Journey to Enlightenment

Journey to Enlightenment: The Life and Teachings of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Photographs and narrative text by Matthieu Ricard; EXcerpts from the writings and autobiography of Khyentse Rinpoche and other teachers. EXperience the spirit of Tibet through the vibrant pageantry of Tibetan religious life and culture, practiced amid the splendor of the Himalyas. Bestselling French photographer and writer Matthieu Ricard follows the journey of his teacher, the esteemed Khyentse Rinpochpoet, philosopher, and master of Tibetan wisdom. With a remembrance by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 130 fourcolor photographs, 11 1/2 X 9 5/8, 144 pages. Hardcover.

"This is simply a wonderful book. Books which combine narrative and photographs often don't work. One is weaker than the other, or the photographs were taken first and the text added as an afterthought. Here, both the text and photographs are in harmony. In this book, Matthieu Ricard is completely at one with his subject. We are not seeing Dilgo Khyentse's world, we are in his world."

Ralph Hodgson, View

Editorial Reviews

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Tricycle Magazine

Stunning photographs and an intimate memoir by Ricard, a French monastic in the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism who for fifteen years was Khyentse Rinpoche's attendant and translator. The book reveals and honors an extraordinary teacher.

Library Journal

Ortner's astonishing photographs portray his love and devotion for the Asian countries he has traversed over a 20-year period. This grand tour of spiritual lands includes natural and architectural sites in Nepal, India, Cambodia, Java, and Bali. The artist's fascination with majestic mountains and remote temples is beautifully captured throughout the book. In his best work, he portrays bizarre Hindu and Buddhist statuary and the faces of disheveled religious mendicants. The only shortcoming is the text, which is factual, dry, and almost superfluous to the images. On the other hand, Journey to Enlightenment, though not as grand visually, is an excellent photographic and biographical treatment of a single holy man and his life in the realm of the ancient ritual traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. A Buddhist monk and Rinpoche's assistant, Ricard has flawlessly woven his narrative with excerpts from Rinpoche's autobiography to create not only a readable biography but also an intriguing introduction to the religion itself. Both books are recommended for general collections in public libraries and for all spiritual collections.-Terry McMaster, Onondaga Cty. Mental Health Svcs., Syracuse, N.Y.