The Compassionate Life - Softcover

The Dalai Lama

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0861713788 ISBN 13: 9780861713783

Publisher: Wisdom Publications, 2001

Synopsis

"The key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion." --His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Giving and receiving affection is the key to happiness, and compassion is the key that opens our hearts to affection. Illuminating themes touched upon in The Good Heart and The Art of Happiness, this generous and gentle book contains some of the most beloved teachings on compassion that the Dalai Lama has ever offered. Touching and transformative, The Compassionate Life is a personal invitation from one of the world's most gifted teachers to live a life of happiness, joy, and true prosperity.

Collected here for the first time are four of the Dalai Lama's most accessible and inspiring teachings on compassion. The purpose of life is to be happy, His Holiness reminds us. To be happy, we should devote ourselves to developing our own peace of mind; the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own peace of mind. Therefore, we must develop compassion for others in order to be truly happy.

In these four teachings--imbued with the gentle humor and extraordinary kindness of this incomparable teacher--His Holiness explores altruism and the need for compassion on an individual as well as a global scale. He offers specific practices for developing loving-kindness and compassion in even the most difficult situations.

About this title

Review:

This collection of writings hones in on the Dalai Lama's most fundamental belief: that the purpose of life is to be happy. And one of the main ways to be happy is to practice love and compassion. According to the Dalai Lama, it's that simple. Well, maybe it's a bit more complicated. But this world-renowned spiritual leader does have a knack for making any and all Buddhist teachings feel completely easy and accessible. He is also a living, breathing example of how happiness can be found in any circumstance. As he points out: "In my lifetime I have lost my country and have been reduced to being totally dependent on the goodwill of others. I have also lost my mother, and most of my tutors and lamas have passed away." Even so, this exiled Buddhist monk states that he is almost always happy. How does he do it? By overcoming anger and hatred (a big piece of work) and looking at the world through the wide-angle lens of compassion and love for others. When your scope is that wide and your heart is truly open, he assures us that happiness will always follow.

The editors at Wisdom Publications have done an excellent job in organizing the Dalai's teachings. We begin with a motivational discussion about cultivating love and compassion then move onto specific techniques for doing so. (Yes, it does require constant awareness and daily practice.) Further along, the Dalai Lama integrates compassionate living with lessons on "The Bodhisattva Way" and "The Eight Verses for Training the Mind" (which delve into handling negative emotions and recognizing the illusion of reality). Beginners will delight in this excellent primer. And Buddhist old-timers will appreciate the more advanced teachings toward the back of the book. And almost everyone knows that the Dalai Lama is worth reading and re-reading on any given day. --Gail Hudson

About the Author:

Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. Born in northeastern Tibet in 1935, he was as a toddler recognized as the incarnation of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and brought to Tibet's capital, Lhasa. In 1950, Mao Zedong's Communist forces made their first incursions into eastern Tibet, shortly after which the young Dalai Lama assumed the political leadership of his country. In 1959, Chinese forces occupied the city, forcing His Holiness to escape to India. There he set up the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala, working to secure the welfare of the more than 100,000 Tibetan exiles and prevent the destruction of Tibetan culture. In his capacity as a spiritual and political leader, he has traveled to more than sixty-two countries on six continents and met with presidents, popes, and leading scientists to foster dialogue and create a better world. In recognition of his tireless work for the nonviolent liberation of Tibet, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. In 2012, he relinquished political authority in his exile government and turned it over to democratically elected representatives. He is the author of numerous books, including The Good Heart, The Meaning of Life, The World of Tibetan Buddhism, and The Compassionate Life.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wisdom Publications
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0861713788
• ISBN 13: 9780861713783
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128