The Flowing River of Dharma: Instructions on Parting from the Four Attachments Featuring Sakya, Kagyu, Nyingm A, Kadam of Old, and Gelug Teachings

Discover succinct instructions for ending the habits that cause you so much suffering in this contemporary exploration of a foundational four-line teaching from Vajrayana Buddhism.

How do we break free from the habits and compulsions that bring us suffering? In the twelfth century, Sakya Drakpa Gyeltsen penned four short but significant lines, known as Parting from the Four Attachments, offering a concise guide to becoming a genuine dharma practitioner and charting a path to enlightenment.

In The Flowing River of Dharma, Anyen Rinpoche and Allison Choying Zangmo offer a fresh, contemporary exploration of this foundational Vajrayana Buddhist text, drawing on insights from Anyen Rinpoche’s teacher Khenchen Tsara Dharmakirti Rinpoche and a cave-dwelling hermit known as Lama Tsepel. Using the rime approach, which promotes cross-tradition learning, the authors refer to teachings from a variety of traditions, in particular The Four Dharmas of Gampopa, as well as wisdom from the Sakya, Kagyu, Nyingma, Kadam of old, and Gelug traditions of Tibet.

With clear language and a candid look at the challenges of dharma practice, Anyen Rinpoche explores the power of renunciation, understanding samsara’s true nature, and cultivating bodhicitta as pathways to a meaningful life. Buddhists of all backgrounds will discover how these lojong (mind training) teachings can anchor us firmly on the path and ensure that we don’t stray from it until we reach complete liberation.

ANYEN RINPOCHE is a recognized tulku of the Longchen Nyingthig lineage within the Nyingma tradition. Born and raised in Amdo, Tibet, he trained extensively in Dzogchen meditation and Buddhist scholarship under his root teacher Kyabje Tsara Dharmakirti Rinpoche. Founder of the Orgyen Khandroling Buddhist Meditation Center in Denver, Colorado, Anyen Rinpoche is known for his deep spiritual insight and accessible teaching style. He is the author of many books, often in collaboration with his wife and translator, Allison Choying Zangmo, including Union of Dzogchen and Bodhichitta, Stop Biting the Tail You’re Chasing, and The Tibetan Yoga of Breath. He is founder of the Phowa Foundation, which focuses on preparing people for a peaceful and conscious death.

ALLISON CHOYING ZANGMO is Anyen Rinpoche’s longtime student, personal translator, and collaborator. She has received extensive Buddhist training, including empowerments and teachings from various prominent Tibetan masters such as Khenchen Tsara Dharmakirti Rinpoche and Lama Damphel. With Anyen Rinpoche’s encouragement, she began teaching through the Orgyen Khamdroling Dharma Center in Denver, Colorado, in 2017, and now plays a vital role in bringing the Dharma to a Western audience. She is coauthor, with Anyen Rinpoche, of Stop Biting the Tail You’re Chasing and The Tibetan Yoga of Breath, and has assisted him with many other titles.