Freedom In Bondage

by Trulshik Adeu, Marcia Binder Schmidt (Editor), Erik Pema Kunsang (Translator)

Adeu Rinpoche’s life was extraordinary from the beginning. He was recognized by an incarnation of the previous Adeu Rinpoche and enthroned at the age of seven as the Eighth Adeu Rinpoche. As a child and teenager he mastered writing, calligraphy, poetry, astrology, mandala painting, prayer, and meditation. Then, in 1958 at the age of twenty-seven, his monastery was attacked and all sacred texts and statues were completely destroyed by the Chinese as part of the Cultural Revolution. Sentenced to fifteen years in prison for his religious beliefs, the author was sent to a remote labor camp, where he watched many of his friends die under the harsh conditions. But imprisonment had an unexpected blessing: he met many accomplished masters, including the late Khenpo Munsel, and learned many practices from them.

Freedom in Bondage offers a portrait of the life and philosophy of one of the twentieth century’s most respected meditation masters—his early training in spiritual practices, his flight and capture, interrogation and sentencing, and the years in prison. His voice is calm and nonjudgmental, uplifting the reader with his compassion for his captors. The title captures the author’s inner liberation in a dire situation.

Genres: Buddhism, Spirituality

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains teachings by renowned Kagyu Drukpa master Adeu Rinpoche. It also contains his moving narrative of his time as a political prisoner in s Chinese labour camp in Tibet for 24 years.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

About half prison memoir, which since the author was a super chill buddhist monk is not so harrowing or dramatic or exciting as the average prison memoir, and half collected teachings. At first I was disappointed, but at a recent silent retreat the teachings were just the right thing. Concise, clear, wide ranging, nice perspective. A little bit old school...