Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderment!
Review: A "wonderment" is a thing of wonder. And this parable is that. Haven't you ever had the itch to someday ask Jesus or the Buddha everything that you have always wondered about. "Why do bad guys get rich?" "Why are some good guys poor?" "What happens after death?" "Who stuck me with such a horrible mother-in-law and why can't she just blow away?" "Why did I eat the potatoe chips with food poisoning?" "Why did I spell 'potato' with an 'e'?" "How come babies die?" The author was the first Westerner to become a Tibetan Geshe. And this takes twenty years! So he knows his stuff. To answer these questions and others that you may want to ask, you will take many trips into a garden. Buddhas and Buddhist saints will come to you and answer these type of questions. The reader is represented by a man who is searching. Isn't this what we want? This is a beautiful parable. And somewhat spooky at times! At least, that's the way I felt. Imagine sitting on a bench and waiting for some spooky Buddha to arrive to answer your grisly questions. And that's what happens. I will say no more. Buy the book.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderment!
Review: A "wonderment" is a thing of wonder. And this parable is that. Haven't you ever had the itch to someday ask Jesus or the Buddha everything that you have always wondered about. "Why do bad guys get rich?" "Why are some good guys poor?" "What happens after death?" "Who stuck me with such a horrible mother-in-law and why can't she just blow away?" "Why did I eat the potatoe chips with food poisoning?" "Why did I spell 'potato' with an 'e'?" "How come babies die?" The author was the first Westerner to become a Tibetan Geshe. And this takes twenty years! So he knows his stuff. To answer these questions and others that you may want to ask, you will take many trips into a garden. Buddhas and Buddhist saints will come to you and answer these type of questions. The reader is represented by a man who is searching. Isn't this what we want? This is a beautiful parable. And somewhat spooky at times! At least, that's the way I felt. Imagine sitting on a bench and waiting for some spooky Buddha to arrive to answer your grisly questions. And that's what happens. I will say no more. Buy the book.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderment!
Review: A "wonderment" is a thing of wonder. And this parable is that. Haven't you ever had the itch to someday ask Jesus or the Buddha everything that you have always wondered about. "Why do bad guys get rich?" "Why are some good guys poor?" "What happens after death?" "Who stuck me with such a horrible mother-in-law and why can't she just blow away?" "Why did I eat the potatoe chips with food poisoning?" "Why did I spell 'potato' with an 'e'?" "How come babies die?" The author was the first Westerner to become a Tibetan Geshe. And this takes twenty years! So he knows his stuff. To answer these questions and others that you may want to ask, you will take many trips into a garden. Buddhas and Buddhist saints will come to you and answer these type of questions. The reader is represented by a man who is searching. Isn't this what we want? This is a beautiful parable. And somewhat spooky at times! At least, that's the way I felt. Imagine sitting on a bench and waiting for some spooky Buddha to arrive to answer your grisly questions. And that's what happens. I will say no more. Buy the book.
Rating:
Summary: All encompassing - Simplistic and Profound
Review: Geshe Micahel is one of thoes rare individuals who has the ability to speak on many different levels. The Garden covers all the main principles of Buddhism in such a way that anyone can read and understand them. I have had the pleasure to read some short teachings from Geshe Michael before I picked up The Garden, and each time I read his teachings, they seem to strike something in me. He speaks from more than factual understanding, he speaks from personal realization. Thats why The Garden is so simplistic and profound at the same time. It is a great read for the new commer, and a wonderful refresher for the old timer. Geshe Michael and this book, are something very special.
Rating:
Summary: All encompassing - Simplistic and Profound
Review: Geshe Micahel is one of thoes rare individuals who has the ability to speak on many different levels. The Garden covers all the main principles of Buddhism in such a way that anyone can read and understand them. I have had the pleasure to read some short teachings from Geshe Michael before I picked up The Garden, and each time I read his teachings, they seem to strike something in me. He speaks from more than factual understanding, he speaks from personal realization. Thats why The Garden is so simplistic and profound at the same time. It is a great read for the new commer, and a wonderful refresher for the old timer. Geshe Michael and this book, are something very special.
Rating:
Summary: A 21st century Lam Rim
Review: Geshe Michael Roach has encompassed all the tenets of the Lam Rim and embedded them in this wonderful little book. Not only does he know his stuff but he writes beautifully. The Tibetan and Indian masters whom the protagonist meets are vivid and powerful characters. Who could forget the portrait of Vasu Bandhu, or his amazing portrayal of Maitreya? Brilliant stuff Geshe-la....
Rating:
Summary: A 21st century Lam Rim
Review: Geshe Michael Roach has encompassed all the tenets of the Lam Rim and embedded them in this wonderful little book. Not only does he know his stuff but he writes beautifully. The Tibetan and Indian masters whom the protagonist meets are vivid and powerful characters. Who could forget the portrait of Vasu Bandhu, or his amazing portrayal of Maitreya? Brilliant stuff Geshe-la....
Rating: 
Summary: One Stop Shopping
Review: Geshe Roach summons some of the great Masters of Tibetan Buddhism, but offers extremely little background information about them for the reader whose knowledge is limited. At the same time, his descriptions of the teachings (and the plot) seem to be geared toward the novice. So, for whom was this book written? If you are an intermediate student of Tibetan Buddhism, you probably will find the storyline to be too simplistic for your tastes - you may find yourself thinking, "Get to the point!" On the other hand, you will enjoy witnessing the appearance of the great Masters and re-visiting the Dharma. If you are a beginner on the path, you may find yourself asking, "Who are these guys, anyway?" as the Masters enter the Garden. However, you will welcome the wisdom they bring with them (and you have the names with which to begin your research!). So, I gave this book four stars, not because of the writing style, but, rather, because it offers "one stop shopping" for some of the most important teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and the names (and, perhaps, personalities) of the men/Bodhisatvas who presented them to the world. For this, I say "Thank you Geshe-la!"
Rating:
Summary: One in a million
Review: If you are very lucky you come across only a couple of books like this in your lifetime. Geshe Michael Roach has the "can't put it down" style. This little book contains massively powerful information disguised in a parable. The definition of kharma within these pages is beautiful. I cant wait to read it again!
Rating:
Summary: Kind of a Buddhist version of "The Great Divorce"
Review: Something about this book reminded me of C. S. Lewis and "The Great Divorce." It had a certain dream-like quality but with a harsh edge of judgmentalism. Nevertheless, I love both books and will reread "The Garden." It humanized Tibetan Buddhism enormously and offered a lot of very sound Buddhist philosophy, as well as some surprisingly good meditational hints! All in all, an excellent book despite the weird, monistic ending. I found that to be a little unsatisfying, partly because it didn't seem that clear and because it tried to be mystical. But the conversations he had with the great masters were all great and well worth the price of the book. But I must add that the theory that we entirely create the world, that any suffering or pain we experience is due to something bad we did in our past lives, irked me. I haven't found anything quite like this in other forms of Buddhism and it put me off. In fact, it angered and challenged me, which is okay. But just be warned that you, too, might find this book irritating or mind-stretching.
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