Khenpo Sangye Trinley, who will be translating for Khenpo Ugyen’s talk on Saturday May 14, offered this description about the history and importance of this teaching.

As followers of the precious Kagyu lineage, we are well aware of the great contributions of Lord Gampopa. He was the first fully ordained monk, a Bhikshu, in our precious lineage and he also founded the first ordained sangha in our lineage.

Of the numerous Śāstras or commentaries on the teachings of Buddha that he composed, the two most notable and sacred are ‘"Ornament of Precious Liberation" and "The Precious Garland of the Supreme Path.”

In both texts, Gampopa presents concise and logical teachings drawn from the essential teachings of the Kadampa tradition, which were introduced in Tibet by the Great Indian Master Atīśa through his books such as “Bodhipathpradīpam” and "Jangchub Lamdron," and as well as the essential teachings of the Mahāmudrā tradition that Gampopa had received from his Guru, the Lord of Yogins Milarepa.

Gampopa himself had said that the study of 'The Ornament of Precious Liberation’ and ‘The Precious Garland of the Supreme Path’ would be exactly the same as receiving the teachings directly from him. 

The words of Gampopa himself read, “All individuals of the future, who have devotion to me and are not able to see me, if they read the text composed by me, such as, ‘The Precious Garland of the Supreme Path’ and 'The Ornament of Precious Liberation,’ they will get the result of seeing me.”

Therefore, we are extremely fortunate to have this wonderful opportunity now to study ‘The Precious Garland of the Supreme Path’ from KTD's abbot Ven. Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin.