In Praise of Great Compassion (The Library of Wisdom and Compassion. Volume: 5) - Hardcover

His Holiness The Dalai Lama; Thubten Chodron

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1614296820 ISBN 13: 9781614296829

Publisher: Wisdom Publications,U.S., 2020

Synopsis

The fifth volume of the Dalai Lama's definitive Library of Wisdom and Compassion series, which has sold nearly 15,000 copies to date.

In Praise of Great Compassion, the fifth volume of the Library of Wisdom and Compassion, continues the Dalai Lama's teachings on the path to awakening. While previous volumes focused on our present situation and taking responsibility for creating the causes for the happiness we seek, this volume is about opening our hearts to others and generating the compassion, joy, and fortitude to make our lives meaningful by benefiting them.

We are embedded in a universe with other beings, all of whom have been kind to us in one way or another. More than any other time in human history, we depend on one another to stay alive and flourish. We are sometimes oblivious to their kindness, or take it for granted, which leads to feelings of discontent. But when we look closely, it becomes apparent that we have been the recipient of great kindness and naturally we want to repay it.

To do this, we begin by cultivating a positive attitude toward others by contemplating the four immeasurables--immeasurable love, compassion, empathic joy, and equanimity--and the altruistic intention of bodhicitta. We learn to challenge the deluded logic of the self-centered attitude that leads to misery and replace it with a more realistic perspective that helps us to remain balanced when we experience either happiness or suffering. This enables us to make all circumstances favorable to the path to awakening.

About this title

About the Author

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born in 1935 in rural eastern Tibet and as a toddler was recognized as the reincarnation of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Groomed to be a Buddhist scholar monk and the leader of his people, his life changed dramatically when his homeland was occupied by Chinese Communist forces in the 1950s. Fleeing to India with thousands of his fellow Tibetans, he helped reestablish cultural institutions in exile and went on to become an inspiration and force for peace worldwide for his unyielding commitment to nonviolence, dialogue, and universal ethics. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, he is the now in his eighties and continues to travel and teach extensively.

Thubten Chodron has been a Buddhist nun since 1977. A graduate of UCLA, she is the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey in Washington State. She is a popular speaker and author of numerous books, including Buddhism for Beginners.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wisdom Publications,U.S.
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1614296820
• ISBN 13: 9781614296829
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 400