Customer Reviews

Blazing Splendor: The Memoirs of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

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In recent years, at least a small portion of the most important works in the vast Tibetan Buddhist literature has been translated and made available in English. The rate of publication is increasing as more people become able to translate Tibetan. Against this background, "Blazing Splendor" stands out - it is unique, a book that may mark a watershed in the understanding of Tibetan Buddhism by westerners.

"Blazing Splendor" is the memoirs of one of the greatest Tibetan Yogis of recent years - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. A collection of stories gathered over many years by his translators, its personal approach makes it different from either history or the formal biographies of great Lamas and masters of the past. Its intimate tone brings the reader right into the lives of Buddhist practitioners.

The book begins with Tulku Urgyen's grandmother, through whom Rinpoche heard many of the stories recorded in the book. It then dips back in time to the very beginnings of Buddhism in Tibet, providing important background information for those not already familiar with this history. It then moves forward again, giving a rich look into the lives of a an entire family of great Lamas and practitioners. The reader sees how a wide range of people, men and women, some highly revered, others nearly unnoticed, great Lamas and lay people, all led lives completely infused with Buddhist teachings.

While not structured as a Dharma text, the reader will find teachings embedded in the stories and these alone are worth the price of the book. Cumulatively, the effect of so many detailed stories and personal memories is to give the reader a rich awareness of life in a culture that was centered on the Dharma. Nothing else I've read over the years has had such a profound effect on me.

This must have been a very special person indeed. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche plays down his abilities and his reputation in the style of the "hidden yogi", but through the lines of this book shines a person full of a compassion and a devotion we ordinary beings can only dream of.

These are his memoirs, but it is also the story of the fall of Tibet and the survival of Tibetan Buddhism. Through this master and a few others like him, the link is tangible to the lost land of caveyogis and concealed treasures. The memories he recounts are full of what to us westerners seems like mystery and magic but also of perseverance and dedication. And although mystery and magic may be lost on us, the latter two are for anyone who wishes. As is said in the book about a nun: "She had nothing more than the bare essentials and a darn fine practice!".

I do recommend this book. Buddhist or not: read it with an open mind and find a world that seems so much richer than our abundant times of SUV's and reality shows.

This is the most amazing book I read on Tibetan Buddhism in a very long time. It is a profound teaching but is very easy to read. It contains the splendid view and life of Tulku Urgyen. This Dzogchen master tells storys about masters and teachings that he met and heard about during his life in Tibet and in exile. If you know very little about Tibetan Buddhism then you should, as the translators say in the preface, "don't get lost in the details of time and place; just experience the spiritual ambiance". An what an ambiance it is! The story of the master in the hollow tree and Karmapas horse are two stories that you are not likely to forget. My girlfriend found it very moving and special book all tough she isn't a Buddhist. For people like me that are practicing in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions of Tibetan Buddhism this book is a treasure. It makes your devotion to these masters grow and makes your resolve to practice these teaching stronger and deeper. I would even like to say that it would be a great loss not to read this book if you are a Tibetan Buddhist. Let yourself be amazed.

Having recently finished the book, I can tell you that it is a great read on several levels: It gives a wonderful account of the three great tertöns, Chokgyur Lingpa, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgon Kongtrul. The way these three worked together to reveal and transmit dharma teachings that are now being practiced all over the world is one of the truly great spiritual renaissances to have ever taken place in history. The book gives a vivid sense of how the confluence of these three great rivers produced a mighty torrent of benefit for all those of us who have stood "downstream" ever since. For anyone practicing the Chokling Tersar lineage, it is an excellent primer on the lineage holders, their lives, miracles and all their human idiosyncrasies. Although it is very respectful, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche presents these men and women as fully human, so the stories of their lives are as likely to set you laughing on one page as crying on the next. It really deepens the experience of saying the lineage prayer at the start of the Trinley Nyingpo practice, to have a fuller picture of who these people were.

For anyone with a connection to the Longchen Nyingtig, there are wonderful accounts of Patrul Rinpoche, HH Dudjom Rinpoche, HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Chatral Rinpoche and Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche. The book opens with an account of the length to which Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's grandmother went to be sure that the Chokling Tersar would continue to be transmitted. It continues all the way through with accounts of her activities and those of other esteemed women in the lineage. Something that is often rare in spiritual biographies of this kind. It is also an excellent account of the last days of a free Tibet and the struggles that various lamas went through in escaping to freedom to the West.

The real beauty of the book, however, is that within these very engaging "stories" lies a treasure trove of rich dharma teachings in easy to understand language, that are immediately applicable to our practice. The best way to learn is when we don't even realize that we are being taught. In an effortless way, Tulku Urgyen tells one fascinating story after an other. Once we reach the end, we realize that we have learned valuable truths about how to apply the richness of the Dzogchen tradition itself.

There is an excellent glossary (also online) with helpful definitions and explanations of various Dzogchen practices, termas, lineage holders, etc. http://rangjung.com/blazingsplendor/blazing-glossary.htm Best of all, Erik Pema Kunzang, Marcia Binder Schmidt and Michael Tweed (to whom these stories were told by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche) have managed to effectively capture Tulku Urgyen's "voice." Although I never met him personally, the style of writing conveys a true human(if extraordinary) individual. I came away from reading the book with a sense that I had been there too, sitting at his feet hearing these wonderful teachings myself. Many thanks are owed to all those who put so much effort in sharing their personal blessing with the rest of us. - written by Rigzin John Tute

This volume is wonderfully fresh and accessible. It is like sitting, listening to stories told by a dear friend or relative. There are charming details, remarkable personal observations of many of the greatest lamas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, down through Dzonsar Khyenste, Dilgo Kyentse and the 16th Karmapa. A deep theme throughout is that of the "terton", the gifted soul who uncovers "treasures" or "terma" hidden by Padmasambhava to be discovered when the time and times are correct. The author's great grandfather, Chokgyur Lingpa, was one of the last and greatest tertons, and the teachings thus uncovered - how and where they occurred, who was involved, the lineage of those who received these teachings, and so forth - is central to the story. I have found nothing like this in any of the many I've read on Tibet and the Tibetans.

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche tells stories of these events that go back a considerable ways before he was born, into the 19th century, when Tibet was a world unto itself. He ends the book with a relatively brief description of the work he undertook at the direction of the 16th Karmapa to build a monastery near the great stupa of Boudanath, near Kathmandu, many years after his departure from Tibet in 1955. One sees glimpses throughout the narrative of the coming debacle; remarkable prophecies, side by side with engaging tales of his encounters with masters of the Dharma. It is a unique account, not to be missed, especially by those who seek a deeper understanding of how the great lamas of Tibet in that time lived their lives, related to each other, maintained their lineages and looked forward to preservation of the Dharma in a changed world. Altogether enchanting!

This is a biography of the late, great Ati Yoga master Tulku Urgyen (TU)--via descriptions of interactions & legacies from his masters. As per much religious literature (Buddhist & otherwise) it mixes mythology, allegory, & historical fact--as much hagiography as biography. It stems from anecdotes/stories recorded by Erik & Marcia Schmidt et al under TU's tutelage. There are advanced teachings hidden amongst the exoteric & mythological--some being controversial: observations on Tibet's lack of preparation prior to Chinese occupation despite graphic omens p. 294: "It is amazing how a country like Tibet could have the merit to host so many great masters & at the same time lose everything;" pp. 179-80: the story of the river parting (like the Red Sea); & his uncle & root guru Samten Gyatso's statement p. 233: "One thing is for sure: there will not be any direct reincarnation. For that I have no wish. On the other hand, someone will probably come along capable of benefiting the Dharma & sentient beings, who will be given the title `Samten Gyatso's tulku.'" This certainly puts a different perspective on tulkus and reincarnation!

There are also pithy observations--p. 114: "Chö is to benefit others by cutting through ego-clinging," p. 11: "When training in Mahamudra, do not busy yourself with virtuous deeds of body & speech," Milarepa explained, "because you risk losing thought-free wakefulness," p. 307: a master who acted childlike, ignoring social conventions upon reaching "collapse of delusion," p. 312: a master noting that "The Way of the Bodhisattva" is a rudimentary text, & Samten Gyatso's p. 101: "emptiness isn't anything you can possibly cultivate."

There are also some interesting takes on preconceptions: p. 327: "Today's meat & cream is tomorrow's shit, p. 342: By abandoning activities you approach the nature of nonaction. That's the entire reason for staying in mountain retreats, & p. 387 note 172: Erik Schmidt--The hell realms are not real, physical locations but resemble horror movies played out in the minds of the beings there.

It's a long book (especially if you aren't into hagiography & hyperbole), but if you persevere, there are gems herein. You have to dig to find the gold or wish-fulfilling gem. If you want some of his actual teachings, try his very fine Rainbow Painting: A Collection of Miscellaneous Aspects of Development and Completion or the collection of his pith instructions, Vajra Speech: A Commentary on The Quintessence of Spiritual Practice, The Direct Instructions of the Great Compassionate One or his lengthier As It Is Vol. 1 (As It Is) & As It Is, Vol. 2.

I found this book fascinating. It gave me a window to view the way of life of an elite sector of traditional Tibetan society - the high-born lamas of Eastern Tibet - and their complete dedication to the pursuit of spiritual attainment within the context of the buddho-shamistic culture of their people. Written from deeply within the context of the Tibetan spiritual worldview, this narrative brings to life the character of many great masters from pre-communist Tibet, and puts the teachings that survive them within the context of their traditional way of life. If you are interested in awakening to Truth, the Dzogchen teachings, and traditional cultures, you are sure to find this an interesting read, providing that you are able to navigate the many dozens of Tibetan names and words that occur throughout the text (glossary included.) :) The greatest thing that struck me from reading this memoir was how profoundly the society of Tibet supported its spiritual practitioners - and in contrast how lacking our modern society is in this regard. Truly, despite all of its failings from a modern humanistic perspective, traditional Tibet was a sacred society.

Many reviewers have rated this book among the best because it tells the story of a great Tibetan teacher. Some of Rinpoche's students are well known teachers in the United States and other countries. This is a well told story that could, at one level, be a history of the lineage holders that compise the evaporating pool of knowledge of Tibetan Buddhist tradition and culture. On a deeper level, it is a teaching in the oral and Tantric tradition, and because the authors are careful to keep the narrative as told by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, it has the feel of a story heard while sitting in his presence. My only complaint is that the endnotes are so fact-filled and important to understanding the traditonal background of the story, that they probably should be formatted as footnotes, just so that one does not have to continually flip to the back of the book. This is an important book for those who care about Tibet and all that it was and still is because of the living oral history that remains accessible in spite of, and maybe even because of, events that ocurred in the last century.

¨Blazing Splendor takes us through the life of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, from his birth in Tibet in this life, to the end. This account includes details of life in a Tibet that has seen many changes over time. This book is a rich resource for the history, growth and development of Buddhism in our own time. It is a wonderfully warm telling of Rinpoche's relationships with his grandmother, his father, and the many Lamas he met over that time. A good book for the inquisitive, and the student alike.

The biggest value that I received from this work was insight into some of Tibetan culture, which for me provided valuable context for deciphering what aspects of the meditation instruction I am receiving is cultural hangover and what parts are universal. If you are practicing a Tibetan form, I think this book provides a nice reality check of how you should be spending your energy as a western practitioner.

The book loses a star for being a bit slow at times, but hey, its about a guy's life, you can't expect it to be a hollywood script.