on the pathJanuary 12, 2007 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
i think this is a great book for beginers or people who already have a grasp on boddhism, it is writen by the dalai lama. it is writen so that it is easy to understand but also gives great insight to some deaper concepts. i got this to try and learn some better meditations and mantras, but instead i found myself reviewing things, but in a great way, for the first time i truely got some concepts that have been eluding me. and in the end it helped my meditation too. this is a great book, and whatever type you study this is still a great book
must-read for understanding why we exist and the way to get beyond this mere existenceJanuary 11, 2007 excellent book on giving insights into why we exist and the way to get beyond our existence. You'll see the true experience, if you keep practising what Dalai Lama has suggested in the book. It is the essence of Buddhism, a deep and rich methodology beyond worldly matters.
A practical guide to change for the betterSeptember 28, 2006 7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Just like the title, "How to Practice" is a gift to humankind to illuminate the right way to act. The goal of being human is to realize the potential within, which is a permanent state of happiness and peace. To achieve this, the beginner cultivates kindness and harmony for all beings.
The Dalai Lama also describes the methods for training and controlling the mind. There is also a brief description of "The Middle Way", which is the way of renunciation, the real way to escape the Wheel of Samsara or suffering. It is the way to liberation. The Middle Way is not possible without practicing "Deity Yoga", which is mentioned towards the end of the book. "Diety Yoga" or the highest form of tantra, is not for everyone, as the practice is exceeding difficult and demanding on the practitioner.
For those who are interested, the Middle Way, including the highest form of tantra is described in detail in Samael Aun Weor's books.... (see www.gnosticteachings.org)
living with peace of mindApril 27, 2006 5 out of 10 found this review helpful
The Dalai Lama teaches how to make every action part of your spiritual practice and, in doing so, create a meaningful life filled with happiness. He recommends disconnecting the attachment of your happiness from the material circumstances of your life and opening instead to the true source of your happiness which is your inner peace of mind. There is a section on Buddhist Tantra and a discussion of how sexuality can be used in the search for peace and kindness. Dalai Lama means "ocean of wisdom." The fourteenth Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 as the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet. At the age of two, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, he was recognized as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the thirteenth Dalai Lama. In 1950 (the year of the Chinese invasion of Tibet), at age 16, he was called upon to assume full political power and leadership. Since 1960 he has resided in Dharamsala, India, aptly known as "Little Lhasa," the seat of the Tibetan government in exile.
Very good book....a little history, some practical exercises, but at times a little complex for meJanuary 16, 2006 13 out of 15 found this review helpful
I'm not sure if my title suggests that I like it or have reservations.....well, I thought it was a great read.
It has a good bit of history about not only Tibet, the Dalai Lama, but also a fair bit about Buddhism. This is ALL of course critical to understanding from where these ideals came from.
The Dalai Lama is very open, tolerant and in fact positive about people of other religions. In fact, he does in fact seem to be true to his introduction in that the book isn't so much trying to convert you to Buddhism as to convince you why these Buddhist values and practices are valuable to people of all religion. (and the Nihilist as well) He of course presents his arguments from the Buddhist perspective as you would fully expect.
OK, but after all the above glowing about the book, I have to admit that there were several chapters in the final third of the book that I mildly confusing. I think I was confused because many of the unfamilar terms and definitions he creates were getting lost and confused in my head.
I am a Christian, and while most of the low-level values (good and evil) are quite familiar to me.....some of the writings on meditation were quite new to me, yet very educational and interesting. But some of the other concepts....oh, like the definitions of the various types of suffering (suffering of change, pervasive suffering) were difficult for me to remember and ultimately made it difficult to follow some of the writings in those chapters.
I have to admit that this is probably totally my own fault as I had decided to sit down and read the book in a single sitting, and did so without stopping. (and no, I didn't have a gun to my own head, even with the above confusion, I did enjoy it totally...a second reading will probably clear it all up for me)
The end of the book seemed to pull it all together for me, and as I read it it allowed me to mull over all the concepts presented in the prior chapters. I highly recommend you read this book, particularly if you are yourself looking for meaning and more value for your life.
