Introduction to Tantra: The Transformation of Desire

by Thubten Yeshe, Jonathan Landaw (Editor), Philip Glass (Foreword by)

Overview

New edition of this perennial classic. “The best introductory work on Tibetan Buddhist tantra available today.”—Janet Gyatso, Harvard University

What is tantra? Who is qualified to practice it? How should it be practiced? What are the results? According to Buddhism, every human being has the potential to achieve profound and lasting happiness. And according to the tantric teachings of Buddhism, this remarkable transformation can be realized very quickly if we utilize all aspects of our human energy——especially the energy of our desires. Introduction to Tantra is the best available clarification of a subject that is often misunderstood. Tantra recognizes that the powerful energy aroused by our desire is an indispensable resource for the spiritual path. It is precisely because our lives are so inseparably linked with desire that we must make use of desire's tremendous energy not just for pleasure, but to transform our lives. Lama Yeshe presents tantra as a practice leading to joy and self-discovery, with a vision of reality that is simple, clear, and relevant to 21st-century life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781614291558
Publisher:	Wisdom Publications MA
Publication date:	03/04/2014
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

At the time Forbidden Planet came along, science fiction hadn't existed for all that long as a movie genre, having really only established itself after World War II as distinct from horror films and movie serials. And there had been some serious science fiction films made up to that time -- most notably, Robert Wise's The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). But science fiction was still considered primarily a genre that appealed to children, centered on action and adventure, without undue plot complexities or character relationships. Forbidden Planet changed all that, without sacrificing a genuine sense of wonder and other elements that juvenile audiences could enjoy. At the time, people mostly noticed the special effects, perhaps the best ever done up to that time and for many years beyond; it was the first movie that could convince viewers, moment to moment, that they were out in space or on some alien planet. Forbidden Planet's real importance, however, lay in respecting its audience, including the kids, enough to steep its plot in psychology and to make some statements about human nature that were pretty strong stuff in the midst of the Cold War, with both sides detonating H-bomb tests on a regular basis. The movie walks an even more precarious tightrope with its subplot about nubile Anne Francis' relationship with her father and the officers of the starship that has just landed in their two-person paradise. The plot was adapted from William Shakespeare's The Tempest, which flabbergasted (and distressed) some critics but helped draw a new, more serious viewer to this kind of movie. Forbidden Planet was so good, in fact, that it proved an impossible act to follow, and no one tried for almost a decade. But its influence trails out for a half-century beyond: Gene Roddenberry drew most of his ideas about the crew, officers (and their personal relationships), and setting of Star Trek from Forbidden Planet's script and set designs, and George Lucas' funny androids (not to mention Lost in Space's helpful robot servant) have their origins in Forbidden Planet's Robby the Robot. And one can only guess at what luck Stanley Kubrick might've had getting financing for 2001: A Space Odyssey, especially out of MGM, had it not been for the precedent of Forbidden Planet.

Table of Contents

Foreword Philip Glass vii

Preface xi

1 Basic Purity 1

2 Desire and Happiness 7

3 Pleasure, Disappointment, and Fulfillment 17

4 Overthrowing the Tyranny of Ordinary Appearances 29

5 Emerging from Dissatisfaction 39

6 Opening the Heart 45

7 Dissolving Self-Created Limitations 57

8 Clear Spaciousness of Mind 69

9 Inspiration and the Guru 83

10 Entering Highest Tantric Practice 99

11 Arising as a Deity 117

12 Final Accomplishment 131

Glossary 143

Index 157

About the Author 163

Editorial Reviews

"No one has summarized the essence of tantra as well as Thubten Yeshe does here."

Religious Studies Review

"Many years ago I heard a Dharma talk by Lama Yeshe. I was very impressed with his ability to communicate deep truths in very ordinary language, with a hilarious sense of humor that helped deliver such wisdom. But he died, so my attention eventually went elsewhere. Recently, I discovered his books—some very technical Tantra; some down-to-earth wisdom. Lama Yeshe's same gift was present in both modes. Although, my many years of Dharma training is in Theravadin Buddhism, especially the practice of vipassana meditation, I found his teaching once again to be of great value—so direct, so clear. Granted, some of his technical Tantra seemed to me, at first, of limited relevance to my interests. But upon closer reading, and in his hands, these teachings proved equally valuable. Lama Yeshe has given us a body of teaching of immense significance for practitioners of all schools of Buddhadharma."

Larry Rosenberg

"Introduction to Tantra, with its foreword by Philip Glass, deserves to be widely distributed—it will be very helpful to lots of people."

Prof. Robert Thurman

"The best introductory work on Tibetan Buddhist tantra available today."

Professor Janet Gyatso

"Lama Yeshe was one of the forefathers capable of translating Tibetan Buddhist thought not only through language, but by his presence, gestures and way of life. He was a wonderful person who had the unique quality of conveying the true message of the union of compassion and wisdom."

Gehlek Rimpoche

"A lucid explanation of Buddhist tantra... a classic."

Phillip Glass