Professor of Religion Daniel Cozort offers the fruits of his studies with numerous Tibetan lamas in Highest Yoga Tantra, a straightforward discussion of the methods to transform one's body and mind through the highest forms of tantric practice, as applied in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Part One offers an introduction to the practices common to sutra and tantra, Part Two presents the generation stage of Highest Yoga Tantra, Part Three studies the completion stage yogas (physical isolation, verbal isolation, mental isolation, illusory body, clear light, and unison), and Part Four compares the Kalachakra and Guhyasamaja stages of completion. Highest Yoga Tantra offers a clear-minded, no-nonsense scrutiny of the meditation disciplines requisite to advanced practices of Tibetan Buddhism, and is highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about or personally experiencing the highest tantras.

Daniel Cozort studied with Jeffrey Hopkins at the University of Virginia. I believe that this book is an outgrowth of his thesis work there. I have the UVa Press edition and I am very happy to see Snow Lion Press pick this up.

As the previous reviewer mentions, if you have an empowerment, it would make the material here a little more accessible. However, even without one, the metaphorical descriptions like "moonlight on water" will help you get a taste for what Cozort has so faithfully translated.

I believe this is this first time this tantra has been made available to the Western reader. (If the author reads the reviews here, I have been waiting for years now for you to translate more of these jewels.)

Tantra is meant to be lived and, perhaps, "rehearsed", not merely read. Cozort, remarkably, maintains the exoteric/esoteric intent of the original author. For the seeker, it is art, poetry, psychology, drama, and philosophy...more than enough to make you want to know more. For the initiated, it is a reliable roadmap, often urgently needed.

While there are dozens of basic and general books on Tibetan Buddhism, it is great to see something a little more advanced being written for the Western reader. Hope to see much more from this promising author.

(An aside to the previous reviewer: As I know it, Vajrayana uses desire in the path. As such, it may be well-suited to a typically outward Western livestyle. You may not have to adapt the beggar's bowl at all to successfully practice it.)