Buddhism teaches that enlightenment is our natural state; the problem is that we do not recognize this state, owing to the mind's confusion about its true nature. This book presents the Buddhist view in a way meant to clear up misconceptions and awaken the reader's innate wisdom.

Thinley Norbu Rinpoche is a preeminent teacher of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Among his other books are The Small Golden Key and Magic Dance.


White Sail: Crossing the Way of Ocean Mind to the Serene Continent of the Triple Gems; Thinley Norbu; Shambhala Publications; 205 pages; $24.95

Thinley Norbu (1931-2011) was a master teacher of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, with many devoted students in the West as well in Asia. Revered as an emanation of the fourteenth-century master Kunkhyen Longchenpa, Kyabje Thinley Norbu Rinpoche was a scholar, writer, poet, and translator, whose prolific publications include A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar, his masterwork on the ngondro, or preliminary practices; The Sole Panacea, on the Seven-Line Prayer of Guru Rinpoche; and A Brief Fantasy History of a Himalayan, an illustrated account of personal reminiscenses.

Offering Praise ix
Preface xiii

Introduction 3
Different Thoughts 6
The Source of Phenomena 16
Simple Logic 26
Cleaning Deviations 31
The Senses 66
Karma 84
Love and Faith 106
The Seven-Branch Prayer of the Accumulation of Merit 135
The Transitional States, the Yogas, and the Kayas 147

Glossary 201