The Lamp That Enlightens Narrow Minds The Life and Times of a Realized Tibetan Master, Khyentse Chokyi Wangchug

The Lamp That Enlightens Narrow Minds: The Life and Times of a Realized Tibetan Master, Khyentse Chökyi Wangchugpresents an engaging account of the life of Khyentse Chökyi Wangchug, a realized Tibetan tulku(reincarnated lama or teacher). The book's historical references provide a detailed portrait of Tibet on the verge of invasion and occupation by Chinese forces in the decades leading up to 1959 when Chinese repression led the Dalai Lama to take refuge in India. Narrated by Wangchug's nephew, author and international Tibetan teacher Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, this inspired biography describes the extraordinary events of Wangchug's life during this momentous period in Tibetan history. Born in 1909 in a valley south of Derge, an ancient center of Tibetan culture, Wangchug was recognized at an early age as a reincarnation of a tulku and thus received Buddhist teachings from the greatest masters of the epoch .A privileged observer of his uncle's life, Norbu reveals the complexity of Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy and the conflicts caused not only by Chinese forces, but also by people close to Wangchug who had become members of factions motivated by bigotry and personal greed. Despite the difficulties he encountered, Wangchug maintained a state of equanimity and dedicated himself to a life of peace and compassion for all sentient beings. Ultimately tortured and imprisoned by the Chinese, he and two other realized Tibetan teachers passed away at the same moment while meditating. "Chögyal Namkhai Norbu is one of the greatest Tibetan meditation masters and scholars teaching in the West."--Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Withinand Awakening the Buddhist Heart,and the founder of the Dzogchen Foundation in Massachusetts Ebook (ISBN 978-1-58394-528-5) will also be on sale on 10/16/2012.

Born in Eastern Tibet in 1938, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu is an internationally known Dzogchen Buddhist teacher and author. The direct descendant of the first Dzogchen Tibetan master of Tibet, Norbu spent his childhood receiving many teachings from masters of various traditions. In the 1960s he was invited to teach in Italy. During his career he wrote many books on Tibetan culture and Dzogchen Buddhism. He is the founder of two nonprofit organizations including the Shang Shung Institute, which is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan culture.