Unbounded Wholeness Dzogchen,Bon, and the Logic of the Nonconceptual

In this book, Anne Carolyn Klein, an American scholar and teacher of Buddhism, and Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, a rigorously trained Tibetan Lama who was among the first to bring Bon Dzogchen teachings to the West, provide a study and translation of the Authenticity of Open Awareness, a foundational text of the Bon Dzogchen tradition. This is the first time a Bon philosophical text of this scope has been translated into any Western language, and as such it is a significant addition to the study of Tibetan religion and Eastern thought. Klein and Rinpoche provide extensive introductory, explanatory and historical material that situates the text in the context of Tibetan thought and culture, thus making it accessible to nonspecialists, and an essential reference for scholars and practitioners alike.

Dzogchen, meaning "great perfection" in Tibetan, is an advanced practice associated particularly with Bon, the native religion of Tibet, and the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. Both these traditions describe their teaching as comprising 'nine Ways' or paths of practice leading to enlightenment or realization, and in both classifications, Dzogchen is the ninth and highest Way. While its immediate associations are with these two traditions, Dzogchen is now taught in all Tibetan sects. In this book, Anne Klein, an American scholar of Buddhism, and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, a native Tibetan who was the first to bring Dzogchen teachings to the west, provide a study and translation of the Authenticity of Open Awareness, a foundational text of the Bon Dzogchen tradition. This will be the first time any text from this tradition has been translated into any Western language, and as such will be a major contribution to the study of Tibetan religion and Eastern thought more generally. Klein and Rinpoche also provide extensive introductory and explanatory material that situates the text in the context of Tibetan thought and makes it accessible to nonspecialists.

Anne C. Klein is Professor of Religious Studies at Rice University. Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche is President and Founder of the Ligmincha Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia.