Luminous Emptiness

The <i>Tibetan Book of the Dead </i> a best-seller for three decades is one of the most widely read texts of Tibetan Buddhism. Over the years it has been studied and cherished by Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. <i>Luminous Emptiness </i>is a detailed guide to this classic work elucidating its mysterious concepts terms and imagery. Fremantle relates the symbolic world of the <i>Tibetan Book of the Dead </i>to the experiences of everyday life presenting the text not as a scripture for the dying but as a guide for the living. <br><br>According to the Buddhist view nothing is permanent or fixed. The entire world of our experience is constantly appearing and disappearing at every moment. Using vivid and dramatic imagery the <i>Tibetan Book of the Dead </i>presents the notion that most of us are living in a dream that will continue from lifetime to lifetime until we truly awaken by becoming enlightened. Here Fremantle who worked closely with Ch&#246;gyam Trungpa on the 1975 translation of the <i>Tibetan Book of the Dead </i>(Shambhala) brings the expertise of a lifetime of study to rendering this intriguing classic more accessible and meaningful to the living. <br><br> <i>Luminous Emptiness </i>features in-depth explanations of: <br><br>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#149;&#160; The Tibetan Buddhist notions of death and rebirth <br>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#149;&#160; The meaning of the five energies and the five elements in Tibetan Buddhism <br>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#149;&#160; The mental and physical experience of dying according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition