindu and Buddhist traditions of Nepal recognize numerous power places -- focal points of divine energy -- where humans can make contact with the realm of the gods. Geomantic forces, divine myth, and human legend and history, combine to make these locations potent sources of spiritual revitalization and psychic renewal.'

Kevin Bubriski has photographed on five continents, and lived in Kathmandu for ten years. He is the author of Portrait of Nepal, an extraordinary photo essay on the tribal people of the Nepali Himalayas. He has gained international recognition for his exhibitions and magazine work and he has been the recipient of Fulbright, Guggenheim and NEA awards.

Some of the photographs can be seen here.

Generous excerpts from the book can be found here

by Keith Dowman

The Sacred Life of Tibet is an introduction to the inner, visionary life of the Tibetan Buddhist pilgrim as he moves from power place to power place in Tibet.

'The Sacred Life of Tibet is an introduction to the inner, visionary, life of the Tibetan Buddhist pilgrim as he moves from power place to power place in Tibet. To travel in sacred Tibet, the Holy Land of Asia, is to embark on a mystical journey into the sacred space of Tibetan Buddhism a space quite distinct from the political and social space of Chinese-occupied Communist Tibet, and perhaps, from ordinary consciousness. This work describes the mystical landscape and mindscape that the pilgrim moves through and the gods and demons, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, yogis and magicians who populate that space. It also describes the rituals and meditations that open the door to experience of the mystic realm.'

Sean Jones in Tibet Foundation Newsletter

Now out of print, although some used copies are available on Amazon.

Generous excerpts from the book can be found here

The Legend of the Great Stupa of Boudhanath
and
The Life Story of the Lotus Born Guru

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman

The Legend of the Great Stupa of Boudhanath (mChod rten chen po bya rung kha shor gyi lo rgyus thos pas grol ba) is a Padmasambhava treasure text, revealed by Lhatsun Ngonmo, then hidden again to be rediscovered by Ngakchang Sakya Zangpo in the 16^th century. Introduction and translation by Keith Dowman.

The Life Story of the Lotus Born Guru (Zab po skor bdun las O rgyen rnam thar dpag bsam ljong shing) is a Padmasambhava treasure text revealed by Orgyen Chogyur Lingpa in the 19^th century. Translated by Keith Dowman and Taklung Tsetul Pema Wangyel. Introduction and commentary by Keith Dowman.

Excerpts from the book can be found here.

The Legend of the Great Stupa of Boudhanath

Translation and Commentary by Keith Dowman

The Legend of the Great Stupa of Boudhanath (mChod rten chen po bya rung kha shor gyi lo rgyus thos pas grol ba) is a Padmasambhava treasure text, revealed by Lhatsun Ngonmo, then hidden again to be rediscovered by Ngakchang Sakya Zangpo in the 16^th century.

The Great Stupa of Boudhanath in the Kathmandu valley, a vast dome-shaped monument representing the Mind of the Buddha, is the primary pilgrimage destination for Tantric Buddhists of the Himalayas and a major draw for Tibetan Buddhists from all over the planet. This small book brings together virtually all we know about the Great Stupa of Boudhanath. The core text translation relates the Tibetan legend of the massive monument’s origins and describes how it is to be worshiped, the benefits of worship and the apocalyptic results of failure to maintain it. The introduction describes the fabric of the Stupa in detail, its symbolic meaning and its functions. The history of the stupa from its origins in the fifth century to the present day is also presented here for the first time.

Introduction by Keith Dowman, illustrated by 8 historical drawings and photographs of the Stupa, together with line drawings and block prints.

More excerpts from the book can be found here