This book is a commentary on an ancient, well-known Tibetan Buddhist prayer of aspiration that expounds on the Dzogchen path to enlightenment. Addressing such fundamentals as the guru-student relationship, the role of faith in Vajrayana Buddhism, recognizing basic awareness, and the notion of reality that is beyond mental concepts, it is a clear and accessible explication of a complex system of philosophy and meditation techniques that are central to Tibetan Buddhism.

While the author is a traditionally trained master in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, he has won great appreciation in the West for his humor and his familiarity with Western culture. He has lived and taught in Europe and North America for many years; Penetrating Wisdom is based on a series of talks he gave in Germany and the United States