This lucid overview of the Buddhist path takes the perspective of the three "vehicles" of Tibetan Buddhism: the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. While... these vehicles are usually presented as a historical development, they are here equated with the attitudes that individuals bring to their Buddhist practice. Basic to them all, however, is the need to understand our own immediate condition. The primary tool for achieving this is meditation, and The Essence of Buddhism serves as a handbook for the various meditative approaches of Buddhist practice. Beginning with the Four Noble Truths, Traleg Rinpoche incorporates the expansive vision of the bodhisattva path and the transformative vision of Tantra. The final chapters present the transcendent view of Mahamudra. This view dispenses with all dualistic fixations and directly realizes the natural freedom of the mind itself. Along the way, the author provides vivid definitions of fundamental concepts such as compassion, emptiness, and Buddha-nature, and answers common questions: Why does Buddhism teach that there is "no self"? Are Buddhist teachings pessimistic? Does Buddhism encourage social passivity? What is the role of sex in Buddhist Tantra? Why is it said that "samsara is nirvana"? Does it take countless lifetimes to attain enlightenment, or can it be achieved in a moment?

One of the most influental political science works written in the post World War II era, the original edition of Essence of Decision is a unique and... fascinating examination of the pivotal event of the cold Cold War. Not simply revised, but completely re-written, the Second Edition of this classic text is a fresh reinterpretation of the theories and events surrounding the Cuban Missle Crisis, incorporating all new information from the Kennedy tapes and recently declassified Soviet files. Essence of Decision Second Edition, is a vivid look at decision-making under pressure and is the only single volume work that attempts to answer the enduring question: how should citizens understand the actions of their government?

The Prentice Hall Essence of Computing Series provides a concise, practical and uniform introduction to the core components of an undergraduate computer... science degree. Acknowledging recent changes within Higher Education, this approach uses a variety of pedagogical tools-case studies, worked examples and self-test questions to underpin the student's learning. The essence of Discrete Mathematics provides under one cover all the essential topics covered in a first course on discrete mathematics. Following an introductory chapter, which explains to the reader how to use the book, there follows chapters on sets and logic. In these chapters every effort has been made to give the reader clear instructions on how to 'calculate' values for mathematical expressions for small finite sets. Since it is best to use examples familiar to the reader, sets of numbers are used extensively. Nevertheless it is important for the reader to examine non-numerical examples, and so a case study is introduced at the end of the chapter on sets and then subsequently used throughout the remainder of the book. Once these basic skills have been mastered, the reader progresses on to relations and functions. These are first introduced as intuitive notions before explaining how they can be modelled using sets. There follows a chapter showing how the ideas of modelling with sets and logic can be applied to more practical problems. Finally there is a brief concluding chapter which invites readers to continue their mathematical growth: The Essence of Discrete Mathematics is meant to be the beginning and not the end.

For more than 2,000 years, the Heart Sutra has been of central importance to millions of Buddhists. Whether memorized, chanted, or studied, this sacred... text is often looked to for inspiration. Based on talks the Dalai Lama gave in the spring of 2001, Essence of the Heart Sutra is a masterful translation of the Dalai Lama's teachings and reflections on the Heart Sutra, teachings that provide fresh insights on a mainstay of Buddhist practice. In addition to providing the words of the Dalai Lama, this book also brings together an overview of Buddhism, background material, and complete commentaries to elucidate the teachings and place them in their proper context. These bonus materials make Essence of the Heart Sutra a book that can be valued by beginners as well as one that provides seasoned Buddhists with many delightful new facts and ideas. A deeply profound and powerful book, Essence of the Heart Sutra provides precious thoughts on how to appreciate life's endeavor.

Designed for artists with a mid- to advanced understanding of 3-D character creation, Essence: The Face teaches the skills of a professional character... modeling team encompassing reference photography, modeling, UV mapping, texturing, and rendering to create a digital double that would be at home in a next-gen game or HD movie.