About this item
What happens when a Tibetan Buddhist lama and a Christian clergyman sit down to talk? And not just any lama and clergyman, but a renegade Catholic priest silenced by the Church for his progressive and inclusive beliefs and an American-born secular Jew who once embraced Tibetan Buddhism as a student, and now is embraced as a teacher.These conversations between Lama Tsomo and Matthew Fox over the past years explore the essential principles shared by their traditions - and the differences that distinguish them. The Lotus & The Rose includes three public dialogues between Matthew and Lama Tsomo during weekend workshops at Stanford University, The Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, and The Jung Center in Houston. Also included is a more personal conversation with no audience except each other. And, finally, individual interviews with both of them, revealing more about their own lives and worldview. Also available to the reader are video excerpts from the presentations, conversations, and interviews.Buddhists, Christians, followers of other spiritual traditions - and perhaps no spiritual tradition at all - will be intrigued by the range of ideas, and impressed and enlightened by the knowledge and experience that Matthew and Lama Tsomo bring to their exchanges. In this perilously contentious world, all viewers will be heartened by the admiration, respect, humor, and warmth that flows between these two friends who celebrate their common ground and delight in their differences.
About the Author
Lama Tsomo (Lama Sangak Yeshe Tsomo) brings her unique perspective to Why Is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? Born into a Midwestern Jewish household, she followed a path of spiritual inquiry that ultimately led to her ordination as one of the few American female lamas teaching Tibetan Buddhism.
She now speaks Tibetan fluently and has done extensive spiritual retreat both in the U.S. and abroad, deepening her understanding and mastery of Tibetan Buddhism under the tutelage of Tulku Sangak (sometimes spelled "Sang-Ngag") Rinpoche, a primary holder of the Namchak lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and spiritual head of the Namchak Foundation. Rinpoche has asked Lama Tsomo to oversee the planning and construction of the Namchak Retreat Ranch, and she does so through her service on the board of the Namchak Foundation, an educational resource for a national learning community.
Her teaching has inspired American and international students, who appreciate her warm intelligence and her informal, often humorous style.
Lama Tsomo is both the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. She shares her mountain home with her two dogs, whom she describes as her "constant, loving companions throughout the entire, years-long journey of writing this book."
Visit Lama Tsomo's website: http://www.alwayssmiling.co
Follow Lama Tsomo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlwaysSmilingCo
Follow Lama Tsomo's blog: http://namchakcommunity.tumblr.com
