All religions teach codes of ethical behavior. So too does Buddhism. This books is a translation of an indispensable exposition of the three sets of vows that are central to Tibetan Buddhist codes of discipline - the pratimoksa vows of individual liberation; the vows of the bodhisattva, who selflessly strives for the liberation of all beings; the vows of the esoteric path of tantra.

Here, the late Dudjom Rinpoche provides his authoritative commentary on the role of ethics and morality in Buddhist practice, outlining in detail the meaning and scope of the vows, and giving practical advice on maintaining the vows as supportive tools in the journey toward enlightenment.

Praise & Reviews "This book...fulfills a crucial need for serious students of Buddhism.... At last we have a handbook in English that explains the full code of discipline [pratimoksa, bodhisattva, and tantric vows]...along with an elucidation of...philosophical principles and historical background."—from the preface by Tulku Thondup

Ngari Panchen, Author Dudjom Rinpoche, Author Dudjom Rinpoche (1904-87) was appointed by H.H. the Dalai Lama as the supreme head of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He was an enlightened yogi and meditation master, a discoverer of concealed treasure teachings (a terton) who was inseparable from Guru Rinpoche [Padmasambhava], the most prolific of contemporary Tibetan scholars, and an incarnate lama who had intentionally emanated for the sake of sentient beings for seventeen successive lives.