A brilliant annotated translation of Dölpopa Sherab Gyaltsen’s Mountain Dharma that opens a masterpiece of the Jonang tradition to Western readers and presents Dölpopa’s provocative ideas about a true, eternal, and established reality that still impact Buddhism today.

The controversial master Dölpopa Sherab Gyaltsen shook Buddhist Tibet when he taught that an eternal enlightened essence, or buddha nature, exists in full form in all living beings. The ideas discussed in Mountain Dharma are still as provocative as when Dölpopa first taught them, impacting Buddhism to this day. Dölpopa identified the ultimate with the buddha nature, or sugata essence, which he held to be eternal and not empty of self-nature. The buddha nature is perfect, with all its characteristics inherently present in all living beings. It is only the impermanent and temporary afflictions veiling the buddha nature that are empty of self-nature and must be removed through the practice of the path to allow it to manifest. Dölpopa establishes the validity of his theories with an ocean of quotations selected from Indian Buddhist scriptures and treatises of indisputable authority, showing us that the ultimate is a true, eternal, and established reality, empty merely of other relative phenomena.

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In this short clip, Lama Alan Wallace discusses the benefits of mindfulness of breath meditation and the reason why the question of free will is rarely explored in traditional Buddhist discourses. This HD video teaching is part of lesson 4 of the bestselling Wisdom Academy online course Shamatha: Meditation for Balanced Living.

Lama Alan Wallace: Dzokchen Dialogues (#202)

Posted January 18, 2025

In this episode, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, host Daniel Aitken engages in a rich dialogue with Lama Alan Wallace. Lama Alan, a significant figure in the transmission of Tibetan Buddhism to the West, shares insights from his lifelong practice, teachings, and new Wisdom Publications release Dzokchen. The discussion delves deeply into the practices of shamatha, vipassana, and Dzokchen, contrasting these with other Buddhist traditions and highlighting their significance in achieving spiritual realization.

The conversation sheds light on the nuanced paths of approaching ultimate bodhichitta and the broader implications of modern and traditional Buddhist practices.

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Venerable Thubten Chodron: Vajrayāna and the Culmination of the Path (#200)

Posted December 20, 2024

Join us in celebrating a major milestone—our 200th episode. Over the years, the Wisdom Podcast has become a gathering place for seekers, practitioners, and thought leaders in the Buddhist tradition, offering listeners wisdom and insight from some of the most remarkable teachers of our time. We continue this legacy of profound conversations with a truly special guest—Venerable Thubten Chodron—as we celebrate the release of Vajrayāna and the Culmination of the Path. This volume is the final volume in her series with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, and we hope you’ll join us in commemorating the completion of this incredible series, representing a culmination of decades of collaboration and deep scholarship.

In this episode, you’ll hear Daniel and Venerable Chodron discuss:

the evolution of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion series;
the importance of completing the series while H. H. the Dalai Lama is alive;
the interconnectedness of traditions;
the importance of understanding the what and why of your practice; and
much more!

As we celebrate this milestone, we’re filled with gratitude for you—our listeners, supporters, and everyone who has contributed to our GIVE2 campaign. Your generosity keeps these transformative teachings free and accessible for thousands around the world. Together, we can keep sharing the wisdom, mindfulness, and compassion that resonate across generations and traditions.

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Wisdom Podcast listeners are invited to save 20% off any individual volume in The Library of Wisdom and Compassion series with code WPODLWC20.

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To add the entire library to your collection, just add the final volume, Vajrayana and the Culmination of the Path, to your cart and use the corresponding code. The other nine volumes in the series will be automatically added and the discount will be applied.