Based on the author's talks at Naropa University, this volume introduces the reader to the principles of tantra, based on the practice of meditation, which leads to the discovery of egolessness. Trungpa Rinpoche provides a direct and experiential picture of the tantric world, explaining the importance of self-existing energy, the mandala principle, differences between Buddhist and Hindu tantra -- stressing the nontheistic foundation of Buddhism. The role of the teacher and the meaning of tantric transmission are also presented. Written for the student of Buddhism rather than the scholar, Journey Without Goal demystifies the vajrayana and at the same time affirms the power and sacredness of its ancient teachings.
Journey Without a Goal: The Tantric Wisdom of the Buddha, Chogyam Trungpa, Shambhala Publications, Paperback, 150 pp, $21.95

Chogyam Trungpa was born in Eastern Tibet and recognized as an incarnation of the Trungpa line at an early date. He studied with, among others, one of the reincarnations of the Jamgyon Kongtrul who wrote the most famous commentary on the Seven Points. In 1959 he fled to India in the wake of the Communist takeover in Tibet, courageously leading many of his people to safety (this period is described in his book Born in Tibet.) He came to England in the mid-sixties to study at Oxford, learned English, started to teach, and started one of the first Tibetan Buddhist centers in the West. He later dropped his monastic vows, married, and moved to America where he continued his teaching. He founded the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, a large and highly respected Buddhist university, as well as the Shambhala organization. The influence of both his teaching and his books on American Buddhism was and still is enormous.

CONTENTS: Journey Without a Goal
Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction	1
"Intensifying the Devotion in One's Heart" by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye	7
The Tantric Practitioner	19
Vajra Nature	25
Mandala	31
Nontheistic Energy	39
Transmission	47
The Vajra Master	55
Visualization	65
Body, Speech, and Mind	71
The Five Buddha Families	77
Abhisheka	87
Being and Manifesting	101
The Question of Magic	109
The Tantric Journey	117
Anuttara Yoga	125
Maha Ati	133
"Lord Marpa's Praise to the Gurus"	143
Index	145