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Teachings from the legendary Tibetan yogi Gyalwa Götsangpa (1189–1258) on radical compassion, pure vision, and transforming every encounter into the path to awakening.
Discover the living wisdom of Gyalwa Götsangpa, legendary yogi of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage, whose life in mountain solitude gave rise to teachings that cut through illusion and awaken the heart. Through poetic songs, practical instructions, and his uncompromising Twelve Pledges, Götsangpa’s voice invites you to transform suffering into virtue, honor all beings—good, bad, or wild animal—as your meditation deity, and perceive the world through the eyes of pure vision.
This collection, translated with care by the Padmakara Translation Group, weaves together guidance on loving-kindness, self-compassion, and the mysterious practice of “equal taste”—where joy and pain, friend and foe, dissolve into the same spacious awareness. Whether you are drawn to solitary retreat, the path of bodhicitta, or simply yearn for a more compassionate daily life, these teachings offer practical ways to bring meditation off the cushion and into every encounter. Rooted in the direct experience of a master who carried barley flour to fellow hermits and saw demons as deities, this book is a trusted companion for readers inspired by spiritual retreat, nonduality teachings, and the timeless quest for freedom.
About the author
GYALWA GOTSANGPA GONPO DORJE (1189–1258), born in Lhodrak in southern Tibet, was among the most revered yogis, hermits, and spiritual masters of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage and Tibetan Buddhism at large. In his early years, a gifted singer and performer, he spent many years of his later life living in caves—especially near Mount Kailash—and was renowned for his complete renunciation.
The PADMAKARA TRANSLATION GROUP, based in France, has a distinguished reputation for its translations of Tibetan texts and teachings. Its work has been published in several languages and is renowned for its clear and accurate literary style.
Summary
Teachings from the legendary Tibetan yogi Gyalwa Götsangpa (1189–1258) on radical compassion, pure vision, and transforming every encounter into the path to awakening.
Discover the living wisdom of Gyalwa Götsangpa, legendary yogi of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage, whose life in mountain solitude gave rise to teachings that cut through illusion and awaken the heart. Through poetic songs, practical instructions, and his uncompromising Twelve Pledges, Götsangpa’s voice invites you to transform suffering into virtue, honor all beings—good, bad, or wild animal—as your meditation deity, and perceive the world through the eyes of pure vision.
This collection, translated with care by the Padmakara Translation Group, weaves together guidance on loving-kindness, self-compassion, and the mysterious practice of “equal taste”—where joy and pain, friend and foe, dissolve into the same spacious awareness. Whether you are drawn to solitary retreat, the path of bodhicitta, or simply yearn for a more compassionate daily life, these teachings offer practical ways to bring meditation off the cushion and into every encounter. Rooted in the direct experience of a master who carried barley flour to fellow hermits and saw demons as deities, this book is a trusted companion for readers inspired by spiritual retreat, nonduality teachings, and the timeless quest for freedom.
