If you're interested in esoteric spirituality and the pursuit of gnosis, seeking effective and practicable methods that produce transformation and even have the potential to bring the practitioner to self-realization, then this book is for you. Designed to provide readers with a perspective on the view and methods of the preliminary practices of Buddhist Tantra (Vajrayana) in a way that is accessible and applicable to modern Westerners, using examples and quotations from familiar philosophical and esoteric traditions. Because human beings are essentially similar, this path of esoteric Buddhism can be effective and has proven to be so for women and men across centuries, continents, and cultures. The highest spiritual realization is available to all of us regardless of who we are, where or when we live, or any other circumstance provided we receive the teachings and practice the methods. This book is a first step towards that.

Pronaos: Reflections on the Preliminary Practices of Buddhist Tantra from a Western Perspective, Greg Kaminsky, Independently published, Paperback, 170 pages, $13.99

Greg Kaminsky is a close student of Traktung Rinpoche and a practitioner of Vajrayana Buddhism. He is also a long-time podcaster, a scholar of medieval studies, and an explorer of Mysteries who is intimately familiar with Western esotericism. His prior works include an essay in The Art and Science of Initiation (2019) and the forthcoming Celestial Intelligences--Angelology, Cabala, and Gnosis: Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's Quest for the Perennial Philosophy (2021). Greg's podcast, Occult of Personality, can be found at http://occultofpersonality.net/ and his email address is [email protected].

CONTENTS: PRONAOS
Dedication			iii
Introduction			7
Acknowledgment & Thanks			20
The Great Work of Spiritual Transformation			21
	Alchemy		29
	The Grail Quest		40
	Rebuilding the Temple		48
Pre-Preliminary Considerations			50
	The Four Noble Truths		54
	The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to Spiritual Practice		57
	Practicing Virtue -- The Six Perfections		62
The Role of the Master Teacher/Guru			77
Structure of the Preliminary Practices			83
	Refuge - Prostrations		86
		Praxis	90
		Compassion - Bodhicitta	101
	Purification - Vajrasattva		111
		Praxis	116
	Mandala Offering		122
		Praxis	129
	Guru Yoga		129
		Praxis	132
Conclusion			138
Appendix I - Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava			139
Appendix II - Meditation & Deity Visualization			152
Appendix III - Obstacles & Hindrances			158
Appendix IV - Aphorisms			162
Appendix V - Notes on Prostrations for Refuge Practice			163
Works Cited			164
About the Author			167