The work presented here-MO: Tibetan Divination System-should be seen against the entire backdrop of Tibetan culture. The Mo should not be seen as a spuri­ ous religious practice, unconnected with the profound teachings of the Buddha which underlie the life of the Tibetan people.

Since the Buddhas are endowed with knowledge of the cause and effect of all conditions as well as in­ sight into their ultimate reality, the use of Mo could prove beneficial if combined with unwavering faith in and one-pointed concentration upon the Buddhas. Mo is thus one of the ways in which unenlightened beings may rely upon the Buddhas to help overcome predica­ments in their everyday lives. There are two primary functions of the Mo. First of all, it is a sy stem that allows us to help ourselves to see a situation or event clearly. Secondly, if we use it for others with the proper motivation of performing a self­ less act of giving-as has been extensively done by many of the great teachers of Tibet-it is a system that enhances our practice of the Bodhisattva's path. There is also a secondary function of the Mo. The central, most profound teaching of the Buddha is Pratitya Samutpada, which may be translated as interdependent origination or co-dependent arising.