Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism

by Reginald A. Ray

Indestructible Truth is one of the most thorough introductions to the Tibetan Buddhist world view ever published—at the same time it is also one of the most accessible. The author presents complex and sophisticated teachings and practices in nontechnical language, using engaging stories and personal anecdotes to illustrate his points. Indestructible Truth presents Tibetan Buddhism in its traditional form but also shows how the Tibetan traditions are applicable to the problems and challenges of modern life in the West. In Indestructible Truth, Tibetan Buddhism is introduced not as an exotic religion, but rather as an expression of human spirituality that is having a profound impact on the modern world. In addition, it presents the point of view of meditation and the practice of the spiritual life, paying special attention to contemplative practice and meditation as taught in the Kagyu and Nyingma schools.

Genres: Buddhism, Spirituality, Religion, Nonfiction, Philosophy, History, Meditation

495 pages, Hardcover

First published July 23, 2000

Reviews

[Lorilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the first half of this book to be way deeper into the history of Tibetan Buddhist practice than I was ready to take on. That said, a student scholar might find it very useful! I, on the other hand, am a practitioner of meditation, a beginner of Tibetan Buddhist practice, at that, now having had a daily practice for only five years. After getting through the first half, having stuck with it, I noted there was a definite change in the second half's presentation, seeming goals for the reader. The pieces began to fall together. I perked up! I began to notice that I was beginning to connect the subtle dots of practice I was experiencing on the cushion! As the chapters rolled by my consciousness, I began to become deeply connected to Reginald Ray's approach to explain the historical yet very practical aspects of the Tibetan practice I am taking on. It seemed to be taking me forever to read this book, indeed I've been reading it for the past six months, because I could only read it and absorb its contents in small doses! Yet, those doses began to stick, began to infect my thinking with a deeper understanding of life. I realized why I have slowly stepped from Christianity toward a deep, connected spiritual understanding of all of life, less based on beliefs and more based on compassionate action and practice in the world. My very thinking is now able to be affected by my meditation practice on a daily basis. I am noticing how present I am able (or not able to be) in the world at large and why that is likely so, then what to do about it. The wisdom and compassion I seek is within each of us, able to be touched, able to be brought out, able to be shared just as soon as we are able to remove the obscurations that assault its body-knowledge. One has to be ready for this book. It is not easy reading. It is deep in historical content as well as in the scope of its broader view of present-day life. When one takes it on, I suggest not rushing it but rather delighting in its message. That message is a gift that will last lifetimes. Thank you to Cortland Dahl for sparking in me a desire to read this book. I am finding its contents are life-changing.

[Brian Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a full university course in Tibetan Buddhism--its roots, its heroes, its evolving schools, and its spiritual practice as the wayfarer experiences it. Ray is a patient, passionate teacher who takes time to clearly explain the pathways and peaks of Buddhist philosophy and practice. I'd definitely recommend it for any student of the subject.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ray states that this book was intended as an entry-level textbook for Tibetan Buddhism studies in colleges as well as for the curious laymen. The first half of the book which was focused on explaining history and lineages was for the most part pretty good in this regard, despite sometimes weird problematic framing of Modern man (Western) finding themselves through the teachings of the Tibetan primeval other.

In the second half which was focused on Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and practice, Ray chooses to source almost all of the material through Chögyam Trungpa commentary and framework rather than sourcing through multiple Tibetan thinkers. Trungpa is a problematic figure in Tibetan Buddhism who had many scandals and controversies connected to him before and after his death. This portion of the book seemed to devolve from a general overview of the Tibetan religious system towards a religious track for the specific Shambhala organization. As such, it is hard for me to discern what is the general features of Tibetan Buddhism and what comes froms Ray's idiosyncratic Buddhist group. Thusly, it is hard to reccomend this book to others.

[Mark David Vinzens · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Truth makes little sense and has no real impact if it is merely a collection of abstract ideas. Truth that is living experience, on the other hand, is challenging, threatening, and transforming. The first kind of truth consists of information collected and added, from a safe distance, to our mental inventory. The second kind involves risking our familiar and coherent interpretation of the world -it is an act of surrender, of complete and embodied cognition that is seeing, feeling, intuiting, and comprehending all at once. Living truth leads us ever more deeply into the unknown territory of what our life is (...) Tibetan Buddhism is a way of experiencing the world.” (p. 1)

“Buddhism is a particularly interesting tradition because it has one foot in the past and one in the present. On the one hand, it arose at a time when India was undergoing transformation from a more primitive to a “high” civilization. Buddhism has the same literacy, scholasticism, professional elites, institutionalization, hierarchies, political involve­ments, and monetary concerns as do the other “high religions” that evolved after the invention of agriculture and that we now largely iden­tify as our own ways of being religious. At the same time, the Buddha claimed, “I follow the ancient path,” and by this he meant to show a way back to a more fundamental experience of human life than the one evolving in his day. Tibetan Buddhism, perhaps more than any other form of Buddhism, has retained the raw and rugged experience of this “primordiality” as the basis of its spirituality. In this sense, it is con­cerned not with truth that is fixed and dead, but with truth that is alive and constantly emerging. And it is only this kind of truth that is indestructible because it is not a reified version of the past, but a reflection of what is ultimately so in the immediacy of the present.” (p. 2)

“The understanding of samsara as the endless repetition of life followed by death followed by life, all governed by karma, suggests that lasting happiness in the ordinary sense is not attainable. The introduction of buddhahood as standing outside of sam­sara provides an alternative to this daunting and frightening prospect. The fact that buddhahood is not only available but is the ultimate and final destiny of all instills fundamental optimism and a sense of the value of life. And the limitless time frame in which this can be achieved enables people to relax and to take their spiritual journey at its own pace. In this way, Tibetan Buddhism has achieved the seemingly contradictory goals of revealing the radical inadequacy of samsara, leaving its adherents little option but to look to a spiritual path, while at the same time rousing them to a sense of confidence, joy, and well-being at their human condition and its literally infinite possibilities.” (p. 27)

“Underlying the practice of divi­nation is the assumption that the universe is an interconnected, organic whole in which every part is causally connected with every other part. According to the Buddhist teachings on karma, the large patterns of past, present, and future are “written,” so to speak, in the totality. Divi­nation seeks to “read” this karmic pattern so that events that are in the process of unfolding can be detected and deciphered. Deities, who are unconstrained by the limitations of human existence, know this totality and can be consulted for information about it.” (p. 29)

“A buddha is an enlightened being who has passed completely beyond samsara. Buddhas may be human, such as the buddha of our world, Shakyamuni. They may also be purely celestial such as Amitabha, the buddha of compassion, who, as men­tioned, lives in an enlightened pure land “in the West,” known as Sukhavati. A bodhisattva is a being who has vowed to attain the enlightenment of a buddha and who is at some point along the path to that goal. Bodhisattvas may also be human or celestial. As human be­ings, they may be ordinary persons like ourselves or people of great attainment. Examples of celestial bodhisattvas are two emanations of Amitabha, the male bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, and the female bodhi­sattva Tara, who are embodiments of pure compassion and among the most-loved deities in the Tibetan pantheon. Celestial bodhisattvas are closer than buddhas to ordinary human beings and may be supplicated in times of need. It is believed in the cases of both Tara and Avaloki­teshvara that they will respond without fail to those who call upon them with faith and devotion. Some of Tibet's most revered incarnate lamas, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa, are considered to be human incarnations of Avaloki­teshvara.” (p. 35)

“the apparent duality of subject and object is not given in reality. It is a structure that we, out of fear and ignorance, impose on the world. When we see the phenomenal world truly as it is, we realize a level of being that precedes the subject-object split. This is the true nature of “experience,” “awareness,” or “nondual mind,” understood at this point as interchangeable categories. When Tibetans say that the spirits, gods, and deities are aspects of mind and nothing other than mind, they mean it in this sense, that their fundamental nature— as indeed the nature of all phenomena— is nondual awareness.” (p. 46)

“we humans are one part of a vast, interconnected web of relationships with all other inhabitants of the cosmos, both those still living within delusion and those who are awak­ened.” (p. 47)

“Our interconnectedness with the rest of the cosmos rests on deep foundations. Most fundamentally, we share with all other beings the inherent core of buddha-nature— the inner, awakened state that dwells at the heart of all sentient beings as their inmost essence. We might consider all beings as having, like us, membership in the same great family— just as we view our children and our parents equally as family members, even though they are at earlier or later stages of life than we are. In a similar way, we are at a certain stage in our spiritual evolution. The others in the vast sea of being are at other stages in the very same process. Insects, for example, represent an earlier phase in this process, fully awakened buddhas a later one. But fundamentally, we are all made of the same stuff, so to speak.” (p. 48)

“... the syllables OM MANI PADME HUM , the universally known and revered mantra of Avalokiteshvara, or OM AH HUM VAJRAGURU PADMA SIDDHI HUM , the most important mantra of Padmasambhava. In Vajrayana Buddhism, the mantras embody in sound the essence of particular buddhas, protectors, or departed gurus. In saying them, one is directly and powerfully con­necting with those beings to whom one is making the supplication.” (p. 61)

“Tibetan Bud­dhists belong to the tradition known as the Mahayana, or ‘‘greater vehi­cle,” the type of Buddhism that was prevalent until modern times in North and East Asia. The human ideal of the Mahayana is the bodhisattva, the “enlightenment being” who practices wisdom and compas­sion and strives for enlightenment for the welfare of all beings. According to the Mahayana, every human being, and, indeed every sen­tient being, is destined one day to become a fully enlightened buddha, just like Buddha Shakyamuni. Those who came before and already at­tained buddhahood are found, as mentioned, throughout time and space.

The path to fully enlightened buddhahood that each of us must fol­low is immeasurably long, involving millions of lifetimes of study, med­itation, and selfless work for others. At an early stage in the path, one takes the bodhisattva vow, the vow to attain full enlightenment for the welfare of others. Subsequently, the bodhisattva progresses through var­ious stages (margas, paths) and levels (bhumis). In his (or her) final life, just like Shakyamuni, the bodhisattva is born into a world system in which the dharma is unknown. There he attains enlightenment and initiates the tradition of dharma. As an enlightened buddha, he is en­dowed with superhuman qualities and powers, and ranks above even the highest gods.

The “life” of Buddha Shakyamuni, then, describes the final birth and last life of Gautama (Shakyamuni’s given name), the person destined to become the fully enlightened buddha of our world system. Various Ti­betan hagiographies reflect both the human and the superhuman aspects of the Buddha’s identity. In fact, within the Indian context, these are seen as inseparable: to fully realize one’s human nature is to attain the superhuman pinnacle of existence.” (p. 68)

The basic Buddhist teachings, consisting of the four noble truths:

“1. The truth of suffering, that the experience of pain, frustration, and incompletion are part and parcel of the human condition;

2. The truth of the origin of suffering in the thirst for egoistic se­curity and aggrandizement, including the basic teachings on karma or moral cause and effect;

3. The truth of the cessation of suffering or the possibility of nir­vana, liberation; and

4. The truth of the path, consisting of the noble eightfold path, including the “three trainings”of ethical conduct (shila), medita­tion (samadhi), and wisdom (prajna). As these three aspects of the path have come to be understood in Tibet, shila refers to one or another of the major codes of conduct followed by laypeople, monastics, and yogins. Samadhi includes the various meditative practices known as shamatha (mental quiescence) and vipashyana (insight). Shamatha involves focusing the m ind on an object of meditation (for example the breath) and, through that, bringing the mind into a state of one-pointed stability and calm. Vipash­yana is the spontaneous insight that arises from within the open and alert state of m ind created by shamatha. The third of the three trainings, prajna indicates the understanding of egolessness that develops through the experience of vipashyana.” (p. 74)

“In the Indian Mahayana tradition, human beings are seen, in their origins and in their essential nature, as fundamentally good. This basic goodness is called buddha-nature (tathagata-garbha) and is said to be endowed with wisdom, compassion, and power. These qualities are free of any taint of an “ego,” in other words, of any self-serving or self-aggrandizing tendencies. This is to say that, right at this moment, at the core of the personality of each of us, is the state of realization or enlightenment. All people, whether or not they consider themselves “spiritual,” can have occasional glimpses of the state of the buddha-nature, the state of non-ego, in moments of natural warmth, openness, or joy.” (p. 76 - 77)

“In a buddha, one sees the complete manifestation of what a human being is in essence and can, in fact, fully become. This state is profoundly human and, at the same time, according to Indian tradition, exalted above even the gods (devatideva). The essential identity of ordinary human beings and buddhas is what leads some to call Buddhism nontheistic. Nonthe­ism in Buddhism does not imply a denial of the existence of higher beings called gods (devas), for the existence of these is affirmed with the qualifiers that they are still within samsara (they dwell in one of the six realms), are subject to karma, and have traces of ignorance. Buddhism is nontheistic in that it affirms that what is ultimately good and true does not reside outside, in an external deity, but exists within, at our core.

It is through meditation that even the most ordinary and unexcep­tional person can make contact with the awakened state. For those in the early stages of practice, this may involve no more than a brief glimpse. Nevertheless, such an experience can be a powerful and most helpful blessing: it shows that the teachings of enlightenment refer to something quite real and, often, it leaves in its wake a feeling of relax­ation, well-being, and confidence in knowing that one’s innermost being is so good and so wholesome. In Tibetan Buddhism, the path is understood as the progressive re­moval of the obscurations that cover over the buddha-nature. Various levels of realization of the buddha-nature are described in the tradition. Ordinary people may have glimpses of the enlightenment within, while meditators, retreatants, and yogins have more extended experiences. As they progress along the path of meditation, the obscurations become weaker and more porous.

Initially, they seek to rest in the buddha-essence (that is, the buddha-nature) for longer and longer periods while sitting in meditation. Later, they try to rest in the inherent nature as they move about in the world. High-level bodhisattvas represent yet another level of proximity to the buddha-nature within, and immeasur­ably beyond them is a fully enlightened buddha. For a buddha, the awakened state is fully manifest with no obscurations whatsoever. Ev­erything that he is and does is a direct and spontaneous manifestation of the wisdom, compassion, and power of enlightenment.” (p. 77 - 78)

“Through his immaculate wisdom, Buddha Shakyamuni always taught after taking into account the abilities of the recipients. In other words, he would not teach at a level above a person’s head. He adapted his teachings to what was suitable and appropriate to the listener. Therefore, we can say that those who heard his teachings only assimilated what was comprehensible to someone of their aptitude. Later, when they repeated what Buddha Shakyamuni had taught, their account was according to what they had perceived in their personal experience.”

~ Nyingma teacher Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Rainbow Painting; 28.

“The essence of Vajrayana tradition consists in making a direct con­nection with the buddha-nature within. It is thus called the fruitional vehicle, because it takes the goal of Buddhist practice— the awakened mind within— as the basis of the path. This sets it in contrast with the Hinayana and Mahayana, which are called causal vehicles because their practice develops the causes by which the enlightened state may eventu­ally be contacted. In the Vajrayana there are two primary methods to make the connection with the buddha-nature within. In the first, one visualizes oneself as a particular buddha or bodhisattva according to detailed iconographic instructions presented in the tantras, and carries out various meditational practices in that mode.

A second method in­volves formless practice of mahamudra or dzokchen, in which one is first “introduced” directly to the buddha-nature by one’s guru and then in­structed to meditate upon it. This “introduction” involves “pointing out,” in which the guru is able to show us where, within our experience, the essential nature of mind can be met. If the Vajrayana is essentially oriented to meditation, one might ask which view among the three turnings of the wheel of dharma it is specifically putting into practice. The view of Vajrayana is drawn specifically from the second and third turnings of the wheel of dharma, with particular emphasis on the third, containing the teachings on buddha-nature. Through visualization or through an introduction to mind’s nature, then, one is able to make a direct link with the awakened buddha-nature within.” (p. 79 - 80)

“According to the Buddha’s biography, he attained buddhahood by fol­lowing a path of solitary meditation. Within the Indian context, this was called forest renunciation, “forest” referring to any place that was isolated and far from human habitations, such as a mountaintop, a hid­den cave, or a location deep in the jungle. In India and Tibet, this meant renouncing the world with the aim of achieving realization in the pres­ent life and following a “forest” way. In the Buddha’s time, forest re­nunciation generally included wearing a simple robe made from rags, begging for one’s food, remaining in solitude, wandering from place to place, living in the open or under a tree for shelter, and spending one’s time in meditation. The Buddha taught this very same path as the high­est form of spiritual life to his earliest disciples. For example, in the first-turning traditions known in Tibet, Mahakashyapa, known as foremost among the forest renunciants, is the Buddha’s chief disciple and succes­sor. Buddhist tradition throughout its existence in India and Tibet re­veals a continuity of traditions of forest renunciation. Tibetan tradition teaches that it is only through this life of solitary meditation “in the forest” that buddhahood may finally be attained. In Tibet, the greatest saints have almost always been hermits or forest renunciants.” (p. 80 - 81)

“According to the great Tibetan scholar Lama Taranatha (sixteenth to seventeenth century) in his History o f Buddhism in India, Vajrayana Buddhism can already be located in the time of Nagarjuna (first to second century) in the jungles of India, am ong a small group of isolated and anonymous meditators who had followed this path to realization. These masters, known as siddhas (“perfected ones”), were practitioners of the unconventional traditions of highest or innermost tantras. According to Lama Taranatha, these masters passed their lineages of prac­tice and realization to only one or perhaps a very few disciples. Tulku Thondup Rinpoche says that “the Tantras of the Inner Yanas, the high­est teachings of Buddhism, were introduced into India under the strict­est secrecy.”

By the eighth century, the Vajrayana begins to become more visible in India, owing to its growth and increase in popularity. From the eighth to the twelfth century, we hear of the existence of eighty-four mahasiddhas, or “great siddhas,” who lived throughout India, following the Vajrayana traditions, and who taught, performed wonders, and transmitted the Vajrayana teachings to chosen disciples. As we shall presently see, the siddhas played a central role in the trans­mission of Buddhism to Tibet, and subsequently Tibetan siddhas car­ried on the teachings of their Indian counterparts in the Tibetan environment down to the present.” (p. 84)

― Reginald A. Ray, Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism

[Johnny Cordova · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tremendous introduction to and overview of the history, worldview, philosophies, and practices of Tibetan Buddhism. I read it as a prelude to its second volume, Secret of the Vajra World. For some reason, I thought it was going to be dry. It is not. It is rich, detailed, and extremely well-presented. I’ve been meditating and reading books by Buddhist teachers for many years and feel that this book has taken my understanding of all Buddhism, not just Tibetan Buddhism, to another level. It sat on my bookshelf for several years before I finally cracked it open. I wish I hadn’t waited so long.

[Jake Teresi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parts 3 & 4 are gold, could have done without the 150 pages describing every notable Tibetan monk from 800 - 1300 AD (after the 13th notable monk, I just skimmed the rest of the section), but maybe that's just me.

Excited for Volume 2 which covers Vajrayana/tantric practices.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as a companion to an online class:
Terrific introduction to Tibetan Buddhism - focusing on its history, philosophy and practices. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone Buddhism-curious or “Buddhish” that is interested in deepening their understanding of Tibetan Buddhism.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely take notes while reading. Little heavy on specifics for me but it doesn’t take away from the experience.

[Del Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most thorough breakdown of Tibetan Buddhism that I have found. It covers the history, philosophy, meditation and general spirituality of the tradition. It's also very accessible. Wonderful.

[DK · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a cult. He is a cult leader. The results have been devastating. Google it.

[Elizabeth]

from the library

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1 (6)
Tibet: People and Place 7 (8)
Part One The Sacred Environment 15 (50)
The Cosmos and Its Inhabitants
17 (30)
Living in the Sacred Cosmos
47 (18)
Part Two Tibet's Story 65 (162)
The Indian Wellspring
67 (22)
Foundations: The Early Spreading
89 (14)
Nyingma: The Ancient School
103 (27)
The Later Spreading: Kadam and Sakya
130 (22)
The Later Spreading: Kagyu
152 (37)
Modern Traditions: Geluk
189 (18)
Modern Traditions: The Ri-me (Nonsectarian) Movement
207 (20)
Part Three Core Teachings 227 (134)
Hinayana: The View
241 (39)
Hinayana: The Practice and Result
280 (31)
Mahayana: The View
311 (20)
Mahayana: The Practice and Result
331 (30)
Part Four: Buddhist Philosophy: The Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma 361 (88)
The First Turning: Abhidharma
367 (25)
The Second Turning: Madhyamaka
392 (27)
The Third Turning: Buddha-Nature
419 (30)
Conclusion 449 (6)
Chronology of Tibetan Buddhist History 455 (6)
Notes 461 (10)
Bibliography 471 (6)
Credits 477 (2)
Index 479

[Will Brown]

Read with intention of connecting the dots. An insight journey through Tibetian Buddhism's history, schools of though, their philosophy and yet not academic or stale.

Reginald A. Ray shares the the people connection to the spreading/sharing of Tibetian Buddhism including the primary schools of thought

[Paul Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The single best comprehensive work on Tibetan Buddhism. By a scholar and meditation master. Heartily recommended. (Especially for intellectuals, who need to get out of their heads.) This work makes religion sexy again. Can you image? All the people living life in peace?

[Molly Carmody Judson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opened my mind at a time when I really needed it.

[Heather]

I am taking "The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism" with Prof. Reginald Ray through Naropa University online. This is the core text...and there's so much in it...I'm just beginning...

[Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good text book introduction to Tibetan Buddhism.

[Molly Stepanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This doesn't read like a textbook which I was expecting. It reads like his live teachings - so accessible and down to earth. A true window into Tibetan Buddhism without the cultural confusion.

[Widhi]

I am trying to understand the Tibetan Buddhism culture. This book is good for a start.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

" Comprehensive " would be an understatement.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you needed to know about Tibetan Buddhism. Read the second book Secret of the Vajra World to complete the journey.

[Anne Kadet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a whole week of readi meals plus a brownie!

[Maozhou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great intro to the Hinayana and Mahayana from the Tibetan perspective and the lineage of Trungpa Rinpoche. Must reading.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent reference book for the committed student and practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Clearly written. Accesible.