Conversations about the Water and Wood Shastras

Sharon Salzberg sits down with translator Wilson Hurley to discuss and explore the the long overdue translation of the highly regarded, immensely readable poetry by the precious master Gungtang Rinpoche, The Water and Wood Shastras (ISBN 9781937114053, paperback, 296 pages, 6" x 9", photos throughout; $19.99). The author, Gungtang Rinpoche, the Venerable Konchok Tenpai Dronme (1762-1823), was highly esteemed in Tibet as a great scholar and Buddhist practitioner. He revitalized Buddhism in Tibet and inspired many generations that followed. Rinpoche's works are cherished by Tibetans and translations have been published around the world. Scholars Yeshe Khedrup and Wilson Hurley translated this edition. These poems embody the central passion of ancient Tibetan culture--the pursuit of knowledge and compassion to actualize the highest potential of the human spirit. They are part of the Subhasita genre of literature, which flourished in ancient India and was eventually taken up in Tibet. Shastras (Tibetan: bstan bcos) are commentaries on the Buddha's teachings meant to help transform the mind and protect it from negative states, which lead to suffering. To communicate the insights within his commentaries, Gungthang Rinpoche drew upon his own experiences from years of intensive spiritual study and expressed his thoughts through rich verbal images drawn from the natural world. Such were the tools he used to articulate his realizations for the benefit of others. "The poems included in this volume illustrate the author's profound insights into the nature of humanity and the essence of the path to enlightenment," explains Khedrup. "Their message is deep and vast, but deceptively simplified and beautifully garbed in the metaphors of Gungtang Rinpoche's elegant verse." In addition to the poems, the volume contains an illuminating biography of the experiences of Gungtang Rinpoche's life and critical commentary on the place these poems occupy within ancient Tibetan thought and culture, making the volume highly suitable for both a lay market and an academically inclined audience. Finally, the work is illustrated with photos and other images that evoke the highly visual imagery created by these verses.

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Conversations about the Water and Wood Shastras is an episode from Karuna Publications Podcast.

This episode is 36:43 long.

This episode was published on Jan 18, 2013.

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