Reddit mentions of The World of Tibetan Buddhism: An Overview of Its Philosophy and Practice

2 monastics and 6 other long-time senior students conclude the letter with:

> Our past motivation to see all the actions of our tantric teacher as pure obscured us from seeing the very real harm that you are inflicting. We are each taking a long and serious look at our own behaviors, trying to learn from them, and supporting each other on our journey. We can no longer stay silent while you harm others in the name of Buddhism. Our deepest wish is to see Buddhism flourish in the West. We no longer want to indulge in the stupidity of seeing the Guru as perfect at any cost. The path does not require us to sacrifice our wisdom to discern, our ethics and morality, or our integrity, on the altar of “Guru Yoga.” Our heartfelt wish is that you seek guidance from the Dalai Lama, other reputable lamas of good heart, or anyone who can help to bring you back onto the true path of the Dharma. https://www.lionsroar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Letter-to-Sogyal-Lakar-14-06-2017-.pdf

This is a good time to review the following teachings:


. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, who is a personal tutor to the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje and the four Kagyu regents, said: "However, faith in one’s guru does not mean blind faith. It does not mean believing “My guru is perfect,” even though your guru is not perfect. It is not pretending that your guru’s defects are qualities. It is not rationalizing every foible of the guru into a superhuman virtue. After all, most gurus will have defects. You need to recognize them for what they are."

. The Dalai Lama said:

"Should the guru manifest un-dharmic qualities or give teachings contradicting dharma, the instruction on seeing the spiritual master as perfect must give way to reason and dharma wisdom."



"What is in the best interest of the Buddhadharma is much more important than anything concerning an individual guru. Therefore, if it is necessary to criticize a guru to save the Buddhadharma or to benefit several hundred of their disciples, do not hesitate.... It is essential to distinguish between two things: the person and their action. We criticize the action, not the person… Speaking out against the action does not mean that we hate the person.... Thus, we may criticize a teacher’s abusive actions or negative qualities while we respect them as a person at the same time… Motivation is the key: speaking out of hatred or desire for revenge is wrong. However, if we know that by not speaking out, their bad behavior will continue and will harm the Buddhadharma, and we still remain silent, that is wrong."

"If students sincerely point out the faults of the guru and explain any contradictory behavior, this will, in fact, help the guru to correct that behavior and adjust any wrong actions."

Sure, happy to! Chogyam Trungpa's The Myth of Freedom is one of my favourite books. The World of Tibetan Buddhism by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a good overview and covers some of the complexities of Tibetan Buddhism and the differences in kinds of buddhism. Likewise: HHDL's The Four Noble Truths and The Power of Compassion are lovely books that explain some of the philosophies behind Mahayana practice. Chogyam Trungpa's The Path is the Goal is a classic, as is Start Where You Are by Pema Chodren. I have all of these on the shelf and continue to use them after all these years. Also, Hermann Hesse's classic Siddhartha is a lovely novel that outlines the story of Shakyamuni Buddha. I read it when I was 14 and it still resonates with me. Feel free to ask me any questions you'd like. I lived in a Buddhist Monastery for 4 years. I'll do my best to answer them. Depending on where you live, I could very likely recommend a monastery or retreat centre for you to visit, if you were interested. Glad you are exploring!

Buddhism for Beginners by Thubten Chodron

Tibetan Buddhism From the Ground Up by B. Alan Wallace

The World of Tibetan Buddhism by the Dalai Lama

Hello! Like you, I am relatively new to the path. Probably the most helpful book I have read so far in terms of "getting" Buddhist beliefs and concepts down in an easy to understand way has been The World of Tibetan Buddhism by the Dalai Lama.

Although I don't follow Tibetan Buddhism, it has been immensely helpful in my journey and is a pretty interesting read on its own!

Off the top of my head, I'd recommend this one, although I see he has a "Concise" version as well. The Dalai Lama's book is also good, but doesn't go into as much detail (or history).

Do you know which school your teacher is associated with (Gelug, Nyingma, Kagyu or Sakya)? If so, I can point you to more specialized works.

Wow, best book on the subject. The best one that I have read personally is This one. However the best book period is This one

Also, yes, i meditate and I can't tell you how much it helps.