The Path to Tranquility: Daily Meditations by the Dalai Lama [Hardcover]

Renuka Singh (Editor), Dalai Lama (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1999

A guide and an inspiration for every day of the year, from a leading spiritual figure of our times

December 29. "The essence of all spiritual life is your emotion, your attitude toward others. Once you have pure and sincere motivation, all the rest follows."

The Dalai Lama, a living symbol of holiness and selfless triumph over tribulation, has shared his philosophy of peace with today's turbulent world. Yet rarely do we hear him speak with such directness, intimacy, and immediacy as in this collection of daily quotations drawn from his own writings, teachings, and interviews. The Path to Tranquillity, a fresh, wonderfully accessible introduction to his inspirational wisdom, offers words of guidance, compassion, and peace. It covers almost every aspect of human life, secular and religious--happiness, loneliness, enlightenment, suffering, and anger--with endearing informality, warmth, and practicality. How can we resolve painful memories? Awaken our minds with meditation? Heal by expressing our inner conflicts? Overcome ignorance, self-delusion, and excessive attachments? Here, day by day, are answers as down to earth as they are rich in spirit.

Elegantly designed and hand-sized, The Path to Tranquillity includes a special foreword by His Holiness on the power of compassion, meditation, and personal responsibility. It is a gift to be treasured by the novice and seasoned practitioner alike.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Wouldn't it be nice to have a handy collection of highlights from the Dalai Lama's writings and teachings? Renuka Singh, a student and friend of the Dalai Lama, brings together a sampling of his words for each day of the year in The Path to Tranquility. In her selections you can sense the intimate encouragement of the student-teacher relationship. The Dalai Lama's words are not distant platitudes or profound proclamations but rather small insights and patient exhortations to keep trying. "We can deny everything except that we have the possibility of being better." "As a spiritual trainee, you must be prepared to endure the hardships of being involved in a genuine spiritual pursuit." "Nothing is more important than guarding the mind." These thoughts are germane to practical cultivation, and pondering a daily passage is a great way to keep the mind coming back to its center. Take a page from the Dalai Lama, and set yourself on the path to tranquility. --Brian Bruya

From Kirkus Reviews

A mezzo-mezzo book from the Dalai Lama (Ethics for the New Millennium, p. 1044). This collection of excerpts from the the Tibetan leader's writings and speeches is organized like Meditations for Women Who Do Too Muchthe reader is encouraged to meditate on a different snippet each day. The excerpts range from a description of a Calcutta hospital to a cautionary note about marriage, from a pronouncement that the media should worry more about the common good than ratings to musings on generosity. The Dalai Lama combats the deconstructionists, asserting that whenever one reads a book, one must consider the context in which the author wrote it. He trots out the clich that ``there is nothing like teaching to help one learn'' and suggests that, in order to change the world, one should start with changing one's own behavior. One wishes for a more heavy-handed editor. The readings seem thrown together randomly, and too many of the selections are utterly banal. Do we really need to spend May 12 reflecting on the fact that when the Dalai Lama loses his temper with someone, he later apologizes? Dip into this book, but don't make it your daily companion for a year. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; 1ST edition (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780670887590
• ISBN-13: 978-0670887590
• ASIN: 0670887595
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #907,157 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

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Piece of Peace, July 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Path to Tranquility: Daily Meditations by the Dalai Lama (Hardcover)

The daily wisdoms of the Dalai Lama have inspired me each morning . The last thing I do before heading out the door is read my wisdom for the day. It has inspired me, made me think before I act and, most important, made me think about how and why others act. This is the first book by the Dalai Lama I have owned. I am so inspired by it that I have given it as gifts to my friends. His Holiness has such insight and is an inspiration to read. I reccommend this book to everyone, religous or not, as I believe we all need a positive thought to begin our day.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dalai Lama has wisdom beyond beleif!, December 7, 1999

By 

Stephane Larochelle (gatineau, quebec, canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Path to Tranquility: Daily Meditations by the Dalai Lama (Audio Cassette)

I am not a buddhist, nor do I have any intentions of becoming one. But I must admit that this Audio book is full of wisdom. I was blown away over and over by the sayings of the Dalai Lama. Of all the people I have read or heard, I must admit that he is the wisest of all.

If you don't mind an occasional reference to reincarnation and rebirth (as a christian, I do not hold these beleifs), then the wisdom from this audio book is more than worth it.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life Lessons, July 7, 2000

By 

Polly "angel teacher" (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Path to Tranquility: Daily Meditations by the Dalai Lama (Hardcover)

This book is a must for everyone, even if you do not follow Buddhism. The Dalai Lama speaks to the heart and soul of civilization in this book, a collection of his writings, segmented for daily reading. He has amazing insights on how to live life as a happy, healthy, functioning member of society. A friend calls this "written Prozac". It makes you feel good!