This book argues for the central role played by absorption in the functioning of the human mind. The importance of absorption makes itself felt in different ways; the two studies combined in this book concentrate on two of them. The first study, 'The Symbolic Mind', argues that, largely as a result of language acquisition, humans have two levels of cognition, which in normal circumstances are simultaneously active. Absorption is a (or the) means to circumvent some, perhaps all, of the associations that characterize one of these two levels of cognition, resulting in what is sometimes referred to as mysitcal experience, but which is not confined to mysticism and plays a role in various "religious" phenomena, and elsewhere. In the second st...
Publisher description: As David White explains in the Introduction to Tantra in Practice, Tantra is an Asian body of beliefs and practices that seeks to channel the divine energy that grounds the universe, in creative and liberating ways. The subsequent chapters reflect the wide geographical and temporal scope of Tantra by examining thirty-six texts from China, India, Japan, Nepal, and Tibet, ranging from the seventh century to the present day, and representing the full range of Tantric experience--Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and even Islamic. Each text has been chosen and translated, often for the first time, by an international expert in the field who also provides detailed background material. Students of Asian religions and general reader...
The human voice is one of the principal conveyers of social and affective communication. Yet relatively little is known about the neural circuitry that supports the recognition of different vocally expressed emotions. We conducted an FMRI study to examine the brain responses to vocal expressions of anger and happiness, and to test whether specific brain regions showed preferential engagement in the processing of one emotion over the other. We also tested the extent to which simultaneously presented facial expressions of the same or different emotions would enhance brain responses, and to what degree such responses depend on attention towards the vocal expression. Forty healthy individuals were scanned while listening to vocal expressions...
The Precious Garland of Philosophical Tenets (Grub mtha’ rin po che’i phreng ba) contains an analysis of philosophical thoughts by the Second Jamyang Zhépa Könchok Jikmé Wangpo. This edition also includes other texts.
Distinguishing the Views and Philosophies, A Lamp of Essential Points (Lta grub shan 'byed gnad kyi sgron me) is a systematic exposition of Mipham's ('Ju mi pham rgya mtsho, 1846-1912) voluminous writings on the Middle Way authored by Bötrül Dongak Tenpé Nyima (1898-1959).
The Esoteric Precepts: the Rosary of Views (Man ngag lta ba'i phreng ba) is attributed to Padmasambhava. This edition is contained in the Rnying ma bka’ ma.
The Completely Joyful Speech at the Grove (Nags tshal kun tu dga’ ba’i gtam) is contained in the Miscellaneous Writings of Longchenpa. This edition was reproduced from the Adzom Drukpa Chögar blocks.
The Commentary on the Victorious Secret Essence Tantra (Rgyud rgyal gsang ba snying po'i 'grel pa) is written by the 11th century Nyingma master Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo. The Secret Essence or Guhyagarbha is a seminal tantra in the Nyingma tradition. This edition in contained in the Nyingma Kama.
The Lamp of the Sun and Moon: A Commentary on the Precious Treasury of Virtue (Yon tan rin po che mdzod kyi ‘grel pa nyi zla’i sgron me) is commentary on Jikmé Lingpa’s Treasury of Virtue (Yon tan mdzod) by a 19th century scholar Yonten Gyatso.
The Treasury of the Dharmadatu (Chos dbyings mdzod), one of the seven treasuries written by Longchenpa (1308-1364), covers the practice of Trekchö, or "cutting through."
This is the commentary on the Treasury of the Dharmadatu (Chos dbyings mdzod), one of the seven treasuries written by Longchenpa (1308-1364).
The Treasury of the Natural State (Gnas lugs mdzod) is one of the Seven Treasuries of Longchenpa (1308 - 1364).
This is Longchenpa's (1308 - 1364) commentary on the Treasury of the Natural State (Gnas lugs mdzod), one of his Seven Treasuries.
The Treasury of Philosophical Tenets (Grub mtha' mdzod) is one of the Seven Treasuries of Longchenpa (1308 - 1364).
The Tantra of the Sacred Essence (Gsang ba'i snying po, Guhyagarbhatantra) is a Mahayoga root tantra that is also the main tantra of the Māyājājatantra cycle.
The All-Greating King (Kun byed rgyal po'i rgyud, Kulayarāja Tantra) is the principal text of the Mind Series teachings of the Dzokchen tradition.
The Gateway to Knowledge (Mkhas pa'i tshul la 'jug pa'i sgo) by Mipham Rinpoché (1846-1912) is an encyclopedic treatise used as a foundational text in shedra education.
The Treasury of Oral Instructions (Man ngag mdzod) is one of the Seven Treasuries of Longchenpa (1308 - 1364).
The Lamp of Mahamudra (Phyag rgya chen po'i don yang dag par rab tu gsal bar byed pa dri ma med pa’i sgron me) by Tselé Natsok Rangdröl (b. 1608) is a meditation manual in the Kagyü tradition.
This is a commentary on the Cuckoo of Awareness (Rig pa'i khu byug), a text in the mind series teachings of the Dzokchen tradition.
The Extensive Commentary on the Treatise Establishing the Definitive Meaning as One through Explaining the Distinction between the Two Traditions of the Great Charioteers (Shing rta chen po'i srol gnyis kyi rnam par dbye ba bshad nas nges don gcig bsgrub pa'i bstan bcos kyi rgyas 'grel) was written by Sakya Chokden (1428 - 1507).
The Oral Transmission of the Great Perfection of Zhang Zhung (Rdzogs pa chen po zhang zhung snyan brgyud skor) is a geneaology of the Great Perfection teachings of the Bön tradition.
The Lamp of the Clear Instructions on the Ground of All (Kun gzhi zhal zhes gsal ba'i sgron me) is a contained in the Oral Transmission of the Great Perfection of Zhang Zhung (Rdzogs pa chen po zhang zhung snyan brgyud skor) is a geneaology of the Great Perfection teachings of the Bön tradition.
The Ornament of Sunshine: the Elucidation of the Lamp (Sgron ma'i 'grel ba nyi 'od rgyan) is a contained in the Oral Transmission of the Great Perfection of Zhang Zhung (Rdzogs pa chen po zhang zhung snyan brgyud skor) is a geneaology of the Great Perfection teachings of the Bön tradition.
The Wishfulfilling Treasury (Yid bzhin mdzod) is one of the Seven Treasuries of Longchenpa (1308 - 1364).
This is Longchenpa's (1308 - 1364) commentary on his Wishfulfilling Treasury (Yid bzhin mdzod), one of the Seven Treasuries of Longchenpa.
The Treasury of Words and Meanings (Yid bzhin mdzod) is one of the Seven Treasuries of Longchenpa (1308 - 1364).
The entire text of a mid-nineteenth century work on Tibetan Buddhism. Despite the sketchy knowledge of Buddhism in Europe at the time, this has a surprising level of detail about the subject, due to the pioneering fieldwork of the authors' brothers. Some of the information in this book about sacred documents, divination methods, calendrical systems, as well as details of rituals and ritual objects is unique.
This work is an English translation of the Tibetan biography of the Fifth Dalai Lama. (Mark Premo-Hopkins 2004-09-15)
Abe has attempted to give a new interpretation to Kūkai's life and thought. Kūkai is said to have devised a new way of speaking about ritual that replaced a Confucian hegemony in which Buddhism was used primarily to repair problems and shortcomings. Abe's reading is one of the most innovative but also controversial interpretations of Kūkai to come out in many years. (David Germano)
This essay was penned by the Dalai Lama in response to conversations with Western scientists, philosophers, and psychologists and others during a conference in 1995. He argues that without coming to some sort of agreement about human nature, regardless of its form, it will be impossible to establish universal ethics. Drawing upon his own observations and recent discoveries in science showing the importance of a mother's care during early development, he proposes that human nature is fundamentally gentle and compassionate. He also discusses some of the logical and ethical problems inherent in formulating a model of human nature.
David White provides an in-depth review of Ronald Davidson's book, Indian Esoteric Buddhism. (Than Garson 2005-09-22)
Alyson Prude provides an in-depth review of Bryan Cuevas' The Hidden History of The Tibetan Book of the Dead. (Than Garson 2005-09-22)
I. J. Coghlan provides an in-depth review of Georges B. J. Dreyfus' The Sound of Two Hands Clapping: The Education of a Tibetan Buddhist Monk. (Than Garson 2005-09-22)
Holly Gayley provides an in-depth review of Toni Huber's The Cult of Pure Crystal Mountain. (Than Garson 2005-09-22)
Arthur McKeown provides an in-depth review of Françoise Pommaret, et al., Lhasa in the Seventeenth Century. (Than Garson 2005-09-22)
A Tibetan-Tibetan dictionary. (Bill McGrath 2008-01-03)
A Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary which contains Indic equivalents in Tibetan script. The colophon gives a list of other bilingual dictionaries. (Michael Walter and Manfred Taube 2006-05-15, revised by Bill McGrath 2008-01-03)
An old and basic commentary on the Mahāvyutpatti. (Michael Walter and Manfred Taube 2006-05-15, revised by Bill McGrath 2008-01-03)
A Sanskrit-Tibetan dictionary found in the bstan 'gyur/. (Michael Walter and Manfred Taube 2006-05-15, revised by Bill McGrath 2008-01-03)
A Sanskrit-Tibetan dictionary found in the bstan 'gyur/. (Michael Walter and Manfred Taube 2006-05-15, revised by Bill McGrath 2008-01-03)
Format: Its original format was more of a glossary than a dictionary, though multiple translations for a given term are enumerated separately according to meaning, and there are intermittent definitional style notes. The source of entries is partially indicated through parenthetical attribution.
Focus: the focus is on Buddhist terminology and facilitating the work of translators of Tibetan Buddhist literature
Value: its value is in its huge range of words included – it will often have words or obscure meanings documented not found elsewhere. It is particularly good for rNying ma and bKa' brgyud sectarian terminology, which is often poorly represented in other dictionaries.
Problems: due to its history as a compilation from existing dictionaries, word-lists and glossaries, as well as its heterogeneous history of input and editing, the dictionary is of uneven quality and at times sprawling in its plethora of translation equivalents not clearly ranked according to importance. In addition, the focus on listing translation equivalents at the expense of systematic definitions and other lexical categories often limits its utility. (David Germano 2007-12-13, revised by Bill McGrath 2008-02-06)
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