Preface

Well, there you have it. Full Stop! and Slam Dunk! But if you need, or want, more there is plenty of it in Yeshe Donden’s truly masterful compilation of the highest and best teachings of Garab Dorje and his direct disciples and those who subsequently carried on the work of transmitting this pinnacle of all nondual teachings called Ati Yoga.

There are 10 books in The Gospel of Garab Dorje, and each one of them a priceless gem.

Having read many books, too numerous to count, in the Vajrayana, Shaiva Tantra, and other non-dual traditions, both East and West, I can say without the slightest hesitation that this book is simply the best, bar none.

— Rigzin Dorje (Gary Falk), Woodstock NY, Oct. 28, 2021

Introduction

In the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, the Great Perfection is considered the most profound and direct path to enlightenment. The teachings of this tradition present a spiritual shortcut—a radically direct approach that cuts through confusion and lays bare the mind’s true nature of luminous purity.

In the history of the Indian subcontinent, there have been many spiritual luminaries, and one of the most remarkable of these, although not widely known, was Garab Dorje. He was apparently born enlightened and would be considered by current Hindu standards to have been an avatar. He lived long enough to pass on his realization and his wisdom to a number of disciples who also attained enlightenment and even the rainbow body experience within one lifetime.

The pith wisdom of Ati Yoga shines out clearly if the reader has a sound understanding of emptiness (anatta) and an experiential introduction to the Nature of Mind, plus a few years or decades of meditation of the right kind as well as the advice of a seasoned mentor.

The Ten Points of Garab Dorje

The pure, original Ati Yoga of Garab Dorje is very clear on ten points, which constitute the essence of the path:

1. There is no view on which one has to meditate.
2. There is no commitment, or samaya, one has to keep.
3. There is no capacity for spiritual action one has to seek.
4. There is no mandala one has to create.
5. There is no initiation one has to receive.
6. There is no path one has to tread.
7. There are no levels of realization (bhumis) one has to achieve through purification.
8. There is no conduct one has to adopt, or abandon.
9. From the beginning, self-arising wisdom has been free of obstacles.
10. Self-perfection is beyond hope and fear.

From “The Spaciousness of Vajrasattva”

Legend has it that, as a child of only seven years of age, Garab Dorje began to speak these words:

The Ten Books