Reviews (1)

Amazing collection of iconographic images
This book is truly an amazing collection of both icons of Tibetan Buddhist deity-types, and information aboutthe same.Read more

Subjects:  1. Buddhism    2. Buddhism - General    3. China    4. Early works to 1800    5. Gods, Buddhist    6. Religion    7. Religion - World Religions    8. Rituals    9. Tibet    10. Art / History / Asian    11. Devotional theology & objects of veneration    12. Tibetan Buddhism   

Editorial Review

Originally published in 1953, this adventure classic recounts Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer's 1943 escape from a British internment camp in India, his daring trek across the Himalayas, and his happy sojourn in Tibet, then, as now, a remote land little visited by foreigners. Warmly welcomed, he eventually became tutor to the Dalai Lama, teenaged god-king of the theocratic nation. The author's vivid descriptions of Tibetan rites and customs capture its unique traditions before the Chinese invasion in 1950, which prompted Harrer's departure. A 1996 epilogue details the genocidal havoc wrought over the past half-century. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

An exceptional book
Heinrich Harrer was one of those men you'd describe as a "force of nature," one of the very few Germans to have "a good war" in the 1940s, and a good friend of the Dalai Llama.
Reminiscence of a lost world.
Sadly, Mr. Harrer has passed on recently, but he leaves us with an intellectually inspiring record of what he observed in what was once the free nation of Tibet. Heinrich Harrer was a famous Austrian mountain-climber, and was arrested by the British while on an epedition when World War II erupted. There was a moderately interesting movie somewhat based on the book, but thoroughly "Hollywoodized" with pretty-boy Brad Pitt miscast as Harrer (I think Liam Neeson resembled the actual Mr. Harrer much more). The account begins with a failed attempt to climb a Himalayan peak, arrest and imprisonment by the colonial British government of India, and a number of escape attempts. The one that succeeded resulted in one of the most thorough narratives of life and culture in Tibet in the last years of its existance.
Belonging in Tibet - a book for all ages
Belonging in Tibet - a book for all ages
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Subjects:  1. 1912-    2. Asia - China    3. Asia - India    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Buddhism - General    6. Description    7. Description And Travel    8. Harrer, Heinrich,    9. Historical - General    10. Tibet (China)    11. Travel    12. Religion / History    13. Tibet    14. Travel writing   

Editorial Review

Tibetan Buddhism has one of the most complex iconographies of any religion. Robert Beer, the artist who brought to life the saints of Tibetan Buddhism in Read more

Reviews (13)

read Dagyab Rinpoche's Buddhist Symbols in Tibetan Culture
It's a more interesting and authoritative reference for this subject matter. This is due to Rinpoche being a qualified (I emphasise the word 'qualified') Lama and Tibetan scholar. Also at no point does Rinpoche compromise Tibetan Buddhism by giving away restricted information.

The 'Wonderful' Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs!!!
I love this book. Having found it a few years back at a tattoo shop in Santa Cruz, California, I was only able to look at it for a short time but I was able to gain so much knowledge as to the wealth of designs and deep meaning found in Tibetan art. This book stayed in my mind thereafter. Here it is a few years and a couple tattoos later and the book resurfaced on Amazon. Great price, great condition and prompt service.This book is great for one who has interest in Tibetan art and it's symbolic nature.The concepts are well articulated and with each 'type' placed into a different chapter it makes refrencing quite simple. If you are interested, get this book!

Great book
Great book, with lots of details. If you are interested in tibetan handicrafts, here you can get any tibetan design you can imagine. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient Oriental Art    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Art, Tibetan    5. Buddhism - General    6. China    7. Criticism    8. Eastern - General    9. General    10. History - General    11. Religion And Art    12. Symbolism in art    13. Themes, motives    14. Tibet    15. ASIA    16. Religion / Buddhism    17. Sign languages, Braille & other linguistic communication    18. Tibetan   

Reviews (19)

A QUESTION
I WROTE A REVIEW OF THIS BOOK A FEW WEEKS AGO. WHY HAS IT NOT APPEARED AS YET? IT WARNS READERS ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THE BOOK, AND I WOULD LIKE IT POSTED.
True life adventure ...and one of history's strangest turns
History makes strange bedfellows. Here we see the Nazi (or more exactly Himmler's) flirtation with Tibet, and Tibet's aristocracy. A fascinating real world "Indiana Jones" adventure into one of history's strangest chapters.
A GOOD YARN RUINED
This is a good yarn ruined ! The subtitle of the book is, "The true story of the 1938 Nazi expedition into Tibet".If the author had limited himself to this he might have had a winner on his hands, but sadly for the reader it didn't work out that way.The actual story of Schafer's expedition could have been told in less than 200 pages, but Hale pads it out to over 500 pages, with so much extraneous material that book becomes frankly boring.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - Tibet    2. Europe - Germany    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Modern - 20th Century    7. History / Modern / 20th Century   

Reviews (3)

Review: A Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols
the book was very well put together and has alot of useful info on buddhist art.

An exceptionally fine book
This volume took Robert Beer more than 10 years to complete, and one understands why. As far as I know it is the only book on the subject with such superbly crafted illustrations, each meticulously drawn in pencil-thin, lucid detail. There are a huge number of these drawings, and the well-structured text is informative, thorough and scholarly, without being dry. It is an eminent work of very high quality and a joy to read for any Buddhist practitioner, art lover, or just for curiosity. It is surely a classic reference volume. Modesty must have compelled the author and editors to give it the diminutive title 'a handbook' - it is indeed much more. Read it an enjoy.

Especially informative for connoisseurs of Tibetan art
The Handbook Of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols by Robert Beer (who has studied and practice Tibetan thanga painting for more than thirty years) is a straightforward reference guide to the meaningful symbolism of sacred Tibetan art. Black-and-white illustrations depict all the major Buddhist symbols and motifs, while the text offers depth and interpretation behind the meaning and usage of each. The Handbook Of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols is enthusiastically recommended for inclusion into Buddhist Studies and especially informative for connoisseurs of Tibetan art. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art, Tibetan    3. Asian And Oriental Religions    4. Buddhism - General    5. China    6. History - Symbolism    7. Religion - World Religions    8. Religion And Art    9. Subjects & Themes - Religious    10. Symbolism in art    11. Themes, motives    12. Tibet    13. Art / Religious   

Reviews (6)

Unacknowledged contributors
The correct title of the book should read Tantra in Practice (Princeton Readings in Religions) by David Gordon White (Editor), Beavis and Butthead.

The choice of topics misses the heart of tantra
I would not recommend this book since the choice of topics enfogs the subject rather than illuminating it. This collection does indeed have some excellent contributions from leading scholars, but it is the whole package that is disappointing. I was also disappointed with White's own contributions.

Good overview...
World-class scholars ANDRE PADOUX, PAUL E. MULLER-ORTEGA, DOUGLAS R. BROOKS and many others come together to write about Buddhist Tantra, Hindu Tantra, Jain Tantra, and Tantra and Islam in South Asia; //the countries covered are China, India, Japan, Nepal and Tibet.//Read more

Subjects:  1. Hinduism    2. Mysticism    3. Religion    4. Religion - World Religions    5. Tantric Buddhism    6. Tantrism    7. Archaeology and Ancient History    8. Asian and Asian American Studies    9. Asian studies    10. China    11. Collections & anthologies of various literary forms    12. India    13. Japan    14. Literary studies: general    15. Mind, Body, Spirit    16. Nepal    17. Religion / Mysticism    18. Tibet   

Reviews (3)

Tibetan Art Coloring Book
The line drawings in this colouring book are so lovely that I was almost too intimidated to start colouring them in!Truly beautiful illustrations and I have enjoyed my time with them, and look forward to many more hours of colouring.....

An Incredible Gift
This book makes an incredible gift. I, personally, can't wait to color in these beautiful Tibetan Drawings. I have always loved the art of Tibet and admired the meditation involved in producing it. I think it is a brilliantidea to make a book that allows all of us a chanceto participate in thissacred tradition.

"The Tibetan Art Coloring Book" is one of my favorites!
I am a teenager interested in Tibetan culture and the Tibetan Buddhist religion.I love to look at, color, and create my own thangkas (Tibetan paintings), which made this book a pleasure to work on!"The TibetanArt Coloring Book" is one of two Tibetan art coloring books I have. Unlike the other one, this book comes with a coil on the top, so you caneasily fold the book, and go from one picture to another!The paper is ofperfect texture to use with colored pencils, being very smooth.I, infact,scanned some of the pictures I colored, and put them on my personalhomepage! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Buddhism - General    4. General    5. Papercrafts - Adult Coloring Books    6. Techniques - Drawing - Specific Subjects    7. Art / History / Asian    8. Oriental art    9. Painting & paintings    10. Religious subjects depicted in art    11. Tibetan Buddhism   

Reviews (1)

Beautifully illustrated, beautifully printed
This book is produced as a catalog to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Also shown are items on loan from the Smithsonian, Victoria and Albert, the British Museum and others. It is the first in-depth examination of the fascinating and virtually unknown subject of armor and weapons from Tibet.
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Subjects:  1. Armor    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Asia - Tibet    4. Asian    5. Asians In The Military    6. China    7. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    8. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    9. Exhibitions    10. General    11. History    12. Metropolitan Museum Of Art - Exhibition Catalogs    13. Military    14. Military - Weapons    15. Tibet    16. Weapons    17. Art / General    18. Militaria, arms & armour   

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Asian    5. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    6. Folk Arts    7. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    8. Jewelry    9. Jewelry Arts And Crafts    10. Antiques & Collectibles / Jewelry    11. China    12. Jewellery & jewellery-making   

Reviews (1)

Invaluable grace-filled translation of a key text
Together with Dudjom Rinpoche's history of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism this book by Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche is an essential source for information on the lineages of the Dzogchen transmission from Garab Dorje to the present. Since those lineages are so widespread, of necessity Nyoshul Khenpo has concentrated on his own, which derives from Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa to Jigme Gyalwai Nyugu and thence through his successors, especially Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Patrul Rinpoche. The lineages which come through those two are by far the most often met with in the West.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Buddhism - General    4. Buddhism - Tibetan    5. China    6. General    7. History    8. Rdzogs-chen    9. Religion    10. Räniçn-ma-pa lamas    11. Tibet    12. Biography: general    13. Tibetan Buddhism   

Subjects:  1. Self (Philosophy)    2. India    3. History    4. Philosophy, Indic    5. Philosophy    6. Philosophy, Buddhist    7. Philosophy, Indic    8. Religion - World Religions    9. Religious    10. Self (Philosophy)    11. Psychology & Psychiatry / Psychotherapy    12. Religion / General    13. Tibetan Buddhism   

Reviews (1)

A Stellar Book for A Stellar Collection
While most authors of Tibetan art books confine themselves to the religious art of Tibet, there is another, fantastic, aspect of Tibetan material culture--the luxury goods for the clergy and nobility. Through the good fortune of having been selected as the recipient of a massive collection formed in the early part of the 20th century and augmented by various gifts and purchases over the intervening years, the Newark Museum of Art has accumulate a stunning collection of these kinds of materials. In her catalogue, the curator, Valrae Reynolds and her collaborators, have made a very impressive contribution to knowledge about these objects.Indeed, these objects that she illustrates make the whole Tibetan culture much more alive and vital.Tibetans did not sit around all day and discuss the best way to meditate on some deity or another. Rather, like people all over the world, they tended their herds or crops, traded (all over Central Asia) they even went on picnics using the tents of the type in the catalog. If the potential reader is interested in the whole of Tibetan culture and not just the religion, this book will make the traditional culture clearer and more understandable than any other previous contribution that I am aware of. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art, Buddhist    4. Art, Tibetan    5. Asian    6. China    7. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    8. History - General    9. New Jersey    10. Newark    11. Permanent Collection Catalogs    12. Tibet   

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Foreign Language Study    3. History - General History    4. Language    5. Miscellaneous    6. East & Southeast Asian Languages    7. Foreign Language Study / Miscellaneous    8. Grammar, syntax, linguistic structure    9. Language family studies    10. Phonetics, phonology, prosody (speech)    11. Sino-Tibetan languages   

Reviews (11)

A Simple and Informative Read
This book is a wonderful, simple, and quick read. Of course the subject matter does get unpleasant, but it's good to know the facts from the perspective of His Holiness at the time that he wrote it in 1962.
Inspiring
Even if you already know the life story of His Holiness, this is a great read. Written in the Dalai Lama's usual clear and forthright style, the story is deeply moving. Recommended for students of both Buddhism and history.

An Amazing Story
Having long been a fan of the Dalai Lama and his other books, I was anxious to read his autobiography.It is an amazing story that he has to tell.We should hope that our world had evolved beyond invasions after World War II, but that proved not to be true when China invaded Tibet and eventually ousted the ruling party in 1959.
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Subjects:  1. 1935-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Bstan-dzin-rgya-mtsho,    7. Bstan-®dzin-rgya-mtsho,    8. Buddhism    9. Buddhism - General    10. Dalai Lama XIV,    11. Dalai Lamas    12. East Asia - History    13. Religious    14. Asian / Middle Eastern history    15. Biography & Autobiography / Religious    16. Biography: historical    17. Bstan-®dzin-rgya-mtsho    18. Tibet   

Reviews (16)

A classic
This translation deserved the good reviews. The text has been summed up well in other reviews. A word about the author seems appropriate. It is worth pointing out that W.Y. Evans-Wentz was an American (one reviewer stated that W.Y. E-W was English).The confusion here stems from the fact that W.Y. E-W went to Oxford, England, as a Rhodes scholar. He was a very articulate and erudite man - well versed in the Western classics, Western mystery tradition etc. - and in his footnotes, he made frequent cross references to such.
Not "Pop Buddhism,"A Guide For The Living
This is not the Richard Gere "pop Buddhism" approach.This is the work of an English academic in the early 20th Century, as he uncovers an "Oriental" classic for a Western audience.Evans-Wentz even brings Carl Jung into the picture for the Westerners, as Jung's psychology was "New School" at the time and offered a sublime link between Oriental and Occidental thinking.I hold this book in the highest regard, not because it is a mystical Buddhist text, but rather because it offers tips for daily living and and self-actualization.As with most quality philosophical doctrines, this book is a paradox...a book of the dead that is really an abstract book for the living, regardless of religion or nationality.It is a refreshing and enlightening break from an increasingly fundamental world.

The Original Book and Translation (1927)
This is the original "Tibetan Book of the Dead". All other versions are a toned-down version of this work by different authors who want to accommodate people who do not want to put the work in. You need to put the work in. No one can spoon-feed this kind of wisdom to you.

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Buddhism    3. Buddhism - General    4. China    5. Death    6. Early works to 1800    7. Funeral rites and ceremonies, Buddhist    8. History    9. Intermediate state    10. Religion    11. Religion - World Religions    12. Religious aspects    13. Tibet    14. Religion & Theology | Buddhism    15. Religion / Buddhism / Tibetan    16. Sacred texts    17. Tibetan Buddhism   

Reviews (2)

Beautiful, Informative and Excellent Price
I wish I had seen the exhibition of which this beautiful book is the catalogue. It must have been breathtaking. This is more than a catalogue, it is a reference book, beginning with an overview and four informative introductory essays. The Catalogue itself is divided into twelve specific areas/types of Tibetan Sacred Art. These cover not only the different representations of the Shakyamuni Buddha, Arhats, Boddhisattvas and others, but also the four Tibetan Buddhist Orders. The Illustations are very clear and many detailed illusrtrations and graphs help to explain the Thangaks and Mandalas. The text is very informative, and the book is also printed and bound well.... A truly wonderful gift.

Superb visuals and explanations of Tibetan art
This is one book you can judge by it's cover.It is fabulous.The photos of Tibetan paintings and statuary are simply beautiful.In some cases, such as a Tibetan thangka painting of Shakyamuni buddha's life, the wholepainting is shown first, then close-up shots of other parts of the painting are shown for a more detailed view. Scenes from the painting are thenexplained. Anyone who has tried to decipher the meaning in a thangka, knowsthat without the help of experts, it is nearly impossible to capture thetrue story. Marylin Rhie and Robert Thurman help unlock the mysteries in abook with stunning photography, history and artful explanations. If you areinterested in Tibetan iconography, a collector, buddhist or an artstudent--BUY IT, you'll love it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art, Buddhist    4. Art, Tibetan    5. Buddhist art and symbolism    6. China    7. Fine Arts (Specific Aspects)    8. History - Asian    9. Religion And Art    10. Tibet    11. Religious subjects depicted in art    12. Tibetan Buddhism   

Reviews (13)

Gatecrashers and trespassers have not diminished the lure of Tibet.
Although extraordinary geography was the best natural defense the Tibetans had against foreign invaders, it can also be the sole reason that lures many a traveler, visitor, and tourists to Tibet to date.Of course, religion, spirituality, culture, art, and life on the high altitudes in the most extreme of climates are other reasons for venturing into this land.In Hopkirk's book, trespassing by foreigners, especially Europeans, was an extension of the Great Game, the struggle between Britain and Russia for expansionism in Central Asia.Military supremacy, a face-to-face encounter with the Dalai Lama, or recognition by the Royal Geographical Society and other prestigious societies at the time was the prize for people from different walks of life--missionaries, soldiers, geographers, naturalists---to venture into this forbidden land.Alas, no matter how well-guarded the country, especially Lhasa, was, the Tibetans' defense was no match to the military might of the British. China proved to be a formidable occupier as soon as the British lost their firm hold on Tibet during World War II.An American pilot was the first intruder from the air---by accident.Nonetheless, relentless trespassing by foreigners was the inevitable truth that many Tibetans must have found hard to swallow.
Excellent!
This is a great book.It's a fast read, and is always full of anticipation and intrigue.Without unforeseen interruptions, you could probably finish this in 2-3 days.
Pulp History
If there's ever been a writer of history who captures the essence of Indiana Jones-style adventure, that man is Peter Hopkirk. Having made a career as Our-Man-in-Asia for the London Times, Hopkirk turned from writing news to writing history, in particular the often-overlooked history of Central Asia. He began this phase of his career by writing a history of European encroachment on the Silk Road. He followed this work with Trespassers on The Roof of The World. This history of "the secret exploration of Tibet" is an enjoyable blend of mystery, romance, adventure, history, and journalism.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - Tibet    2. Discovery And Exploration (General)    3. East Asia - History    4. General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Tibet (China)    9. Geographical discovery & exploration    10. Tibet   

Reviews (3)

Not worth my time
I am doing research for an upcoming trip to Shangri-la region, and this is the first English book I read on the subject.It did not offer much information on anything other than some very limited history of the exploration in the Tsangpo River Gorge region.Since the names of places used in the book is different from those used in another Chinese book I read before, I had hard time cross-referencing and squeezing any useful information out of this book at all.Book reads like a C+ to B- college term paper on the subject.

To Conquer or Surrender
This is not just a book about exploring remote places, but the spirituality of exploration itself. The Tsangpo River's gorge through the Himalayas in southern Tibet was probably the last place on Earth to be explored and mapped. This was not completed, at least by Westerners, until 1998. This is due to the area's extreme remoteness and isolation, and its impossible terrain. Add to that the West's not entirely accurate glorification of Tibetan geography and culture. Here McRae covers both the Western explorers who tried to "conquer" the gorge, and the native attitudes toward surrendering to it. "Classical" explorers made many attempts until the 1950's when China "liberated" Tibet and closed it off, followed by extreme sports adventurers in the 1990's. Also in the 90's, two expatriates named Ian Baker and Hamid Sardar became adepts at Buddhist/Tibetan spirituality and explored the gorge from a completely different standpoint - that of a pilgrimage to Tibet's spiritual centers. Theirs is the most interesting story of the book, as the Tibetans believe that any landscape can only be truly discovered if one surrenders to it (the Eastern way) rather than trying to conquer it (the Western way). Sadly, all the hubbub in the pro-conquest Western press of recent years will probably ruin the gorge's extreme beauty and isolation. But with this book's great coverage of the cultural and spiritual dimensions of Tibetan exploration, we know that this paradise will continue to confound conquerors but offer rich rewards for surrenderers. [~doomsdayer520~]

Visually Rich
McRae recreates the journeys of several adventurers seeking an undiscovered waterfall in Tibet.Old notebooks, rumors, sacred writings, and guides from remote villages lure these explorers into an exquisite landscape of dense rhododendrons and ferns, steep rock canyons, and snowy peaks, all framing an elusive river that became impossible to map.The physical challenge is overwhelming, sometimes leading to despair and even death. Rainstorms, clouds of insects, waist-deep mud, impassable vegetation, leeches, steep and slippery rock walls, and even a tribe of women known to poison visitors, all demand constant mindfulness. A chance meeting with a Lama, the sudden appearance of a rainbow, the discovery of refuge in a hidden temple, a gift of food and the guidance from a native are intermittent rewards for the constant struggle.�Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - Tibet    3. Brahmaputra River    4. Description    5. Description and travel    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Tibet (China)    10. History / Asia   

Reviews (4)

Reflections On A Mountain Lake : Teachings on Practical Buddhism
Reflections on a Mountain Lake is composed of Tenzin Palmo's talks to audiences of Western lay people and Buddhist nuns and monks. The talks cover a whole range of subjects on Buddhist teachings, practices and spiritual life. Reading her words of openness, warmth and fluidity, I felt as if I was with her in the audience. She begins with the story of her twelve-year retreat in a cave in the Himalayan mountains, and the words that fill the books seem to flow from that deep place of concentrated practice.
Practical and relates Vajrayana to the West
This is a great book for Western Buddhists, especially useful as a loaner to friends seeking to understand Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana).It includes extensive Q&A; 8 photos, and a great number of quotable quotes.Ani Palmo (Ani is an honorific for a Buddhist nun) is VERY down-to-earth and realistic and relates a considerable about of advice and commentary from her Lama.She points out that Tibetan mythological themes should not be taken literally-even Tibetan teachers indicate this.For example: