Essential Tibetan Buddhism

by Robert A.F. Thurman

Book Overview

WINNER OF THE TRICYCLE PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCEExpertly and lucidly surveying the basic varieties and teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, renowned scholar Robert Thurman makes this authentic spiritual... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0785808728
• ISBN13: 9780785808725
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Booksales
• Length: 317 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.7" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

The Politics of Enlightenment

As a professor of Indo-Tibetan studies, and chair of the religion department at Columbia University, Robert Thurman has had a great career devoted to the task of making the Buddhist teaching and scriptures, particularly those of the Tibetan people, intelligible to students and interested laypersons. `Tibetan Buddhism increasingly rivals Zen in its popularity as a path of Buddhist wisdom and practice.'Thurman has written and translated many texts in this area, particularly the well-received `Tibetan Book of the Dead.' In this book, `The Essential Tibetan Buddhism,' Thurman does a thorough job at laying out in concise and accessible terms the history and development of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as an explication and explanation of the core beliefs and practices. Dedicated to the Dali Lama (who I have had the honour to be near during his regular trips to Bloomington, my current home -- his brother has been on faculty at Indiana University), this book shows how Tibetan Buddhism grew out of a sense of having been personally touched by Buddhas dwelling among them. Indeed, Tibetans often take for granted the idea of a constant presence of Buddhas among them. While many varieties of Buddhism allow for the theoretical attainment of the absolute freedom required to be a Buddha, Tibetan Buddhism is rare in accepting that there are many Buddhas currently at hand. Tibetan Buddhism also preserved the Indian Tantric traditions, as a means for the attainment of complete Buddha-hood. Indeed, some of these Tantras contradict the cosmologies which speculate that there is a cycle of Buddhas, and that another Buddha is not due for thousands of years. `Thus at least one of the levels (the highest, most would say) of the Tibetan sense of history sees the planet as progressing positively toward a time of unprecedented fulfillment. Tibetan Buddhist society therefore is perhaps unique among Buddhist societies in that the people live within a consciously articulated myth of historical progress, carrying within itself a fascinating complexity.'Tibetan Buddhism is far from nihilistic, as indeed most Buddhism is not nihilistic. One discovers a unity of awareness and of all creation, something at the heart of many of the great religions of the world, if not so specifically laid out as a premise or as a possible attainment. The Buddha obtains total consciousness, a kind of universal omniscience; this is not to say a Buddha is God or becomes God (in fact, the Buddha will eschew God-like powers and domination over other creatures). Grant the vision of direct enlightenment,Whose nature is universal voidness!The disciple should press her palms together,Praise the Mentor, and then entreat him:'Great teacher, grant me the visionOf direct enlightenment,Free from evolution and birth,Beyond the three luminaries...Complete with original translations of source texts, commentaries, essays of context and interpretation, and a good source of religious studies (history, philosophy, theology,

A highly usable introduction into Tibetan buddhism....

As far as popularly available books go, this is about the best 'introduction' into Tibetan primary-ish texts that is really available. I am supposing that the core market for this book is as the reviews above indicate: Americans who are familiar with the Dalai Lama and/or Zen but want to know more about the wide and fascinating religious domain that is Tibetan Buddhism.And this is the best place to 'start' provided that a) this is not your introduction to Buddhism in general (there are good books for Westerners for that-- 'The Gospel of the Buddha' by Paul Carus is a simple one that orders the Pali Canon into a structure more accessible for Christians; Thurman's 'Inner Revolution'; a general introduction into world religions that differentiates classical Therevadan forms from Mahayan stuff from the Vajarana stuff....) or b) a book on Tibetan history c)a comprehensive book in any sense. It's a fun read and a good introduction. Other books on top of this: Thurman's translation of 'The Holy Teaching of Vimilikirti' and any of the stories of Milarepa are fun; a neat history is 'The Dragon in the Land of Snows....'I highly recommend this book....

A very good introduction to the Tibetan vision of Buddhism.

From the introduction which gives a summary of the history of Tibetan Buddhism to the poems by the Dalai Lama at the end, Thurman introduces the spirit of Tibetan Buddhism to those who may be primarily familiar with Zen Buddhism. The selections, mostly poetic works, give a good cross-section and through-time view of Buddhism.Some things are glossed over, for those who are not familiar with Tibetan Buddhism. The role of the gods is not thoroughly explained. Where do the gods originate? From Bon? From Indian Religion. In general, I found this a very interesting and useful book.