REBEL BUDDHA now available in paperback
In October 2010, Rebel Buddha: On the Road to Freedom by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche made its debut in hardcover. The Rebel Buddha Tour followed, with Buddhist leaders coming together in 5 cities on the occasion of the book’s release to discuss the direction of “Western Buddhism.” Kindle and Audiobook versions of Rebel Buddha appeared. Now, one year later — a year during which Ponlop Rinpoche’s controversial blog post “The Buddha Wasn’t a Buddhist” stirred things up at The Washington Post — Shambhala Publications has released Rebel Buddha in a softcover edition with a new subtitle: “A Guide to a Revolution of Mind.”
December 22, 2010Seattle’s First REBEL BUDDHA BOOK GROUP
The first Rebel Buddha Book Group to be held in Seattle will meet at Nalanda West, 3902 Woodland Park Ave. North. The group will meet on Wednesdays at 7 pm in 2 cycles of 4 classes, January 5 – February 23.
Read and discuss the exciting new book by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
All are welcome!
SAVE A TREE
The Rebel Buddha edition for the Amazon Kindle e-reader is now available from Amazon – go here to purchase and download it, and be reading Rebel Buddha in seconds!
November 22, 2010Rebel Buddha does HALIFAX
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche brought Rebel Buddha to the McInnes Room at Dalhousie University on the evening of Thursday, November 18, and blogger Debra Ross has filed a report on her blog.
His opening remarks included this gem: “The most powerful agent for change and for transforming our own fixation, clinging and suffering rests within our own ability to work with our mind through the practices of contemplation and meditation. True freedom comes from pursuing an open-minded, inquisitive, ordinary human path to awakening and enlightenment.”
A panel discussed followed, moderated by Barry Boyce, and featuring Mitra Tyler Dewar, Carolyn Rose Gimian, and Scott Wellenbach, as well as Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. The panel addressed the important question of what societal structures and social environments will be conducive to a “culture of awakening” and realization in the West?
Read all about the evening here.
November 17, 2010New AMAZON Review - Rebel Buddha
5.0 out of 5 stars very nice clear synthesis, November 16, 2010
By
Robert W. Smith “Robert Smith, Ph.D.” (Virginia, USA) – See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Rebel Buddha: On the Road to Freedom (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What’s this?)
This book provides a very fine synthesis of many of the principles of Buddhism without so much of the jargon, dogma, and robes, if you will, of traditional Buddhist oriented books written by other easterners who are tied to a specific orientation. We don’t find that here. The author, acutely aware that much of the eastern language is an impediment to westerners’ understanding, seems to adeptly present techniques, some philosophy, and problems of cultural “integration” (my quotes). This is a refreshing read. I suspect that one of the major tasks in this 21st century is our understanding, appreciation, and acceptance of others’ approaches to spiritual growth. I found it refreshing, particularly, in that we didn’t get hung up on formalities and dogma found in most books. It is a concise description of spiritual growth. I think that most courses in comparative religion wouldn’t use this so much, as it is generally free from the bonds of a specific tradition. It is an example par excellent of how an eastern approach to spiritual growth can do so in the western world. I can see it being an excellent addition in courses on the psychology of religion and the sociology of religion. Psychologists and clients with an integral orientation, and some practicing Buddhists and philosophers of religion will also greatly enjoy and learn from this work. I always give books I review a grade, and I give this a solid, “A”. It comes highly recommended.
November 17, 2010Rebel Buddha Tour Arrives in Halifax!
The Rebel Buddha tour travels to Canada this week after inspiring teachings and panel discussion in New York on Sunday, November 14 – you can hear Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche (author of Rebel Buddha), Mitra Tyler Dewar, and Scott Wellenbach on Thursday, November 18 at 6:30 PM at the McInnes Room at Dalhousie University for a night of discovery around key questions of spiritual life, freedom and Western Buddhism. Get your tickets now.
The Rebel Buddha conversation continues on Saturday, November 20 from 10 AM to 5:30 PM in the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon at Toronto Reference Library. Join Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Mitra Tyler Dewar, and Buddhist author/psychologist Polly Young-Eisendrath for an exciting multimedia day of discovery on the spiritual path in the West. Buy tickets here.
MORE: Rebel Buddha Tour Hits NYC
November 17, 2010The Rebel Buddha Tour has hit the road!
Field reporter Shane Michael Manieri offers a report from Sunday’s event in New York (read all about it on THE BLOG). Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche began the day addressing a crowd of 300 at Cooper Union’s Great Hall. “Rebel Buddha is not a person,” he ended with, “it’s the innate genuine heart of compassion and wisdom— the wonderful spark in our own hearts—so let’s be Rebels.
The second half of the day featured a presentation by Mitra Mark Power and later a Q & A with Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and leading Buddhist scholars, Shastri Ethan Nichtern (panel moderator) of the Interdependence Project, Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara of NYC’s Village Zendo, and Nalandabodhi’s Mitra Mark Power. The panelists discussed Western Buddhism and how it is manifesting, whether Buddhism is a religion, and a wealth of other topics.
Next stops on the Rebel Buddha tour: Halifax, NS on November 18, and Toronto, ONT on November 20. Get your tickets now!
November 11, 2010GET A HEAD START ON THE NEW YORK REBEL BUDDHA EVENT -
Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara (one of the panelists for the Rebel Buddha event in New York City on November 14) will appear on PBS’ Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly program this Saturday (check your local listings, but in New York it will air on WNET-13 at 10:30 AM on Saturday, November 13, and will be repeated on Sunday, November 14 at 5:30 PM).
The program is profiling the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care‘s innovative Buddhist Chaplaincy training program at Beth Israel Medical Center. The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care is the first Buddhist organization to offer a fully accredited Buddhist chaplaincy training program.
November 11, 2010REBEL BUDDHA is winning friends and influencing people in the blogosphere
The New York Journal of Books –
“…the even-handed approach that Ponlop takes toward dismantling the structures of Buddhism to let their original force emerge speaks well for his mission. He brings from his Asian upbringing into his Western livelihood a relevant interpretation of Buddhism that anybody can understand.”
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“While “Rebel Buddha” can describe the revolutionary man himself originally known as Siddhartha Gautama, it more importantly provides us with a liberating way of viewing our minds. Dzogchen Ponlop reminds us that the natural state of our minds is one of compassion, awakeness, and freedom. It’s the mission of our own innate Rebel Buddha to embark upon the journey of freeing ourselves from the constraints of our self-created illusions; the ones we create about ourselves and the world, and those that are imposed on us by society, government, and religion.”
DharmaMonkey –
“Why do I even want to wake up? Why have I, as an individual, put myself on this path? And at what point (and why?) did I realize I was asleep inside this dream?…
“Ponlop Rinpoche’s new book, Rebel Buddha, is out now, with a great deal of buzz. While I have only read the first two chapters, the book is stirring up many of those same questions about awakening, only Rinpoche is doing it outside of the framework of a formal, ritualized Buddhist practice. His case for presenting this ‘pragmatic Buddhism’ is a good one, I think.”
TRUE SMALL CAPS (Religion and Spirituality Book Reviews) –
“There are hundred of introductions to Buddhism, but this one is sure to appeal…
“What impressed me most about this book was the sharpness of the author’s analysis and his tell-it-like-it-is honesty. Not only that, but he manages to get through an entire book on Buddhism without using a single term of Sanskrit or Tibetan.”
REBEL BUDDHA Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
- #1,420 in Books
- #2 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Buddhism > Buddha
- #4 in Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Eastern
- REBEL BUDDHA ranked as AMAZON’s #1 Hot New Release in both the above categories!
The Rebellion Starts NOW!
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s new book Rebel Buddha is now on sale. You can get it at the best bookstores, or buy it online from the Bodhi Dharma Bookstore. If you just can’t wait, you can read excerpts from Rebel Buddha now on the Rebel Buddha website, or at the Tricycle Community Book Club.
