A unique commentary on the preliminary practices of Vajrayana Buddhism, from a beloved Nyingma master.A Chariot to Freedom presents the preliminary practices that form the foundation of the Vajrayana Buddhist path. In order to receive the proper empowerments and instructions from a qualified master, one must first make specific preparations, which in most traditions consist of a five-stage process of purifying the mind. Supported by the writings of the greatest teachers of the past and passages from Buddhist classical literature, Shechen Gyaltsap Gyurmé Pema Namgyal (1871-1926) explains in depth the five practices of taking refuge, arousing bodhichitta, Vajrasattva purification, mandala offering, and Guru Yoga.Drawing from the original words of the Buddha in the sutras and from the later treatises of masters such as Nagarjuna, Shantideva, and Guru Padmasambhava, Shechen Gyaltsap's commentary reads like a carefully selected anthology of Buddhist teachings that reveal the preliminary practices of Vajrayana Buddhism. Shechen Gyaltsap explains why each practice is beneficial and provides profound and eminently useful guidance for practitioners, while simultaneously transmitting the wisdom of generations of Buddhist masters.