From the main practice manual studied by the lay yogi-practitioner lineages of Tibet, now in English for the first time, this volume presents the foundational stages of the Buddhist path according to the Nyingma, or Ancient, tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Ch ying Tobden Dorje (1787-1848), a Buddhist yogi of far-eastern Tibet, composed a multivolume masterwork that traces the path of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism from beginning to end and that is still cherished as a main source of instruction by the Ngakpa, or non-monastic practice lineages. This first volume--one of six--offers a comprehensive, in-depth view of the foundations of the Buddhist path. Written by a lay practitioner for laypeople, it is intended to be accessible, informative, and above all, practical.