His Holiness the Dalai Lama is renowned the world over for his unswerving dedication to non-violence in his efforts to achieve justice for Tibet, yet the Chinese call him 'a wolf in monk's robes'. He is fourteenth in a lineage whose history is every bit as bloody and intrigue-laden as that of the Papacy. The sixth Dalai Lama was a notorious womaniser, four successive ones were almost certainly murdered and the present Dalai Lama has himself been the target of attacks that resulted in the brutal murder of a close colleague THE LIVES OF THE DALAI LAMA gives a fast-paced and absorbing insight into the real story of Tibetan culture, politics and spirituality, and shows the Dalai Lama as a man of courage, compassion and honesty.

Throughout the past millennium, certain Tibetan Buddhist yogins have taken on profoundly norm-overturning modes of dress and behavior, including draping themselves in human remains, consuming filth, provoking others to violence, and even performing sacrilege. They became known far and wide as "madmen" (smyon pa, pronounced nyönpa), achieving a degree of saintliness in the process. This book offers the first comprehensive study of Tibet's "holy madmen" drawing on their biographies and writings, as well as tantric commentaries, later histories, oral traditions, and more. Much of The Holy Madmen of Tibet is dedicated to examining the lives and legacies of the three most famous "holy madmen" who were all of the Kagyü sect: the Madman of Tsang (author of The Life of Milarepa), the Madman of Ü, and Drukpa Künlé, Madman of the Drukpa Kagyü. Each born in the 1450s, they rose to prominence during a period of civil war and of great shifts in Tibet's religious culture. By focusing on literature written by and about the "holy madmen" and on the yogins' relationships with their public, this book offers in-depth looks at the narrative and social processes out of which sainthood arises, and at the role biographical literature can play in the formation of sectarian identities. By showing how understandings of the "madmen" have changed over time, this study allows for new insights into current notions of "crazy wisdom." In the end, the "holy madmen" are seen as self-aware and purposeful individuals who were anything but insane.

Organized chronologically, starting with Buddha and ending with contemporary seekers, this book focuses on the moment of enlightenment in the lives of saints and masters that led to their witnessing divine reality.

The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems, by Thuken Losang Chokyi Nyima (1737-1802), is arguably the widest-ranging account of religious philosophies ever written in pre-modern Tibet. Like most Tibetan texts on philosophical systems, this work covers the major schools of India, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist, but then goes on to discuss in detail the entire range of Tibetan traditions as well, with separate chapters on the Nyingma, Kadam, Kagyu, Shije, Sakya, Jonang, Geluk, and Bon schools. Not resting there, Thuken goes on to describe the major traditions of China--Confucian, Daoist, and the multiple varieties of Buddhist--as well as those of Mongolia, Khotan, and even Shambhala. The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems is unusual, too, in its concern not just to describe and analyze doctrines, but to trace the historical development of the various traditions. The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems is an eloquent and erudite presentation exploring the religious history and philosophical systems of an array of Asian Cultures--and offering evidence that the serious and sympathetic study of the history of religions has not been a monopoly of Western scholarship.

The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems by Thuken Losang Chökyi Nyima (1737-1802) is probably the widest-ranging account of religious philosophies ever written in pre-modern Tibet. Thuken was a cosmopolitan Buddhist monk from Amdo, Mongol by heritage, Tibetan in education, and equally comfortable in a central Tibetan monastery or at the imperial court in Beijing. Like most texts on philosophical systems, his Crystal Mirror covers the major schools of India, both non-Buddhist and Buddhist, but then goes on to discuss in detail the entire range of Tibetan traditions as well, with separate chapters on the Nyingma, Kadam, Kagyü, Shijé, Sakya, Jonang, Geluk, and Bön. Not resting there, Thuken goes on to describe the major traditions of China-Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist-as well as those of Mongolia, Khotan, and Shambhala. The Crystal Mirror is unusual, too, in its concern not just to describe and analyze doctrines, but to trace the historical development of the various traditions. All this makes the Crystal Mirror an eloquent, erudite, and informative textbook on the religious history and philosophical systems of an array of Asian cultures-and provides evidence that serious and sympathetic study of the history of religions has not been a monopoly of Western scholarship.

The Kalachakra spiritual legacy is a vital and central part of Tibetan Buddhism. Presented here is a detailed and practical overview of this unique spiritual path. In Part One, the author discusses the tantric path to enlightenment by drawing on the writings of great scholar-practitioners of the past. He describes the sutrayana and vajrayana paths, outlines the four classes of tantras, compares the Kalachakra generation and completion stage yogas to those of the mainstream tantras and details the unique Kalachakra methods for attaining enlightenment in this lifetime. Part Two contains translations for seven texts for the pratice of Kalachakra, including a sadhana selected by the Dalai Lama for this book. Glenn Mullin's perceptive and very readable discussion of the theory and practice of this profound tantric system is an excellent addition to the literature on this subject.

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama is the foremost spokesperson for the people of the Tibetan Plateau—although his home is in India, in the Himalayan foothills, where he has been forced to live in exile since 1959. As a Buddhist monk, his main focus has been the spiritual life, and the leadership of his people in exile, ensuring their survival and preserving their unique Buddhist culture, while appealing to the world to stop the destruction of their homeland and the six million Tibetans oppressed within it. Every March 10th, from 1961 until 2011, in commemoration of the greatest uprising of the Tibetan people against the Chinese military occupation, the Dalai Lama delivered an appeal to the world on behalf of his people. Each statement is a heartfelt call to recognize the truth and the factual reality of Tibet’s history and situation; a cry for help, a plea for justice, and a pledge of determination to withstand the worst and to overcome. In these annual addresses, he began to articulate and fully express his overarching appeal to humanity. All of the Dalai Lama’s March 10th speeches, at their most poignant and eloquent, are collected here, introduced and historically contextualized by Sofia Stril-Rever, an author and scholar of Tibetan history and culture and Buddhist spirituality who has long served as his French translator. Here in this book is his appeal to us all. The people of all nations have heard it and have tried to help, but their governments still have not dared to stand up effectively for justice on behalf of the Tibetan people and for recognition of the basic human rights to which we all are entitled. The question therefore remains: Who will finally respond to this appeal in time to prevent the ultimate disaster that is looming on the roof of the world?

The 14th Dalai Lama, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and spiritual leader of the Tibetans in exile, is well known in the West, but the 600-year tradition to which he is heir is less familiar. In this book, Glenn Mullin offers the life stories of all 14 Dalai Lamas in one volume for the first time. He has also included excerpts from their teachings, poetry, and other writings that illuminate the principles of Tibetan Buddhism. From the birth of the first Dalai Lama in 1391, each subsequent Dalai Lama has been the reincarnation of his predecessor, choosing to take up the burdens of a human life for the benefit of the Tibetan people. For almost six centuries, the Dalai Lamas have served as the Tibetans' spiritual leader and have held secular power for nearly half that time. The Dalai Lamas are revered as incarnations of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddhist embodiment of compassion, but each has been a unique individual with different abilities and temperament.