THIS IS THE SECOND volume in The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, a definitive and comprehensive series that collects the Dalai Lama's decades of presentations of every step of the path to awakening. It has been complied and coauthored by one of his chief Western disciples, the American nun Thubten Chodron.

The second volume in the Dalai Lama’s definitive and comprehensive series on the stages of the Buddhist path, The Library of Wisdom and Compassion.

Volume 1, Approaching the Buddhist Path, contained introductory material that set the context for Buddhist practice. This second volume, The Foundation of Buddhist Practice, contains the important teachings that will help us establish a flourishing Dharma practice.

Traditional presentations of the path in Tibetan Buddhism assume the audience already has faith in the Buddha and believes in rebirth and karma, but the Dalai Lama realized early on that a different approach we needed for his Western and contemporary Asian students. Starting with the four seals and the two truths, His Holiness illuminates key Buddhist ideas, such as dependent arising, emptiness, and karma, to support the reader in engaging with this rich tradition. This second volume in the new Library of Wisdom and Compassion series provides a wealth of reflection on the relationship between a spiritual mentor and student, how to begin a meditation practice, and the relationship between the body and mind, among other fascinating topics.

Content - Preface, Abbreviations, INTRODUCTION BY HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA, 1. THE BUDDHIST APPROACH, 2. GAINING NONDECEPTIVE KNOWLEDGE, 3. THE BASIS OF THE SELF: THE BODY AND MIND, 4. CHOOSING SPIRITUAL MENTORS AND BECOMING A QUALIFIED DISCIPLE, 5. RELYING ON SPIRITUAL MENTORS, 6. HOW TO STRUCTURE A MEDITATION    SESSION, 7. MIND, BODY, AND REBIRTH, 8. THE ESSENCE OF A MEANINGFUL LIFE, 9. LOOKING BEYOND THIS LIFE, 10. KARMA AND ITS EFFECTS, 11. RESULTS OF KARMA, 12. THE WORKINGS OF KARMA,  Notes,  Glossary,  Recommended  Reading, Index, About the Authors