The Milinda Talks Resource Group

Talk Six: Vajrayana from a Sutrayana Perspective with Lily Ng (Rigpa)

This talk explores the perspective of The Essence of Clear Light, Mipham Rinpoche's commentary that provides an overview of the Guhyagarbha tantra, focusing on the importance of the Sutrayana path. It invites us to reconsider the foundations of practice—not as something to move beyond, but as something we come to recognize as essential and never leave behind. By cultivating renunciation, compassion, and the understanding of emptiness, we build a path that is both grounded and far-reaching. It also points to the importance of understanding view not as something merely objective or conceptual, but as something to be realized and embodied within our own experience. Especially in the context of Vajrayana practice, this perspective highlights how these foundations give direction, stability, and authenticity to the path. The session offers a space to reflect on how these qualities support a more meaningful and genuinely transformative approach to practice and life.