Because the path to enlightenment requires more than sitting in meditation, The Jewel Tree of Tibet offers a rich, intellectually riveting course with many specific spiritual practices, including: eleven steps to create the spirit of enlightenment, here and now; the truths and stories of the ancient Indian and Tibetan sages; and guided meditations to experience the blessings of the wish-fulfilling jewel tree. You can do these practices with others or on your own, while living your daily life. And as you travel this road to deeper self-realization, self-understanding, and infectious happiness, you will also learn how the principles of Tibetan Tantra can open the doors to "infinite compassion and continuity," and how to discover states of consciousness that transcend even death.
One of the most explicit teachings of the steps to the path of enlightenment available, explained by a skilled Western teacher, The Jewel Tree of Tibet will enable you to honor the full subtlety and hidden depths of the Tibetan Buddhist path and realize at last its deeper mysteries and rewards -- for yourself and others.
The Jewel Tree of Tibet, The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism, Robert Thurman, Hardcover. 288 Pages, $25.00
Robert A. F. Thurman is Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University in New York City, where he has taught since 1988. He holds the first endowed chair in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in America. He received Upasika ordination in 1964 and Vajracharya ordination in 1971, both from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Among the foremost Buddhologists and interpreters of Tibet and its Buddhist civilization; he is also an ordained Buddhist layman. He is a cofounder of Tibet House in New York City, a cultural nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the endangered civilization of Tibet. Robert Thurman is the author of Essential Tibetan Buddhism (1996); Inner Revolution: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Real Happiness (1998), Circling the Sacred Mountain (1999), Why the Dalai Lama Matters (2008), and many other original books and translations of sacred Tibetan texts.
|
Contents: THE JEWEL TREE OF TIBET: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism |
|
|
Preface |
ix |
|
Introduction |
1 |
| ONE: |
Buddhism and the Way |
|
|
Grounding Your Meditation |
9 |
| TWO: |
The First Level of the Path |
|
|
The Transcendent Attitude, Compassion for Yourself, and Taking a Break |
49 |
| THREE: |
Being Here Now in Love and Compassion |
|
|
The Spirit of Enlightenment |
97 |
| FOUR: |
Mind Transformation |
|
|
Becoming the Engine of Happiness for All |
141 |
| FIVE: |
The Key Role of Wisdom on the Path |
|
|
Liberation Through Understanding |
175 |
| SIX: |
Revving the Engine to Enlightenment |
|
|
Empowerment from the Subtle Realms |
215 |
|
|
|
|
Mentor Devotion |
245 |
|
Robert Thurman on Tibet's Greatest Treasure |
261 |
|
Index |
265 |
|
