The Flight of the Garuda: The Dzogchen Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism

by Keith Dowman (Editor), Padmasambhava (Contributor), Godemchan (Contributor)

Flight of the Garuda conveys the heart advice of one of the most beloved masters of Tibet. The itinerant yogi Shabkar communicates the essence of the Dzogchen teachings through song both poetic and poignant.
Along with Shabka's songs, Keith Dowman has translated four other seminal Dzogchen texts, including one by Patrul Rinpoche that is new to this edition.. Dzogchen practice brings us into direct communion with the most subtle nature of experience, the unity of samsara in nirvana as experienced within our own consciousness, bringing the mediator face to face with the nature of reality. Buddhist of all strips, including practitioners of Zen and Vipassana, will find ample sustenance in these lyrical explications of the Dzogchen view.

Genres: Philosophy, Buddhism, Spirituality, Religion, Nonfiction, Eastern Philosophy, Meditation

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Agnieszka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book slowly as a poet and meditation practitioner, with some very solid experience in the former and pretty good experiential grounding in the latter. I think it's like a guide book to a place that you can only really understand after you've visited it at least once. So the bits that I have experience with, I read and thought, yes exactly so! And also aha, so that's you I find that place again. The bits I didn't have experience with were sometimes beautiful and sometimes interesting but often quite opaque. It's hard to review this kind of book, I'm afraid.

The commentaries and introductions were very good and provided necessary background.

[Fuad Fuad · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know about dzogchen, you must read this book.In this book, dzogchen practices clearly explained.Best book about dzogchen I,ve ever read till this time.

[Brian Wilcox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clearly, Dowman is a scholar of Dzogchen. Likewise, he writes as a scholar. The work reads as a scholastic study, and one written for "insiders" not "outsiders."

I would not recommend this work to persons not interested in an in-depth study of ritualistic, magical Dzogchen, unless she or he wishes to read it as a cultural study. There are other more readable and life-applicable Dzogchen works devoid of the concentration on ritual and magic.

There are "purists" of Dzogchen, which the author refers to. It seems the purist approach is more direct and without the ritualistic-magical overlay. I compared this to the contrast between a Quaker Meeting and a Catholic Mass. Another contrast might be between Zen and the Tantrayana - following Hinayana and Mahayana - in Buddhism.

In fairness to the author, a book can be rightly judged only on its purpose. Hence, it seems clear the author fulfilled his purpose for the audience he targeted in writing the work. Likewise, the author based his comments on the texts he was seeking to elucidate for the reader.

[Juan Restrepo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una joya de una profundidad nunca antes vista. Traducida por un yogi-poeta-místico-laico, receptor de la visión del Dzogchen y amante de Gratefuldead.

[Cody]

The deepest insights--pragmatic, concise, and lyrical.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a Rinpoche as a sort of practice text. However he does not speak english and probably could not rate the translation. It has some well respected base texts in it. I just found the commentary very flowery and overly philosophical, and therefore hard to understand perhaps for many on that basis and creating unnecessary boundaries. I think it would be accessible to more people, and potentially thus beneficial, if it was toned down a bit and more 'plain english'. So I was left wondering whether to feel grateful to the translator, or wondering how much ego was involved. The glossary and other recommended texts in the rear were interesting.

[Ryan]

Written in the Dzogchen tradition (which Sam talks about in waking up as the bullseye of philosophy)

[Brady Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing introduction to the Dzogchen Tradition. Beautiful language, timeless wisdom, relaxing read.

[Xavier Alexandre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very esoteric, includes numerous references to unexplained and sometimes hard to believe concepts. Only for the faithful... A few interesting outlooks on the self.

[Thomas Beaver · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars for the translation, which in places is wildly off. The teaching itself is fantastic.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent explanation of Dzogchen teachings, easy to read .