This collection of fifteen articles and talks by Tulku Thondup constitutes a manual on how to transmute the situations encountered in daily life, whether external or internal, into spiritual disciplines and experiences. Among the topics covered are:
• The fundamental principles of Buddhism. • The practice of meditation as a means of arousing compassion. • How suffering can become a more powerful tool than happiness in achieving enlightenment. • The symbolic significance of holy places, temples, statues, books, and other spiritual artifacts.
This would be the perfect reference book for those that have learned Ngöndro practice of the Longchen Nyingthig tradition from a teacher/guru. Otherwise it is a book of informative essays on the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism handed down from Padmasambhava. Although there are great essays in here (particularly the essay on preparing for the Bardo), most of the meditations and empowerments must be learned in person from a master after the precepts of Ngöndro have been completed, or else they can be harmful - according to Tulku Thondup. So this book would better be read after starting a practice under a teacher of the Nyingma school.