Not for Happiness A Guide to the So-Called Preliminary Practices

Tibetan Buddhism is full of spiritual and cultural traditions, but which of them simply belong to a certain place and time and which are necessary for the twenty-first-century practitioner? This book thoroughly breaks down the commitments and necessities for Vajrayana practice in modern society before going into a step-by-step look at the most common Vajrayana practice known as "Ngondro." It also covers such topics as: What is dharma good for? Spiritual warm-up Why do we need a guru? Practice in daily life Most commentaries on this topic were written for a different time and place, and follow a very specific and traditional structure that can be alienating and hard to relate to for a Western practitioner. Not for Happiness,while no less profound, was written with a Western audience in mind and speaks directly to the modern Buddhist. The material is fresh, interesting, and even humorous, managing to be both informative and entertaining while maintaining its traditional authenticity.

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse (Khyentse Norbu) is a Tibetan Buddhist Lima who travels and teaches internationally and is also an award-winning filmmaker. He is the abbot of several monasteries in Asia and the spiritual director of meditation centres in Vancouver, San Francisco, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Taipei. He is also head of the Buddhist organization Siddhartha's Intent.