Meeting the Buddhas: A Guide to Buddhas, Bodhisattuas, and Tantric Deities

Rating:
Summary: Meeting the Buddhas: a guide to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, etc.
Review: This book was intended to provide a pathway for the outsider or newcomer to Tibetan Buddhism through the bewildering maze of Tibetan Buddhist iconography. Vessantara is a Westerner who understands the puzzlement of other Westerners. He asks and attempts to answer several questions: Who are these strange-looking creatures? Are they really Buddhist? Why do they seem to switch names, forms, and genders? How does one deal with them in terms of visualization practice, mantras, and symbols. As an outsider, I cannot evaluate the accuracy of the material in this book, but it certainly seems to be complete! After reading it, I have a much clearer sense of the meaning and purpose of Tibetan Buddhist deities and if I encounter an unfamiliar image in another book, I will know where to look for clarification. The author also deserves credit for making it clear that some of the practices described should only be undertaken with the aid of a qualified teacher. He has, happily, resisted the temptation to set himself up as a guru for the uninitiated. This is not an easy book to read, but it is the only one of it's kind that I have ever encountered, and I plan to keep my copy as an invaluable reference tool. It could be recommended to students of Buddhism or even to those planning a visit to a museum of Tibetan art.

Rating:
Summary: Meeting the Buddhas: a guide to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, etc.
Review: This book was intended to provide a pathway for the outsider or newcomer to Tibetan Buddhism through the bewildering maze of Tibetan Buddhist iconography. Vessantara is a Westerner who understands the puzzlement of other Westerners. He asks and attempts to answer several questions: Who are these strange-looking creatures? Are they really Buddhist? Why do they seem to switch names, forms, and genders? How does one deal with them in terms of visualization practice, mantras, and symbols. As an outsider, I cannot evaluate the accuracy of the material in this book, but it certainly seems to be complete! After reading it, I have a much clearer sense of the meaning and purpose of Tibetan Buddhist deities and if I encounter an unfamiliar image in another book, I will know where to look for clarification. The author also deserves credit for making it clear that some of the practices described should only be undertaken with the aid of a qualified teacher. He has, happily, resisted the temptation to set himself up as a guru for the uninitiated. This is not an easy book to read, but it is the only one of it's kind that I have ever encountered, and I plan to keep my copy as an invaluable reference tool. It could be recommended to students of Buddhism or even to those planning a visit to a museum of Tibetan art.