Four-Session Guru Yoga

The Four-Session Guru Yoga that we practice, composed by the Eighth Karmapa Miky Dorje, was based on an earlier guru yoga found in the writings of Lama Shangtsalpas (Lord Gampopas disciple), secret teachings that were sealed by command seal. Miky Dorje used this as the basis for his composition. There is a commentary on this practice written by the Ninth Gyalwang Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje, which is impracticably long. Chakme Rinpoche wrote his commentary because until that time there was no easily accessible commentary for doing Four-Session Guru Yoga. Chakme Rinpoche’s commentary presents the meditations and visualizations to be done at the various sections of the text. Includes the sadhana of Four-Session Guru Yoga by Miky Dorje and a CD with Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche chanting the sadhana. Thangka on front cover: The Eighth Gyalwang Karmapa Miky Dorje, Eastern Tibet 1800–1899, ground mineral pigment on cotton, from the collection of the Rubin Museum of Art, courtesy of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation.

Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche was born in Rabshu in the province of Kham in eastern Tibet. He was born at sunrise on Mahakala Day, the twenty-ninth day of the second month in the Year of the Wood Mouse, 1924. On this day, very early in the morning, Rinpoche’s mother went to fetch water from the stream, carrying the full vessel of water home. Rinpoche was then born with no pain to his mother. According to Tibetan tradition, all of these special circumstances show a very auspicious birth. When Rinpoche was quite young, his father taught him to read and write, as well as study and memorize Dharma texts. Rinpoche decided at a young age to follow the path of his older brothers, who were both monks. At the age of twelve he entered Thrangu Monastery in eastern Tibet. After completing a yearlong and a three-year retreat, Rinpoche expressed the heartfelt wish to stay in retreat for the rest of his life.