A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: guru yoga, root raktas, eternalist gods, Three Jewels, Guru Rinpoche, Great Perfection (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Thinley Norbu's commentary is not only profound but also refreshingly clear, making it valuable and accessible to both experienced practitioners and those new to this path."—Tricycle

"This magnificent original work on the ngöndro practice of Tibetan Buddhism is cause for celebration. Rich with scriptural citations, incisive reasoning, and personal realization, it shows that the ngöndro is not just a preliminary teaching but the quintessence of the Vajrayana path. Starting with ways to turn our mind to Dharma, it systematically leads us to the pinnacle: the realization of the ultimate nature of mind, the union of the primordially pure nature and spontaneously accomplished qualities of Dzogchen. All Vajrayana followers must treasure this masterpiece of profound teachings by one of the greatest masters of our age."—Tulku Thondup, author of Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth and The Healing Power of Mind

"A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar is one of the most profound dharma books I have ever read. Read it slowly, like poetry, savoring and contemplating each sentence, and you will be rewarded with the highest Buddhist view."—Melvin McLeod, Editor-in-Chief of the Shambhala Sun and editor of the Best Buddhist Writing series

Product Description

Like a spontaneous cascade of wisdom nectar, the open and natural words of Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, uncomplicated by scholarly elaboration, flow here in the tradition of the direct transmissions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the past. Through commentary on the Preliminary Practices (Ngöndrö) prayer from the treasure text of the great master Tragtung Düdjom Lingpa, insights into many central practices emerge in order to deepen understanding of the foundations of Vajrayana Buddhism. Also included in the book is a commentary on the Tsok Khang Dechen (Assembly Palace of Great Exaltation), the root text prayer of the second Kyabje Düdjom Rinpoche, Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590303385
• ISBN-13: 978-1590303382
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #427,430 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True to It's Name, January 25, 2007

By	Ram "Dharma Bum" (NY) - See all my reviews

I believe this book is intended for those who have embarked on the life-changing, and potentially ego-shattering path of Ngondro, -specifically the short Dudjom Tersar Ngondro of which this is a commentary. For those who are fortunate enough to have encountered a genuine guide, and are engaged in this practice, this book is a great resource which can be read endlessly.
As with any Dharma practice, reading it requires the utmost attention and perseverance, but the rewards are inconceivable. I do hold a considerably contrary opinion to the previous reviewer, "A Friend and Neighbor", in this regard: do not be mislead by someone reading without experience and sincerity. I believe that it is intended to be challenging, and a practice in and of itself to overcome habitual mental laziness to access it's true import, from paragraph to paragraph. In my experience each sentence can be held indefinitely, and absorbed indefintely, providing many levels of meaning.
I have found in the course of reading many Dharma books in the english language that often things are either A. Watered down by being over-simplified, over-explained, and can tend towards being outright boring in this regard. . or B. They are strictly composed in the specialized language of Western Academia for an academic milieu, with a standardized terminology and style that would be almost as daunting to become fluent in as Tibetan itself. I have found that as with all of Thinley Norbu Rinpoche's books, this is a rare exception to both of these tendencies. He adeptly and creatively finds new ways to translate both words and concepts, instead of adhering to standardized forms of translation that in their crystallization have closed down meanings that are actually multilayered and meant to breathe with life. Rinpoche manages to resuscitate them, while using traditional metaphors and creating new ones for clarification. At the same time, he rigorously adheres to the traditional form of commentary, unfolding the meaning of each line of the Ngondro practice completely to it's final import, and thus illustrates that (as we often hear but fail to believe) --everything is contained within the Ngondro. Also true to the form, he cites from a large number of Sutras and traditional sources, -providing the benefit of fragments of translation of otherwise untranslated works, -or insightful re-translations of pieces that provoke new insights. Not to mislead you I will humbly admit that I have possessed this book for months, but haven't completed reading it. I am about half-way through, and I am taking my sweet time. I imagine I will be reading and re-reading it for a good while: It is a book that becomes a process, as you make progress in your own practice, new insights ensue and this text can help illuminate them. I keep it on my shrine, next to HH Dudjom Rinpoche's big red book and Dudjom Lingpa's "Buddhahood Without Meditation", which seems an appropriate place.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From a genuine master, another masterpiece., November 16, 2006

By	John Potts "Odzer Rabsal" (Boston, Ma United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It is delightful to encounter the writing of a non-native speaker of English whose command of the subtle nuances of the language exceeds that of even highly learned people for whom it is their mother tongue.

English translations of Tibetan Buddhist teachings sometimes employ multi syllabic philosophical terms when common use, simpler words are not apparently available, yet Thinley Norbu is able to express the precise meanings of complex Buddhist ideas with simple diction and idiom, making this text not only erudite and profound, but also remarkably mellifluous.

Highly recommended to any student of Dharma!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the first Ngöndrö commentary you should read but ..., August 31, 2008

By	Greg R. Johnson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are working through Ngöndrö this work is invaluable. Beginners would probably benefit from first reading "Words of My Perfect Teacher" which is far more accessible.

As other reviewers have stated, Norbu has attempted to translate technical Dharma terminology into contemporary idiom instead of adhering to standardized forms of translation. With the help of his daughter as translator, he has largely succeeded. Having said that, Norbu's idioms can sometimes be difficult to follow. A glossary would have been helpful. If the reader has a basic understanding of various Dharma terminology, combined with actual practice, then Norbu's idiosyncratic renderings can shed new insight for the reader.

Norbu begins by making his argument why both eternalist and nihilist philosophy is ultimately flawed. He then goes one to explicate ideas such as emptiness, vajra, luminous mind etc.

If you're looking for explicit directions on how to actually perform the various practices of the Ngöndrö, you won't find them here. If you're looking for insight into the meanings of these various practices this book is indeed a waterfall of nectar.

I read this book slowly over the course of eight months. I'm going to start re-reading this book with a note book and pen at hand in order jot down the numerous jewels of insight contained.