Buddha

The year is 1991 and the place is somewhere between the six realms of existence and Heaven.  In 1990, when Medard Boss, the Swiss psychiatrist and daseinsanalyst passed away, he initiated a dialogue with the four most influential figures of his life: Sigmund Freud, the Buddha, Jean-Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger, to explore the question of what it means to be human, a theme that has interested him throughout his life, and continues to puzzle him in death.  This year, he has invited another colleague residing in this ethereal place, Carl Jung, to join the others in another dialogue—to explore the theme on being authentic

ABSTRACT:  Medard Boss, who died in 1990, discovers that even in death, various issues pertaining to human experiences and existence remain unresolved for him.  Somewhere in "a place" between heaven and the afterlife, Boss encounters Heidegger, Buddha, Freud, and Sartre, four of the main influences on his life and work, and on philosophy and psychology today.  Boss decides to chair a dialogue with the four thinkers.  The dialogue is cast in the form of a “conversation hour," with the participants playing the roles of identified thinkers. 

Boss's primary aim is to explicate the essence of Heidegger's, Sartre's, Freud's and the Buddha's approaches to understanding and overcoming human suffering through a discussion on human existence; the main themes in their life's work; their views of the Self and Nothingness and the relationship between their theories and practice.  Heidegger and Buddha emphasize the importance of having an ontological appreciation of the human condition, as does Sartre.  For Heidegger, this involves understanding the fundamental characteristics (the existentialia or "Existentials") of human existence, such as Openness, Worldhood, and Temporality.  The Buddha addresses the transitory nature of human existence, and discusses how this gives rise to suffering.  Sartre adds that we lack any determined essence and must accept our radical freedom and responsibility, along with the anguish that accompanies freedom.  Freud highlights the importance of having an ontical understanding of concrete human behaviors such as neurotic guilt, unresolved psychosexual complexes, and defenses.  All four thinkers emphasize their life's work as being geared towards helping people gain insight and overcome emotional suffering.  Additionally, Heidegger, Sartre, Freud and the Buddha debate the differences in their views pertaining to the self as process versus the self as an entity.  This philosophy-psychotherapy dialogue makes a unique contribution to humanistic psychology, which more than any other therapeutic approaches has deep roots in the philosophical and spiritual traditions:  Louise Sundararajan as “Medard Boss;”Steven Bindeman as “Martin Heidegger;” Belinda Siew Luan Khong as “Buddha;”Scott. D. Churchill as “Sigmund Freud;” Edwin L. Hersch as “Jean-Paul Sartre.”

KEY WORDS:  Psychotherapy, philosophical foundations, Boss, Heidegger, Buddha, Freud, Sartre. human suffering, human existence, Self, Nothingness, process

Masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyengyud:
Pith Instructions from the Experiential Transmission of Bönpo Dzogchen
Teachings by H.E. Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche

Preface by Geshe Gelek Jinpa
Introduction by Dmitry Ermakov
Transcribed and edited by Carol Ermakova and Dmitry Ermakov

Hardcover: 154 pages
Publisher: Heritage Publishers (2010)
ISBN: 9788170262688
Price: £17.99

This volume contains Bönpo Dzogchen Masters’ quintessential pith instructions on the Clear Light meditation. These teachings have come down to us over many thousands of years directly from the primordial Buddha Kuntu Zangpo through an unbroken lineage which is still transmitted and practised today. Here these heart teachings are delivered in a free and inspiring style by the current lineage holder, Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, along with his own instructions on the practices of Guru Yoga, Trekchö and Thögal. This is the first time he has made his teachings on the Experiential Transmission publically available in English.

Masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyengyud is a beautifully produced hardback, 154 pages, with over forty-five full colour illustrations; in keeping with tradition, each master’s instructions appear alongside his image from a set painted in Tibet before the Chinese takeover.

Another unique feature of this book is the lineage tree diagram thanks to which we can easily trace the various branches of the Zhang Zhung Nyengyud lineage from its source to the present day.  This is the first time such a diagram has been compiled.

“The key instructions contained in the Zhang Zhung Nyengyud are extremely important as by following them it takes only one lifetime to achieve Buddhahood; through practising these teachings, many great practitioners - including the Masters here as well as Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen and his students – achieved Rainbow Body in one lifetime.” 

Geshe Gelek Jinpa


“Zhang Zhung Tripen asked his Master: “What is the meaning of the Nature of Mind?”

His Master replied:

“Look at a thought. There is neither colour, form nor anything material. It is like the sky. Yet this sky or space encompasses all that exists. This Nature cannot be fixed in words, neither can it be apprehended by consciousness; not even a Buddha can see it by means of consciousness. Without attempting to see through consciousness, the way to remain in Nature is to simply leave it as it is without searching, finding or focusing on anything. Leave it as it is and that is excellent meditation."

Darma Bode, eighth Master of the Zhang Zhung Nyengyud