The Lotus-Born : The Life Story of Padmasambhava

Rating:
Summary: Important Dharma Material
Review: Lotus-Born is a Dharma book. As such it should be sold and cared for in a proper manner. If you believe that this book is not being sold in a manner consistant with your teaching, please refrain from buying and causing the seller bad karma.

Rating:
Summary: Nothing In This Book is True But That Is What Was Written
Review: That's the feeling I get after reading the whole book. Which part of it is true or the whole book is just plain fantasy stuff?

I also realized that some of the ridiculous ideas that people have are perhaps originated from the source for this book. It goes to show how gullible people can be. On the other hand, it goes to show why some people considered Padmasambhava (aka Guru Rinpoche) to be a charlatan. You are encouraged to read also "Tibetan Buddhism, With Its Mystic Cults, Symbolism and Mythology, and in Its Relation to Indian Buddhism" (ISBN:0486201309) by Laurence Austin Waddell.

If you are going to buy this book, be prepared to think of it like a Marvel comics without pictures but only words ---- pure fantasy.

Rating:
Summary: Truly inspirational, informative and devotional
Review: This book on the life of Padmasambhava is a beautiful story that lists his various accomplishments from his miraculous birth from a lotus to his attaining various spiritual accomplishments and establishing the Buddha Dharma firmly in the Land of Tibet. This book is translated from the original scripture, and is an authentic source for information on Padmasambhava's life.

The book may read as fantasy, but as any religious literature, it must not be read in a wooden-literal sense, because to do so, would defeat the purpose of the work in the first place. This book was originally written by Yeshe Tsogyal (Padmasambhava's consort) to inspire future generations and to deepen their faith in Padmasambhava and his works. To that end, this modern translation succeeds completely. The foreword by the much reknowned teacher-H.H Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche adds weight to the caliber of this book and the information it contains.

For practitioners of Tib. Buddhism, this book is an invaluable resource. For non-practitioners, the book reads like a fast paced fantastic story with many miraculous events and larger-than-life personages whose lives contain snipets of many former lives. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!