This work covers the regions of Buddhism in China, Tibet, as well as South Asia, and describes comprehensively their customs, folklore, lifestyle, and religious practices.

The Snow Lion's Turquoise Mane brings together more than 150 authentic Buddhist teaching tales from the Hidden Kingdom of Tibet -- most never before translated into English. These captivating stories, legends and yarns -- passed orally from teacher to student -- capture the vibrant wisdom of an ancient and still-living oral tradition. Magical, whimsical, witty and ribald, this remarkable book unfolds a luminous vision of a universe where basic goodness, harmany, and hope prevails.

"No one is better qualified than Tucci to write a general yet comprehensive work on such a complex subject. His explorations in Tibet, extensive personal experiences, direct observations of ritual, and unmatched textual knowledge are graciously combined in this valuable and highly readable volume." (Barbara Nimri Aziz, Journal of Asian Studies). "Tucci's most significant contribution is his application of a systematic analysis of parallels and interconnections among the religious practices of Tibetans...We have both a thorough analysis of significant texts as well as a description and appreciation of rituals, architecture, and artifacts." (Francis V. Tiso, Cross Currents). "[Readers] are not soon to find a more informative, comprehensive rendering of the religions of Tibet-minus all the myths and by a scholar as extraordinary as Giuseppe Tucci." (A. Torn Grunfeld, Focus on Asian Studies). "We have here a synthesis of Tucci's knowledge and insight into one of the most extraordinary of the world's great cultures." (Ninian Smart, Times Literary Supplement).

A Tibetan patriot and unswerving follower of the Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso emerges from these memoirs as a master storyteller, a fearless social critic, and a devoted Buddhist monk.

The Kagyu and Nyingma traditions of Himalayan tantric Buddhism require a long period of intensive training in meditation--a three-year, three-month retreat--before a practitioner is considered to be a qualified teacher. "Jamgon Kongtrul's Retreat Manual" was written in the mid-nineteenth century for those who wish to embark on this rigorous training. It guides them in preparing for retreat, provides full details of the program of meditation, and offers advice for their re-entry into the world.
"Jamgon Kongtrul's Retreat Manual" also introduces us to one of the towering figures of nineteenth-century Tibet: Jamgon Kongtrul the Great (1813-99). The three-year retreat center he describes in this book was his creation, and its program consisted of those practices Kongtrul treasured enough to pass on to future generations through the spiritual leaders he trained.

Buddhist philosophy is concerned with defining and overcoming the limitations and errors of perception. To do this is essential to Buddhism's purpose of establishing a method for attaining liberation. Conceptual thought in this view can lead to a liberating understanding, a transformative religious experience. The author discusses the workings of both direct and conceptual cognition, drawing on a variety of Tibetan and Indian texts. The Gelukba interpretation of Dignaga and Dharmakirti is greatly at variance with virtually all other scholarship concerning these seminal Buddhist logicians.

Tibetan medicine holistically restores and maintains balance of the body's various systems through a variety of treatments, including diet, behavior modification, and the use of medicine and accessory therapy. Tibetan medicine is delicately responsive to patients' complete symptom patterns--no complaint being disregarded. Its wide variety of curative techniques are clearly explained. Dr. Donden's book was seen on NBC's "Dateline "during a feature on Tibetan medicine and breast cancer.

Based on the Buddhist wisdom tradition, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple but inspiring language how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. The author represents a new voice among Dharma teachers.

Galileo, Copernicus, Newton, Niels Bohr, Einstein. Their insights shook our perception of who we are and where we stand in the world, and in their wake have left an uneasy coexistence: science vs. religion, faith vs. empirical inquiry. Which is the keeper of truth? Which is the true path to understanding reality?
After forty years of study with some of the greatest scientific minds, as well as a lifetime of meditative, spiritual, and philosophic study, the Dalai Lama presents a brilliant analysis of why all avenues of inquiry--scientific as well as spiritual--must be pursued in order to arrive at a complete picture of the truth. Through an examination of Darwinism and karma, quantum mechanics and philosophical insight into the nature of reality, neurobiology and the study of consciousness, the Dalai Lama draws significant parallels between contemplative and scientific examinations of reality.
This breathtakingly personal examination is a tribute to the Dalai Lama's teachers--both of science and spirituality. The legacy of this book is a vision of the world in which our different approaches to understanding ourselves, our universe, and one another can be brought together in the service of humanity.

This book is unique in the way in which it explains the rich iconography of Tibetan Buddhism in relation to spiritual psychology and the exploration of our inner world. It is a door into the rich and profound symbolism of Tibetan sacred art. The author uses concepts from Western psychotherapy to bridge an understanding of the meaning and functions of these symbols.

Advice and encouragement from a leading spiritual teacher and popular author on how to approach the foundational practices of Tibetan Buddhism.
For anyone interested in Buddhist practice and philosophy, this book gives detailed instruction and friendly and inspiring advice for those embarking on the Tibetan Buddhist path in earnest. By offering guidance on how to approach the process and giving instruction for specific meditation and contemplation techniques, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche provides gentle yet thorough commentary, companionship, and inspiration for committing to the Buddhist path.

Heal the body, quiet the mind, and find emotional balance with simple practices from Tibetan Yantra Yoga. Vibrance, good health, and longevity have one thing in common - they all begin with the breath. Modern science and classic spiritual traditions agree: regulating the breath leads to radiance and wellness in the body, mind, and spirit. 'The Tibetan Yoga of Breath' pairs the teachings of Tibetan Yantra Yoga (breathing yoga) with select contemplative ideas and practices and examines how well they complement each other through the lens of Western medical science.

Following the upheavals of the Cultural Revolution, the People's Republic of China gradually permitted the renewal of religious activity. Tibetans, whose traditional religious and cultural institutions had been decimated during the preceding two decades, took advantage of the decisions of 1978 to begin a Buddhist renewal that is one of the most extensive and dramatic examples of religious revitalization in contemporary China. The nature of that revival is the focus of this book. Four leading specialists in Tibetan anthropology and religion conducted case studies in the Tibet autonomous region and among the Tibetans of Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. There they observed the revival of the Buddhist heritage in monastic communities and among laypersons at popular pilgrimages and festivals. Demonstrating how that revival must contend with tensions between the Chinese state and aspirations for greater Tibetan autonomy, the authors discuss ways that Tibetan Buddhists are restructuring their religion through a complex process of social, political, and economic adaptation. Buddhism has long been the main source of Tibetans' pride in their culture and country. These essays reveal the vibrancy of that ancient religion in contemporary Tibet and also the problems that religion and Tibetan culture in general are facing in a radically altered world.

The Dalai Lama has represented Buddhism as a religion of non-violence, compassion, and world peace, but this does not reflect how monks learn their vocation. This book shows how monasteries use harsh methods to make monks of men, and how this tradition is changing as modernist reformers - like the Dalai Lama - adopt liberal and democratic ideals, such as natural rights and individual autonomy. In the first in-depth account of disciplinary practices at a Tibetan monastery in India, Michael Lempert looks closely at everyday education rites - from debate to reprimand and corporal punishment. His analysis explores how the idioms of violence inscribed in these socialization rites help produce educated, moral persons but in ways that trouble Tibetans who aspire to modernity. Bringing the study of language and social interaction to our understanding of Buddhism for the first time, Lempert shows and why liberal ideals are being acted out by monks in India, offering a provocative alternative view of liberalism as a globalizing discourse.

"The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way " was written in the second century and is one of the most important works of Nagarjuna, the pioneering commentator on the Buddha's teachings on the Madhyamika or Middle Way view. The subtle analyses presented in this treatise were closely studied and commented upon by many realized masters from the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Using Nagarjuna's root text and the great modern master Ju Mipham's commentary as a framework, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso explains the most important verse from each chapter in the text in a style that illuminates for modern students both the meaning of these profound teachings and how to put them into practice in a way that benefits both oneself and others.

Patrul Rinpoche's collection of the Dzogchen teachings of Aro Yeshe Jungne illuminated by practical meditation instructions that can be applied on-the-go in daily life by students of all backgrounds.

Patrul Rinpoche, the beloved nineteenth-century master best known for Words of My Perfect Teacher, collected the teachings of the tenth-century adept Aro Yeshe Jungne and synthesized them into the short text translated here as Clear Elucidation of True Nature. How to put these essential teachings into practice is the subject of the lively commentary by the two Khenpo brothers, the late Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche.

The Dzogchen meditation instructions of the Aro lineage are divided into nine sets, or nine levels, with specific instructions for each on how to identify the nature of the mind, how to abide in it as a way of life, and how to liberate turbulent thoughts and emotions when they arise. The commentary enfolds this instruction into a broad general teaching suitable for beginners that serves as an introduction to Dzogchen meditation, to the Nyingma tradition, and to basic Buddhism.

Succinct and easy to read, the text encapsulates the entire path of the nine levels of study and practice described in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. As a result, it has much to offer both beginners and longtime meditators to support their understanding and practice.

Chogyam Trungpa describes "crazy wisdom" as an innocent state of mind that has the quality of early morning--fresh, sparkling, and completely awake. This fascinating book examines the life of Padmasambhava--the revered Indian teacher who brought Buddhism to Tibet--to illustrate the principle of crazy wisdom. From this profound point of view, spiritual practice does not provide comfortable answers to pain or confusion. On the contrary, painful emotions can be appreciated as a challenging opportunity for new discovery. In particular, the author discusses meditation as a practical way to uncover one's own innate wisdom.

Sixteenth-century wall paintings in a Buddhist temple in the Tibetan cultural zone of northwest India are the focus of this innovative and richly illustrated study. Initially shaped by one set of religious beliefs, the paintings have since been reinterpreted and retraced by a later Buddhist community, subsumed within its religious framework and communal memory. Melissa Kerin traces the devotional, political, and artistic histories that have influenced the paintings' production and reception over the centuries of their use. Her interdisciplinary approach combines art historical methods with inscriptional translation, ethnographic documentation, and theoretical inquiry to understand religious images in context.