A text belonging to the same cycle as "The Tibetan Book of the Dead," this instruction on the method of self-liberation presents the essence of Dzogchen, "The Great Perfection," regarded in Tibet as the highest and most esoteric teaching of the Buddha. Teaching the attainment of Buddhahood in a single lifetime, this text was written and concealed by Guru Padmasambhava in the eighth century and rediscovered six centuries later by Karma Lingpa. The commentary by the translator is based on the oral teachings of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche and Lama Tharchin Rinpoche.

This work offers a new translation of the ancient Buddhist text originally composed by Padmasambhava, an Indian spiritual master of the eighth century. Hidden in the mountains of Tibet, the text remained concealed until the 14th century when it was discovered and revealed by Karma Lingpa. A manual of instructions designed to facilitate the inner liberation of the dead or dying person at the moment of death, this new translation of one of the world's greatest spiritual classics includes a detailed introduction by Dzogchen Buddhist master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.