Recommended Books on Buddhism

If the translators were the scholar's scholars of Tibet, Chak Lotsawa was what might be called a "translator's translator," and he achieved this state by seeking out texts and teachers in India and Nepal. His biography records that "he mastered the entirety of, in general, the five sciences, and in particular, tantra, linguistics, and logic" as a result of his study with twelve great Indian panditas.4' The story of his travels to India to see the great monasteries (viharas), which he undertook in spite of the dangers of repeated military incursions from Turkey, are well worth reading, and I will tell only one highlight. The climax comes perhaps when Chak discovers the great pandita Rahulasribhadra at Nalanda, deserted by his students. The translator stayed with him to study, hid with him when the soldiers arrived, and eventually carried the aged pandita on his back to safety. One can understand why Sa-pans family prevented him from travelling in India as a youth. There were real dangers to this pursuit of pandityam, but the result, evident in Sa-pans praise of Chak's abilities, could well be worth the risk.

Dharma books

Thinley Norbu is the nyingma lineage holder with the most exquisite and refined mastery over the English language. // In this autobiographical narrative, Kyabje Thinley Norbu Rinpoche sets a magical scene as he describes his early years in “Snowland” (Tibet) as one of seven children of the renowned Nyingma master Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche. After touching on his youthful training and experiences, Rinpoche describes how…

Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, dharma books