Meeting the Buddhas: A Guide to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Tantric Deities

At ordination into the western Buddhist order, one of the task for the author was to give talks on the most common meditations. This book has grown out of those talks. The aim is to introduce Buddhist meditational deities to those who are new to them, and also to provide background information and new sources of inspiration for those who are already involved in meditation on them.

The book is divided into four Parts. The First is introductory, and is concerned mainly with finding a correct understanding of visualization and devotional practices. In Part Two we enter the Mandala, and encounter the five Buddhas. Part Three is devoted to the Bodhisattva Ideal, and to ten particularly important Bodhisattva forms. In Part Four we launch into the world of Tantric Buddhism.

VESSANTARA is a senior member of the Western Buddhist Order. Born Tony McMohan in London in 1950, he gained an MA in English at Cambridge University. Interested in Buddhism since his teens, he first had direct contact with Buddhists in 1971. In 1974 he was ordained and given the name Vessantara, which means 'universe within'. He has written several books, including Tales of Freedom, The Mandala of the Five Buddhas, The Vajra and Bell and Female Deities in Buddhism.