Gates to Buddhist Practice: Essential Teachings of a Tibetan Master

Rating:
Summary: Book offers clarity, insight into coping with difficult time
Review: As this book makes clear, at its heart Buddhist teaching offers an approach to living that emphasizes compassion, simplicity, and peace. Understanding this core is essential to spiritual progress, but it's rare to find a text that so elegantly addresses the cultural issues that may impede this process. "Gates to Buddhist Practice" is such a book. I found the frank discussions of all kinds of issues refreshingly straightforward and clear. Chagdud Rinpoche is obviously a teacher of profound insight and consummate skill, and I'd recommend "Gates" to anyone interested in gaining fuller understanding of a Buddhist approach to critical issues of life, death, and spirituality. At a time when a lot of us are feeling unmoored and stressed out, it's a blessing to have difficult questions answered in a way that is insightful and provocative without being pat or simplistic. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Clear, Helpful, User-Friendly Guide to Tibetan Buddhism
Review: I love this book. In it Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche offers the most clear, complete and concise overview of Tibetan Buddhism that I have read. The teachings can be appreciated, and clearly understood on many levels, from a person who is completely new to Buddhism to an experienced practitioner. I have often recommended the first edition of this book to friends who are curious and looking for an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, and they have found it very helpful. This new edition has been expanded to include more questions from students, many of which are very in-depth and result in detailed answers that make the reader feel as if they were sitting in front of Rinpoche while he teaches.
The book also includes many of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche's wonderful stories and Tibetan folk tales that serve to illuminate the teachings in a very down to earth manner. This book is like a polestar, such a comfort to come back to again and again for inspiration and guidance, showing us the way to tame and train our minds. I would recommend this book very highly.

Rating:
Summary: Clear, Helpful, User-Friendly Guide to Tibetan Buddhism
Review: I love this book. In it Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche offers the most clear, complete and concise overview of Tibetan Buddhism that I have read. The teachings can be appreciated, and clearly understood on many levels, from a person who is completely new to Buddhism to an experienced practitioner. I have often recommended the first edition of this book to friends who are curious and looking for an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, and they have found it very helpful. This new edition has been expanded to include more questions from students, many of which are very in-depth and result in detailed answers that make the reader feel as if they were sitting in front of Rinpoche while he teaches.
The book also includes many of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche's wonderful stories and Tibetan folk tales that serve to illuminate the teachings in a very down to earth manner. This book is like a polestar, such a comfort to come back to again and again for inspiration and guidance, showing us the way to tame and train our minds. I would recommend this book very highly.

Rating:
Summary: A sobering, thoughtful, inspiring presentation
Review: Now available in a newly revised edition, Chagdud Tulku's Gates To Buddhist Practice: Essential Teachings Of A Tibetan Master offers the reader a firm grounding in Buddhist principles, illustrated with many anecdotes from the Tulku's native home of Tibet. Tulku is a meditation master, artist, and healer who has continued to travel and teach in both the East and the West; the questions he encountered while teaching form the basis to the revisions of this new edition. Gates to Buddhist Practice is a sobering, thoughtful, inspiring presentation that covers numerous aspects of Buddhism in depth, from karma and Bodhicitta to preparing oneself for death. Strongly recommended for Buddhist Studies reading lists and reference collections.

Rating:
Summary: An Important Book for these Hard Times
Review: This is a book that changed my life. It has helped me to understand what the war of Self vs.Other really comes to: grasping, ignorance, and yes, sometimes outright rage.

Since the rage, grasping and ignorance that resulted in the horrors of 9/11/01, I've turned to this book again and again for the sake of solace and sanity. As a resident of New York City, I have witnessed and continue to witness an enormous amount of suffering and pain. Without the basic sanity and grounding that came from studying this book, I could have easily fallen into despair. Now, I feel that what I can do to help the world the
most is to change my own mind, to whittle away little by little at my own attachment and ignorance, replacing my confusion and anger with clarity and compassion. This book, which includes a number of passages of questions and answers from students, gives me many specific methods to follow and the motivation to keep going.
If only more people, especially those lost in envy, anger, vindictiveness, regret, could reach for the blessings of these pages and take in the healing power to be found there, we could have a better, saner world. But, to quote from one of the lama's replies to a question, "we must expose ourselves to the sun to benefit from its warmth and light." Read this book
to help yourself and the world.

Rating:
Summary: Book for Everyone
Review: This is a book that reaches people of all faiths and backgrounds. I recommend it highly not only to people interested in finding out about basic Buddhism, but to any one who wants to learn how to lead a saner and more compassionate life.

Rating:
Summary: Best Buddhist Book
Review: This is the best introduction to Buddhism that I have ever read. The book not only gave me a comprehensive overview of Buddhism in a uniquely clear and concise way, but made me feel that I was actually capable of putting the teachings into practice. Although I've always been drawn to books by Tibetans, I usually feel overwhelmed by their sheer mass and end up lost in a sort of hopeless fog. This book lifted the fog and clearly revealed a compassionate and authentic spiritual approach that can be useful to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: A great read for both newcomers to Buddhism and scholars
Review: Those who love reading books by the Dalai Lama and Sogyal Rinpoche will enjoy the clear, insightful writing of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche. Newcomers will love the simple prose and delightful stories from old Tibet and modern America. Those who have read much of the American literature, will appreciate the simple, subtle references to the many dimensions of Tibetan Buddhism. This book is a favorite which I read and re-read, always finding more sustenance.

Those who are interested in bringing a non-violent and humanistic approach to world problems, will love Chagdud Tulku's willingness to bring the benefits of the Tibetan Buddhist approach to daily life at home and in the world. I work with law students and lawyers who are trying to bring a non-violent approach to a profession weary of aggression and the old ways. And, I assign "Gates of Buddhist Practice" to law students of all faiths. It is fascinating to watch how Chagdud Tulku talks about Tibetan Buddhist tools for cultivating compassion, skillfulness and wisdom. While he uses some Buddhist terminology, his tone is open and inclusive. It serves as a "gateway", itself, into ecumenical dialogue. In these times in which so many conflicts find their roots in misunderstandings among religious perspectives, this skillful and wise approach is sorely needed.

I can't imagine a better book to give to a friend or to buy for yourself. (Put this book under the tree for yourself!) I hope that you will find much joy, solace and understanding in this book, as I have..........And, I hope that you, too, will hear the greatest gift of this book, which is between the words on each page..the love of a great spiritual master.

In this so-called introduction into Tibetan Buddhism, we learn from a great wisdom tradition about the contours of human consciousness and we come away lighter and refreshed.

Rating:
Summary: A great read for both newcomers to Buddhism and scholars
Review: Those who love reading books by the Dalai Lama and Sogyal Rinpoche will enjoy the clear, insightful writing of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche. Newcomers will love the simple prose and delightful stories from old Tibet and modern America. Those who have read much of the American literature, will appreciate the simple, subtle references to the many dimensions of Tibetan Buddhism. This book is a favorite which I read and re-read, always finding more sustenance.

Those who are interested in bringing a non-violent and humanistic approach to world problems, will love Chagdud Tulku's willingness to bring the benefits of the Tibetan Buddhist approach to daily life at home and in the world. I work with law students and lawyers who are trying to bring a non-violent approach to a profession weary of aggression and the old ways. And, I assign "Gates of Buddhist Practice" to law students of all faiths. It is fascinating to watch how Chagdud Tulku talks about Tibetan Buddhist tools for cultivating compassion, skillfulness and wisdom. While he uses some Buddhist terminology, his tone is open and inclusive. It serves as a "gateway", itself, into ecumenical dialogue. In these times in which so many conflicts find their roots in misunderstandings among religious perspectives, this skillful and wise approach is sorely needed.

I can't imagine a better book to give to a friend or to buy for yourself. (Put this book under the tree for yourself!) I hope that you will find much joy, solace and understanding in this book, as I have..........And, I hope that you, too, will hear the greatest gift of this book, which is between the words on each page..the love of a great spiritual master.

In this so-called introduction into Tibetan Buddhism, we learn from a great wisdom tradition about the contours of human consciousness and we come away lighter and refreshed.