Always Present The Luminous Wisdom of Jigme Phuntsok

Personal and heartfelt teachings on the Buddhist path by one of the most influential Tibetan lamas of the twentieth century, compiled and edited by an acclaimed Tibetan scholar and leader of a key center of Buddhist learning.

What is true happiness? What is the cause of our suffering and dissatisfaction? And how can we live with the kindness and clarity of the Buddha in our own lives? This compact collection of teachings from Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche illuminates these most fundamental questions about the Buddhist path and provides essential guidance to help you along the way. Oriented to both beginners to Buddhism and longtime practitioners alike, these teachings offer precious insights on the Buddhadharma to return to again and again for inspiration, encouragement, and practical advice.

H.H. JIGME PHUNTSOK (1933-2004) was a prominent teacher in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism who was recognized as a terton (treasure revealer) and renowned for his mastery of Dzogchen. Unlike many Tibetan masters who fled to India and the West, Jigme Phuntsok remained in China throughout the Cultural Revolution and played a major role in maintaining and reviving Buddhism in the region. He established a nonsectarian Buddhist community called Larung Gar near the town of Sertar in China's Sichuan Province, where he taught thousands of students, many of Han Chinese ethnicity.

KHENPO SODARGYE is one of the primary leaders of the Buddhist academy at Larung Gar and was H.H. Jigme Phuntsok's chief translator. He has traveled extensively to the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Holland, the United Kingdom, and throughout Asia to offer teachings, and he continues to teach widely at schools and universities in China and abroad. He is also the founder of numerous Chinese schools and charitable organizations.

Editor's Preface
Chapter 1. Why We Are Not Happy
Chapter 2. The True Face of Afflictions
Chapter 3. Suffering and Happiness Are Both Impermanent
Chapter 4. Buddha Mind
Chapter 5. It's Never Too Late
Chapter 6. All Beings Suffer
Chapter 7. The Power of Right View
Chapter 8. When You Ask for Directions, Ask Those Who Have Gone Before
Chapter 9. True Refuge
Translator's Afterword