The Tibetan Way of Life, Death and Rebirth: The Illustrated Guide to Tibetan Wisdom - Tapa dura

An illuminating encounter with compassion, asceticism and enlightenment in the land of the lamas, shamans and demons Traditionally, Tibetan Buddhists may be either "scholars" or "magicians". Scholars live in monasteries, practising celibacy, discipline and philosophical debate. Magicians are wandering hermits, practising extreme asceticism or Tantric ritual. The Tibetan Way of Life, Death and Rebirth traces both these strands of Tibetan Buddhist belief, as well as the more ancient Bon religion. This fascinating guide also looks at key themes of Tibetan belief in relation to life's vital issues: how to live (including how to meditate and pray), how to prepare for death, how to negotiate the terrifying intermediate state know as bardo, how to escape from the endless cycle of rebirth. Also covered are the teachings of Tantra and of the lamas, and sacred texts such as the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

John Peacocke, PhD, is Lecturer in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol and Director of Sharpham College of Buddhist Studies. He is fluent in 10 Asian languages and has contributed to many religion and philosophy publications, including Buddhism: An Illustrated Guide (DBP, 2001).