Book Review: "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma (Vol. 1): The Path of Individual Liberation," edited by Judith Lief; "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma (Vol. 2): The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion," by Chogyam Trungpa; "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma (Vol. 3): The Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness," by Chogyam Trungpa
The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma (Vol. 1): The Path of Individual Liberation. By Chogyam Trungpa. Edited by Judith Lief. Shambhala, April 15, 2014. 680 pages. ISBN-10: 1611801044 ISBN-13: 978-1611801040; The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma (Vol. 2): The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion. By Chogyam Trungpa. Edited by Judith. Shambhala; First Edition edition, April 15, 2014. 528 pages. ISBN-10: 1611801052 ISBN-13: 978-1611801057; The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma (Vol. 3): The Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness. By Chogyam Trungpa. Edited by Judith Lief. Shambhala, April 8, 2013. 944 pages. ISBN-10: 1590308042 ISBN-13: 978-1590308042
摘要
These volumes present the storehouse of teachings Chogyam Trungpa gave in North America during his annual seminaries from 1973 to 1986. The volumes follow the traditional Tibetan as well as Trungpa's own curriculum in a division of three yāna or vehicles. An audacious project, the books successfully present Trungpa's teachings in a form true to their style and content. Trungpa taught traditional curriculum in an innovative way, accessible to his North American audience. A pivotal figure in the transmission of Buddhism to North America, Trungpa was one of the first Buddhist teachers from Asia to present Buddhism in its wholeness in English. Lief, long‐time editor of Trungpa's work, transformed thirteen years' worth of seminary transcripts into a three‐volume collection both coherent and consistent. Her notes are enlightening about Trungpa's approach to topics. As a teaching resource, the volumes present the Tibetan Buddhist path in an accessible, comprehensive manner. The Outline of Teachings in each volume serve as ready resources for syllabus development. However, the volumes are large, and the presentation idiosyncratic. These volumes make good reference works for any course on Tibetan Buddhist path or practice, but are perhaps too large and comprehensive to effectively use as course texts (not to mention the cost). However, for scholars of Tibetan Buddhism and American/Western Buddhism, these volumes should be of keen interest, especially the Editor's Introductions, which describe a key history of Buddhism in North America.
