The author has carefully arranged the book so that both the faith and scholarly sides are presented. The first chapter shows how the Sutra developed from the Buddha's early teachings called the recollections. The next chapter is devoted to the many issues of words and their translations that come up when the Sutra is studied. It reveals the problems that Tibetan translators had when doing their work and raises important issues for those translating Tibetan texts into other languages. It sets out for the first time a model for how to determine the correct translation for words from Tibetan into English and should be of great interest to all translators. The next chapter examines how the Sutra has been and could be used by Buddhist practitioners. It is for those who want to use the Sutra in a practical way. It delves into finding the magic of the phenomenal world through faith and has special teachings on the ultimate way to take refuge.