Traditional Tibet held a unique spirituality, one with a depth and power far beyond anything most modern people have experienced. At the same time, its spirituality was often obscured under a heavy overlay of Tibetan cultural assumptions, beliefs, attitudes, and practices. Sometimes, many of us think that the cultural trappings somehow are the essence of Tibetan Buddhism. Then we end up trying to force ourselves into a rigid and alien cultural mold, leading to all kinds of emotional, psychological, and spiritual problems. According to Reginald Ray, the spirituality of Tibet in its most basic and integral form is quite real; but it is not about Tibet, Buddhism, or even religion. It is about how to discover, engage, and realize our deepest and most complete humanity.

Perhaps the most precious teaching Tibet has to offer us in the modern world is the practice of meditation. Ray presents the core and essence of this tradition through the somatic practice of Pure Awareness—a unique kind of meditation that is thoroughly grounded in the body and in ordinary experience. This fundamentally transformative practice offers the possibility of enlightenment in this present life and invites us into the immensely powerful journey that Tibetan tantric spirituality has to offer.

286 pages. Paperback.