Walking the spiritual path properly is a very subtle process; it is not something to jump into naively. There are numerous sidetracks which lead to a distorted, ego-centered version of spirituality; we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are developing spiritually when instead we are strengthening our egocentricity through spiritual techniques. This fundamental distortion may be referred to as spiritual materialism. In this modern spiritual classic, the Tibetan meditation master Chögyam Trungpa highlights the commonest pitfall to which every aspirant on the spiritual path falls prey: what he calls spiritual materialism. The universal human tendency, he shows, is to see spirituality as a process of self-improvement – the impulse to develop and refine the ego when the ego is, by nature, essentially empty. "The problem is that ego can convert anything to it's own use," he said, "even spirituality." His incisive, compassionate teachings serve to wake us up from this trick we all play on ourselves, and to offer us a far brighter reality: the true and joyous liberation that inevitably involves letting go of the self rather than working to improve it. It is a message that has resonated with students for nearly thirty years, and remains fresh as ever today. This new edition includes a foreword by Chögyam Trungpa's son and lineage holder, Sakyong Mipham. "The usefulness of the book lies in Trungpa's uncanny ability to cut right to the heart of the matter and present his understanding of Buddhism and the way of life it teaches in a manner that is applicable to his students' living situation -Journal of the American Academy of Religion Chögyam Trungpa (1939-1987) – meditation master, scholar, and artist – was founder and president of Vajradhatu, Naropa University and Shambhala Training. His other books include Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, and Great Eastern Sun: The Wisdom of Shambhala

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