Reviews for Buddhist Yoga: A Comprehensive Course

The average rating for Buddhist Yoga: A Comprehensive Course based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-04-03 00:00:00 Brian Morrill Cleary's book is a shortened translation of the not-so-well known Samdhinirmocana sutra which is thought to have been the first to describe itself as expounding the Third Turning of the Wheel of Dharma. This sutra is also thought to be the original text of what was to become the Yogacara school of Buddhism appearing prior to the five treatises of Maitreiya Buddha as given to Asanga, texts which established him as the founder of the Yogacara. Cleary's translation is so readable, clear, and fluid - there's little sense that you're reading a 2,000 year old text. I thought I would be disappointed by not getting to read the sutra in its entirety, that a shortened version would spoil its message. Not so. This is a gorgeous translation of a profound teaching on the yoga or practice of Buddhism and is going on my favorites shelf next to Lex Hixon's sublime translation of the 8,000 line prajnaparamita sutra "Mother of the Buddhas". I'm also finding a lot of language in this text that is similar to Cleary's translation of the massive Avatamsaka sutra. It's also amazing to read the lines in this text and think that they were composed by some monk in India in the 3rd or 4th centuries CE with such wit, humor, clarity, and profundity. If you are looking for a short yet very subtle teaching on the ultimate nondual truth and how to practice it in your life, don't hesitate with this book. It took me many years to finally find this sutra and translations of it. It is not one like the Diamond, Heart, Lotus, and other translations that have been around for a long time. Amazing find!

Review # 2 was written on 2013-05-10 00:00:00 Michael Persuitte This is an excellent abridged translation of the famous Mahayana text Samdhinirmocana Sutra. It is a concise presentation of the Perfection of Wisdom teachings. A very good book!