A Lifetime of Wisdom: Essential Writings By and About the Dalai Lama

by Clint Willis (Editor)

Overview

Readers who want to appreciate and understand the scope and depth of the Dalai Lama's wisdom must currently select from a variety of books. Now, A Lifetime of Wisdom brings together those writings that, taken together, constitute an essential account of the Dalai Lama's teaching legacy. A thoughtful, inspirational, and beautifully designed and packaged collection of the most essential writings by the Dalai Lama, A Lifetime of Wisdom includes accounts of the Dalai Lama's early days as a child plucked from obscurity to rule over Tibet, his struggles with the Chinese who invaded his country, and his tireless efforts on behalf of human rights and world peace. Readers will come away with a comprehensive sense of the Dalai Lama's fundamental themes, from personal happiness to world peace.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781569245736
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	06/19/2002
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Clint Willis has published more than forty books, including anthologies on topics such as adventure, politics, relgion, and war. His work has appeared in hundreds of publications, including Men's Journal, Outside, and the New York Times. His work has also been nominated for the American Society of Magazine Editors' National Magazine Award.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	ix
	from Freedom in Exile	1
	Inside Out: The Dalai Lama Interviewed by Spalding Gray	19
	from Kindness, Clarity, and Insight	35
	from Awakening the Mind, Lightening the Heart	55
	Meditations on the Ways of Impermanence	87
	from Stages of Meditation	93
	from The Joy of Living and Dying in Peace	105
	from Four Essential Buddhist Commentaries	125
	from My Land and My People	157
	from Seven Years in Tibet	175
	from Buddha Heart, Buddha Mind: Living the Four Noble Truths	201
	from A Flash of Lighning in the Dark of Night: A guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life	211
	from My Land and My People	241
	from Violence and Compassion	269
	from In Exile from the Land of Snows	289
	Over Tea with the Dalai Lama	303
	from Ethics for the New Millennium	323
	A Biographical Sketch of the Fourteen Dalai Lamas	329
	Acknowledgments	343
	Permissions	344
	Bibliography	347
	About the Editor	349

Editorial Reviews

In this anthology, Willis (Why Meditate?) draws from 17 diverse sources to illuminate the multifaceted life of the 14th Dalai Lama. Both those who follow the Tibetan spiritual leader closely and those who are merely interested in seeing what prompts the global attention can benefit from this artful array of autobiography, biography, conversation, spiritual commentary and essays. Some of the most touching passages are found in the excerpts from the Dalai Lama' s My Land and My People, such as this autobiographical memory of the most momentous [day] Lhasa had ever seen.... Everything was fresh and gay with spring: the spears of the new green grass, the delicate buds on the poplar and willow trees, the lotus leaves in the lake thrusting up to the surface and unfolding to the sun all was green.... That was the last brief moment of peace of mind I was to know. The very next moment, Lhasa erupted with thousands of Tibetans in revolt against the Chinese presence. Commentary, such as that found in an excerpt from Stages of Meditation, rests comfortably alongside more popular pieces such as an essay by Heinrich Harrer, whose time teaching the Dalai Lama was chronicled in Seven Years in Tibet. There are also interviews with His Holiness by actor/performance artist Spalding Gray and travel writer Pico Iyer. In Buddhist terms, this choice book is a comprehensive vehicle. (Aug.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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