Losing the Clouds, Gaining the Sky: Buddhism and the Natural Mind

By Doris Wolter

By engaging deeply with the wisdom and practices of the Buddhist path, we are brought face to face with the true nature of our mind and reality. We are taken beyond our stories and opinions, our hopes and our fears, to the place of clarity and peace inherent within us all. The nature of mind is limitless, infinite like the sky, and when we recognize it, we awaken to profound compassion and insight. This collection of thirty-one teachings, drawn primarily from the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, provides a gateway into practice for those new to Buddhism and fresh access to timeless truths for longtime practitioners. Readers will appreciate the distinct voices and approaches of both renowned contemporary teachers and great masters of the recent past. Includes contributions by: Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche Phillipe Cornu His Holiness the Dalai Lama Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche Dudjom Rinpoche Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche Dzogchen Rinpoche Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche Francesca Fremantle Patrick Gaffney Gyalwang Drukpa Rinpoche Jamyang Kyentse Chokyi Lodro Kalu Rinpoche Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche Christine Longaker Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche Frank Ostaseski Ringu Tulku Rinpoche Sakya Jetsun Chimey

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0861713591
• ISBN13: 9780861713592
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Dzogchen-Lite; A nice Intro to the Tradition

Editor Doris Wolter, a long time student of Sogyal and Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche's, has collected these 31 teachings by a wide range of modern teachers (17 Tibetan Lamas - a veritable Who's Who of distinguished masters, old and young, and 4 Western student/translator/teachers). The teachings mostly present the Nyingma/dzogchen tradition, but also include a taste of the other 3 major Tibetan schools (from Kalu Rinpoche, Sakya Jetsun Kushog and the 14th Dalai Lama). Overall production value is very high, with thoughtful comments, selection and clear organization shown throughout. It also includes a good glossary and biographical notes about the various contributors. The book is organized into three main sections 1) Aspects of the Buddhist Path, 2) Authentic Buddhism Today, and 3) Bringing the Transcendent Into Everyday Life, which are further grouped into 8 subdivisions - Foundations of Meditation, Role of the Master in Vajrayana, Glimpses of the View, Wisdom of the Masters, Fresh Mind of Dzogchen, Finding Inspiration for Practice, Healing in Life and Death and Integrating Practice in the 21st Century. Each sub-section, as well as each talk, begins with a short helpful note by the editor, and the collection of talks that follow are wide enough to give a good taste of the dzogchen approach, it's context, vocabulary, and applications, yet also detailed enough to give a meaningful teaching. As you may expect from dzogchen teachers these teachings are sometimes fresh and outspoken, but on the whole remain traditionally grounded and fairly conventional. For me the variety is the main value of this book. In one handsome collection there's such a wide range of views and voices. It is not all about dzogchen per say, as much as about the way to approach and apply spiritual practice in our daily lives, mostly from the dzogchen perspective - thus "dzogchen-lite". Yet it is not so much dzogchen for the modern world, as an introduction to the Tibetan practice of dzogchen in modern packaging. But this appreciation of the context, and necessity to prepare and guard the mind so the profound, simple and direct essential teachings can take hold is what matters most. (How it takes hold in the Western context/mind is for us individuals and future generations to determine.) The context is important here, as the teachings themselves are simple and direct, and when a student is ready - ripe - they can be received easily. Just as in orcharding, picking the ripe fruit is the easy part, the site preparation, planting, training and nourishing of the tree is the hard part. Meanwhile the sun has been shining the whole time...