The Double Mirror: A Skeptical Journey into Buddhist Tantra [Paperback]

Stephen Butterfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 13, 1994

In The Double Mirror, the author's personal history-- as a student of the late Tibetan master Chogyam Trungpa, known for his unconventional lifestyle and "crazy wisdom" teaching style-- is the framework for an incisive and eloquent examination of a profound spiritual journey. Writing both from a critical perspective and from his direct experience of Vajrayana practice, the author look at Buddhist tantric teachings and practices and their expressions in Vajradhatu, Trungpa's organization. While discussing how the institution may sometimes function like a "cult," Butterfield nonetheless experiences Buddhist tantra as an authentic system of profound spiritual transformation.

The Double Mirror explores the effects of Buddhist practice on personality, autonomy, perception, and health, and discusses what Buddhism has to offer American. With skeptical intelligence, Butterfield illuminates the stages, teachings, and assumptions of the Tibetan Buddhist path, offering a frank and insightful portrayal of the ideal and reality of spiritual life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books (September 13, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556431767
• ISBN-13: 978-1556431760
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Skeptic describes Trungpas Vajrayana no holds barred, August 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Double Mirror: A Skeptical Journey into Buddhist Tantra (Paperback)

Stephen T. Butterfield was a student of the school of Buddhism founded by Chogyam Trungpa in the 1970's. At first enthralled by the authentic, liberating practices of Tibetian Buddhism, he also comes to grips with the inevitable corruption and authoritarianism inherent in any large organization. He grapples with the issues that every religious practitioner must confront, the paradox that the very practices so enriching and enlightening are contained within a structure full of ego, psychosis and greed. He discovers that Buddhism is not any more pure than Christianity, and that this is part of the thin line that a truthful, honest practitioner must always walk. He also describes the stages and teachings given at the stages within the Vajrayana tradition. Always honest in his critiques as well as praises, Stephen captures the journey of a seeker unwilling to settle for dogma, always seeking the truth behind the words, in actual experience. Although his conclusions are not always happy and comfortable, his appraisal of his Buddhist education is quite engaging.

63 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Memoriam, March 6, 2002

By 

David Butterfield "botteville" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Double Mirror: A Skeptical Journey into Buddhist Tantra (Paperback)

Raised in New England, Steve was well-indoctrined in our culture of plain speaking and no b.... For a time, opposition to the war and formation of a union occupied his best efforts, as well as an active teaching career. Then he discovered Tibetan Buddhism. What appealed to him most, I think, was its attack on vanity. When you strip away all the high-flown, hypocritical ideals that lead us hither and yon, what is left? Steve thus entered the cult already possessing what it had to offer, and not knowing it. One of the key tenets of Buddhism is no b.... (perfect honesty is the path of Nirvana). He practised that with might and with main. His total honesty in this book led the cult to reject him, and they refused to officiate at his funeral. One of his last memories was of standing unadmitted outside the hall listening to the drunken party going on inside and feeling hurt and rejected. The thing that made him hurt, that was his soul. He had one. I should know, I was his brother.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A westerner's experiences with Tibetan Buddhism., June 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Double Mirror: A Skeptical Journey into Buddhist Tantra (Paperback)

Butterfield, Stephen J. The Double Mirror: A Skeptical Journey into Buddhist Tantra was published in 1994 by North Atlantic Books of Berkeley, California. A long-time "student" of the Shambala (Dharmadhatu) tradition established by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche which, besides traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings incorporates certain elements of Zen within an idiosyncratic organizational framework, tells of his progress as well as the problems and conflicts experienced by him especially in the times immediately following Trungpa's death. His description of the travails of ngondro will be especially illuminating to beginners as are the aspects of Vajrayana which emphasize the role of the guru. This is an honest account of one person's experiences and it turned out to be both revealing and helpful rather than a depressing and discouraging expose.