Enlightened Courage: A Commentary on the Seven Point Mind Training

Dilgo Khyentse (1910-1991) was an important Nyingma master, exponent of Dzogchen (aka Mahamudra), teacher of Chogyam Trungpa and transmitter of teachings to HH. The Dalai Lama. His writings are known for their poetic beauty.This book is his commentary on Atisha's "Seven Point Mind Training," a core Tibetan Buddhist teaching which concerns the cultivation of bodhicitta or limitless compassion. The root text of Atisha is very short, given in three pages at the beginning of this book. Dilgo Khyentse then draws the reader in quickly with vivid stories of the teachers of Atisha which illustrate the fundamental principles underlying the teaching. He then proceeds line by line through the root text and brings each line to life, clarifying and elaborating them, and again, using stories to make points and to engage the imagination. The notes and glossary at the back of the book are a welcome addition.