This book by Sogyal Rinpoche has long been regarded as a “mystical classic” by Buddhists and students of religion. An international bestseller, it has also achieved recognition as one of the most complete and authoritative contemporary presentation of Tibetan Buddhist teachings.

Amazon.com lists many books and audios by Rinpoche, the founder and spiritual director of Rigpa, an international network of Buddhist groups and centers. It is highly praised in the introduction by the Dalai Lama. Its main accomplishment is to show the strong interconnections between right living and right dying. It can be regarded (as I was told by a Buddhist friend who recommended it) as a textbook on life and death, an inspiring introduction to the practice of meditation, and a manual for compassionate love and care for the dying. In addition to these more “practical” aspects, Rinpoche also includes a thorough explanation of the all-important Buddhist view of the nature of mind, karma, the actual processes of dying, and reincarnation.

The book has four parts: Living, Dying, Death and Rebirth, and Conclusion. His straightforward and simple style is best when he tells of experiences of past masters and students (especially himself as a student) of Tibetan Buddhism. His themes are interspersed with poetry and songs of Buddhist sages, which adds much to his narratives. His stories of Buddhist evidences for reincarnation are amazing and thought provoking. When he explains the Buddhist view of the nature of mind he gets somewhat circular in his arguments, but this seems nearly unavoidable due to the complexity of their view of the nature of mind and existence. The main thing I found to be discouraging was his oft-stated conviction that one can only truly understand Buddhist “theology” if one spends years of study under the close supervision of a master. He feels strongly that self-study on your own will never get you very far. Although it didn’t enlighten me as did books I read by the Dalai Lama or Thich Nhat Hanh, this book serves as a very good summary of my previous readings about Buddhism.