Maitreya's Ornament of Clear Realization (PDF)

The Buddha Maitreya transmitted five important text to Asanga and these are important because they are the foundation of the third turning of the wheel of Dharma and of the Shentong view which is practiced by the Kagyu, Ningma, Sakya, and Jonang lineages.

The first teaching of Maitreya is the Uttaratantra (Sublime Continuum) which is the difinitive teaching on Buddha nature.

The second teaching of Maitreya is Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes.

The third teaching of Maitreya is Distinguishing Dharma from Dharmata.

This fourth book, Maitreya's Ornament of Clear Realization is about the Prajnaparamita teachings on emptiness. Included is the root text and also Rinpoche's commentary. There are two ways to discuss emptiness: First, to study all the teaching of Nagarjuna and other on emptines or second, as the Ornament of Clear Realization takes which is to reveal the hidden meaning of emptiness by discussing the Five Paths and the Ten Bodhisattva levels. By examing the Five Paths we can begin to understand emptiness by contemplating what takes place at each level in terms of wisdom (prajna). The hidden meaning of of the Prajnaparamita sutras is what Maitreya is concentrating on when he explains the five paths and each of the ten bodhisattva levels in detail.

While understand this approach may be difficult to understand, Thrangu Rinpoche makes text very readable and understandable and the text has many charts, a comprehensive glossary, and and index. The paperback version of this text is currently being updated, so we have made the PDF of the book available.