Most Popular Books by Dalai Lama

This book contains the essential guide to some of the central Buddhist teachings based on the recent UK lectures by his holiness.

"The Key to the Middle Way by the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama leads the student to the discovery of the true meaning of emptiness. With acute precision, he presents many insights into the nature of emptiness.".

"One of the world''s greatest spiritual leaders reflects on his commitments as a human being, a Buddhist monk, and the fourteenth Dalai Lama." — Booklist In this elegant self-portrait, the world''s most outspoken and influential spiritual leader recounts his epic and engaging life story. The Dalai Lama''s most accessible and intimate book, My Spiritual Journey is an excellent introduction to the larger-than-life leader of Tibetan Buddhism—perfect for anyone curious about Eastern religion, invested in the Free Tibet movement, or simply seeking a richer spiritual life. The Dalai Lama''s riveting, deeply insightful meditations on life will resonate strongly with readers of Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, or the His Holiness''s own The Art of Happiness and Ethics for the New Millennium. "An intriguing portrait of the Tibetan spiritual leader." — Los Angeles Times "His Holiness the Dalai Lama is recognized throughout the world as one of our few true moral authorities. In My Spiritual Journey he shares lessons learned from a remarkable life, in turn showing us how to live our own lives with compassion, nonviolence, and love." —Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate "''Spirituality'' may be the most nebulous word in the English language, but My Spiritual Journey provides a definition that both devotee and atheist might approve: ''the full blossoming of human values that is essential for the good of all.''" — The Washington Post

"The key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion." --His Holiness the Dalai Lama Giving and receiving affection is the key to happiness, and compassion is the key that opens our hearts to affection. Illuminating themes touched upon in The Good Heart and The Art of Happiness, this generous and gentle book contains some of the most beloved teachings on compassion that the Dalai Lama has ever offered. Touching and transformative, The Compassionate Life is a personal invitation from one of the world''s most gifted teachers to live a life of happiness, joy, and true prosperity. Collected here for the first time are four of the Dalai Lama''s most accessible and inspiring teachings on compassion. The purpose of life is to be happy, His Holiness reminds us. To be happy, we should devote ourselves to developing our own peace of mind; the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own peace of mind. Therefore, we must develop compassion for others in order to be truly happy. In these four teachings--imbued with the gentle humor and extraordinary kindness of this incomparable teacher--His Holiness explores altruism and the need for compassion on an individual as well as a global scale. He offers specific practices for developing loving-kindness and compassion in even the most difficult situations.

Short passages advising people from all walks of life.

From His Holiness the Dalai Lama and award-winning Mutt’s cartoonist Patrick McDonnell comes a stunning, powerful, and poignant work on healing our planet, rebuilding our connection with nature, and nurturing compassion for one another in today’s chaotic world "The most original, entertaining, and enlightening book I have ever seen…A blueprint for how we should live, with love, compassion, and humour." — Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and UN Messenger of Peace At the Dalai Lama’s residence in Dharamsala, India, an unusual visitor has arrived. His Holiness interrupts his morning meditation to greet a troubled Giant Panda who has travelled many miles to see him. Welcoming him as a friend, His Holiness invites the Panda on a walk through a cedar forest. There in the shadow of the Himalayas, surrounded by beauty, they discuss matters great and small… With a galvanizing message about the future of our planet—text by His Holiness accompanied by McDonnell’s masterful illustrations—Heart to Heart calls for a Compassionate Revolution, reminding us that “we are indeed all members of a single family, sharing one little house.” Told with whimsy, wisdom, and warmth, this beautiful book is deceptively simple in its approach and all the more powerful for it, as it elegantly and decisively conveys a message of joy, hope and change. Through exquisite illustrations and thoughtful narrative, this gem of a book invites readers to reconnect with their role as caretakers of the earth, offering both practical insights and moments of quiet reflection. A keepsake and a guide for living with purpose and kindness, Heart to Heart shows us all how small acts of care and kindness can create a profound impact on our world. “There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called Yesterday, and one is called Tomorrow.”

"One of the most revered spiritual figures of our time-His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, widely recognized as a paragon of wisdom and compassion-tells the story of his life in an intimate timeless voice accessible to readers of all ages. Featuring stunning illustrations by world-renowned artist Rima Fujita, this book will take you on a mystical journey you won''t soon forget"--

A CALL TO ACTION "We cannot create peace on paper. Compassion is the pillar of world peace.... Hatred and fighting cannot bring happiness to anyone, not even to the winners. Violence always produces misery. "We witness today how ethics and noble principles are obscured by the shadow of self-interests particularly in the political sphere. Politics devoid of ethics does not further human welfare, and life without morality reduces humans to the level of beasts. Dangerous consequences will follow when politicians and leaders forget moral principles. "The responsibility of ensuring that this new twenty-first century becomes an era of dialogue and diplomacy, rather than one of war and bloodshed, belongs to us all." —HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA Created to commemorate the occasion of His Holiness''s ninetieth birthday, this little book is a monument to honor a life spent ceaselessly calling for peace and tolerance, as well as a clarion call to all citizens of the world. As Richard Gere writes in the foreword, "The healing has begun if we want it.”

Gallileo, Copernicus, Newton, Niels Bohr, Einstein. Their insights shook our perception of who we are and where we stand in the world and in their wake have left an uneasy co-existence: science vs. religion, faith vs. empirical enquiry. Which is the keeper of truth? Which is the true path to understanding reality? After forty years of study with some of the greatest scientific minds as well as a lifetime of meditative, spiritual and philosophical study, the Dalai Lama presents a brilliant analysis of why both disciplines must be pursued in order to arrive at a complete picture of the truth. Science shows us ways of interpreting the physical world, while spirituality helps us cope with reality. But the extreme of either is impoverishing. The belief that all is reducible to matter and energy leaves out a huge range of human experience: emotions, yearnings, compassion, culture. At the same time, holding unexamined spiritual beliefs–beliefs that are contradicted by evidence, logic, and experience–can lock us into fundamentalist cages. Through an examination of Darwinism and karma, quantum mechanics and philosophical insight into the nature of reality, neurobiology and the study of consciousness, the Dalai Lama draws significant parallels between contemplative and scientific examination of reality. “I believe that spirituality and science are complementary but different investigative approaches with the same goal of seeking the truth,” His Holiness writes. “In this, there is much each may learn from the other, and together they may contribute to expanding the horizon of human knowledge and wisdom.” This breathtakingly personal examination is a tribute to the Dalai Lama’s teachers–both of science and spirituality. The legacy of this book is a vision of the world in which our different approaches to understanding ourselves, our universe and one another can be brought together in the service of humanity.

A little book for those in search of words to calm and inspire. In this gift book His Holiness the Dalai Lama imparts his message: the importance of love, compassion and forgiveness.

An instant New York Times bestseller Two spiritual giants. Five days. One timeless question. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama''s home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness''s eightieth birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life''s inevitable suffering? They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our time and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy. This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecendented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye. We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront each of the Obstacles of Joy—from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness, and death. They then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Throughout, they include stories, wisdom, and science. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives. The Archbishop has never claimed sainthood, and the Dalai Lama considers himself a simple monk. In this unique collaboration, they offer us the reflection of real lives filled with pain and turmoil in the midst of which they have been able to discover a level of peace, of courage, and of joy to which we can all aspire in our own lives.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In this unique book offering personal, spiritual, and historical reflections—some never shared before—His Holiness the Dalai Lama tells the full story of his struggle with China to save Tibet and its people for nearly seventy-five years. The Dalai Lama has had to contend with the People’s Republic of China for about his entire life. He was sixteen years old when Communist China invaded Tibet in 1950, only nineteen when he had his first meeting with Chairman Mao in Beijing, and twenty-five when he was forced to escape to India and became a leader in exile. In the decades since, he has faced Communist China’s leaders—Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping—in his efforts to protect Tibet and its people, with their distinct language, culture, religion, history, and environment, in the face of the greatest possible obstacles. Now, almost seventy-five years after China’s initial invasion of Tibet, the Dalai Lama reminds the world of Tibet’s unresolved struggle for freedom and the hardship his people continue to face in their own homeland. He offers his thoughts on the geopolitics of the region and shares how he personally was able to preserve his own humanity through the profound losses and challenges that threaten the very survival of the Tibetan people. This book captures the Dalai Lama’s extraordinary life journey—discovering what it means to lose your home to a repressive invader and to build a life in exile; dealing with the existential crisis of a nation, its people, and its culture and religion; and envisioning the path forward. Voice for the Voiceless is a powerful testimony from a global icon, who shares both his pain and his enduring hope in his people’s ongoing quest to restore dignity and freedom.

From the authors who brought you the million-copy bestseller The Art of Happiness comes an exploration of job, career, and finding the ultimate happiness at work. Over the past several years, Howard Cutler has continued his conversations with the Dalai Lama, asking him the questions we all want answered about how to find happiness in the place we spend most of our time. Work-whether it''s in the home or at an office-is what mostly runs our lives. We depend on it to eat, to clothe and shelter ourselves, and to take care of our families. Beginning with a direct correlation between productivity and happiness, Dr. Cutler questions His Holiness about the nature of work. In psychiatry and according to the Dalai Lama, our motivation for working determines our level of satisfaction. The book explores three levels of focus: survival, career, and calling. Once again, Cutler walks us through the Dalai Lama''s reasoning so that we know how to apply the wisdom to daily life. This practical application of Buddhist ideas is an invaluable source of strength and peace for anyone who earns a living.

A translation of the ancient classic Stages of Meditation, by Kamalashila, with commentary from everyone''s favorite Buddhist teacher, the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama explains the principles of meditation in a practice-oriented format especially suited to Westerners. Based upon the middle section of the Bhavanakrama by Kamalashila--a translation of which is included--this is the most extensive commentary given by the Dalai Lama on this concise but important meditation handbook. It is a favorite text of the Dalai Lama, and he often takes the opportunity to give teachings on it to audiences throughout the world. In his words, "This text can be like a key that opens the door to all other major Buddhist scriptures." Topics include the nature of mind, how to develop compassion and loving-kindness, calm abiding wisdom, and how to establish a union of calm abiding and special insight.

Presents a comprehensive biography of the Dalai Lama, and traces his life and works through a collection of interviews with over fifty individuals including his associates and followers, politicians, clerics, and critics.

The extraordinary documentation of the evolving friendship between the Dalai Lama and the man who followed him across Ireland and Eastern Europe, on a pilgrimage to India''s holy sites, and through the Dalai Lama''s near fatal illness. On this remarkable journey Victor Chan was awarded an insight into His Holiness-his life, his fears, his faith, his compassion, his day-to-day practice-that no one has reported before. We''ve heard the public voice of His Holiness--now we are invited to listen in on his personal explorations, and to take instruction on the Tibetan art of living.

Imbued with a friendly tone and pithy wisdom, this handsome handbook to approaching life "in a better way" includes six of His Holiness The Dalai Lama''s most accessible and inspirational public lectures. Following each talk are the original question-and-answer sessions in which His Holiness opens himself up to his listeners and-now-to readers everywhere. His characteristically candid guidance on living fully and responsibly, especially at the start of a new millennium, focuses on specific themes that range from religious tolerance to compassion and nonviolence. The book also includes a practical and highly readable introduction to Buddhism and The Dalai Lama''s own spiritual heritage, written by the renowned Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.

What is the essence of the mind? Could computers ever have consciousness? Can compassion be learned? When does consciousness enter the human embryo? These are just some of the many questions that were discussed during a historic meeting that took place between several prominent Western scientists and the Dalai Lama. Gentle Bridges is a chronicle of this extraordinary exchange of ideas.

The Thirty-seven Practices of All Buddha''s Sons by Thogme Zangpo. The Three Principle Aspects of the Path by Tsongkhapa Eight Verses of Training of Mind by Langri Thangpa Song of the Four Mindfulness by the VII Dalai Lama.