Great Wisdom & Understanding

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	• The Golden Letters John Myrdhin Reynolds Snow Lion Publications, 1996 - 392 pages average customer review:based on 11 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

ESSENTIAL READING !!!

John Reynolds was recognized as the first western man (Inje) to take Ngakpa ordination in Tibetan Buddhism. He studied extensively under the late Dudjom Rinpoche who gave him his vows, as well as with Namkhai Norbu, and Lopon Tenzin Namdak. Reynolds was one of the first westerners to translate essential texts in the Buddhist tradition, particularly teachings on Dzogchen. His translations are technically accurate, and show a depth of insight into Tibetan thought and theory which few others have shown. This is essential reading for any Buddhist!

I highly recommend his other texts as well, including his Bonpo Dzogchen teachings which are to be found at the moment in booklet form. See his website: www.vajranatha.com

Samaya hoh!

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Great Wisdom & Understanding

This is a wonderful book, but (per Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung) it should be read with the understanding that there is a difference between objective/material/scientific reality on the one hand, and mythical reality (e.g. the Australian aborigine "dream time") on the other hand. Thus, many legends exist in virtually all religious traditions that are mythological. It is unrealistic to assume that your own religion has no such mythology and all others are merely mythology. In truth they are all a mixture of both types of reality. Neither should be denigrated, neither should be raised high above the other. Reynolds magnificently translates and comments upon this key Dzogchen text. But, he also makes numerous pithy, wise comments of a very general nature about religion/mythology in general. I think these make this work quite unique and particularly valuable in the study of comparative religion. I also find that comparing religious views tends to clarify my understanding. Amazingly enough, the doctrines of Kabbalah and those of Dzogchen and Mahamudra are VERY frequently supportive of each other - if not identical in essence (though differing in terminology, of course). Thus, I have added a number of quotes from this book into my collection:
p. 199: "It is only human nature to overlay the history or the biography of a charismatic figure-whether religious, military, or political-with myth, so that this figure comes to approximate a preexisting archetype. Thus, in later times, what we find in tradition, both written and oral, is not biography in the modern sense but hagiography...But this fact does not in itself disprove the real historical existence of these masters."
p. 202: "Modern scholars, conditioned by our literate civilization and our text-illuminated educational system, tend to overlook the importance of oral tradition...It would seem obvious that the appearance of a text at a particular time in history does not prove that the ideas the text contains first came into existence when these were written down in that text. Quite the contrary."
p. 203: "It is merely the bias of most modern scholars to think that something does not exist unless it is written down in some text."
p. 212: "Tradition itself is always pointing at a higher source and ultimate origin which lies beyond mere history."
p. 294: "It is necessary to be aware of the western intellectual tradition and cultural assumptions underlying our everyday use of language because otherwise we can be led into many misunderstandings."

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A Quilt of Blessings

This is a magical book, a work of many gifted hands. For one, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche is a great yogin, revealer of treasures, and scholar in Buddhist studies, and his fingerprints are visible throughout much of John Reynolds' presentation and his commentaries as well.

Reynolds (aka Vajranatha) translates here the Three Statements of Garab Dorje, which is a very early transmission of Dzogchen, or The Great Perfection (if you don't know, this is a very high Buddhist teaching), as well as a commentary by Patrul Rinpoche (see The Words of My Perfect Teacher) and a guru-yoga sadhana revealed by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche: all of which are extremely powerful and ably translated into clear English.

While I might quibble with certain of his ideas (the Jungian archetypal tango for one), I remain deeply impressed by Mr. Reynolds' commentaries and other supporting materials. What's not to love about a tantric adept in a tengallon hat? It's clear to me that Vajranatha is doing his own teachers proud, and I am thankful for his work. It will be a fine day when more of his translations and original writings are available in print.

May the Dharma flourish!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

"In many ways the best guide to Dzogchen teachings. Includes explanations that were previously thought too secret to publish.'--Tricycle: The Buddhist Review

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Books on Dzogchen evaluated (Revised 06/04)
Buddhist and Bonpo Dzogchen Meditation
Dzogchen--alphabetical listing
Manuals For Meditation
On Spiritual Awakening

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Letter to a Christian Nation (Vintage)
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Letters to a Young Poet

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