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Introduction
ateArt–ithasnoactivepowerbutitrevealsitselftousinthemoments
ofinspiration,whennothingobstructsit.Tepracticeofstabilizingand
deepeningthisexperienceinvolvesmeltingwithtantricformsmadeofen-
ergyandlight(Tib.yidam,Skt.is
.t
.adevatd),whichexpressmind’sperfect
qualitiesandtransformconfusionandudisturbing”emotionsintowisdoms.
Tisunderstandingshouldbekeptbetweenmeditationsessionsastheprac-
ticeofPureView–perceivingallbeingsasBuddhaswhohaveyettoun-
derstandtheirtruenature,allsoundsasperfectmantras,andtheworldas
mind’sfreeplay,understandingthingsthewaytheyarewithouttheneces-
sityofsuperimposingjudgmentsonreality.Tiswayprimordialwisdom
isrealized,whichcanbedescribedasfearlessness(ortheTruthState,Skt.
dharmakdya),whichisaresultofrecognitionthatsincetheselfdoesnot
actuallyexist,itcannotbedestroyedorharmed–themindisunborn,so
itcannotpossiblyvanishorbehurt.Suchfreedomresultsingreatjoyand
bliss(JoyState,Skt.sambogakdya)aseverysituationisperfectonlybecause
itcanhappen,provingmind’screativepotential.Suchsurplusfindsitsex-
pressionasagreatcompassion(EmanationState,Skt.nirmdnakdya),which
iswhyqualifiedBuddhistteachersdonotretreatfromlife,butusuallyper-
formenormousandjoyfulactivityforthebenefitofallbeings–ifrequested.
Finally,itisworthmentioningthatBuddhismisnotaproselytizingureli-
gion.”Actually,givingDharmatopeoplenotreadyorinterestedinit,iscon-
sideredanegativeaction(Gampopa1998:115).Buddhistsrarelyclaimthat
Buddhismisforeverybody,butitisdefinitelythebestoptionforthem.In
thesamemanner,Buddhistperspectiveonliteraturebynomeansstrivesto
beuobjectively”goodforeverybodyorbetterthanotherapproachestolit-
erature,itisnotintendedtobecomeanobligatorystandardofthinking.It
may,however,proveinterestingandinspiringforBuddhistsandpeoplein-
spiredbythiswayoflife.
SummaryofChapters
Tefirstchapterofthisbook,AHistoricalOverviewofBuddhismintheWest-
ernNarrativedescribesstronghistoricalparallelsandprobableinfluenceof
BuddhistthemesandphilosophyontheEuropeanandAmericanculture.
Mostimportantly,Buddhistthoughtandmotivesarevisiblypresentinthe
modernliterature,andthissituationneedstobesuitablyaddressed.Tis
historicalpartisfarfromanin-depthanalysis,andindeed,servestomere-
lyremindthewell-establishedconnectionbetweentheWesternandEast-
