Buddhism

The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep

by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Average Rating:

"After reading Sogyal Rinpoche's "Tibetan Book of Living and Dying", I was intrigued by the practice of "Dream Yoga", which, although mentioned and discussed several times in Sogyal's book, was never covered in any depth. "Living and Dying" didn't include any instructions in the practice of this exercise either, so I decided to look elsewhere. While glancing through the Eastern Religion section of a local bookstore, I stumbled upon this fine little volume.Wangyal Rinpoche delivers more than a guide to the practice of Dream Yoga- he delivers a guide to a complete nondual practice. The book includes meditation instructions, Guru Yoga and Dakini practices, breathing instructions, a guide to basic Tibetan bioenergetics, a little history of the Bon tradition, a brief introduction to Tantra and Dzogchen, and even a glossary filled with Tibetan and Sanskrit terms used throughout the book. There is enough here to begin a spiritual practice beyond dream yoga.To the seeker looking for a guide to Tibetan mysticism, look no further- "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep" is the perfect introduction."

Publisher: Snow Lion Publications | More reviews: amazon.com

Buddhism For Dummies (For Dummies (Religion & Spirituality))

by Jonathan Landaw

Average Rating:

"I'm one of the "dummies" referred to in the title. What I knew about Buddhism I'd learned while studying the transcendental writers, Emerson, Thoreau etc. while in college.This book is written by Stephan Bodian, an American Buddhist monk, and Jonathan Landaw, who has led meditation courses at Buddhist centers for over twenty-five years.Despite its cheesy title, this book answered most of the questions I had about Buddhism:Why the heck does the Buddha have so many names? He was born Prince Siddhartha, but once he became enlightened, he was called Shakyamuni Buddha. Bodhi, the tree under which he meditated, means enlightenment. Shakyamuni means enlightened sage of the Shakyas, the clan to which he belonged.Was Buddha God? No, he was a real human thought to have lived between 563 and 483 BCE. When you see Buddhist monks prostate before a statue of Buddha, they are praying to their inner Buddha. They believe each of us has the ability to achieve enlightenment (nirvana).What is karma? Sort of credits you build up, both bad and good. Buddhists believe in reincarnation; karma credits transfer from life to life. So if you're dealt a bad hand; it's because you were naughty in a previous life.What's the difference between Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism? The way I understand it, Theravada emphasizes individual enlightenment; whereas, the Mahayana's proponents are more worried about helping everyone achieve spiritual awakening. A Buddha becomes a Bodhisattva, sort of a savior like Shakyamuni. Theravadas also emphasize compassion and kindness which is pretty much the same thing. Zen Buddhism and Vajrayana (Tibetan) are offshoots of Mahayana Buddhism.What about heaven and hell? This is where they lost me. Shakyamuni taught that suffering resulted from something called the "Wheel of Life." A diagram shows a pig (ignorance) giving birth to a rooster (desire or attachment) and a snake (aversion or hatred). There are also six realms of existence: God, anti-God, Human, Animal, hungry ghost, and hell being. Primarily through meditation and compassion, an entity can build up enough karma to work its way up to God. But the gods can be demoted if they run out of karma and they are always fighting the jealous anti-gods, so apparently they are not Buddhas. This wheel of life has existed in infinity; one of the authors says to remember that an enemy was probably at one time your mother, so it should be easy to forgive.At times Landaw and Bodian take their transcendental philosophy a bit too far. The last section deals with "uninvited house guests." By this they mean insects. According to Buddha killing mosquitoes and other pests is bad karma. If a mosquito makes its way into your house, you're supposed to catch it and take it outside. Obviously these guys haven't experienced a humid, Minnesota evening in July down by the lake."

Publisher: For Dummies | More reviews: amazon.com

Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking

by Yamuna Devi

Average Rating:

"`The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking' by Yamuna Devi can be placed among those great expositions in English of national cuisines such as Julia Child's `Mastering the Art of French Cooking', Marcella Hazan's `Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking', Diane Kochilas' `The Glorious Food of Greece' or Mimi Sheraton's `The German Cookbook'. And, this book has an IACP Cookbook of the Year award to prove this fact. This book even exceeds the ambitions of the books by Kochilas and Sheraton in that while these authors do an excellent job of surveying the entire national cuisine from either a serving or geographical point of view, they do little to analyze their cuisines in the way Nancy Harmon Jenkins dissects and builds a picture of the Mediterranean cuisines in `The Essential Mediterranean'. Ms. Devi does this and more.

In fact, as big as this book is, it does itself and its readers a service by covering only the Hindu vegetarian cuisines, without touching on the cuisines of India which allow eating meat, primarily lamb and goat. Even more specifically, the author is specifically dedicated to that part of the Hindu religion that embraces Krishna. I will not touch on that aspect of the book except to point out that this means there are areas of Indian and Pakistani cuisines that this book does not cover. For those, the first stop is obviously the books of Madhur Jaffrey who, in her `Indian Cooking' does cover many meat dishes with lamb and goat.

Indian vegetarianism as presented by Ms. Devi in this book is relative broad in that it allows both milk and eggs. So, while `vegetarianism' allows much more than a diet of vegetables, grains, and beans, Ms. Devi treats vegetable cookery with a depth I have not seen in any book except James Peterson's book, `Vegetables'. Ms. Devi presents three basically different ways of cooking the same vegetable and suggests that these three methods may be applied to every different type of vegetable. The first method is Sauteeing and Braising Dry Vegetables (cooked entirely in oil. No water.) I believe this is what the French would call a vegetable comfit. The second method is to saute in oil followed by a braise in water based broth. This is closer to what a western cook would call a braise. The third method precooks the vegetable in water and finishes it with high heat in oil (ghee) or highly flavored sauce or broth. Pairing them up with a choice of several different seasoning mixes permutes these three methods. The author sets off with this introduction to discuss the various different types of vegetables and how the various methods can be applied to each vegetable.

Most of this is not too different from what you can get from a close reading of Marcella Hazan's books. The Indian way with milk and yogurt is an entirely different matter. The Indian traditions with milk products seem to be about 180 degrees away from the European traditions involving aged cheeses. The only point of similarity between Indian yogurt and Western European traditions are with the Italian ricotta and the Spanish queso fresca. Even contemporary American yogurt is not the same material as traditional Indian yogurt. While much western yogurt is made with skim or reconstituted dry milk, Indian yogurt is made from fresh whole milk. From yogurt, the Indians derive a fresh cheese and a curd that serves the same purpose as the Far Eastern tofu.

As with milk, the Indian approach to bread is just about as different from the western European tradition as you can imagine. It would be fascinating to read an analysis of the differences between, say Italian and Indian bread making traditions. The two biggest differences is that while the Italian tradition requires yeast and a hearth, the Indian tradition uses no yeast and does almost all baking on a griddle to produce a wide variety of flatbreads. Thus it is quite odd to find that while the Italian tradition does include a version of the French crepe, there is not a very big niche for pancakes, but the Indian cuisine seems to outdo even the wide range of American variations on the pancake / flapjack / hoecake / Johnny cake genre.

While the French may have exhausted most of what can be done with their superb, high fat Normandy butter in their rich cuisine, the Indians may just have outdone them by a bit when it comes to using butter, in the form of ghee as a cooking medium. While the French are satisfied with simply clarifying butter, the Indians take this process one step further and cook the clarified butter to a nut brown color which can be stored at room temperature. One implication of the central role of ghee in Indian cooking is that if one wishes to embrace Indian cooking fully, one needs to be prepared to embrace the use of saturated butter fats, which from a purely nutritional point of view may bring back to your diet the saturated animal fats you are avoiding by not eating meat.

The two greatest contributions to British cuisine from the Indian subcontinent are curries and chutneys. This, this book includes an entire chapter to chutneys, which may be made from either fresh or cooked ingredients. My biggest surprises were to find peanuts and cashews in chutney recipes in addition to the expected fruits and spices. In addition to chutneys, there is also a sizable chapter on related pickles, jams, sauces, and gravies. Oddly, there is no chapter on curries or even on the subject of garum masala. There is a brief article on garum masala in the superb appendix, `A-Z General Information', but no in depth discussion of Indian spice culture.

If you take on this book, it will probably be wise to find a good Indian or Pakistani grocery for some of the less common ingredients and to have someone with whom to ask advice on techniques and equipment. "

Publisher: Dutton - Penguin Putnam | More reviews: amazon.com

Emotional Awareness: Overcoming the Obstacles to Psychological Balance and Compassion

by Dalai Lama

Average Rating:

"Emotional Awareness is a book made from the transcript of a near forty hours of conversation between the Dalai Lama and Ekman (a psychologist). They discuss a variety of issues pertaining to psychology and mental focus, including mindfulness, meditation, and compassion. Both individuals are quite focused and serious and their exploration is a deep, intense one. Perhaps the only flaw of the book is it reads so much like a conversation, which can make the train of thought hard to follow at times. The best part of the book, in my opinion, is the Dalai Lama's wonderful sense of humor and ability to get to the heart of seemingly complex matters in rapid fashion.

I came across another book this week that I bought because it's endorsed by the Dalai Lama, and I strongly recommend it because it's outstanding, The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book"

Publisher: Times Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Introduction to Tantra : The Transformation of Desire

by Lama Yeshe

Average Rating:

"Tibetan Buddhism is a very complex and difficult topic to explain to anyone, especially people from the West. Lama Yeshe had a rare gift to take difficult concepts, present them logically and concisely, in a way that brings the essence of tantra to life.

What this book is not about, is "tantric sexual practices" as they are so often presented out of contex in the West. Rather, it is about the tantrayana (resultant) path of harnessing all of your energies and realizing your true nature in the present moment, which is love, compassion and wisdom. This is in contrast to the sutrayana (causal) path, which is the more gradual path of cleansing the mind and replacing conditioned responses in a slow and systematic way with more beneficial responses characterized by love and wisdom.

In a nutshell, tantrayana is the fast path. This book explains this complicated system very well in approximately 168 pages. For people looking for more in-depth explanations and lots of history, try "Secret of the Vajra World" by Reginald Ray. However, I would still get Lama Yeshe's book as a roadmap or excellent short summary presented in a different style.

Lastly, Lama Yeshe has a gift for words. While the many of the concepts of tantra are presented in other reputable works, there is something about Lama Yeshe's presentation that carries a combination of depth and simplicity that sinks in deeply and touches the heart."

Publisher: Wisdom Publications | More reviews: amazon.com

Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death

by Joan Halifax

Average Rating:

"Joan Halifax brings deep wisdom and caring to every moment, and this book is one more example of the gifts she shares so freely. We all deal with death and dying, now or later, ours or others, and this wise book will help us traverse the terrain more gracefully.

Honey Ward
www.ExperienceYourPower.com"

Publisher: Shambhala | More reviews: amazon.com

Seven Years in Tibet

by Heinrich Harrer

Average Rating:

"Three months after finishing and putting down the book, I'm still so inspired by the whole Heinrich Harrer tale and his experience in Tibet. This is the coming about of the second review of the book.The book starts off at the outbreak of World War II. Heinrich Harrer and his mountain climbing associates, while attemtping the Nanga Parbat mountain, were arrested by the British and were imprisoned in Indian internment camp located near the border with Tibet. After securing enough life necessities and supplies, Harrer and his friend Peter Aufschnaiter escaped and set out for the Indian-Tibetan border. The road to Lhasa was strenuous, arduous, and painful. Harrer and Aufschnaiter struggled with winter blizzard, depleting supplies, mountain sickness, and even risk of robbers. They had to obtain license upon arrival in unexplored territory. They risked the refusal to enter Tibet without a permit. They risked their life as their supplies won't last for the trip. Upon arrival into the country, they were greeted with curiosity, meticulousness, guard, and warmth. They were housed in government mansion; treated sumptuous Tibetan meal; tailored expensive hand-crafted embroidered wardrobe. From day to day throng of visitors came visit these newly-arrived foreigners. Heinrich Harrer lived in Lhasa for almost 5 years. He performed plumbing and other technical servies for his friends and government officials. He taught children how to read and write English. He introduced ice-skating to Tibetans by sticking a knife underneath the boots. The most significant portion of this book is the detailed yet sentimental description of Harrer's relationship with the young Dalai Lama. Harrer recalled spending days and days at Dalai's summer palace and in Potola Palace teaching him English, talking to him about politics and building the first "home entertainment center". They even made a film together and showed the film to the monks. Harrer was even permitted to film the Dalai processional in New Year. Harrer had built a deep friendship with Dalai and his people, one of which Harrer never had expected. Harrer stayed in Tibet until the time when the Chinese was ready to take over Tibet. This book is filled with heart warming anecdotes, scenes of Tibetan lives and people. It has temendously inspired me to visit Tibet one day and experience for myself. Highly recommended."

Publisher: Tarcher | More reviews: amazon.com

Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha

by Jack Kerouac

Average Rating:

"This is the first Jack Kerouac book that I have ever read, so I am not a follower of his. However, I have read many books on Buddhism, and this is one of the best. It covers the story of Buddha's life and his enlightened teachings in concise, but rich language, much of which is attributed to direct quotes from the Buddha. So even though this book is from a "famous" writer, its value is the remarkable story of the Buddha and his beliefs, and the author's writing skill comes through, but not the writer's beliefs, which aids the clarity of the presentation.

A bonus here is the long introduction (22 pages) by noted American Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman. His writing is almost "a book within a book" and points out some key passages in the text, that then become more meaningful when you see them in the body of the book.

This book will be a treasure to any spiritual seeker."

Publisher: Viking Adult | More reviews: amazon.com

Living Buddha, Living Christ 10th Anniversary Edition

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Average Rating:

"As a Roman Catholic I was delighted with the comparative look at our faith and that of the Buddhist tradition. The information and elightenment this little book provided was expanding. I suggest this book for all Christians who desire to see that peace is not limited."

Publisher: Riverhead Trade | More reviews: amazon.com

Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

by Damien Keown

Average Rating:

"This book is well written and scholarly, but has a definite Mahayana and Tibetan bias. For instance, the assertion that reincarnation and states of future existance (hell beings, hungry ghosts, etc.) is fundamental to all Buddhist groups is not true. The docterine stems from a 1200 AD Cambodian text, and there are Buddhist discourses that warn against debate on reincarnation (with arguements about the implicit assumption of a self or soul that may lie in this belief). The other Very Short Introduction to Buddha is less biased. For a better introduction, I would recommend Rahula's What the Buddha Taught."

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA | More reviews: amazon.com