Customer Reviews

Torch of Certainy

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

 

 

The torch of certainty is an essential text for any serious Buddhist practitioner of the Kagyu lineage. The text, written by Jamgon Kongtrul and translated by Judith Hanson, describes the four ordinary foundation practices and the four special foundation practices. These are commonly known as the ngondro practice.

The text covers specifics on each practice and should be used alongside the Ngondro text, with instruction from your lama.

The introduction includes a section on the Kagyu lineage known as the golden rosary.

This small book gives the clasic ngondro text. Not to be missed. Even if you don't practice Kagyu, or buddhism at all. This is still a valuable tome with some deep insight.
try it, after all, it doesn't cost much. :)

What I like to add to the two earlier reviews is the following quotation from the foreword by Ven. Chögyam Trungpa, whose root-guru was the second Jamgön Kongtrul of Zhe-chen:

"The pattern of the practitioner's progress through the three yanas is as follows:
"First, one develops extreme exertion in uncovering one's own neurosis. This one-pointed mindfulness brings the sense of one's actual human quality.
"The second stage is marked by gentleness, allowing one's energies to expand and be shared with the rest of sentient beings.
"Finally, one develops fearlessness and a sense of joy and penetrating insight, filled with immense devotion to the lineage and one's root-guru.
"This text, dealing with the preliminary practices of the Vajrayana discipline, belongs to the third category."

This is a classic, and a must-read.

The must have manual for anyone setting out to do the Ngondro practices. Clear and concise, with a very nice question/answer section.

For the most part, this is an excellent little book, with short descriptions of the four outer and four inner preliminaries, 5-7 pages, and then 10-12 pages of commentary on each. However, it is marred by one minor flaw, and one major flaw.

First, the minor one, one I wish I knew before I purchased this book. The descriptions of the inner preliminaries, the practises, are nothing more than brief overviews, and not detailed directions on how to do them. This is cause for the loss of a half-star.

The more serious flaw is the printing quality--in places, the text is nearly unreadable. The letters are blurred and imprecise. It is mostly readable, but with great effort. I will definitely be writing to the publisher. The text is plenty large, but a magnifying glass makes it easier. Because of that, I can't recommend this.