"The Treasury of Precious Instructions by Jamgèon Kongtrul Lodrèo Taye, one of Tibet's greatest Buddhist masters, is a shining jewel of Tibetan literature, presenting essential teachings from the entire spectrum of practice lineages that existed in Tibet. In its eighteen volumes, Kongtrul brings together some of the most important texts on key topics of Buddhist thought and practice as well as authoring significant new sections of his own. Volumes in this series may be engaged as practice manuals while also preserving ancient teachings significant to the literature and history of world religions. Volume 11 of the series, Shangpa Kagyu, presents a selection of teachings and practices from the Shangpa Kagyu practice lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. This tradition derives from the celestial being, or òdåakinåi, Niguma and her human Tibetan disciple, the eleventh-century yogi Khyungpo Naljor Tsultrim Gèonpo of the Shang region of Tibet. The scriptural source material for this practice tradition is twofold: the yogic teachings of the Six Dharmas of Niguma and nature of mind teachings from the text Amulet Box Mahåamudråa. The tantric basis of the tradition is the five principal deities of the new translation (sarma) traditions and in particular the Five-Deity Cakrasaòmvara practice. The six parts of this sizable volume include source scriptures, liturgies, supplications, empowerment texts, instructions, and practice manuals composed by Niguma, Viråupa, Tåaranåatha, the compiler Jamgèon Kongtrul, and others"--

JAMGÖN KONGTRUL LODRÖ TAYE (1813-1900) was a versatile and prolific scholar and one of the most outstanding writers and teachers of his time in Tibet. He was a pivotal figure in eastern Tibet's nonsectarian movement and made major contributions to education, politics, and medicine. 
 
SARAH HARDING has been a Buddhist practitioner since 1974 and has been teaching and translating since completing a three-year retreat in 1980 under the guidance of Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche. She was an associate professor at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado for twenty-five years and has been a fellow of the Tsadra Foundation since 2000.