Poison is Medicine
Rinpoche’s latest book, Poison is Medicine, was written in response to the misunderstandings and misapprehensions about the Vajrayana that were exposed by the Vajrayana guru-related scandals of the 2010s.
Books & Movies
Books
Living Is Dying
“Shouldn’t we all try to contemplate the inevitability of our own death at least once this lifetime?" Advice on how to prepare for dying, death, and beyond, no matter who you are.
Best Foot Forward
Rinpoche offers pilgrims advice on every aspect of pilgrimage: where to go, what to do, the meaning of pilgrimage, and generating the right motivation before leaving home.
The Guru Drinks Bourbon?
Rinpoche addresses some of the most misunderstood aspects of the powerful guru-student relationship and gives practical advice on making the most of this precious opportunity for transformation.
Teachings on Ngöndro
Available for download from Siddhartha’s Intent. Notes of teachings on Pema Lingpa’s Kunzang Gongdu Ngöndro given by Rinpoche during the 2013-2014 Pema Lingpa Tersar wangs and lungs at Bartsham, Bhutan.
Not for Happiness
Do you practice meditation because you want to feel good? Or to help you relax and be “happy”? Then frankly, according to Rinpoche, you are far better off having a full-body massage than trying to practice the dharma.
Commentary on Parting from the Four Attachments
Available for download from Siddhartha’s Intent. Rinpoche's commentary on Sachen Kunga Nyingpo’s Lojong Shenpa Shidrel: The Mind-Training of Parting from the Four Attachments.
What Makes You Not a Buddhist
With wit and irony, Rinpoche urges readers to move beyond the superficial trappings of Buddhism, beyond a romance with beads, incense, and exotic people in robes, straight to the heart of what the Buddha taught.
Buddha Nature
Available for download from Siddhartha’s Intent. Rinpoche's commentary and teachings on Arya Maitreya's Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra.
Introduction to the Middle Way
Available for download from Siddhartha’s Intent. Rinpoche's commentary and teachings on Chandrakirti's Madhyamakavatara at Chanteloube, France, 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000.
Movies
Looking for a Lady with Fangs and Moustache
A skeptical entrepreneur seeking spiritual advice consults an eccentric Buddhist monk who predicts the man's imminent death, unless he can locate an elusive lady with fangs.
Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait
Deep in a forest in Bhutan, every 12 years, men and women gather to experience a few days of anonymity. The masked participants take part in rituals that lead to disturbing encounters.
Vara: A Blessing
Based on a Bengali short story, “Rakta Aar Kanna” (“Blood and Tears”) by Sunil Gangopadhyay, Vara tells the story of Lila, the daughter of a temple dancer, and her forbidden love for a Muslim sculptor.
Travellers and Magicians
Bored with life in his tiny village, Dondup, a Bhutanese official infatuated with American culture, dreams of visiting the United States. On the road to the capital, Thimphu, where he hopes to obtain a visa, Dondup befriends a mismatched group of travelers, including a monk who tells his new friends about Tashi, a fictional young man whose dissatisfaction leads to his undoing.
The Cup
Inspired by true events, the story follows two young Tibetan boys, Palden and Nyima, who escape Tibet and arrive at a Tibetan monastery-in-exile in the foothills of the Himalayas. The young monks attempt to hook up a satellite dish so that they can watch the World Cup soccer matches.