Composed in the nineteenth century by the wandering Tibetan master Patrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher is one of the most beloved and widely read books of Tibetan Buddhism. Set down from the oral instructions of his own teacher, Jigme Gyalwai Nyugu, it guides the reader step by step through the foundational practices of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen) lineage: contemplating the rarity of human life, impermanence, the nature of suffering, and the law of cause and effect, and then taking refuge, awakening compassion, purifying the mind, offering the mandala, and resting in devotion to the teacher. Patrul Rinpoche teaches with warmth, humor, and vivid storytelling, comparing the search for freedom to a blind turtle surfacing through a vast ocean. This new edition offers his timeless wisdom in clear, present-day English, faithful to the original's meaning and spirit, while remaining wholly accessible to modern readers. Nothing essential has been simplified away; everything obscure has been made clear. Part of The World Scriptures Library.
