The Sound of two Hands Clapping, by Georges B.J. Dreyfus

A unique insider's account of day-to-day life inside a Tibetan monastery, The Sound of Two Hands Clapping reveals to Western audiences the fascinating details of monastic education. Georges B. J. Dreyfus, the first Westerner to complete the famous Ge-luk curriculum and achieve the distinguished title of geshe, weaves together eloquent and moving autobiographical reflections with a historical overview of Tibetan Buddhism and insights into its teachings.

Georges B. J. Dreyfus is Professor of Religion at Williams College. He is author of The Svatantrika-Prasangika Distinction: What Difference Does a Difference Make? (coedited with Sara McClintock, 2002), Recognizing Reality: Dharmakirti's Philosophy and Its Tibetan Interpretations (1997), and A Recent Rediscovery: rGyal tshap's Rigs gter rnam bshad (in collaboration with S. Onoda, 1994).

“An important and wide-ranging contribution . . . the book is written in remarkably lucid prose, with clear exposition throughout. In all, Dreyfus succeeds admirably in his task of description and analysis.”—Christian K. Wedemeyer Journal Of American Academy Of Religion /Jaar

“Impressive, not only for the quality of his scholarship, both Buddhist and Western, but also for the rigorous manner in which he confronts the idealized representations which have been the peculiar fate of Tibet....A very rich work. Dreyfus sheds new light on historical and philosophical issues relating to Tibetan Buddhism.”—Will Sweetman Times Literary Supplement (TLS)

"A rich and fascinating study of Tibetan monastic life, from an author who is not only a leading scholar of Tibetan Buddhism, but who spent many years as a Buddhist monk."—Donald Lopez, author of Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West

"Georges Dreyfus, extraordinary person and writer, gives us crucial insights into the structure and practices of higher Tibetan education as well as his own fascinating journey leading to his becoming the first Westerner to achieve the highest rank in Tibetan education. This book both peals away myths and reveals the true depths of Tibetan techniques to train the mind."—Jeffrey Hopkins, author of Emptiness in the Mind-Only School of Buddhism