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 | | Secret of the Vajra World: The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet (Ray, Reginald a. World of Tibetan Buddhism ; V. 2.) by Reginald A. Ray ISBN-10: 9781570629174 ISBN-10: 1-57062-917-X ISBN-13: 9781570629174 ISBN-13: 978-1-57062-917-4 Paperback 2002-07-23 Shambhala Find Lowest Price |
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Product Description This book provides an entrée into the Tantric (or Vajrayana) Buddhism of Tibet, as conveyed by Tibetan masters teaching in the West, and as received by their Western students. The Tantric tradition is a unique collection of lesser-known texts, concepts, and meditation practices that are usually made available only to experienced and specially initiated practitioners. The "Vajra World" ( vajradhatu in Sanskrit) is a realm of indestructibility, the level of reality beyond all thought and imagination, all impermanence and change, which a fully realized person knows and inhabits. Used metaphorically, "Vajra World" refers to the traditional culture of Tibet and the unique spirituality that is its secret strength. Topics include: The tantric view of human nature and the external world The special role of the guru, or tantric mentor The preliminary practices that prepare the student for full initiation The major dimensions of Vajrayana practice, including visualizations, liturgies, and inner yogas The tradition of the tulku, or incarnate lama The lore surrounding the death of ordinary people and of saints The practice of solitary retreat, the epitome of traditional Tibetan Buddhism Secret of the Vajra World is the companion volume to the author's earlier book, Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism. While that book focuses on the history, cosmology, philosophy, and practice of the more public, exoteric side of Tibetan Buddhism, this work treats its more hidden and esoteric aspects as they take shape in Vajrayana. Together, the two volumes provide a broad introduction to the major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. | ||
Amazon.com Review Move over, Robert Thurman--Tibetan Buddhism has a new secular prophet. Learned, articulate, and devoted to his subject, Reginald Ray writes about Tibetan Buddhism as an insider and as a teacher who gets his point across quickly and clearly, without dross or hyperbole. Following the success of Indestructible Truth, his general introduction to the history, sects, and forms of Tibetan Buddhism, Ray now tackles the more subtle and esoteric side of vajra, or indestructibility. Divided into four parts, the first section sets the historical stage. In the second, we enter the unique universe of tantra--the limitations of thought, the use of mandalas, the devotion to a teacher. Here Ray also introduces practice with personal deities and the inner yogas that explore the "subtle, energetic dimensions of the body." Part 3 is devoted the twin pinnacles of Tibetan Buddhism, mahamudra and dzogchen, which ultimately both teach the complete ordinariness of enlightened existence. In Part 4, Ray explains a variety of practices related to dying, incarnate lamas, and the retreat. Throughout, the reader gets the sense that Ray is a teacher with the priceless ability to transmit his vast knowledge to outsiders. --Brian Bruya | ||
Reviews | ||
Everything you wanted to know about Tibetan Buddhism - without taking vows This two-volume introduction to Tibetan Buddhism was written primarily for the author's students at the University of Colorado and at Naropa University (North America's only accredited Buddhist university). Across both books professor Reginald A Ray provides what is perhaps the most thorough modern grounding in the history, philosophy and practice of Tibetan Buddhism. The first volume, Indestructible Truth, begins with a rather dry recitation of the principle names, dates, and trends in the history of Buddhism as it came from India to Tibet and as it developed in the latter over the past two millennia. A more lively middle section covers assumptions common to all schools of Buddhism, warmly and wittily illustrated with anecdotes from the lives of Buddhist saints as well as the author's personal and professional life. The book closes with a rushed overview of Buddhist philosophy that is often more confusing than enlightening. This is partly made up for in the second volume, Secrets of the Vajra World, with more detailed explanations and examples, but besides the sorely needed review of philosophy there is also a 100-page summary of concepts that don't require recapitulation unless perhaps you've missed Indestructible Truth. The second volume is much heavier reading than the first, if only because Ray has a wider canvas in Indestructible Truth. In Secrets he has to plod through the minutiae of Mahamudra and Dzokchen, the two primary schools of Tibetan meditation, elaborate and multifaceted practices. The volume concludes with chapters on the lives of tulkus, the reincarnated Buddhist masters, and a riveting recounting of the miraculous passing of one such master in an American hospital. Despite the title of the second volume, very few "secrets" are revealed. Besides being a well-read scholar, Ray is also a committed Buddhist and mediation instructor and is unwilling to disclose secret meditation methods. Unfortunately, he also seems unwilling to challenge any of the assumptions he so carefully explains for his students and readers. To his credit, Ray acknowledges the difficulties western practitioners and students have with ideas such as reincarnation, the worship of deities, the guru-student relationship, and karma and free will. He often provides alternative ways of viewing some of these concepts, such as the Six Realms of Existence (in the Wheel of Life) as psychological states, but never once challenges them. And in that sense, while Ray is to be admired as a great preserver and presenter of tradition, he never impresses as an original thinker. Read these books to know what has come before. To see where Buddhism is headed, including Tibetan Buddhism in North America, you might like to sample the three volumes of Shambala Sun's series, Best Buddhist Writing, or have a look at Stephen Batchelor's Buddhism without Beliefs. # | ||
The best primer on Tibetan Buddhism. While I was attracted to this book by the gorgeous graphic design and illustration, I was more than a bit intimidated. As interested as I am in this topic, I assumed this book would be way over my head. At best, I hoped this 2-volume set of 500-page books might replace Hegel's "Phenomenology of Spirit" as my bathroom doorstop. No so. This is a terrific book, even for non-specialists. Ray articulates his goals for this "circumscribed, nontechnical introduction to Tibetan Buddhism" as follows: to "(1) provide an outline to the subject in relatively short compass; (2) not be overly technical or burdened with the myriad details of Tibetan Buddhist history; (3) address the spirituality or "practice" of the tradition, rather than focus primarily on philosophy, dogma, institutional life, or political history; (4) give due attention to the "Practice Lineage" traditions such as the Nyingma and the Kagyu, which are often underplayed in this story; and (5) try to strike a balance between my own Western perspective and that of Tibetans speaking about their own traditions in their own voices." He achieves each of these admirably. Of course, it's not an easy read; this book and its companion are densely packed with information. But most the terminology is layed out in logical sequence, without discontinuity or digressions. This ethereal topic has a strange way of escaping the student's intellectual grasp. Authors in this area use terms (e.g. "emptiness") that -while apparently crystal clear to accomplished meditators- are largely inaccessible to "book students." I understand the teachers' hesitance to reduce Buddhist concepts to abstract defintions, but non-answers like "Zen is three pounds of flax" can be pretty infuriating for the newbee. That's why I was pleasantly surprised to find that Ray just goes ahead and defines terms without a bunch of qualifications. Finally, the author comes up with some really poetic langauage like: "Old Tibet [...] lay close upon the incandescent sea [of the] turbulent burning wisdom of reality." This is a book to study - to be read and re-read. | ||
An excellent scholarly work for serious students Reginald Ray's "Secret of the Vajra World" is the second volume of a two volume set put out by Shambhala Publications on Tibetan Buddhism. The other companion book is called "Indestructible Truth." Together, these books present a comprehensive and scholarly overview of Tibetan Buddhism. While these books are very interesting, they present a lot of detail and are difficult to enjoy if you don't already have a good foundation knowledge of the topic. For those who are just starting out, I recommend "Introduction to Tantra" by Lama Yeshe or one of the many other excellent books referred to in some of the reviews below. If you are a serious student of Tibetan Buddhism, these two volumes are an excellent reference. Although I have read them through once, I primarily use them to look up questions that I have or to establish context when I am reading other books on the topic. If you are very new to Tibetan Buddhism and you want something that is much less esoteric or intimidating, then I would consider "The Art of Happiness" by the Dalai Lama. While this is not a book on Tibetan Buddhism as such, it presents a lot of the important principles in a way that is understandable to almost anyone. It is co-authored by Dr. Howard Cutler who is a psychiatrist. I found his commentary helps bridge the gap between East and West for people who are completely new to this worldview. | ||
Read this after you've been on the road awhile ~ Despite its unfortunate title, this is one of the most readable and informative books I've read about Tibetan Tantra. It's not a "first book" -- not one of those books that makes converts, like Walpola Rahula's "What the Buddha Taught," or the Dalai Lama's "Art of Living," or Suzuki Roshi's "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind." Those books distill the Buddhism into a single powerful, moving message, leaving behind everything distracting or extraneous -- they're basically the Four Noble Truths, told again, told new. If you want a simple introduction to Buddhism, read one of those, not this. This is a completely different kind of book. It's full of details and byways. What's the difference between Nyingma, Gelugpa, Kagyu, and Sakya? What are the four different Ngondro practices? What's a Yidam? What's Tummo? What are all those Kayas, and how do they signify? How is Mahamudra different from Dzogchen? If you're not already a Tibetan Buddhist, you probably don't want to know these things. If you just became one, don't mess with all that stuff yet: find a good teacher, listen to what he or she says, ask a lot of questions, and meditate a lot. This is, however, a great book for a year or two down the road, when you've settled down to some practice and are starting to get irritated by all the terminology you still don't know, and all the references to persons, places, practices, and things that everyone seems to think you'd just magically already know about. This book is sort of like that trusted friend you sidle up to after puja to ask, "so just what *is* a Bhumi, anyway?" Not that The Secret of the Vajra World doesn't have its inspiring moments. The story of the 16th Karmapa's death in a Western hospital is very moving, as are the stories of various Westerners on retreat. Ray's own commitment and inspiration come through very clearly. But the book's main virtues are accuracy and detail. There's simply a lot of information here, easy to find, easy to digest, about what people who practice Tibetan Buddhism actually do, how they do it, and why they do it. | ||
The essence of Tantric Buddhist philosophies Secret Of The Vajra World: The Tantric Buddhism Of Tibet by Reginald A. Ray (Professor of Buddhist Studies, Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado) is the second and final volume of "The World of Tantric Buddhism" series from Shambhala Publications. A straightforward presentation written in plain accessible terms for readers at all Buddhist studies and experience levels, Secret Of The Vajra World deftly explores the foundations of Vajrayana, the essence of Tantric Buddhist philosophies, and applications of Buddhist principles and insights to one's own personal life, bodhisattvas in the world, and a great deal more. Secret Of The Vajra Worlds is a very welcome, superbly presented, truly comprehensive introduction focusing upon a unique and profoundly important aspect of Buddhist spiritual practice. | ||