Wisdom Rising

Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine

By: Lama Tsultrim Allione

Narrated by: Tara Bast

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Through her own story of loss and spiritual seeking, paired with mandala meditations and rituals, best-selling author of Feeding Your Demons Lama Tsultrim Allione teaches you how to embody the enlightened, fierce power of the sacred feminine - the tantric dakinis.

Ordained as one of the first American Buddhist nuns and recognized as an incarnation of the Mother of Tibetan Buddhism, Lama Tsultrim has a unique perspective on female strength and enlightenment. In Wisdom Rising, she shares from a deep trove of personal experiences as well as decades of knowledge as one of the preeminent teachers of the mandala of the five dakinis.

Dakinis are a type of Buddhist female spirit comprised of five families, each with a set of unique qualities, as well as an encumbered pattern or emotional block that gets in the way of your true brilliance:

• Buddha dakini - ignorance to the all-encompassing wisdom;
• Vajra dakini - anger to the mirrorlike wisdom;
• Ratna dakini - pride to the wisdom of equanimity;
• Padma dakini - craving to the wisdom of discernment;
• Karma dakini - envy to the all-accomplishing wisdom.

As a Buddhist nun, Lama Tsultrim yearned to become a mother, ultimately renouncing her vows so she could marry and have a child. When she subsequently lost her first child to SIDS, she was overcome with grief and unsure of where to turn for guidance. She once against found courage through Buddhist female role models and meditations, and, using the mandala of the dakinis, she transformed her pain into faith.

Tantric Buddhism developed the mandala as a meditational tool for transformation - a map for integration and wholeness. And through the mandala of the five dakinis, we learn how to embrace the fierce feminine energy of the dakinis.

©2018 Simon and Schuster (P)2018 Joan E Allione

Lifechanging

I have missed womens participation as leaders in the buddhist context. Finding Lama Tulstrim and her amazing work answers that longing. Following her teatching is deeply transforming.

finally someone who truly lives feminism

feminism is a dirty word for many. the author presents Buddhism and women and men opportunities to explore themselves.. present and past. I highly recommend the text.... reply if one is skeptical about avoiding an idea just because it is hard. do get support as neded.

A new genre is born for anyone

When I heard about this I started waiting for the audio and it is more important than I could have imagined. Far from regular self-development it blends memoir,travel-guide, Holy spiritual text and direct experience of the fruits of applying the steps. It is not a book aimed at Buddhists, it contains a feminist-dive which manages to meet the reader.

For the first time in this life I have found a Lama-la(a dear teacher.) whom openly shares her opinions on politics and by so doing she shows how we can handle #metoo on a personal and collective scale. It’s also one of those rare books that changes each time you listen/read it is perfect it is a must. Please take the journey offered. Thank you Lama-La.

Excelente lectura

Un libro muy completo y revelador. Práctico a la vez que documentado. Un verdadero descubrimiento.

Could be more inclusive

Excellent practices here and rich story, but it is unfortunate that the political dialogue in the beginning will probably alienate about half of the American women (who could really use this teaching) before they read the whole book. I feel politics and spirituality are often a bad mix as Politics is very divisive. The focus should be interconnection of all people.

Not great

I didn’t realize this would be so much of an autobiography. I’ve listened to audiobooks that were her lectures and found them helpful, but this is more like her life story, and it really is putting me off of her teachings. She really works hard to justify all her decisions so that she comes across as a deity in human form, and I don’t think I can finish the book. Once she got to the part where she abandoned her vows and decided to have sex I felt like she really was insulting to women who don’t have sexual relationships or children. I actually laughed out loud when she said after having sex for the first time she woke up in the middle of the night as Vajrayogini. She said it was all justified because her teacher said that all nuns should have children, which is incredibly insulting to women who choose not to have children, and definitely a comment that supports the patriarchy.