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Reginald A. Ray

Secret of the Vajra World: The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet (World of Tibetan Buddhism, Vol. 2) Paperback – July 23, 2002

by Reginald A. Ray (Author)

15 customer reviews

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This book provides an entrée into the Tantric (or Vajrayana) Buddhism of Tibet, as conveyed by Tibetan masters teaching in the West, and as received by their Western students. The Tantric tradition is a unique collection of lesser-known texts, concepts, and meditation practices that are usually made available only to experienced and specially initiated practitioners.

The "Vajra World" ( vajradhatu in Sanskrit) is a realm of indestructibility, the level of reality beyond all thought and imagination, all impermanence and change, which a fully realized person knows and inhabits. Used metaphorically, "Vajra World" refers to the traditional culture of Tibet and the unique spirituality that is its secret strength.

Topics include:

   • The tantric view of human nature and the external world
   • The special role of the guru, or tantric mentor
   • The preliminary practices that prepare the student for full initiation
   • The major dimensions of Vajrayana practice, including visualizations, liturgies, and inner yogas
   • The tradition of the tulku, or incarnate lama
   • The lore surrounding the death of ordinary people and of saints
   • The practice of solitary retreat, the epitome of traditional Tibetan Buddhism

Secret of the Vajra World is the companion volume to the author's earlier book, Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism. While that book focuses on the history, cosmology, philosophy, and practice of the more public, exoteric side of Tibetan Buddhism, this work treats its more hidden and esoteric aspects as they take shape in Vajrayana. Together, the two volumes provide a broad introduction to the major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An accessible, far-ranging guidebook."— Tricycle

About the Author

Reginald A. Ray, PhD, is a faculty member at Naropa University and is President and Spiritual Director of the Dharma Ocean Foundation, which is dedicated to the practice, study, and preservation of the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa. He is also the author of many books, including Indestructible Truth and In the Presence of Masters.

Paperback: 544 pages
Publisher: Shambhala; 1st ed edition (July 23, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1607416328
ISBN-13: 978-1570629174
ASIN: 157062917X
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 15 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #189 in Karma Buddhism
- #11679 in Philosophy (Books)

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Patrick D. Goonan

An excellent scholarly work for serious students

May 24, 2006

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Reginald Ray's "Secret of the Vajra World" is the second volume of a two volume set put out by Shambhala Publications on Tibetan Buddhism. The other companion book is called "Indestructible Truth." Together, these books present a comprehensive and scholarly overview of Tibetan Buddhism.

While these books are very interesting, they present a lot of detail and are difficult to enjoy if you don't already have a good foundation knowledge of the topic. For those who are just starting out, I recommend "Introduction to Tantra" by Lama Yeshe or one of the many other excellent books referred to in some of the reviews below.

If you are a serious student of Tibetan Buddhism, these two volumes are an excellent reference. Although I have read them through once, I primarily use them to look up questions that I have or to establish context when I am reading other books on the topic.

If you are very new to Tibetan Buddhism and you want something that is much less esoteric or intimidating, then I would consider "The Art of Happiness" by the Dalai Lama. While this is not a book on Tibetan Buddhism as such, it presents a lot of the important principles in a way that is understandable to almost anyone. It is co-authored by Dr. Howard Cutler who is a psychiatrist. I found his commentary helps bridge the gap between East and West for people who are completely new to this worldview.

18 people found this helpful

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Bodhidharma

Indispensible and thorough introduction to Vajrayana

July 24, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

What an amazing book to read and re-read. Many of the books listed in the bibliography are outstanding. You don't have to read Indestructible Truth first, but you probably should as that's an excellent work as well.

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D. C.

uniquely clear synthesis

April 21, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

less academic and more of a conversational writing style. the author provides a uniquely clear synthesis. and yes the title and dust cover art is questionable but the hardcover is much more tasteful.

follow this up with the audio training Mahamudra for the Modern World to put it into action. it's just one credit if you use amazon's audible program.

2 people found this helpful

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Meloni Swecker

Have some basic knowledge before this book.

May 31, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

If you do not already have a firm background in Buddhism and or the Tantric path you might be slightly confused or even disappointed. My husband however loved this book and also part 1.

2 people found this helpful

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J. E. Bonarski

Answers and a guidebook

January 24, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Dr. Ray is very knowledgeable about buddhism and is able to speak about it in everyday language without confusion. After trying to understand Buddhism for several years, this book along with volume 1 by Dr. Ray, Indestructible Truth, this book is a treasure.

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Mizzery

Reggie is a fantastic writer, and has a western outlook on the ...

September 19, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Reggie is a fantastic writer, and has a western outlook on the tradition of Buddhism, and the practice of meditation. I have found all of his books to be very insightful, and complete.

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John K. Browne

An excellent scholarly presentation containing many jewels.

May 25, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is an excellent scholarly presentation, despite the somewhat sensational Kamma sutra cover.
It containes many insightful gems and elicited a number of "AH HA!" or "Satori moments" for me, even after my many decades of study and interest in esoteric spirituality.

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Review Guy

The best primer on Tibetan Buddhism.

February 25, 2007

Format: Paperback

While I was attracted to this book by the gorgeous graphic design and illustration, I was more than a bit intimidated. As interested as I am in this topic, I assumed this book would be way over my head. At best, I hoped this 2-volume set of 500-page books might replace Hegel's "Phenomenology of Spirit" as my bathroom doorstop.

No so. This is a terrific book, even for non-specialists. Ray articulates his goals for this "circumscribed, nontechnical introduction to Tibetan Buddhism" as follows: to "(1) provide an outline to the subject in relatively short compass; (2) not be overly technical or burdened with the myriad details of Tibetan Buddhist history; (3) address the spirituality or "practice" of the tradition, rather than focus primarily on philosophy, dogma, institutional life, or political history; (4) give due attention to the "Practice Lineage" traditions such as the Nyingma and the Kagyu, which are often underplayed in this story; and (5) try to strike a balance between my own Western perspective and that of Tibetans speaking about their own traditions in their own voices." He achieves each of these admirably.

Of course, it's not an easy read; this book and its companion are densely packed with information. But most the terminology is layed out in logical sequence, without discontinuity or digressions. This ethereal topic has a strange way of escaping the student's intellectual grasp. Authors in this area use terms (e.g. "emptiness") that -while apparently crystal clear to accomplished meditators- are largely inaccessible to "book students." I understand the teachers' hesitance to reduce Buddhist concepts to abstract defintions, but non-answers like "Zen is three pounds of flax" can be pretty infuriating for the newbee. That's why I was pleasantly surprised to find that Ray just goes ahead and defines terms without a bunch of qualifications.

Finally, the author comes up with some really poetic langauage like: "Old Tibet [...] lay close upon the incandescent sea [of the] turbulent burning wisdom of reality."

This is a book to study - to be read and re-read.

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