Book reviews:

Editorial Reviews: Mahayana Tantra, by Shri Dharmakirti:
Book Description A practitioner of the Mahayana Buddhist Tantra uses his intellect and moral discipline to attain Buddhahood, the highest state of existence. How to achieve this state was first shown by the Buddha and, after him, by various incarnations of Indian and Tibetan gurus such as the Dalai Lama. The author gives a detailed account of the moral, ethical and philosophical basis of Buddhist Tantra.
Review by Daniel Carr "Dharma Aspirant" (San Francisco, CA United States)

What makes Shri Dharmakirti such an amazing teacher of Tibetan Buddhism is his laser-like intellect and command of the English language. I have been fortunate enough to hear lectures of his on these topics, and this book follows those lectures, providing more depth to the topics covered.
This book sets forth the entire process one must go through in Vajrayana. In this book, Dharmakirti spells out these steps with such clarity and precision that one can cast aside the confusion that hangs over many well-intentioned Dharma practitioners and replace it with a rock solid understand.
I feel intense gratitude towards Shri Dharmakirti and his efforts.

An Extraordinary Introduction to Buddhist Tantra, May 13, 2006
Review by Cathbad, Ireland

This book is written by an Indian disciple of the Dalai Lama, Shri Dharmakirti. The book gives a traditional account of Buddhist Vajrayana in the tradition in the lineage of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. This book is a very full introduction to the history and theory of Buddhist Tantra, which thrived in India from about the fourth century AD.

I found Shri Dharmakirti to be refreshingly upfront about the esoteric practices of Tantra, and for such a short introduction there is much that is not to be found in other introductory works. The presentation is quite traditional and focuses almost entirely on the Highest Yoga Tantra practices, and on how it forms part of the Mahayana path. One is left with a feeling for just how much personal dedication and learning one needs to embark on Tantric practice. And in only 11 pages, the author gives perhaps the clearest introductory explanation of the concept of `Emptiness' I've read anywhere.
This book is pure gold!


From the back cover of Mahayana Tantra by Shri Dharmakirti:

"Tantra, considered by many as a dangerous and secret path, invariably generates a tremendous amount of curiosity. In this, the first comprehensive book of its kind, Shri Dharmakirti gives us a rare glimpse into the fascinating nature of Tantra.

"A practitioner of the Mahayana Tantra uses his intellect and moral discipline to attain Buddhahood, the highest state of existence. How to achieve this state was first shown by the Buddha and, after him, by various incarnations of Indian and Tibetan gurus such as the Dalai Lama. The author gives us a detailed account of the moral, ethical and philosophical basis of Buddhist Tantra. He also shows how the Buddhist Tantric Path of the Highest Secret Mantra decisively addresses the three crucial problems that every genuine spiritual warrior must resolve - problems of death, sexuality and the true nature of reality.

"The author discusses various facets of the Buddhist Tantric Path: its history, its harnessing of sexual energy to access subtle levels of reality, the doctrine of Karma, the concept of profound emptiness that is the philosophical core of the Buddha Dharma, and the Wheel of Existence or the Bhava-Chakra. Narrated simply and enriched with visual representations of the author's vision of Tantra, this is an invaluable guide for those seeking a meaningful spiritual path."

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