This is the first year of teachings on Gampopa`s text “The Precious Garland of the Supreme Path” (or the Sublime Path). It is as important for the Kagyu lineage as Gampopa`s other famous text “Jewel Ornament of Liberation”. In short and precise sentences it gives an inclusive description of the whole path, from the basics of the precious human body to Mahamudra.
Rinpoche uses three translations into English:
“Precious Garland of the Sublime Path: The Oral Instructions of Lord Gampopa” by Erik Pema Kunsang
“The Instructions Of Gampopa: A Precious Garland of the Supreme Path” by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso and Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche
Third is a translation by Ken Holmes, which is not published.
Rinpoche finds the translations all good, but none of them has the poetic quality of the original Tibetan text, which gives more the impression of reminding ourselves.
This time Rinpoche covers:
The Hommage
1. Ten points about the precious human life and what a pity if we waste it
2. Ten necessary things
3. Ten things to rely on
4. Ten things to give up
There is sometimes silence for a couple of minutes at the beginning of a recording and there are some side noises.
In part 6 is a brief refuge ceremony. After that is a short part missing, with the introduction to point 3, the ten things to rely on.
The teachings continue in July 1999, July 2000 and May 2001