The Chariot that Transports to the Kingdom of the Four Kāyas: Stages of Meditation that Accomplish the Excellent Path of the Six Branch Yogas of the Completion Stage of Glorious Kālacakra

This text ‘The Chariot that Transports One to the Kingdom of the Four Kāyas: Stages of Meditation that Accomplish the Excellent Path of the Six-Branch Yogas of the Completion Stage of Glorious Kālacakra’ [commonly referred to as ‘Stages of Meditation of the Excellent Path’] by Jonang master, Bamda Thubten Gelek Gyatso, is a commentary and guiding instruction manual text of major importance in the Jonang tradition of the Six Yogas of Kālacakra.In this text, Bamda Gelek gives practical and clear guidance on how to practise all the stages of the Kālacakra: the common preliminaries, the uncommon preliminaries and the completion stage six vajra-yogas. Here, the five common preliminaries of the Kālacakra tradition according to the Dro lineage, contained in this text, are translated and published into written English for the first time. This was done at the request of Chokyi Nangwa Rinpoche who asked that the common and uncommon preliminaries be published separately. The instructions on the completion stage, the six yogas themselves, are only supposed to be given and disseminated in a private retreat or group situation, with students who have completed all the preliminaries and whom the lama thinks are ready to practise the completion stage.Bamda Gelek states that he wrote the text ‘after being encouraged to do so by the Gelong Tsultrim Zangpo in Jayurti (bya yur tis)’ in the 15th year cycle of the water female rabbit [which is 1903] , on the 8th of the third month . This means the text was written at the end of his life, when Bamda Gelek would have been 59 years old, one year before he passed away.This translation also includes an account of Bamda Gelek’s life story, including translated excerpts of a biography by contemporary Jonang master, Ngawang Lodro Dragpa. Bamda Gelek’s life is also a fine example of a non-sectarian [Rime] master who was not just an expert in many different traditions and practises but also a highly accomplished practitioner. Read more