External peace is impossible without inner peace. As long as hatred dwells in the human mind, real peace is impossible. We can only solve our problems through truly peaceful means – not just peaceful words, but actions based on a peaceful mind and heart. This is the way we will come to live in a better world.
-- From How to Be Compassionate
In this inspiring work, the Dalai Lama offers meditations for creating healthier, enduring relationships, while sharing personal anecdotes from his experiences as a student, a mediator and a political figure that illustrate the important role compassion has played in his own life.
HOW TO BE COMPASSIONATE shows how caring for others can be a profound source of happiness on an individual level, which then extends outwards to a wider circle. The Dalai Lama describes basic mistakes that lead to anger, jealousy and fear, and provides the solutions for these problems. Along the way, he shows how he has applied these ideas to turn adversity into something positive:
My life has not been an altogether happy one; I have had to pass through many difficult times, including losing my country to Chinese Communist invaders, and trying to re-establish our culture in countries outside Tibet. Yet, I regard these difficult periods as among the most important times in my life. Through them, I have gained many new experiences and learned many new ideas.
Topics discussed in HOW TO BE COMPASSIONATE include:
* Recognizing the Source of Happiness
There are different levels of happiness. Physical happiness is often related to material things, whereas mental happiness stems from inner or spiritual development.
* Anger does not Protect Us
Anger cannot be overcome by anger. If a person shows anger to you, and you show anger in return, the result is a disaster.
* Learning that Tough Circumstances can be Valuable
Without adversaries, you could not fully engage in the practice of patience – tolerance and forbearance. We need enemies to strengthen our practice, and from this spiritual viewpoint we can even be grateful to them.
* Cherishing Others as a Way to Happiness
Be wisely selfish. Wise people serve others sincerely, putting the needs of others above their own.
* We are our Own Troublemakers
Lust and hatred stem from an exaggerated notion of ourselves as being independent entities, when in fact we depend on many variables, past and present. And once we put too much confidence in a solidly existing, palpable, overly concrete “I,” we open the door to discrimination. Once there is “I” there is also “you.”
* The Conflict Between Appearances and Reality
Sources of pain, such as overeating, sometimes first appear to be sources of pleasure, but in the end, they are not. They actually bring us trouble. Although we want happiness, in our ignorance we do not know how to achieve it; although we do not want pain, we misunderstand its workings, so we end up contributing to its causes.
* Compassion is Based in Equality
If love and compassion thrive alongside the clear recognition of the importance and rights of others, they will reach even those who would do you harm.
* Compassion is the Basis of Human Rights
It is natural and valid to have a feeling of “I,” and it follows from the feeling that we want to find happiness and avoid suffering. This is our right, and it does not need further justification. All other sentient beings also wish to be free of suffering, so if you have the right to overcome suffering, then other sentient beings naturally have the same right.
In this time of ever-increasing global conflict, the wisdom of the Dalai Lama speaks compellingly not only to his loyal followers and readers, but to legions of non-Buddhists seeking guidance and comfort. Rich with examples, anecdotes, and the reflective wisdom of the Dalai Lama that has inspired countless people around the world, HOW TO BE COMPASSIONATE: A HANDBOOK FOR CREATING INNER PEACE AND A HAPPIER WORLD illustrates that we can only solve our problems through truly peaceful means – not just peaceful words, but actions stemming from a peaceful mind and heart. HOW TO BE COMPASSIONATE can be a first step: “If you keep practicing with great determination, then year by year, your mind will gradually change; it will improve. This perspective will serve as a solid foundation for developing all-encompassing compassion.” HOW TO BE COMPASSIONATE leaves readers optimistic about the prospects for our own lives, our communities and the entire planet, as it makes beautifully clear that the power for positive change resides in us all.
About the Authors
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born in 1935 to a peasant family in northeastern Tibet and was recognized at the age of two as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. The world’s foremost Buddhist leader, he travels extensively, speaking eloquently in favor of ecumenical understanding, kindness and compassion, respect for the environment, and, above all, world peace.
Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D, served for a decade as the interpreter for the Dalai Lama. A Buddhist scholar and the author of more than forty books and translations, he is emeritus professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia, where he founded the largest academic program of Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the West.
HOW TO BE COMPASSIONATE:
A HANDBOOK FOR CREATING INNER PEACE AND A HAPPIER WORLD
By His Holiness, the Dalai Lama
Translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D
Atria Books
March 1, 2011
Price: $20.00
ISBN: 9781451623901
Also available in eBook/ 9781451623925
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