If you ask Tibetan Buddhists what sacred pilgrimages they hope to make, Samye will be one of them. In the eighth century A.D., Samye was where Buddhism first flourished in Tibet under the guidance of the great Indian Tantric master, Padmasambhava. It is the site of the first monastery in Tibet, built in the form of a three-dimensional mandala-a universal map pointing the pilgrim's way to spiritual enlightenment. The first generations of Tibetan monks were ordained at Samye. Academics from all over Asia came to Samye, transforming this spiritual hub into a translation academy unparalleled in history. As you turn the pages of this book-filled with accounts of the early years of Tibetan Buddhism and interlaced with photographs of the Tibetans who still populate its sacred environs-you are invited to explore the vast potential of your own spiritual path, wherever that may lead you.
