Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism

I first read this book twenty years ago, and it is still a constant companion. Provides an initiation into the power of an ancient mantra. This book guides you into deeper and deeper meditation states, and provides the basis for some of the Tibetan Visualization Techniques. Really a great book.

Beautifully written, scholarly and quite dense in parts, I would thoroughly recommend it, even if only to read the Preface and the first chapter. If you are interested in the Logos, the relationship between spirit and the word, then this book is a must. I have been profoundly influenced by this work since I first read it as a boy at school, more than 15 years ago. This book is both brilliant scholarship, and a masterful work of art.

I have read a few books about Tibetan mysticism. This is a book which gives a detailed view about the mantra "Om Mani Padme (Tibetan: Peme) Hum". It also mentions the misconceptions by western writers such as L. Austine Waddell about Tibetan Buddhism. In my opinion, one should also read Waddell's book to have a balanced, unbiased view.All in all, I find the writing clear and the knowledge impressive. Anyone truly interested to find out what Tibetan mysticism is about should read this book. Not to be missed!

1 explains theesoteric principles of Mantra and clarifies thedifferences between Hindu and Tibetan yoga, andis our direct link to the spiritual achievementsof the past and their relationship to a futurehigher civilization of humanity.

If you wish to explore the word and symbol, this profoundly spiritual volume leads one there. Om, universal consciousness, and all the dhyana Buddhas are presented with clarity and understanding. What's more, the poetry in which Lama Govinda moves and winds this classic work is a tribute to the man's artistry in painting wisdom as something within everyone's reach.