A Symphony of Great Bliss (DVD)

Description

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche composed A Symphony of Great Bliss at the age of nineteen while he was fleeing from Tibet. In this provocative doha he presents Mahamudra as a girlfriend or lover. He thus explains the view, path and fruition of Mahamudra in a direct and intimate way. Thrangu Rinpoche’s commentary on this text provides insight into the circumstances surrounding this doha and teaches the meaning of it with clarity and precision. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche was born in the province of Kham in eastern Tibet in 1939. When he was just thirteen months old, he was recognized as a major tulku, or incarnate teacher. At the age of eight, Trungpa Rinpoche received ordination as a novice monk. Following this, he engaged in intensive study and practice of the traditional monastic disciplines, including traditional Tibetan poetry and monastic dance. His primary teachers were Jamgön Kongtrül of Sechen and Khenpo Gangshar—leading teachers in the Nyingma and Kagyü lineages. In 1958, at the age of eighteen, Trungpa Rinpoche completed his studies, receiving the degrees of kyorpön (doctor of divinity) and khenpo (master of studies). He also received full monastic ordination. The late 1950s were a time of great upheaval in Tibet. As it became clear that the Chinese communists intended to take over the country by force, many people, both monastic and lay, fled the country. Trungpa Rinpoche spent many harrowing months trekking over the Himalayas (described in his book, Born in Tibet). After narrowly escaping capture by the Chinese, he at last reached India in 1959. Trungpa Rinpoche was a close dharma brother of Thrangu Rinpoche, and that long close friendship was the inspiration for Thrangu Rinpoche’s search for and teaching of this doha, lost in the archives since the 1960’s. Translation by David Karma Choephel. 4 talks on 3 DVDs.

Features

Chapter Pointing
On this DVD recording, chapter points have been set at each transition from Tibetan to English and from English to Tibetan. Because Rinpoche sometimes speaks in Tibetan for long periods at a time, some viewers may wish to jump forward to the English translation (at any time) by using the Next Chapter button (>>|) on their DVD player’s remote control. Also, for those who primarily speak Tibetan, the same process works for jumping from the English to the Tibetan.