Customer Reviews

Tibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up: A Practical Approach for Modern Life

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To put it plainly, this is the best book I've ever read for an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. B. Alan Wallace explains the major parts of Tibetan Dharma practice in very Western, everyday language. Never does he simplify or generalize, he's a talented author with a deep understanding of his subject and an ability to put it into to terms that a beginner from the West can understand. Whenever I've been asked to recommend literature on Buddhism, this is the first book on the list. Its absolutely the best. I cannot recommend it more highly!

One has to appreciate the fact that many books taking on this task that was given in this short, under 200 pages are as introductions anywhere from 450 to 650 pages. If one wants more detail check out John Powers', Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism which runs, as an introduction, some 470 pages. For one who is looking for the essence of this practice without too much dedication of time, this is the book. You will come away with a very good idea of what this type of buddhism is and why it is important.

This was a great introductory book on Buddhism. It was well written, easy to read, and covered all the general yet important aspects of Buddhism. The author obviously has an in depth understanding of his subject. A must read for anyone seriously interested in this topic.

B. Allan Wallace has extremely impressive credentials. He was ordained by the Dali Lama, earned an undergraduate degree in Physics and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. Therefore, he is well qualified from an exposure to the concepts point of view.

My experience reading this book, however, was mixed. While the author has impressive credentials, his material is easily accessible and he make it relevant to Western people, he often left me wanting more of an explanation or more detail.

In an attempt to make the concept of Tibetan Buddhism accessible, I found that Mr. Wallace often over simplified his explanations. He appeals to common sense, but I found this book lacked the depth I was looking for given an author with such an impressive background.

This is by far the best explanatory book on Tibetan Buddhism I've read. It should be a Must Read for everyone interested in this fascinating philosophy and life style. Although targeted for beginners mostly, it is a thorough book for us in the western cultures. Easy to read and thought provoking. This books deserves a ten star rating and a special mantra. Buy it! Another recommended book is Open Heart, Clear Mind by Thubten Chodron.

My teacher suggested this book for anyone new to Tibetan Buddhism. It's well-written and has basic information for some of the most popular questions a new person might have. It's a good "starting point" as well as a good text for anyone wanting to expand their knowledge of various paths of life.

This is an edited version of a lecture series in Seattle in 1988, ordered from basic to "more subtle & advanced" based on the author-monk's 18 years study in all 4 schools + Pali texts. It is intended as a "guide to practice" esp. for those w/o Buddhist background. I found it simple, straight-forward, & easy to understand. As a short book it cannot bring much breadth to its vast subject, is simplistic at times (e.g. inadequately addressing self), & explanatory/descriptive vs. analytical/critical. Thus, the scientific, skeptical, western perspective is minimal, greatly reducing the potential value of a western Buddhist insider's viewpoint. Further, the author seems naïve--e.g. p. 134: "We are born with a natural, unlearned sense of intrinsic self." Psychologists have shown that self-consciousness is developmental not inbred--only the potential is inbred (similar to Buddha nature). Similarly, he says p. 134: "The workers, acting together, manage themselves." I suggest they'd need management ability, skills & training (e.g. most startup businesses fail)--see Elliott Jaques' Executive Leadership: A Practical Guide to Managing Complexity (Developmental Management) & Human Capability: A Study of Individual Potential and Its Application. But he also makes some fine observations: p. 176: "If one were a bee, for instance, one's perception of this page would be very different than it is for a human. Similarly, it would look uniquely different to a bat, an owl, or a snake, p. 180: As the renowned physicist Werner Heisenberg said, `What we observe is not nature itself but nature exposed to our method of questioning,' & p. 181: We reify an object by removing it from its context, by ignoring the subjective influences of perception & conception." He also provides a good exercise--visualizing bubbles rising & bursting (p. 114) which was new for me. All in all it's a pretty good elementary introduction to Buddhism IMHO, but I much prefer Thubten Chodron ("Open Heart, Clear Mind" & "Buddhism for Beginners"), Pema Chodron, & Surya Das. These authors provide more depth, breadth, & practical value than this book IMO.

This is no doubt the best explanatory book on Tibetan Buddhism
around. It may me a little bit hard to read for those with
low IQ's. And since you are reading one of my reviews, I must
assume that you do have a low IQ. But don't worry about it.
This book is just the very best. It makes everything clear about the subject matter. And it basically covers everything that you will need. It does so in a very systematic manner.
And Wallace writes in a very clear mathematical manner (he is a physicist). I do believe that you will enjoy reading this book like I did. But better yet, I think that it will make a very complicated subject easy to understand. It's quite an accomplishment. This is my favorite book on explaining Tibetan Buddhism. Not one that I would just hand out to beginners. But one that I would hand out to very smart beginners. Please
buy and enjoy.