Gampopa String of Pearls (PDF)

Many of the texts contained in the Collected Works of Gampopa are records of his oral teachings that were written down by his close disciples.
     In contrast, the talks on A String of Pearls speak less about lofty views or advanced practices and more about the motivations we must continually foster if the dharma is to become the path — if it is to become truly transformative rather than a mere band aid for temporary ills.

 Most of the talks open with reminders of impermanence and the futility of samsara. They exhort us to rouse loving-kindness, compassion, and bodhichitta and to be scrupulous about karmic cause and effect. The words are plain and direct; speaking about issues that affect practitioners of today just as much as they did in Gampopa’s time 800 years ago.

-- Karma David Choephel