Preparing for Tantra: Creating the Psychological Ground for Practice

On my spiritual path, I found that I excellently and fortunately have a karma connection to a Tibetan lama. When I was allowed to begin the preliminary practices, however, they seemed culturally alien, and while I understood the practices conceptually, I struggled to bring them into my heart. Rob Preece's book has been an invaluable bridge to allow my preliminary practice to become focused on removing the obstacles to true dharma practice as encountered by a western person.His cultural version of the mandala offering prayer is worth the price of the book alone, and epitomizes the practice cutting through attachments required on this path.There are now quite a number of books that describe the mechanics of the practice, presented from a very traditional viewpoint. This one helps people explore the heart of the practice, allowing the path of transformation to unfold.

Preece reprises his Jungian take on Tibetan Buddhism, this time focused on ngondro, or the so-called preliminary practices the meditator engages as an entryway into the Vajrayana path. Preece shares his own experience with the five classic practices -- prostrations, refuge and bodhicitta, purification, offering and devotion -- plus several more that, altho not a part of the traditional practice, are equally important. For those practitioners looking for a psychological framework, in this case Jungian, this book may be interesting.

Great read for the psychologist or highly motivated mediation practitioner. Probably not for the newbie, as the concepts are intricate and take a while to understand. Great book on how to prepare (also highlights how you may have already begun the process) in a compassionate and inspiring way.

Excellent book on the Ngondro preliminary practices. Very insightful and accessible.

As always, everything written by this author is excellent and helpful.

The symbolism used in tantra is a long way to be understood by the eyes of a western culture. Rob Preece makes it comprehensive to our mind of logic and analysis. I strongly recomend it.

This is such a helpful and interesting book, it provides exactly the information I needed. I am very grateful to the person who recommended it on Amazon.

I have only got about half way through this book but I have personally found Rob Preece's approach and sensitivity to the Western experience refreshing. He peels away at the layers of what we find hard to understand in buddhist practise to I believe lay bare its true heart

It is infrequent and appreciated that someone embarkes and also completes these extensive and important foundational practises and an act of kindness to share his experience about them.I have mixed feelings about those who mix western psychology with buddhism but here just common sense is applied and there is no danger of revealing Buddha as some theoretical teacher without understanding of the human mind.Thousands of people gather every year in spring and summer at the monastery where the author has worked on the electrical installation and so I rejoice also in this merit. There is no need to practise Lama Yeshes protector to receive teachings there. Anyone is welcome. One star is missing because of a misunderstanding about causes of schism.

Excelente exposición de las practicas preliminares desde un enfoque psicológico. Muy de agradecer para nuestro contexto cultural, y para entender el verdadero significado y beneficio de la práctica, más allá de la simbología oriental.

Un livre comme on n'en fait pas beaucoup: il sert réellement, il est bien écrit, très éclairant. Je l'attendais depuis longtemps.J'ai enfin compris comment "ça marche" le bouddhisme tantrique. C'est fabuleux.