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Tibetan Buddhism
Calling the Lama From Afar: The Yogini Nuns of Nangchen's Gebchak Gompa by Jampa Kalden
£18.99
Calling the Lama from Afar is a journey into the world of the remarkable yoginis of Gebchak Gompa, a nunnery in a remote valley in the Eastern Tibetan region of Nangchen, known as the land of meditators. Situated at an altitude of over 14,000 feet, Gebchak is home to more than 300 nuns renowned for their practice and realisation and is the heart and hub of a group of more than 30 gompas under the care of Tsoknyi Rinpoche III. Bokar Rinpoche wrote that of the many practice centers for women, Gebchak Gompa is “the most renowned center” in Tibet. The Gebchak yoginis are particularly known for their accomplishment of the practice of tummo or inner fire meditation, which they demonstrate in an annual winter ceremony, using tummo to dry wet sheets wrapped around their bodies as they walk slowly around the gompa in temperatures far below freezing. At the heart of the book are interviews with Gebchak nuns, including some very accomplished elderly yoginis who speak openly about their lives and their meditative realization. Just as inspiring are the new generation of yoginis who maintain the Gebchak tradition of meditation, and attain realization even as young nuns. Those interviewed include nuns in their 30’s who have been authorized to give pointing out instruction on the nature of mind. Others talk about taking part in the annual tummo ceremony, and about their lives at Gebchak Gompa. The nuns also recount tales of the deaths of Gebchak yoginis – events marked by wondrous signs of attainment. These nuns’ stories are first-hand, contemporary accounts, not history or legend. This is a living tradition that did not end with the yoginis of old but continues to this day, despite the destruction of the gompa during what they call “the troubled times.” Many humorous episodes enliven the text, and the nuns’ story is enriched with historical accounts of early visitors to the region, side trips to other gompas and meetings with remarkable Nangchen lamas.
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Kurukulla: Goddess of Bewitchment by Verónica Rivas
£120.00
Out of print hardback edition.
Condition: Fine - As New.
In Kurukulla: Goddess of Bewitchment – A Devotional Path to the Red Enchantress of Uddiyana, author Verónica Rivas combines academic research with personal experience to offer a theoretical-practical study of Kurukulla, the goddess in Hinduism related to desire, lust, magic, and witchcraft.
Many of these aspects were left aside, however, as her importance and popularity within Tantric Buddhism continued to grow. In Kurukulla, we have a goddess of tribal origins, initially venerated as a protector by various nomadic clans who related her to fertility and material affairs, yet also considered her dangerous and fearsome. Progressively, the goddess was incorporated into the Buddhist pantheon, and during this process, Kurukulla acquired different roles and lost others. Many practices were developed related to issues such as protection against animals and certain diseases, obtaining influential positions in society, love affairs, and even getting rid of one’s enemies.
Kurukulla: Goddess of Bewitchment offers a tantric perspective on a deity considered the goddess of eroticism, the mistress of enchantments and bewitchment, who uses desire as a weapon for transcendence. Practicing with Kurukulla allows us to reach our true nature by making our daily life, our fears and weaknesses, the very source of liberation.
The goddess of the red body represents the pure manifestation of intrinsic wisdom, the primordial energy that nourishes all realms of existence, as well as life and death as complementary opposites.
The rituals and devotionals presented in this book are intended to openly and freely establish a deep connection with the deity. They are shared in a simple and understandable way that will allow practitioners to integrate them into their life easily and completely.
Rainbow Body by Loel Guinness
£85.00
There is no better illustration of the radical transformative power of the ancient Tibetan contemplative teachings of Dzogchen than the extraordinary phenomenon of bodily disappearance or “rainbow body”, which is considered its ultimate fruit. In this groundbreaking study of rainbow body in the Bön tradition, which is the first of its kind in a western language, the neophyte reader is guided into the profound insights of Dzogchen, while all the components required to understand this most mysterious and enigmatic of phenomena are laid out gently and methodically.
Illustrated by unique thangkas commissioned especially for this study, the book’s emphasis is on clarity of exposition. Simple enough for the layman, but detailed enough to do justice to these ancient and subtle traditions, Rainbow Body serves both as an introduction to Bön Dzogchen, and also as a pioneering study of Tibetan textual sources related to the phenomenon of rainbow body. It is offered to the public in the hope that as many people as possible may benefit from the profundity of this ancient wisdom. For as Loel Guinness states in his preface, “Dzogchen is not just for monks. It is as suitable for the businessman, the academic, the adventurer, or the practitioner. The insights of Dzogchen are relevant for all”.
The 2021 edition is updated and revised in a smaller, more accessible format, of the 2018 edition.
Bo and Bon by Dmitry Ermakov
£34.99
Bѳ and Bön: Ancient Shamanic Traditions of Siberia and Tibet in their Relation to the Teachings of a Central Asian Buddha.
Hailed as a fascinating and unique book, this is the first in-depth study of its kind comparing the ancient Bon religion with the Siberian shamanic tradition of Lake Baikal. Combining scholarly research with spiritual insight and with over 200 illustrations, maps and diagrams, the information is presented in a clear and lively way, enabling the reader to navigate easily through the various topics dealt with and to follow the threads of the intricate tapestry which is woven as the parallels between the ancient shamanic traditions of Tibet and Siberia unfold.
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