Yaroslav Komarovski, Tibetan Buddhism and Mystical Experience, Oxford University Press, 2015, pp. 304, $ 35.00, ISBN 9780190244903

This review examines Yaroslav Komarovski’s Tibetan Buddhism and Mystical Experience, focusing on its analysis of mystical experience from within Tibetan Buddhist philosophical and contemplative frameworks. Particular attention is given to the relation between experience and realization, conceptual and non-conceptual cognition, the progressive structure of Buddhist paths, and the direct realization of ultimate reality. The review highlights Komarovski’s critique of general Western theories of mysticism and his emphasis on the conditioning processes that lead to contemplative realization, with particular reference to Tibetan debates involving Shakya Chokden and the Geluk and Sakya traditions.