Roaring Silence

October 1, 2002
The authors, husband and wife, are both Westerners who teach meditation and other spiritual practices of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Here they discuss the four traditional meditation practices (in Tibetan, Naljors) for achieving Dzogchen, i.e., utter totality. Readers conversant with Buddhism (especially Zen) will find much that is familiar, but this is no dry doctrinaire treatise. The authors have a pleasant conversational style and a lighthearted approach to religious practice. They strive to make Buddhist spiritual ideals intelligible to Westerners. Each chapter consists of a brief discussion, followed by some typical questions and answers. Specific meditation exercises are included. The text, however, frequently uses technical Tibetan religious terms without giving good definitions; a Tibetan glossary and cross-index to other Buddhist traditions would have been valuable. Thus, this volume will probably not appeal to casual readers. Nevertheless, it is recommended for academic libraries and public libraries with substantial religion collections.DJames F. DeRoche, Alexandria, VA

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