This collection of teachings presents the traditional wisdom of the Vajrayana path. It is a brilliant guide to the spiritual path ~ simple yet profound, intimate and immediate.

H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche taught widely for many years in the West and addressed the questions of students grappling with the challenges, concerns, and skepticism encountered in genuine spiritual practice. These questions, as well as Rinpoche's incisive responses, are presented in conjunction with an indepth presentation of the philosophy and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.

Rinpoche established many centers for the study and practice of Vajrayana Buddhism. His main centers are Chagdud Gonpa Rigdzin Ling in Junction City, California, and Chagdud Gonpa Khadro Ling in Tres Coroas, Brazil.

Gates to Buddhist Practice, Chagdud Tulku, Padma Publishing, 285 pp, $17.00

Born in eastern Tibet in 1930, His Eminence Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche was recognized at the age of two as the reincarnation of the abbot of Chagdud Monastery. The monastery was established in the early thirteenth century and is still standing today. The son of Dawa Drolma, one ofTibet's most renowned female lamas, Chagdud Rinpoche received extensive training from many great lamas and belongs to the last generation of teachers to have received complete training in the vast wealth of Vajrayana Buddhist teachings and methods while still living in Tibet. In 1959, he was forced into exile and, during the two decadees that followed, served the Tibetan community in India and Nepal as lama and p[hysician. In 1979, at the invitation of some of his students, Rinpoche came to the West and began establishing teaching centers. Chagdud Gonpa Foundation now has more than a dozen cetners throughout North America, as well as a constantly growing number of local practice groups. Rinpoche moved his primary residence to Brazil in 1995, where he has established six centers. In addition to his scholarship, realization, and boundless compassion, the evocative power of Chagdud Rinpoche's singing voice has made him renowned among both Tibetans and Westerners.

Contents: GATES TO BUDDHIST PRACTICE: Essential Teachings of a Tibetan Master by Chagdud Tulku
Editors' Preface	vii
Editors' Preface to the Revised Edition	xi
Acknowledgments	xii
PART I: Discovering the Path to Freedom
1. Turning the Wheel	3
2. Working with Attachment and Desire	7
3. Working with Anger and Aversion	19
4. Working with Ignorance	27
5. Daily Life as Spiritual Practice	35
PART II: The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind
6. The Importance of the Four Thoughts	51
7. The Lama	55
8. Precious Human Birth	59
9. Impermanence	67
10. Karma	77
11. The Ocean of Suffering	95
12. How to Contemplate the Four Thoughts	105
PART III: Refuge and Bodhicitta
13. Refuge	121
14. Giving Rise to Bodhicitta	133
15. Wishing and Engaging Bodhicitta	147
PART IV: Introduction to Vajrayana
16. Revealing Our Foundational Nature	169
17. Faith	193
18. Prayer	199
19. Conversation with a Student	205
20. Preparing for Death	213
PART V: On the Vajrayana Path
21. Guru Yoga	229
22. Introduction to Great Perfection	247
23. Mind of Activity, Nature of Mind	257
Glossary	265
Index	275