Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Yongey Mingur Rinpoche, born in Nepal in 1975, is the author of the acclaimed books The Joy of Living and Joyful Wisdom. His teachings integrate the practical and philosophical disciplines of Tibetan training with the scientific and psychological orientations of the West. His enthusiasm for explaining Buddhist philosophy and practices in an accessible style that addresses the needs of the modern world has made him a favorite among a new generation of Tibetan teachers. Mingyur Rinpoche is the youngest son of celebrated Tibetan meditation master and author Tulku Urgyen. He began his formal monastic studies at the age of eleven and two years later entered his first three-year retreat.

Helen Tworkov

Helen Tworkov is the founder of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review and author of Zen in America: Five Teachers and the Search for an American Buddhism. Having first encountered Buddhism in Japan and Nepal during the 1960s, she has studied in both the Zen and Tibetan traditions.She began studying with Mingyur Rinpoche in 2006.

Matthieu Ricard

Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk who had a promising career in cellular genetics before leaving France to study Buddhism in the Himalayas thirty-seven years ago. He is a best-selling author, translator, and photographer, and an active participant in current scientific research on the effects of meditation on the brain. His many books include Why Meditate?, Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill, and The Quantum and the Lotus. He lives in Nepal and dedicates much of his time to humanitarian projects in the Himalayas through his nonprofit organization Karuna-Shechen (www.karuna-shechen.com). For more information, visit www.matthieuricard.org.

"A lively, helpful, and inspiring guide to the teachings on the foundations of the Vajrayana path." —Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, author of Rebel Buddha

"The foundational teachings of ngondro form the very basis of Vajrayana Buddhist studies and practice. Here is a masterful presentation of these timeless teachings by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, with his characteristic brilliance, mastery of the Buddhadharma, and superior understanding of the contemporary world. It is a must-read for all who aspire to undertake the quintessential practice of ngondro preliminaries." —Mindrolling Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche

"Mingyur Rinpoche embodies the fruits of deep contemplative practice. A gifted teacher, he shares with us here his teachings on preliminary practices for beginning the spiritual path he guides. And, as we have come to love, Rinpoche does so with his rare combination of wit, accomplishment, and wisdom." —Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence