The Heart Sutra contains Buddhism's most direct, most succinct teaching about the true nature of our own being and of all reality. These subtle and easily misunderstood teachings lie at the very heart of all Buddhist wisdom, and a thorough understanding of them is essential for attaining what the Dalai Lama calls "an unmistaken view of reality"-a view that brings about true liberation from the source of all suffering.

Clarifying the meaning of the Buddhist term "emptiness," the Dalai Lama dispels misperceptions that it implies a nihilistic outlook or a philosophical view with no real implications in our lives, skillfully guiding the reader to a clear appreciation of a profound truth. Recently delivered to thousands of eager listeners in Mountain View, California, these teachings unfold through a series of increasingly subtle presentations, carefully building one atop another, in lucid language that will appeal both to readers with a great deal of familiarity with Buddhism and those with none at all.The Essence of the Heart Sutra truly is the definitive presentation of a critical Buddhist teaching-from one of the world's most beloved teachers.

180 pages. Paperback.