Recent review of Blazing Splendor

In recent years, at least a small portion of the most important works in the vast Tibetan Buddhist literature has been translated and made available in English. The rate of publication is increasing as more people become able to translate Tibetan. Against this background, "Blazing Splendor" stands out - it is unique, a book that may mark a watershed in the understanding of Tibetan Buddhism by westerners.
"Blazing Splendor" is the memoirs of one of the greatest Tibetan Yogis of recent years - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. A collection of stories gathered over many years by his translators, its personal approach makes it different from either history or the formal biographies of great Lamas and masters of the past. Its intimate tone brings the reader right into the lives of Buddhist practitioners.
The book begins with Tulku Urgyen's grandmother, through whom Rinpoche heard many of the stories recorded in the book. It then dips back in time to the very beginnings of Buddhism in Tibet, providing important background information for those not already familiar with this history. It then moves forward again, giving a rich look into the lives of a an entire family of great Lamas and practitioners. The reader sees how a wide range of people, men and women, some highly revered, others nearly unnoticed, great Lamas and lay people, all led lives completely infused with Buddhist teachings.
While not structured as a Dharma text, the reader will find teachings embedded in the stories and these alone are worth the price of the book. Cumulatively, the effect of so many detailed stories and personal memories is to give the reader a rich awareness of life in a culture that was centered on the Dharma. Nothing else I've read over the years has had such a profound effect on me.
Reviewer: Susan Law (Hudson Valley, NY)