Reddit mentions of Words of My Perfect Teacher: A Complete Translation of a Classic Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (Sacred Literature)

I'd wholeheartly recommend The Words of My Perfect Teacher and The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech.

No, of course not. Let me clarify. I'm not a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, but am immensely curious about it, and have read a bit about it from various sources, ranging from Words of My Perfect Teacher to the Berzin website.

One thing that characterizes TB is the emphasis on the all-important role of one's teacher (or root guru). Meditation is a complex activity, but TB is an extraordinarily complex repository of late-stage Indian Buddhist philosophy and meditation techniques, the crown jewel of which is tantra. TB lamas emphasize that tantric meditation is can be extremely powerful, but also extremely dangerous to one's mental health if practiced incorrectly, since it involves working with the body's energy systems, exercises where you visualize yourself as a deity, etc. The root guru provides intensely personalized instructions on how to meditate in this way, provides remedies to common pitfalls and issues, generally acting as very experienced coach.

And Dzogchen is the most advanced form of tantra in the Nyingma tradition. For what it's worth, Leigh Brasington - in addition to the jhana work some here might be familiar with - has been a Dzogchen practitioner for several decades, but he refuses to say basically anything about it because he doesn't feel qualified to do so.

So the idea of someone whose expertise in meditation comes from a lineage that very possibly could have fabricated its connection to authentic tantra and Dzogchen practices should give all of us pause. Going to a self-taught car mechanic carries risks, but going to an unqualified brain surgeon is downright foolhardy.

Edit: And I don't know enough about Tibetan Buddhism or Aro or Rin'dzin Pamo enough to pass any sort of judgment. I'm just advising a little skepticism on whether her contrast of TMI with Dzogchen/tantra actually jibes with what mainstream, authentic Vajrayana lamas might say.

Mahayana is a much bigger beast than Theravada. Rather than a general introduction to all of Mahayana, you would be better off looking for introductions to particular traditions- Zen, Tibetan, Pure Land, etc. Mahayana Buddhists generally accept as canonical the full variety of Mahayana texts, but specific texts are more emphasized by particular traditions.

In addition, there has been a kind of 'reconstruction' movement within the Theravada that sought to reform the tradition to conform more closely to the canonical texts. That movement came about in part because of critique and contact with Western theology, which emphasizes the primacy of source texts. In other traditions, post-canonical texts may be more important- rather than tackling the source texts, monks and lay students are taught from summaries and commentaries that contain the views of the oral tradition and prominent teachers.

Something like Words of My Perfect Teacher contains a pretty comprehensive overview of the Tibetan tradition as derived from the traditional sources... In the Zen tradition, The Platform Sutra is primarily a biography/hagiography of the Patriarch Hui Neng, but also contains information on how the Zen tradition regarded the teachings of various popular sutras.

Refuge is a bit like Christian conversion, but more importantly it's a continuous thing. Every Vajrayana practice kicks off with taking Refuge for example, and it's also a practice in itself. Here's a teaching by Chögyam Trungpa on this topic. For a classical in depth look I recommend the relevant chapters in Gampopa's Jewel Ornament and Patrül Rinpoche's Words of My Perfect Teacher.

As for Tibetan Buddhism, I remember that Words of My Perfect Teacher says that the number of hell beings compared to pretas is like the stars visible at night compared to stars visible in the day. The same analogy applies for the number of pretas vs. animals, and the number of animals compared to humans.

The Pansu Suttas say the number of sentient beings who get bad rebirths as opposed to good rebirths is like the dirt under your fingernail compared to the size of the planet Earth. That's from the Pali Canon, so it should apply to all traditions.

>Then the Blessed One, picking up a little bit of dust with the tip of his fingernail, said to the monks, "What do you think, monks? Which is greater: the little bit of dust I have picked up with the tip of my fingernail, or the great earth?"

>"The great earth is far greater, lord. The little bit of dust the Blessed One has picked up with the tip of his fingernail is next to nothing. It doesn't even count. It's no comparison. It's not even a fraction, this little bit of dust the Blessed One has picked up with the tip of his fingernail, when compared with the great earth.

>"In the same way, monks, few are the beings who, on passing away from the human realm, are reborn among human beings. Far more are the beings who, on passing away from the human realm, are reborn in hell.

The source: Words of My Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche

>The Words of My Perfect Teacher was composed by the great Nyingma master, Patrul Rinpoche. The work is an explanation of the Longchen Nyingtik ngöndro, the preliminary practices from the Longchen Nyingtik cycle of teachings, discovered by Jikmé Lingpa. This famous commentary is a completely faithful written record of the oral teachings Patrul Rinpoche received directly from his teacher, Jikmé Gyalwé Nyugu.

The Preciousness of Human Birth is a good reminder for me. Walking and contemplating these ideas makes every step, every breath and every thought I have feel a bit like a miracle. I forget the name of the teachings they gave on retreat, but it was from this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Words-Perfect-Teacher-Translation-Introduction/dp/0300165323

I also find the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva to be very helpful on bad days.

Good luck to you.

Since you are including religion, if you would like your mind completely blow, check out Patrul Rinpoche's Words of My Perfect Teacher. I don't know how you would rate it for entertainment value, but the descriptions of the 6 realms of existence are pretty amazing to disturbing and even terrifying. The philosophy is sublime and profound.

The Words of My Perfect Teacher. It has a strong Vajrayana bent. Either you love it or you'll completely dismiss it.

What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula is good for a general introduction to Buddhism - http://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313

Words of My Perfect Teacher is good for an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, while actually being a practice manual for the Longchen Nyingthig Ngondro in the Tibetan Nyingma (Ancient) tradition - http://www.amazon.com/The-Words-Perfect-Teacher-Introduction/dp/0300165323/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341283245&sr=1-1&keywords=words+of+my+perfect+teacher