Masters of Enchantment: The Lives and Legends of the Mahasiddhas

By Keith Dowman

Book Overview

A richly illustrated collection of stories about the mahasiddhas, spiritual adventurers who attained enlightenment and magical powers by disregarding convention - A modern translation of ancient legends that reveals the human qualities of the rebellious saints known as siddhas and the vital elements of their philosophy - Recounts stories of enlightened masters from all walks of life, including a washerman, a thief, a conman, a gambler, and a whore, and the magical and "crazy" deeds of each, such as walking through walls, flying, talking with birds, and turning people to stone - Richly illustrated with paintings of the tantric saints by artist Robert Beer Offering a modern translation of "The Legends of the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas," a 12th-century Tibetan text, translator Keith Dowman shares stories of the spiritual adventurers, rebellious saints, and enlightened tantric masters of ancient India known as "siddhas." He shows how the mahasiddhas arose from the grassroots of society and represented an entire spectrum of human experience. Counted among the greatest of the siddhas are a washerman, a cowboy, a thief, a conman, a gambler, and a whore, all extraordinary men and women who attained the goal of their meditations, as well as enlightenment and magical powers, by disregarding convention and penetrating to the core of life. Recounting the magical and "crazy" deeds of the mahasiddhas, such as walking through walls, flying, talking with birds, and turning people to stone, Dowman reveals the human qualities of the tantric masters and the vital elements of the siddhas' philosophy of nonduality and emptiness. Richly illustrated with paintings of the tantric saints by artist Robert Beer, these stories of the mahasiddhas show us a way through human suffering into a spontaneous and free state of oneness with the divine.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1620553651
• ISBN13: 9781620553657
• Release Date: September 2014
• Publisher: Inner Traditions International
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.9" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

4.5 star book--Enchanting while Enlightening

This book is a book of fanciful legends about 54 of the 84 Mahasiddis (the Crazy Wisdom masters who have achieved the higher level psychic abilities). It includes drawings or color plates for the bulk of them as well as an introductory stanza on each. The stories have much in common-generally showing how people in various walks of life can reach enlightenment. There is some duplication, especially with most of them being taken into Dakini Land with a host of disciples and practicing a sadhana for 12 years (usually) enables them to reach enlightenment. Woven into most of the stories are pearls of Mahamudra wisdom especially on how to turn obstacles into the Path. Also, Mr. Dowman has a 20-page introduction that is a very lovely and concise summary of Mahamudra (the highest teaching of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism though he alludes to the Sakyas using it also). He says (page 28) that "Mahamudra-siddhi is only accessible when such thought patterns have become dominated by a vision that no longer experiences reality as this or that, or a synthesis of this and that, or an absence of this or that. Reality, in fact, is the excluded middle." Further, "The Tibetan tradition is characterized by an overwhelming unwillingness to question Indian doctrines and established values, and departures from the Tantra of the siddhas have been few and far between." [siddhis are psychic abilities] He also states that there's no reason why there shouldn't be a Tantric blooming in the West. Pearls of Wisdom include (page 49): "Lilapa's story shows us that when the karmic leanings and aspirations of the disciple blend harmoniously with the teachings of the guru, there is no need to renounce the pleasures of this life in order to attain liberation." Mahamudra stanzas include: page 81: "To release water in the ear, Inject water into the ear. To see truth, Contemplate all phenomena as a lie." page 83: I mold the leather of preconception and conceptual thought around the last of emptiness and compassion. Taking the awl of intuitive insight, I stitch with the thread of existence that knows no beginning and no end. Spontaneously, freed of the 8 mundane obsessions, I create fine slippers of Dharmakaya." There are also some poems embedded into the text such as (page 99): "Your mind is like a magical gem manifesting all that is-from samsara to nirvana. Since knowing and unknowing form a duality, gaze deep into the changeless space of mind's true nature and discover the source of all duality; nondual space is without substance, thus all experience is an illusion. Discover how we are bound by delusive desire." This is a fine book to keep and to share.

SUCH BEAUTY AND INSIGHT!

This is such a beautiful and wonderful book. The 84 Mahasiddhasare the founders of Tantric Buddhism. You will find a legend anda picture with 54 of them. 27 of the pictures are color andthey will knock your socks off! I really love this book. I havethe hardbound edition. It really helps to know what these saints look like. Reading about them all the time can be a little unimaginative after awhile. But with solid visual images, our livesbecome so much more exciting. And the colored paintings are justgreat. Buy the book and be well.

Fantastic! Legends of Tantric Pioneers

Before Tibetan Buddhism, Don Juan, and "New Age" Tantra, there were the 84 founders of the great Tantric Lineages of today. Keith Dowman's version of these tales of awakening, liberation and fulfillment is simply brilliant, as usual. Here Dowman's divine gift for revealing the Heart & Soul of a great teacher's spiritual life is well complimented by the amazing power of Robert Beer's magical images. I mean real power & real magic. I've read most of Dowman's books, but not because they were by him. My respect & appreciation of his work grew out of finding that some of the greatest books (permitting deep insight into the reality of Tibetan Buddhism & Tantra) happen to be by him. This one is as refreshingly readable & exceptionally useful as the rest. Masters of Enchantment is a great example of the "Small is Beautiful" theory of values. It is an old favorite of Asian students & masters. In condensed legends of the greatest tantric yogis & yoginis of ancient India & the Himalayas, Dowman & Beer show us how the divinity of humanity can come to full bloom in one lifetime. These bios of 54 prototypical Tantric Pioneers are elegantly pithy; often mind-blowing, always profoundly moving, and mythically convincing. No doubt, these are the stories of real people, who came from the many walks of "real life." The value of their examples, their hardships, victories, mantras & songs of realization cannot be overestimated. For modern beginners and advanced practitioners, the elixir of [these] wish-granting jewels will foster faith, serene bliss, courage, and perspective. This is a "must have" classic for anyone on the Way to absolute freedom, supreme bliss, crazy wisdom & infinite compassion.