At Thrangu House Oxford Rinpoche taught on a text on Shentong-U.ma from the Ngag Dzo, one of the five treasures of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great.

In the beginning Rinpoche gives an overview of the different philosophical schools, Vaibhashika, Sautrantika, Cittamatra, Madhyamika, Rangtong-Uma, Shentong-Uma.
The Rangtong philosophy is one of the main philosophical schools, it came from Nagarjuna, Aryadeva and many great masters and was brought to Tibet by Guru Padmasambhava, it is counted as part of the second Dharmachakra, the second turning of the wheel.

The third Dharmachakra with the last teachings of the Buddha was propagated by Asanga and other masters, they see it as the missing link between the Sutrayana and the Tantrayana teachings of the Buddha, the Madhyamika philosophy leading from Rangtong to Shentong.

The main topic of the third Dharmachakra is Buddha nature.
The Shentong approach is not analytical but from the side of the experience. The book studied in this course is more or less a meditation experience

Rinpoche goes through half of the text and continues the teachings in September 1999.