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Freeing the Body, Freeing the Mind Writings on the Connections between Yoga and Buddhism edited by Michael Stone; forword by Robert Thurman (Shambala, August 17, 2010) |
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Be the Change Meditation is now enjoying a renewed surge of popularity, penetrating the public consciousness as never before. What might that mean for us all? Be the Change examines the transformations wrought by this ancient practice through the wisdom of extraordinary luminaries, interwoven with text from award-winning authors Ed and Deb Shapiro. The words of these spiritual leaders from all disciplines and walks of life will surprise, enlighten, and inspire readers to begin their own meditation practice—and perhaps create the foundation for a new and more hopeful age. Includes wisdom from luminaries such as: |
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Why the Dalai Lama Matters In the few decades since the illegal Chinese invasion of Tibet, Tibetans have seen their ecosystem destroyed, their religion, language, and culture repressed, and systematic oppression and violence against anyone who dares acknowledge Tibetan sovereignty. Yet, above it all, the Dalai Lama has been a consistent voice for peace, sharing a "Middle-Way" approach that has gathered accolades from the Nobel Peace Prize to the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. Modeling this peaceful resistance shows the world that nobody is free unless everybody is free -- and that a solution exists that can benefi t all parties, not just one. And more than just his nation have taken notice. His inter-religious dialogues, honest, humble demeanor, and sense of compassionate justice sets him apart in a world at war with itself. When China changes policy and lets Tibetans be who they are, Tibet can, in turn, join with China in peaceful coexistence. Why the Dalai Lama Matters is not merely a book about Tibet or the Dalai Lama. It is a revealing, provocative solution for a world in confl ict, dealing with the very fundamentals of human rights and freedoms. By showing the work that the Dalai Lama has done on behalf of his people, Thurman illuminates a worldwide call to action, showing that power gained by might means nothing in the face of a determined act of truth.
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Ontology of Consciousness The "hard problem" of today's consciousness studies is subjective experience: understanding why some brain processing is accompanied by an experienced inner life. Recent scientific advances offer insights for understanding the physiological and chemical phenomenology of consciousness. But by leaving aside the internal experiential nature of consciousness in favor of mapping neural activity, such science leaves many questions unanswered. In Ontology of Consciousness, scholars from a range of disciplines--from neurophysiology to parapsychology, from mathematics to anthropology and indigenous non-Western modes of thought--go beyond these limits of current neuroscience research to explore insights offered by other intellectual approaches to consciousness.
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Pointing Out The Great Way This spiritual manual describes mahamudra meditation from the perspective of the “gradual path,” a progressive process of training that is often contrasted to sudden realization. The book contains a step-by-step description of the ways to practice, precise descriptions of the various stages and their intended realizations, and the typical problems that arise along with their remedies. Drawn from a variety of sources, Pointing Out the Great Way distills the experiences of many great masters who have traversed the path of meditation to the point of perfect mastery.
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Smile
of the Buddha Smile of the Buddha explores the influences of Asian worldviews and particularly Buddhism on the art of Europe and America during the modern era. In her informative introduction and essays on twenty well-known artists, Jacquelynn Baas analyzes how the teachings of the Buddha offered alternatives to Western intellectual conceptions of art and traces the various ways this inspiration materialized in artworks. The influence of Buddhism on art from the last quarter of the nineteenth century to the present has been greater than historians and critics generally recognize, Baas claims. In considering essential questions about the relationship of art and life, her timely and illustrated book expands our perspective on how spirituality and creativity inspire and inform one another. Baas's insights and the images she presents give the reader a new understanding and appreciation of a diverse array of Western artworks. |
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Anger In Anger, Robert A. F. Thurman, best-selling author and one of America's leading authorities on Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, offers an illuminating look at this deadliest of sins. In the West, Thurman points out, anger is seen as an inevitable part of life, an evil to be borne, not overcome. There is the tradition of the wrathful God, of Jesus driving the money-changers from the temple. If God can be angry, how can men rid themselves of this destructive emotion? Thurman shows that Eastern philosophy sees anger differently. Certainly, it is a dreadful evil, one of the "three poisons" that underlie all human suffering. But Buddhism teaches that anger can be overcome. Indeed, the defeat of anger is not only possible, but also the only thing worth doing in a lifetime.
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Infinite Life One of Time magazine's
25 Most Influential People in America writes about taking responsibility for
our own happiness and our actions. |
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Celestial Gallery Originally published in a format over two feet tall, Romio Shrestha's beautiful art book is now available in a more standard size. Consisting of bold reinterpretations of age-old scroll painting, Celestial Gallery showcases intricately rendered Tibetan-style mandalas. In vivid detail and vibrant colors, master painter Shrestha and his team of artisan monks have created contemporary Nepalese versions of such deities as White Tara and the Medicine Buddha, as well as the Dakini mandala and other traditional Buddhist iconography. The Buddha’s message -- “Be a light unto yourself” -- is echoed in these visionary works, many of which have been showcased in major collections and museums including the British Museum and the National Museum in Moscow. Together they give readers an opportunity to experience afresh a timeless tradition with much to offer the world. |
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Circling
the Sacred Mountain To Tibetan Buddhists, Mount Kailash is the most magical place on earth, a place where one's prayers are answered instantly. The journey to the diamond-shaped peak is arduous, as it is located in the heart of the world's tallest mountains; yet it is well worth the effort. For according to tradition, one trip around the sacred mountain at 17,500 feet can wipe away the sins of a lifetime. It was this promise of transformation that inspired Robert Thurman, preeminent Buddhist scholar and teacher, to lead a group of eager pilgrims on the spiritual trek of a lifetime. Among the group was a former student and longtime friend, Tad Wise. Together, Thurman and Wise recount their experience circling the mountain, in chapters that counterpoint the most profound inner teachings of Tibetan Buddhism with a magnificent description of a land of awesome beauty and unexpected hardships. Thurman serves as the group's spiritual leader. Through the wisdom and insight gained from years of study in India with the Dalai Lama and other gurus, he offers his fellow companions a rich understanding of Tibetan Buddhism, including techniques of meditation, visualization, compassion, and selflessness. Meanwhile, Wise describes in vivid detail the soaring mountains and breathtaking vistas of this hidden land of snows. He also chronicles the difficulties he faces as he tries to incorporate Thurman's accelerated Buddhist teachings into his own life. Together they take us deep into Chinese-occupied Tibet to visit sites few Westerners have ever seen: sacred graveyards, meditation caves of ancient masters, and majestic monasteries. As they navigate perilous mountain passages, Thurman guides the travelers past the pitfalls of spiritual life to the realization of the Buddha's promise of liberation from human suffering. Chronicling the inner as well as the outer journey, confrontations both physical and metaphysical, Circling the Sacred Mountain serves as an inspiring metaphor for the challenging passage to enlightenment open to each of us. |
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Inner Revolution America's foremost scholar/evangelist of Buddhism brings his manifesto for the future from the classroom to the political arena. In a controversial interpretation of Buddhist and world history, professor Robert Thurman advances a political vision that seeks to bring together the "outer" modernity of the West with the "inner" modernity of the East. Whereas the European Renaissance and Enlightenment developed human-centered rational technologies that led to great strides in material life, the East, particularly India and Tibet, did the same for spiritual life. By fusing the inner and the outer, we can achieve, Thurman says, an enlightened balance, a civilization of gentleness, peace, and joy. For those who might want to implement his program, he even offers 30 axioms for a politics of enlightenment and 10 ideas for a political platform based on enlightenment ideals. While the details of Thurman's historical
reconstruction can be off-the-wall at times, he focuses his sights on constructing the
future, a future in which every individual has the freedom, the opportunity, and the
wisdom to pursue enlightenment and contribute to an enlightened world, or as he would say,
a "buddhaverse." |
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Essential Tibetan Buddhism Expertly and lucidly surveying the basic varieties and teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, renowned scholar Robert Thurman makes this authentic spiritual tradition available to contemporary Western audiences as never before. The very first collection of key Tibetan teachings on Buddhism and attaining enlightenment, Essential Tibetan Buddhism includes all the visual texts, freshly translated. Winner of the Tricycle Prize for Excellence. |
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The Tibetan Book of the Dead The most prominent expert on Tibetan Buddhism in the West offers a translation of this essential book of Tibetan philosophy that captures the true spirit and poetry of the original work -- a profound book that reveals the nature of the mind and its manifestations and offers pure enlightenment.
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Worlds of Transformation This new volume by the authors of the highly acclaimed Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet presents over 200 full-color Tibetan tangka paintings from the collection of Shelley and Donald Rubin. The works span the 12th through the 20th centuries and the full spectrum of Tibetan artistic schools. This important contribution to the understanding of Tibetan art provides analysis of each painting in terms of iconography, religious meaning, style, regional lineage, and sources. An essay by David Jackson discusses the paintings of the Kagyupa school in the Rubin collection. |
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Mandala |
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The Central Philosophy of Tibet A Study and Translation of Jey Tsong Khapa's 'Essence of True Eloquence' (Princeton Library of Asian Translations) (paperback: Princeton University Press, 1991) This is the paperback edition of the first full
study, translation, and critical annotation of the Essence of True Eloquence by
Jey Tsong Khapa (1357-1419), universally acknowledged as the greatest Tibetan philosopher.
Robert Thurman's translation and introduction present a strain of Indian Buddhist thought
emphasizing the need for both critical reason and contemplative realization in the
attainment of enlightenment. This book was originally published under the title
I am very happy
that Tsong Khapa's masterpiece of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy has been translated into
English, and can now be studied by Western philosophers and practitioners of Buddhism. It
has long been one of my favorite works, and I hope that others will appreciate its deep
thought and lucid insights as we have for centuries in Tibet. The first part [of the book], an extensive introduction, can stand on
its own as an insightful and incisive study of Tibetan philosophy, its roots in India, and
its relevance to a twentieth-century Western audience. The second part translates Tsong
Khapa's text... The quality of both the translation and the introductory essay makes this
book a valuable contribution to the study of the central way." |
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Wisdom and Compassion The Sacred Art of Tibet by Marilyn M. Rhie and Robart A.F. Thurman, with photographs by John Bigelow Taylor (paperback: Abrams, 1991) (hardcover: Harry N. Abrams, 1996) This "Expanded Edition" of Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet brings us even closer to the gentle people and the luminous culture of the Land of Snows by showing, explaining, and celebrating two hundred forty-one of its finest and most moving paintings and sculptures. It introduces new aesthetic and psychological interpretations of the Tibetans' ability to merge their earthly and spiritual worlds at a practical level. |
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