Mesoscope’s Reviews > Establishing Appearances as Divine: Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo on Reasoning, Madhyamaka, and Purity > Status Update
Mesoscope
is on page 58 of 160
The long introduction of this work is incredibly good. It zeroes in on all of the important interpretive questions I have about Rongzompa after studying "Black Snake Discourse" and "Entering the Way of the Great Vehicle," and thinks though the core puzzles with admirable clarity.
— Apr 22, 2026 07:18PM
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Mesoscope’s Previous Updates
Mesoscope
is on page 98 of 160
"Nevertheless, since the nature of phenomena is inconceivable,
it is not the case that there is no way to realize it by means of discriminating knowledge."
Because phenomena are inconceivable, they may be known by discriminating knowledge?? Is that not what this clearly says?
This is the kind of statement that makes it excruciatingly difficult to read Rongzompa.
— Apr 25, 2026 04:28AM
it is not the case that there is no way to realize it by means of discriminating knowledge."
Because phenomena are inconceivable, they may be known by discriminating knowledge?? Is that not what this clearly says?
This is the kind of statement that makes it excruciatingly difficult to read Rongzompa.
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Keith
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Apr 22, 2026 09:47PM
So, when you're done with all this, you're giving a class on Zoom, right? Right?
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Maybe i'll do a blog post, though I haven't done one in many years. But I will have gone through most of what is available in English on Rongzompa by the time I'm done.
May it benefit brings. (N.B.: I am a being)
Keith wrote: "May it benefit brings. (N.B.: I am a being)"If you're looking for a good introduction to Rongzompa, I would highly recommend Khenpo Dza Tsering Tashi's lectures on "Black Snake Discourse" on YouTube - about 9 hours. David Higgins's translation of the short root text is on Lotsawa, and it's worth reading and re-reading.
The main thing to keep in mind reading it is that when he says "Madhyamaka" he means what we would call "Svatantrika", and he may never have read Chandrakirti - he never specifically mentions him in his extant writings. Mipham Rinpoche thinks Rongzompa's view is essentially Prasangika-Madhyamaka.
