Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism [Hardcover]

Reginald A. Ray (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 19, 2000

Indestructible Truth is one of the most thorough introductions to the Tibetan Buddhist world view ever published—at the same time it is also one of the most accessible. The author presents complex and sophisticated teachings and practices in nontechnical language, using engaging stories and personal anecdotes to illustrate his points. Indestructible Truth presents Tibetan Buddhism in its traditional form but also shows how the Tibetan traditions are applicable to the problems and challenges of modern life in the West. In Indestructible Truth, Tibetan Buddhism is introduced not as an exotic religion, but rather as an expression of human spirituality that is having a profound impact on the modern world. In addition, it presents the point of view of meditation and the practice of the spiritual life, paying special attention to contemplative practice and meditation as taught in the Kagyu and Nyingma schools.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Studying Tibetan Buddhism can be like entering a maelstrom of deities, rituals, and scriptures. In a new introduction to the history, the religion, and the philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism, Reginald Ray calms the storm and provides a compass for exploration. A professor and seasoned practitioner, Ray walks the line between objective historian and caring adviser. With spare precision and rich detail, he tells the story of Buddhism in Tibet, from its great progenitors in India to the larger than life transmitters to the series of schools that developed over the centuries. Ray makes no pretense at secularizing Tibetan Buddhism or diminishing its magical elements. He begins with the multifarious Tibetan cosmos but also covers the major tenets of Buddhism, emphasizing the living practices and their results. Capping the book, Ray devotes a section to the development of Buddhist philosophy, again displaying a knack for putting complex issues debated over centuries into just a few easy-to-understand paragraphs. It would be no exaggeration to say that indestructible truth is the best all-around introduction to Tibetan Buddhism you're likely to find. --Brian Bruya

From Publishers Weekly

The tyro learning something about Buddhism will have noticed a trend in books: many are either about how to meditate or they're about theory. Fewer present Buddhist basics from the perspective of practice (that is, practice above and beyond meditation). Filling that gulch is this hefty volume by Ray, a Naropa University Buddhist studies professor, who presents ideas and actions, theory and practice. This book is distinguished by the author's comprehensive attention to detail. He explains both Buddhist cosmology and the history of Buddhism, and cogently outlines Geluk Buddhism, a line of monastic traditions from central Tibet. While many books focus exclusively on Geluk (which is a bit like using the example of Roman Catholicism to explain all of Christianity), Ray also explores non-Geluk practices, though he does not always flag a given practice as Geluk or other. There may be too much of a good thing hereDhistory, doctrine, practice, Geluk, non-Geluk, the kitchen sink. The novice may easily lose the forest for the trees. Clearer chapter introductions would have gone a long way to ameliorating that problem, and a glossary would have been more helpful than the chronology of important dates appended to the book's end. Ray refers to, but never delves deeply into, Tantric Buddhism (but his announced Shambhala 2001 title promises to pick up where this book left off). This tome belongs primarily to the very devoted and the very knowledgeable.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 495 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (December 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570621667
• ISBN-13: 978-1570621666
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #957,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Culture and Practice February 26, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This engrossing book promises to be of enduring value to those with an interest in Tibetan Buddhism, or the history and culture of Tibet itself. Ray is a student of Chogyam Trunpa Rinpoche and an accomplished teacher in his own right, benefitting students at Naropa University and Rocky Mountain Shambhala Center, both in Colorado. His decades of experience and thoughfulness shine through in this text, reportedly the first of two volumes providing historical and cultural context to the practice of Tibetan Buddhism.

"Indestructible Truth" does not attempt to address every aspect of Buddhism as it has developed in various countries. Rather, it examines how Tibetans have traditionally viewed the teachings and the cosmos from within their own cultural framework. Ray skillfully blends objective data, personal experience, and teachings from accomplished masters to relay this perspective.

The book provides portraits of each of the four principal schools of Tibetan Buddhism and the great masters and teachers that founded each. The reader is left with a strong preliminary understanding of the differences between the lineages, which can sometimes seem overly subtle to the beginner. A recurring theme is the varying emphases placed on meditation versus study among the four schools. Ray cogently describes how the four lineages approach the Dharma differently, without diluting the power and importance of any. His careful attention to the Nyingma and Kagyu schools, typically downplayed in many introductions, is alone a valuable addition to the literature. In addition, he provides a short but insightful introduction into the Rime tradition that highlighted the value and usefulness of all the lineages.

Another section describes the principal views of the Buddhist paths of Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, both in theory and practice. This is a useful outline of the practices and study points Buddhism makes available to interested students and practitioners. It shows how each is interrelated and yet can also stand alone, depending on the needs and inclinations of the practitioner.

One small caution. Ray's identification with the Kagyu tradition (one I admittedly share) is subtle, but noticeable in his selection of quotations from teachers to describe various Buddhist views. I personally found the approach interesting and the descriptions cogent, and certainly the teachers are themselves above reproach. Students of, for example, the Gelug view of emptiness, however, may prefer an explanation delivered from an adherent. On the other hand, this approach does provide a strong foundation for describing each of the three Turnings of the Wheel of the Dharma with continuity in the teachers' voices. The discussion of the "shentong," or empty-of-other view of buddhanature is as good an introduction as is possible for so profound a topic, and again, an unusual find in an introductory text.

I eagerly await the companion volume, "Secret of the Vajra World," which is to focus on the esoteric views and practices of Tantric Buddhism, due later this year.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid place to start serious study June 14, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Ray offers an accessible introduction to the origins, cosmos and cultural context of Tibetan Buddhism. Easier to follow than other intros (like Thurman's Essential Tibetan Buddhism), but doesn't ignore important details. Especially good delineation of the four principal schools. If Ray included a discussion of the important role of the indigenous Bon religion in shaping modern Tibetan Buddhism, I missed it. Focused more directly on the knowledge component of wisdom than on experience. Still Ray's explanations burned through the fog of my confusion

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly work and reference, not good for beginners May 24, 2006

By Patrick D. Goonan

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is volume one of a two part work on Tibetan Buddhism by Reginald Ray. It is well-written, extremely comprehensive and thoroughly researched. There is an overwhelming amount of detail for most beginners, however.

If you are looking for a detailed scholarly work or a good reference to contextualize other reading, this will meet your needs. However, you may want to try an "Introduction to Tantra" by Lama Yeshe for a more accessible introduction to Vajrayana.

If you are completely new to Buddhism, then I would recommend Huston Smith's "The World's Religions" for an excellent, but short overview. If you purchase this book, you will have added the bonus of being able to read a similar introduction to Hinduism which I think is important for understanding Buddhist thought in a similar way that grasping the essentials of Judaism are important for a full understanding of the origin and development of Christianity.

It is very difficult to "get" Tibetan Buddhism without understanding the unfolding of the Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions. While this volume does an excellent job of doing this, it is also HUGE. The disadvantage of some of the short books on Tibetan Buddhism is that they sometimes don't do a great job of contextualizing the various Buddhist traditions and how they unfolded in time and/or geographically.

If you merely want a taste of Tibetan Buddhist thought, then you may want to look at the book "The Art of Happiness" by Howard Cutler and the Dalai Lama. This presents some Tibetan ideas on everyday issues along with some commentary by a western psychiatrist. This book is not an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism as such, however.

If you click on my name, you can read my reviews for the books I mentioned above or scroll down to them if you look up the books. There are also other books on these topics listed under my profile, but I haven't assembled a listmania list yet.