abhidharma, the Buddhist system of psychology.

The chapters of this book follow the stages of spiritual work as I see and have experienced them. This is, fundamentally, the journey from the outermost layers of our consciousness, through the obstructions, into our innermost core. Chapter 1 encourages us to accept our flawed human nature and to honor our spiritual longing. Chapter 2 reinforces ou

“small mind.” It can also be described as sem. In Tibetan there are several words for mind, but two that are particularly helpful to know are sem and rikpa. Sem is what we experience as discursive thoughts, a stream of chatter that’s always reinforcing an image of ourselves. Rikpa literally means “intelligence” or “brightness.” Behind all the plann