Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism [Paperback]

Lama Anagarika Govinda (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1969

A complete explanation of the esoteric principles of Mantra that also clarifies the differences between Hindu and Tibetan yoga. Translated into many languages, this is an important text for any student of Buddhism. With bibliography, index, and illustrations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Weiser Books (January 15, 1969)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877280649
• ISBN-13: 978-0877280644
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #274,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rather technical, good scope, December 10, 2004

By 

Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism (Paperback)

This is a fine book by a 20th century practitioner, a German who became a Buddhist monk in a SE Asia monastery and traveled through Tibet with his wife Li Gotami (who published a book of fascinating photographs). The author is probably best known for both this work, which is probably a modern classic, and for "The Way of the White Clouds" a more personal description of Buddhism. He also wrote "A Living Buddhism for the West." The latter two books reflect his personal approach making them more easily comprehended and accessible than many texts from Tibetan Buddhist masters. This book, however, is far less accessible, but its topic may preclude a more personal approach. It covers a lot of territory though it is quite technical in many places. It provides an extensive and detailed description of the five Dyani (meditation) Buddhas and their families-the best I've seen. Many modern texts merely allude to these or mention one or two of them (e.g. Akshoba or Amitabha). It's not an easy read.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delving deeper into Tibetan Buddhism, March 25, 2007

By 

Dragan (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism (Paperback)

Lama Anagarika Govinda, a German who spent over twenty years studying at the feet of masters in Tibetan hermitages and monasteries, a member of the Kargyutpa order, brings to us much of Tibetan Esotericism in this book. In this book, Lam Anagarika Govinda clarifies many misconceptions regarding Tibetan Buddhism, mantra and more specifically, the mantra `Om Mani Padme Om'.

Essentially this book is a breakdown of the mantra `Om Mani Padme Hum' or rather `Om Mani Peme hum' according to the phonetic laws of the Tibetan language I.e. Part One `Om' The Path of Universality. Part Two `Mani' The Path of Unification and of Inner Equality. Part Three `Padma' The Path of Creative Vision. Part Four `Hum' The Path of Integration. Part Five `Om Mani Padme Hum' The Path of the Great Mantra.

The author discusses many topics such as mantra, the history of mantra and the power of the verb, the five skandhas the doctrine of consciousness, the psychic centres of the kundalini-yoga and their physiological counterparts, the chakras, physical and psychic functions of prana and the principle of motion (vayu) as starting-point of meditation, transversing the Bardo, the three currents of force and their channels in the human body i.e. Ida, pingala and susumna, the Tantras, the yoga of the inner fire in the Tibetan system of meditation (Tapas & Gtum-mo) and the Tibetan wheel of life etc. I can only recall one practice given in this book and this is a description as given in the `Tractate of the six doctrines'; see page 170-178. This practice deals with Mantra visualisation and raising the Kundalini, I make note of this here for those of you who are interested and for my benefit when I look for these pages again for when I might attempt this practice myself.

I especially enjoyed the latter part of this book which provided excellent information on thousand armed Avalokitesvara (the embodiment of active compassion) and Avalokitesvara's descent into the six realms of this world. This then followed on with information regarding the path of the Bodhisattvas I.e. the path of renunciation and sacrifice for humanity. The book ends with information on the fifth Dhyani-Buddha, the Lord of the all-encompassing wisdom, this essentially deals with `Ah', The Path of Action, "the fact that the Buddha's teachings is not some nebulous idealism, a chasing after eternal but unattainable ideals, but a doctrine of self realisation, of action, a practical doctrine, a path that can be trodden by all who are seriously bent on its aim."

This book also clarifies the differences between Hindu and Tibetan yoga. "A comparison of the Hindu Tantras with those of Buddhism (which are mostly preserved in Tibet and which therefore have long remained unnoticed by Indologists) not only shows an astonishing divergence of methods and aims, in spite of external similarities, but proves the spiritual and historical priority and originality of the Buddhist Tantras." Pg 94

As a student of Gnosis, this book filled in some blanks for me. I plan to continue reading other books on Tibetan Buddhism and especially those books made reference to by Lama Anagarika Govinda in this book I.e. `Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa', `Tibetan Yoga & Secret Doctrines', `The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation' (Evans-Wentz) and also `The Serpent Power' (Avalon, Arthur).

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest writers of our time., August 23, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Mays Landing,N.J.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism (Paperback)

If you wish to explore the word and symbol, this profoundly spiritual volume leads one there. Om, universal consciousness, and all the dhyana Buddhas are presented with clarity and understanding. What's more, the poetry in which Lama Govinda moves and winds this classic work is a tribute to the man's artistry in painting wisdom as something within everyone's reach.