True Enlightenment

Ricard has selected and translated some of the most profound and inspiring teachings from across these traditions. The selected teachings are taken from the sources of the traditions, including the Buddha himself, Nagarjuna, Guru Rinpoche, Atisha, Shantideva, and Asanga; from great masters of the past, including Thogme Zangpo, the Fifth Dalai Lama, Milarepa, Longchenpa, and Sakya Pandita; and from contemporary masters, including the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and Mingyur Rinpoche.

“Ram Dass lived a full life and then some. His final statement is thorough and, yes, enlightening.” —Kirkus Reviews Perhaps no other teacher has sparked the fires of as many spiritual seekers in the West as Ram Dass. If you’ve ever embraced the phrase “be here now,” practiced...

What is enlightenment? Is it a myth or is it real? On The Science of Enlightenment, you will learn that the liberated state is as real as the sensations you are having right now. For it is through the investigation of your own thoughts and feelings that you can awaken to clear insight and a...

"Within my body are all the sacred places of the world," the Buddhist saint Saraha once said, "and the most profound pilgrimage that I can ever make is within my own body." For 15 centuries, the realized masters of the tantric path used the crucible of their own lives to develop a powerful and...

In 2008, celebrating the long-awaited completion of the English-language translation of The Great Treatise, the Dalai Lama gave a historic six-day teaching at Lehigh University to explain the meaning of this classic text and to underscore its importance. It is the longest teaching that he has ever given to Westerners on just one text, and Westerners have never before had the opportunity to receive such a complete teaching that encompasses the totality of the Buddhist path from the Dalai Lama.

Caution Spiritual Seekers: You Might Just Find What You're Looking For! Underneath the turmoil of thought, emotion, and personal will, there is a flow. If you're reading these words, you've probably felt it—the natural movement of life, the truth that beckons below the surface of things. What...

The legendary author, speaker, and self-described "philosophical entertainer" Alan Watts delights us on audio with a wealth of illuminations into the spirit and art of meditation, spanning many traditions. "What would it be like to see all as one?" Alan Watts asks. "We hear about attaining great...

In the tradition of Carl Sagan, Rachel Carson, and Stephen Hawking, a new voice has emerged with the unique gift of translating cutting-edge science into clear, accessible language: Dr. Bruce Lipton. With The Wisdom of Your Cells, this internationally recognized authority on cellular biology...

Tibetans call their cherished tradition of Buddhism a wish-fulfilling jewel tree for its power to generate bliss and enlightenment within all who absorb its teachings. This path to enlightenment, it is taught, requires more than a sitting meditation practice alone. With The Jewel Tree of Tibet...

The Universe Is Playing Hide and Seek—and You’re It! Imagine you’re climbing a mountain path that will lead you to a paradise where all your needs are met and your questions answered. What do you find when you reach the top? A mirror. This is the great cosmic game, reveals Alan...

In 1978, Thomas Ashley-Farrand traveled to India for the first time, where he astonished the spiritual community there with his perfect command of mantra, the practice of using specific sacred sound syllables for spiritual and material transformation. Now, 20 years later, he shares for the first...

Enter the “Ordinary State” of Enlightenment Many of us share the belief that enlightenment is rare—that true spiritual awakening only happens for extraordinary people. According to Adyashanti, this idea may actually be the most powerful impediment to our awakening. On Spontaneous Awakening...

“When I took my first steps on the spiritual path,” says Tami Simon, “I was looking for answers to life’s greatest mysteries. Over time I learned that the best books and teachers pointed us inward—to our own experience—and that this is where we can find our greatest sense of...

Things are not what they seem to be. Nor are they otherwise. –Lama Surya Das You don’t need to spend a lifetime purifying and perfecting yourself in order to touch the bliss of enlightenment. Your essential state of being is already one of pure awareness and incorruptible, innate wakefulness...

Advanced Teachings on Spiritual Awakening, Freedom, and the Mystery of Consciousness In the early 1990s, A.H. Almaas had a realization he was not expecting—even after years of deep inner awakenings. “I thought it was a personal experience, not a teaching,” he reflects. Now, after two...

Explore the Feminine Aspects of Enlightenment and Transformation The Tibetan Buddhist tradition carries exotic tales about fearless female “sky dancers” or wisdom dakinis who dance in limitless space and act as messengers, guides, and protectors. These five Buddhist archetypes manifest the...

It is estimated that more than 20 million Americans have practiced some form of yoga, yet almost none of them have heard of yoga's early teachers or their insights. While we are familiar with yoga's physical benefits, the original purpose of yoga as a path to inner freedom and enlightenment is...

Essential Skills for a Full and Courageous Life When you think about personal transformation, do you have a picture of who you want to become? Many of us unconsciously create an idealized image of our “awakened” selves—and in doing so, reveals David Whyte, we undermine both the work and...

Love might not be what we think it is. We all seek the happiness that comes from loving and being loved, yet we often find ourselves dissatisfied in our relationships and unable to grasp the cause. Thich Nhat Hanh here shows the way to overcome our recurrent obstacles to love--by learning to be...

A Momentous Change Is Upon Us In his groundbreaking book, The Biology of Belief, Dr. Bruce Lipton outlined the evidence that our thoughts are just as important as our genes in controlling our health and evolution. As the emerging science of epigenetics shows, our beliefs and choices can control...