What Makes You Not a Buddhist

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse

Book cover for What Makes You Not a Buddhist
Image for variant 9781645474234
Book cover for What Makes You Not a Buddhist
Image for variant 9781645474234

What Makes You Not a Buddhist

What Makes You Not a Buddhist

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse

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Description

Dzongsar Khyentse is one of the most creative and innovative young Tibetan Buddhist lamas teaching today. The director of two feature films with Buddhist themes (the international sensation The Cup and Travelers and Magicians), this provocative teacher, artist, and poet is widely known and admired by Western Buddhists. Moving away from conventional presentations of Buddhist teachings, Khyentse challenges readers to make sure they know what they're talking about before they claim to be Buddhist. With wit and irony, Khyentse urges readers to move beyond the superficial trappings of Buddhism--beyond a romance with beads, incense, and exotic people in robes--straight to the heart of what the Buddha taught. In essence, this book explains what a Buddhist really is, namely, someone who deeply understands the truth of impermanence and how our emotions can trap us in cycles of suffering. Khyentse presents the fundamental tenets of Buddhism in simple language, using examples we can all relate to.

About the Author

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse (Khyentse Norbu) is a Tibetan Buddhist lama who travels and teaches internationally and is also an award-winning filmmaker. He is the abbot of several monasteries in Asia and the spiritual director of meditation centers in Vancouver, San Francisco, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Taipei. He is also head of a Buddhist organization called Siddhartha's Intent.

Critical Reviews

"A precise delineation of the key tenets that define Buddhism, versus what is superfluous, merely cultural, or not Buddhist at all. A good book to read if you're deciding whether or not you're a Buddhist, or just want to know what Buddhism really is."--Lion's Roar

"Here at last is a crisp new voice in Tibetan Buddhism. . . . There is much food for thought in this short book for Buddhist students and for anyone interested in the ongoing adaptation of traditional Eastern wisdom into postmodern Western settings."--Publishers Weekly

"A pleasant refresher or an excellent introduction to Buddhism, even for those who choose not to be Buddhists."--New Age Retailer

Publishing Information

Publisher: Shambhala
Pub date: 2025-06-03
Length: 160 pages

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