- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Shambhala (May 1 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1570624682
- ISBN-13: 978-1570624681
- Product Dimensions: 22.7 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 181 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #445,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
This lucid overview of the Buddhist path takes the perspective of the three "vehicles" of Tibetan Buddhism: the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. While these vehicles are usually presented as a historical development, they are here equated with the attitudes that individuals bring to their Buddhist practice. Basic to them all, however, is the need to understand our own immediate condition. The primary tool for achieving this is meditation, and The Essence of Buddhism serves as a handbook for the various meditative approaches of Buddhist practice.
Beginning with the Four Noble Truths, Traleg Rinpoche incorporates the expansive vision of the bodhisattva path and the transformative vision of Tantra. The final chapters present the transcendent view of Mahamudra. This view dispenses with all dualistic fixations and directly realizes the natural freedom of the mind itself.
Along the way, the author provides vivid definitions of fundamental concepts such as compassion, emptiness, and Buddha-nature, and answers common questions: Why does Buddhism teach that there is "no self"? Are Buddhist teachings pessimistic? Does Buddhism encourage social passivity? What is the role of sex in Buddhist Tantra? Why is it said that "samsara is nirvana"? Does it take countless lifetimes to attain enlightenment, or can it be achieved in a moment?
Beginning with the Four Noble Truths, Traleg Rinpoche incorporates the expansive vision of the bodhisattva path and the transformative vision of Tantra. The final chapters present the transcendent view of Mahamudra. This view dispenses with all dualistic fixations and directly realizes the natural freedom of the mind itself.
Along the way, the author provides vivid definitions of fundamental concepts such as compassion, emptiness, and Buddha-nature, and answers common questions: Why does Buddhism teach that there is "no self"? Are Buddhist teachings pessimistic? Does Buddhism encourage social passivity? What is the role of sex in Buddhist Tantra? Why is it said that "samsara is nirvana"? Does it take countless lifetimes to attain enlightenment, or can it be achieved in a moment?
About the Author
Traleg Kyabgon is director of Kagyu E-Vam Buddhist Institute, which is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with a major practice center in upstate New York and a practice community in New York City. He has been teaching and leading retreats for Buddhist groups, as well as lecturing for university courses in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia since 1980. He is also the author of The Practice of Lojong and Mind at Ease.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
the essence of buddhism,
By "j--ll-l--lll--" (nashville, tn United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Essence of Buddhism (Paperback)
this is a very good book. i've read many introductions to buddhism in relation to my practice and my teaching of buddhist psychology. at one level, this book is excellent as a beginner's introduction to an overview of the buddhist path and meditation practice. at another level, it is an advanced comprehensive but terse guide to a multitude of perspectives on the path and practice.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A comprehensive overview of Buddhist thought and philosophy,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Essence of Buddhism (Paperback)
In The Essence Of Buddhism, the Venerable Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche provides the reader with a comprehensive overview of Buddhist thought and philosophy through the perspectives offered by Tibetan Buddhism: The Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. In addition to the Four Noble Truths, we are provided with definitions of fundamental concepts within a Buddhist philosophical framework including compassion, emptiness, and Buddha-nature. The Essence Of Buddhism is strongly recommended reading for those new to Buddhism and its rich, complex, and enduring spiritual heritage.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Much-needed,
By
This review is from: Essence of Buddhism (Paperback)
This is a lively read that thoroughly covers all the basics of Buddhism. Far from being a dry recitation that these introductory books sometimes are, it weaves Buddhist teachings into contemporary settings and illustrates how those teachings can easily be applied in our lives and today's world--and never at the expense of watering down the teachings into a new-age "Buddha-lite." Along those lines, perhaps the book's most valuable asset is that it takes the time to thoughtfully re-examine and re-explain teachings such as karma, rebirth, emptiness, and not-self, which are frequently being misinterpreted in the West as Buddhism becomes more and more visible. Recommended for beginners as well as practitioners who may like to read a new perspective that's both traditional and fresh.
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