Tibetan Buddhism

Self-Liberation: Through Seeing with Naked Awareness

mandy — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 08:00:00 +0000

By John Myrdhin Reynolds, Guru Padmasambhava

Self-Liberation is a new translation of a Buddhist text said to have been hidden for generations by its creator, Guru Padmasambhava, in order to ensure that it was not uncovered until such time as Tibetans were mentally prepared for it. This is one of many such texts, but is revered to be the epitome of all Buddhist teachings by many scholars.

The book itself begins with a foreword that establishes the historical context for the teachings as well as explaining the difficulty in translation. John Myrdhin Reynolds is a particularly appropriate translator of this material since he is a Buddhist scholar as well as someone who is able to read Tibetan. After the translator’s introduction, the translation itself is written, followed by an outline of the text, the translator’s comments on the meaning of the text, and several appendices. The original Tibetan text is included as well.

The material is very academic and philosophical in nature, although if the reader is knowledgeable of Buddhist teachings, much of it will be familiar. The ultimate meaning of the term self-liberation is to free one’s self from identifying with his or her own thoughts and to realize that what we have come to know as reality is simply a construct of our mind itself. To simply contemplate the world around you, the author writes, is the act of being purely aware and transcending “mind.”

Throughout, the text repeats its lessons in the format of explaining a principle (View), how to think about the principle (Meditation), how to act on the principle (Conduct), and what one can expect to come of this (Fruit). The ideas are laid out in logical arguments and continually reinforce the importance of continued practice of contemplation of these notions. The author urges the reader not to confuse the nature of the mind with what the mind does: “Meditation involves the activities of the mind and the erecting of mental constructions, but is itself limited by the mind.”

Overall, Self-Liberation is an accessible text that will provide much food for thought to anyone who is interested in and familiar with Buddhist teachings. It is not, however, light reading.

Written by: Kari O’Driscoll, January 18th 2011

Wise Teacher, Wise Student: Tibetan Approaches to a Healthy Relationship

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:00:00 +0000

By Alexander Berzin

Snow Lion Publications

Wise Teacher, Wise Student by Alexander Berzin explores the intricate and complex relationship between Western students and Eastern teachers. This particular type of relationship has its own unique set of challenges due to language barriers, cultural divides, and occasionally conflicting expectations. Berzin focuses on bridging the gap between the two worlds by exploring the student-teacher relationship through the Tibetan Buddhist outlook and its implications for Western students.

The text explores the basics of Tibetan Buddhism, including what a typical spiritual seeker in traditional Tibet would look like. I appreciated that Berzin provided information about the influence on Chinese occupation of Tibet as a means of bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West. While this occupation is indeed tragic, it has provided the vehicle for Western students to learn about and participate in spiritual rituals and practice. I found this to be an important piece of information for understanding why this particular type of relationship needed special exploration in the first place. According to Berzin, Western spiritual seekers are very different from their Eastern counterparts. Tibetan seekers usually start their spiritual journey and education at a very young age, while most Western students begin their study as adults, after receiving a formal education, and expecting equality and full knowledge of each and every step of the spiritual journey.

After exploring these differences, Berzin touched on foundational concepts and ideas such as the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path, rectified terms, including the differences and misconceptions surrounding the terms guru and lama; and laid out basic requirements for a seeker and teacher. While this was only the first of three sections of the book, this one definitely feel the heaviest and most time consuming due to the sheer volume of information it contained. The other two sections explored the dynamics of a healthy relationship with a spiritual teacher, and unhealthy relationship behaviors such as fear, overdependence, and even rebellion. These two I found much more interesting, although somewhat dry.

The section that struck me most was on the importance of establishing a relationship based on respect. Part of establishing a healthy relationship with a mentor is focusing on that mentor’s good qualities and strengths. This is not to say that the student should ignore the bad qualities or shortcomings of their mentor, but that they should mediate and focus their energy on the positive attributes. By dwelling on the negative aspects and things one doesn’t like about their teacher, a student can potentially miss out on the lessons and parts that are positive. I found this to be a great overall piece of advice for engaging in any sort of relationship, be it with a spiritual teacher, a friend, family member, or partner. Many times relationships, of any kind, can be trying and difficult, but if you can focus on the things you appreciate about the person, you’ll be much more willing or in a place to engage in a respectful and healthy manner. Any relationship based on respect, on behalf of both parties engaged, has the greatest chance at being healthy and fruitful for all involved.

On a whole, I found the book to be very overwhelming. There was a lot of important information packed into relatively small sections. At times, it assumed the reader had a slightly greater than basic understanding of Buddhist concepts and practices, but at others, found space to break down actual terms into digestible nuggets of information. Due to this strange assumption about the knowledge base of the reader, I had a difficult time figuring out who the target audience for such a book would be. While I understand the desire to appeal to and be useful to a wider audience, I found it difficult to navigate some of the information. I found it most appropriate for a class at a Dharma center, or an intermediate course on Buddhism.

Written by: Liz Martin, August 9th 2010

The Power and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual Hardship into Joy

admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Andrew Holecek

Snow Lion Publications

In The Power and the Pain, Andrew Holecek divides chapters of his teachings by the Three Turnings, or teachings, of the dharma, and associates different cycles of suffering with each. Applying Buddhist principles to different hardships and difficulties along the Buddhist Path, he writes to help those cope with obstacles we stumble upon while moving forward.

In “Hardship as Loss of the Feminine” Holecek explains the concepts of masculine and feminine principles in relation to suffering. In Buddhist cosmology, Holecek writes, ladies come first. I took this chapter with the understanding that Holecek writes on Tibetan Buddhist ideologies being transmitted through Western society, and any critique would require an analysis that takes this into consideration.

Holecek uses terminology that is specific to Buddhism, but it is definitely not only for Buddhists. The Three Turnings are presented as a template for hardships that arise on a spiritual path. Holecek makes the point early on that one might enter the path unconsciously, and what I got from that was the idea that these practices would be beneficial for healing the heart and spirit, even if one doesn’t necessarily believe they are on a spiritual path.

Life is never as tidy as going from Point A to Point B to Point C, and it was possible to read select chapters and not feel you were missing anything. I received The Power and the Pain during a most spiritually tiring time in my life. I was going back to school after a five year hiatus, and the kids were on their summer break (and this meant childcare issues, or lack thereof). These challenges were coupled with serious transitions happening at work. Being a non-linear reader, I randomly opened the book to start reading and found this: “If you are wondering where you should go on your path, look into those areas that scare you and you will find your next step.” That seemed pretty right on.

Even though I am not a practicing Buddhist, I found that The Power and the Pain spoke to me as a guide, and I often went back to passages that connected how outside pressures and events can affect one’s spirit, which made the connection click.

Written by: Noemi Martinez, August 7th 2010

Heartfelt Advice

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:01:00 +0000

By Lama Dudjom Dorjee

Snow Lion Publications

Heartfelt Advice is a record of ninety-five conversations between the Lama Dudjom Dorjee and his student Aaron Price. In each section, a small portion of a Tibetan text was read to Mr. Price, who then recorded both the translation and the explanation. The result is not the typical recitation of concepts one finds in most introductory writings on Buddhism. Instead, the concepts are explained via the personal experiences of Lama Dudjom Dorjee, and have a more intimate tone than only the translations would provide.

I am a sucker for books on Buddhism. I have a full shelf of books on the subject, and I find myself in the section nearly every time I visit the bookstore. I am enticed by the serene faces of the smiling monks on the covers, and the words of the sutras seem calming even if I sometimes don't understand them.

Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ve gotten past the second chapter of any of the books I’ve purchased. Usually by that point, I find myself overwhelmed, depressed, and feeling more than a little guilty. The initial chapters are always confusing, full of indecipherable imagery and vocabulary. Very early on, it begins to appear that the path to peace and enlightenment requires superhuman devotion; you must utter no bad words, think no bad thoughts, and perform no bad actions. You must accept that nothing is permanent and give up all attachment; to your life, loved ones, ideals, even the very idea of yourself as an individual. This is where I get depressed, feeling that I am just not up to the task of being that devoted. I begin to feel guilty when I contemplate that millions of people worldwide practice this religion and live by its teachings, and I can’t even manage to stop swearing.

This book is somewhat easier to handle. The conversational feeling of the sections allows you to absorb the concept at hand without having to fight so hard to understand it. That is not to say that this book sugarcoats any of the concepts; there is plenty of what Westerners term “hellfire and damnation," especially in the sections on the wheel of karma. The puzzling vocabulary is still present, but this book has the extremely helpful addition of a glossary. The book's format is also helpful, as it doesn’t require you to read the chapters in order: each section deals with a different topic, so flipping through the book is allowed, and may actually even be encouraged.

If you are anything like me, and approach Buddhism with as much attraction as apprehension, this book might just be the stepping stone for you. It shows that yes, studying Buddhism is a lifetime commitment, but it makes it seem a little less daunting than usual.

Written by: Melissa Ruiz, May 14th 2010

The Courage to Feel: Buddhist Practices for Opening to Others

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0000

By Rob Preece

Snow Lion Publications

As someone who recently developed an interest in Buddhism, I feel like a walking cliché. It seems almost inevitable that one will explore an alternative religion at some point in their life. We have become a society of seekers. Maybe it started when the Beatles visited an Indian ashram back in the early '70s and returned to record a number of psychedelic tracks featuring sitar music in the background, thus introducing Eastern religion and music to a whole new generation, or maybe it’s just part of our collective psyche to be explorers of both the material world and unseen spiritual realms.

As part of my process of discovery, I found myself intrigued by the title of Rob Preece’s book The Courage to Feel. Preece is a psychotherapist and longtime practitioner of Buddhism who looks at Tibetan Buddhist meditation and practice through a Western psychoanalytic lens. He begins his introduction by asking readers to think about their approach to suffering—both their own, and suffering on a global scale. He suggests that our natural human tendency is to contract into a fearful and self-preoccupied place when we are going through challenging circumstances, but there is an alternative: to open up your heart and identify with the suffering of others.

In Tibetan Buddhism there is a term called the Bodhisattva, or “the awakening warrior.” The Boddhisattva “cultivates the capacity to live within the raw reality of suffering on the ground and transform life’s adverse circumstances into a path of awakening.” Preece draws a parallel between the Tibetan word for awakened mind, “Bodhichitta,” and Carl Jung’s theory of individuation. Jung believed that individuation takes us beyond the ego to a more profound awakened state of wholeness, which ultimately leads us to finding a sense of purpose in our lives to serve the greater good.

Included in this book are a number of meditations, some that Preece has modified slightly for the Western practitioner. What I found especially helpful was his acknowledgment that certain Buddhist meditations and practices can be problematic for Westerners. For example, the meditation “recognizing that all beings have been our mother” requires that one believe in multiple reincarnations with various beings and species having been our mother. As Preece explains, “the process of reincarnation means that we have had a continuous stream of lives and that the beings we see around us have also had a continuous stream of incarnations. Those we have been related to in these lives are all around us, even though we do not easily recognize the connection…potentially our mother has been closer to us emotionally and physically than most other connections. She is important to us in all the different states of incarnation, whether human, animal, bird, fish or insect.”

Preece points out that meditation is not a “cure all” for everyone and that there are times when therapy or counseling is needed to work through emotional wounds from childhood or adulthood. He also stresses that Buddhist teachings on the cultivation of Boddhichitta are sometimes misinterpreted to mean self-effacement, or not setting appropriate boundaries in order to give up “self-cherishing” tendencies. Depending on one’s individual spiritual evolution, a healthier and more assertive self-orientation may actually be in order.

This is one of those books that I find myself returning to over and over again for spiritual encouragement and inspiration. If you’re looking to learn more about the theory and practice of Buddhism, this is a great book to read to start the new year.

Written by: Gita Tewari, January 21st 2010

Transcendent Wisdom

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:00:00 +0000

By B. Alan Wallace, His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Snow Lion Publications

This recent translation of a teaching presented by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on a chapter of the same name written by Indian scholar Shantideva in A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life serves as a guide to more thoroughly understanding of this particular work. Initially spoken to thousands of Tibetans in 1979, the ideas and wisdom of this chapter continue to exist and are translated to illuminate those pondering a Buddhist Centrist view and how it relates to and exists in the contemporary world.

Utilizing his experience as a teacher and trainer, B. Alan Wallace selected this information for interpretation and clarification. With points numbered from the original work, Wallace presents questions and opposing concepts (some of which may fall into the realm of Western thought) to each idea; this leads to further developing the work, each point acting as a building block to develop a further understanding of the Madhyamaka view of Buddhism.

Devoting his life to teaching and Buddhism, Wallace trained as a Buddhist monk in several countries and serves as a major Tibetan translator, editor, and author for over thirty books. His studies in religion support his pursuits in communicating to readers as he combines his training in science and religion as it applies to our contemporary living. Divided into three parts, this singular text identifies major aspects of the Centrist view. Through detailed elaboration on each point, Wallace provides necessary commentary to help make the reading more achievable.

Even without a tremendous awareness of Buddhism, one can maneuver through Transcendent Wisdom carefully and deliberately. With a minor foray into understanding the philosophy of Buddhism, one can utilize the footnotes for a more elaborate experience into the active acceptance of this specific branch of the faith. As a tool, this text delivers a more ornate explanation and a bounty of substance to bring the reader to a better understanding of what this religion embraces. Dry but clear, this text requires sincere focus and time; however, as one adventures into the writing, one may adopt a more Buddhist way of being.

Written by: Carolyn Espe, December 15th 2009

2010 Complete Tibetan Calendar

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:46:00 +0000

By Nitartha International, Nalandabodhi

Snow Lion Publications

The 2010 Complete Tibetan Calendar is, as calendars go, pretty nifty. It features an astrological forecast for each day of the year, determined by a combination of three factors: element combination, ruling conjunction, and auspicious combination. If you do not know what any of these things are, don’t worry; located at the end of the calendar, in the “About This” section, is a wonderfully constructed chart that explains what each astrological indicator is and how it affects a person’s daily life. The indicators are listed in both English and Tibetan, giving the calendar a nice cultural flare. There is also a key that tells one how to read all the information listed on each day’s calendar square, making it all very easy to use and understand. In addition, there are also a few paragraphs on Buddhism and Tibetan astrology that, while not deeply detailed, are still informative and educational.

Each month of the calendar features a drawing of an Arhat, a person who, in layman’s terms, is an elder in the Buddhist religion who has reached enlightenment. These particular drawings were done by the Seventeenth Karmapa Orgyen Trinley, a current spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. The sketches are very rudimentary with a minimum of lines and colors, but it is this very simplicity that gives them their charm.

One really wonderful thing about the calendar is that it marks Buddhist holidays, as well as the traditional Western ones for countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. All the astrological information is conveniently located at the bottom of the square for each day, leaving plenty of room to write in appointments, birthdays, reminders, and other important notes. This feature makes it useful as a functioning calendar, as well as an astrological chart.

The 2010 Complete Tibetan Calendar is created by Nitartha International and Nalandabodhi, two non-profit organizations which strive to preserve the traditions and culture of Tibet.

Written by: Victoria Kroeger, November 30th 2009

Buddhist Fasting Practice: The Nyunge Method of Thousand Armed Chenrezig

admin — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:02:00 +0000

By Wangchen Rinpoche

Snow Lion Publications

Starting in high school, I became very interested in Buddhism, which really did not sit well with my Catholic family. The philosophy behind Buddhism intrigued me, as well as the history. That is why I was interested in reading Buddhist Fasting Practice. It is more than just a book on fasting: it encompasses the history, the philosophy and the practice of Tibetan Buddhism.

Wangchen Rinpoche goes into great detail about the history of the Nyunge method, which is a specific type of fasting, beginning with Gelongma Palmo, a princess stricken with leprosy. When Gelongma Palmo performed the Nyunge method, her leprosy was cured, and she entered enlightenment. In addition to Gelongma Palmo, Rinpoche discusses other great gurus of the Nyunge method; the amount of information that he provides in this section could be a book on its own.

The benefits of the Nyunge method, according to Rinpoche, are enlightenment, as well as cleansing. In the Buddhist tradition, misfortunes are due to bad karma, either in this life or previous lives. By performing the Nyunge method, the practitioner's karma is cleansed and she is born into a higher being her next life. One round of the Nyunge method includes a day with only one vegetarian meal, and another day of fasting. Practitioners can choose to continue the fasting, which provides even more benefits. In addition to the fasting, Rinpoche includes the chants used in phonetics and Tibetan prints. Pictures are also included of sacred images.

Buddhist Fasting Practice can be a tough book to get through: the information is dense and Rinpoche covers a large amount in his book. However, it is a valuable resource for people interested in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and Buddhist fasting methods. Scholars of Buddhism will find that Rinpoche knows what he is talking about as he provides an in-depth look at the Nyunge method and tradition.

Written by: Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch, October 17th 2009

Natural Great Perfection: Dzogchen Teachings & Vajra Songs

admin — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 08:50:00 +0000

By Nyoshul Khenpo, Lama Surya Das

Snow Lion Publications

Natural Great Perfection is a collection of stories, songs, commentary, and history, mostly as told to Lama Surya Das by Nyoshul Khenpo. Nyoshul Khenpo was a renowned Tibetan Buddhist monk (until his doctor told him he’d be much happier if he found a wife), and Lama Surya Das was his student and is a highly regarded teacher of Buddhism and meditation from New York.

The book begins with the story of how Khenpo was considered weak by his father and then, inspired by his female relatives, became a monk. What’s most striking is his take on the various stages of his life—some lived in luxury and some in severe hardship. He outlines living as a king and living as a beggar, punctuating with the words, “what a spectacle!”

Indeed, his attitude is inspiring. In addition to the story of his life, he offers his teachings on dzogchen. Dzogchen consists of three aspects: view, meditation, and action. A relative newcomer to Buddhism needn’t feel intimidated by the songs—“songs” seems to have been used to mean verses or prayers—as they are followed by very thorough commentary. In fact, the entire book is pretty straightforward and accessible, even with limited knowledge of Buddhist jargon and practice. Essentially, the message is similar to the message of Daniel Odier in his book, Desire: The Tantric Path to Awakening, that the most advanced stage of Buddhism is actually the simplest, philosophically speaking. Rules, regulations and practices aside, the basic realization of non-dualism (no spirit and matter or human and God) is the goal and there is no work involved in recognizing one’s true nature except to simply recognize it.

The book ends with a curious chapter that reads like something out of the Book of Numbers from the Bible, only instead of explaining who was the father of whom ad infinitum, it describes from whom each lama received his authority to teach the wisdom of Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism. This is apparently very important among a certain crowd, given that it’s addressed in nearly every book about Buddhism available. Full disclosure: I skimmed that chapter.

Overall, this book will be of interest to anyone attracted to Vajrayana Buddhism as well as those curious about religion in general, particularly comparative religious philosophy—it is fascinating how similar religions are when stripped of ceremonies and rules and reduced to simple philosophical theories. As such, it’s a good read for all those seeking enlightenment, both intellectual and spiritual, via any path.

Written by: Staci Schoff, August 8th 2009

The Dark Red Amulet: Oral Instructions on the Practice of Vajrakilaya

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 10:03:00 +0000

By Kenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche, Khenpo Twesang Dongyal Rinpoche

Snow Lion Publications

It’s been a while since I read a book that came with a warning label: "As with all Vajrayana practices, Vajrakilaya should not be practiced without receiving an empowerment or reading transmission directly from a qualified lineage master. Please do not attempt to practice these Vajrakilaya instructions without proper authorization and lineage blessings."

Like many texts on meditation that have gone through several rounds of translation, this book was initially difficult to get through but became clearer as concepts and names were repeated. Following the book’s advice to seek guidance from a qualified teacher would, I believe, bring the greatest benefit to the serious student of meditation.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Vajrakilaya, he’s an emanation of the Buddha Shakyamuni, the Buddha of Compassion. Don’t be thrown off by Vajrakilaya’s “cemetery ornaments” or his monstrous consort, Diptachakra, who is wrapped around his waist in, um, “bliss.” Their compassion is so great that they’ve become wrathful, and all of the skulls and other scary items are meant to break down ideas of duality, such as the distinction between clean and dirty.

As with most Buddhist teachings, lineage is an important part of this text. Here is the short version. Buddha Shakyamuni told the wisdom dakini Yeshe Tsogyal to write down this great treasure of a practice and hide it away. Thousands of years later, Yeshe Tsogyal, who is, in case you weren’t already confused, merely and emanation of Sarasvati and of Tara, appears with yet another emanation of Shakyamuni (Guru Padmasambhava) to lead the “crazy wisdom yogi,” Tertön Tsasum Lingpa to this writing. This tertön left more than 5,000 pages of writing, much of which was lost in the Tibetan upheaval of the twentieth century; but the authors were able to compile this book from several condensed versions of the practice.

It took me several wadded up sheets of paper to figure that out, because the information is spread out through the introduction and several later chapters, and the authors often go into great detail about how many stones got caught in Tertön Tsasum Lingpa’s shoe on the way up the hill. It also helps to have a working knowledge of some of Buddhism’s concepts (including bodhichitta, samsara, and nirvana), otherwise, you may get lost on page xiii. As the warning suggests, the book seems to assume that you have some access to a teacher.

Even with the glossaries in Tibetan and English, I felt more like a translator than a reader. Some definitions were vague. For example, when I looked up the term tertön, the glossary said it was a treasure-revealer. That I could have figured out from the context. I was trying to figure out if it was a person specifically or if it could be a book. Other terms have two meanings, such as padma, which means both lotus and wisdom.

The book begins with a prayer, because just reading it is a practice. The prayer is followed by instruction on how to use the book. Roughly half of it is taken up by the practice text. This text is given in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and English. At the end of the Sanskrit lines are sometimes “symbolic letters in the dakini script,” which can no longer be translated except by tertöns who “realize” it. The Vakrakilaya practice is structured much the same as any other ritual, with drawing boundaries of protection, blessings of offerings, the main visualization, and mantra recitation.

As someone who’s always had trouble meditating, I’ve always wondered why, to achieve a state of oneness, one needed to name everything: three stages of mind, broken down into five parts each. Perhaps contemplation of ambiguity or seemingly arbitrary systems breaks down the mind so much that we are finally able to figure out maybe we’re not meant to figure everything out. The core of these teachings seems to be that despite our beliefs that we are incomplete, that we always need to be doing something, there’s really nothing to worry about. While the presentation of how to come to the practice can be confusing, the practice text is clear and what it teaches seem so painfully obvious that it’s no wonder we forget it so easily.

Written by: H. V. Cramond, May 5th 2009

Living in the Face of Death

admin — Sun, 03 May 2009 10:42:00 +0000

By Glenn H. Mullin

Snow Lion Publications

This profound collection of Tibetan Buddhist writing on the subject of death and transcendence is a gorgeous initiation into the thoughts shared by those that follow this religion/set of beliefs. Mullin chose a variety of writings that approach the inevitable by former Dalai Lamas, yogis, mystics and spiritual teachers. As a whole the collected works are easily digestible and clear in their impact. There is only one sure thing in this life, why not prepare for it while there is time by becoming comfortable with one’s own impermanence?

The preface, written by the late Elizabeth Kubler-Ross (who wrote On Death and Dying), greatly praises Mullin’s collection; the writings bridge a gap between Eastern and Western thought on the subject of death. Western culture views death mostly as a taboo subject when it comes to everyday life. However, the American obsession with homicidal television shows and movies that typically glorify outlandishly dramatic death might be a coping mechanism to lessen the tragedy of matter.

In Buddhist thought, there is a continual birth and death of the mind from one moment to the next. Daily, the body and mind go through the process of dying. When falling asleep, dream state is the in between state or Bardo, and then the body enters rebirth, or the waking state. This essential thought strikes me as being an amazing step in understanding the process of death.

Meditating upon the subject of death daily awakens the practitioner to the importance of every moment spent, as Geshe Ngawang Dargye suggests. When one embraces this thought, it is easy to dwell in the current moment and live accordingly to a morally accountable existence.

Through the book, Mullin shares details of the Gye-re Lama’s death. Many spiritual leaders in Tibetan religion have made their final teachings—that of their witnessed deaths—to be of great significance to their disciples.

Mullin also shares with readers many prayers and mystic approaches to realizing the signs of death, and subtle meditations to hopefully prolong the life that is at stake. Longevity methods are to be applied once one has been made aware of the signs of death. When this has been done, and death is still pending, it is suggested by Tibetan Buddhism to begin the act of transference of consciousness.

The collection contains a guideline to the prayers and meditations that should be said in honor of the dead. Within this information lies the process with which the body should be dealt with according to Tibetan Buddhism.

Mullin's work as a whole is a graceful attempt to address the issues that are often shunned in our culture. While death is not an easy topic to address, it is one that should not be avoided.

I’ll share one thought that proved most valuable as I read the collection. Mullin included a sermon from the thirteenth Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Tubten Gyatso “Death and the Bodhisattva Trainings.” From that he shared a poignant reflection that we all could take heed.

“Procrastination leads to further procrastination, and in the end death strikes and leaves us empty handed. Alternatively, if we grab the opportunity while we have the chance, the essence of a meaningful life can become ours.”

Written by: A. Mariel Westermeyer, May 3rd 2009

Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist, and Buddhist - One Woman's Spiritual Journey

admin — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:18:00 +0000

By Jan Willis

Wisdom Publications

Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist, and Buddhist is a beautifully written memoir in which Jan Willis charts her spiritual life’s journey towards self-love. An exceptionally gifted intellectual and a gentle soul by nature, Willis tells the story of having her self-worth consistently undermined by racism. She grew up in a Southern, Black rural town terrorized by the Klu Klux Klan, where she observed the “crippling effects” of the KKK on her community’s self-esteem. As a child, Willis’ mother referred to her intelligence as evil. Years later, even Willis’ full scholarship to an Ivy league college came with the cost of tokenization and criticism from her town. Willis’ spiritual path is a journey of self-acceptance and fulfilling her potential in spite of the oppressive effects of racism.

Her experiences of racial oppression in Docena, Alabama are vivid and disturbing. Her life’s story serves a reminder that some living African Americans carry these hateful memories with them today. Hers is a traumatic experience of racism many Americans would like to think of as an ancient history. This oppression spans from a girlhood memory of watching through the window as the Klan burns crosses in the nearest alleyway, to recent research on her family lineage, in which she speaks with a living local historian, a librarian who makes the cutting remark that Willis’ intellect is accounted for by a certain White male in her ancestry. Willis portrays racism as such a dominant force throughout her early life in particular, that when reading the book, I wondered when the focus on spirituality was going to kick in.

It comes during her undergraduate studies, starting when Willis spends a year living in India. She finds herself especially at home amongst the Tibetans there. After her study abroad, she and several friends travel to Nepal, where Willis stops to visit a Tibetan stupa. Willis meditates at the stupa, experiencing intense inner peace during her visit. A monk residing there invites Willis to stay and study at the temple. Though Willis returns back to college in the states to finish her undergraduate degree, she remembers her experience at the shrine and the monk’s invitation.

Upon graduation, Willis finds herself faced with the most difficult choice she would ever have to make: work for the Black Panther Party or return to the Tibetan monastery, the choice between, in Willis’ own words, "a 'piece' or peace?" Out of a commitment to following her own path, and with a university traveling scholarship from her Master's program, Willis returns to the stupa, where she spends a year dedicated to her spiritual practice. There she learns to live with both pride and humility, a challenge which, she remarks, is made additionally difficult for all African Americans due to the trauma of slavery.

She finds what she is seeking in Buddhism. Willis spends a year in Tibet living at a Buddhist monastery, and eventually goes on to teach Buddhist Studiesin order to give the gift of believing in oneself to others. Ultimately, as an adult, Willis settled into a life she chose for herself. She revisits her family, her hometown, and her father’s Baptist church. Having come full-circle, Willis expands the concept of her spirituality identity to see herself as a Baptist-Buddhist.

I found Jan Willis’ story astonishing, in part due to the opportunities which open to her at pivotal moments in her life. Looking back on her life’s accomplishments, receiving the praise of her students and her spiritual guide, Lama Yeshe, upon her teachings in the classroom, Willis recognizes that she has always had a lioness spirit, longing to really roar. This book is a powerful and vulnerable telling of a phenomenal woman’s life. Neither Black, Baptist, nor Buddhist, I found this autobiography beautiful and enlightening. I imagine that for readers who can more closely identify with Jan Willis’ experience, Dreaming Me offers a model of profound hope and inspiration.

Written by: Kathryn Berg, March 1st 2009

Compassionate Action

admin — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 14:59:00 +0000

By Chatral Rinpoche

Snow Lion Publications

As a new Buddhist practitioner, though in the Nichiren tradition, not the Nyingma tradition of Chatral Rinpoche, I am in a process of reading the works of many revered Buddhist teachers and practitioners. Compassionate Action by Chatral Rinpoche, and edited by Zach Larson, provides wonderful insight into the diversity of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition through a series of essays, interviews, prayers and photographs. I read it cover to cover on a flight from New York to Chicago.

The highlight of Compassionate Action for me was his explanation of one of his most well known actions. He releases 70 truckloads of fish from the market in Calcutta annually, an action that allows the live caught fish to re-enter life with a greater possibility of being born into Dharma practice and ultimately attain liberation. In an interview, he details his reasoning behind the sign that hangs in his monastery: “In this Buddhist monastery the consumption of meat, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco as well as playing cards or gambling is strictly prohibited.” Citing the early teachings of the Buddha, and eventually basing his ideas on the laws of cause and effect, he simply notes the negative influence of both killing and not taking action to prevent the killing of other beings has on our own spiritual lives. Chatral Rinpoche is committed in his practices and beliefs around the preservation of all life — insect, animal and human.

In the West we most often hear of the Dalai Lama as the foremost representative of Tibetan Buddhism. Chatral Rinpoche has taken a different approach to his practice of the Dharma than the Dalai Lama. While the Dalai Lama makes great efforts to travel and teach as many as will listen all across the world, Chatral Rinpoche offers teachings to very few people, often only a few of those who have spent a minimum of six years at his monastery. He is a part of a complex system of lineage that has developed for centuries in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. In the end, I am still a bit confused about the exact meaning of it all, who is an "emanation” of whom, but appreciate the overall reverence for spiritual ancestry.

Written by: Aisha Domingue, July 21st 2007

Eight Verses for Training the Mind

admin — Mon, 21 May 2007 03:36:00 +0000

By Geshe Sonam Rinchen, Ruth Sonam

Snow Lion Publications

Billed as a clear explanation of one of Buddhism’s most basic texts, Eight Verses for Training the Mind opens more as if you have walked in on a conversation well in progress. This is a dialogue with those schooled in Buddhist rhetoric, delivered by a speaker who has no interest in bringing you up to speed.

This book explores eight verses to be meditated on from a root text written in the eleventh century. The first sentence contains a footnote, a constant in this lingo heavy writing, which explains that these eight teachings belong to a category unique to “the Great Vehicle.” Flipping to the notes section offers little clarity, as you learn that “the Great Vehicle” consists of “the causal Perfection Vehicle and the resultant Secret Mantra Vehicle.” If you feel like you just stumbled into the wrong seminar, take heart, the note goes on to state that “these practices are suitable for practitioners of the very highest caliber.”

The eight verses themselves occupy the last two pages of the book proper, and are lucid and easy to follow. Resolving to cherish others, do good works and view those who hurt and betray you as your spiritual teachers are easily recognizable themes for even the most casual student of religion. The book dedicates a chapter to each of the eight verses, and seems focused on making each as inexplicable as possible.

While there are familiar points made in each chapter, they are buried under layers of reference and terminology, indecipherable to the common reader. Even with the omnipresent footnotes, many of the concepts referred to remain impenetrable.

Best suited to those already well versed in Tibetan Buddhist terminology and concepts, this book would make an adventurous read for those willing to swim in unfamiliar water. However, if you really want to learn to pilot that Secret Mantra Vehicle, this is the manual for you.

Written by: Melissa Ruiz, May 20th 2007

Mind Beyond Death

admin — Wed, 16 May 2007 13:26:00 +0000

By Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

Snow Lion Publications

"Hey, I'd like to read a book about death!" Perhaps this is not what comes to mind as you browse the "New Books" section at Borders, but if you are interested in Tibetan Buddhism and ideas about the cycle of life and death, I may have a book for you.

Somewhere between a conversation and a textbook, Mind Beyond Death, is an expansion upon a series of lectures given by author Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche in 2003 at the Treasury of Knowledge Retreat. The book focuses on Buddhism's six bardos, or stages of life. Of these, the text focuses most heavily on death and on preparing for death, not just in response to an impending crisis such as illness, but as a part of everyday life. The book also offers a fascinating, if sometimes challenging and intricately detailed, storehouse of Tibetan Buddhist thought. It provides some practical thought exercises, visualization techniques and yogic techniques on how to become focused on the present, along with more ambitious and esoteric goals such as "planning your last thought." If most of your knowledge about karma comes from what you've learned on episodes of My Name is Earl, the book may be a bit overwhelming.

Still, Mind Beyond Death retains the gentle, conversational tone of a lecture delivered by an accomplished teacher to an audience of eager students who may all be at different levels of interest. For those new to reading about Buddhism, the book may be intriguing at times and baffling verging on incomprehensible at others, with its incredibly specific appendix charts describing the Stages of Death or The Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities. If you're game and up for a challenge, Mind Beyond Death is rigorous and demanding. It's worthwhile if you are curious about Tibetan Buddhism, in general, and willing to devote a large chunk of time to exploring a subject, death and our response to it, that most of us try to ignore.

Written by: Dominae Petrosini, May 16th 2007