Page:Kalu Rinpoche Gently Whispered.pdf/14

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