Becoming the Compassion Buddha: Tantric Mahamudra for Everyday Life (Paperback)

~ Lama Thubten Yeshe (Author), Robina Courtin (Editor), Geshe Lhundub Sopa (Foreword)
Key Phrases: mahamudra deity, lotus into the sun, moni padme hum, Guru Avalokiteshvara, Lord Buddha, Recite the Seven-limb Prayer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An intimate book, the clear and compassionate voice of Lama Yeshe, one of the great teachers of our time." -- Sogyal Rinpoche, author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

"Lama Yeshe expresses the profundity of Buddha's teachings in a clear, penetrating, yet easily accessible way." -- -- Thubten Chodron, author of Buddhism for Beginners and Working with Anger

"Lama Yeshe had the unique quality of conveying the true message of the union of compassion and wisdom, great Mahamudra." -- Gehlek Rimpoche, author of Good Life, Good Death

Product Description

Lama Yeshe was both one of the most beloved Tibetan Buddhist masters of the late twentieth century and a remarkably effective teacher and communicator. Becoming the Compassion Buddha is one of a series of his books that examine key Tantric deity practices in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. As with his book Introduction to Tantra, his teachings make coherent and understandable to the general reader practices that once were considered to be for highly-realized beings only. Lama Yeshe strongly believed practices that help develop compassion and wisdom should not be limited to advanced practitioners, but that the all beings could benefit from them. In this book he provides a commentary on a short guru yoga practice written by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. This extraordinary book opens new doors for countless readers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications (June 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0861713435
• ISBN-13: 978-0861713431
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #218,123 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Commentary on Avalokiteshvara Guru Yoga Practice, October 1, 2004

By	Nessander - See all my reviews

This teaching, which comes from the (late) marvelous Lama Yeshe, is for serious practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism, specifically those who have received the Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion) empowerment or are interested in this practice. It is a teaching Lama Yeshe gives on a particular Avalokiteshvara practice combined with guru yoga, a practice composed by HH the XIV Dalai Lama when he was 19 years old at the request of one of his students. As such this practice and text is especially appropriate for those with a connection to Avalokiteshvara, HH the Dalai Lama, Lama Yeshe, or all of the above!

The book begins with a short introduction to Lam Rim (the stages of the path to enlightenment), and then gets into the commentary, and includes the actual meditations.

I am a big fan of Lama Yeshe and his books. I think they are superb. This book may be more suitable for medium-level students, as it assumes some familiarity with basic practices and concepts. For total beginners, a better bet might be Lama Yeshe's "Introduction to Tantra", a fabulous book that can be read by anyone. Advanced level students should also check out Lama Yeshe's on tummo practice ("Bliss of Inner Fire" I believe it's called).

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent text on compassion practices...., December 5, 2006

By	Patrick D. Goonan "www.meaningful-life.us" (Pleasanton, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In general, I like everything that I have read by Lama Yeshe. He is very credible author from the Tibetan tradition with a gift for explaining things in easy to understand language. He is also very gifted at presenting difficult ideas in a way that is easy to understand for Western people.

This book provides a nice introduction to the general philosophy of Mahayana Buddhism and a variety of compassion practices. Specifically, it elaborates on the Dalai Lama's Avalokitashvera guru practices. In addition, however, it also provides a broad context for any kind of compassion practice.

Tibetan Buddhism is not an easy worldview for most Western people to understand. Lama Yeshe is great at bridging this gap and relating difficult ideas back to familiar Western psychological concepts, easy to understand analogies and everyday life.

If you are new to Tibetan Buddhism, this might not be the best place to start. However, it is a useful complimentary text to other resources. You can find a Tibetan Buddhism listmania list on my profile with specific references depending upon your specific area of interest.

I am not a Tibetan Buddhist myself, but I study world religions and find some of the works of the Tibetan Lamas to be difficult to relate to a Western paradigm. If your interest is primarily scholarly, then Lama Yeshe will be more accessible than some other authors. For an even broader context on Buddhism, try Huston Smith's "The World's Religions" or his volume on Buddhism. Both of these are top notch and will help you to understand where Tibetan Buddhism fits into a historical and religious context. It's easy to get confused if you start reading Buddhist works without this kind of roadmap.