The Meaning of Life: From a Buddhist Perspective

By Dalai Lama XIV

Book Overview

Using the traditional Buddhist allegorical image of the Wheel of Life and the teaching of the twelve links of dependent origination, the Dalai Lama deftly illustrates how our existence, though... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0861710967
• ISBN13: 9780861710966
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Wisdom Pubns
• Length: 111 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.3" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

EVERYTHING TO GAIN....from PEACE

If I could interview ANYONE living or dead it would be the Dalai Lama. A man who answers all of mans eternal questions of the purpose of living and the focus of life. Follow his teachings and find your own destiny and peace in your spirit.

Wonderful book very accessible and easy to follow

This is a must read from His Holinest the 14th Dalai Lama. He explains the Buddhist principle of dependent arising in a very down to earth method. He is the master at taking a very deep theroretical Buddhist subject and breaking it down and showing how it applies to our everyday life. Taken from a series of teachings His Holiness gave in 1984 in London, the book is a lightly edited transcription by Jeffrey Hopkins, who was the translator for His Holiness at these lectures truly makes this a must read if you want to understand the Twelve Links of Dependent Arising.

A Complex Text, But Nevertheless Valuable

While I can sympathize with "a reader" on the fact that this book is in some instances somewhat esoteric, it is nonetheless a helpful text. The Dalai Lama has plenty of books out there that are less dense, I would suggest "An Open Heart" or "How To practice" for anyone who has problems absorbing the contents of this particular work. I will also make the point that Tibetan Buddhism is not ALL of Buddhism, and if you have trouble identifying with it I would suggest searching for other traditions you may more easily identify with. I practice Zen, but I can say also that I find a lot of value in the Dalai Lama's words in pretty much everything I`ve to date read by him. He's a magnificent spiritual mentor and friend to us all.The Meaning of Life is a comprehensive, yet likewise somewhat confusing, glimpse into the amazing philosophical thought of Tenzin Gyatso. He deals a lot with the idea of metaphysics here and it's true, if you are not somewhat familiar with some basic Buddhist concepts, you may have a difficult time taking much in the realm of that which is beneficial from this book. He uses the Wheel of Life as a centerpiece for all that stems off in form of philosophy in this work, explaining how humans are often trapped by their own selfish thinking and desires. That part is hopefully not very hard for any of us to understand. It's sort of like 3 + 3 = 6. Simple math. I myself having practiced Korean Zen for quite some years now must admit, however, that I cannot fully grasp everything that is written here. But it nevertheless is an engaging work that one goes back to reading over and over again gaining new and fresh insights. So if you're a novice, yeah I might agree this is not the best of books as far as an introduction. But it's a great book to have hanging around to spiritually grow. So I recommend this book to everyone, but am aware that it's probably been designed for those more accustomed to this line of thought. Great book, though. I hope you enjoy it.

Nonviolence, Wisdom, and Compassion

As with the other books of the Dalai Lama I have read, this book combines difficult and obscure teachings with the simplicity of the everyday. The book consists of the text of a lecture series the Dalai Lama gave in London in 1984, before he received the Nobel Prize. The title of the book together with its subtitle "Buddhist perspectives on cause and effect" give some idea of its breadth.The first two lectures in the book, together with Professor Jeffery Hopkins's introduction discuss the fundamental Buddhist doctrine of Dependent Origination. The discussion is based upon an exposition of a famous Tibetan painting of the Wheel of Existence which is beautifully reproduced, in whole and in a number of details following page 40. Turn to the painting before beginning to read the book and refer to it while reading both Hopkins and the Dalai Lama.The Doctrine of Dependent Origination teaches the both the impernanence and interrelationship of things we take in our everyday lives as substantial. It talks about the pervasive effect of ignorance and its immediate consequences, lust and hatred, in poisoning our lives and attitudes. It offers an antidote twoards breaking the wheel of selfishness in the doctrine of non-self.If this sounds obscure, it is. In a famous Sutra in the Pali canon, the Buddha rebukes his disciple Ananda when Ananda thinks he understands the teaching. The Dalai Lama presents the doctrine not as a dispositive treatment, which can't be done, but to stimulate reflection and meditation by the reader. Following the discussion of Dependent Origination, there are almost equally difficult discussions of the Buddhist doctrine of Karma (causality and intentionality) and discussions of specifically Tibetan Tantric practices.Interlaced with the specifically Buddhist doctrinal discussions are discussions of the goal of the doctrines which the Dalai Lama describes (page 34) as "to tame one's mental continuum-- to become nonviolent." This in turn is divided into two levels: altruism, or helping others, and, perhaps more broadly, doing no harm. According to the Dalai Lama (page 35) "The chief quality of a buddha is great compassion; this is why it is appropriate to take refuge in a buddha." As always with the Dalai Lama, his goal is to teach and not to convert. He seems somewhat skeptical in this book with the rush of Westerners to adopt Tibetan Buddhism which, he points out, is a form of Buddhism adopted to the specific culture of Tibet rather than to Western culture. Although Tibetan Buddhism does not recognize a creator God, he urges those people comfortable with their own religions to adhere to them as proper sources of spiritual realization and inner peace. For those unable to adopt any religion, (those committed to Western secularism) he urges reflection and self-understanding as a means to end suffering.Similarly, the Dalai Lama emphasizes that the Buddha taught different people in different ways depending on their background and their readine

Infused his text with the intelligence, wit, & kindness

Ably translated into English by Jeffrey Hopkins, The Meaning Of Life: Buddhist Perspectives On Cause And Effect was written by His Holiness, The Dali Lama for people seeking to develop a deeper understanding of Buddhist perspectives on existential questions of meaning, purpose, and responsibility. Basing his commentary on the Buddha's teachings of dependent arising, The Dali Lama reveals how every aspect of our suffering (unhappiness, pain, old age, death) is ultimately rooted in our misunderstanding of our own true nature. The Dali Lama infuses his text with the intelligence, wit, kindness and compassion he is so well known for within the Buddhist community world wide.