Jo

This CD is clearly a distillation from a retreat during which the Buddhist vows of ordination were being taught. This is not specifically stated. Two of these, the protimoksha vow and the boddhisattva vow are both referenced and well taught on this CD. The samaya vow, the vow pertaining to tantric enlightenment, is mentioned but not included here. Although the reasons for this are obvious - these are very advanced teachings - it does make the title a misnomer and the content a little confusing to the layman. As a layman myself, I had to do some research to fill in the informational gaps.

That said, teachers don't come any better than Pema Chodron and anything she teaches is worth our attention. I read/listen to anything of hers that I can get my hands on and I highly recommend her to anyone interested in Buddhist thought.

I debated with myself long and hard about staying around for this last novel, but I loved the characters and had been totally captivated by their adventures. As it happened, though, I was very disappointed in this final installment and agree with the reader who opined that the author had just phoned this one in. By the end of the series I was utterly bored with the long rambling passages about tea, shoes, and the tiny white van.To end on a better note, skip this one.