The best book on TantraOctober 23, 2007 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
First, this book is easy to read. Second, it is written with much respect to other religions; tantra is a way of life that will greatly compliment anyone's belief system.
Incredibly insightful bookApril 8, 2007 2 out of 5 found this review helpful
I've read two and a half chapters in this book and it's given me so much vital information.
I highly suggest it to anyone looking into buddhism.
Lives up to its titleMarch 27, 2007 13 out of 13 found this review helpful
This is a very good book for learning what Tantra is and what tantric practices and visualizations are, but it should be understood - and probably is by many or most - that this is not a substitute for real study under a qualified teacher. Lama Yeshe makes this clear from chapter to chapter. My only caution is that readers should not expect to read this book and feel as though they are completing some kind of introductory-level "training" in Tantra, or that they will accomplish "Transformation of Desire." It is an introduction and overview for outsiders looking in (taught by a highly qualified and respected insider), not a "manual" for beginning practitioners to achieve readiness for intermediate or advanced tantric instruction. Insofar as this is understood, Lama Yeshe does a very good job describing and explaining Tantra and its practices, and I learned quite a lot about it.
Great Tantra Introduction bookJanuary 9, 2007 3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I recently started to learn Tantra and my teacher recommended me to buy this book and start reading and learning from it. I'm about 1/2 way thru the book and it is well written and has a great wisdom in it. I would recommend this book to get inner look on what is Tantra about!
An amazing book and probably the best introduction to tantra available!May 24, 2006 69 out of 71 found this review helpful
Tibetan Buddhism is a very complex and difficult topic to explain to anyone, especially people from the West. Lama Yeshe had a rare gift to take difficult concepts, present them logically and concisely, in a way that brings the essence of tantra to life.
What this book is not about, is "tantric sexual practices" as they are so often presented out of contex in the West. Rather, it is about the tantrayana (resultant) path of harnessing all of your energies and realizing your true nature in the present moment, which is love, compassion and wisdom. This is in contrast to the sutrayana (causal) path, which is the more gradual path of cleansing the mind and replacing conditioned responses in a slow and systematic way with more beneficial responses characterized by love and wisdom.
In a nutshell, tantrayana is the fast path. This book explains this complicated system very well in approximately 168 pages. For people looking for more in-depth explanations and lots of history, try "Secret of the Vajra World" by Reginald Ray. However, I would still get Lama Yeshe's book as a roadmap or excellent short summary presented in a different style.
Lastly, Lama Yeshe has a gift for words. While the many of the concepts of tantra are presented in other reputable works, there is something about Lama Yeshe's presentation that carries a combination of depth and simplicity that sinks in deeply and touches the heart.
