The Life and Teachings of Gampopa

To read spiritual biographies of the Kagyu lineage masters is a great inspiration to enter the path and also provides encouragement and enthusiasm to continue when circumstances become difficult. The spiritual biography of Gampopa, covered in the first half of this book, is a very good example of avoiding the extremes in practice and of showing how we should correctly practice.
Gampopa was the main disciple of Milarepa and one of the founders and shining jewels of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism from which originate the four greater and eight lesser schools.
Besides writing the Jewel Ornament of Liberation, Gampopa distilled the Buddhist path into four short lines or truths, called dharmas. These lines became known as the "Four Dharmas of Gampopa." The second half of this book translates these four lines along with a detailed commentary on each by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.