One of the clearest introductions to the teachings and philosophies of the three main schools of Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana, and Tibetan. aaaaaThe Essence of Buddhism is a comprehensive overview of the Buddhist path from the perspective of the three vehicles of Tibetan Buddhism: the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Although these vehicles are associated with different attitudes toward Buddhist practice, basic to them all is the need to understand our own immediate condition. The primary tool for achieving this is meditation, and The Essence of Buddhism serves as a handbook for the various meditative approaches of Buddhist practice. Along the way, it provides vivid definitions of fundamental Buddhist concepts, such as compassion, emptiness, and Buddha-nature, and answers common questions, such as: aaa aWhy does Buddhism teach that there is "no self"? aaa aAre Buddhist teachings pessimistic? aaa aDoes Buddhism encourage social passivity? aaa aWhat is the role of sex in Buddhist tantra? aaa aWhy is it said that samsara is nirvana? aaa aDoes it take countless lifetimes to attain enlightenment, or can it be achieved in a moment? Includes a foreword from Sogyal Rinpoche.