Includes bibliographical references (pages 673-688) and index.

"A unique commentary on the preliminary practices of Vajrayāna Buddhism, from a beloved Nyingma master. A Chariot to Freedom presents the preliminary practices that form the foundation of the Vajrayāna Buddhist path. In order to receive the proper empowerments and instructions from a qualified master, one must first make specific preparations, which in most traditions consists of a five-stage process of purifying the mind. Supported by the writings of the greatest teachers of the past and passages from Buddhist classical literature, Shechen Gyaltsap Gyurmé Pema Namgyal (1871-1926) explains in depth the five practices of taking refuge, arousing bodhichitta, Vajrasattva purification, mandala offering, and Guru Yoga. Drawing from the original words of the Buddha in the sūtras and from the later treatises of masters such as Nāgārjuna, Shāntideva, and Guru Padmasambhava, Shechen Gyaltsap's commentary reads like a carefully selected anthology of Buddhist teachings that reveal the preliminary practices of Vajrayāna Buddhism. Shechen Gyaltsap explains why each practice is beneficial and provides profound and eminently useful guidance for practitioners, while simultaneously transmitting the wisdom of generations of Buddhist masters"--