When it first appeared in 1986, Mahamudra: The Moonlight—Quintessence of Mind and Meditation was the first presentation in English of a major Tibetan Buddhist work on meditation. This classic guide was composed in the sixteenth century by an eminent lama of the Kagyu school and is so comprehensive and practical that it is still widely used today as a manual. Divided into two major sections, it presents first the common approach and then the mahamudra approach to tranquility (shamatha) and insight (vipashyana) meditation.

Praise & Reviews "This updated edition of an English translation of a great classic for mastering mind and meditation comes recommended by the Dalai Lama. Mahamudra is a profound meditative discipline that is most accessible for modern practitioners, and this book presents first the common approach, and then the Mahamudra approach to tranquility and insight. A fundamentally valuable addition to one’s Dharma library."—Mandala

Tashi Namgyal, Author Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (1511–87), a lineage holder of the Drukpa Kagyü school of Tibetan Buddhism who also trained in the Sakya school, was renowned as both a scholar and meditator. During his later years he served as chief abbot of Daklha Gampo in southern Tibet. Lobsang P. Lhalungpa, Translator Lobsang P. Lhalungpa (1926- ) was born in Lhasa, Tibet. From 1940 until 1952, he was a monk-official in the service of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and of the Tibetan government. Designated by His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa to translate Mahamudra, he is also the translator of The Life of Milarepa and the author of Tibet: The Sacred Realm. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.