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Nyingma Psychology Series #2
Gesture of Balance: A Guide to Awareness, Self-Healing, & Meditation
Gesture of A Guide to Awareness, Self-healing, and Meditation by Tarthang Tulku presents topics relevant to daily life that turn the mind to the the truths of impermanence; honesty, the starting point for change; taking responsibility; awakening compassion; relaxation and meditation; and discovering and experiencing the natural state of mind. In clear, direct language, Gesture of Balance relates the profound insights of an ancient wisdom tradition to our present situation, showing us how to develop our inner resources and awaken body, mind, and senses to new horizons of experience. Tarthang Tulku speaks to us like a good friend, offering ways to clear away confusion, strengthen self-confidence, and brighten our lives with meaning and joy.
Our best selling title, Gesture of Balance has been used in college classrooms to introduce fundamental Buddhist topics, practices, and perspectives on common human problems. Individuals of any spiritual background can turn to Gesture for comfort and inspiration at difficult junctures of their lives. Gesture can also be reflected upon systematically, paragraph by paragraph, page by page, chapter by chapter, and returned to again and again, each time with greater benefit. Taken to heart, nurtured in the quietude of meditation, these simple statements will open ever richer dimensions of meaning.
Our best selling title, Gesture of Balance has been used in college classrooms to introduce fundamental Buddhist topics, practices, and perspectives on common human problems. Individuals of any spiritual background can turn to Gesture for comfort and inspiration at difficult junctures of their lives. Gesture can also be reflected upon systematically, paragraph by paragraph, page by page, chapter by chapter, and returned to again and again, each time with greater benefit. Taken to heart, nurtured in the quietude of meditation, these simple statements will open ever richer dimensions of meaning.
171 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1976
About the author
Tarthang Tulku
167 books73 followersTarthang Tulku Rinpoche (དར་ཐན་སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ dar-than sprul-sku rin-po-che) is a Tibetan teacher ("lama") in the Nyingma ("old translation") tradition. Having received a complete Buddhist education in pre-diaspora Tibet, he taught philosophy at Sanskrit University in India from 1962 to 1968, and emigrated to America in 1969, where he settled in Berkeley, CA. He is often credited as having introduced the Tibetan medicine practice of Kum Nye (སྐུ་མཉེ sku mnye་, "subtle-body massage") to the West.
In 1963, he founded Dharma Publishing in Varanasi, India, moving it to California in 1971. The main purpose of the publishing house is to preserve and distribute Tibetan Buddhist teachings and to bring these teachings to the West.
Neither Rinpoche nor Tulku are surnames; the former is an honorific applied to respected teachers meaning "Precious One," while the latter is a title given to those who have be recognized an the reincarnation of a previous lama.
In 1963, he founded Dharma Publishing in Varanasi, India, moving it to California in 1971. The main purpose of the publishing house is to preserve and distribute Tibetan Buddhist teachings and to bring these teachings to the West.
Neither Rinpoche nor Tulku are surnames; the former is an honorific applied to respected teachers meaning "Precious One," while the latter is a title given to those who have be recognized an the reincarnation of a previous lama.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 7, 2024
Have you ever let yourself be totally UNPLUGGED? Do you remember those times when you’ve just dropped EVERYTHING? And let ALL the stress fall away?
Thirty years ago in a frantic office, this easy-to-read Tibetan author gave me a real and vivid sense of what it means to have real peace in one’s life. And I fondly remembered having had that feeling before ...
Much farther back, when I was twenty-three, after graduation I had worked in an ultra-modern office. It wasn’t downtown, though, and it was close to a large, undeveloped parcel of experimental farmland - in which government scientists developed new methodologies for enhancing crop development.
And in that green oasis was an arboretum, a showcase for indigenous Canadian trees and shrubs.
As it was a quick and easy walk from my office building, I often took my lunch there on a halcyon day. I sat on a hill overlooking the groves of trees, and the canal beyond - in wintertime, those hills were open to the public for the amusement of junior tobogganers - and delved peacefully into my lunch bag.
My reveries were totally uninterrupted, save by birdsong - until, at 12:45 a Canadian National Railways train roaring through the woods below would punctually emit a loud whistle, telling me it was time to return to work...
You know - peace is an amazing thing!
I say ‘is’, because with the advance of old age, the presence of peace seems to be ancillary to the letting-go of inner turmoil that happens when we choose to age NATURALLY.
From my reading, I know that this GOOD kind of seniors’ moment was commoner in old days. I find it all the time in 19th-century writers.
People followed the rhythms of nature back then. And we may not know it, says Tulku, but the whole brash crowd of our modern dreads and anxieties is like a drop of water in a deep pool of eternal silence, or a speck of dust in a vast expanse of space. They saw that clearly in the old times. Now that I’m elderly I see that too.
But Tulku, bless him, gave me a sneak preview of that slow-mo pace of retirement in the 1980’s... when I was busier than a solo wallpaper hanger! He suggests there are vast expanses of untapped empty space in our minds. He calls it - in another book - Great Space. Inner freedom.
We Christians call it the freedom of the Spirit. A peace beyond comprehension.
Now, it may be that when we are young we’re not quite ready for that. And that’s understandable, but when in later life your experiences have beaten you up enough, it may be high time to reconsider.
I think all of us often get the sense, as we age, of time STANDING STILL. That’s what Tulku talks about.
This is not the inner emptiness of an Alzheimer’s patient, either. That’s scary. This is not.
It’s what Peter Kreeft so aptly calls Doors in the Wall of the World.
It is the natural fruit of a long life lived in unobtrusive gentleness - this moment without self-consciousness or anxious memories.
And yet so many of us are constantly trying to one-up the other guy - to go to subtler and more cutting-edge levels of thinking. Faster and faster. Hamsters on a treadmill. Well, it’s gotta stop, or else it’ll drive us to an early grave!
You know, there is a REAL alternative to the speed and aggression that is so prevalent in this winner-takes-all world... And Tulku tells us how to find it SO naturally!
By driving away the blockages of too-too-solid self-consciousness and self-importance.
How else are we going to live in all that empty space that’s ahead of us when we die?
Better get used to it, and expand and enrich that fertile vacant space in our heads while we’re here!
His way of meditation can do that.
We CAN live in the midst of Peace...
WITHOUT AGGRESSION:
Here and now -
For starters.
Thirty years ago in a frantic office, this easy-to-read Tibetan author gave me a real and vivid sense of what it means to have real peace in one’s life. And I fondly remembered having had that feeling before ...
Much farther back, when I was twenty-three, after graduation I had worked in an ultra-modern office. It wasn’t downtown, though, and it was close to a large, undeveloped parcel of experimental farmland - in which government scientists developed new methodologies for enhancing crop development.
And in that green oasis was an arboretum, a showcase for indigenous Canadian trees and shrubs.
As it was a quick and easy walk from my office building, I often took my lunch there on a halcyon day. I sat on a hill overlooking the groves of trees, and the canal beyond - in wintertime, those hills were open to the public for the amusement of junior tobogganers - and delved peacefully into my lunch bag.
My reveries were totally uninterrupted, save by birdsong - until, at 12:45 a Canadian National Railways train roaring through the woods below would punctually emit a loud whistle, telling me it was time to return to work...
You know - peace is an amazing thing!
I say ‘is’, because with the advance of old age, the presence of peace seems to be ancillary to the letting-go of inner turmoil that happens when we choose to age NATURALLY.
From my reading, I know that this GOOD kind of seniors’ moment was commoner in old days. I find it all the time in 19th-century writers.
People followed the rhythms of nature back then. And we may not know it, says Tulku, but the whole brash crowd of our modern dreads and anxieties is like a drop of water in a deep pool of eternal silence, or a speck of dust in a vast expanse of space. They saw that clearly in the old times. Now that I’m elderly I see that too.
But Tulku, bless him, gave me a sneak preview of that slow-mo pace of retirement in the 1980’s... when I was busier than a solo wallpaper hanger! He suggests there are vast expanses of untapped empty space in our minds. He calls it - in another book - Great Space. Inner freedom.
We Christians call it the freedom of the Spirit. A peace beyond comprehension.
Now, it may be that when we are young we’re not quite ready for that. And that’s understandable, but when in later life your experiences have beaten you up enough, it may be high time to reconsider.
I think all of us often get the sense, as we age, of time STANDING STILL. That’s what Tulku talks about.
This is not the inner emptiness of an Alzheimer’s patient, either. That’s scary. This is not.
It’s what Peter Kreeft so aptly calls Doors in the Wall of the World.
It is the natural fruit of a long life lived in unobtrusive gentleness - this moment without self-consciousness or anxious memories.
And yet so many of us are constantly trying to one-up the other guy - to go to subtler and more cutting-edge levels of thinking. Faster and faster. Hamsters on a treadmill. Well, it’s gotta stop, or else it’ll drive us to an early grave!
You know, there is a REAL alternative to the speed and aggression that is so prevalent in this winner-takes-all world... And Tulku tells us how to find it SO naturally!
By driving away the blockages of too-too-solid self-consciousness and self-importance.
How else are we going to live in all that empty space that’s ahead of us when we die?
Better get used to it, and expand and enrich that fertile vacant space in our heads while we’re here!
His way of meditation can do that.
We CAN live in the midst of Peace...
WITHOUT AGGRESSION:
Here and now -
For starters.
April 15, 2008
Years ago, when I first started learning about meditation, I read every book I could get my hands on about the process. I would read the text and become excited that I had found the "right" way to practice. Immediately, I would follow the instructions as best I could. Without fail, I would get frustrated when I couldn't sustain the right pose or hold my tongue in the proper way as I tried to breathe correctly. Inevitably, throughout the whole exercise I worried that I couldn't stop my thoughts.
Over time, I have learned exactly what Gesture of Balance provides for those wanting to try meditation: that meditation focused on "a right way", particular goals, or the desire for special powers ultimately leads to frustration. In fact, that is the purpose of the practice. True meditation is not about doing or practicing, it is about letting go of all expectations and just experiencing. Meditation isn't something we undertake to impress others or to prove our value. It is an extremely personal process that asks us to question and examine everything we think, feel, or believe.
I wish I had come across this book years ago. Its guidance would have been even more valuable. Today, it reminds me of the path I've travelled and the journey I continue to experience. Gesture of Balance will definitely have a permanent place on my bookshelf of favourites.
Over time, I have learned exactly what Gesture of Balance provides for those wanting to try meditation: that meditation focused on "a right way", particular goals, or the desire for special powers ultimately leads to frustration. In fact, that is the purpose of the practice. True meditation is not about doing or practicing, it is about letting go of all expectations and just experiencing. Meditation isn't something we undertake to impress others or to prove our value. It is an extremely personal process that asks us to question and examine everything we think, feel, or believe.
I wish I had come across this book years ago. Its guidance would have been even more valuable. Today, it reminds me of the path I've travelled and the journey I continue to experience. Gesture of Balance will definitely have a permanent place on my bookshelf of favourites.
November 8, 2012
If you're noticing that I love most of the books I rate - it's true. If I don't like a book - especially these days I just don't finish it. I just can't frankly I can't stay interested and life is too short to read stuff you hate. When I do that it's assigned reading - sometimes I assign myself and I'll read it as a gateway to build enough knowledge to understand something else, research if you will.
I'm doing that now with "Jerusalem: The Biography" just keep running into stuff I'm compelled to check or lookup and stuff that I just don't understand.
This book I read as research on meditation. In my Yoga practice meditation is key - I was just at that point. But just didn't feel I could ever figure out how to do it. Well this book cured me of that concern. Tarihang Tulku helped me understand in simple terms - I got it. Basically I was making waaaay to big of a deal of it.
Anyway - fun book crammed with nuggets of wisdom. I loved it. It took me a couple of months but only because its one of those books I needed to go slow and savor unlike "Jerusalem: The Biography savor" because I simply can't go fast.
My reviews are basically - notes to self and my daughter and wife. You are welcome to read but just know the purpose.
May 28, 2020
A superb hidden gem of a book. Surprisingly practical and straight to the point. No flowery language. If it was published today (and renamed, as I don't believe the title does it justice) I believe more people would know of it. Highly recommended, whether you're an experienced meditator or you're new to the practice.
October 6, 2015
Recommended by my yoga master. This is a book to read through life. Although it is a self-help book, the language is not patronizing, and most of it resonates with what I was already learning through yoga practice.
January 23, 2008
When I'm feeling anxious, low or lost, I turn to a passage in this book.
January 19, 2020
Pure truth
The truth in these pages is evident. But more, there are often some surprising statements that call one to reassess our basis of knowledge and the ability and paths to growth.
The truth in these pages is evident. But more, there are often some surprising statements that call one to reassess our basis of knowledge and the ability and paths to growth.
January 1, 2019
Nice summary of basic principles regarding awareness, openness and meditation.
January 6, 2020
A beautifully written book full of surprising insights into the state of being.
May 7, 2021
Will prove useful in perpetuity.
November 19, 2022
I studied at the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley ..it affected at me deeply and I'm still connected with the community
Read
June 24, 2013great
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2019
Por alguns anos eu venho através da leitura adquirindo conhecimento sobre o que é meditar, e claro, nenhuma dessas leituras se prova “useful” se eu não sentar e meditar.
Gestos de equilibro tem uma abordagem simplista que nem é tão simplista, pois sentar para meditar embora pareça não tem nada de tão simples.
O que mais me chamou atenção na escrita foi o fato de o autor não criar fenômenos, visões, e bla bla bla...sentar e observar o que é, é de fato o caminho da meditação.
Quando sentamos para meditar não queremos fugir da realidade, e quando nos abrimos para o vazio nos damos conta de que tudo existe nesse vazio.
Vale a pena...se você persistir.
Gestos de equilibro tem uma abordagem simplista que nem é tão simplista, pois sentar para meditar embora pareça não tem nada de tão simples.
O que mais me chamou atenção na escrita foi o fato de o autor não criar fenômenos, visões, e bla bla bla...sentar e observar o que é, é de fato o caminho da meditação.
Quando sentamos para meditar não queremos fugir da realidade, e quando nos abrimos para o vazio nos damos conta de que tudo existe nesse vazio.
Vale a pena...se você persistir.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews