Kindness, Clarity, and Insight: The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso [Paperback]

Dalai Lama (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1984

Though [the Dalai Lama] is one of the most erudite scholars...he has a gift for reducing his doctrine to a core of lucid practicality, crystallized in the title of his book, Kindness, Clarity and Insight.--Time Magazine

Editorial Reviews

Review

Though [the Dalai Lama] is one of the most erudite scholars... he has a gift for reducing his doctrine to -- Time Magazine

Language Notes

Text: English, Tibetan (translation)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Snow Lion Publications (January 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0937938181
• ISBN-13: 978-0937938188
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,103,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born in 1935 to a peasant family in northeastern Tibet and was recognized at the age of two as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. The world's foremost Buddhist leader, he travels extensively, speaking eloquently in favor of ecumenical understanding, kindness and compassion, respect for the environment, and, above all, world peace.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dalai Lama in America, February 8, 2007

By 

Robin Friedman (Washington, D.C. United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kindness, Clarity, and Insight: The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso (Paperback)

In 1979, after substantial political effort, H.H. the Dalai Lama made his first visit to the United States. He travelled across the country and delivered a series of lectures. The Dalai Lama visited Canada in 1980 and returned to the United States in 1981 and many times thereafter. In 1981, the Dalai Lama and his editor and translator, Professor Jeffrey Hopkins, published a book of the Dalai Lama's early lectures in North America, "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight." It was the first of many books that have since been published based upon the Dalai Lama's lectures or upon meetings and discussions with him. Happily, the book was reissued in 2006 to celebrate the 25th year of its publication as well as the anniversary of Snow Lion Publications, an American publishing house devoted exclusively to books on Tibet.

"Kindness, Clarity, and Insight" is among the best of the Dalai Lama's books in presenting his major themes and in showing the scope of his teachings, from the most fundamental and accessible to the difficult. The book consists of a series of 20 lectures delivered during the Dalai Lama's first three visits. The lectures are arranged in a progressing order of complexity, with the opening lectures giving an introduction to the Dalai Lama's thought that requires no special interest in Tibetan Buddhism while the latter lectures focus on complex, difficult matters that arise within the various Tibetan Buddhist schools. The book is fascinating to read as it moves forward.

Throughout the book, the Dalai Lama emphasizes the importance of kindness and of developing a good heart through introspection and meditation rather than through pursuit of material gain and pleasure. He emphasizes the importance of altruism -- of showing concern for and working towards the well-being of others --- and he takes a broadly ecumenical approach towards religion. In his ecumenical approach, the Dalai Lama stresses that human beings everywhere are essentially alike, despite superficial differences in culture, religion, or race, and that everyone wishes to attain happiness and avoid suffering. He stresses that every religion -- and that secularism too for that matter -- shares these goals and that the differences in doctrine and philosophy among different creeds should not obscure recognition of their underlying unity of purpose. The Dalai Lama does not force his creed or any creed on anyone.

Among the best of the earlier lectures in the book are the opening talk given at Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C. "Religious Values and Human Society", the lectures "Religious Harmony" and "Compassion in Global Politics" and "Buddhism East to West" which gives the Dalai Lama's early thoughts on the spread of Buddhism to the West.

But in addition to these broadly-based talks, the book includes a series of lectures providing great detail on the nature of Tibetan Buddhism. Many readers will find these lectures difficult both because the subject matter and terminology may be unfamiliar and also because the Dalai Lama's teachings make clear how different the philosophical teachings of Tibetan Buddhism are from both Western religions and Western secularism at many points. The reader should keep in mind in reading these essays the Dalai Lama's teachings earlier in the book that the fundamental goals of religion are similar while the philosophical and conceptual underpinnings differ.

The latter essays in the book that I found important include "Eight Verses for Training the Mind" in which H.H. the Dalai Lama presents eight verses written by Kadma Geshe Langri Thangpa, a Tibetan monk of the Eleventh Century, A.D. and offers a detailed commentary upon them. The goal of the verses is to create calmness in the heart and a feeling of love and compassion towards others.

The central and most difficult teaching in this book consists of a lengthy essay, "The Path to Enlightenment". This essay, based on a combination of lectures, is a discussion of a Tibetan text by Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) and includes as well discussions of other important Buddhist thinkers. The Dalai Lama presents the text and offers detailed commentary. The theme of the text is the attainment of enlightenment, and the Dalai Lama expounds upon Tsongkhapa's teachings as they pertain to 1. developing the desire to be free of cyclic existence, 2. wishing to attain enlightenment for the purpose of benefitting others, and 3. developing wisdom by understanding the nature of emptiness. Each of these three steps is highly difficult and runs counter to many Western ways of understanding and behavior. Thus, these texts will be rewarding and challenging but difficult especially to readers unfamiliar with Tibetan Buddhism.

Other lectures in which the Dalai Lama discusses teachings specific to Tibetan Buddhism include "Tibetan Views and Dying" and the final lecture "Union of the Old and New Translation Schools" in which the Dalai Lama considers and tries to synthesize the views of various Tibetan Buddhist teachings on the ultimate nature of reality.

Even in the lectures most concerned with the specific teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama empasizes throughout the importance of kindness and of developing a good heart. Thus, he concludes his lecture on "The Path to Enlightenment" with these words:

"It is essential to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come."

The Dalai Lama's teachings have been an inspiration to me and to many other Americans. May you find something in this book that will inspire you.

Robin Friedman

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love the Dalai Lama, June 5, 1999

By 

Rabbit (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kindness, Clarity, and Insight: The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso (Paperback)

This was the 1st book with the Dalai Lama that I read. The title says it all. This is the book that made me fall in love with the Dalai Lama. (Spiritually speaking) :)

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Offering remarkably enduring insights into the wit and wisdom of the Dalai Lama, June 4, 2006

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kindness, Clarity, and Insight (Hardcover)

The newly revised and updated twenty-fifth year anniversary edition of Kindness, Clarity, Insight by The Fourteenth Dalai Lama His Holiness Tenzino Gyatso, is expertly translated and co-edited by Jeffery Hopkins and Elizabeth Napper. Offering remarkably enduring insights into the wit and wisdom of the Dalai Lama., Kindness, Clarity, And Insight deftly covered many diverse subjects ranging from "Karma", to "Meditation", to "Eight Verses for Training the mind", to "The Path to Enlightenment", to "Tibetan Views on Dying", and so much more. An essential addition to any personal, academic, or community library Buddhist Studies reference collection and supplemental reading list, Kindness, Clarity, Insight offers a Buddhist perspective which is very strongly recommended for all students of the teachings of the Dalai Lama.