The teachings at Marpa House, Ashdon, are based on the chapters 18 “The Phases of the Path” and 17 “The Transcendent Virtue of Wisdom (prajnaparamita)” of Gampopa`s famous text, which in the older translation of Herbert Guenther is called “Jewel Ornament of Liberation”, Rinpoche mainly uses the newer translation by Ken and Katia Holmes with the title “Gems of Dharma, Jewels of Freedom”.
Chapter 18 gives five phases of the path:
The phase of accumulation
The phase of integration
The phase of of insight
The phase of cultivation
The phase of complete accomplishment
Chapter 17 begins with the 8th recording and has 7 parts:
Reflections upon the fault of its absence and the qualities of the practice
Its essential character
Its different aspects
The essential characteristics of each aspect
4A worldly wisdom, 4B lesser supramundane wisdom, 4C great supramundane wisdom
That which is to be understood
5A Refutation of the belief in substantial reality, 5B Refutation of belief in non-existence, 5C Explanation of the mistake of belief in non-existence, 5D Explanation of the mistake of both beliefs, 5E Explanation of the path to liberation, 5F An explanation of the nature of nirvana
The need to cultivate this mind / prajna
6A the preliminaries, 6B The actual method of meditation, 6C The inter-meditation phase, 6D Signs of development
