The fascinating and absorbing narrative of the early years of Bodhesako, (born Robert Smith, 1939) an American Buddhist monk who became ordained in the Theravada tradition in India in 1966. He founded Path Press and edited the works of Ñāṇavīra Thera. To a youthful and restless American adult in the 1960's, the expression 'getting off' could mean the euphoric initial effect when taking a hallucinogenic drug. In the realm of public transport, 'getting off' can mean leaving the train, bus etc. at the next exit or whatever. Or someone might desperately cry out 'getting off' to urge other passengers blocking the exit to make way. finally, a situation where one, having become disenchanted with daily life typical of Western societies life driven by an unending quest for sensual fulfillment and pleasure from material goods and entertainment chooses to 'get off' or leave the rat race. In this book, Bodhesako's masterful story of his early years as a Buddhist monk, all of these seemingly unrelated connotations of 'getting off' are present but will not be discerned by one who merely skims through the adventures depicted. These connotations are to be pondered and reflected upon by a reader who travels along with the author not only on the physical terrain of India, Ceylon, and Nepal, but, more importantly, through the mental terrain so honestly and compellingly revealed.