Recalling Chogyam Trungpa
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- $32.99
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- $32.99
Publisher Description
In wide-ranging essays and interviews, contributors from the fields of Buddhist practice and scholarship, philosophy, the arts, and literature examine the work of a modern genius—the Tibetan Buddhist meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939–1987). A pioneer in introducing Buddhism to the West, Trungpa Rinpoche had a distinct knack for breaking down the cultural, historical, and ideological barriers that make any such transmission so difficult today. His skill at communicating in a living language to Western students, while remaining faithful to the traditional origins of Buddhism, was paired with an understanding of the modern world of unusual relevance. As a result, his activities in a wide range of areas—including psychology, education, theater, poetry, visual arts, translation, publishing, interreligious dialogue, the creation of a path of spiritual warriorship, and the founding of the first Buddhist university in North America—offer penetrating insights into the meaning of Buddhism for our world and our culture. This anthology is a testimony to the continuing influence of his unique qualities and work as a revitalizing force in spheres both spiritual and secular.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This compilation of essays and reminiscences about one of the pioneers of Tibetan Buddhism in the West is a whole lotta Trungpa. Trungpa was a far-ranging teacher, who made contributions to art, poetry, theater, translation, education, psychology and even dressage in addition to popularizing a profound spiritual tradition. At the same time, his "crazy wisdom," as the eccentricities of his life were described, went beyond the pale for some. That Trungpa was a major figure in translating Tibetan Buddhism from a little-known cultural tradition into terms Westerners could appreciate is an achievement noted by the Dalai Lama himself in a brief introduction. The essays that concentrate on explicating Trungpa as a teacher are the strongest. The enduring significance of his contributions in other fields theater, for example is more open to debate. The book needs tighter editing of chatty anecdotes and greater overall clarity. A biographical sketch would increase its usability, and a few essays are annoyingly turgid ("the alchemical practice of solve et coagula at the heart of speech makes this dance between the relative and the ultimate spiritually operative"). Nearly half the contributions are by those with very close ties to Trungpa, so while this isn't hagiography, it's a pretty fond book.
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