Ebook262 pages8 hours
The Madman's Middle Way: Reflections on Reality of the Tibetan Monk Gendun Chopel
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
()
About this ebook
Gendun Chopel is considered the most important Tibetan intellectual of the twentieth century. His life spanned the two defining moments in modern Tibetan history: the entry into Lhasa by British troops in 1904 and by Chinese troops in 1951. Recognized as an incarnate lama while he was a child, Gendun Chopel excelled in the traditional monastic curriculum and went on to become expert in fields as diverse as philosophy, history, linguistics, geography, and tantric Buddhism. Near the end of his life, before he was persecuted and imprisoned by the government of the young Dalai Lama, he would dictate the Adornment for Nagarjuna’s Thought, a work on Madhyamaka, or “Middle Way,” philosophy. It sparked controversy immediately upon its publication and continues to do so today.
The Madman’s Middle Way presents the first English translation of this major Tibetan Buddhist work, accompanied by an essay on Gendun Chopel’s life liberally interspersed with passages from his writings. Donald S. Lopez Jr. also provides a commentary that sheds light on the doctrinal context of the Adornment and summarizes its key arguments. Ultimately, Lopez examines the long-standing debate over whether Gendun Chopel in fact is the author of the Adornment; the heated critical response to the work by Tibetan monks of the Dalai Lama’s sect; and what the Adornment tells us about Tibetan Buddhism’s encounter with modernity. The result is an insightful glimpse into a provocative and enigmatic workthatwill be of great interest to anyone seriously interested in Buddhism or Asian religions.
The Madman’s Middle Way presents the first English translation of this major Tibetan Buddhist work, accompanied by an essay on Gendun Chopel’s life liberally interspersed with passages from his writings. Donald S. Lopez Jr. also provides a commentary that sheds light on the doctrinal context of the Adornment and summarizes its key arguments. Ultimately, Lopez examines the long-standing debate over whether Gendun Chopel in fact is the author of the Adornment; the heated critical response to the work by Tibetan monks of the Dalai Lama’s sect; and what the Adornment tells us about Tibetan Buddhism’s encounter with modernity. The result is an insightful glimpse into a provocative and enigmatic workthatwill be of great interest to anyone seriously interested in Buddhism or Asian religions.
Author
Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Donald S. Lopez Jr. is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies at the University of Michigan. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2000.
Read more from Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Two Buddhas Seated Side by Side: A Guide to the Lotus Sūtra Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics, Vol. 3: Philosophical Schools Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDispelling the Darkness: A Jesuit’s Quest for the Soul of Tibet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsElaborations on Emptiness: Uses of the Heart Sūtra Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to The Madman's Middle Way
Titles in the series (15)
Shots in the Dark: Japan, Zen, and the West Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCritical Terms for the Study of Buddhism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Seeking Sakyamuni: South Asia in the Formation of Modern Japanese Buddhism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStrange Tales of an Oriental Idol: An Anthology of Early European Portrayals of the Buddha Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBuddhism and Science: A Guide for the Perplexed Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Locations of Buddhism: Colonialism and Modernity in Sri Lanka Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Introduction to the History of Indian Buddhism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In the Forest of Faded Wisdom: 104 Poems by Gendun Chopel, a Bilingual Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Holy Land Reborn: Pilgrimage and the Tibetan Reinvention of Buddhist India Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBonds of the Dead: Temples, Burial, and the Transformation of Contemporary Japanese Buddhism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRenunciation and Longing: The Life of a Twentieth-Century Himalayan Buddhist Saint Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Madman's Middle Way: Reflections on Reality of the Tibetan Monk Gendun Chopel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Buddha's Tooth: Western Tales of a Sri Lankan Relic Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Stone to Flesh: A Short History of the Buddha Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related ebooks
Illuminating the Intent: An Exposition of Candrakirti's Entering the Middle Way Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Original Perfection: Vairotsana's Five Early Transmissions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mind Seeing Mind: Mahamudra and the Geluk Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Foundations of Dharmakirti's Philosophy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Resurrecting Candrakirti: Disputes in the Tibetan Creation of Prasangika Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBeautiful Adornment of Mount Meru Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBuddhapalita's Commentary on Nagarjuna's Middle Way: Buddhapalita-Mulamadhyamaka-Vrtti Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAuthorized Lives: Biography and the Early Formation of Geluk Identity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJewels of the Middle Way: The Madhyamaka Legacy of Atisa and His Early Tibetan Followers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReason's Traces: Identity and Interpretation in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist Thought Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFreedom through Correct Knowing: On Khedrup Jé's Interpretation of Dharmakirti Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNatural Perfection: Longchenpa's Radical Dzogchen Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Gathering of Brilliant Moons: Practice Advice from the Rime Masters of Tibet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOrnament of Abhidharma: A Commentary on Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosa Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Himalayan Passages: Tibetan and Newar Studies in Honor of Hubert Decleer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Buddhist Philosophy of the Middle: Essays on Indian and Tibetan Madhyamaka Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Brilliantly Illuminating Lamp of the Five Stages Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Reasons and Lives in Buddhist Traditions: Studies in Honor of Matthew Kapstein Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeacock in the Poison Grove: Two Buddhist Texts on Training the Mind Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Freedom from Extremes: Gorampa's "Distinguishing the Views" and the Polemics of Emptiness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Like a Waking Dream: The Autobiography of Geshe Lhundub Sopa Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Essence of the Ocean of Attainments: The Creation Stage of the Guhyasamaja Tantra according to Panchen Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNagarjuna in Context: Mahayana Buddhism and Early Indian Culture Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn the Forest of Faded Wisdom: 104 Poems by Gendun Chopel, a Bilingual Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Yogin and the Madman: Reading the Biographical Corpus of Tibet's Great Saint Milarepa Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPaving the Great Way: Vasubandhu's Unifying Buddhist Philosophy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPracticing Wisdom: The Perfection of Shantideva's Bodhisattva Way Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Buddhism For You
Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mindfulness in Plain English: 20th Anniversary Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Buddha's Guide to Gratitude: The Life-changing Power of Everyday Mindfulness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wisdom of the Buddha: The Unabridged Dhammapada Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Art of Communicating Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buddhism 101: From Karma to the Four Noble Truths, Your Guide to Understanding the Principles of Buddhism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Approaching the Buddhist Path Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buddhism for Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Tibetan Book of the Dead Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buddhism For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Zen of Recovery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Peace Is Every Breath: A Practice for Our Busy Lives Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dhammapada Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gospel of Philip: Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the Gnosis of Sacred Union Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buddhism for Beginners: All you need to start your journey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What the Buddha Taught Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Collected Letters of Alan Watts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Madman's Middle Way
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
The Madman's Middle Way - Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1