“LIBERATION IN OUR HANDS” is an edited transcript of twenty four days of oral teachings on the Lamrim by the Tibetan Lama, Pabongka Rinpoche, unquestionably the most influential Gelukpa teacher of this century. The instructions themselves relate specifically to three separate Lamrim works : The Second Panchen Lama’s Quick Path, The Fifth Dalai Lama’s Manjughosa’s Oral Instruction and The Seven Point Mind Training—a collection of precepts on maintaining and developing the altruistic “enlightenment mind” taught in Mahayana Buddhism. Pabongka Rinpoche draws on his own personal experience to present the instructions in a way that is easy to practice and bring great spiritual development.

The Preliminaries cover such topics as the proper motivation to maintain when receiving Lamrim Instruction, a short history of Lord Atisa’s life and of the Lamrim in Tibet, the unique qualities and benefits of the instruction, and the proper methods for both teaching and learning it. This first volume of a three-part series also presents an extensive commentary on the ”six preliminary practices,” a devotional exercise that is performed just before engaging in the actual Lamrim meditations.

The Fundamental covers the initial meditation topics of the Lamrim tradition. In addition to the essential Buddhist practices of taking refuge and observing the principles of karma, these include how to serve a spiritual teacher, the leisure and fortune of a human rebirth, impermanence, and the suffering of the lower states. Taken as a whole, their principal focus is on overcoming attachment for this life and pursuing the causes of favorable rebirth in future lives.

The Buddha’s teaching set forth two ultimate goals: complete liberation from samsara and the unsurpassed enlightenment of Buddhahood. The first of these goals is explained during Days Fourteen and Fifteen, using two of the Buddha’s most important teachings: The Four Noble Truths and The twelve Limbs of Dependent Origination.

The second ultimate goal, that of a Buddha’s perfect enlightenment, is covered in Days Sixteen through Twenty-four. This material, which is unique to the Mahayana tradition, contains instruction on generating Bodhichitta and on practicing the six Paramitas, with special emphasis on the final two of one-pointed concentration and wisdom. The section on Bodhicitta also includes Lord Atisha’s unique oral teaching, known as The Seven-Point Instruction on Mind Training.