China Books

Very useful book, especially for beginners. Unlike some of the Japanese origami books, this assumes no prior cultural knowledge, so you can knock off some easy projects quickly, and do some quite complicated ones later. Recommended!

The art of paperfolding has been one of my interests for many years and one I enjoy sharing with my students. This book is a great reference, first of all because the illustrations are very clear and easy to follow. The projects range from simple to somewhat advanced, but none are too difficult to make once you understand the basic folds. My students are always particularly fascinated by the figures that "do things" such as the "Chinese Balloon," which you can blow up and toss around, the "Bird with Flapping Wings," which really seems to fly, and the "Snapping Alligator," which, well, you guessed it. Other paperfolds from this book that never cease to amuse children as well as adults are the "Money Fold Bow Tie," and "Jumping Frog." If you are not sufficiently amazed with your finished paperfold as it is, the author gives additional options and uses for each. Paperfolding is beautiful, magical and tons of fun. This book is a must have if you enjoy the art as much as I do.

This book is amazing! It has many interesting projects to do. Unlike other origami books, this book teaches you easy methods of folding. It doesn't take long for you to become a master at origami and you'll have fun too. Invest in this book soon and you won't regret it.

One of the best books wrote about Love and devotion to family. It gives great insight to the asian culture of doing things from back in the day. Will read this item more then one time. A true classic of the heart and of the spirit.

The story behind the lovely illustration on the cover is engaging and holds one's interest throughout. The novel moves forward through unexpected turns of events. Traditional mores and cultural practices are woven into the story in a natural way, giving the reader a rich picture of the setting in which the events unfold and how the traditional culture affects the behavior of the characters and the limitations which the Chinese culture placed upon them at that time. As the language is simple and the format user-friendly, the reader can become quickly immersed into the colorful life of China several centuries ago.

One of the best piece of classical chinese literature. The story will engross you with its many fascinating characters. As I dug deeper and deeper into the story, I found myself completely immersed in it's storyline, characters, and landscapes - almost if I was somehow a part of the story. This book, by far, has the most fascinating characters. They will move you with their passion, failure, lonliness, jubilation, and gloom. This book truly holds a mythical world of passion and romance. A must read for anyone who hasn't experienced the sensuality of Ming Dynasty romance.

Professor Rigger's inaugural work shows a great deal of talent and promise. She argues convincingly that it was the very institution of local elections, conducted even in the darkest days of the Chiang Kai-Shek era, that made a crucial contribution to the island's later peaceful transition to democracy. Very insightful and informative.

An outstanding contribution to understanding the current status of the political scene in this part of Asia and its implications for the greater world community. It is comprehensive, well organized, and very readable, even for the relative novice to the field.

'Politics in Taiwan' is an extraordinarily well researched, elegantly argued and very readable book. It concisely contends that Taiwan's 'democratic miracle' is a result of a long history of local elections that have taken place on the island, inculcating democratic skills and nurturing a viable opposition to the authoritarian regime. The book comprises an equal blend of theoretical reasoning and empirical richness. Professor Rigger nicely captures both the dynamics of historical development and the contingencies of real-life politics. A must-read for those interested in contemporary Taiwan and/or democratization, and very suitable for the college classroom.

In China, the term "Miao" is not considered derogatory. Actually, it not only includes Hmong, but also other groups such as Hmu, A Hmao, Kho Xiong, etc. These groups speak languages that are related to Hmong, but they are different from Hmong. Maybe once they were all descended from the same group, but after dispersion, developed their own languages and culture. Anyway, it is offensive to refer to Hmong in SE Asia and America as "Meo", and one should always respect their wishes to be called "Hmong". However, in China, it is better to use the term "Miao", as it is not offensive there, and furthermore, a person who is Hmu, A Hmao, Kho Xiong, etc., may take offence at mistakenly being called Hmong!
For more information on this subject, please refer to an excellent article by Gary Lee and Nick Tapp, "Current Hmong Issues: 10-point statement"

The author's must have not done their homework!! Miao is a racist definition of the Hmong that has been used for hundreds of years, by the Laotian and Chinese. It's similar to White Americans calling African-Americans by the "N" word!! All the authors had to do was ask a Hmong!!! To me this is an insult!!!!

We are not meo, stupid....we were Hmong, have been Hmong for 10,000 years... and will always be Hmong...the authors are ignorant, scumbags...

"Precious Jewels of Tibet" speaks to us from the heart as Jane Bay shares with the reader her innermost thoughts and feelings on her life as she embarks on an incredible journey of transformation. We are lucky to have Jane share her story with us. As we feel her joy and sorrow, we get in touch with our own painful and joyous journeys of self discovery.

"Woven through a stimulating journey, filled with the surprises of travel in such an exotic land, are the wonderful pearls of Pablo Neruda, the Vajra-and-Bell Initiation, words from one of my favorites Chief Seattle, teachings of the Great Perfection and many more. Jane Bay's journey and narrative is the thread that holds the "Jewels" of this necklace as one piece. But most important of all, I gained from her book a new appreciation for the heroic struggle of the precious Tibetan people."

Jane Bay has written a poignant memoire about her mystical journey to Tibet. How insightful it is for us to observe the allegory of her spiritual unfoldment, from her wounded life to wounded Tibet. Indeed, modernism has resolved a number of vicissitudes at the superficial realm of existence, but it has simultaneously magnified a piercing existential dismemberment, while escaping the most fundamental plight of the human being: the aspiration to surpass oneself, like The Buddha. Jane Bay has experienced an intimate experience of felicity. I recommend "Precious Jewels of Tibet" to anyone probing the same everlasting question : Who am I ? Graciously echoed by Jane Bay' s gifted prose, this book is a window to the quintessential matters of the soul, a longing that is invested right now, for each of us, with a very vital meaning.

M. Dianna Ryel-Lindsey
Naropa University
Boulder, Colorado
Buddhism in Tibet
Sarah Harding
Book Report
February 26th, 2008

Princess in the Land of Snows: the Life of Jamyang Sakya in Tibet

This is the autobiography of Jamyang Sakya beautifully written to convey the intricate details of Tibetan culture in the time right before the Chinese invasion. The purpose of the book is to save, not squander, the true, sacred nature of Tibetan culture, religion, society, and life. This book is precious because it details Jamyang Sakya's life as a child growing up in Tibet in minute detail. It is exceptionally written; the words flow as wind through the Himalayan Mountains.

Born on March 3, 1934, the Wood Dog year on the Tibetan lunar calendar, Jamyang Sakya, known as "Dagmo-la" to her friends, grew up as a girl among eight aspiring, affluent, male scholars and monks studying at the Thalung Monastery. The privilege of schooling was not open to all girls. Due to Jamyang Sakya's dear uncle Tlku-la, Dezhung Rinpoche, she was able to go to school. Jamyang Sakya speaks lovingly of wise Tlku-la throughout the book; he is considered a tlku, reincarnation, and was the head of two labrangs, lama residences at Thalung Monastery.
"Religion was inseparable from much of our daily life and central to our formal learning." In the Sakya lineage, the family loved and learned holding firmly to the bonds of Tibetan Buddhism.

"Nearly every Tibetan home has a shrine room or some type of altar." The altar adorned with butter lamps, a statue of the Buddha with copper and gold overlay, twenty-one brass water bowls, offerings of rice, incense, and flowers, had its own room in the home with Dharma books and Thangkas covering the walls. Exemplifying how religion was at the root of their learning process in the monastery, the children were to clean the bronze shrine bowls every morning: pour out the old water by placing it on plants or drinking it (as it is sacred), shine the bowls, and fill the bowls anew. Such an intricate process at the beginning of every day, a ritual of importance, taught the children care and respect for the shrine.

Jamyang Sakya describes the life of: games, reading Buddhist texts, studying Thangka paintings, being respectful and quiet in the monastery, and household chores with endearing detail. Here is one of my favorite of her childhood stories:

Besides Gyado, my pony, I had a most unusual pet, a four-horned sheep named Yang Rashi, who was a familiar figure to the neighborhood. He had been given to me by a nomad friend of Uncle Kuyak. It was good fortune indeed to have such an animal, and Yang Rashi clearly liked his home. He scaled the stairs easily and whipped about my bedroom. Almost daily, I combed his soft, white wool, which never was sheared. His brown eyes seemed to glow out from the wool. I kept Yang Rashi well decorated with braided, colored wool tassels and small jewels that hung from his neck. When I called his name, he came from afar. Besides barley, he accepted sweets and leftovers. His sleeping quarters were in a special room on the first floor. At night, I wrapped him in a blanket.

A long pilgrimage to the capital city of Lhasa and other holy places in Tibet describing the glorious, mountain landscape, led Jamyang Sakya to meet her future husband, Jigdal Rinpoche (given the later title of Venerable Dezhung Rinpoche). "In the glow of the late afternoon sun, I felt a warmth and welcome here. There was an air of ease, a certain staidness that would be true of any great religious center, I thought." These were Jamyang Sakya's words upon approaching Phuntsok and Drolma, two magnificent palaces of the Great Temple of Sakya (she grew up a Khampa, from the city of Kham). She was fifteen when she married into the Sakya lineage. Her life became the busyness of palace life: meditation and study every morning, constant chores, and impressing her parents-in-law. She was now nobility.

About this time, Chinese Communists were infiltrating eastern Tibet. News did not spread quickly to the palace as the communication in the various towns was primarily "word of mouth." Shortly after the death of her first-born daughter at three months, Tenzin Chödron ("the one who maintains the teachings, the lamp of religion"), Jamyang Sakya traveled with her husband to Kham. In her homeland, she "enjoyed a colorful life meeting high lamas, visiting monasteries, and continuing her own studies," but still saw changes around her, the oppression of the Chinese seeping in. Upon returning to Lhasa, the decision was imminent, and the family must flee Tibet to protect themselves from the violence and danger of the Chinese. Jamyang Sakya had just given birth to a baby boy on February 15th, 1958, Lodro Dorje, "one possessed of wise knowledge."

The atmosphere became frightening. On March 19th, the family's party of fifteen left Lhasa for Nland. Lucky to have arrived at Nland, Jamyang Sakya writes, "Suddenly a Chinese plane, silver with a big red star on it, came across the pass. We could see it clearly... The plane returned about fifteen minutes later, circling the monastery several times and shooting at us. Then it turned off toward the Phenpo area, where there was fighting between Chinese and Khampas." Giving horrific accounts of trekking through the Himalayas with the Chinese following close behind, Jamyang Sakya and her family arrived safely in India.
Spending only one year in India and still hearing sobering accounts of loved ones lost and her own mother trying to flee Tibet, Jamyang Sakya and her husband moved to the United States being one of the first Tibetan families to do so. Jigdal Rinpoche had received an offer to "collaborate in research at the University of Washington."
During the years since their arrival in the United States, the author and her husband, widely knows as H.H. Dagchen Rinpoche, have established a thriving Tibetan cultural center and a monastery in Seattle, Washington. In the meantime, Lady Jamyang has quietly devoted herself inwardly to her spiritual practice under the guidance of her revered uncle, the late Venerable Dezhung Rinpoche. Outwardly she has selflessly devoted herself to bringing up five sons and assisting her husband in his many religious activities.

This book sang to the depths of my heart about dedication to practice and study in Buddhist Tibet. Its details are rich and intricate like Jamyang Sakya was weaving the quilt of her story, tear for tear, laughter, love, and line for line. Her wisdom is clear, and her account of Tibet in a time before war and exile is important and irreplaceable! It is precious and sacred as it is filled with the detail of people in exile's Buddhist lifestyle and culture. Her words are picked sensitively, and her story rings with truth. I felt honored to read the book of a strong, devoted Tibetan woman. I felt as if I was holding something exquisite and special in my hands as I read about Jamyang Sakya's life.

Once her story unfolds, it is unbelievable the toil the Tibetans have faced. I became enamored with the Tibetan culture almost to the point of Orientalism. I couldn't put the book down wanting to know what Jamyang Sakya would do first thing in the morning, learning about her wedding ceremony, her pilgrimages. Then, there is strife. Even after reading this, I cannot fathom the strife. I only know that something horrifically unfair has occurred, and I feel it in my bones. An entire people, a people rich in tradition and culture, had to flee their homeland to find security elsewhere. Many passed away on the journey.
Jamyang Sakyang had many close calls. She remembers passing guards at a power plant, and one had not spoken. She did not realize until later that he was Chinese. "The Chinese... had shot some travelers after we had gone through. Two women had been killed." Excruciating accounts that tear out my insides with questions: what can be done, why did this happen, how could it be?

This book is a treasure for me because I learn the most about a culture through accounts of the peoples' detailed, everyday existences. I can't travel to the Tibet Jamyang Sakya speaks of. I can only read her account and view it as a great blessing that this book exists. As Jamyang Sakya states, "This book is dedicated to my five sons with love and the hope that it will keep alive the memory of their heritage."

You will not regret buying this book!!!

I've lived in Seattle for over 20 years and did not know the true meaning of love and compassion until I went to the Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, where I had the honor of knowing H.E. Dagmo-Kushula (Mother of Princes) Jamyang Sayka and her husband His Holiness J.D. Sakya Rinpoche.

His Holines is the Spritual Leader of the Monastery and I knew Him and His Wife quite well. It was there that i received my "refuge" (Basically a loyalty oath, confirming that i have taken Buddhism as a personal course to attain enlightenment); it was also there where i received my Buddhist name, given to me by His Holiness, Himself.

In this magnificient, eloquent and profound book, (With a forward by His Holiness, The Dalai Lama) the journey that She, her Husband and family took to escape the chinese is fully documented by H.E. Jamyang and it is full of laughter, joy and tremendous hardship.

She has the ability to be incredibly sublime in her quips and anecdotes. A favorite accounting of mine is when they were actually in as much danger crossing the Himalayas as they potentially faced with the chinese.

There is a Tibetan word i cannot recall which, roughly translated, means, "look out below,!" meaning that if you were on the downside of a steep slope, you had to watch out for an ox who had slipped and was plunging down the mountain towards you, which to her, was funny in retrospect, but rather alarming at the time.

In this book, H.E. Jamyang has the astonishing ability to actually allow you to see through Her eyes. A rare gift that is continually sought by writers the world over.

You do not have to be a Buddhist to appreciate this wonderful book, and you will discover what love and compassion means to these displaced people, and it not just some fleeting emotion that most feel only over the Christmas holiday. This book will delight and enlighten you, and show you why they had over 1000 years of peace until their ancestral home was usurped by the chinese.

you will never regret reading it, but you may very well regret losing it! it is worth reading time and again, especially when you feel anger towards your fellow human, and, more importantly, when you feel anger towards yourself.

This book is worth far more than its weight in gold.

Superb narration from one of the rare female Tibetan Lamas, H.E. Dagmo Kusho Jamyang Sakya. Fascinating insight into the political skirmishes of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, from a perspective of privilege and power within its hierarchy. Interesting historical reference of the infiltration of chinese communism into Tibet, as well as much detail about her escape from Tibet with her husband, H.H. Jigdal Dagchen Sakya Rinpoche. They, along with many family members, became one of the first Tibetan families to settle in the United States. This book is well written, with superb detail which makes one feel as if they are taking part in the events as they unfold.

I got this book as a textbook for a class that I subsequently dropped, but I decided that as long as I had it, I might as well read it. I'm glad I did! This book is a wonderful overview of the greatest Chinese philosophers. Each section begins with a few pages recounting what is known about each philosopher covered and what their central beliefs are. In addition, the actual texts are heavily footnoted with explanations of the language, pertinant cross references, and other little facts that make the reading both more informative and more enjoyable. This is a wonderful book for anyone who's looking to get a decent understanding of the 'big name' Chinese philosophers, and will help anyone looking to show off at parties ;) Even if you're not taking a class, this is a wonderful book.

Being interested in Chinese philosophy, I recently purchased this anthology, edited by Drs. P. J. Ivanhoe and Bryan W. Van Norden, which contains excellent translations of the selections of seven classical Chinese thinkers: Mozi, Han Feizi, Kongzi, Xunzi, Mengzi, Laozi, and Zhuangzi.

Despite being a beginner when it comes to Chinese philosophy, I find all the translations to be very readable and the notes and interpretative material, generally, to be sufficient. (more on this later)

The appendices--Important Texts, Important Periods, Important Terms, Important Figures--are also quite helpful if you need further information/clarification on a particular term or figure.

The only two things that disappointed me about this anthology are as follows:

(1) The use of "filial piety" as a transation for xiao (hsiao). The term filial piety was first used by James Legge back in the 1861. And, as scholars such as Dr. David Li have pointed out, Kongzi (Confucius) never in his life spoke about religion. So, why Dr. Slingerland, who translated the Analects section of the book, continues to use it (see Analects 2.7, p.5) mystifies me. (Dr. Van Norden, I believe, in his translation of selections of the Mengzi, also translates xiao as filial piety.)

(2) The notes accompanying Dr. Slingerland's translation of the Analects are, I think, somewhat banal. For example, he points out in 1.9 that Zengzi is a disciple of Kongzi; yet, he does not point out that 2.1 is the Analects first statement regarding government. However, his notes increase in frequency and quality as the translation continues.

I HIGHLY recommend this anthology; it is probably the best anthology and sourcebook of early Chinese philosophy currently available. This book is not only valuable to students and scholars but also general readers because never has there been so many great translations of so many thinkers in one reasonably priced paperback.

The anthology contains the complete "Daodejing of Laozi" which Dr. Ivanhoe has published as separate book, which makes it a even better deal because not only do you get very scholarly and readable translations of all major classical Chinese thinkers, you also get an entire book included within it.

Hopefully, in a future edition of the book, the editors will consider expanding the volume to include translations of selections of Zhu Xi's works (a very important Neo-Confucian), Dai Zhen (whose translated writings have never been published), and the writings of other Chinese philosophers.

- Jeff McCausland

I got this book as a textbook for a class that I subsequently dropped, but I decided that as long as I had it, I might as well read it. I'm glad I did! This book is a wonderful overview of the greatest Chinese philosophers. Each section begins with a few pages recounting what is known about each philosopher covered and what their central beliefs are. In addition, the actual texts are heavily footnoted with explanations of the language, pertinant cross references, and other little facts that make the reading both more informative and more enjoyable. This is a wonderful book for anyone who's looking to get a decent understanding of the 'big name' Chinese philosophers, and will help anyone looking to show off at parties ;) Even if you're not taking a class, this is a wonderful book.

This is one of the best books available on those aspects of Indian and Tibetan philosophy that have the most in common with Western analytic philosophy. (Another is Matilal's book _Perception_.) I'm very sorry to see that it's out of print, and I hope that changes soon. It concerns the development of a certain tradition of Buddhism (originating with Dharmakirti) that began as a version of antirealism (opposed to the realism of the Nyaya school of Hinduism) but gradually found itself compelled by its own intellectual commitments to evolve into a version of realism. So it has a happy ending!

This books is an excellent treatise on Buddhist philosophy, in particular I found it provided a description of the differences in interpretation between different schools of thought as they evolved over time. It also points out many similiarities and differences between the Eastern and Western philosophical traditions. By focusing on a few critical philosophical topics, such as realism, it provides a more accessible detail view of later Buddhist philosophy than many other works. Clear and engaging writing.

This guy has done his homework. In a few languages! The book is less about buddhist "philosophy" as a whole, as much as about epistimology, the shared view of which any two buddhist debators would need as a starting point. The various trends that developed to "cope" with Dharmakirti's somewhat slippery model is what forms much of the book. The western idea of "universal" is the equivalent to the concept Dreyfus puts under the microscope for us. I found this book both challenging and rewarding, though it did take me quite a while to read~!

For visitors to Angkor Wat, this book is a "must". However, it's more than just a late afternoon read after touring Angkor Thom and environs. It's an excellent translation of a valuable work with very helpful footnotes for academics and independent scholars. The excellent footnotes and explanations and inclusion of Chinese characters makes it a valuable reference work for those of us studying Cambodian, Vietnamese (Champa) and Chinese history. Don't let its slim size and popularity with armchair and real visitors distract you from its value.

If you're heading to Cambodia as a tourist on your first visit...or if you're a scholar immersed in Southeast Asian studies...this book is for you. It's unusual to find a work of this depth that holds such broad appeal.

Zhou Daguan's 700 year old report of his diplomatic journey to the fabulously wealthy ancient Khmer capital of Angkor is rare. In fact, it is one of the only written records about this mysterious kingdom that has survived to the present day.

Two things make this edition unique:

Author Peter Harris provides the first direct Chinese to English translation of this historic record of Asian travel with many new insights and interpretations.

Second, Harris accomplishes this in a readable style, also including fascinating comparisons to Marco Polo's China journey, which was contemporary with Zhou's account.

The result is a book that will enhance any recreational visit to Cambodia, but at the same time offers concrete facts and references for academic readers.

This edition includes 28 full color photos and two maps giving readers modern references to temples and concepts in Zhou's original account. Academics will be pleased to find 44 pages of detailed endnotes, more than 100 bibliographic references, two appendices and a detailed index. All the reference tools include Chinese characters for Sino-linguists.

"A Record of Cambodia" delivers cultural relevance, readability and rigorous scholarship in a compact and inexpensive volume.

This is the only substantial record of the Angkorian civilization that we have. It was written in the 13th century by a Chinese traveller, Zhou Daguan and has been translated directly into English for the first time. This book is an invaluable accessory for any trip to Angkor Wat, the descriptions provided give a life to the dead temples and ruins that they themselves can no longer project.

Unfortunately even this record is fragmentary and much of this book is filled with extremely helpful translator's notes and footnotes. Also included are maps and photographs of some of the landmarks described in some of the books. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in Angkor Wat and would consider it essential for anyone actually going there.

This book is a collection of articles from excellent contributors of Tibetan Buddhism.Read books by contributors like David Germano,Yael Bentor and Richard Kohn.

Donald S. Lopez, Jr.'s newest volume in the Princeton Series is Religions of Tibet in Practice. It includes translations of all sorts of interesting texts in the Tibetan tradition from bits of Gesar of Ling to a Gelug vinaya-type text. Contributions are by various scholars including Shambhala's Nalanda Translation Committee, and others such as Matthew Kapstein, Per Kvaerne, Toni Huber and Janet Gyatso. The introductions by Lopez, Norma E. Levine, Francoise Pommaret and others from around the world, provide a clear context for all readers ranging from the merely curious to students of history, religion and the humanities, and, of course, to inquiring Buddhists. These introductory essays serve to explain the purpose or use of each selected text and so do much to dispel the prevalent notion that the religious practices of Tibetans, educated or not, Buddhist or not, are a confused, though gorgeously exotic mish-mash of animism/shamanism lightly touched with sexual imagery from Tantric yoga and incursions from the Graeco-Roman, even Christian,West.

I found this volume to be like a walk through a scented market. There are booths and stalls to appeal to every taste, yet they are not laid out in random fashion. Lopez has carefully arranged the selections around various themes. There are items to please the connoisseur as well as the tourist. The stroll, itself, is delightful whether one intends to buy or not. There are tasty samples here and there: The introduction makes a good argument against the prevalent contemporary notion that the Bon tradition is but a mere reaction to Buddhism derived from ancient "primitive" beliefs. Since the selections range over a thousand years, I was reminded of the changing fortunes of the various sects, as this or that monastery found favour in the eyes of the Mongolian or Chinese, Indian or local Tibetan kings and princes.

One can enjoy Tibetan culture and daily life seen as the life-journey as we all experience it, the bodhisattva's path, the mystical experience, the lama-student relationship or the worship of and devotion to specific deities. In fact, it ends splendidly with a new translation of the 21 Praises to Tara.

Donald S. Lopez, Jr.'s newest volume in the Princeton Series is Religions of Tibet in Practice. It includes translations of all sorts of interesting texts in the Tibetan tradition from bits of Gesar of Ling to a Gelug vinaya-type text. Contributions are by various scholars including Shambhala's Nalanda Translation Committee, and others such as Matthew Kapstein, Per Kvaerne, Toni Huber and Janet Gyatso. The introductions by Lopez, Norma E. Levine, Francoise Pommaret and others from around the world, provide a clear context for all readers ranging from the merely curious to students of history, religion and the humanities, and, of course, to inquiring Buddhists. These introductory essays serve to explain the purpose or use of each selected text and so do much to dispel the prevalent notion that the religious practices of Tibetans, educated or not, Buddhist or not, are a confused, though gorgeously exotic mish-mash of animism/shamanism lightly touched with sexual imagery from Tantric yoga and incursions from the Graeco-Roman, even Christian,West.

I found this volume to be like a walk through a scented market. There are booths and stalls to appeal to every taste, yet they are not laid out in random fashion. Lopez has carefully arranged the selections around various themes. There are items to please the connoisseur as well as the tourist. The stroll, itself, is delightful whether one intends to buy or not. There are tasty samples here and there: The introduction makes a good argument against the prevalent contemporary notion that the Bon tradition is but a mere reaction to Buddhism derived from ancient "primitive" beliefs. Since the selections range over a thousand years, I was reminded of the changing fortunes of the various sects, as this or that monastery found favour in the eyes of the Mongolian or Chinese, Indian or local Tibetan kings and princes.

One can enjoy Tibetan culture and daily life seen as the life-journey as we all experience it, the bodhisattva's path, the mystical experience, the lama-student relationship or the worship of and devotion to specific deities. In fact, it ends splendidly with a new translation of the 21 Praises to Tara.