The Essence of Buddhism is a comprehensive overview of the Buddhist path from the perspective of the three vehicles of Tibetan Buddhism- the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Although these vehicles are associated with different attitudes toward Buddhist practice, basic to them all is the need to understand our own immediate condition. The primary tool for achieving this is meditation, and The Essence of Buddhism serves as a handbook for the various meditative approaches of Buddhist practice. Along the way, it 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?

Includes a foreword from Sogyal Rinpoche.

Traleg Kyabgon (1955-2012) was born in Eastern Tibet and educated by many great masters of all four major lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. He is the founder of the Kagyu E-Vam Buddhist Institute, which is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with a major practice center in upstate New York and a practice community in New York City. He taught extensively at universities and Buddhist centers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia beginning in 1980, and is the author of numerous books that present Buddhist teachings to Western readers, including The Essence of Buddhism and Mind at Ease.