The Essence of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its Philosophy and Practice [B0976]

2014 PB reprint of the 2001 original, in nice clean condition. A clear and concise introduction to the teachings and philosophies of the three main vehicles of Buddhism-Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana-through a Tibetan lens. This comprehensive guide to the Buddhist path from the Tibetan point of view is as accessible as it is complete. Traleg Kyabgon breaks the teachings down conveniently into the three traditional "vehicles," while never letting us forget that the point of all the Dharma is nothing other than insight into the mind and heart. Along the way he provides vivid definitions of fundamental Buddhist concepts such as compassion, emptiness, and Buddha-nature and answers common questions such as: Why does Buddhism teach that there is "no self"?; Are Buddhist teachings pessimistic?; Does Buddhism encourage social passivity?; What is the role of sex in Buddhist tantra?; Why is it said that samsara is nirvana?; Does it take countless lifetimes to attain enlightenment, or can it be achieved in a moment?

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche is a great teacher of Tibetan Buddhism for the west. He spent a great deal of time and energy studying western philosophy and psychology in order to be able to effectively explain Buddhist concepts to westerners. This effort really shows in his books and I find his books make difficult concepts easy to understand. I will eternally be grateful for the wisdom I've learned from all of his books."; "I've been looking for a really good book on the basics of Buddhism, to use for an introductory class on Buddhism. After reading many books, I decided on this one. It is clear, lucid, enjoyable reading. The writer was a prominent Tibetan Buddhist teacher and writes with clarity and depth of understanding. The book covers all the main ideas of Buddhism and Buddhist practice."