Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Helen Tworkov

"In 2011, Mingyur Rinpoche was the respected thirty-six-year-old abbot of three monasteries, a world-renowned meditation teacher, the son of an esteemed meditation master, and a rising star within his generation of Tibetan masters. In Love with the World begins the night that, without telling anyone of his plan, he slips past the monastery gates alone for the first time in his life and sets forth on a wandering retreat, following the ancient practice of holy mendicants. He wanted to throw off his titles and privileges, give up the protections he had always known, and engage in an "ego-killing mission" in order to explore the deepest aspects of his own being and move beyond the grasping self. Yet he immediately discovers that his training has not prepared him to deal with the stench of the third-class train car to Varanasi, or the filthy people around him, or the screeching noise of the train. He has trouble taking off his monk's robes and pays for a cheap hostel rather than sleep on the streets. Soon he becomes deathly ill from food poisoning--and his journey begins in earnest. His lifelong training has prepared him for facing death, and he must now test the strength of his practice. The invaluable lessons he learns from this near-death experience--how we can transform our fear of dying into joyful living--are just what we need to navigate these challenging times. A profoundly moving, unusually candid account by a spiritual master"--

A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying

In Love with the World

My Life at the Crossroads of Buddhism and America

Lotus Girl

A rare, intimate account of a world-renowned Buddhist monk’s near-death experience and the life-changing wisdom he gained from it “One of the most inspiring books I have ever read.”—Pema Chödrön, author of When Things Fall Apart “This book has the potential to change the reader’s life forever.”—George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the Bardo At thirty-six years old, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche was a rising star within his generation of Tibetan masters and the respected abbot of three monasteries. Then one night, telling no one, he slipped out of his monastery in India with the intention of spending the next four years on a wandering retreat, following the ancient practice of holy mendicants. His goal was to throw off his titles and roles in order to explore the deepest aspects of his being. He immediately discovered that a lifetime of Buddhist education and practice had not prepared him to deal with dirty fellow travelers or the screeching of a railway car. He found he was too attached to his identity as a monk to remove his robes right away or to sleep on the Varanasi station floor, and instead paid for a bed in a cheap hostel. But when he ran out of money, he began his life as an itinerant beggar in earnest. Soon he became deathly ill from food poisoning—and his journey took a startling turn. His meditation practice had prepared him to face death, and now he had the opportunity to test the strength of his training. In this powerful and unusually candid account of the inner life of a Buddhist master, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche offers us the invaluable lessons he learned from his near-death experience. By sharing with readers the meditation practices that sustain him, he shows us how we can transform our fear of dying into joyful living. Praise for In Love with the World “Vivid, compelling . . . This book is a rarity in spiritual literature: Reading the intimate story of this wise and devoted Buddhist monk directly infuses our own transformational journey with fresh meaning, luminosity, and life.”—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge “In Love with the World is a magnificent story—moving and inspiring, profound and utterly human. It will certainly be a dharma classic.”—Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart “This book makes me think enlightenment is possible.”—Russell Brand

This expanded edition of the highly acclaimed investigation of Zen teaching in America, by the founder and editor of America's first Buddhist magazine, lays bare the issues at the heart of the Zen mission. Through in-depth portraits of five American Zen masters, Tworkov creates a trenchant sociological picture of an important strand of American spiritual life. 27 photos.

Five Teachers and the Search for an American Buddhism

Zen in America

Yongey Mingyur

By offering detailed instruction and friendly, inspiring advice for those embarking on the Tibetan Buddhist foundation practices, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche provides gentle yet thorough commentary, companionship, and inspiration for committing to the Vajrayana path.

Helen Tworkov

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