Customer Reviews

Spectrum of Ecstasy: Embracing the Five Wisdom Emotions of Vajrayana Buddhism

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Spectrum of Ecstasy describes the Dzogchen view of emotions, emotional pain and pleasure - and the liberation of emotions. It is valuable reading for anyone interested in human psychology according to Dzogchen and a must-read for everybody seriously interested in Aro. The book is suited for experienced meditators as well as for beginners on the Buddhist path.

The teaching on the psychology of the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) shows how we ourselves create unenlightenment through neurotic patterns of emotional reaction to our own spacious nature. It demonstrates in a direct and often amusing way how we are addicted to the form qualities of the five elements. We are obsessed with manipulating our experiential reality in order to prove to ourselves that we are solid, permanent, separate, continuous, and defined. However, as emptiness is always the basis of the equation, this obsession is doomed to interminably repeated failure.

Fortunately, by applying the practice of Dzogchen trèk-chöd, we can break this cycle. Our emotions become a powerful dimension of transformation in which we can discover innate enlightenment. This means that instead of acting out, suppressing or obliterating neurotic emotional patterns, we allow the energy of the emotions to expand into their enlightened qualities according to the five elements. Thus, the personality of the practitioner becomes the key to liberation.

Spectrum of Ecstasy is written in colourful contemporary language and introduces a wealth of practical examples. After each chapter, there are extensive question and answer sessions taken from teaching conversations between Ngak'chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen and their students. These sections highlight the teachings from different angles and are an informative display of the style of teaching chosen by the authors.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Dzogchen. It is written in a clear and direct way, with many practical examples from everyday life.

This book is written form the perspective of Dzogchen trèk-chöd, and through the methods herein we can break our neurotic self defeating cycles of behavior.
Through these methods we can directly liberate our neurotic emotionality, that create our unenlightenment, into the liberated qualities of the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space).

This is the most practical, useful explanation of the five-fold elemental system in Vajrayana Buddhism I have found. The authors really explain the function of the five elements as a system of psycho-physical tools, not . They discuss the symbolism of the Five Buddha Families from the Outer Tantras, which has been described in many different books, and explain how this relates to subtle systems from Inner Tantra and Dzogchen. These symbolic systems are explained as practical methods for helping us to see the ways we express both the neurotic human distortions of our enlightened nature and that nature itself.

This book is a wonderful introduction to the 5 elements and how they relate to the arising of emotion. The use of language is unique, electrifying, and completely accessible. This book was my personal introduction to the practice of staring into the face of an arising emotion, which I've found it to be extremely useful and even transformative - when I'm not too wrapped up in my own neurosis to remember to do it! Highly recommended.

This book thoroughly deals with the five elements view of reality from the perspective of inner-tantra. Any individual wanting to understand the connection between awareness and the naturally arising elements should definitely delve into this work. The authors progressively move from general information concerning the human condition to the specific qualities of the five elements and how they manifest as emblems of awareness. This highly orthodox work will be a benefit to anyone wanting to better understand Buddhism from the perspective of inner-tantra.

Many reviewers are clearly missing the point of how CREATIVE and valuable this work is. Ngakpa Chogyam is following Chogyam Trungpa's unique presentation of Tibetan Buddhist philosphy in an immediate phenomenological, psychological style. Both Chogyams are/were concerned with NOWNESS and Consciousness, not Opaque, Irrelevent aspects of TB. Both Chogyams are very intelligent and articulate in describing the energetic tendencies of samsaric consciousness in the context of emptiness and form. You will either get it/appreciate it or you don't. Whether they are a legitimate lineage is to miss the point. Both Chogyams are artists-psychologists who are highly creative and poetic in their endeavors and controversial because of that. This work is worth serious study and reflection. Also read, 'Wearing the Body of Visions', by Ngakpa Chogyam, as well as 'Transcending Madness,' 'Crazy Wisdom,'The Myth of Freedom' and 'Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism' by Chogyam Trungpa and you will CLEARLY understand where Ngakpa Chogyam is coming from.
Awesome Material.

Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen (two Western-born lamas of the Nyingma tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism) impressively collaborated on Spectrum Of Ecstasy: Embracing The Five Wisdom Emotions Of Vajrayana Buddhism, an enthus-iastic survey that rejects the supposition that inner Vajrayana is primarily esoteric and filled with little but ritual and liturgy. Showing ways to embrace Vajrayana through emotions as represented through five-fold display, and offering advice for all who seek to awaken their supreme and enlightened potential, Spectrum Of Ecstasy is a welcome and significant contribution to Vajrayana Buddhism discourse and study.

I liked this one better than Thinley Norbus "Magic Dance", due to it's contemporary style. For anyone who wants to know more about the five elements and how they affect our emotions. After all, what else there is in existence than 5 elements and conciousness??

We all have emotions. We have some funny ideas about them and some funny ways of coping with them. Spectrum of Ecstasy presents a novel perspective on the emotions and describes a method for transmuting them from their pedestrian aspects into their enlightened aspects.

The beauty of taking emotions as the spiritual path is that every moment of our reality becomes our practice. The Tantrika does not escape or avoid, but instead stares directly into the face of whatever arises. In the coffee shop, on the bus, at the kitchen sink: we have the opportunity to "work on ourselves as we actually are in an everyday setting", as the authors put it. Spectrum of Ecstasy offers the chance to stop leaving your practice on your cushion and start taking it into all the nooks and crannies of your life. It is a great read and an extremely helpful book.

This book is very insightful when you begin the spiritual path and you start observing yourself, your habits, your inclinations, so that you may be free of them. It also includes practical meditations to help you dissolve the deep seated feelings behind these habits. Wonderful!

LOVE
Joshua, Angie, Magnus
http://www.yournotthat.com