Tibetan Buddhism in Western Perspective

by Herbert V. Günther

Book Overview

A scholar's freshest insights are often expressed in articles that seldom reach beyond a small circle of peers. Here, gathered for the benefit of everyone intersted in Tibetan Buddhism, are ten articles by Dr. Herbert Guenther, outstanding pioneer in Tibetan Buddhist studies. These short articles offer insights into the quest for truth and its extraordinary expression in the Buddhist teachings. Essays and excerpts from the author's translations clarify...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 091354650X
• ISBN13: 9780913546505
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: Dharma Publishing
• Length: 274 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

An introduction to Herbert V. Guenther

This is probably the most reader-friendly introduction to Herbert Guenther, one of the greatest translators of Tibetan Buddhist texts of today. It consists of his collected articles, which means his work is more easily introduced to the newcomer. What is attractive about Guenther's work is his depth of learning: he progressed from the modern German thinkers (in his native German) to the Sanskrit and Tibetan Buddhist exponents. It his ability to use modern language and modern concepts to bring us the brilliance of the Tibetan tradition. Of particular note is his article "The Spritual Teacher in Tibet" which really does elucidate that phenomenon of the "relationship with the guru" which so troubles onlookers. He demonstrates that the Tibetans creative developed the concept of the spitual teacher(lama), and indeed the Tibetans' own literary corpus was a brilliant and humanly relevant extension of the Indian tradition.His writings are very suitable for readers who may find translations (by other translators) of Tibetan texts inadequate.