The Mirror: Advice on the Presence of Awareness [Paperback]

Namkhai Norbu (Author), Andrew Lukianowicz (Translator), Adriano Clemente (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1996

The Mirror is a concise and straightforward introduction to the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Dzogchen, "The Great Perfection," by one of the most famous and widely respected masters of the tradition and author of many important works, several of which are now in English translation. To insure the survival of Dzogchen outside of Tibet, this precious and long-secret teaching has in recent years been taught openly by great masters cast abroad by the Tibetan diaspora. In The Mirror, Norbu Rinpoche presents the quintessence of this most sophisticated and refined, yet pristinely simple and direct path to spiritual attainment.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Italian, Tibetan

About the Author

Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche is a Tibetan Lama who, from 1964 until the

present, has been a professor at the Oriental Institute of the University of Naples, Italy and who has thousands of followers in the US. He is the author of many books, including The Crystal and The Way of Light and Dream Yoga and The Practice of Natural Light.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Barrytown Limited (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886449104
• ISBN-13: 978-1886449107
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,888,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Essential, January 5, 2000

By 

Andrei Laszlo (St. Louis, MO, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mirror: Advice on the Presence of Awareness (Paperback)

This is a short spontaneous teaching by Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, a contemporary teacher of the Dzog Chen path in the Tibetan tradition. This teaching is a simple, yet profound introduction to the Dzog Chen path, using the metaphor of the mirror: a mirror reflects everything in front of it, without being conditioned by whatever it reflects. A excellent start for those interested in an authentic presentation of these ancient teachings !

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like sparkling clear cold water, May 8, 2006

By 

Gary Schoch (NOVA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mirror: Advice on the Presence of Awareness (Paperback)

Unencumbered by the usual exposition of the Sutra and Tantra methods and all the talk of various "yanas". Freed from the weight of lineage and biography here is direct guidance from a living master on the immediate application of Dzogchen in your daily life. I found my copy for $[...] at [...]. The commentary is a bit brief, for those wanting more I recommend the same author's "Dzogchen: The Self-Perfected State".

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful little book, December 9, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: The Mirror: Advice on the Presence of Awareness (Paperback)

This is one of my two favorite (of the 9 I've read) of Namkhai Norbu's books. It's short and to the point, emphasizing the analogy of a mirror (not unusual in Dzogchen texts)--but wonderfully orchestrated here. But, the primary thrust of the text is on Awareness. For example on page 70, "A person who has awareness is very different from the principle behind rules. A person who has awareness has inner knowledge and acts in accordance with that, whereas rules are necessary when awareness is lacking. However, sometimes rules themselves can become a means of developing awareness." And by way of illustration and illumination as to what this means in reality: (page 71) "it is written that if a practitioner gets drunk he will suffer in hell; but getting drunk means drinking without awareness." Awareness is a key concept in Dzogchen -- this book reflects that by shining the light of wisdom on it.