Here is my written review of My Spiritual Journey by the Dalai Lama: The complete title of this book is “My Spiritual Journey”. It was written by The Dalai Lama with Sofia Stril-Rever. It was first published in 2009. I have read other works by the Dalai Lama, and I have enjoyed them, so when I saw this book on the shelf, I decided to give it a try. The basic outline of “My Spiritual Journey” concerns the Dalai Lama’s three commitments in life. They are: “My first commitment in life, as a ‘human being’, is the promotion of human values and those qualities of spirit that are key elements in a happy life, whether of an individual, a family, or a community.” “My second commitment in life, as a ‘Buddhist monk’, is the promotion of harmony among the different religions.” “My third commitment in life, as the ‘Dalai Lama’, is the cause of Tibet, which concerns me very particularly.” As a reader, I found myself being much more interested in the first two commitments. The third, between Tibet and China, is very political and is beyond my grasp. Because of the way this book is written, it would be futile for me to try to summarize the Dalai Lama’s thoughts. It will be far more effective for me rather to point out specific quotes. Here, then, are a few of my favorite quotes, from the book: “The Dalai Lama is fourteenth in a lineage of reincarnations that came into being with the first emanation of enlightened compassion, Gendun Drup, in 1391.” “In this book we meet the Dalai Lama at a time when he is reflecting on his next incarnation, for he knows that his present existence is drawing to an end.” “It is certainly not by chance that His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama has adopted a policy called ‘the Middle Way’ toward China, since the Middle Way represents, in Buddhism, the essence of the wisdom that perceives emptiness.” “I came to the conclusion that his words have a pertinence that does not fluctuate with the events of history. His truth possesses the rare quality of constancy.” “...when a doctor lacks empathy and seems unfriendly, impatient, or contemptuous, even if he is very famous, his diagnosis is correct, and he prescribes the most effective remedies, the sick person is still in distress.” “I try to treat every person I meet like an old friend, and that gives me a real sensation of happiness.” “The Dalai Lama has often said that when he left Tibet he left all his wealth behind him, but he carried in his heart the priceless treasure of infinite compassion.” “Anger and hatred are the real enemies that we must confront and defeat, not the ‘enemies’ who appear from time to time in our lives.” “An authentic smile, though, arouses an authentic feeling of freshness, and I think the smile belongs only to human beings. If we want those smiles, we must create the reasons that make them appear.” “As a Buddhist, I accept death as a normal process of life. I accept it as a reality that will occur for as long as I remain in samsara. Knowing that I cannot escape it, I don’t see the point of worrying about it.” “The word ‘bodhisattva’ is easier to understand if the two terms that make it up, ‘bodhi’ and ‘sattva’, are translated separately. ‘Bodhi’ stands for the wisdom that understands the ultimate nature of reality, and ‘sattva’ is a person motivated by universal compassion. So the ‘bodhisattva’ ideal amounts to an aspiration to practice infinite compassion with infinite wisdom.” “It is not necessary to become Buddhist when you are a Westerner.” “...I have always felt that we should have different religious traditions because human beings possess so many different mental dispositions: one religion simply cannot satisfy the needs of such a variety of people.” “Transforming the mind involves first learning to know it, then identifying how it functions so as to eliminate the three main mental poisons, which are ignorance, desire, and hatred.” “No sentient being wants to suffer.” “...religion is a poison that has two serious defects: it reduces the population, since monks and nuns take the vow of celibacy, and it curbs progress. It has produced two victims, Tibet and Mongolia.” “The Chinese occupation caused tens of thousands of deaths in a few years; multiple testimonials gave the same reports: Tibetans were not only sent to the firing squad, but burned alive, drowned, strangled, hanged, buried alive, drawn and quartered, and decapitated.” “I propose that all of Tibet, including the eastern provinces of Kham and Amdo, be transformed into a zone of ‘ahimsa’, a Hindu term designating a state of nonviolence and peace.” “According to the clause engraved on a stone column in Lhasa, ‘The Tibetans will live happily in vast Tibet, and the Chinese in vast China’.” “The Tibetans in India are more Tibetan than the Tibetans in Tibet.” I enjoyed reading “My Spiritual Journey” by The Dalai Lama, and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in humanity, happiness, or harmony.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 01:21:13 +0000
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