At the core of spiritual development in Mahayana Buddhism is the arousal of bodhicitta, “awakened heart.” Bodhicitta is the unconditional intention to help all sentient beings to become free from suffering. It is the complete abandonment of any sort of personal territory, both in our relationship with others and in our understanding of the world as it is. It begins with the development of love and compassion for others and matures into the full resolution to help them as much as possible.

This theme is the focus of the “Seven Points of Mind Training” as taught by Checkawa Yeshe Dorje, a twelfth-century master of the Kadampa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The Great Path of Awakening is a translation of this basic teaching with the illuminating commentary of Jamgon Kongtrul, a great nineteenth-century scholar. Kongtrul provides clear and conscise instructions for practicing the techniques of mind training, with an emphasis on meeting the ordinary situations of life, employing intelligence and compassion under all circumstances.

Also included, in an appendix, is a translation of the root text of the “Seven Points of Mind Training” by the Nalanda Translation Committee under the direction of Chögyam Trungpa.

Jamgon Kongtrul (1813–1899) was a versatile and prolific scholar. He has been characterized as a “Tibetan Leonardo” because of his significan contributions to religion, education, medicine, and politics.

Ken McLeod has a unique ability to present the suble teaching of tradional Buddhist texts in direct, clear and culturally relevant language. His writings and translations include Wake Up to Your Life (2001), An Arrow to the Heart (2007), Reflections on Silver River (2014), and A Trackless Path (2016).