Book Description
Like the two wings of a bird, love and insight work cooperatively to bring about enlightenment, says a fundamental Buddhist teaching. According to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we each possess the ability to achieve happiness and a meaningful life, but the key to realizing that goal is self-knowledge. In How to See Yourself As You Really Are, the world's foremost Buddhist leader and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize shows readers how to recognize and dispel misguided notions of self and embrace the world from a more realistic -- and loving -- perspective.
Step-by-step exercises help readers shatter their false assumptions and ideas and see the world as it actually exists. By directing our attention to the false veneer that so bedazzles our senses and our thoughts, His Holiness sets the stage for discovering the reality behind appearances. But getting past one's misconceptions is only a prelude to right action, and the book's final section describes how to harness the power of meditative concentration to the service of love, and vice versa, so that true altruistic enlightenment is attained.
Enlivened by personal anecdotes and intimate accounts of the Dalai Lama's own life experiences, How to See Yourself As You Really Are is an inspirational and empowering guide to achieving self-awareness that can be read and enjoyed by spiritual seekers of all faiths.
Customer Reviews:
The emperor wears no robe.......2007-06-23
I've got news for the "Buddhist" community: "His Holiness" the Dalai Lama is just another human being. I find it highly contradictory that adherents to a spiritual practice such as Buddhism, which claims to be non-theistic, regards a fellow human being as an exalted high holy incarnation of a deity to be referred to unquestionably as a fundamentalist Christian theocrat would refer to "God" or Jesus Christ in public discourse. The crass zen saying "if you meet the Buddha kill him" means that the divine does not exist outside of you...
That being said, our fellow human being "the Dalai Lama" has not really said anything original with regard to Buddhist practice. Quotes attributed to him are on the lines of "kindness is good, if you pursue kindness you'll be happy," etc. This is not to say he doesn't have anything good to say (though I highly suspect much of what he has "authored" is ghost-written), it's just that in terms of talking about meditation and mindfulness, etc. to Westerners he's no where near someone like Charlotte Joko Beck or Alan Watts.
The path to enlightenment.......2007-04-08
I believe the Dalai Lama is the closest thing we have to a Buddha on earth. His writing is full of grace and enlightenment. In this book he takes on the difficult task of explaining the true condition of a human being-impermanent conditional consciousness. This topic is very difficult to explain by putting it into words. The Dalai Lama does a great job and then follows up with many exercises. Here is how I would summarize this books teachings:
We are not our body, nor even our mind. if we were we could not say my mind or my body. Then what are we? We are "like" and illusion existing through our 5 aggregates, body, thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and consciousness. No "I" can be located. The closest we can come is understanding that we are consciousness observing the present moment, all else is thought and mental formation. Who we think we really are is just a mental formation we hold in our mind of our beliefs about ourselves our religion, height, weight, name, etc. Enlightenment is simply understanding this and the nature of reality.
I hope I did some justice to this books topic, but I highly recommend reading this book to move farther down the road to enlightenment.
Detachment as a way to authenticity.......2007-03-17
Emotions distort reality of self and others. Buddhism is a practice and a religion that offers a way out of illusion (Mara). The Dalai Lama brings forth his own wisdom as a world soul teacher immersed in Tibetan Buddhism. A wonderful guide on getting out of your own way.
Number One Pick.......2007-03-03
I have over 100 books on buddhism and meditation and if I had to pick my favorite this is it. To me it contains everything an aspiring buddha needs to know and practice.Especially good if you don't have access to a teacher or a spiritual center.
Stunning!.......2007-03-01
Only someone with such a profound insight and deep understanding over a subject as complex as emptiness is, can expound it as clear, easy going, way as His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama... This is a wonderful book guiding the reader step by step into a precise methodology to discriminate between the way things appear to our senses and the way they actually exist... Inspiring, clarifying, amazing!!!
A book that can be enojoyed at so many levels!!!
Amazon.com
As proposed by Kiyoshi Suzaki, a "mini-company" is a new kind of internal structure within a larger business, managed like an individual but interconnected corporation and designed for both personal and organizational advancement. Suzaki, a worldwide manufacturing consultant and author of several previous books, fully defines the concept in Results from the Heart and shows how it can have positive impacts on employees and ultimately contribute to their success and their company's. The purpose, as he sees it, is to "go beyond just doing our work routinely. We need a fresh and lively new paradigm to continuously find purpose in what we do." This is achieved with his model, Suzaki argues, because it allows workers on all levels to make meaningful contributions in the areas over which they have responsibility. He explains how those in any department can create and operate one of these entities, from developing its mission and orchestrating its implementation to summarizing its progress and acknowledging its contributions. The idea may not appeal to everyone, but Suzaki contends it has already proven effective and he provides enough detail here for anyone interested in giving it a try. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Results from the Heart introduces a new and helpful approach to improving job performance, improving job satisfaction, and helping organizations better respond to the rapid changes that are an inherent part of today's business environment. Mr. Suzaki recognizes that a motivated and engaged workforce should be part of any strategy to obtain and maintain competitive advantage.
--Carl Stern, CEO,
The Boston Consulting Group
Since the publication of Frederick Taylor's The Principles of Scientific Management, managers have relied on logic to compel action. Now Kiyoshi Suzaki, one of the world's leading experts on enlarging the talents, self-esteem, and growth of the individual employee, argues that logic alone cannot move people to act. Productivity problems are inextricably linked to self-esteem, he argues, and worst of all to a prodigious waste of individual talent. But each solution is personal, Suzaki concludes, and found only within ourselves.
"To find meaning and purpose at work we must use our brain," Suzaki says, "but listen to our heart." In Zenlike fashion he proposes that each of us ask ourselves a series of questions to determine the degree to which our brain is engaged with our heart. The framework around which this selfquestioning takes place is a groundbreaking concept that Suzaki calls "the mini-company." The author demonstrates how, within the larger workplace, each job is endowed with an almost spiritual meaning when each person -- at every level -- becomes president of his or her own area of responsibility. With simple diagrams, Suzaki shows how your boss becomes your banker or venture capitalist and your peers become your immediate suppliers or customers. The results are nothing short of astonishing. In Results from the Heart, Suzaki describes thousands of mini-companies he has "founded" during his worldwide consulting assignments. In most cases in which unhappy employees had previously "followed instructions like robots," there have been spectacular increases in both morale and productivity. If it is true that work is a journey, this manifesto for a more humane definition of the way we work is the roadmap.
Customer Reviews:
Total Productive Maintenance Small Groups Taken to the Next Level.......2007-05-21
I was exposed to Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) throughout the late nineties, therefore the concept of small groups (inherent to the way TPM works) was familiar to me. In "Results from the Heart", Kiyoshi Suzaki, an author of many titles on the famous Japanese manufacturing framework, introduces the concept of Mini-Companies as an extension of the concept of Small Groups.
The tools and components he presents for the internal functioning of Mini-Companies and their interaction with other Mini-Companies across the organization give new life to the concept. This is the true value of the book.
As for the connection of the TPM concepts to finding meaning and purpose at work, the book seems a bit of a stretch, barely touching on the topic. If you really want to read about this, I recommend you try Z.B.A.: Zen of Business Administration - How Zen Practice Can Transform Your Work And Your Life.
Dalai Lama's foreword .......2004-10-24
Taken from the Dalai Lama's foreword:
"I believe we have both the ability and the means to solve our problems and improve our world. Perhaps, the most important factors that inhibit us are short-sightedness, narrow-mindedness, and selfishness. Yet, to look after yourself is not wrong. Without a strong sense of self, we cannot develop self-confidence, determination, and will power.
But we must be careful, for there is also a narrow minded selfishness that can lead to self-destruction. To counter that we have to realize that in reality our own interest is closely linked to the interests of others and the benefit, happiness, and interests of others are our own."
The idea of mini-company is as simple as that! But there may be a deep gap between spirituality and business... I wonder.
Book Description
This is a must have book for admirers of the Dalai Lama and is an ideal gift.
Customer Reviews:
Simple Path / Graduate Level Book.......2003-12-23
(3.75 Stars)
The cover of the book is so warm and inviting. His Holiness The Dalai Lama smiling at you with mouth and eyes. Every time I look at it I smile. I'm tempted to cut the cover off and frame it...
The book discusses in great detail the 4 Noble Truths.
It's difficult to write a review on books regarding Buddhism. Everyone's experience will be different and everyone's understanding will be different and I don't want to discourage anyone from exploring The Path...
For myself I found this book difficult to follow. Someone else may take to it better and find it an easier to understand (I ain't the sharpest knife in the drawer)
I felt like a freshmen walking in late to a lecture and the audience and class this was for was all graduate students. I felt like I missed the beginning of the talk and that the level of content was for more advanced students.
I do not recommend this to a newcomer to Buddhism, again I found the "level" to be more advanced, but that's your call and like I said you may take to it better than I did and hey - it's your path.
I did get things out of the book and did learn some things. I felt incredibly honored to be reading the words of HH The Dalai Lama and that's what kept me reading.
The photographs are absolutely beautiful! - and again - I love the cover!
A wonderful introduction.......2001-06-18
Although this book doesnt get into anything complex, it is a wonderful book for people new to Buddhism. Full of great pictures, and easy to read text, it introduces basics of Buddhism. It may favor with more Tibetan Buddhist information, but it does include other schools of Buddhism. Highly recommend
Simply beautiful.......2001-03-08
thorsons have done us a great service with the publication of this book. HH the dalai Lama gave a lecture on the 4 noble truths in england, and instead of merely publishing the text[good enough in and of itself},Thorsons has interspersed scores of color pictures of some of the finest photographs available,throughout the volume. Heavy bonded glossy photograhic paper is used,highlighting this amazing volume. The typeset is bold and clear,the pictures are breathtaking!Monasteries, monks praying, pilgrims outside the ptola palace,children playing...absolutely stunning photgraphs, perfectly compliment the text of His Holiness.And at this price?!?! What an exquisite book, and what a bargain. Absolutely magnificent! Highest recommendation.
A gorgeous volume with luscious photographs.......2000-10-27
I must confess, I picked up this book because it was just so lovely! It is nicely bound, on superb high quality glossy paper, with stunning photographs of Tibet. Everything about it just makes you want to cradle, or worship, it.
Then there's the text. They took a lecture that H. H. the Dalai Lama gave on the 4 Noble Truths and cut it (thank heavens) and put it in the book. The result is weird. The extremely philosophical treatise makes an odd accompaniment to scenes of Tibet. On the one hand, you're reading about how all the world is suffering and we are ignorant louts for getting so caught up in this illusion, and then we glance at the photograph (every pair of pages has one, so you're always looking at something wonderful). I thought, "Gee, if I'm not supposed to care about the world, or I'm not supposed to delight in its pleasures and glories, then what is all this color and visual drama? Illusion?" Thus, the book highlights in an unwitting way one of the paradoxes of Buddhism... we try to disentangle ourselves from the grosser life of merely sensate pleasure but we can and should still love the world. Who says Christianity has a corner on the market of paradox?!
Still, there are some real textual gems and pearls scattered in the pages, and it is quick reading because of all the pictures. Occasionally you'll have to slog through a passage on Tibetan cosmology and physics, which sounds pretty medieval, but then you come across a glorious section that makes your heart sing.
It's a fun ride!
Amazon.com
This collection of quotes from Pope John Paul II is a testimonial to his love and respect for the children of the world. Each page offers a stirring, inspirational message that speaks to important Catholic themes in childhood, such as "Family," "School," "Prayer," "Suffering," "Peace," and "My First Communion." Alongside each quote there is an exquisite color photograph of a child or group of children that embodies the theme.
Under the opening heading "Greeting," Pope John Paul offered these words in an address to a crowd of 10,000 children at Vatican City: "The Pope wishes well to everyone, but he has a preference for the youngest, because they had a special place in the heart of Christ, who wished to remain with the children and to talk with the young. He addressed his call to the young especially, and John, the youngest apostle, was his favorite." What child would not feel honored and captivated by such a respectful invitation? This is an excellent gift book for Catholic children, who will certainly beam with pride, prayer, and purpose upon reading this loving tribute. --Gail Hudson
Customer Reviews:
Short, Sweet, but Profound.......2005-05-02
Beautifully written for ease of reading (easier words, short sentences, concise points). Gorgeous messages of God's love for all children and simple ways in which children can live good lives. Pictures are full pages, very colorful, and evoke children of all cultures and races. A great bedtime book, and an absolute keepsake - worth every penny.
A Message of Hope and Peace for Our Youth.......2001-10-18
This book is one of hope and inspiration for all children of the world. It consists of passages taken directly from speeches given by Pope John Paul the II to children and youth groups around the world. The book is geared toward elementary school children of the Catholic faith, but the words will speak to any heart. Each page has a heading, such as "Peace," "Love," "Family," "Faith," and an excerpt from one of the Pope's speeches. There is also an accompanying photo of young children (often depicted with the Pope himself or in the midst of typical religious activities). This is a book that is meant to be read aloud to your child and shared together, as you talk about the meaning of the words within. I find "For the Children" to be especially apt today, in light of the unfortunate tragedies that have befallen our nation and world. One of my favorite passages states: "I say to you, with all the love I have for you,...do not listen to voices which speak the language of hatred, revenge, retaliation....Love life, respect life in yourself and others...do not think that courage and strength are proved by killing and destruction...true courage lies in working for peace." The book also talks about the unconditional love that God has for everyone, about hope for the future, and about praying for peace and harmony in our world. Pope John Paul II is a very wise man, one of the biggest peacemakers of our time. I have a lot of respect for him as a person.I would encourage any parent to buy this book to share with their family and share the message of love and peace found therein.
Words of wisdom for our younger ones.......2001-01-07
This book has excerts of Pope John Paul II's speeches which have been directed to Catholic children. These words of our Pope, however, have significance even to those over the age of 10. I highly recommend this book for First Communicants and for all other Catholic children, because had I had this book when I was younger, I would probably not have fallen into as many traps as I did.
A Wonderful Book!.......2000-05-09
As a second grade religion teacher, this book is one of the most inspiring gifts you can give to your child! It is an ideal gift for a First Comminion, or to children preparing for First Communion next year. It's also a great gift for anyone working with chilren preparing for the sacraments. While first and second graders will need some help with the bigger words, this is a book to be read and shared with your child. The Pope's words speak volumes for both children and adults. I also purchased a copy for the pastor at my church, who used portions of the book in his homily at my parish's First Communion Mass. My favorite section is the Pope's recollection of his own Holy Communion day.
Beatiful, inspiring.......2000-05-04
This is a beautiful book. It contains photographs of children from all over the world with the Pope along with the text from his writings and speeches about children, including his letters to children. Very thoughtfully put together, easy to read. It makes a wonderful gift for children as well as adults who work or live with children - a wonderful reminder of what a precious gift children are in our lives!
Book Description
Discover your personal path to bliss
"This book will give anyone interested in the spectrum of core meditative practices stemming from the Buddhist tradition but in essence universal the deepest of perspectives on what is possible for us as human beings as well as excellent guidance in the essential, time-tested attitudes and practices for actualizing our innate capacity for wisdom, compassion, and well-being, right here and right now."
—Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Coming to Our Senses and Full Catastrophe Living
"In Genuine Happiness, Alan Wallace displays his rare talent in boiling down the complex to the clear and in guiding readers through a practical path to contentment. A gift for all moods and seasons."
—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
"This lucid and rich book offers brillant, wise, and accessible teachings on the essentials of four core meditation techniques that lead one to genuine joy and happiness. Alan Wallace's years of practice and teaching shine through every page, as with ease and great humanity, he brings to the reader the possibility of liberation."
—Joan Halifax Roshi, abbot of Upaya Zen Center
"Genuine Happiness is a treasure chest of wisdom: clear, inspiring teaching jewels. It is an excellent support for any student of meditation."
—Sharon Salzberg, author of Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience
In today's overstimulated world, many are realizing that happiness gained through material wealth and frivolous conquests is short-lived. To achieve long-term happiness, you must access your own bountiful resources—housed in your heart and mind. In Genuine Happiness, longtime Buddhist practitioner Alan Wallace shows you the path to bliss.
Drawing on more than three decades of study under His Holiness the Dalai Lama and sixty other teachers, as well as 2,500 years of Buddhist tradition, Alan Wallace guides you step by step through five simple yet powerful meditations to help you focus your mind and open your heart to true happiness. Featuring a Foreword by the Dalai Lama, this book will help you discover that it is possible to experience genuine happiness every day.
As you incorporate the meditations from Genuine Happiness into your life, you will discover that the joy you've sought has always been only a few meditative minutes away.
Customer Reviews:
more practice guide than academic discussion.......2007-01-22
I own several of Alan Wallace's books. I like them all. He presents information from a Western perspective, which I find easier to understand. Here there are specific meditation techniques presented in detail. You are encouraged to practice for a while at each stage using the suggested exercises before continuing on in the book. This book serves as a nice checklist for a complete Buddhist meditation practice, including meditative quiescence (Shamatha), (Buddhist) wisdom meditation, dream yoga and more.
Alan Wallace's other book, "The Attention Revolution: Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind" would be more appropriate if your interest is specifically in meditative quiescence (mind training).
Not a Manual for Contentment, but a Path to Self-esteem.......2007-01-07
I read the first three chapters of "Genuine Happiness" as the textbook for a class in Tibetan meditation at a Buddhist monastery in Atlanta: a valuable supplement to techniques to quiet the `monkey mind' of frenzied western consumers.
But the book, like Tibetan Buddhist meditation itself, is not about a technique for relaxation, nor merely an escape from frantic behavior. It is a path to an awareness of the necessity for ethical behavior: a prerequisite for true happiness. And, ethical conduct is based not only on clarity of thought but also an awareness of what service to other sentient beings entails.
As an entry to guided mediation, the book is helpful. (Although, mastering new concepts without the aid of an experienced teacher is worse than learning new software without at least a User's Guide.) Life is rarely "intuitive"... No meditation book can function as a self-contained manual.
The profound value of this book is its gentle synthesis of the rational views of western science with eastern visions of esoteric reality that surpass a biological understanding of consciousness. The last few chapters define levels of enlightenment that exceed what most of us can attain - levels of mastery that transcend western explanations of conscious control of our physical reality. These forms of enlightenment redefine the "Happiness" of the book's title.
If you are interested in a genuine path to happiness through service to others (with more self-awareness than one gets from the Boy Scout's oath), this book will be a wonderful companion for your journey.
Accessible Meditations, Enhances Meditation Practice.......2006-02-02
One of my meditation leaders recommends this book and uses similar meditations in small groups. The book goes into more detail than the small group has time to do. But, I found the meditations easy to read and comprehend. This book has extended my meditation practice with both breadth and depth.
A Supreme Guide to Meditation and Contentment.......2005-10-13
This is one of the most concise books I've ever read on meditation and Buddhism's method for leading a virtuous and happy life. This is the one book that brought together everything that I had previously read in other books on Buddhism and meditation. With so many approaches to meditation, it's a relief to find an experienced practitioner who eloquently maps out the elements of Buddhist meditation in relationship to the balanced development of both wisdom and compassion. In particular, I found it very helpful the way the author divides the practice of 'samatha' or tranquility meditation and 'vipassana' techniques or insight meditation. The explanation of the Four Immeasurables (kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity) and how they balance our practice that's useful to others as well as ourselves was also invaluable. The writing is condensed and to the point with many jewels of wisdom. I found myself underlining almost every other sentence. If you're looking for a clear outline for meditation practice and how to apply it to your daily practice on an off the meditation cushion, this is a great book to read, study, and put into practice.
Amazon.com
In a modern society characterized by insensitivity to violence, ambivalence to the suffering of others, and a high-octane profit motive, is talk of ethics anything more than a temporary salve for our collective conscience? The Dalai Lama thinks so. In his Ethics for the New Millennium, the exiled leader of the Tibetan people shows how the basic concerns of all people--happiness based in contentment, appeasement of suffering, forging meaningful relationships--can act as the foundation for a universal ethics.
His medicine isn't always easy to swallow, however, for it demands of the reader more than memorizing precepts or positing hypothetical dilemmas. The Nobel Peace laureate invites us to recognize certain basic facts of existence, such as the interdependence of all things, and from these to recalibrate our hearts and minds, to approach all of our actions in their light. Nothing short of an inner revolution will do. Basic work is required in nurturing our innate tendencies to compassion, tolerance, and generosity. And at the same time, "we need to think, think, think ... like a scientist," reasoning out the best ways to act from a principle of universal responsibility. Like a merging of the care and compassion of Jesus, the cool rationality of the Stoics, the moral program of Ben Franklin, and the psychology of William James, Ethics for the New Millennium is a plea for basic goodness, a blueprint for world peace. --Brian Bruya
Book Description
Only during a time when we have so little faith in one another, so little confidence in the willingness of others to do what is right, can a strong voice emerge to dispel disillusionment and show us hope. It takes a person of great courage, such as the Dalai Lama, to face these times and say there is hope.
There is an argument to be made for basic human goodness. The number of people who spend their lives being violent or dishonest is tiny compared with the number of people -- the vast majority we don't hear about -- who would wish others only well. According to the Dalai Lama, our survival has depended and will depend on our basic goodness. "Much more effective and important than legislation is our regard for one another's feelings at a simple human level...Here, I refer to the capacity we all have to empathize with one another...to arrive at the inability to bear the sight of another's suffering." The Dalai Lama presents an ethical system that not only is based on common sense and reason, as opposed to religious dogma or punitive legislation, but has as its goal ultimate happiness for every individual.
The Dalai Lama demonstrates that human beings are better than we think we are, and that a society and a life that cultivate love and compassion are completely within our reach. If enough people operate from the understanding of their "original purity," a global revolution of peace will ensue.
Customer Reviews:
Simple, practical, nonreligious guide to ethics.......2007-04-10
Ethics for the New Millennium is explicitly a nonreligious work, though it does present several key ideas that come out of Buddhist philosophical tradition. The goal, as stated in the preface, is to present an approach to ethics based on "universal" rather than religious principles. Presumably, these are principles that persons of diverse religious and nonreligious backgrounds would agree upon. Despite the title, this is not a technical or heavily philosophical work. Much of the book has a common-sense, anecdotal quality to it. While I enjoyed the stories of the Dalai Lama's personal experiences and his unique sense of humor, I must say that some of the cases he makes would be greatly strengthened if he presented some statistical data or findings from modern sociology, psychology and science. The Dalai Lama confesses that his own knowledge of modern (Western) secular thought is still limited, so much of his teachings probably reflect the Buddhist philosophy in which he has trained. Throughout the book, he introduces us to a number of Tibetan terms which do not have simple English equivalents. Several of the key notions presented in the book will probably be unfamiliar to the average Western reader. Of course, this is part of the attraction of the book.
To explain his motivation, the Dalai Lama begins by making the personal observation that, while the poor living in less developed countries with traditional cultures may be suffering physically, they often seem to be happier than those with greater material wealth living in more developed countries. His Holiness is careful not to romanticize "old ways of life" and he does not advocate primitivism or rejection of science and technology as a solution to the world's problems, but rather a "spiritual revolution." By this he means the adoption of the emotional disciplines and alternative worldview laid out in this book as a means of addressing disharmony in modern life. He says "My call for a spiritual revolution is thus not a call for a religious revolution. Nor is it a reference to a way of life that is somehow otherworldly, still less to something magical or mysterious. Rather, it is a call for a radical reorientation away from our habitual preoccupation with self" (p23). The Dalai Lama does a remarkable job of presenting this ethical system in simple language.
Christian readers may interested in the brief allusion to the "Fruits of the Spirit" (pp 22-23) which are discussed in a non-religious context. His Holiness acknowledges an admiration for Christian teachings developed in part through his friendship with a Cistercian monk some time ago. Even more interesting might be the chapter entitled "Ethics and Suffering" for those who wonder how persons with a non-theistic viewpoint cope with suffering and loss. An important clarification of the notion of karma is given as well. It is one of the best chapters in my opinion, though too short.
This is a very tolerant and pluralistic work with regard to religion. Polemics against religiously motivated bigotry, violence, and dogma seem to be entirely absent. The final chapter "The Role of Religion" is very insightful, but adroitly steers clear of controversy. The Dalai Lama acknowledges that people can lead happy ethical lives without recourse to religion, but is concerned that, with the rise of science and secularism worldwide, there may also be a rise in moral relativism. This book is intended to provide an alternative. My favorite quote: "These may seem unusual statements, coming as they do from a religious figure. I am, however, Tibetan before I am Dalai Lama, and I am human before I am Tibetan."
The more philosophical part of the book, entitled "The Nature of Reality", introduces the idea of dependent origination. This sort of organismic, interconnected view of the universe may require several readings to grasp, but leads naturally to the doctrine of "no self." This is the clearest and simplest explanation of this doctrine I have found so far.
The recurring theme of the book is this: our happiness depends upon the happiness of others. Here is another interesting quote: "As we have seen, given the complex nature of reality, it is very difficult to say that a particular act or type of act is right or wrong in itself. Ethical conduct is thus not something we engage in because it is somehow right in itself. We do so because we recognize that just as I desire to be happy and to avoid suffering so do all others." Afflictive emotions (anger, greed, hatred, pride, etc.) destroy our ability to make rational decisions, so we should practice restraint. Emotional responses can be shaped by worldview, and practice. The same is true for cultivating virtues. Anxiety and stress are often a result of lack of perspective. This is a very practical book that offers guidelines for changing how we react and how we feel.
I am a little concerned, however, with some statements made about science throughout the book, though these are not by any means central issues. The Dalai Lama tends to refer to "radical materialism" when talking about science from time to time, and I find this an unfortunate choice of words given the common connotations of the words "radical" and "materialism." Philosophical naturalism would have been better. He also says "my concern is rather that we are apt to overlook the limitations of science. In replacing religion as the final source of knowledge in popular estimation, science begins to look a bit like another religion itself" (p 11). It is not clear, just what, if anything, His Holiness suggests should be the final source of knowledge. The book is not heavily philosophical and so does not discuss epistemology (theories of knowledge). A recurring theme is the important role of practice and discipline; so perhaps in this sense, knowledge alone is insufficient to create the kind of disposition advocated in the book.
Little is said about economics, but readers may well wonder if the compassion and altruism advocated here are compatible with the workings of free-market economy which is based on competition. His Holiness again admits that his knowledge of economics is limited (p195), but he suggests "the relationship between empathy and profit is necessarily fragile. Still, I do not see why it should not be possible to have constructive competition. The key factor is the motivation of those engaged in it. ... But when competition is conducted with a spirit of generosity and good intention, the outcome, although it must entail a degree of suffering for those who lose, will at least not be too harmful." It is not pure altruism, of course, that he is suggesting, but rather a form of enlightened self interest (p127).
On the whole, this is a positive, feel-good book that I enjoyed reading, with lots of practical suggestions for ethical living that are phased in clear, simple language. It forms an interesting contrast with other more confrontational bestsellers I've read recently that also seek to create change.
Said the Buddhist to the hot dog vendor, "Make me one with everything!" .......2006-08-15
Very few religious leaders speak deeply about ethics in a manner that allows people to think deeply as a result. Too many religious leaders are authoritarian in their edicts about morality or lax because gaining converts and their money is foremost on their minds. (Yeah, I'm a little cynical.)
In this book, Ethics for the New Millennium, HH the Dalai Lama is the answer to the overly authoritarian and the insipidly lax. In it, he answers the question that lazy, greedy, or selfish people inevitably ask: Why should I live an ethical life? To them, living ethically implies being taken advantage of by the less ethical. They're wrong. Living ethically leads to being happy. You don't, however, have to be stupid to live ethically.
This book is divided into three major sections:
1. The Foundation of Ethics - in which the Dalai Lama describes how we are all dependent on each other, from our dependency on our parents when we were children to the interconnectedness of the global society. He concludes by discussing the most important emotion that we can express: compassion. Compassion and ethical action leads to happiness.
2. Ethics and the Individual - in which the Dalai Lama discusses how people can increase their compassion and thus their happiness in life. He says that to increase compassion, we should restrain those factors that inhibit compassion, and these factors are the source of unethical conduct. Also, to increase compassion, we should encourage love, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, humility, and so on. Sounds good to me.
3. Ethics and Society - in which the Dalai Lama makes the natural extension of living an ethical life as an individual and lays out routes to help change the world. Because every act has a universal dimension, because all things are interconnected, ethical discipline, wholesome conduct, and careful discernment will lead to a better world.
I'm not a Pollyanna. I don't believe that the whole world will be better if I act ethically, but I know that I feel better when I follow the teachings of the Dalai Lama, and I like the effects on my family. I don't let people take advantage of me financially or personally, but that is a matter of respecting oneself. Extending the hand of compassion, however, makes one a better human being, and that makes you happy.
I'm putting this book back on my nightstand to read a little of, every night.
TK Kenyon
RABID, coming in 2007 from Kunati Books
A moral masterpiece!.......2006-06-24
This is an absolute wonder, and may be the most important book I have ever shoplifted.
He knows what he's talking about...take notes and learn.......2006-05-30
The Dalai Lama considers the state of the world in relation to ethics with a fine-toothed comb. (I am currently borrowing "Ethics for the New Millennium" as an abridged audiobook from my local library. This is a tape I will repeatedly listen to until its due date...) The Dalai Lama is such a sweetheart! I love how he perceives the world, suggests solutions and alternatives to global and ethical dilemnas, and remains optimistic about the future. He believes that we are a people who want to be happy while avoiding suffering. He acknowleges that we do have a dark side that we must keep in check and subdue; but to counter this dark side, the Dalai Lama believes that people are mostly gentle by nature and can return to that natural state with discipline and guidance. We deviate from our better nature when we try to find happiness the wrong way or in the wrong things, and thereby only feel transitory illusions of happiness that may cause harm to others. As a pop song claims, "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look in the mirror and then make a change...I'm looking at the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways...etc." The Dalai Lama is definitely in favor of the need for personal growth and an inner revolution for everyone.
The Dalai Lama doesn't go on at length about idealizing this planet or how great it is. He says it is where we live, and therefore, we must take good care of it and encourage global stewardship. The actions of one country will impact the whole world (think about jet streams and imported and exported food). We literally are in this world together; think about what that means. I love how he disparages concepts of Group Identity and other separatists ideas. Black, white, whatever, we all have feelings, and our common ground and goals far outweigh any cultural differences or bitterness over history's mistakes. Also, no one's self-worth or sense of identity should be forged at the expense of another person or ethnic group.
Like Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People," this is a must-read for every person on the planet. We can agree with the Dalai Lama theoretically, but we must go the extra mile to learn how to apply these ethics (that promote happiness and prevent or curb suffering). (I'm preaching to the choir when I say that I need to learn how to better transform these principles from theory into practice, especially when it comes to managing my emotions and curtailing my feelings of anger and disappointment.) Even in small ways, we can make things better for each other and ourselves. I love when the Dalai Lama observes that when we are promoting others' happiness, we feel happiness ourselves. He repeatedly stresses how interconnected and interrelated we all are. We depend on each other, we need each other.
I'm so sick of over-the-top pessimism and unrealistic nostalgia for the past. As a Universalist, I believe the best of times are in the future and the worst of times are in the past and the immediate present. I remember a lyric from a U2 song ("Zoo Station"/Achtung Baby) that says, "time is a train, makes the future the past." I love that the Dalai Lama points out many positive trends in today's society. He's pleased-as-punch that reconciliation and compassion are buzz words, even in politics and businesses. He also is pleasantly aware that the current global marketplace is very dependent on international cooperation. On a related note, I love when I buy chocolate, tea, and coffee that is not only organic, but is fair-trade certified. No one needs to be exploited for the greed of shareholders. Profit is okay if it is accrued ethically, meaning no sweatshops, no needless, man-made hell imposed on innocents (read "Fast Food Nation" to learn about the consequences of unethical business practices. Like the Dalai Lama, the author of "Fast Food Nation" points out how we are only nickle and diming ourselves to do it the wrong way; with redirection in energy and ethics, we can do it the right way without unnecessarily harming employees or the environment).
To wrap up, please read this book or listen to it as an audiobook. The Dalai Lama knows what he's talking about...take notes and learn.
A Simple and Comprehensive Study on Ethics.......2006-04-30
There are few books that I've read that have captured my interest so much as to inspire me to read them twice. This is one of those books. It is not a book about Buddhism. It is not a book about religion. Yet I am confident that most people will find the core values of their faith in these pages. "Ethics" is a book about morality. It teaches the reader how we benefit individually from living our lives in an ethical manner as well as how society as a whole benefits. And it describes how society suffers, and we suffer, when our actions are immoral and self-serving.
The Dalai Lama starts off his book, appropriately, by discussing the foundation of ethics. What is the foundation of ethical behavior? On what basis do we judge an act to be ethical? And how does our lack of ethical behavior not only affect the happiness of others but our own happiness as well? I feel that any discussion of ethics must address these questions, and the Dalai Lama provides sound answers. He then follows this first section with several chapters devoted to ethics for the individual, specifically addressing virtue, compassion, and restraint. The discussion continues with a discussion of ethics and suffering, and finally a chapter on ethical discipline. In the last section, the Dalai Lama addresses ethics and society, covering such topics as universal responsibility, peace and disarmament, and the role of religion in modern society.
In the beginning of his book, the Dalai Lama calls for a spiritual revolution. He then goes on to describe what he feels each of us must do, individually, to bring about such a revolution on a global scale. And it all boils down to ethical behavior at an individual level. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the study of morality and how it affects each of us and the world as a whole.
Book Description
A favorite of Tibetansâand of the Dalai Lama himselfâ The Words of My Perfect Teacher is a practical guide to the spiritual practices common to all Tibetan Buddhist traditions. It is the classic commentary on the preliminary practices of Longchen Nyingthig, a cycle of teachings of the Nyingmapa school. Patrul Rinpoche makes his subject accessible through a wealth of stories, quotations, and references to everyday life, giving the text all the life and atmosphere of a compelling oral teaching. This second, revised edition (of the book originally published by HarperSanFrancisco in 1994) is the result of a detailed and painstaking comparison of the original Tibetan text with the English translation by the Padmakara Translation Group. The new edition also includes translations of a postface to the text written a century ago for the first printed Tibetan edition by the first Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, and a new preface by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
Customer Reviews:
Marvelous!.......2007-02-19
Right to the heart of the matter. Words of my Perfect Teacher is a spiritual friend.
A handbook to being a Buddhist........2007-01-12
This text is wonderfully written, concise manual on how to be a Buddhist. Written for the layperson and illustrated with fabulous examples. If you have read the Lamrim this book will strengthen your foundation of Buddhism.
You have to get no other books at all.......2006-07-12
If someones fatigued by endless buddhists-friends-philosophical-discussion want instead rapidly to proceed to Dzogchen (Preliminaries of it) practice, they need only one book and this is it.
This brilliant guidance word by word was written by one realized Master of Longchen Nyingthig lineage from the Oral Instruction of the other realized Master of Longchen Nyingthig. Then it was translated under control and with vast pile of commentaries of nowdays realized Masters.
Because of this it really lacks nothing.
"Read this book again and again, do everything it says to do.
The day you will know the book by heart and take it into your heart, you will have just to snap your fingers to achive Liberation" my Lama usually says, when I ask him to give me the most pith instructions.
perfect for anyone wanting insight to Tibetan Buddhism.......2006-02-18
Great to teach about Tibetan Buddhism. A great starting point.
Inspiring, and Informative.......2005-09-26
This book is a must read for all Tibetan Buddhists. I am only half way through chapter 2, but from these two chapters I can tell you that Patrul Rinpoche goes into great detail on all topics he covers. Warning: this book is not intended for beginners, it could be overwhelming for the un-initiated. I highly recommend getting the guide to this book, although the word "guide" is a little misleading, it is more of a complimentary book.
For beginners I would recommend: Essence of Buddhism by Traleg Kyabgon
Average customer rating:
- Listening to the Book
- The right answer to unhappiness
- A Light Discussion On Happiness
- A very nice read, but incomplete for most of us
- MUST BUY
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The Art Of Happiness: A Handbook For Living
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Audio
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Amazon.com
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down with the Dalai Lama and really press him about life's persistent questions? Why are so many people unhappy? How can I abjure loneliness? How can we reduce conflict? Is romantic love true love? Why do we suffer? How should we deal with unfairness and anger? How do you handle the death of a loved one? These are the conundrums that psychiatrist Howard Cutler poses to the Dalai Lama during an extended period of interviews in The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living.
At first, the Dalai Lama's answers seem simplistic, like a surface reading of Robert Fulghum: Ask yourself if you really need something; our enemies can be our teachers; compassion brings peace of mind. Cutler pushes: But some people do seem happy with lots of possessions; but "suffering is life" is so pessimistic; but going to extremes provides the zest in life; but what if I don't believe in karma? As the Dalai Lama's responses become more involved, a coherent philosophy takes shape. Cutler then develops the Dalai Lama's answers in the context of scientific studies and cases from his own practice, substantiating and elaborating on what he finds to be a revolutionary psychology. Like any art, the art of happiness requires study and practice--and the talent for it, the Dalai Lama assures us, is in our nature. --Brian Bruya
Book Description
Nearly every time you see him, he's laughing, or at least he's smiling. And he makes everyone else around him feel like smiling. He's the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, the Nobel Prize winner, and increasingly popular speaker and statesman. Why is he so popular? Even after spending just a few minutes in his presence you can't help feeling just a little bit happier.
The Dalai Lama is probably one of the only people in the world who if you ask him if he's happy, even though he's suffered the loss of his country, will give you an unconditional "yes." What's more, he'll tell you that happiness is the purpose of life, and that "the very motion of our life is towards happiness." How to get there has always been the question. He's tried to answer it before, but he's never had the help of a psychiatrist to get the message across in a context we can easily understand.
Through meditations, stories and the meeting of Buddhism and psychology, the Dalai Lama shows us how to defeat day-to-day depression, anxiety, anger, jealousy, or just an ordinary bad mood. He discusses relationships, health, family, work, and spirituality to show us how to ride through life's obstacles on a deep abiding source of inner peace. Based on 2500 years of Buddhist meditations mixed with a healthy dose of common sense, The Art of Happiness is an audiobook that crosses the boundaries of all traditions to help listeners with the difficulties common to all human beings.
Customer Reviews:
Listening to the Book.......2007-10-05
I listened to the audio book, and it was both calming and uplifting, and very inspirational.
The right answer to unhappiness.......2007-09-28
This book is all about the wrong feelings we get when our minds are still focus on the wrong objectives or the bad intention.
This man describe the right way to get away from all those thoughts which keep us into bad mood and drive us through bad decisions.
His solution is far away from religion or any other bad medication. He just explain what is going bad in our mind and how to feel better. And all this has nothing to do with any god.
He is a kind of spiritual guy I trust and his philosophy is the best religion that has never existed.
You will be converted as soon as you start reading this book.
A Light Discussion On Happiness.......2007-08-13
This book is a dialogue between psychiatry (Cutler) and Tibetan Buddhism (Dalai Lama). Despite claiming to be a "handbook" it is not full of 'how-to-do-it' gems. It is more a philosophic exchange on the subject of happiness. As it is written for a western audience some of the metaphysical elements of Buddhism, such as karma and reincarnation, receive only a brief mention. Compassion, however, receives a lengthy treatment, as does living in the moment and dealing with anger. There are a few meditation exercises included.
The book is very readable and maintained my interest all the way through. If I have a criticism it is that the book does not contain enough psychiatry or enough Buddhism. Some how it seems to fall between the two disciplines. It reads like a first contact encounter between East and West, rather than a well developed, deeply contemplated thesis.
A very nice read, but incomplete for most of us.......2007-08-10
I watched the Dalai Lama at one of his dialogues recently. He is a very beautiful man, a master, and a great crowd pleaser. Sadly, I know that for most of us, the inspiration gained in his presence is not enough to carry us through the day to day problems of life, and we may soon forget his comforting words. More than that, there are no practically applicable answers here. Our 'unhappiness' is deeply ingrained through what may be years of dysfunction, and cannot be shifted permanently and effectively by reading a book like this. From the book: '...one sets about gradually eliminating those factors which lead to suffering and cultivating those which lead to happiness. That is the way." Well I am sorry, but I have no clue how to do this! The best book I have found that actually gives you practical solutions is Olga Sheean's Fit for Love: Find Your Self and Your Perfect Mate, which provides powerful answers through our relationships with each other, to properly address these problems.
MUST BUY.......2007-06-19
Completely changed my life for the better. A required reading for everyone.
:)
Average customer rating:
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Buddha: The Living Way
Dalai Lama , and
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0679457844
Release Date: 1998-10-13 |
Amazon.com
In Buddha: The Living Way, photographer deForest W. Trimingham takes you to the Buddhist centers of Asia. As though unrolling a scroll of photographs, you begin with vast landscapes and spires piercing clouds, then gradually move into an array of temple interiors, on to Buddhist sculptures and paintings, a panoply of trumpets and drums and such, and finally to practitioners in full regalia, including Westerners. Pico Iyer's introduction could just be the best 10-page capsule of Buddhism in print. --Brian Bruya
Book Description
"Since Buddhism is a part of daily life for most of its adherents, it is, willy-nilly, entangled in the world, as a lotus grows out of mud," Pico Iyer writes in the essay that accompanies deForest W. Trimingham's remarkable
photographs of the places where Buddhism is practiced today. Trimingham traveled to remote regions of Tibet, where tattered prayer flags hang tangled on crude poles in lonely Himalayan mountain passes, as well as to a Shambhala center in Colorado, where American Buddhists practice Zen archery. He has visited some of the most beautiful places in the world--the temple compound of Pagan in Burma, ninth-century shrines in Java, a meditation garden near Kyoto. His photographs capture the essence of Buddhist life in all its diversity, "in part," Pico Iyer writes, "because they are so inescapably human, even with their lyricism, and in part because so many of them spin like a mandala with all the whirling energies of Buddhist devotion, its reds and golds, its glowing statues, its ornately carved doorways that seem to open onto a world of candles and sutras and scroll paintings teeming with forces both wrathful and benign."
The book was conceived to be read like a Buddhist scroll. But even if the reader starts in the middle or at some completely arbitrary point, he will get a sense of the serene heart of Buddhism--om, the universal hum of all and nothing.
Average customer rating:
- A Simple Monk
- A Beautiful Book!
- Much more than your usual collection of quotes
- Thanks to "a reader from Yellow River" for their review
- Lovely to look at, to hold...well done
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A Simple Monk: Writings on His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Manufacturer: New World Library
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ASIN: 1577311752 |
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
The regal gift anthology A Simple Monk stands apart from the glut of books about the 14th Dalai Lama. Alison Wright's glorious photographs deliver a visual feast of the landscape and people of Tibet, as well as the face of the Dalai Lama--all of which contain an inspiring blend of serenity and joy against a backdrop of political suffering. Like the photography, the six essays educate readers while avoiding hyperbole and guru worship. One of the most compelling contributions comes from the Dalai Lama's mother, Diki Tsering, who speaks of her son with frank authority. Who would have thought that this peaceful monk was once a 1-year-old tyrant? When he toddled upon people quarreling, he'd pick up a stick and "try to beat them," according to his mother. In straightforward prose, she also recounts the many omens and coincidences that pointed to her son being the next Dalai Lama. Other essays include an interview conducted by Spalding Gray, in which the Dalai Lama speaks of his daily meditation practice (from 4 to 8 a.m.), how he overcomes fear of terrorism and flying, and how he resists the allure of bikini-clad women at the swimming pool. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has captured the world's heart with his extraordinary wisdom and humility in the face of China's brutal decades-long occupation of Tibet. This dynamic collection includes impressionistic essays about the Tibetan leader by Diki Tsering, his mother; China scholar and journalist Orville Schell; and travel writer Pico Iyer; as well as an interview with His Holiness by famed monologist Spalding Gray. A stunning visual biography that marries full-color images with insightful essays. A Simple Monk is published in cooperation with New York's Tibet House, which will receive a portion of the proceeds. Award-winning photojournalist Alison Wright, who lived with exiled Tibetans for over a decade, was afforded exceptional access to the government-in-exile for this book.
Customer Reviews:
A Simple Monk.......2006-10-30
A Simple Monk is a collection of essays and interviews that together paint a picture of the life and works of the 14th Dalai Lama. This coffee table book was published as a means of raising funds for Tibet House in New York. The pieces are interesting but sometimes the glowing and over written text contrasts against His Holiness's humility and moniker of "a simple monk."
As it is a coffee table book, every page has at least one full color photograph. They are colorful and beautiful but often times unrelated to the text on the page. They also seem to come out of order. A greater coherence between the text and the illustrations would have helped to paint a richer portrait of the Dalai Lama.
I enjoyed the book but had trouble reading it because of its size. My daughter is a new born and loves to held. The book is too large to read easily one handed so I had to sneak a few pages whenever she was napping.
The two excerpts I enjoyed the most were the interview with the late Spalding Gray and the article on the Dalai Lama's journey to Hollywood. The Spalding Gray interview especially touched me for a number of reasons. First I could feel Gray's sadness; he was clearly looking for some way of easing his inner turmoil. Second I enjoyed the spontaneity of the interview; it felt like the best glimpse of the Dalai Lama as a person. Finally the interview took place in a city I hold dear to my heart as it was the first place I lived as an adult and on my own.
The journey to Hollywood interested me for two reasons. The first is that I majored in film so I understand how the business works and found the meeting of cultures fascinating. I can't say we (Californians) did very well with how we behaved while waiting for the arrival of His Holiness. Second, my husband and I had just recently argued over how the Dalai Lama would act in such a situation and my husband couldn't believe he'd even allow himself to be in a situation like a Hollywood pitch party.
Finally the photographs in the book are beautiful. I wish there were more of them!
A Beautiful Book!.......2002-08-16
This is simply a beautiful book. Early this morning, I gave
it one star and was a bit mean. It didn't get through the submission process. I said words to the effect that the Dali Lama was dictatorial about religious freedom. And that he suppressed religious freedom in 1977 in regards to the Dorje Shugden controversy. I talked to a NKT Buddhist nun this afternoon. And she told me that if you are devoted to the Dali Lama as your teacher, then your practice is pure and you are practicing the dharma fully. This is such a wonderful book. With essays written by different authors. And the pictures are almost breath-taking. The layout of the pages is stunning.
And it just fabulous to read. I know that you will enjoy it. It
is a real gem. And perhaps we should leave politics behind.
Much more than your usual collection of quotes.......2001-12-16
A Simple Monk presents Robert Thurman's gathering of writings on the Dalai Lama, presenting such writings and reflections in a new visual biography which adds full-color images by photojournalist Alison Wright. The result is much more than your usual collection of quotes: a fine, rich gift edition.
Thanks to "a reader from Yellow River" for their review.......2001-12-01
The "a reader from Yellow River" inspired me to order this book and the corresponding video, as a message of compassion and peace, which is what we - and most of all me - needs in our world, at all times and right now.
It's a message that in particular, we as Amercians, after the "events of September 11" - now and in the present - need to hear, listen and LEARN. This review was so thoughtful, comprehensive and detailed that I can't wait to get the book and read it "through and through." The "reader from Yellow River" made the money sound more than worth it, and I'm sure it will be!
"What price peace?"
What price is peace worth? "It's worth it's weight in gold."
The question is, "how do we achieve this?"
I hope the answer (or part of "the answer") can be found in this book. Will let you know what I learn.
Lovely to look at, to hold...well done.......2001-11-30
HH The dalai Lama is a publishing industry unto himself. Nary an unpublished utterance has come forth in recent years,with mostly success. This volume is a tribute to the Dalai Lama,with gorgeous photos by Alison wright. Robert Thruman gives a rather quiet introduction , The Dalai Lama's mother, in an exerpt from her biography tells of how he was discovered,Spalding gray has a wonderful interview with some telling moments{descibing moments of doubt, violent thoughts and lust].Pico Iyer gives, for me, the best article in the book[the God in exile}and, throughout the volume, Alison wrights lovely photographs, of the dalai lama, of pilgrims prostrating themselves in prayer, of buddhist scripture lovingly pictured with some interesting quotes{TOM BROKAW"I LOVE A LIVING GOD WITH A BIG HEART."}and some not so interesting{STEven Seagalon the religious political conection] compliment the essays Over all, a lovely gift beautifully presented, wonderful endpapers and binding. an overall pleasure to read and to own. Similar books are A SIMPLE PATH{Thorsons publishing} and Alison Wrights THE SPIRIT OF TIBET{Snow LIon publications}. Excellent.
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