Customer Reviews

White Sail

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While I'm not much of an intellectual I do take the study of Tibetan texts pretty seriously. What I especially like about this book is that Thinley Norbu Rinpoche has taken some of the most basic and at the same time most profound teachings of the Vajrayana and made them especially accessible to everyone. He begins the book's preface with a small quotation of Patrul Rinpoche;

"Those who intend to benefit others through holy teachings
Do not use elaborate terms and poetry.
The pure path is shown with the simple words of the laity.
That is the sublime method of the Bodhisattvas."

The book absolutely remains true to these words of advice. It can be picked up and read a bit at a time over days, months or years, as each chapter covers a different topic. It can be read sequentially or randomly and enjoyed. In some ways it reminds me a bit of the classic, "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism" in that it is a book to be read again and again at intervals in ones life and I think it will remain fresh with each reading.

On a personal note, my copy lives in a zip-lock bag in my rucksack. I like having it around me to pick up and read a few lines whenever I have a free moment. It is like breathing fresh air and clarity.

Like Trungpa Rinpoche's Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, White Sail's purpose seems to be the establishment of a clear and direct view from which those new to Buddhist practice can approach and gainfully engage Dharma. Pointing out typical obstacles and pitfalls, and appropriate paths, is a challenging tasks. Thinley Norbu Rinpoche succeeds admirably at defunking and debunking certain misunderstandings that have wound themselves around (for example) the use of Buddhist philosophy and deity practice. White Sail clarifies. Potent reading.

This is not a conventional "Dharma Book." Rinpoche's style is poetic, digressive, recursive. His refrains arise again and again in new keys and contexts, giving a texture some readers may find confusing or off-putting. I find it refreshing and precise. Also, Rinpoche does not seem interested in making compromises with anyone's incapacities. If goop is your game (that is, if you want someone to comfort you in a bedroll of boloney), this text is not for you. My only complaint is that it isn't 300 pages longer and that much broader in scope.

I earnestly hope this book finds a wide and receptive audience among English-language readers for many decades in the future. In one lifetime or another, I would love to meet the author and offer him my deepest gratitude for this teaching.

Homage to the herukas and dakinis, all true teachers, and the Wrathful Guru Takhyung Barwa!

A very profound book, which is exceedingly well written. I was astonished at the superb and erudite use of the English language as well as the amazing explanations. You will not find a better guide to enlightenment. I strongly recommend buying this book.

Thinley Norbu's heart energy is expressed stainlessly in White Sail.. It is pure, direct essence of DzogChen. Read it every day forever; it will always be fresh.

That Thinley Norbu Rinpoche has an idiosyncratic way of using English, that much will be agreed on by both his admirers and detractors. Some of my close friends (for what it's worth, long-time Buddhist practitioners like myself) find him hard to read, I know. However, in recent years I have come to appreciate especially this book very much.
His "Magic Dance" is delightfully poetic in style but here, in "White Sail," Rinpoche is almost stridently attempting to introduce we Westerners to that point of view which is the authentic Middle Way. Particularly he is steering us away from the extremes of both eternalism and nihilism, the latter most especially. Given that to understand the philosophical position of Buddhism fully one has to be a fully enlightened buddha, then those who aspire to follow the Buddhist path really should not take exception to being schooled in what that is and is not.
Some may stress that Buddhism transcends all points of view. This may be true but there is a path to be followed to attain that transcendence and for that journey a guide is required. Such a guide is Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, who does not fail to communicate the authentic (yes, again I say authentic) Buddhadharma.
Thankyou, Rinpoche, for this inspiring and instructive book.

Rinpoche Thinley Norbu, is truly an authentic teacher of the Vajrayana Teaching. In this early volumne there is a presentation of information that will be useful to all serious students of Budhism.