WINNER OF THE TRICYCLE PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE A vibrant, accessible introduction to the heart of Tibetan Buddhism through its own rich literature from `the most visible and charismatic exponent of Tibetan Buddhism` (Rodger Kamenetz, New York Times Magazine). Expertly and lucidly surveying the basic varieties and teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, renowned scholar Robert Thurman makes this authentic spiritual tradition available to contemporary Western audiences as never before. The very first collection of key Tibetan teachings on Buddhism and attaining enlightenment, Essential Tibetan Buddhism includes all the vital texts, freshly translated. Robert A. F. Thurman, the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo- Tibetan Studies at Columbia University, `is a prolific translator and writer, a powerful advocate for the liberation of Tibet and the Dalai Lama`s cultural liaison to America` (New York Times Magazine). His books include a new translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead and Inside Tibetan Buddhism.