Establishing Validity ─ The First Chapter of Karmapa Chodrak Gyatso Ocean of Literature on Logic and the Corresponding Chapter from Dharmakirti Commentary on Validity

One major issue for all thinkers and spiritual practitioners is how to know whether the teachings they are following are true and valid and whether their understanding of them is correct. The study of validity, which developed out of the works of Dignaga and Dharmakirti, gives them the necessary tools to determine this for themselves. This book presents the first chapter of the Seventh Karmapa Chödrak Gyatso's Ocean of Literature on Logic- which he composed entirely from memory while sitting in meditation without referring to any texts- along with the work it explains, the first chapter of Dharmakirti's Commentary on Validity. Together, these works explain what it means for our knowledge to be valid and why the Buddha is an authority we can trust. Along the way, it also explains many other issues of relevance to any practitioner, among them whether there is a creator god, why we should meditate on compassion, and the natures of the four noble truths. In particular, this chapter is renowned for its seminal explanation of the proof of rebirth. This makes it an indispensable text for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding and challenge their own beliefs to see whether they are valid or not. In India and Tibet, the works on validity formed one of the five great topics of Buddhism. This book presents one of the most important aspects of that topic in a clear and accessible translation. It will form an essential part of the studies for any scholar or practitioner of Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism.

Dharmakirti (7th c.) is universally renowned as one of the greatest philosophers India produced in the first millennium. Born into a Brahmin family, he first mastered the Vedas and non-Buddhist philosophies but realized their faults when he encountered the Buddhist scriptures. He became a master of Buddhist logic and philosophy, developing an unrivaled understanding of the works of Dignaga in particular. His own works, including The Commentary on Validity, continue to form an integral part of the studies of Buddhist and non-Buddhist philosophy in India and Tibet to this day.The Seventh Karmapa Chodrak Gyatso (1454-1506) was recognized soon after his birth as the reincarnation of the Sixth Karmapa Thongwa Donden. He showed his remarkable talents from an early age, giving Dharma teachings even as a small child. He received countless transmissions primarily from his guru Goshri Paljor Dondrup, and became renowned not just for the breadth and depth of his knowledge but also for remaining continually within samadhi meditation. He spent his life traveling throughout Tibet in the Great Encampment, settling conflicts and bringing peace wherever he went.David Karma Choephel studied Buddhist philosophy at the Varja Vidya Institute in Namo Buddha, Nepal, and Sarnath, India. He currently serves as Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoches main English-language translator, and also translates for the Gyalwang Karmapa and the Kagyu Monlam. His published translations include Ngondro for Our Current Day by the Gyalwang Karmapa and Heart of the Dharma by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, both published by KTD Publications, and Vivid Awareness: The Mind Instructions of Khenpo Gangshar by Thrangu Rinpoche, published by Shambhala Publications.