A non-sectarian guide to the Buddha's essential teachings, this text communicates the sense of Buddhism as a comprehensive whole. Inspired by Lama Mipham's Khenjug (Gateway to Expertise), this carefully researched outline relies closely on traditional works to introduce basic concepts, terminology, and maps of consciousness important for independent study and practice. Includes an extended treatment of meditation and wisdom as interlocking parts of the Buddhist path. An indispensable resource for Western students of the Dharma. Ways of Enlightenment encourages Western students of the Dharma to explore the teachings of the Buddha in their own experience and discover for themselves the way of enlightenment. Eighteen sections include: Awakening to the Four Noble Truths; Discipline, Concentration, Wisdom; Three Traditional Vehicles; Linking Faith and Knowledge; Basic Abhidharma Analyses; Patterns of Mind and Senses; Observing Subject and Object; Interdependent Co-operation; Three Realms of Samsara; The Five Spiritual Faculties; Creative Force of Karma and Emotion; Freedom from Delusion; Steps on the Path of Liberation; Indestructible Awakening. "The way of enlightenment can be traveled with a fraction of the effort required to survive endless suffering in samsara."