Soon after taking ordination as a Buddhist monk, the English author of this book moved to the town of Kalimpong, on the edge of the Himalayas. He was to live there for 14 years - reflecting, writing and editing Buddhist journals, befriending a number of distinguished Tibetan lamas as they fled across the nearby border, and establishing the world's first inter-denominational Buddhist centre. The 32 essays in the book come from that period, and reveal a man profoundly committed to the inner life, who is not afraid to challenge orthodox attitudes and interpretations in his pursuit of the practical essence of Buddhism.