Book Description

Crossings On A Bridge of Light is the first English rendition of a vibrant and pivotal episode in the Gesar of Ling epic. In this story, Gesar, King of Ling, moves between life and death to free his mother from the bonds of hell. He traverses the six realms of being and passes through the five traditional states (bardos). His journey reaches its apex in four visions of the enlightened rulers of the Kingdom of Shambhala. Gesar's inner journey, his encounters with a panoply of beings embodying the spontaneous presence of the awakened state, enable him to heal the doubts and divisions that have come to threaten his kingdom. This tale of how the vision of an enlightened society can be realized on this earth has inspired people for many centuries; it is equally powerful today. The miraculous images of King Gesar dance so vividly on the pages of 'Crossings On A Bridge of Light' it's as if they were alive. It's beautiful! -The Ven. Tulku Thondup, translator of many important Nyingma texts, author of Healing Power of Mind, Boundless Healing, and Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth 'Crossings On A Bridge of Life' is a treasure, a work of true inspiration. It demonstrates that the tradition of Gesar and his significance is not lost, and that singers may appear in any land or time. In relating Gesar's quest to liberate his mother from hell, it vividly brings to life the Buddhist teachings on the six realms, the cycle of bardos, the pure lands of the five transcendent Buddhas, and the inseparability of existence and awakening. The poetry of its language deeply touches the heart with compassion and opens the mind to the ever-present reality of the awakened state. -Dr. Francesca Fremantle, translator (with Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche) of The Tibetan Book of the Dead and author of Luminous Emptiness