Longchenpa's advice from the heart - Tapa blanda

Longchempa Trime Oser (1308-1363) was one of the most important Dzogchen masters of Tibet. His scriptural learning and realization were equal to those of the famous saints who graced the land of India, and true to his words of advice, his wa a disciplined life spent in foresr and mountain hermitages. Longchempa's Thirty Words of Advice are like nuggets of gold offered to us in his open hand so that their inspiration can turn our mind to a sincere and uncorrupted spiritual practice. With his clear introduction to the principles and practice of Dzogchen, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu sets in context the thirty words of advice and then proceeds to explain each one as the basis of Longchempa's spiritual experience, in a way that is relevant to usas individual in our time.

Chögyal Namkhai Norbu is a foremost representative of Tibetan culture on the present world scene. Born in Eastern Tibet in 1938, at the age of 2 he was recognised as a reincarnation of Adzum Drugpa, a renowned master of the Dzogchen tradition. Still an adolescent, he completed the stages of the rigorous traditional studies, both secular and religious and received teaching from some of the greatest masters of his time. In 1960 he was invited to Italy by Professor Giuseppe Tucci, a leading figure in early Italian Tibetological studies, to collaborate with the ISMEO (Institute for Studies of Middle and Extreme Orient) in Rome. From 1962 to 1992 he taught Tibetan and Mongolian language and literature at the Institute for Oriental studies of the University of Naples, and became known among scholars for his vast knowledge of the ancient history and literature of Tibet. In the mid seventies Chögyal Namkhai Norbu began transmitting the Dzogchen teaching, of which he is considered one of the most important living masters. In 1981 he founded the International Dzogchen Community, a worldwide association of people interested in the knowledge and practice of this ancient spiritual path. In 1988 he found A.S.I.A. (Association for Solidarity in Asia), a non-governmental organisation which implements projects of cooperation and solidarity in Tibet as well as in other troubled regions of the world. In 1991, in the presence of H.H. XIV Dalai Lama, at Merigar, the seat of the Dzogchen Community in Italy, he founded the Shang Shung International Institute for Tibetan studies, whose aim is to preserve Tibetan culture in its manifold forms. For the last thirty years, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu has been constantly teaching, responding to invitations to give lectures and lead retreats from all over the world. He is the author of numerous books translated and published in all major languages.