On the spiritual path we speak of enlightenment. But how do we reconcile the idea of enlightenment with what we see when we look in the mirror -- when insecurities, doubts, and self-centered tendencies arise in our minds? Dzigar Kongtrul suggests that we need not feel "doomed" when these experiences surface. In fact, such experiences are not a problem if we are able to simply let them arise without judging them or investing them with so much meaning. This approach to experience is what Kongtrul calls self-reflection.

Self-reflection is a practice, a path, and an attitude. It is the spirit of taking an interest in that which we usually try to push away. Self-reflection is the common thread that runs through all traditions of Buddhist practice. It breathes life into our practice, protecting it from becoming just another enterprise. When we practice self-reflection we take liberation into our own hands and accept the challenge and personal empowerment in Kongtrul's title: It's Up to You.

Trained by the celebrated Tibetan meditation master Dilgo Khyentse (author of The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones and The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel), Dzigar Kongtrul is steeped in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Having lived in Colorado and taught Western students for fifteen years, he is deeply valued for his skill at presenting ancient teachings in a way that is accessible and relevant for the contemporary mind.

It's Up to You, Dzigar Kongtrul, Foreword by Pema Chodron, Preface by Matthieu Ricard, Shambhala Publications, Paperback, 2006, 130 pp, $18.95

Dzigar Kongtrul was born in Northern India, the son of the highly respected Buddhist lama Neten Choling Rinpoche. After being recognized as a reincarnation of the nonsectarian master Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, he received extensive traditional training in all aspects of Tibetan Buddhist doctrine.

In 1990, he began a five-year tenure as a professor of Buddhist philosophy at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. He also founded Mangala Shri Bhuti, his own teaching organization, during this period. He has established a mountain retreat center, Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, in southern Colorado. When not guiding students in long-term retreats and not in retreat himself, Rinpoche travels widely throughout the world teaching and furthering his own education.

CONTENTS: It's Up to You
Foreword by Pema Chodron		ix
Preface by Matthieu Ricard		xi
Author's Preface		xiii
Acknowledgments		xv
Supplication		xvi
Introduction		xxi
PART ONE: THE PRACTICE OF SELF-REFLECTION
1.	Looking in the Mirror	3
2.	The Theater of Reflections	11
3.	The Legacy of Cavemen and Sages	17
4.	Our Natural Inheritance	21
5.	The Teacher as Mirror	29
PART TWO: FEARLESS SELF-REFLECTION
6.	Training in Courage	35
7.	Finding a Refuge	39
8.	Dancing with Habits and Fears	43
9.	The Momentum of Delusion	49
10.	Slowing Down	53
11.	Not Hooking the World	61
12.	Being Present	69
13.	Going Beyond Self-Importance	77
14.	Distinguishing Friend from Foe	83
15.	Stretching the Heart Further	85
16.	Having a Sense of Humor	91
PART THREE: FINDING OUR PLACE IN THE WORLD
17.	Action and Intention	101
18.	Awake in Daytime, Sleep, and Dreams	107
19.	Grace and Elegance	113
20.	Creativity	119
21.	Great Possibilities	125
Suggestions for Further Reading		131
Mangala Shri Bhuti Centers		133