Dzogchen Essentials: The Path that Clarifies Confusion by Padmasambhava, Translated by Marcia Binder Schmidt

Both Tibetan Buddhism and Bon consider Dzogchen the natural, primordial state of unconditioned wakefulness. Practiced by both schools of thought, Dzogchen is seen as the most direct path to enlightenment. While there is some source text contained in Dzogchen Essentials, it is primarily a collection of treatises and essays by monks and scholars about their interpretation of the Dzogchen teachings. Regardless of it's lack of source material, Dzogchen Essentials offers the western mind a rare glimpse inside of an ancient school of enlightened beings. If you've never heard of Dzogchen, or have heard of it and find it fascinating, this book will surely leave you in a better place than before you read it.

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying is the classic interpretation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, as examined by reincarnated Master Sogyal Rinpoche from Tibet. Often heralded as the most accessible investigation of the text, the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying's storytelling prose and heartfelt erudition of these ancient teachings deeply elaborates on key Vajrayana Buddhist concepts such as meditation, mindfulness, Phowa practice, and the Guru-Disciple relationship. The heart of the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying focuses on Tibetan Dream Yoga and Phowa practice as a way to incorporate death into our everyday lives in order to obtain ultimate liberation and freedom. Stressing the importance of lineage, adherence to the Eightfold Path, and understanding of the Four-Noble truths, the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying draws on the ancient tradition which brought the Dalai Lama to the Western World in hopes for an end to world-wide suffering.