For 2,500 years, the wisdom of Buddha has offered an estimated one and half billion people a systematic way to see clearly, live wisely, and cultivate inner calm. This simple volume distills the essence of Buddha's teachings, a way of life followed by more than one quarter of the human race. Some of the texts included here were recited and passed down orally for 600 years before finally being committed to writing. They were inscribed on palm leaves in ancient languages or preserved in translations into Chinese and Tibetan. Other texts come not form the historical Buddha but from great Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan bodisattvas, awakened beings who follow and teach in the spirit of Buddhism. Now you can infuse your own actions and thoughts with insight and joy gleaned from Buddhist teachings, writings, meditations, and practices—a respected tradition of instruction that shows us how to nurture calm awareness and live with wisdom and compassion.