For many Tibetans, the phrase "the Kadam masters" evokes a spiritual golden age in Tibet—an image of a community of simple monks devoted to humble rectitude in the service of others. These eleventh- and twelfth-century masters were particularly famed for their short, poignant utterances that captured essential teachings in digestible bites. In these sayings one unmistakably detects an absence of confusion about priorities in life, and a clear understanding of what a truly happy life consists of, all grounded in a deeply felt genuine sense of concern for the welfare of others. This volume offers, in a handy abridged version from the Library of Tibetan Classics' Kadam Masters, a collection of some of the most beloved teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, a high mark in the long human quest to understand the meaning of life.

PRAISE
"Anyone intrigued by the potential to bend our minds in the direction of greater clarity and kindness will find great satisfaction in Essential Mind Training. These gems of the Tibetan tradition are each a guide to wisdom and compassion. Taken together they represent a sophisticated path to an inner transformation that modern contemplative neuroscience now studies to better understand the greater potentials of the human mind and heart."
—Daniel Goleman, author Emotional Intelligence

"This volume can break new ground in bridging the ancient wisdom of Buddhism with the cutting-edge positive psychology of happiness."
—B. Alan Wallace, author of The Attention Revolution

"The clarity and raw power of these thousand-year-old teachings of the great Kadampa masters are astonishingly fresh."
—Buddhadharma