Essential Tibetan Buddhism - Softcover

Robert A. F. Thurman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062510517 ISBN 13: 9780062510518

Publisher: HarperOne, 1996

Synopsis

WINNER OF THE TRICYCLE PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE

Expertly and lucidly surveying the basic varieties and teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, renowned scholar Robert Thurman makes this authentic spiritual tradition available to contemporary Western audiences

About this title

Review:

In this highly readable collection, Robert Thurman brings together the jewels of Tibetan literature that have made their own distinctive contribution to "the great river of Buddhism." He introduces the selection with an overview of essential Buddhist thought, orienting the reader with a history of Buddhism's development, from its origins in India, expansion across Asia, and flowering on Tibetan soil. Explaining the distinctive attainment of Tibetan Buddhist civilization as "the vivid sense of Buddhas in ordinary, daily reality," Thurman guides readers through selections that speak to the possibility of liberation for all beings. Stressing also the importance of the teacher or mentor figure in Tibetan Buddhist practice, he presents key texts from teachers whose words serve as inspiration to those seeking the path toward enlightenment. Excerpts culled from the vastness of the Tibetan canon include the hymns to the liberator goddess Tara, pieces from The Tibetan Book of the Dead, writings on mentor worship from the first Panchen Lama, and selections from esoteric tantric practice texts. The volume ends with the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize lecture by Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, illustrating the enduring relevance of this ancient wisdom for modern life. --Uma Kukathas

From the Publisher:

From the foremost Western Tibetan Buddhist scholar--and the first American Tibetan Buddhist monk--comes a comprehensive essential guide to the incomparable riches of Tibetan Buddhism.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperOne
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0062510517
• ISBN 13: 9780062510518
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 317