For Buddhists everywhere it is important to know who the Buddha is and appreciate the full significance of the knowledge he imparted. This is especially true of Western Buddhists. Today, as in the past, the words and acts of the Buddha relate to every moment of human experience. In this volume of the Crystal Mirror Series a path emerges that penetrates the pressures of modern life and reveals new dimensions of freedom. In the words of the Buddha himself we find practical teachings on developing mindfulness and compassion in the face of an uncertain world. Collected here are texts to guide the practitioner on this p;ath. Penetrating insights offered by Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche and the students he has trained over decades complement the traditional texts. Studying the Sutras and sastras can stimulate our inquiring minds and address essential questions: Who is the Buddha, where did he live, what vision inspired him, and how did he address the needs of all manner of beings? What relevance do the acts of the Buddha have to our modern day experience? And, what is the value of praise and devotion in our technological age?The Sutras, viewed as an example and guide to awakening, clarify how to remove obstacles to complete, perfect enlightenment. These are the words of the Buddha taught during his lifetime.The Sastras, written by great lineage masters, are treatises which attempt to outline and expand on the sutra teachings. They forge and clarify maps to enlightenment--meticulously constructed charts establishing the foundation for insight and illuminating each step of the path to freedom. The works of important Buddhist philosophers like Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu, and Dharmakirti are generally termed sastras.Included in the section "The Speech of the Perfect Buddhas" are Sutra exerpts, important lists (with titles in Tibetan and transliterated Sanskrit)-- The Five-fold Path, The Eleven Stages to the Path of Enlightenment, Eighty Inexhaustable Qualities of the Buddha, Twenty-one Characteristics of Dharmakaya, and Marks of a Great Being among others-- and the Sutra openings with titles in Tibetan, Sanskrit, and transliterated Sanskrit. In presenting the life of the historical Buddha Sakyamuni, a time-line constructed from accounts in the traditional texts (the Vinaya and Sutras) traces his twelve major acts and offers a general impression of his years of teaching and shaping the Sangha.
Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche is a traditionally trained teacher and author in the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Born in 1935 in eastern Tibet, Rinpoche studied with many of the greatest Tibetan Buddhist masters of the twentieth century. After leaving Tibet, Tarthang Tulku taught from 1962 to 1968 at Sanskrit University in Varanasi, India, where he also established one of the first printing presses to print sacred Tibetan texts. The first lama of the Nyingma lineage to establish residence in the United States, Rinpoche established a mandala of organizations to actualize his long-range vision of preserving the ancient teachings of the Buddha and transmitting them to the modern world. He is the author of over two dozen books, including Gesture of Balance; Time, Space, and Knowledge-a New Vision of Reality; Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga; Skillful Means, Revelations of Mind, and Caring.
