Violence and Compassion: Dialogues on Life Today [Paperback]

Dalai Lama (Author), Jean-Claude Carriere (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 20, 2001

Timeless wisdom on life today from a leading French intellectual and one of the greatest of contemporary spiritual leaders that picks up where The Art of Happiness left off.

French film writer Jean-Claude Carri're had the extraordinary opportunity to sit down for a series of conversations with one of today's most respected and popular spiritual leaders His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama. Those interviews, which make up Violence and Compassion, give readers a historic chance to listen in as two formidable thinkers discuss issues that are of concern to all.

The discussion covers the various problems that confront world civilization today; including terrorism, the population explosion, environmental dangers, and an escalation in random violence. The Dalai Lama exhibits his characteristic warmth and clarity of thought throughout each of these talks, but what readers will find most valuable is his ability to cut through to the essence of each issue and offer insightful guidance. Carri're, though respectful, never settles for pat answers and consistently asks the down-to-earth questions readers themselves would undoubtedly have asked.

The insightful dialogues contained in Violence and Compassion brings humanity the profound wisdom needed to tackle the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1993, well-known French screenwriter Carriere traveled to Dharamsala, India, the encampment and center of exiled Tibetans, to interview the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of a country occupied by China since 1950. In these wide-ranging talks, the Dalai Lama calls for democratic elections in Tibet, supports birth control and women's rights and stresses the global need for population control as a step toward combating poverty and environmental destruction. He suggests that Buddhism, with meditation as its core practice, can be an antidote to racism and fundamentalism of every stripe, because it teaches tolerance, peace of mind, compassion and the interdependence of all things. He touches on a variety of topics, from reincarnation to the big bang. These conversations, introduced by Carriere's interlinking commentaries, apply practical spiritual intelligence to contemporary worldwide problems.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This book records the conversation that screenwriter Carriere (The Unbearable Lightness of Being) held with the Dalai Lama, the exiled leader of Tibetan Buddhism, in 1993. The topics covered range from exile and reincarnation to education and science. In each dialog, Carriere questions the Dalai Lama about the meaningfulness of Tibetan Buddhism in the world today. The Dalai Lama's responses are often playful, but they alsoare filled with the penetrating insight we have come to expect from this wise religious leader. Unfortunately, Carriere too often dominates the conversation with his naive questions, sometimes even presuming to answer the question for the Dalai Lama. Not recommended.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Image (March 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385501447
• ISBN-13: 978-0385501446
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,892,891 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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fast intro to buddhist pragmatism, December 30, 2001

By 

Saul Boulschett "Anyway" (Dry land) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Violence and Compassion: Dialogues on Life Today (Paperback)

The dialogue format always seems to serve the Dalai Lama well as it allows him to speak at a comfortable speed about topics that would be otherwise just too massive if he had to sit down and write about them. The theme of the conversation is violence in the modern world, its origin, its meaning and its various forms of manifestation. Mr.Carriere does a great job of keeping the conversation lean but muscular. As the man who put together on film the massive _MAHABHARATA_, Carriere is familiar with Indian and Buddhist material and does the reader a very competent service by introducing a page here a page there of explanation and/or a commentary, giving an older Hindu context for the Buddhist concepts. This is not an "interview" but a real conversation that a couple of mutually respecting friends might have. That's what makes the book so lively. Carriere at one point even chides Dalai Lama for simplifying the West as "mechanistic". Moreover, Carriere speaks not only for himself, but perhaps also for a reader who may not find Buddhist cosmology -- in terms of rebirth and reincarnation, etc -- so readily acceptable. It is when such a(n opposing) point of view is introduced that the Dalai Lama shows how and why Buddhism is so pragmatic: BUddhism is not a "religion", he says. It is a science of the Mind. It has no doctrines, no dogmas to maintain AGAINST common sense and empirical data. Buddhism is a science with a vast amount of data concerning the Mind and techiques of access. But as the research was done for over at least 2500 years, in a particular setting, in a particular material, psychological condition, Buddhism would also naturally reflect a set of behaviors and "beliefs" of those local environments in their totality. Thus, what is not applicable in the modern world, Buddhism is ready to modify or jettison. For example, certain manner of representation to illustrate a spiritual and/or social point (instituion of marriage, sexual conduct, various ceremonial protocol, etc). The Dalai Lama even states that Buddhism would relinquish even the notion (which for him and for millions of practicing Buddhists a reality) of rebirth IF science ever gets around to PROVING it conclusively.

The Dalai Lama makes it very clear on several occasions that humanity must now move toward a spiritual life as opposed to a religious life. (They are not the same.)
The problem of over-population is discussed as the main cause of violence done to the earth, thus to the entire cosmos, causing more greed, more desperation.
Carriere is more openly critical of the Vatican's position over this issue. The Dalai Lama agrees that the virtue of the commandment to "go forth and multiply" must be heeded within the context in which we seek guidance from such a religious tradition. And that context is always Here and Now, thus putting into question the sanity of following blindly such a "commandment" today when there are 5 billion of us; when we cannot be guaranteed the required space necessary for a spiritual upgrade. The Dalai Lama is harshly critical of the mindset that only looks at figures; those "experts" who claim the earth can feed as many as 10 billion. Fed? Then what? What will they all do, to what purpose, at what quality of life, he asks.
The previous reviewer mentioned something that I think needs a qualification. No, the Dalai Lama is neither an "atheist" nor a "theist" and the whole issue is very complicated. Buddhism has its own complex pantheon of deities. Traditionally, Buddhism's response to the question concerning the idea of a creator god is one of silence. Buddhism basically says, you will never know by intellectual inquiry. Moreover, even if such a god existed, it doesn't concern you: It won't help YOU to do YOUR homework.
Also, Buddhism has a tradition of turning away anyone who is too enthusiatic to become a Buddhist on a whim. Don't think it's for you just because you're an atheist. Think about it a little longer, son.
Buddhist pragmatism in a nutshell. Highly recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars Applied Buddhism 101 - no knowledge of Buddhism necessary, December 14, 2008

By 

Thomas Hochmann (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Violence and Compassion: Dialogues on Life Today (Paperback)

This book, compiled from dialogues between the Dalai Lama and Jean-Claude Carriere, is a nice book for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. It showcases the Dalai Lama's practical application of basic Buddhist principles to real life issues. Although /Violence and Compassion/ is a bit out-of-date now, the core issues are still with us and the Dalai Lama's perspective continues to be relevant.

/Violence and Compassion/ is not preachy, it is not heavy on Buddhist metaphysics or ideas that are beyond the casual reader's understanding. In fact, I would specifically recommend this book to people who know little or nothing about Buddhism. It shows Buddhist thought in action, applied to the real world -- no lengthy treatises on the theories of karma or bardos, but rather a perfect marriage of pragmatism and compassion. If that's not what Buddhism is really about, I don't know what is.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Eye Opening and honest, July 27, 1998

By 

Tony Martin "veggiedude" (So San Fran, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Violence and Compassion (Hardcover)

After looking at this book, I'm ready to be a buddhist! Seriously. And I'm an atheist! But that's fine, because the Dalai Lama does not believe in a creator either, and it is mentioned in various parts of the book. Excellent reading material.