The Joy of Living and Dying in Peace: Core Teachings of Tibetan Buddhism (Library of Tibet Series , Vol 3) (Hardcover)

by Dalai Lama (Author), Donald S. Lopez Jr. (Author) "Buddhism places great importance on inner investigation, on training to develop the mind..." (more)
Key Phrases: cultivate the awakening mind, infinite sentient beings, countless sentient beings, Four Noble Truths, Dalai Lama, Buddha Shakyamuni (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
This moving and instructive treatise on how to live a meaningful life and face death without fear is the third volume in the Dalai Lama's lucid and inspiring Path to Enlightenment series, and in many ways, it is the most personal as the Dalai Lama, now in his sixties, acknowledges that age has intensified his meditation on death. Tibetan Buddhism conceives of existence in terms of eons worth of successive lifetimes, a cosmic perspective that enables the Dalai Lama to compare death to a change of clothes. His Holiness explains how meditation leads to the control of negative emotions and how the cultivation of a spiritual practice enriches not only our lives but also the lives of others. His Holiness writes, "The more altruistic we are, the happier we will be," and there's no simpler or surer first step on the path toward spirituality than to read His Holiness' wise and affectionate teachings. Donna Seaman

Review
'The new Library of Tibet series affirms its own assertion that 'Buddhist is a treasure meant for the entire world.' Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco; 1st edition (April 9, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006061725X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060617257
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #733,905 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life is not the beginning, death is not the end, August 3, 1999

By A Customer

Everyone of us will die one day, and most of us have been living for decades without realising the purpose of this life. This book outlines the basic beliefs of buddhism on the subject of living and dying in a way that will make living more joyful and dying more peaceful. The little examples and analogies used throughout the book (as in most buddhist teaching traditions) help readers relate better to the topics concerned. In a nutshell, it tells you life is not the beginning, we have come a long way to become who we are, and we are working towards the shaping of our future, not just in this life, but many more lives to come.

If you are a buddhist, this little book encapsulates the ideas of living & dying the buddhist way in a brief yet comprehensive manner. If you are not a buddhist, this little book gives you a glimpse into the philosophy and mindset of the religion in a very personal manner and you don't have to be a buddhist to practice the teaching.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Path To Enlightenment, April 6, 2001

By	David S. Heier (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Who can study Buddhism and not read something by His Holiness The Dalai Lama? This book is one in The Path To Enlightenment Series. The Dalai Lama has written more books than I could list here, and I recommend reading any one of them.

The book discusses the principles of Buddhism from the perspective of our natural human fear of our own death. From the Buddhist point of view, we do not have to fear death if we have a secure understanding of the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha. The reason a good practitioner of these teachings can die peacefully without regret is because his or her human potential is fulfilled.

Although we may think that we suffer from such things as natural disasters, biological frailties, human enemies or opportunities lost, our real enemy is our own mind. The path to true happiness is basically to let go of our desires for all these impermanent objects and states of mind. Remove the wanting and you remove the tortures of unfulfilled desires and disappointing outcomes. The real goal in life is to just see things as they are. In this way you can live your life to its full potential and not regret when the end comes.

To cultivate this awakening mind, meditation is essential. We must be ever mindful of our disturbing emotions. The mind must be trained and disciplined. But a follower of the Buddha must also act and live his or her life by treating all sentient beings as your friends. Your worst enemies are really your best teachers. Anger is the greatest hindrance to cultivating the spiritual path. It is your enemies who confront you that will test your patience and teach you to be mindful.

The title and subject of this book particularly interested me, but I believe that the wisdom of the teacher can be garnered from any of his books. I am always having to catch myself when I begin pondering why someone did not teach me these things when I was younger. Then I try to apply a little of the wisdom I have read here and I realize that I am feeding my mind with the negative emotion of regret rather than just seeing.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Volume Three of Three, October 13, 2003

By	Richard Cunningham (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Core Teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. I can't recommend this series high enough.