Synopses & Reviews
The best-selling author of T
he Healing Power of Mind presents a historical overview and detailed explanation of the phenomenon of incarnate enlightened beings, known as
tulkus in Tibetan. A tulku, out of kindness for beings, is born again and again as a teacher who dedicates his or her life to serving others, specifically through sharing the teachings of the Buddha. He or she is usually recognized by those well-trained friends and students who were close to the previous incarnation and who have the appropriate insight to recognize their deceased master in the form of a very young child. Throughout the history of Tibetan Buddhism, tulkus have been the standard-bearers of the tradition and providers of spiritual and social guidance for both the ordained and the lay people of that culture.
The book covers the following topics: the fundamental principle of the tulku; the three kinds of tulkus; the methods for recognizing tulkus; stories of tulkus' miracles and clairvoyance; the goals fulfilled by them; the roles tulkus have played in history; and the attainments they have displayed at death.
Synopsis
A tulku is a fully enlightened one (buddha) or highly accomplished adept (siddha) who chooses to be reborn again and again for the benefit of all beings. Most tulkus, though, are the rebirths of well-trained masters who are engaged in spiritual training and serving others. Tibetan Buddhists have, for well over a millennium, been meticulously following the tradition of finding, recognizing, enthroning, training, and venerating these revered figures who provide teachings of liberation for both monks and laypeople. This guide to the tulku tradition covers its long history, separating fact from fiction, giving an overview of how the system works, and providing short biographies of some of the great tulkus of the past and present. Included are accounts of the magical occurrences that are associated with these remarkable beings, and advice for how anyone can set out on the tulku path.
About the Author
Tulku Thondup Rinpoche was born in East Tibet and was recognized to be a tulku at age five. He studied at Tibet’s famed Dodrupchen Monastery, settling in India in 1958, and teaching for many years in its universities. He came to the United States in 1980 as a visiting scholar at Harvard University. For the past three decades he has lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he writes, translates, and teaches under the auspices of the Buddhayana Foundation. His numerous books include The Healing Power of Mind, which has now been published in eighteen languages, and Boundless Healing, which has been published in eleven languages.