Open Heart, Open Mind

February 13, 2012
In this intermediate guide to Buddhist principles, popular Tibetan teacher Tsoknyi Rinpoche III writes, “Learning to live with... courage requires us to see the nature of the challenges we face, the nature of ourselves, and the nature of reality, in a radically different light.” To this end, the author addresses such obstacles as habitual patterns and the process of identification, then outlines ways to access the individual’s “tremendous inner potential for openness, warmth, and wisdom.” He provides detailed insights on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness—body, feeling, thoughts, and dharma, which he interprets as space, along with discussions of the subtle body, bodhicitta (seeking enlightenment for all), tonglen (cultivating compassion), dzogchen (“great perfection”), and the six paramitas (perfections). Raised in Nepal and now married with two children, Tsoknyi Rinpoche uses many examples from his challenging teenage experiences at a monastery in India and includes anecdotes from his students. His notable skill is using clear language and homespun analogies to illuminate Buddhist concepts. Tibetan terms are explained as well as their Sanskrit equivalents. Simple practices are scattered throughout; a glossary is included. Warm and largely accessible, this book is a master class for practitioners looking for clear explanations of Buddhism’s ideas from a Tibetan perspective. Agent: Emma Sweeney.

February 15, 2012
Zen life and the art of mindfulness. A well-respected teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, Rinpoche is recognized by many as a spiritual leader imparting a progressive combination of old Tibetan wisdom and 21st-century practicality. Richard Gere considers himself a student of the author, writing in the introduction that Rinpoche encourages followers to "discover, then rest in, the open truth of our natural essence, our original beingness." This quote illustrates both the book's pros and cons: Rinpoche's insights will be a boon for veteran Buddhists, while uninitiated readers may be lost among the navel-gazing. To his credit, the author's approach is both practical and philosophical as he dispenses transcendent guidance to those in what he terms as modern-day "bondage" to informational overload, job stress and complex agendas. Chapters on the author's Nepalese upbringing and lineage set the appropriate foundation for the good work that's been his calling since the age of eight. Rinpoche details a rich history of worldwide travel spent apprenticing with an array of Tibetan gurus and a rewarding lifetime enjoying the presence of followers eager to absorb the tenets of his self-nurturing belief systems. Proverbs, Tibetan interpretations, sage wisdom and anecdotes further exemplify the author's themes of blissfulness and the unconditional inherence of "essence love." Though best appreciated by the spiritually sophisticated, Rinpoche's infectious spiritual energy, enthusiasm and insight will still prove relevant for anyone with an open mind and a willingness to project peace and goodness inward and outward. Centered serenity from one of the greats.

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