Customer Reviews:
 One Of The Most Eye-Opening Books Ever ! November 28, 2008
I was intrigued by Buddhism after a 5 week trip around Thailand. After visiting many temples and coming across Buddhist monks around the cities, I wanted to know more about the Buddha and Buddhism as a whole.
I am so glad I opted for this book, as another reviewer said, it is very important to learn about this deep topic from someone who has lived and breathed it. From what I understand the author has been practicing Buddhism since he was 13.
The book explains some deep concepts in an extremely easy to follow and almost "modern" fashion. The author writes in a style which is more relevant to todays world, rather than the author just schooling us about what the Buddha said more than 2500 years ago.
The author teaches us to ignore the incense, the robes, the shaved heads, the golden statues, yet get back to what the Buddha really taught, the four noble truths, also known as the four golden seals. Each chapter presents, explains and analyzes each of these seals, followed by an amazing conclusion at the end.
If you have ever been intrigued by Buddhism, if you have ever thought or wondered that life is more about owning a big flatscreen TV, or knowing what such and such 'celeb of the day' is doing, then you really owe it to yourself to have a read of this book.
What makes this such a great book August 20, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is probably one of the greatest Buddhist teachers of all times. He masters the art of transmiting the most profound teachings in a simple, modern and humurous way.
Those with expectations on how a Buddhist teacher should be (traditional, boring, "zen", a saint...), might get a bit shocked with the way DKR teaches, but those of us who are really commited to destroy our ego by laughing at ourselves, will surely love him.
irritating but a gem it is! May 1, 2007
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
The book gives a clear concise exposition of buddha's teaching, his life, of buddhism as a wisdom tradition, and most importantly, it explains the FOUR SEALS that makes for a life liberated from mental and emotional anguish. It is, as the author pointed out, a very abbreviated generalisation of the vast depth of buddism, but that compactness is also what makes the so wonderful becuase every word sticks. As if by magic, I found myself daily being nudged to change my usual habits and ways of thinking and seeing. But if like me, you don't share the author's sense of humor and his penchant for being ' hip' and up' to date' with his take on popular culture and the ( possibly tongue in cheek) ' attitude' that verges on arrogance and cynicism, you may find the work somewhat irritating. But hey, that hows oysters grow pearls.
Engagingly straight forward Buddhism. April 19, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed reading this book. Dzongsar Khyentse has a very engaging writing style he manages to be humourous, and clear in making the Buddha's teaching relevant to modern life. I hope the book gets printed in paper back as it is quite expensive at around 130 pages. It is difficult for me to comment on how it might be recieved by those new to Buddhism but my guess is people will enjoy his style and reflect on the Buddha's teachings and the relevance to their lives and the state of the planet.
A Must-buy for anyone interested in the teachings of Buddhism March 7, 2007
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I found this book resonating with my inner thoughts. For someone who is curious about Buddhism (such as myself), this book is a must-buy. It is written in a no-nonsense accessible way, taking you through a journey into the life of Lord Buddha, while at the same time imparting the wisdom of the path in everyday language, using incisive and contemporay examples to illustrate various points, with humour and even some irreverence. I have always thought it important to read books on Buddhism, written by one who is a practising Buddhist who lives what he or she writes about. With this author you cannot get any better as he is an eminent and very high Lama in Tibetan Buddhism. It is a book that opens your mind to a very different way of living and of seeing life. It is a must for anyone who is serious about understanding that which is beyond the intellect.
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