The Tibetan Books of Living and Dying

The Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines, gold caligraphy on handmade manuscript

THE PERFECTION OF WISDOM IN 8,000 LINES (RiBa)

A humble re-vision of the wonderful achievement of the late Dr. Edward Conze...now of the 21st Century.

By Richard Babcock

(roo-1@adelphia.net)

A Note from Richard Babcock: This ‘Re-Visioning’ of Dr. Conze's work is of the complete 32 Chapters in prose, which were compiled in his 1973 Edition titled, The Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines & Its Verse Summary. There were 32 versified Chapters in the same book, which I have Re-Vised as well, but chose to not include them here along with this prosaical rendering, solely in the interests of clarity and what's hoped to be an easing of understanding. The several verse references [numbers in squared brackets] are consistent with the mentioned versified version, and some works by other authors as well. (see The Perfection of Wisdom; by R. C. Jamieson, published in 2000 by Viking Studio, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc.)

Table of Contents

• Chapter I — The Practice of the Knowledge of All Modes (RiBa);
• Chapter II — Sakra (RiBa);
• Chapter III — Reverence for the Receptacle of the Perfections, which holds Immeasurable Good Qualities (RiBa);
• Chapter IV — The Proclamation of Qualities (RiBa);
• Chapter V — The Revolution of Merit (RiBa);
• Chapter VI — Dedication and Jubilation (RiBa);
• Chapter VII — Hell (RiBa);
• Chapter VIII — Purity (RiBa);
• Chapter IX — Praise (RiBa);
• Chapter X — Proclamation of the Qualities of Bearing in Mind (RiBa);
• Chapter XI — Mara's Deeds (RiBa);
• Chapter XII — Showing the World (RiBa);
• Chapter XIII — Unthinkable (RiBa);
• Chapter XIV — Similes (RiBa);
• Chapter XV — Gods (RiBa);
• Chapter XVI — Suchness (RiBa);
• ChapterXVII — Attributes, Tokens, and Signs of Irreversibility (RiBa);
• Chapter XVIII — Emptiness (RiBa);
• Chapter XIX — The Goddess of the Ganges (RiBa);
• Chapter XX — Discussion of Skill in Means (RiBa);
• Chapter XXI — (More of) Mara's Deeds (RiBa);
• Chapter XXII — The Good Friends (RiBa);
• Chapter XXIII — Sakra (RiBa);
• Chapter XXIV — Conceit (RiBa);
• Chapter XXV — Training (RiBa);
• Chapter XXVI — Like Illusion (RiBa);
• Chapter XXVII — The Core (RiBa);
• Chapter XXVIII — Avakirnakusuma (RiBa);
• Chapter XXIX — Approaches (RiBa);
• Chapter XXX — Sadaprarudita (RiBa);
• Chapter XXXI — Dharmodgata (RiBa);
• Chapter XXXII — Entrusting (RiBa)