Jeffrey Hopkins is a scholar-practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. He served as the chief interpreter to the Dalai Lama for a decade. The author of more than 35 books and translations, he is Professor Emeritus of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia, where he founded the largest academic program of Tibetan Buddhism studies in the West.

He is uniquely qualified to provide meditation instruction. In the foreword to this book, His Holiness the Dalai Lama refers to him as "an old personal friend who has been of great help to me as an interpreter."

Hopkins includes stories from his own life to enliven his discussions on cultivating compassion and living from an awareness that all beings desire to be happy and free from suffering. His personal account also makes his meditation instructions clear and relatable. He even includes the Dalai Lama’s favorite meditation.