Free Downloads Introduction To Tibetan Buddhism
This is the most comprehensive and authoritative introduction to Tibetan Buddhism available to date, covering a wide range of topics, including history, doctrines, meditation, practices, schools, religious festivals, and major figures. The revised edition contains expanded discussions of recent Tibetan history and tantra and incorporates important new publications in the field. Beginning with a summary of the Indian origins of Tibetan Buddhism and how it eventually was brought to Tibet, it explores Tibetan Mahayana philosophy and tantric methods for personal transformation. The four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as Bön, are explored in depth from a nonsectarian point of view. This new and expanded edition is a systematic and wonderfully clear presentation of Tibetan Buddhist views and practices.
Paperback: 592 pages
Publisher: Snow Lion; Revised Edition edition (November 9, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1559392827
ISBN-13: 978-1559392822
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #367,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #442 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Eastern > Buddhism > Tibetan #77639 in Books > Religion & Spirituality
John Powers's Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism meets a genuine need in providing nonspecialist students of religion or Asian studies with an overview of this distinctive form of Buddhist belief and practice. In clear and readable language, the book mostly achieves its stated goal of being "a systematic and wonderfully clear presentation of Tibetan Buddhist views and practices."Powers begins with a survey of Buddhist history and doctrine, with a focus on Mahayana philosophy. This whole opening section of the book is very useful, allowing as it does a reader new to Buddhism to pick up the work and be introduced to the tradition as a whole before moving on to consider its Tibetan manifestation. What follows is a brief but informative survey of Tibetan history and a look at some of the holy days, ceremonies, and architectural settings of Tibetan Buddhist practice.Part Three is, it seems to me, the heart of the book, as it engages the distinctive teachings and practices of Tibetan Buddhism, both in the context of wider Mahayana and in contradistinction to it. Powers admirably clarifies the Tibetan understanding of the place of tantra in Buddhism and provides a very easily-understood description of the major forms of tantric practice. Chapter 10, "Death and Dying in Tibetan Buddhism," is admirable for the vividness with which it portrays the Tibetan Buddhist understanding of death in its metaphysical, ontological, and soteriological aspects.Part Four turns to the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Here I think the book gets a bit bogged down in a surfeit of detail.
This is the best single volume introduction I've seen to Tibetan Buddhism. I'm a Zen practitioner who has long been interested to learn more about Tibetan beliefs and philosophy, and this fit the bill perfectly.Powers does an excellent job of framing Tibetan Buddhist practice. He begins with a brief historical introduction to the Buddha and early histories of Buddhism in India and pre-Buddhist times in Tibet. He describes the basics of Mahayana teachings clearly and with emphasis on the key elements that show up in Tibetan systems. It then describes the basic commonalities of the Tibetan practices from both an historical point of view (e.g., Tibet's modern history) and philosophical point of view (e.g., Tantra). Finally, it details the four main Tibetan orders (Nyingma, Sakya, Geluk, and Kagyu) plus the Bon tradition. All of this is exactly the right material to provide a comprehensive overview, along with enough depth that one knows where to go to explore further.What doesn't it do? Well, first of all this is not a book about practicing Tibetan style. It describes many of the practices, explains them, and puts them in philosophical and historical context, but it is definitely not a guide to doing them. That is probably best sought with a teacher, or at least through a book with a different scope. Second, Powers does not take sides and does not attempt to sort through conflicting claims or to reconcile Tibetan beliefs to modern or scientific beliefs. He attempts to explain them as they are understood "from the inside", as it were, not to judge them. In particular, he doesn't try to convince you of any of them, and doesn't present any one of them as superior to the others.
Translating Buddhism from Tibetan: An Introduction to the Tibetan Literary Language and the Translation of Buddhist Texts from Tibetan Words of My Perfect Teacher: A Complete Translation of a Classic Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (Sacred Literature) Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) The World of Tibetan Buddhism: An Overview of Its Philosophy and Practice Hidden Teachings of Tibet: An Explanation of the Terma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism Dakini Power: Twelve Extraordinary Women Shaping the Transmission of Tibetan Buddhism in the West Humble before the Void: A Western Astronomer, His Journey East, and a Remarkable Encounter between Western Science and Tibetan Buddhism Why Is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling?: A Westerner's Introduction and Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Practice The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History and Meaning Faces of Compassion: Classic Bodhisattva Archetypes and Their Modern Expression _ An Introduction to Mahayana Buddhism Buddhism: A Concise Introduction Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) An Introduction to Zen Buddhism Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art In Practice Tibetan Art: Tracing the Development of Spiritual Ideals... Tibetan Calligraphy: How to Write the Alphabet and More Tibetan Mastiff Coloring Calendar Of Wool And Loom: Tradition Of Tibetan Rugs The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Citadel Underground)
