Joy of Being Companion Guide
Work on this Companion began during an international Kum Nye retreat at Woodbrooke Centre in Birmingham, England, in 2011. Arnaud Maitland presented Rinpoche’s The Joy of Being practices in a way that opened the door to richer exploration, making possible a deeper, creative and more consistent communication with Kum Nye.
It is very important that this e-book—which is offered without charge—not be taken as finished, or as doctrine from on high. There is no “final” form, and we expect it may well be changed or evolve over time. You may think of how you can contribute to it, and let us know your thoughts. This Companion volume is a springboard for Kum Nye practitioners, a provisional resource for enriching and deepening our practices. May it lead to conversations and sharing no matter how far we live from each other.
In the introduction to The Joy of Being, Rinpoche writes that he hopes it will allow Kum Nye to “touch [the] hearts directly” of experienced practitioners (&p.xxi). With this guidebook we want to honor our teacher Tarthang Tulku and his hope for us. It is our wish, too, to let our hearts be touched, softened and opened for the benefit of all sentient beings.