The Precious Treasury of Pith Instructions

"The Precious Treasury of Pith Instructions" is one of the most significant and outstanding works of Longchenpa, belonging to the "Seven Treasuries of Longchenpa." It is a collection of profound instructions on the teachings of the sutras, the tantras, and especially Dzogchen. In this treatise the master gave invaluable advice for practitioners at every stage of spiritual practice — both for those of the highest capacity and for those whose capacity for realization is less great. Longchen Rabjam (1308–1363) was a great master of the Nyingma tradition, and in particular of Dzogchen, the teaching of the Great Perfection, who attained the realization of the dharmakaya — the consummation of the stage of "the exhaustion of phenomena." Here is how the Venerable Sangngak Tenzin Rinpoche commented on the forthcoming course: "'The Precious Treasury of Pith Instructions' is one of the works belonging to the cycle of the 'Seven Treasuries of Longchenpa.' This text is extremely important for all who follow the Dharma, for it reveals the very essence of the foundations of Buddhist practice. The six-line instructions it contains show, in a very clear and accessible manner, the practical principles of what to adopt and what to abandon on the spiritual path, and they carry within them the essential nectar of the sutras, the tantras, and the pith instructions. In the words of Longchenpa: Each set of six instructions holds a hidden, profound meaning. Their heart-essence is like a wish-fulfilling jewel, And they are intended for those who are filled with faith and who long for liberation. In accordance with these words, fortunate ones who are filled with faith and who sincerely wish to attain liberation can draw something of vital importance from these instructions, and so become the authors of their own welfare and happiness — provided they do not, through negligence or distraction, let slip this precious opportunity, which is met with so rarely in the succession of samsaric lives."