This is the best available resource for studying and understanding one of Buddhism's seminal and best-known texts, the Heart Sutra. Masterfully translated and edited by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, this volume comprises the Dalai Lama's famous Heart of Wisdom teachings of 2001, including an overview of Buddhism, background material, as well as commentary on the text. The Heart Sutra is a presentation of profound wisdom on the nature of emptiness and selflessness, but these terms can be easily misunderstood. The Dalai Lama identifies misconceptions an shows how an understanding of emptiness leads not to nihilism, but to a view of reality and to a deep and compassionate understanding.