In the West, Tibetan Buddhism has an exotic, even glamorous image - there are books about secret teachings, and films about mysterious lamas. But if Western Buddhists are to learn anything of real value, they must look beyond the merely exotic. The English author of this book has spent many years in contact with Tibetan lamas of all schools within the context of a wide experience of the Buddhist tradition as a whole. The book provides a down-to-earth account of the origin and history of Buddhism in Tibet, and explains the essentials of the tradition.