The essence of the teachings of the Buddha, is practice. The reason we practice meditation is to attain happiness. This means happiness in both the short term and the long term. The short-term benefits of meditation are more than merely peace of mind, because our physical health as well depends to a great extent upon our state of mind. The ultimate or long-term benefit of the practice of meditation is becoming free of all suffering, which means no longer being compelled to experience the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death. In this remarkable teaching Thrangu Rinpoche presents all the important aspects of Buddhist meditation in general and from the Vajrayana perspective in particular. In it are covered motivation, posture, mental technique, consciousness and wisdom, as well as generation and completion stages and Mahamudra. "What meditation uncovers or reveals is the inherent lucidity that is what your mind is, fundamentally, and this lucidity is your basic intelligence. As it is revealed, and as it intensifies, your wisdom, in a practical sense, increases." This was originally published by Shenpen Osel.