Few figures in the history of Buddhism in Tibet have had as far-reaching and profound an influence as the Indian scholar and adept Atisa Dipamkara (982-1054). Originally from Bengal, Atisa was a tantric Buddhist master during Vajrayana Buddhism's flowering in India and traveled extensively, eventually spending the remaining twelve years of his life revitalizing Buddhism in Tibet. Revered by all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Atisa and his students founded what came to be known as the Kadam school, whose teachings have influenced countless Buddhist masters. These teachings, cherished by all major traditions, are preserved by the Geluk in particular, the school of the Dalai Lamas.
Although Atisa was an influential practitioner and scholar of Tantra, he is best known for introducing many of the core Mahayana teachings that are widely practiced throughout the Tibetan Buddhist world, including the Stages of the Path to Awakening and Mind Training (lojong), as well as having contributed to highly influential commentaries on Madhyamaka that synthesize various schools of thought. This succinct biography of Atisa's life, together with a collection of translations, represents for the first time the full range of Atisa's contribution to Buddhism. As the most comprehensive work available on this essential Buddhist figure, this book is an indispensable resource for scholars and Buddhist practitioners alike.
Atisa Dipamkara: Illuminator of the Awakened Mind, James B. Apple, Shambhala Publications, Paperback, 303 pp, $24.95
James B. Apple is Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Calgary. His research focuses on the critical analysis of the Mahayana sutras and topics within Indian and Tibetan Buddhism. His books include Jewels of the Middle Way: The Madhyamaka Legacy of Atisa and His Early Tibetan Followers, A Stairway taken by the Lucid: Tsong khapa's Study of Noble Beings, and Stairway to Nirvana.
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