fine western author makes classic Tibetan text accessible

books:


	• Introduction to Emptiness: As Taught in Tsong-kha-pa's Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path Guy Newland Snow Lion Publications, 2008 - 144 pages average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Incisive clarity on a difficult subject

This book is wonderfully clear on the enormously difficult concept of emptiness. In particular, Professor Newland exacting analysis of the object of negation - just what it is that is negated in Madhyamaka analytical meditation - is highly clarifying. Still, as a frustrated life-long seeker myself, I failed to find the philosopher's stone needed to remove my doubts and close the mediative distance between all I've read and learned second-hand and my own first-hand knowledge. My fault, of course!

Making sense of emptiness

This book takes the often confusing topic of emptiness, and makes sense of it. In addition, it illustrates very well how we can see emptiness in our every day lives, and why this view is so important in preventing clinging and other misconceptions. A wonderful book, and well with reading.

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fine western author makes classic Tibetan text accessible

The Great Treatise is a foundational text of Tibetan Buddhism, especially for the Gelugpa lineage (best known as the lineage associated with the Dalai Lama). Although recently translated into English, this key text is still very challenging for western students. That makes this explanatory volume especially welcome.

In this book Professor Newland brings together both his informal, humorous teaching style and his deep scholarly knowledge of the text and its traditions. He does a beautiful job of making clear the main concepts of "emptiness" for a more general western reader, while at the same time producing a book which amply rewards the serious student and practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.

An exceptionally valuable contribution to the English language literature on Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and practice. Highly recommended.

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Fantastic Explanation of Emptiness for the Western Mind

I have read a great many books on the subject emptiness - both modern interpretations and source works. This particular book provides superior clarity and insight necessary to introduce the Western mind to a very difficult subject. The explainations are clear and the examples are meaningful.

The text creates a path to appreciating emptiness in a manner that is often difficult to obtain from other sources. I was particularly touched by how the author maintained a positive orientation towards emptiness while not discounting the meaning (often authors simple redefine and distort the subject to accommodate our Western orientation).

I look forward to revisiting original sources with the understanding this book has made possible.

Many thanks for a wonderful accomplishment.

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Excellent introduction to a central Buddhist concept.

This is a very useful and enjoyable summary of, and introduction to, one of the most important, and most difficult, concepts in Buddhism: emptiness. This book is a welcome change from the many poor presentations in English of this key Buddhist idea. The author is clearly practiced in presenting emptiness to an audience that may have little prior exposure to it. Using commonplace examples and modern language, the author--an authoritative and experienced writer and speaker on Buddhism--discusses emptiness as presented by one of the great Tibetan Buddhists sages and scholars, Tsong-kha-pa, in his greatest work, "The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment." "Introduction to Emptiness" is well written, easy to read, and true to Tsong-kha-pa's meaning, and will make significantly easier and more beneficial the study of "The Great Treatise," a large and often difficult work. If you are interested in the study and practice of Buddhism, and one of its most key concepts, this small volume could make a large contribution.

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reviews: page 1, 2

Readers are hard-pressed to find books that can help them understand the central concept in Mahayana Buddhism--the idea that ultimate reality is emptiness. In clear language, Introduction to Emptiness explains that emptiness is not a mystical sort of nothingness, but a specific truth that can and must be understood through calm and careful reflection. Newland's contemporary examples and vivid anecdotes will be helpful to students trying to understand one of the great classic texts of the Tibetan tradition, Tsong-kha-pa's Great Treatise.

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