Meeting the Buddhas: A Guide to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Tantric Deities

By Vessantara and Vessantara (Tony McMahon),

Book Overview

Meeting the Buddhas is a modern classic, giving a vivid and accessible introduction to all the main figures meditated on in the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition. First published in 1993, this new... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0904766535
• ISBN13: 9780904766530
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Windhorse Publications
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Accessible introduction to the principles and practices of tantric Buddhism

Meeting the Buddhas is an accessible introduction to the principles and practices of tantric Buddhism through an exploration of the visual depictions of its many deities. It is not an introduction or guide to thangka, the iconographic paintings used in tantric visualization practices, though there are plenty of examples of such to be found in this volume. Those new to the philosophy may not realize that the Buddhist cosmos is populated by hundreds of spiritual super beings, many of which take on different guises - male and female, peaceful and wrathful - in their eternal quest to aid mortals in their search for enlightenment. Subtitled "A Guide to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Tantric Deities" this books introduces you to some of most common and best known deities and saints, those you are likely to encounter in exploring the art, architecture, and sacred relics of Himalayan Buddhism. Author Tony McMahon is a member of one of the UK's oldest Buddhist groups, the Western Buddhist Order, and has obviously had plenty of experience explicating these iconic figures and the principles of tantric Buddhism for westerners. Writing under his Buddhist name, Vessantara, he introduces his subjects through the use of personal anecdote or through vignettes from western history and culture, stories that bring these god-like figures down-to-life and show how their experience is our experience. The writing is breezy and conversation-like but peppered with quite a lot of Pali, Sanskrit and Tibetan. A 7-page glossary contains 157 entries. The level of detail is challenging, even for those with some knowledge of the subject, particularly in his chapters on the five Buddhas. What many readers will appreciate, though, are the examples of visualizations, textual descriptions of what the mediator visualizes to affect his awareness of reality. 27 color plates reproducing thangka, as well as 36 line drawings are included. Unfortunately the color reproductions are often washed out and lacking in detail, and on many occasions the author writes at length on a deity in a particular aspect for which no visual is provided. Despite its imperfections, Meet the Buddhas is still a fine addition to any Buddhist library and a fine reference work on the more common deities, including the Five Buddhas, the Taras, Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, Vajrapani, Vajrasattva, Padmasambhava, Heruka Charkrasamvara, Vajrayogini, and Mahakala. #

A Must Have

Any serious student of Tibetan Buddhism will want this book in their library for reference and instruction. The color plates alone are worth more than the price of the book -- the beauty and fine details are wonderful meditation tools. I have a copy of the first edition and am ordering two more: one because the first one has seen heavy usage and I want to protect it; and another for the library of my dharma center.

Meeting the Buddhas: a guide to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, etc.

This book was intended to provide a pathway for the outsider or newcomer to Tibetan Buddhism through the bewildering maze of Tibetan Buddhist iconography. Vessantara is a Westerner who understands the puzzlement of other Westerners. He asks and attempts to answer several questions: Who are these strange-looking creatures? Are they really Buddhist? Why do they seem to switch names, forms, and genders? How does one deal with them in terms of visualization practice, mantras, and symbols. As an outsider, I cannot evaluate the accuracy of the material in this book, but it certainly seems to be complete! After reading it, I have a much clearer sense of the meaning and purpose of Tibetan Buddhist deities and if I encounter an unfamiliar image in another book, I will know where to look for clarification. The author also deserves credit for making it clear that some of the practices described should only be undertaken with the aid of a qualified teacher. He has, happily, resisted the temptation to set himself up as a guru for the uninitiated. This is not an easy book to read, but it is the only one of it's kind that I have ever encountered, and I plan to keep my copy as an invaluable reference tool. It could be recommended to students of Buddhism or even to those planning a visit to a museum of Tibetan art.