The foremost torchbearer of the ecumenical Rime movement, Jamyang Khyentse Ch kyi Lodr (1893-1959) dedicated his life to the study, practice, and propagation of all the schools and lineages that are collectively known as Tibetan Buddhism. The staggeringly long list of teachings he received and transmitted in turn testifies to the depth of his appreciation of all aspects of the Dharma, and the roster of his eminent students reveals how his extraordinary influence transcended sectarian boundaries.

The first half of this volume presents informal stories by many of Ch kyi Lodr 's teachers, students, friends, and relatives, collected by Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche and translated here into English for the first time. Intimate, funny, and utterly down-to-earth, these stories--supplemented by sixty-one photographs--paint a tender picture of the man behind the great master, introducing readers to the characters and events in his life, and especially the challenges he faced living under the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

The second half comprises an English translation of the spiritual biography, or namtar, by Dilgo Khyentse, one of Ch kyi Lodr 's closest and most brilliant students. In the process of recounting the life and liberation of his belov d guru, Dilgo Khyentse reveals how he saw Ch kyi Lodr as the Buddha in the flesh and provides, essentially, a blueprint of the entire path to enlightenment.