The Autobiography of Jamgon Kongtrul: A Gem of Many Colors (Tsadra Foundation Series) [Hardcover]

Richard Barron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 2003 | Series: Tsadra Foundation Series

In additon to its inspirational value, Kongtrul's story is a rich source of information on the religion, culture, and political climate of Tibet during his times.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The core autobiography presents a treasure trove of nuanced allusion and insight. -- The Tibet Journal

From the Author

This much-awaited first English edition of Jamgon Kongtrul's autobiography is refreshingly real and has a ready audience among Western followers of Tibetan Buddhism. In addition to its inspirational value, Kongtrul's story, is a rich source of information on the religion, culture, and political climate of Tibet during his times.

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye (1813-1899) was one of the most influential figures and prolific writers in the Tibetan Buddhist world. He was a founder and the single most important proponent of the nonsectarian movement that flourished in eastern Tibet and remains popular today. Two additional texts are included which discuss his previous lives and recount Kongtrul's final days.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: Snow Lion Publications (February 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559391847
• ISBN-13: 978-1559391849
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get a complete picture of Tibetan Buddhism as a whole, October 26, 2004

By 

Peacock Eye - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Autobiography of Jamgon Kongtrul: A Gem of Many Colors (Tsadra Foundation Series) (Hardcover)

From the foreword by ven. Ringu Tulku: "If one wants to get a complete picture of Tibetan Buddhism as a whole, especially from an inner perspective, I think there is no book more important to read than The Autobiography of Jamgön Kongtrul the Great. This is the autobiography of a yogi who studied, practiced, and found the essence of each and every spiritual path in Tibet. Jamgön Kongtrul was a true saint, a great scholar, an exemplary teacher, a renowned physician, a peacemaker, and one of the most prolific writers of Tibet. The Five Great Treasuries of Kongtrul, which comprise over one hundred volumes of a thousand pages each, enshrine all the wisdom of Tibet. It is so very easy to see that if he did not compile, transmit, and publish these teachings, most of them would have been lost during the recent turmoil in Tibet.

"Jamgön Kongtrul's greatest contribution, though, is seen as being the Ri-mé movement that he and Jamyang Kyentsé Wangpo revived, a movement that is actually the essence of the Buddhist approach. (...)"

In the introduction to "Creation and Completion; Essential Points of Tantric Meditation" the enormity of Kongtrul's contribution is aptly expressed by the following quotation from the late Dudjom Rinpoche: "So if we examine Jamgön Kongtrul's career (...) it is as if he spent his whole life as an author. None the less, if one thinks of his teaching and propagation of the empowerments, guidance, esoteric instructions, recitational transmissions, and so forth (...) it is as if he spent his whole life teaching and propagating. And, if one investigates how (...) he experientially cultivated the stages of creation and perfection associated with inconceivable myriads of mandalas, it seems as if he passed the length of his life in a retreat house sealed up with mud. Likewise, if one considers (...) his legacy in connection with the ten modes of doctrinal conduct, it is as if he passed his whole life diligently engaged in the sphere of work and activity. In these ways [his career] was inconceivable, within only the reach of those who are truly sublime."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspired, July 27, 2010

By 

Ocean Rabbit - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Autobiography of Jamgon Kongtrul: A Gem of Many Colors (Tsadra Foundation Series) (Hardcover)

An excellent read for anyone who feels a connection to Jamgon Kongtrul, the Kagyu/Nyingma Lineage, or is interested in knowing more about what inspired the Rime movement in Tibetan Buddhism. A good chunk of this autobiography is a report of what Initiations Kongtrul received and gave, what kind of meditation retreats he was doing, and dreams he experienced during his life...a bit dull perhaps to one with no interest in the vajrayana but I can say that I had a hard time putting this book down and that it has greatly inspired me to step up my Buddhist practice. Enjoy!

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RE:A great gem, April 30, 2003

By 

"yangzom" (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Autobiography of Jamgon Kongtrul: A Gem of Many Colors (Tsadra Foundation Series) (Hardcover)

A great book that impresses you with the life of a siddha.After reading the book, your faith to your guru will be aroused so much!All the bodhisattva acts of the 1st Jamgon rinpoche should be rememebered by the practitioners of all lineages.He's a good example for ALL.