The Tibetan Vinaya: Guide to Buddhist Conduct

Traditionally the buddhist teachings are divided into three major divisions: the Sutras, the Vinaya, and the Abhidharma. The Vinaya are the discourses of the Buddha on the conduct of the monks and nuns and also lay persons.The Buddha taught the Vinaya to monks and nuns so that they had a set of rules allowing them to devote their complete energy to reaching enlightenment. The Buddha, however, did not simply one day give these rules. Rather he waited for the proper situation to arise and would give a teaching on that particular situation.Thrangu Rinpoche is eminently qualified for explaining the Vinaya and Buddhist conduct because he has lived since the age of four in a monastic situation. He has maintained his vows and is abbot of Gampo Abbey, one of the few Tibetan monasteries in North America. These teachings are Rinpoche's detailed explanation of this poorly understood part of the Buddhist canon.