Reviews and Endorsements
"Reading this book is a beautiful experience on the journey in search of enlightenment."
"Traditional Tibetan Buddhist practitioner and teacher, Mattis-Namgyel begins her book using the example of rock climbing. [“The state of not-knowing is a riveting place to be ... change and unpredictability are the pulse of our very existence."] Her point is that when we relax and move into open acceptance of the moment and our circumstances, we become aware of possibilities that we can’t see when we are focused on a goal that lies ahead of us (or a disappointment that lies behind us). She understands her Western audiences/readers. She reaches out gently to them, with compassion born of twenty-five years of Buddhist practice. She is experienced in leading Buddhist retreats. She knows the questions that readers need answered. She anticipates the challenges that will arise for them as they attempt to drastically change their mindsets. Reading this book is a beautiful experience on the journey in search of enlightenment."
--New Age Retailer
"We live in a time that, for reasons unknown, so many well-intended people seem inclined to blend all religions into one, like a franchise or a global conglomerate. We see churches and synagogues offering yoga classes and self-appointed gurus boldly generalizing the teachings. At a time like this, I consider reading a book by someone who has spent most of her life as a student and family member of an authentic Tibetan teacher quite important. The reader can harvest the fruit of her mature humility." --Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, author of What Makes You Not a Buddhist
"Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel has written a bold, playful and invigorating book about the Buddha’s most important and subtle teachings – the teachings on emptiness. As we read, we walk with her through the world of experience, looking clearly without reaching conclusions. We understand emptiness as a continuous discovery; we see life full of possibility for liberation. The Power of an Open Question is an important contribution to Buddhist literature of our times."
--- Ani Pema Chodron
“Elizabeth Namgyel has written a totally accessible book, one which shows tremendous depth of understanding.”—Diana J. Mukpo, author of Dragon Thunder