Songs of Spiritual Experience: Tibetan Buddhist Poems of Insight and Awakening

by Thupten Jinpa, Jas' Elsner

This is the first major anthology of Tibetan poetry to become available in the West. Translators Thupten Jinpa—one of the Dalai Lama's principal interpreters—and Jas' Elsner have created an accessible collection geared toward a general audience. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, poetry has long been one of the primary means of expressing spiritual experience. The splendid poems in this collection communicate spiritual insight with astonishing grace and precision. Songs of Spiritual Experience includes original translations of fifty-two poems, a lengthy introduction about the role of poetry in Tibetan Buddhism, and a helpful glossary that includes commentary on the poems. The book serves both as an introduction to Tibetan poetry and to Tibetan Buddhist philosophy.

Genres: Poetry, Buddhism, Religion, Spirituality

208 pages, Hardcover

First published December 19, 2000

About the author

Geshe Thupten Jinpa Langri, Ph.D., is the senior translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Pesident of the Institute of Tibetan Classics. His works include the translation of twelve books by the Dalai Lama.

Reviews

[Ivan Granger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe it or not, I found this one in a discount bin at my local bookstore — but what a find! One of the best general anthologies of Tibetan Buddhist poems I’ve found. Several verses attributed to Milarepa, as well as many other Tibetan yogis and masters. If you haven’t read much Tibetan poetry, this book is an excellent place to start.

[Jennifer Perez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting a more uplifting collection but many of the poems were dark and bleak, including those in the section titled Steps on the Path to Awakening which I was certain would be lighter and more hopeful. I was wrong. This collection is nothing like the zen poetry of Ryokan. I’m not sure why the contrast surprised me as much as it did, but I’ll stick to Ryokan.

[Don Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title says it all. I will be incorporating some of these poems into my practice, reciting them before sitting. All of these poets were highly realized practitioners. They would bring much value to anyone's practice.

[Justin Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful and heartfelt collection of poems/"songs" of spiritual experience from a variety of epochs and schools of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the intro a lot, the poems themselves not so much; very conventional.