Description

A rich, readable synthesis of Buddhist history by the legendary master Jamgon Kongtrul who illuminates for “those who have not studied much” the people, ideas, and storied texts through which Buddhism is transmitted across cultures and generations. Ngawang Zangpo has rendered an outstanding translation of this in-depth, well-rounded, and accessible introduction to 2,500 years and more of Buddhists’ understandings of themselves.-Anne Carolyn Klein, author of Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse

Ngawang Zangpo presents Buddhist enthusiasts-practitioners and scholars alike-with a cogent and masterful translation of important sections of the great nineteenth-century Tibetan Buddhist master Jamgon Kongtrul’s encyclopedic Five Treasuries. His clear introduction and useful back matter lend important context to Kongtrul’s massive work and explain why it is (and was originally) intended to be relevant for a wide range of readers interested in Buddhist teachings.-Sarah Jacoby, Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies, Northwestern University

Lama Ngawang has once again brought to us in English key texts by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, the preeminent yogi, scholar, and co-founder of the ecumenical movement of nineteenth-century Tibet. Joyfully, this book expands our understanding of the dharma and its gifts, passed from one master to the next, each one like beads of gold in a mala.-Lama Palde, Sukhasiddhi Foundation

Jamgon Kongtrul’s ten-volume Treasury of Knowledge is a unique encyclopedic master-piece embodying the entire range of Buddhist teachings as they were preserved in Tibet. Tibetan Buddhist teachers expected their students to study Buddhist philosophical texts as well as practice reflection and meditation; present-day students have also realized that awakening has its source in study as well as in reflection and practice.

Buddhism’s Journey to Tibet presents Kongtrul’s masterful history of Buddhism in India and Tibet. Beginning with the appearance of the Buddha in our world (Book Two), it describes the Buddha’s life, his enlightenment, and what he taught (Book Three), from a multitude of Buddhist viewpoints. Buddhism’s transmission to and preservation in Tibet is the focus of the main part of this volume (Book Four), which describes the scriptural transmissions and lineages of meditation practice as well as the Buddhist arts that together make up the world of Tibetan Buddhism.