Vajrayoginī is a tantric goddess from the highest class of Buddhist tantras who manifests the ultimate development of wisdom and compassion. Her practice is prevalent today among practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism. This ground-breaking book delves into the origins of Vajrayoginī, charting her evolution in India and examining her roots in the Cakrasaṃvara tantra and in Indian tradition relating to Śiva.
The focus of this work is the Guhyasamayasādhanamālā, a collection of forty-six sādhanas, or practice texts. Written on palm leaves in Sanskrit and preserved since the twelfth century, this diverse collection, composed by various authors, reveals a multitude of forms of the goddess, each of which is described and illustrated here. One of the sādhanas, the Vajravārāhi Sādhana by Umāpatideva, depicts Vajrayoginī at the center of a maṇḍala of thirty-seven different goddesses, and is here presented in full translation alongside a Sanskrit edition. Elizabeth English provides extensive explanation and annotation of this representative text. Sixteen pages of stunning color plates not only enhance the study but bring the goddess to life.
Please note: the ebook version of this book does not include the color plates.
Learn more about the Studies in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism series.
Learn more about Taranatha at the Treasury of Lives.
Zen Master Who? is the first-ever book to provide a history of Zen’s arrival in North America, surveying the shifts and challenges to Zen as it finds its Western home. With the exception of parts of Rick Field’s How the Swans Came to the Lake, there has been no previous attempt to write this chronicle.
James Ishmael Ford begins by tracing Zen’s history in Asia, looking at some of Zen’s most seminal figures—the Sixth Ancestor Huineng, Dogen Zenji (the founder of the Soto Zen school), Hakuin Ekaku (the great reformer of the Rinzai koan way), and many others—and then outlines the state of Zen in North America today. Clear-eyed and even-handed, Ford shows us the history and development of the institution of Zen—both its beauty and its warts.
Ford also outlines the many subtle differences in teachings, training, ordination, and transmission among schools and lineages. This book will aid those looking for a Zen center or a teacher, but who may not know where to start. Suggesting what might be possible, skillful, and fruitful in our communities, it will also be of use to those who lead the Zen centers of today and tomorrow.
In Lotus, Kaz Tanahashi and photographer Alan Baillie provide a super-close-up view of one of world culture’s most famous flowers. Baillie’s carefully assembled collection of photographs of the lotus capture the legendary flower throughout its “life,” as it were: from seed to brilliant flower, and finally, into dust. Some of Baillie’s photographs rival the best of the genre; these are truly “classical” in their approach. But he also provides a wholly fresh view, providing surprising images from each stage of the lotus’s existence. Readers will alternate between swooning, and exclaiming, “I can’t believe that’s a flower!”
Editor Kaz Tanahashi, an expert of Asian cultures and storytelling, offers the perfect complement to the photography here. His introductory frontmatter tells of the lotus’s prominence in various cultures, and the mystical and practical meanings that the flower continues to embody. Next to appear are his carefully selected poetry and prose-extractions, chosen to match Baillie’s photographs, on facing pages. Each illuminates the other, making Lotus a gratifying way to relax, please the eyes, and feed the mind.
This is the story of Prince Siddhartha and how he became Buddha, the Awakened One. Lyrical verse and beautiful full-color illustrations depict each major life event in Siddhartha’s development. His message of nonviolence, loving-kindness, and unselfishness is vitally necessary for today’s—and tomorrow’s—children. A story made for the telling—open this tale to a child and shore up the possibility of a bright and loving future!
What would you see if you looked directly at your mind?
The Tibetan Buddhist teachings on mahamudra are known for their ability to lead to profound realization. Peaceful and infinitely adaptable, these teachings are as useful for today’s busy world as they have been for centuries.
Written by the tutor to the seventeenth Karmapa, Essentials of Mahamudra is a commentary on Tashi Namgyal’s famous Moonlight of Mahamudra—a text that the sixteenth Karmapa had identified as the most valuable for Westerners. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche recognized that Western meditators don’t just need to know how to maintain our meditation practice—we need to know why we should do it. Unmatched in its directness, Essentials of Mahamudra addresses both these needs, rendering one of the most advanced forms of meditation more easily adaptable to our everyday lives.
Though the voice of our heart may be buried beneath the shouts of our ego and the clamors of our worries, our heart already has all the characteristics of the person we want to be in the world — it’s trusting, curious, aware, resourceful, compassionate, kind, grateful, forgiving, truthful, and peaceful. And if we manage to listen deeply, we can access these traits and the strengths they bring.
In an encouraging, uplifting voice, therapist Carolyn Hobbs draws from her years of counseling experience and her spiritual practice to present the liberating truth: each of us has within ourselves the power to release ourselves from fear, from past traumas, from our ingrained habits of mistrust and defensiveness. All we have to do is listen to our wise hearts.
Each chapter in this gentle, pragmatic book focuses on a single power of our heart and contains illustrating examples drawn from real life. Hobbs concludes each chapter with clear tools we can use to develop and apply these strengths amid the challenges of daily life. Busy people of all faiths will be able to use these tools to find freedom and inner peace—to tame anxiety, anger, grief, and despair while awakening fearless love.
Warm and inspiring, Free Yourself maps the path to lasting peace and freedom — a path that absolutely anyone can follow, as the way lies within our own hearts.
Individually and collectively, today’s female practitioners are changing the face of Buddhism today, as surely as Buddhist practice is transforming each one of their lives.
In Women Practicing Buddhism, you’ll meet a diverse sampling of contemporary Buddhist women, from those who are crucial to the community’s organizational fabric to others who infuse their art and activism with the Dharma.
Contributors include:
- Author and social activist bell hooks
- Composer, singer, filmmaker, choreographer, and director Meredith Monk
- American-born Tibetan Buddhist nun Karma Lekshe Tsomo
- former Tricycle editor Helen Tworkov
- Jane Hirshfield, prize-winning poet, translator, and essayist
- Pat Enkyo O’Hara, abbot of NYC’s Village Zendo
- and many more.
Women Practicing Buddhism is a kind of mosaic portrait of the Buddhist women’s movement, revealing some of the many ways that the Dharma returns the embrace of those women who are coming to it and making it their own.
The most essential insight that Buddhism offers is that all our individual suffering arises from three and only three sources, known in Buddhism as the three poisons: greed, ill-will, and delusion. In The Great Awakening, scholar and Zen teacher David Loy examines how these three poisons, embodied in society’s institutions, lie at the root of all social maladies as well. The teachings of Buddhism present a way that the individual can counteract these to alleviate personal suffering, and in the The Great Awakening Loy boldly examines how these teachings can be applied to institutions and even whole cultures for the alleviation of suffering on a collective level.
This book will help both Buddhists and non-Buddhists to realize the social importance of Buddhist teachings, while providing a theoretical framework for socially engaged members of society to apply their spiritual principles to collective social issues. The Great Awakening shows how Buddhism can help our postmodern world develop liberative possibilities otherwise obscured by the anti-religious bias of so much contemporary social theory.
This is an absorbing account of a dialogue between leading Western scientists and the foremost representative of Buddhism today, the Dalai Lama.
For modern science, the transitional states of consciousness lie at the forefront of research in many fields. For a Buddhist practitioner these same states present crucial opportunities to explore and transform consciousness itself. This book is the account of a historic dialogue between leading Western scientists and the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Revolving around three key moments of consciousness—sleep, dreams, and death—the conversations recorded here are both engrossing and highly readable. Whether the topic is lucid dreaming, near-death experiences, or the very structure of consciousness itself, the reader is continually surprised and delighted.
Narrated by Francisco Varela, an internationally recognized neuroscientist, the book begins with insightful remarks on the notion of personal identity by noted philosopher Charles Taylor, author of the acclaimed Sources of Self. This sets the stage for Dr. Jerome Engel, Dr. Joyce MacDougal, and others to engage in extraordinary exchanges with the Dalai Lama on topics ranging from the neurology of sleep to the yoga of dreams.
Remarkable convergences between the Western scientific tradition and the Buddhist contemplative sciences are revealed. Dr. Jayne Gackenbach’s discussion of lucid dreaming, for example, prompts a detailed and fascinating response from the Dalai Lama on the manipulation of dreams by Buddhist meditators. The conversations also reveal provocative divergences of opinion, as when the Dalai Lama expresses skepticism about “Near-Death Experiences” as presented by Joan Halifax. The conversations are engrossing and highly readable. Any reader interested in psychology, neuroscience, Buddhism, or the alternative worlds of dreams will surely enjoy Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying.
The phrase “Kadam masters” evokes for many Tibetans a sense of a spiritual golden age—the image of a community of wise yet simple monks devoted to a life of mental cultivation. These eleventh- and twelfth-century masters were particularly famed for their pithy spiritual sayings that captured essential teachings in digestible bites. In these sayings one unmistakably detects a clear understanding of what comprises a truly happy life, one that is grounded in a deep concern for the welfare of others.
Like the Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Lao Tzu, or Rumi, the teachings contained in Wisdom of the Kadam Masters can be approached as a part of the wisdom heritage of mankind, representative of the long history of the long human quest to understand our existence and its meaning. This volume offers some of the most beloved teachings of the Tibetan tradition.
Learn more about the following masters at the Treasury of Lives:
Bodhichitta, often translated as “great compassion,” is the gem at the heart of Buddhism. From this altruistic desire to serve others, all other Buddhist practices naturally flow, therefore, this state of mind is one Buddhists should understand and cultivate. In The Awakening Mind, Geshe Tashi Tsering leads us through the two main methods to develop bodhichitta that have been developed by the great Indian and Tibetan Buddhists over the centuries: the seven points of cause and effect, and equalizing and exchanging the self with others.
This is the fourth release from Geshe Tashi’s Foundation of Buddhist Thought series, which individually and collectively represent an excellent introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. These unique and friendly books are based on the curriculum of a popular course of the same name, developed by Geshe Tashi himself.
Geshe Tashi’s presentations combine rigor and comprehensiveness with lucidity and accessibility, never divorced from the basic humanity and warmth of his personality. In Geshe Tashi, we encounter the new generation of Tibetan monk-scholars teaching in the West who are following in the footsteps of such revered and groundbreaking teachers as Geshe Wangyal and Geshe Sopa.
A former abbot of one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world, Khensur Jampa Tegchok has been teaching Westerners about Buddhism since the 1970s. With a deep respect for the intellectual capacity of his students, Khensur Tegchok here unpacks with great erudition Buddhism’s animating philosophical principle—the emptiness of all appearances. Engagingly edited by bestselling author Thubten Chodron, emptiness is here approached from a host of angles far beyond most treatments of the subject, while never sacrificing its conversational approach.
It is often said that enlightenment means “crossing over to the other shore,” that far-off place where we can at last be free from suffering. Likewise, it is said that Buddhist teachings are the raft that takes us there.
In this sparkling collection from one of the most vital teachers of modern Korean Buddhism, Zen Master Daehaeng shows us that there is no raft to find and, truly, no river to cross. She extends her hand to the Western reader, beckoning each of us into the unfailing wisdom accessible right now, the enlightenment that is always, already, right here.
A Zen (or seon, as Korean Zen is called) master with impeccable credentials, Daehaeng has developed a refreshing approach; No River to Cross is surprisingly personal. It’s disarmingly simple, yet remarkably profound, pointing us again and again to our foundation, our “True Nature”—the perfection of things just as they are.
This calendar is currently out of stock.
Poster-sized reproductions of classical paintings produced to the highest standards. Wisdom’s Tibetan Art Calendar is an annual favorite.
The antique scroll-art masterpieces seen in Wisdom’s Tibetan Art Calendar 2010 are called thangkas. While the thangka is common to Tibetan Buddhists, its finest examples are highly sought-after in the international art community and have become hot properties in the same vein as Oriental rugs and ceramics. As a result, the best of these works are seldom, if ever, available for public viewing.
This is why Wisdom’s Tibetan Art Calendar is so special. It’s an affordable way to enjoy incredibly rare and meaningful works of sacred art, year-round. These thirteen sacred paintings by Tibet’s master painters represent a variety of classical images, mandalas, deities, and icons. Each poster-sized picture is produced to the highest German printing standards, and is suitable for framing. Complete with in-depth explanations of their cultural and philosophical significance, these exquisite fine art reproductions will be treasured for years to come.
Images in the 2010 calendar are:
- The Wheel of Existence
- Drikung Lineage field of accumulation
- Tsongkhapa
- Buddha Amitabha in Sukhavati
- Yamini, Amor goddess
- Mandala of Vajravarahi
- Padmasambhava as Loden Chogse
- King Gesar, Drala of Zhang Zhung
- Vajradhara
- Thirty Five Confession Buddhas
- Rudra Cakrin: Last King Shambhala
- 62 Deity Mandala of Cakrasamvara
- Manjughosa, Lion of Debaters
All religions teach codes of ethical behavior. So too does Buddhism. This books is a translation of an indispensable exposition of the three sets of vows that are central to Tibetan Buddhist codes of discipline—the pratimoksa vows of individual liberation; the vows of the bodhisattva, who selflessly strives for the liberation of all beings; the vows of the esoteric path of tantra.
Here, the late Dudjom Rinpoche provides his authoritative commentary on the role of ethics and morality in Buddhist practice, outlining in detail the meaning and scope of the vows, and giving practical advice on maintaining the vows as supportive tools in the journey toward enlightenment.
Read Ngari Panchen Pema Wangyal’s biography at the Treasury of Lives.
Like the bestselling A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of the Night, Practicing Wisdom focuses on Shantideva’s Way of the Bodhisattva. While the former includes only a brief introduction to Shantideva’s complex and crucial ninth chapter on insight, Practicing Wisdom is a full and detailed follow-up commentary, making it an invaluable statement on the fundamental concept behind Buddhist thought and practice.
Shantideva says in his Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life: “All branches of the Buddha’s teachings are taught for the sake of wisdom. If you wish to bring an end to suffering, you must develop wisdom.” Shantideva’s ninth chapter is revered in Tibetan Buddhist circles as one of the most authoritative expositions of the Buddha’s core insight, and all other Buddhist practices are means to support the generation of this wisdom within the practitioner. In Practicing Wisdom, the Dalai Lama reaffirms his reputation as a great scholar, communicator, and embodiment of the Buddha’s Way by illuminating Shantideva’s verses, drawing on contrasting commentaries from the Nyingma and Gelug lineages, and leading the reader through the stages of insight up to the highest view of emptiness. These teachings, delivered in southern France in 1993, have been masterfully translated, edited, and annotated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, the Dalai Lama’s primary translator and founder of the Institute of Tibetan Classics.
Writing and teaching in the same tradition as Robert Aitken (Taking the Path of Zen) and John Tarrant (Bring Me the Rhinoceros), Susan Murphy shares their warm and lyrical approach to Zen Buddhism.
Upside-Down Zen is Murphy’s unique invitation to explore the vivid spirit of Zen. Concentrating her gaze on the particular-the lived moment-she delivers Zen’s timeless wisdom in a voice that stimulates and sustains the interest of the contemporary reader. She illuminates Zen koans, the often misunderstood teaching stories of the tradition, by drawing on diverse sources such as literature, folk-tales, modern cinema, and Australian aboriginal spirituality.
Upside-Down Zen is an excellent, enjoyable read for anyone with an interest in meditation, self-knowledge, and the opening of insight and compassion in ordinary life.
By engaging deeply with the wisdom and practices of the Buddhist path, we are brought face to face with the true nature of our mind and reality. We are taken beyond our stories and opinions, our hopes and our fears, to the place of clarity and peace inherent within us all. The nature of mind is limitless, infinite like the sky, and when we recognize it, we awaken to profound compassion and insight.
This collection of thirty-one teachings, drawn primarily from the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, provides a gateway into practice for those new to Buddhism and fresh access to timeless truths for longtime practitioners. Readers will appreciate the distinct voices and approaches of both renowned contemporary teachers and great masters of the recent past.
Includes contributions by:
- Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche
- Phillipe Cornu
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche
- Dudjom Rinpoche
- Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
- Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
- Dzogchen Rinpoche
- Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
- Francesca Fremantle
- Patrick Gaffney
- Gyalwang Drukpa Rinpoche
- Jamyang Kyentse Chokyi Lodro
- Kalu Rinpoche
- Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche
- Christine Longaker
- Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche
- Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche
- Frank Ostaseski
- Ringu Tulku Rinpoche
- Sakya Jetsun Chimey
The Dalai Lamas of Tibet are unique. A succession of fourteen have been guiding the spiritual life of the Tibetan people for nearly six centuries, and for three hundred years have held secular power as well. Revered as the human embodiment of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion, they choose, out of their great desire to benefit others, to reincarnate life after life as the Dalai Lama.
Thubten Gyatso, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, was born to a peasant family in 1876. He was discovered, brought to Lhasa, and enthroned at the age of three. Educated as a monk, he took over full power when he was eighteen and ruled until his death thirty-seven years later. His rule would prove to be more stronger, more radical, and more complete than that of any Dalai Lama since the Great Fifth.
“His courage ad energy were inexhaustible. He recoiled from nothing,” writes Charles Bell, who, as Political Officer in the Himalayas, first met the Thirteenth Dalai Lama in 1910. They developed a firm and affectionate friendship, politically and personally, that would last twenty-five years.
Portrait is packed full of history, stories, facts and figures, anecdotes, and conversation, and is a compelling read. Bell describes all aspects of Tibetan life, religion, and politics—the very heart of which is the Dalai Lama. He paints a vivid and masterly picture of this powerful yet humble man, who worked tirelessly and unceasingly for the good of Tibet; who struggled continually against both political and military onslaughts from China and fought for support from the outside world; who made radical changes at every level of life in his medieval nation, uniting and strengthening it as never before.
Learn more about the thirteenth Dalai Lama at the Treasury of Lives.
The Zen tradition has just two main meditative practices: shikantaza, or “just sitting”; and introspection guided by the powerful Zen teaching stories called koans. Following in the tradition of The Art of Just Sitting (endorsed as a “A book we have needed for a long, long time”), this new anthology from John Daido Loori illuminates the subtle practice of koan study from many different points of view.
Includes writings by:
- Robert Aitken
- William Bodiford
- Robert Buswell
- Roko Sherry Chayat
- Francis Dojun Cook
- Eihei Dogen
- Heinrich Dumoulin
- Hakuin Ekaku
- Victor Sogen Hori
- Keizan Jokin
- Philip Kapleau
- Chung-fen Ming-Pen
- Taizan Maezumi
- Dennis Genpo Merzel
- Soen Nakagawa
- Ruth Fuller Sasaki
- Sokei-an Sasaki
- Nyogen Senzaki
- Zenkei Shibayama
- Eido Shimano
- Philip Yampolsky
- Hakuun Yasutani
- Wayne Yokoyama
- Katsushiro Yoshizawa