Tharpa Publications (Sanskrit for "liberation" and pronounced "Tar-pa") is a New York-based[1] "major international and multilingual publisher of Buddhist books.
"[9] Braizer echoes this sentiment, saying that Kelsang writes "excellent" books that are "an important contribution to Western understanding of Buddhism and its traditions.
"[10] Guide to Dakini Land and Essence of Vajrayana have been described as "the most detailed and revealing commentary on specific tantric practices yet to be published in a Western language.
"[11] In his book review of Guide to Dakini Land, Richard Guard said: It is remarkable that the author has managed to give us so much information in only a few hundred pages.
For example, Joyful Path of Good Fortune is a modern equivalent of Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, written by Je Phabongkhapa and edited by Trijang Rinpoche; and The New Meditation Handbook is a concise rendition of these teachings.
[17]Waterhouse notes that "All pictorial material produced by the NKT is carefully controlled to maintain the accuracy in the smallest detail": A Bath printer responsible for the production of some of the NKT's most recent publications, told me that the movement's representatives had been so particular about the reproduction of some of the illustrations in Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's Guide to Dakini Land, that the whole print run had to be repeated because a moon symbol had been omitted from one of the diagrams.
The Foundation Program is described by Steven Heine in Buddhism in the Modern World: Adaptations of an Ancient Tradition: The Foundation Program is meant for serious students who want a guided study at a deeper level than they can get through the series of Lamrim talks, usually all pitched to a beginner's capacity, that normally constitute the fare of Western Dharma centers.
[29] The 'half-drop' repeat patterns used in some NKT-IKBU artwork as well as sadhana covers, such as the peony-style flower and emblem of Manjushri (a sword and book upon a lotus) were designed by Robert Beer.
[30] Tharpa Publications also has affiliates (which are independent companies) in Brazil,[31] the USA,[32] Spain,[33] Mexico,[34] France,[35] Canada,[36] Australia, Hong Kong and South Africa.