<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: boy did he leave a lot of folks out!
Review: I also was amazed by who was left out. A sample: namkhai norbu, tenzin wangyal, ole nydahl and...(drum roll)...tarthang tulku(!!!)All these people are very, very interesting (sometimes controversial) teachers of tibetan buddhism. That's why it's so surprising he doesn't include them. They're all so interesting!!! That said, this is very much worth reading. It's well done and he doesn't candy coat any of the bad stuff (refreshing). There were plenty of new things (to me, anyway) here that made me seriously think. I particularly liked the great dzogchen master that one man put up in his lavish upstairs bedroom, only to have the master move into a walk-in closet and convert it into a version of a "himalayan cave." I loved the story where some man in a western audience said to the dalai lama, "Just tell us the fastest way to
enlightenment-" only to have the Great One burst into tears (tears of compassion, to my mind; read it and come to your own conclusion). Anyway, you get the idea. So, the bottom line is I'm very glad I read this book. However, the definitive story of tibetan buddhism in the west remains to be told. That said, you'll enjoy this book a lot. I know I did.
Rating:
Summary: A great introduction to Tibetian Buddhism for Westerners
Review: If you'd like to read one book to learn both about Tibetian Buddhism in general and the colorful lives of its proponents in the West, this book will do nicely. The author, who probably is not a Tibetian Buddhist master himself but a kind and tender soul who approaches the issue with empathy and good humor, does a good job in presenting us the life stories of sharp characters such as Lama Yeshe, Dalai Lama, Alexandra David-Neel, Chogyam Trungpa, Alyce Zeoli (Jetsunma) and others. There is plenty references to other English-language sources on the topic to pursue your interest further. Keep your pencil ready. A difficult subject is approached without boring the reader, without hiding the warts and jagged edges, while sharing fascinating anectodes from the lives of some truly remarkable religious savants of the past and current century. A great entertaining introductory book that should not be mistaken for a meditation guide or a critical learned essay.
Rating: 
Summary: A decent overview
Review: Re-enchantment provides a reasonably well-written summary of stories that have already been told. Anyone acquainted with the subject is advised to pass this title over though. It appears to be mostly recycled info from books like Vicki Mackenzie's various titles, Sherill's Buddha From Brooklyn, and Tricycle/Shambhala Sun backissues. Despite the title, little mention is made of Europe aside from references to the Vidyadhara Trungpa Rinpoche's initial landing in the UK. One example of the tendency to highly only the most prominent and already-documented storylines: I was curious to read a little more about Tarthang Tulku, who's been living and teaching in California since 1968, where he established large temple complex and a publishing house, among other enterprises. He's not even mentioned in passing.
Rating: 
Summary: Too bad, bewitched again
Review: We need good histories of Buddhism and Hinduism, and this work is another incremental bit added to the literature, worth reading. Tibetan Buddhists have reached Hollywood finally but have a nasty habit of getting chased out of one country only to invade another using their 'standard operating procedures', black magic and other nice tactics that leave their fans not knowing what hit them. You can almost spot the game if you study the Lobsang Rampa swindle in motion. It was the guru Rajneeesh who let loose the bombshell of the occult fascism of the Buddhist sangha back when and a lot of Buddhists I know are distinctly 'ex' and permanently paranoid.
What is the status of this religion, then? Setting up the usual exoteric museum piece in the middle of American culture is an expensive use of devoted followers who might find liberation in a less devious spiritual path.
<< 1 >>
| 
