A Mudra is a symbolic gesture or action that gives physical expression to an inner state. The spirit of this collection of poems and songs of devotion, written by Chogyam Trungpa between 1959 and 1971, is spontaneous and celebratory. Also included are the ten traditional Zen oxherding pictures accompanied by a unique commentary that offers an unmistakably Tibetan flavor. Fan of this renowned Buddhist teacher will enjoy the heartfelt devotional quality of this early work.

Mudra: Early Poems and Songs, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Shambhala Publications, Paperback, 105 pages, $16.95

Trungpa was born in Eastern Tibet and recognized as an incarnation of the Trungpa line at an early date. He studied with, among others, one of the reincarnations of the Jamgyon Kongtrul who wrote the most famous commentary on the Seven Points. In 1959 he fled to India in the wake of the Communist takeover in Tibet, courageously leading many of his people to safety (this period is described in his book Born in Tibet.) He came to England in the mid-sixties to study at Oxford, learned English, started to teach, and started one of the first Tibetan Buddhist centers in the West. He later dropped his monastic vows, married, and moved to America where he continued his teaching. He founded the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, a large and highly respected Buddhist universit