This volume presents 37 short teachings, designed to be read individually and integrated with our practice and daily life. Together they take us on a journey through the vehicles of Buddhism, elucidating some common misunderstandings and basic principles of the Buddhist path, all the while encouraging us to move from our head (intellectual understanding) towards our heart (experiential understanding).

To get an experiential understanding you have to go deep into yourself and learn how to bring your awareness and mindfulness to the place from which you deeply experience. It is a matter of heart rather than head. Sometimes it is said that the longest journey is from your head to your heart. Which is what we mean when we talk about developing the right view and understanding it experientially. This is an on going process.

Journey from Head to Heart: Along a Buddhist Path, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Bodhicharya Publications, Paperback, 166 pages, $15.00

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist Master of the Kagyu Order. He was trained in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism under many great masters such as HH the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and HH Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche. He took his formal education at Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok and Sampurnananda Sanskrit University, Varanasi, India and has served as Professor of Tibetology in Sikkim for 17 years. His doctoral thesis was on the Ecumenical Movement in Tibet.

Since 1990 he has been traveling and teaching Buddhism and meditation at more than 50 Universities, Institutes and Buddhist Centres in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and Asia. He also participates in various interfaith dialogues. He authored several books on Buddhism as well as some children's books both in Tibetan and European languages.

He founded Bodhicharya (www.bodhicharya.org), an international organization that coordinates the worldwide activities to preserve and transmit Buddhist teachings, to promote inter-cultural dialogues and educational & social projects. He also founded Rigul Trust which supports his projects in his birthplace, Rigul, Tibet (www.rigultrust.org).

Rinpoche is the Official Representative of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa for Europe and the Founder of Karmapa Foundation Europe (www.karmapafoundation.eu).

CONTENTS: Journey from Head to Heart
Editor's Preface		xiii
FEAR, SUFFERING AND HAPPINESS		1
	What is suffering?	5
	Fearlessness and peace	9
	Happiness	13
	The causes of suffering	17
	Karma	21
	Fear	25
	How suffering can come to an end	29
	Mindfulness	31
	Taking refuge	33
	Why meditate?	37
	Bringing your body to your seat	41
	Bringing ease into the mind	45
BODHISATTVA ACTIVITY		49
	What is a Bodhisattva?	51
	The right way of seeing things	55
	Discipline	59
	Growing a good fruit tree	61
	Taking practice like a hobby	65
	Suffering itself does not end suffering	69
	How to be with our problems	73
	What to do when we feel hurt	75
	Inner generosity	79
	Do we need suffering to progress?	83
	Effort in Meditation	87
	Merit	89
VAJRAYANA SKILFULL MEANS		91
	Our true nature	93
	Truth and concepts	95
	Working at the experiential level	99
	Using the result as the path	103
	An un-acquainted friend	105
	Everyone is included	107
	Using a mantra	109
	The teacher - student relationship	113
TARA, AN EXAMPLE		115
	Tara	117
	The imagery of White Tara	121
	Meeting suffering	123
	The true purpose of meditation	127
	The real practice	129
Dedication		133
Glossary and Notes		135
Acknowledgments		145
About the Author		147
Other books by Ringu Tulku		148