strong impression upon me. Needless to say, I hold him in the
highest regard, for it is he who has demonstrated to me my
potential for enlightenment in this precious human existence.
It was here that a desire arose within me to enable Kalu Rinpoche' s
teachings to reach a wider range of audiences by offering my
skills in communication so that readers might better explore his
teachings. And it was here that his quiet whispers and gentle
voice encouraged me to firmly believe that faith in the vajrayana,
devotion to a genuine lineage, and confidence in the teachings of
the Buddha would eventually enlighten anyone who desired such
solace.
Drawn from many sources of notes and lectures, from many
different translators' versions of Rinpoche' s teachings, and from
many impromptu talks he has given, this book is an attempt to
give a thorough presentation of Kalu Rinpoche' s teachings on the
important topics of the four veils of obscuration, the bodhisattva
vows, the practice of Chenrezig, and the vehicles known as the
three yanas. This work has been compiled topic by topic, and, as
a result, no one translator is wholly responsible for any one
chapter. Further, the chapters are compiled from teachings given
over a period of more than two decades, from the late sixties
(before Rinpoche had begun his world travels) through the mideighties, and the locations where these teachings were given are
so widespread as to be worldwide.
The material has been arranged so as to allow the reader to gain
a gradual insight into the intricacies of approach and structure of
the Tibetan tradition of Buddhadharma. It is, therefore, suggested
that the chapters be read in sequence. The first three chapters
contain many foundational thoughts, and while these might seem
somewhat perplexing to the beginner, they are required for a
thorough understanding of the material in the chapters that follow.
It should be noted that Rinpoche tended to repeat various
ideas, and to continually refer to ideas already presented by
giving brief recollection to those thoughts. At first I considered
that these continual references detracted from a smooth flowing,
polished style of communication. But, as the process of compilation continued, I came to realize that many of the repeated explanaxii
Page:Kalu Rinpoche Gently Whispered.pdf/14
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