This collection is drawn from teachings given by Lama Thubten Yeshe in the 1970s and 1980s, when he traveled the world extensively along with Lama Zopa Rinpoche and taught at many courses, seminars and public talks. Lama Yeshe was a pioneer in bringing the Dharma to Westerners and the teachings in this book demonstrate his understanding of the Western psyche and his ability to express profound truths in simple terms.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has described Lama Yeshe as a great hidden yogi, with high attainments that weren’t shown to others. As well as showing the path to enlightenment to his students, Lama was like a parent, giving advice and happiness. Rinpoche said, “Lama’s particular skill was to know exactly what was needed right at that particular time, so even with just a smile or a few words he made others happy and gave them hope.”
In this compilation, Lama Yeshe advises how we can transform our lives by developing warm-heartedness and “knowledge-wisdom,” while maintaining a relaxed attitude to our practice. Lama discusses the principal aspects of the path to enlightenment, as well as giving general advice on relationships, educating children and a range of other issues. The collection includes Integrating What You’ve Heard, an edited transcript of the earliest recorded teaching given by Lama Yeshe at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 1972.
These teachings have been published previously on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive website and in other publications, including Mandala magazine. The purpose of this book is to gather the teachings into one central resource. Most of the teachings in this compilation are edited by Nicholas Ribush, however, the editor of The First Clear Step is not known.
The archive numbers for the teachings are: 447, 072, 153, 443, 711, 147, 038, 046, 025, 009, 011 and 337. To access the teachings online, go to www.lamayeshe.com and search for the archive number using the Search the Archive Database link on the home page. A comprehensive glossary of Buddhist terms in this book can also be found on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive website.
Lama Yeshe consistently encourages students to recognize and develop their limitless potential, and his dynamic teaching style means that his teachings are as relevant and accessible today as when first taught. We hope you enjoy this collection, which is the first of a two-volume series of ebooks.
Sandra Smith
June 2019
