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| My husband bought this book to use the images of buddhist monks for a tattoo. He was going to leave it with the tattoo artist as a gift but decided to bring it home instead. I am so very glad he did!!!! I have become very interested in Tibetan Buddhism as well as the nature of the Tibetan land and people. Of all the information I have come across, this book is by far the most beautiful! The photography is stunning and the Dalai Lama's text is very moving. I highly recommend this to anyone who has an interest in Tibet or Buddhism. It is simply awe inspiring! Read more | |
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Originally published in 1953, this adventure classic recounts Austrian
mountaineer Heinrich Harrer's 1943 escape from a British internment camp in
India, his daring trek across the Himalayas, and his happy sojourn in Tibet,
then, as now, a remote land little visited by foreigners. Warmly welcomed,
he eventually became tutor to the Dalai Lama, teenaged god-king of the
theocratic nation. The author's vivid descriptions of Tibetan rites and
customs capture its unique traditions before the Chinese invasion in 1950,
which prompted Harrer's departure. A 1996 epilogue details the genocidal
havoc wrought over the past half-century.--This
text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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| Although
this book has about 300 very detailed maps everything from a map of Potala
Palace to downtown Cheng-du it is essentially a travel guide rather than a
history of mapping the Tibetan region, as the title may suggest. In the
first chapter, the authors, all experienced travelers captivated by Tibet,
are admirably forthright about the drawbacks of travel there (e.g., Tibetan
mastiffs that bite on sight, the need for vaccinations, altitude sickness,
and the absence of gourmet meals) and then spend the rest of the book
focusing on the good points, such as the many monasteries and cultural sites
and the ability to travel on $12 a day. Pages are filled with practical
tourist information, basic tours, very detailed instructions (e.g., the
building in front of which a bus leaves), and plentiful photos. Recommended
for all travel collections specializing in Asian geographic areas. Mary
Lynette Larsgaard, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara. Copyright 2001 Reed
Business Information, Inc.
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| Unknown
to the Western World the Tibetan Lama unleashes his mystical powers at the
age of seven with his gift of prophecy. The author of the best selling THE
THIRD EYE, discusses karmic association, and recommends way to walk along
the spiritual path. Over l5 million Rampa books have been sold worldwide the most popular titles include MY VISIT TO VENUS, THE THIRD EYE, CAVE OF THE ANCIENTS, THE HERMIT, FEEDING THE FLAME. Rampa teaches eastern occult philosophy in a western way. His writing his easy to follow and practical. Read more |
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| Little
known cross-dressing Victorian Frenchwoman undertakes a dangerous journey of
discovery in forbidden country disguised as a monk and lives to tell her
tale to the world. Thoroughly well researched, and well crafted The Secret
Lives of Alexandra David-Neel is the biography of a remarkable woman. A
woman born to the mannered and circumscribed Victorian era who chose to
strike out on her own initiative to explore the spiritual secrets and she
was among the first Europeans to report about it from inside to the rest of
the world. I found it a fascinating read about a remarkable woman of whom I knew nothing, a woman who accomplished amazing things in her life. I recommend this biography by Barbara and Michael Foster to anyone interested in tales of high adventure in exploration, in the golden age of exploration and of unknown exotic lands. If the story of resolutely fearless woman pursuing her dream of exploring Forbidden Tibet whets your appetite I recommend you read this well crafted biography. I can recommend it without reservation. Zane Mason Read more |
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Acclaimed as the most important book ever published on Tibetan painting
and sculpture, Wisdom and Compassion illustrates, explains, and celebrates
241 of the finest examples of Tibetan sacred art of the 9th to 12th
centuries. Renowned experts Marylin M. Rhie and Robert A. F. Thurman offer
insights into the religious meaning and use of tangkas, Buddhist
iconography, and the aesthetics of tangka paintings, sculptures, and
mandalas. 353 illustrations, 338 in full color,
87/8 x 113/4" Read more |
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| In this
concise though comprehensive work, Powers, a Tibetan Buddhist and professor
of religion at Wright State University, begins to fill a void in the large
corpus of literature on Tibetan Buddhism by grounding it in political and
cultural experience. Not only does he situate it as a contemporary praxis in
the context of its own religious history, but he also anchors it as a
universal praxis arising out of Tibetan political and cultural history.
Powers's discussions of the festivals, holy days and religious symbolism
imbedded in Tibetan cultural forms and of the power struggles and foreign
influences that contributed to the institution of the Buddhist state,
demystify Tibetan Buddhism, yet leave intact the integrity of its praxis.
This is a valuable work for those looking to enrich their practice of
Tibetan Buddhism and for students just seeking to deepen their understanding
of it. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more |
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| I'm not
a practicing Tibetan Buddhist, but I've acquired a fair amount of knowledge
through osmosis: I do volunteer work for a Tibetan refugee relief
organization. One slow afternoon in our shop, I picked up this book to
improve my knowledge of the iconography in the graphics we sell, and was
blown away. Not only has the author written a clear, readable explication of
the symbolism, but the book is also a terrific introduction to fundamental
Tibetan Buddhist beliefs. The average Tibetan may not be able to elucidate
the intricacies of the sacred texts, or practice the stylized form of debate
that forms an important part of a monk's training. But the book gives great
insight into what this average Tibetan actually believes. Now I feel I have
a better understanding of how the Tibetans' Buddhism has sustained them
through persecution, exile, and attempts by the Chinese government to stamp
out their culture. (And the Fur-Bearing Fish isn't a refugee from a Dr.
Seuss book, but a symbol with profound meaning.) This is a great little
book, and I recommend it enthusiastically. Read more |
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| From
Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has
been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these
guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers,
while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most
jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for
nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to
an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the
LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for
the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations
and itineraries for those with less time than money.
This completely revised and updated Lonely Planet guide to Tibet features new maps, detailed trekking information, overland routes from China and Nepal, Tibetan and Mandarin language sections, as well as essential notes on history, culture, and Buddhism. The author imparts expert advice on where to stay and eat, and presents engaging sidebars on topics such as "The World of a Monk," "Everest's Name," "King Gesar," "Important Figures of Tibetan Buddhism," "The Mandala," "Sutra & Tantra," and Tibetan travelers' first-hand experiences. --Kathryn True Read more |
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| In this
highly readable collection, Robert Thurman brings together the jewels of
Tibetan literature that have made their own distinctive contribution to "the
great river of Buddhism." He introduces the selection with an overview of
essential Buddhist thought, orienting the reader with a history of
Buddhism's development, from its origins in India, expansion across Asia,
and flowering on Tibetan soil. Explaining the distinctive attainment of
Tibetan Buddhist civilization as "the vivid sense of Buddhas in ordinary,
daily reality," Thurman guides readers through selections that speak to the
possibility of liberation for all beings. Stressing also the importance of
the teacher or mentor figure in Tibetan Buddhist practice, he presents key
texts from teachers whose words serve as inspiration to those seeking the
path toward enlightenment. Excerpts culled from the vastness of the Tibetan
canon include the hymns to the liberator goddess Tara, pieces from
The Tibetan Book of the Dead,
writings on mentor worship from the first Panchen Lama, and selections from
esoteric tantric practice texts. The volume ends with the 1989 Nobel Peace
Prize lecture by Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, illustrating the enduring
relevance of this ancient wisdom for modern life. --Uma Kukathas
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| The New
Tibetan-English Dictionary of Modern Tibetan surpasses existing dictionaries
in both scope and comprehensiveness. Containing more than 80,000 lexical
items used in political, social, economic, literary, and scientific
discourse, this invaluable sourcebook includes the tens of thousands of new
words that have been coined or that have come into use since Tibet was
incorporated into the People's Republic of China in 1951. The dictionary
lists lexical items characteristic of the special written genre that was
used by Tibetan government officials up to 1959 as well as new terminology
used in the Tibetan exile communities in South Asia. It contains both the
core lexical terminology used in everyday life and standard modern writing
and many proverbs and sayings that appear frequently in contemporary
literary materials. The entries provide spoken pronunciation and thousands
of illustrative sentences.
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 | This book explores the Buddhist role in the formation of Tibetan religious thought and identity. In three major sections, the author examines Tibet's eighth-century conversion, sources of dispute within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and the continuing revelation of the teaching in both doctrine and myth. Read more | |
| 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 Tsong Khapa's Speech of Gold in the "Essence
of True Eloquence." "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."--From
the foreword by the Dalai Lama "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."--Karen Lang, Journal of Asian Studies
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| Through
a diverse selection of photographs, personal interviews, and historical
information, Tibet Since 1950: Silence, Prison, or Exile, a collaboration
between Aperture and Human Rights Watch, looks beyond the Shangri-la image
of Tibet to the impact of political repression by the Chinese government on
Tibetan lives. The Tibet Autonomous Region as well as the area known as "eastern Tibet," has been shaped by fifty years of direct Chinese government control. The impact of that control is evident in Tibetan culture, politics, economic activity, and religious practice. It is manifest in the extensive prison network used to detain those perceived as challenging Chinese rule and in the extreme measures used to keep protests in check. This publication contains rare photographs of Chinese government crackdowns on Tibetan demonstrations and riveting first-hand accounts from Tibetans living in exile. It examines the physical damage inflicted upon Tibetan religious institutions in the past and the more subtle destruction still going on today. Tibet Since 1950 offers a new perspective on the complicated subject of recent Tibetan history, avoiding the standard clichés of Tibet as a land defined by the search for spiritual enlightenment and as an exotic paradise. The real Tibet is far more complex. This book examines the bleak banality of repressive control that is as much a part of Tibet as is its scenic beauty. The richly varied photographs are accompanied by an introduction by Tibet expert Elliot Sperling; accounts by Mickey Spiegel of Human Rights Watch with Tibetans who were detained in prison and are now living in exile; a discussion of Tibetan prisons by Steven Marshall; and a consideration of Tibet, myth and reality, by Orville Schell. Read more |
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| The
following is a review of The Tibetans: Photographs by Art Perry that
appeared in The Associated Press syndicated column entitled 'Book Bag' on
November 29, 1999.
By Karen Schwartz Associated Press Writer The Tibetans: Photographs by Art
Perry (Viking Studio/Penguin Putnam, New York, 1999) With the approval of
the Dalai Lama, Perry spent five years traveling through Tibet and the
Tibetan exile communities in Nepal and India, taking black-and-white
photographs of the people in their daily lives. "Before traveling to Tibet I
was well aware of the utopian Shangri-La myth and imagined I would see monks
in red robes praying under the morning sky; high desert nomads with their
luxuriant hair in 108 braids ... . And the truth is, I found all this and
more," the author writes. This fascinating book has an introduction by
Robert Thurman, a professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies at Columbia
University. |
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| Thurman
(religion, Columbia Univ.), one of the country's leading scholars on
Buddhism, and Wise, Thurman's former student and a writer, have produced a
vivid account of a spiritual pilgrimage to Kailash, a mountain sacred to
Tibetan Buddhists. Along the way, Thurman teaches the group of nine
travelers the Blade Wheel of Mind Reform, a Tibetan Buddhist approach to
enlightenment. The authors' descriptions of the exotic places they see, the
persons they meet, and their reactions to it all are so well written that
the reader feels like a fellow traveler. Thurman relates his deep knowledge
of Tibetan Buddhism to each aspect of the journey and to the external and
internal experience of each traveler. This intriguing account of a great
physical and spiritual adventure keeps the reader engaged from beginning to
end. The combination of travel and Buddhist teachings makes this a special
book indeed. Recommended for any library whose travel and Buddhist
collections could use a wonderful addition. -?David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino Read more |
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