Chinese Buddhism Today
This book conveys the ethos of Fo Guang Shan, 'Buddha's Light Mountain', by focusing on the views and activities of its founder and leader, the Ven. Hsing Yun. Fo Guang Shan was founded in Taiwan in 1967 by Hsing Yun (b.1927), who had fled to Taiwan from mainland China in 1949. It stands in the Chinese tradition of Mahāyāna Buddhism and, more specifically, is a form of Buddhism which in English is usually referred to as 'Humanistic Buddhism' or as 'engaged Buddhism'.Humanistic Buddhism owes its origin to the Chinese monk Tai Xu (1890-1947). He found the Buddhism that surrounded him in China dreary and moribund, preoccupied with rituals for the dead, and offering nothing to help or guide people living in the world outside monasteries. His determination to reverse this decay centred on the idea that it was the vocation of a Mahāyāna Buddhist to do good to others, finding their own spiritual benefit in benefitting society.Hsing Yun has been a devoted disciple of Tai Xu. It is telling that he founded a seminary before he founded a monastery, and has laid huge emphasis on education. To make Buddhism widely attractive and relevant he has incorporated every influence available. Gifted with a benign personality, he has turned his seemingly boundless energy and prodigious versatility to creating an institution that presents Buddhism as a potential source for benefitting society through making life enjoyable.
Resting in Awareness
Resting in Awareness: Mahamudra and Satipatthana Meditations from the Awareness Sutra based on the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje's commentary and explanations by his student Sherab Rinchen Compiled, translated, paraphrased and introduced by Svenja Schmitt Buddha Shakyamuni once was asked by experienced practitioners of another spiritual tradition: Exactly how do physical, verbal and mental actions performed in this life lead to consequences experienced in future lives? How is it possible to see things as they really are? In the Mahayana sutra Resting in Awareness, the Buddha answered those questions with a set of meditations. The practice of awareness that he taught in this discourse is the direct path to awakening and the realization of absolute bodhicitta. This method consists of alternating between analyzing and resting and is the Vajra Meditation of Mahamudra. This book is intended for advanced practitioners who are competent to engage on their own in the practice of calm abiding combined with insight meditation. It contains: - An introduction to the Awareness Sutra, its Tibetan translation, and the commentaries written by the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje and Sherab Rinchen; - 23 step-by-step lessons with advice from those two Kagyu masters; - 70 exercises, paraphrased from the sutra and supplemented by meditation instructions from contemporary teachers of the Karma Kagyu lineage; - An overview of how the practice of awareness is understood in different Buddhist schools; - A Tibetan-English translation of the sutra passages; - Key terms in English, Tibetan and Pali.
Confucianism and Christianity
This book reflects on three broad themes of Confucian-Christian relations to assist in the appreciation of the church's theology of mission. While the themes of this volume are theological in orientation, the dialogue is engaged in from an interdisciplinary approach that prioritises the act of listening.Part I surveys the historical background necessary for an adequate understanding of the contemporary Confucian-Christian dialogues. It examines the history of Confucian-Christian relations, explores the Chinese Rites Controversy, and delineates the contemporary task of indigenizing Christianity by Sino-Christian theologians. Part II compares elements in the Confucian and Christian traditions that exemplify the epitome and fullness of spiritual development. It discusses the Confucian practice of rites (li), interrogates how the noble or exemplary person (junzi) competes, and outlines the Confucian understanding of sageliness (shengren). Lastly, Part III examines different aspects of the church's engagements with the world outside of itself. It advocates for a Confucian-Christian hermeneutic of moral goodness, attends to the Confucian emphasis on moral self-cultivation, proposes that Confucian virtue ethics can shed light on Christian moral living, and offers a Confucian-Christian understanding of care for mother earth.This book is ideally suited to lecturers and students of both Christian studies and Confucian studies, as well as those engaged in mission studies and interfaith studies. It will also be a valuable resource for anyone interested in comparative religious and theological studies on Christianity and Confucianism.
Untangling Karma
Author has been studying and practicing Zen for nearly 50 years. She's been a guiding teaching at the Clouds in Water Zen Center in St. Paul for nine years. Author is very well connected to the Zen community nationally and has garnered to drawer blurbs from bestselling authors such as Natalie Goldberg and Norman FischerUnlike most books on Zen, Untangling Karma uses teaching stories from real life that are alternately personal, collective, intimate, and universal. In many of them, Judith Ragir takes off the burdensome mantle of the calm Zen teacher and shows what she has actually done to find more inner peace.
Filial Piety in Chinese Buddhism
This book investigates how Buddhism gradually integrated itself into the Chinese culture by taking filial piety as a case study because it is an important moral teaching in Confucianism and it has shaped nearly every aspect of Chinese social life. The Chinese criticized Buddhism mainly on ethical grounds as Buddhist clergies left their parents' homes, did not marry, and were without offspring--actions which were completely contrary to the Confucian concept and practice of filial piety that emphasizes family life. Chinese Buddhists responded to these criticisms in six different ways while accepting good teachings from the Chinese philosophy. They also argued and even refuted some emotional charges such as rejecting everything non-Chinese. The elite responded in theoretical argumentation by (1) translations of and references to Buddhist scriptures that taught filial behavior, (2) writing scholarly refutations of the charges of unfilial practices, such as Qisong's Xiaolun (Treatise of Filial Piety), (3) interpreting Buddhist precepts as equal to the Confucian concept of filial piety, and (4) teaching people to pay four kinds of compassions to four groups of people: parents, all sentient beings, kings, and Buddhism. In practice the ordinary Buddhists responded by (1) composing apocryphal scriptures and (2) popularizing stories and parables that teach filial piety, such as the stories of Shanzi and Mulian, by ways of public lectures, painted illustrations on walls and silk, annual celebration of the ghost festival, etc. Thus, Buddhism finally integrated into the Chinese culture and became a distinctive Chinese Buddhism.
The Hidden God
"Theology" means "discourse about god." Christian theology is a reflection on the Christian faith in which God takes a central place. Therefore, the Christian theology of other religions seeks to understand if and how "God" as Christians call their experience of Him may be present in the thought, devotion, and ritual of those other religions. Christian theology of Buddhism is then a Christian reflection on the Buddhist faith in "god" or "gods." Now, Buddhist teaching contains many seeming contradictions (as does Christian teaching). Accepting these, and looking for clues to understand how they came about and how they might be reconciled, is not only an intellectual challenge but also a religious duty. The Hidden "God" feels like a detective story, taking the reader along on an exacting investigation of the manifold themes, concepts, and persons of the different Buddhist faith traditions in order to discern whether they can be related to the Christian understanding of who God is. The result, which is both complex and simple, will enable readers to take steps toward uniting both religions in the mystery that God or the Dharma is. "This book is courageous and necessary: courageous because it breaks a taboo of placing interreligious dialogue on a theological level; necessary because it brings to light a sincere comparative study of the relationship between faith and practice-which is common ground for all the great spiritual traditions."-GUGLIELMO DORYU CAPPELLI, Zen Anshin temple, Rome"The 'god' question is almost absent from Buddhist scriptures and teachings, yet everywhere present in the searching eyes of a Christian. Peter Baekelmans is well equipped to tackle this elusive question owing to his many years in Japan and long acquaintance with several branches and schools of Buddhism."-FR JACQUES SCHEUER, author of Wisdom and Compassion "As Peter Baekelmans is a renowned theologian and scholar of Buddhism, whom I consider the Christian expert on esoteric Buddhism-both theoretically and practically-the reading of this challenging work will be deeply illuminating."-MARTIN REPP, author of The One God and the Other Gods "The Hidden 'God' takes us along with the author on a journey to the discovery of Buddhism and its many facets. His path-breaking manner of comparing Buddhism to his native Christianity with a view to enhancing the understanding of both is immensely respectful."-ALICIA GUINOT, Europe Books
The Hidden God
"Theology" means "discourse about god." Christian theology is a reflection on the Christian faith in which God takes a central place. Therefore, the Christian theology of other religions seeks to understand if and how "God" as Christians call their experience of Him may be present in the thought, devotion, and ritual of those other religions. Christian theology of Buddhism is then a Christian reflection on the Buddhist faith in "god" or "gods." Now, Buddhist teaching contains many seeming contradictions (as does Christian teaching). Accepting these, and looking for clues to understand how they came about and how they might be reconciled, is not only an intellectual challenge but also a religious duty. The Hidden "God" feels like a detective story, taking the reader along on an exacting investigation of the manifold themes, concepts, and persons of the different Buddhist faith traditions in order to discern whether they can be related to the Christian understanding of who God is. The result, which is both complex and simple, will enable readers to take steps toward uniting both religions in the mystery that God or the Dharma is.
Buddhist Historiography in China
Winner, 2023 Toshihide Numata Book Award, Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of California, Berkeley Since the early days of Buddhism in China, monastics and laity alike have expressed a profound concern with the past. In voluminous historical works, they attempted to determine as precisely as possible the dates of events in the Buddha's life, seeking to iron out discrepancies in varying accounts and pinpoint when he delivered which sermons. Buddhist writers chronicled the history of the Dharma in China as well, compiling biographies of eminent monks and nuns and detailing the rise and decline in the religion's fortunes under various rulers. They searched for evidence of karma in the historical record and drew on prophecy to explain the past. John Kieschnick provides an innovative, expansive account of how Chinese Buddhists have sought to understand their history through a Buddhist lens. Exploring a series of themes in mainstream Buddhist historiographical works from the fifth to the twentieth century, he looks not so much for what they reveal about the people and events they describe as for what they tell us about their compilers' understanding of history. Kieschnick examines how Buddhist doctrines influenced the search for the underlying principles driving history, the significance of genealogy in Buddhist writing, and the transformation of Buddhist historiography in the twentieth century. This book casts new light on the intellectual history of Chinese Buddhism and on Buddhists' understanding of the past.
The Creative South
This edited volume programmatically reconsiders the creative contribution of the littoral and insular regions of Maritime Asia to shaping new paradigms in the Buddhist and Hindu art and architecture of the medieval Asian world. Far from being a mere southern conduit for the maritime circulation of Indic religions, in the period from ca. the 7th to the 14th century those regions transformed across mainland and island polities the rituals, icons, and architecture that embodied these religious insights with a dynamism that often eclipsed the established cultural centres in Northern India, Central Asia, and mainland China. This collective body of work brings together new research aiming to recalibrate the importance of these innovations in art and architecture, thereby highlighting the cultural creativity of the monsoon-influenced Southern rim of the Asian landmass. "Although Maritime Asia in mediaeval times was not as densely populated as the agrarian hinterland, Asia's coasts were highly urbanized. The region from southern India to south China was a heterogeneous blend of cultures, leavened with a strong interest in trade. This cosmopolitan society afforded plentiful opportunities for artists to find patrons and develop individual styles and aesthetic sensibilities. In the bustling ports of Asia's south coast, rulers sought to embellish their prestige and attract foreign merchants by sponsoring the development of monumental complexes and centres of learning and debate. These educational institutions attracted teachers from all over Asia, and in their cloisters they developed new intellectual frameworks which were reflected in works of art and architecture. Scholars moved frequently by sea, influencing and being influenced by other foreigners such as Japanese and central Asians who were also attracted to these places.
Journeys of Transformation
Western Buddhist travel narratives are autobiographical accounts of a journey to a Buddhist culture. Dozens of such narratives have since the 1970s describe treks in Tibet, periods of residence in a Zen monastery, pilgrimages to Buddhist sites and teachers, and other Asian odysseys. The best known of these works is Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard; further reflections emerge from thirty writers including John Blofeld, Jan Van de Wetering, Thomas Merton, Oliver Statler, Robert Thurman, Gretel Ehrlich, and Bill Porter. The Buddhist concept of 'no-self' helps these authors interpret certain pivotal experiences of 'unselfing' and is also a catalyst that provokes and enables such events. The writers' spiritual memoirs describe how their journeys brought about a new understanding of Buddhist enlightenment and so transformed their lives. Showing how travel can elicit self-transformation, this book is a compelling exploration of the journeys and religious changes of both individuals and Buddhism itself.
Copying The Image of God (Maturity)
Though I was not on the Isle of Patmos as John, I was humbled and moved during the wee hours of April 22, 2013, when I saw these words: "Copying the Image of God (Maturity)." As I sought the Lord concerning what He had shown me, He revealed to me His desire from the beginning (Genesis) for man to have His image. I gained insights to teach and share with believers, those yet to be saved, and all that have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church on this matter. Truly this was, has been, and is the heart of God for mankind everywhere. "And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26a). The Lord confirmed the writing of this book during the end-time as we prepare for Jesus's return for His church. Now in humble obedience and for His Glory, we proceed in the name of Jesus with "Copying the Image of God (Maturity)."
Western Pure Land Buddhism
This book is a collection of articles on Western Pure Land Buddhism from the author's zine EKO
Calm Breath, Calm Mind
Discover ancient Tibetan breath practices for calming your mind and improving your health in this plain-English guide. Over millennia, many Eastern traditions have developed practices that use the powerful healing energy of breath to treat physical, emotional, and mental problems. In Chinese, this energy is called chi; in Sanskrit it is called prana; and in Tibetan it is called lung. Lung is life-giving energy that moves through our bodies. A lack or imbalance of lung can create illnesses of body and mind or cause emotional struggles such as confusion, anger, and sadness. In this book, Geshe YongDong Losar, a scholar and monk in the ancient B繹n tradition of Tibet, guides us through time-tested practices to help balance our lung. His deep knowledge--garnered through years of study and practice--renders the practices simple and achievable, creating a clear path for us toward greater calmness, strength, and clarity. "Over and over I have personally witnessed, both in myself and in my students, the breath's clear potential to heal and deeply transform lives. I truly believe that in the future such practices will play an important role as a medicine for preventing and treating physical, emotional, and mental maladies. I am glad that Geshe YongDong is making these practices widely available, and I'm sure that by doing so, he is bringing benefit to countless lives." --from the foreword by Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
The Religions of Tibet
"No one is better qualified than Tucci to write a general yet comprehensive work on such a complex subject. His explorations in Tibet, extensive personal experiences, direct observations of ritual, and unmatched textual knowledge are graciously combined in this valuable and highly readable volume."--Barbara Nimri Aziz, Journal of Asian Studies "Tucci's most significant contribution is his application of a systematic analysis of parallels and interconnections among the religious practices of Tibetans. . . . We have both a thorough analysis of significant texts as well as a description and appreciation of rituals, architecture, and artifacts."--Francis V. Tiso, Cross Currents "[Readers] are not soon to find a more informative, comprehensive rendering of the religions of Tibet-minus all the myths and by a scholar as extraordinary as Giuseppe Tucci."--A. Torn Grunfeld, Focus on Asian Studies "We have here a synthesis of Tucci's knowledge and insight into one of the most extraordinary of the world's great cultures."--Ninian Smart, Times Literary Supplement
Buddhism and Society
The current Western interest in Buddhism and other Eastern religions is--among other reasons--both the result of and the stimulation for an entire library of books purporting to bring the Wisdom of the East to an audience for whom the wisdom of the West has failed. This book is not an example of that genre. It is an attempt to interpret Buddhism in the light of some current theories about religion. As a work of scholarship, rather than a homiletic tract or an apologetic treatise, its aim is to understand Buddhism as one historical variant of the generic human attempt to find meaning and hope in a sacred order that transcends the mundane order of existence; its aime is not to encourage or discourage either a devotional or a soteriological interest in Buddhism.
Reflections on Reality
This is the second volume in Jeffrey Hopkins's valuable series on the Mind-Only School of Buddhism. Dzong-ka-ba (1357-1419) is generally regarded as one of the greatest Tibetan philosophers, and his "Mind-Only" discourse on emptiness is considered a landmark in Buddhist philosophy. In Volume 2, Emptiness in the Mind-Only School of Buddhism, Hopkins provided a translation of the introduction and section on the Mind-Only School in The Essence of Eloquence. The present volume places this enigmatic and influential exposition in its historical and philosophical contexts. Reflections on Reality conveys the intellectual vibrancy of the different cultural interpretations of this text and expands the key philosophical issues it addresses.
The tathāgatagarbha Theory in the Śrīmālāsūtra
In this thesis the author firstly investigates various terms related to tathāgatagarbha in the Śrīmālāsūtra. Secondly he focuses on the languages features of its Sanskrit fragments in the Sch繪yen Collection. It turns out that none of their noticeable language features can ultimately suggest the school-affiliation of the Śrīmālāsūtra. Thirdly he analyzes its paleographical features. Besides, the author conducts an initial study of textual history the Śrīmālāsūtra, and discusses the older recension(s) of the Śrīmālāsūtra based on the Sanskrit morphology, criteria of lectio difficilior and lectio facilior, ascertainment of later contents in the course of transmission, and the development of Buddhist doctrine. Finally he provides a careful textual collation, and makes an annotated translation.
Two Subtle Realities
Buddhism teaches with simple means how to live day by day with joy and peace. It also teaches with the deepest means how to liberate our mind from the clinging and grasping that form the intricate nets of irritating thoughts and emotions that ensnare us. We liberate our mind through developing a powerful antidote to clinging and grasping. This powerful antidote is the thorough and deep wisdom that sees the truth of reality-the way things really are as opposed to how we ordinarily and naively perceive and believe.The truth of reality has two levels that hold true in all time, space and conditions. Gaining full knowledge and experience of the two levels of reality is the only means to liberate our mind from clinging and grasping-the two chronic inner mental illnesses. The two levels of reality are impermanence and emptiness. This book offers a clear explanation of subtle impermanence and emptiness, avoiding the use of complicated philosophical terms, so a modern mind can understand the deepest meaning of what Buddha, out of his universal compassion, taught of impermanence and emptiness as his ultimate message to the confused world.
The Instructions of Gampopa
Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche delivers profound insights in direct and inspiring language. In this commentary on the Precious Garland, one of Gampopa's masterworks, he outlines what practitioners of varying levels need to know to perfect their spiritual practice. He instructs on the correct view, meditation, and conduct, and offers frank answers to common questions concerning obstacles to Dharma practice. Gampopa (1070-1153) was the father of the Kagyu tradition and foremost student of Milarepa.
Demystifying Awakening
"A rich and beautiful resource for those called to deepen their exploration of Awakening and freedom."-Tara Brach, best-selling author of Trusting the Gold and Radical CompassionSee the potential that is within each of us-the realization and embodiment of our true natureWith Demystifying Awakening, senior meditation teacher Stephen Snyder skillfully marks the subtle path of the Awakening process. With loving care, personal examples, and gentle suggestions, Stephen plants the seeds of practice and meditation by: explaining Awakening in an accessible way that draws on Zen and Theravada Buddhist traditions;guiding readers through more than thirty foundational and advanced meditations and practices that support each step on the path of realization;offering advice for identifying and working with resistances to Awakening; andencouraging the embodiment and lived expression of realization through an exploration of the pāramīs, the Buddhist perfections of behavior.Demystifying Awakening transmits a practice path for Awakening in this lifetime."A unique and profound manual . . . that clearly and succinctly unveils the path, and process, of Awakening as practiced, lived, and taught by Stephen Snyder."-Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, NYT best-selling author of Unwinding Anxiety and The Craving Mind"Stephen is a friendly, helpful, and sweetly encouraging guide. In his pages, you feel like you're coming home to who you've always been: wakeful, loving, contented, and wise."-Rick Hanson, PhD, NYT best-selling author of Neurodharma and Buddha's Brain"A wise map and a powerful reminder that while the path is in a sense a pathless path, and leads right back to here and now, that doesn't mean Awakening isn't real."-Henry Shukman, author of One Blade of Grass and guiding teacher of Mountain Cloud Zen Center
Searching for the Self
His Holiness the Dalai Lama explores emptiness, one of the most central teachings in Buddhism, in the newest volume of the bestselling series The Library of Wisdom and Compassion. In Searching for the Self the Dalai Lama leads us to delve deeply into the topic of the ultimate nature of reality, presenting it from a variety of approaches while focusing on identifying our erroneous views and directing us to the actual mode of existence of all persons and phenomena. Placing our study of reality within the auspicious context of a compassionate motivation to benefit all sentient beings, the Dalai Lama explains why realizing emptiness is important and what qualities are needed to do that, and he evaluates various tenet systems' perspectives on this vast topic. He then helps us understand our perceptions and the mental states involved in both our ignorant and accurate cognitions. He examines inherent existence and other fantasized ways of existence that we seek to disprove through reasoned analysis and presents the Middle Way view that abandons all extremes. The closing chapters by Thubten Chodron discuss the three characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self as explained in the Pali tradition and show how meditation on these can lead to the meditative breakthrough to realize nirvana. Engaging in this investigation with His Holiness will challenge our deepest-held beliefs and uproot false ways of viewing ourselves and the world that are so habitual we don't even notice them. Get ready to be challenged and intrigued, for realizing the nature of reality has the power to cut our defilements at the root and free us from cyclic existence forever!
Revisiting Partition
The effects of Partition were felt not only in specific regions but all across the country. Moving away from state-specific analyses of the fractured reconfiguration of the Indian subcontinent, Revisiting Partition: Contestation, Narratives and Memory delves into the connected nature of the developments and their lingering deep impact. Divided into five sub-themes, this book weaves in the narratives from the geographic areas of West Bengal, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as the less studied, but equally significant, north-east India. The contributions identify the stages of Partition and investigate the accompanying complexities that transformed the migration of refugees into a prolonged affair. Combining authentic glimpses into the national, provincial, regional and local undercurrents this collection touches upon the everyday life experiences and the continuing influence of the Partition on generations of Partition victims.
Mapping the Buddhist Path to Liberation
Due to the diversity in Buddhism, its essence remains a puzzle. This book investigates the Buddhist path to liberation from a practical and critical perspective by searching for patterns found in the Pāli Nikāyas and the Chinese Āgamas. The early discourses depict the Buddhist path as a network of routes leading to the same goal: liberation from suffering. This book summarizes various teachings in three aspects, provides a template theory for systematically presenting the formulas of the sequential training of the path, and analyses the differences and similarities among diverse descriptions of the path in the early Buddhist texts. By offering a comprehensive map of the Buddhist path, this book will appeal to scholars and students of Buddhist studies as well as those practitioners with a serious interest in the Buddhist path.
Renunciation and Longing
Through the eventful life of a Himalayan Buddhist teacher, Khunu Lama, this study reimagines cultural continuity beyond the binary of traditional and modern. In the early twentieth century, Khunu Lama journeyed across Tibet and India, meeting Buddhist masters while sometimes living, so his students say, on cold porridge and water. Yet this elusive wandering renunciant became a revered teacher of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. At Khunu Lama's death in 1977, he was mourned by Himalayan nuns, Tibetan lamas, and American meditators alike. The many surviving stories about him reveal significant dimensions of Tibetan Buddhism, shedding new light on questions of religious affect and memory that reimagines cultural continuity beyond the binary of traditional and modern. In Renunciation and Longing, Annabella Pitkin explores devotion, renunciation, and the teacher-student lineage relationship as resources for understanding Tibetan Buddhist approaches to modernity. By examining narrative accounts of the life of a remarkable twentieth-century Himalayan Buddhist and focusing on his remembered identity as a renunciant bodhisattva, Pitkin illuminates Tibetan and Himalayan practices of memory, affective connection, and mourning. Refuting long-standing caricatures of Tibetan Buddhist communities as unable to be modern because of their religious commitments, Pitkin shows instead how twentieth- and twenty-first-century Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhist narrators have used themes of renunciation, devotion, and lineage as touchstones for negotiating loss and vitalizing continuity.
Renunciation and Longing
Through the eventful life of a Himalayan Buddhist teacher, Khunu Lama, this study reimagines cultural continuity beyond the binary of traditional and modern. In the early twentieth century, Khunu Lama journeyed across Tibet and India, meeting Buddhist masters while sometimes living, so his students say, on cold porridge and water. Yet this elusive wandering renunciant became a revered teacher of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. At Khunu Lama's death in 1977, he was mourned by Himalayan nuns, Tibetan lamas, and American meditators alike. The many surviving stories about him reveal significant dimensions of Tibetan Buddhism, shedding new light on questions of religious affect and memory that reimagines cultural continuity beyond the binary of traditional and modern. In Renunciation and Longing, Annabella Pitkin explores devotion, renunciation, and the teacher-student lineage relationship as resources for understanding Tibetan Buddhist approaches to modernity. By examining narrative accounts of the life of a remarkable twentieth-century Himalayan Buddhist and focusing on his remembered identity as a renunciant bodhisattva, Pitkin illuminates Tibetan and Himalayan practices of memory, affective connection, and mourning. Refuting long-standing caricatures of Tibetan Buddhist communities as unable to be modern because of their religious commitments, Pitkin shows instead how twentieth- and twenty-first-century Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhist narrators have used themes of renunciation, devotion, and lineage as touchstones for negotiating loss and vitalizing continuity.
The Dharma in DNA
There are more connections between spirituality and science than you might think... In 2004, biologist Dee Denver heard the Dalai Lama speak in Bloomington, Indiana. The famous Tibetan monk's speech that day exposed him to the centrality of impermanence in Buddhist thinking, a topic that directly connected to his mutation research in evolutionary biology. He left the event shocked and startled by the unexpected parallels between Buddhism and biology. This experience is not wholly unique to Denver. Spirituality and science are two inherently humane ways to approach our world. Why shouldn't more people look at them in tandem? In this book, Denver shares Buddhist ideas and the tradition's colonial and more recent interactions with biology. He then applies the scientific method to Buddhist principles and draws connections between Buddhist ideas and current research in biology. In doing this, he proposes a new approach to science, Bodhi science, that integrates Buddhist teachings and ethical frameworks. Denver's research supports a connected synergy between biological and Buddhist thinking. This scientific approach to Buddhism offers strong evidence supporting the validity of fundamentally Buddhist principles and logic. The book builds on historical evidence from Sri Lanka, Japan, and Tibetan Buddhism to illustrate these connections.
Becoming Guanyin
Winner, 2024 Geiss-Hsu Book Prize for Best First Book, Society for Ming Studies The goddess Guanyin began in India as the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, originally a male deity. He gradually became indigenized as a female deity in China over the span of nearly a millennium. By the Ming (1358-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) periods, Guanyin had become the most popular female deity in China. In Becoming Guanyin, Yuhang Li examines how lay Buddhist women in late imperial China forged a connection with the subject of their devotion, arguing that women used their own bodies to echo that of Guanyin. Li focuses on the power of material things to enable women to access religious experience and transcendence. In particular, she examines how secular Buddhist women expressed mimetic devotion and pursued religious salvation through creative depictions of Guanyin in different media such as painting and embroidery and through bodily portrayals of the deity using jewelry and dance. These material displays expressed a worldview that differed from yet fit within the Confucian patriarchal system. Attending to the fabrication and use of "women's things" by secular women, Li offers new insight into the relationships between worshipped and worshipper in Buddhist practice. Combining empirical research with theoretical insights from both art history and Buddhist studies, Becoming Guanyin is a field-changing analysis that reveals the interplay between material culture, religion, and their gendered transformations.
How to Suffer Well
Your capacity to handle suffering determines where you get in life. How do you want to live?Life is tough, so you better get a helmet. Life is not a walk in the park. You'll run into pain, anguish, and obstacles. But who says that they need to affect you?Build immunity to emotional, mental, and physical discomfort and suffering. It can be trained.How to Suffer Well is a literal guidebook to defeating the voices in your head that tell you to give up. Instead, they'll be replaced with voices that tell you it'll be okay, this will pass, and life goes happily on.It might sound difficult, but this is all teachable. You'll learn how to become the most zen person you know. Wouldn't it be nice to only experience the positive side of emotions?How to tolerate the rigors of life without collapsing. Increase your mental pain tolerance to that of superhuman levels.Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience.Greatly expand your comfort zone and build layers of mental armor to ensure your happiness.Guest chapter by acclaimed blogger Jason Merchey on the balm of humor to quell suffering.Why suffering is life, but attachment is sufferingTried and true paths to overcoming sufferingDefenses against negativity, expectations, and things outside of our controlHow to live in the present, unhindered by the past or the futureHow compassion and purpose assist in suffering better
How to Suffer Well
Your capacity to handle suffering determines where you get in life. How do you want to live?Life is tough, so you better get a helmet. Life is not a walk in the park. You'll run into pain, anguish, and obstacles. But who says that they need to affect you?Build immunity to emotional, mental, and physical discomfort and suffering. It can be trained.How to Suffer Well is a literal guidebook to defeating the voices in your head that tell you to give up. Instead, they'll be replaced with voices that tell you it'll be okay, this will pass, and life goes happily on.It might sound difficult, but this is all teachable. You'll learn how to become the most zen person you know. Wouldn't it be nice to only experience the positive side of emotions?How to tolerate the rigors of life without collapsing. Increase your mental pain tolerance to that of superhuman levels.Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience.Greatly expand your comfort zone and build layers of mental armor to ensure your happiness.Guest chapter by acclaimed blogger Jason Merchey on the balm of humor to quell suffering.Why suffering is life, but attachment is sufferingTried and true paths to overcoming sufferingDefenses against negativity, expectations, and things outside of our controlHow to live in the present, unhindered by the past or the futureHow compassion and purpose assist in suffering better
The King Ajātaśatru Sūtra
King Ajātaśatru is well-known among Buddhists for being misled by the Buddha's jealous brother-in-law and cousin, Devadatta, into bringing about his father's death and usurping the throne of the Kingdom of Magadha. Despite this, he also came to repent his deeds and became a sincere supporter of the Buddha. This publication presents four first English translations of sūtras on Ajātaśatru, his repentance, and the eventual assurance of his attainment of Buddhahood. The King Ajātaśatru Sūtra (Skt. Ajātaśatrukaukṛtyavinodana, Taishō No. 626) presents the process whereby bodhisattva Ma簽juśrī helped King Ajātaśatru to see the emptiness of all phenomenal existence and the original purity of mind. Through attaining these insights, the king overcame his doubts about his fate and received assurance of his eventual buddhahood. The Sūtra on King Ajātaśatru's Questions on the Five Heinous Crimes (Taishō No. 508) presents the process whereby the king will overcome his doubts by attaining rootless faith (granted to him by the Buddha) rather than through the realisation of emptiness. The Sūtra on King Ajātaśatru's Reception of his Prediction (Taishō No. 509) sees the king receive his assurance of buddhahood not while the Buddha is in the world, but rather by offering to him after he entered nirvāṇa. It Thus emphasises the transcendent nature of the Buddha's manifestation in the world. The Sūtra on the Flower Pickers (Taishō No. 510) presents a variation on the previous sūtra where the Buddha has not yet entered nirvāṇa. Our sincere wish is that readers will find these sūtra translations a fascinating and valuable addition to their understanding of Buddhism and the redemption of those who have committed grave evils.
Sutra and Bible
A visual history of the role that religious teachings, practices and communities played in the WWII Japanese American experience, with essays by leading scholarsAccompanying the Japanese American National Museum's 2022 eponymous exhibition, Sutra and Bible: Faith and the Japanese American World War II Incarceration explores the role that religious teachings, practices and communities played while Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. From the confines of concentration camps and locales under martial law to the battlegrounds of Europe, Japanese Americans drew on their faith to survive forced removal, indefinite incarceration, unjust deportation, family separation, military service and resettlement at a time when their race and religion were seen as threats to national security. Coedited by Emily Anderson and Duncan Ryuken Williams, Sutra and Bible weaves visual storytelling with auxiliary essays from 32 prominent voices across academic, arts and social justice communities.Contributors include: Michihiro Ama, Brooks Andrews, Anne M. Blankenship, Joanne Doi MM, Laura (Kitaji) Dominguez-Yon, Timothy Wagner, Kristen Hayashi, Jay Hirabayashi, Naomi Hirahara, Mitch Honma, Satsuki Ina, Jane Naomi Iwamura, Mas Kodani, Mark Nakagawa, Wendy Egyoku Nakao, Elizabeth Nishiura, Togo Nishiura, Nancy Kyoko Oda, Gene Oishi, Gail Okawa, Dakota Russell, Bacon Sakatani, Candice Shibata, Brandon Shimoda, George Tanabe, Todd Tsuchiya, Nancy Ukai, Jonathan van Harmelen, Karen Tei Yamashita and Mikoto Yoshida.
The Instant Enlightenment of Ordinary People
The author has consistently developed an attempt to dismantle Soka Gakkai study from traditional Nichiren Shoshu doctrine. This book deals with the doctrine controversy with three different backgrounds, so it consists of three parts. - The first part refers to the criticism of Nichiren Shoshu doctrine that the author published in the period short after the excommunication of SG in November 1991. - In the second part, since the Soka Gakkai officially abandoned the faith on the Dai-gohonzon in November 2014, there are some discussion on the direction of SG study in the present time. - In the third part, the author develops systematically his thesis on the "Instant Enlightenment of Ordinary People" in succeeding to the humanist approach of SGI president Daisaku Ikeda.Thus, this book presents an innovative Nichiren Buddhism 2.0 for laypeople practicing in the global contemporary society of the 21st Century.
Indian Buddhist Studies on Non-Buddhist Theories of a Self
This book addresses prominent views on the nature of the self in Indian philosophical traditions and presents Buddhist critiques of those conceptions through Śāntarakṣita's chapter in the Tattvasaṃgraha and Kamala-śīla's commentary in Tattvasaṃgrahapa簽jikā. This will be of interest in Philosophy, Religious Studies and Buddhist Studies.
Heart Drops of Kuntuzangpo
This precious set of teachings was translated by Geshe Sonam Gurung & Daniel P. Brown, Ph.D. under the Guidance of H.H. the 33rd Menri Trizin for the Pointing Out the Great Way Foundation.This book is the shortest of Shar rdza Rinpoche's trilogy on Bon Great Completion by-passing meditation. It contains: (1) a detailed set of by-passing preliminary practices, including very detailed emptiness meditations;(2) thoroughly cutting through pith instructions on view, meditation, conduct, and fruition to establish stable awakening. Emphasis is given the "the great non-action" as the essential point for crossing over from ordinary mind to awakened mind-itself;(3) by-passing pith instructions to purify ordinary perception so as to directly experience each of the levels of by-passing visions. Emphasis is given to the specialness of by-passing pith instructions as compared to thoroughly cutting through pith instructions, drawing from the teachings in Awakened Awareness of the Cuckoo and(4) pith instructions for recognizing the very similar visions in the dying process and after-death bardos, so as to transfer-consciousness at that time.This text was originally translated into English by Lopon Tenzin Namdak entitled Heart Drops of Dharmakāya, Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 1993. That translation was based on lectures he gave on the text to Western students in Nepal in 1991. However, that translation, based on live lectures, is not a line-by-line translation of the original Tibetan text, and many quoted passages from other texts were omitted.
Reconstructing Early Buddhism
Buddhist origins and discussion of the Buddha's teachings are amongst the most controversial and contested areas in the field. This bold and authoritative book tackles head-on some of the key questions regarding early Buddhism and its primary canon of precepts. Noting that the earliest texts in Pali, Sanskrit and Chinese belong to different Buddhist schools, Roderick S. Bucknell addresses the development of these writings during the period of oral transmission between the Buddha's death and their initial redaction in the first century BCE. A meticulous comparative analysis reveals the likely original path of meditative practice applied and taught by Gautama. Fresh perspectives now emerge on both the Buddha himself and his Enlightenment. Drawing on his own years of meditative experience as a Buddhist monk, the author offers here remarkable new interpretations of advanced practices of meditation, as well as of Buddhism itself. It is a landmark work in Buddhist Studies.
Adventure in Zanskar
"This thrilling book takes us into the heart of one of the most powerful spiritual places on Earth - Zanskar. It is a must read for all those who love and recognize the healing power of place and the adventure that spiritual travel can open up." - Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope and Journey In LadakhIn 1983, twenty-one year old Amy Edelstein set out on a solitary 500-kilometer journey in the highest valley in the world. Zanskar, the westernmost corner of the Tibetan plateau had only recently opened to travelers. She would spend several months walking by foot, crossing passes above 16,000 feet, sleeping in caves, meeting high lamas and monastics, and exploring a culture that had remained virtually the same for thousands of years. It was a culture that would change dramatically and irrevocably in the few short decades since. What drew her was the eternal seeker's quest for wisdom and insight, what shaped the rest of her life is what she found. This is her story. Readers in our stressed and troubled times can now share in the fruits of her adventure and learn from what she discovered about courage, perseverance, kindness, meditation, awakening, and the difference between Eastern and Western worldviews. You may grow happier, wiser, and lighter in the process.
Buddhist Historiography in China
Winner, 2023 Toshihide Numata Book Award, Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of California, Berkeley Since the early days of Buddhism in China, monastics and laity alike have expressed a profound concern with the past. In voluminous historical works, they attempted to determine as precisely as possible the dates of events in the Buddha's life, seeking to iron out discrepancies in varying accounts and pinpoint when he delivered which sermons. Buddhist writers chronicled the history of the Dharma in China as well, compiling biographies of eminent monks and nuns and detailing the rise and decline in the religion's fortunes under various rulers. They searched for evidence of karma in the historical record and drew on prophecy to explain the past. John Kieschnick provides an innovative, expansive account of how Chinese Buddhists have sought to understand their history through a Buddhist lens. Exploring a series of themes in mainstream Buddhist historiographical works from the fifth to the twentieth century, he looks not so much for what they reveal about the people and events they describe as for what they tell us about their compilers' understanding of history. Kieschnick examines how Buddhist doctrines influenced the search for the underlying principles driving history, the significance of genealogy in Buddhist writing, and the transformation of Buddhist historiography in the twentieth century. This book casts new light on the intellectual history of Chinese Buddhism and on Buddhists' understanding of the past.
Five Lectures on Reincarnation
Five Lectures on Reincarnation "", has been considered a very important part of the human history, but is currently not available in printed formats. Hence so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format so that it is never forgotten and always remembered by the present and future generations. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed.
Probing the Sutras
A compact summary like Probing the Sutras has been sorely needed for some time, as more and more Westerners have dipped into meditation without any understanding of its predominantly Buddhist scriptural underpinning. This concise, well-informed introduction to the history and contents of eleven seminal Buddhist sutras also provides suggestions for reflection, meditation, and practical applications related to the key teachings of each scripture. Readers of Probing the Sutras will be able to develop a framework for understanding Buddhist doctrines--and see the unique pearls of wisdom contained within each sutra.
Look, Look, Look, Look, Look Again
"His writing is fresh and accessible, and so tender. As soon as I started reading it, I immediately started thinking of friends I'd like to give it to." -Judith L. Lief, editor of The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of DharmaA mad riot of interconnections: art, Buddhism, mandala principle, spiritual pursuits, growing up goth in the 90s, the theories of Marshall McLuhan, and a mongoose-to name but a few. Meditation teacher, filmmaker, writer, and art savant Kevin Townley turns his unique gaze upon 26 artists and magnifies the power and meaning of the five Buddhist wisdom energies through explorations of their work. Rather than trying to "explain" these energies, he reveals them to you in familiar visual language while, of course, pushing the boundaries of what you might have thought you saw at first glance. Townley leads you to, invites you in, and sometimes springs upon you, the perennial wisdom in the worlds of artists from Artemisia to Hilma af Klint to Marilyn Minter. Beautifully written and hilariously disarming, Look, Look, Look, Look, Look Again vibrates with lucid insight into society, history, and establishment, while teaching you a lot about meditation and Buddhism along the way. In exploring the practice, life, and work of these 26 artists (all of whom are women) through the lens of the five wisdom energies, you come away with a deeper understanding of yourself, the world, and the true dharma that transcends culture and religion-and a profound gratitude for anyone really willing to look. "Without a doubt, Townley is the Fran Lebowitz of Buddhist writing." -John Hodgman, host of the Judge John Hodgman Podcast"Kevin Townley demystifies that daunting link between art and spirituality while leaving room for the divine. By weaving artists' histories with his own, he makes the reader feel comfortable drawing connections between heady concepts and personal experience. Through a unique blend of compassion and curiosity, Kevin Townley has given readers a more intimate, spiritually-minded Ways of Seeing." -Tavi Gevinson, actor, writer, and founder of Rookie
Discovering Buddhism
Discovering Buddhism introduces Buddhism as a culture and civilization, a system of thought and a religion. This fascinating book presents the views and practices of all the main Buddhist traditions without bias and addresses the history of Buddhism, the key topics taught by the Buddha, and a selection of contemporary issues. It also includes critical assessments of the material, connecting traditional accounts with contemporary scholarship.The author makes each subject relevant and interesting so readers can engage in personal reflection and inquiry. This encounter with Buddhist ideas invites readers to question their outlook on life and can help make their views more aligned with reality.The book is written in a clear and accessible way for the non-specialist and provides up-to-date information for the teaching of Buddhism in schools complemented by the educational resources available on the Windows into Buddhism website. Authoritative and comprehensive, Discovering Buddhism is the go-to resource for anyone who is curious to know who the Buddha was, what he said, and why so many Westerners today find meaning in his teachings.
Teachings of the Mountain Hermit of Mandong on Refuge and Bodhichitta
This book contains two teachings, one on taking refuge in the Three Jewels and one on the development of bodhichitta or enlightenment mind. The teachings are translations of two texts from the Collected Works of the Hermit of Mandong. The hermit was a Kagyu master who lived in caves in the Mandong area of Tibet during the latter half of the 20th century, after the Communist Chinese invasion. He is not known to most Westerners but is quite famous amongst Tibetans these days. Why? Well, he was very learned and highly accomplished, but, over and above that, he was famous for his love and compassion for the very impoverished people of his area. In the darkness following the Chinese destruction of Tibet, he went out of his way to ensure that the poor and downtrodden people of his area not only received Buddhist teachings but received teachings from the heart that they really could understand and practice. The two teachings in this book are texts written specifically to assist those people and are very potent because of it. The compassion of the Hermit of Mandong comes through very clearly.The Hermit was a follower of the Kagyu lineage, a lineage that gained the complete Kadampa teachings on refuge and bodhicitta as taught by Atisha through the early Kagyu master Gampopa. The two teachings here come from that tradition. Because of the Hermit's ways explained above, the teachings are not dry expositions at all, but are very heartfelt and wonderful to read. Moreover, they contain many stories and quotes from the early Kadampa masters and from Kagyu masters such as Milarepa, Karmapa, and so on. What is really fascinating about both teachings is that they were given for a thoroughly traditional audience, so they talk about hell realms and so on in a traditional way. However, the teachings are intensely personal and practical, so they go from what could be teachings that many Westerners would not find relevant to being thought-provoking teachings on love and compassion. This feature on top of all the other features of the teachings makes this a very interesting book.Books like this tend to be overlooked these days because these days people are forgetting about refuge and bodhicitta and seeking only the hot topic of Dzogchen. Refuge and bodhicitta are indispensable for all according to the Buddha, and this little book brings those two teachings right to the fore in a very compelling way.The book contains translations of the following texts:1) From the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment: A small instruction on Taking Refuge called "The Great Entrance to the Excellent House of the Conqueror's Precious Teaching"2) From the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment: For Beginners in the Great Vehicle, The Method of Meditating on Compassion that References Sentient Beings called "An Ornament for the Minds of Young Conquerors' Sons"
The Chinese Liberal Spirit
Xu Fuguan (1903-1982) was one of the most important Confucian scholars of the twentieth century. A key figure in the Nationalist Party, Xu was involved in the Chinese civil war after World War II and in the early years of the Nationalist government in Taiwan. He never ceased to believe that democracy was the way forward for the Chinese nation. Making his ethical and political thought accessible to English-speaking readers for the first time, these essays analyze the source of morality and how morality must be realized in democratic government; they also provide a sharp contrast to the claim that democracy is not suitable for China--or that Confucian government should be meritocracy, not democracy. They also share the reflections of a man who lived through the Chinese revolution and remained strongly critical of the governments in both the People's Republic of China and Taiwan.
Buddhish
An engaging, accessible introduction to Buddhism for those who are looking to explore a new spiritual tradition or understand the roots of their mindfulness practice. Are you curious about Buddhism but find yourself met with scholarly texts or high-minded moralizing every time you try to pick up a book about it? Well, if so, relax. This is no ordinary introduction to Buddhism; there are none of the saccharine platitudes and dense pontification that you may have come to expect. Buddhish is a readable introduction for complete newcomers that provides an objective, streamlined overview of the tradition--from unpacking the Four Noble Truths to understanding what "nirvana" actually means. For those who have already dipped their toes into the tradition through the practice of mindfulness or meditation, this guide will help you create a more well-rounded and informed experience by delving into the history of the Buddhist traditions that shape a mindful practice. Buddhist scholar Dr. Pierce Salguero analyzes the ideas and philosophy of the complex tradition through the eyes of both a critic and an admirer. He shares anecdotes from his time at a Thai monastery, stories from the years he spent living throughout Asia, and other personal experiences that have shaped his study of Buddhism. Through this guide, readers will have the opportunity to develop an approach to practice that is not quite Buddhist but Buddhish. Through engaging and lighthearted stories, Dr. Salguero breaks down 20 central principles of the tradition, including: - Awakening - Suffering - Doubt - Karma - Buddha Nature
Probing the Sutras
A compact summary like Probing the Sutras has been sorely needed for some time, as more and more Westerners have dipped into meditation without any understanding of its predominantly Buddhist scriptural underpinning. This concise, well-informed introduction to the history and contents of eleven seminal Buddhist sutras also provides suggestions for reflection, meditation, and practical applications related to the key teachings of each scripture. Readers of Probing the Sutras will be able to develop a framework for understanding Buddhist doctrines--and see the unique pearls of wisdom contained within each sutra.
The Six Lamps
This precious set of teachings was translated by Geshe Sonam Gurung & Daniel P. Brown, Ph.D. under the Guidance of H.H. the 33rd Menri Trizin for the Pointing Out the Great Way Foundation. The Six Lamps is one of the main Bon by-passing Great Completion practice manuals from the Oral Transmission lineage. The root text contains pith instructions for pointing out the step-by-step then combined practice of the four primary lamps: (1) the lamp of the universal ground; (2) the lamp of the fleshy heart to enhance direct recognition of awakened awareness; (3) the lamp of the soft white channel, to connect the flow of primordial wisdom from the heart to the eyes; and (4) the lamp of the extensive lasso of the fluid eyes, to set up the direct manifestation of the levels of by-passing visions initially on the surface of the fluid eye lamps at the boundary of the eyebrow fence. The fifth lamp unpacks the levels of visions in greater detail. The sixth lamp addresses comparable vision to be recognized in the dying process and after-death states. The root text also contains more advanced set of "close-to-heart" pith instructions using a series of metaphors to illustrate the meditative experiences and realizations at a more refined level. The two explanatory commentaries explain the main essential points of the root text. The two practice commentaries give different perspective on the actual practice.
Me first!
According to Buddhism it is helpful to follow a path because of the universal tendency to get lost. However when a teacher explains the path to us we need to make sure that we understand properly what we are being taught and how to put it into practice. This illustrated book tells the story of a student's misunderstanding that fed into his overweening ambition and many disasters that ensued on an epic and cosmic scale. Me First! is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist account of how a teacher's liberating instructions on the path to freedom were misunderstood by one of his disciples. The proud young student called Masterful goes to a Buddhist teacher called Resolute who points out to him that since his mind is always and already intrinsically free, there is therefore no need for him to involve himself in meditations and other practices to improve what is already perfect. Masterful, however, hears this as a permission to be uncontrolled and do whatever he likes. Instead of awakening to the simple purity of his own awareness he feeds his egotistical ambition and sets out to take whatever he wants without limit, exploiting others without any concern for their capacity and welfare. This leads to universal devastation until finally the accumulated negative karma leads to Masterful manifesting as a demon, and known as Rudra. In this form he creates havoc until after many outrages the peaceful Buddhas gather together and decide that they need to adopt a new tactic. Manifesting their powerful controlling energy, all the Buddhas transform the teacher Resolute into an all-conquering force of virtue. After many intense adventures the demonic force of Masterful is bound into the service of the true path of freedom, cleansed of his bad karma and bound into the service of the dharma, with the new name, Mahakala, Great Black One. The people return in peace to the land. This story points to the dangers of unconstrained power and the associated temptation to follow the path of dictatorship. It highlights how important is the creative collaboration among the forces of good in order to constrain the power of delinquent self-assertion.The illustrations bring the key points of this story to dramatic life and invite the reader to share in the excitements of this heroic engagement.The text is based on the Padma bKa'-Thang by Padmasambhava which was revealed by the terton, Urgyen gLing-Pa.For James Low's full translation of the original Tibetan text see Facet 4 (Getting Lost Invites Trouble), in This is it: revealing the great completion. James Low. (Simply Being, UK, 2020) ISBN: 978-0956923974.
