In An Appeal to the World, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet illuminates the way to peace in our time, arguing for a form of universal ethics that goes beyond religion – values we all share as humans that can help us create unity and peace to heal our world. THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 'I see with ever greater clarity that our spiritual well-being depends not on religion, but on our innate human nature, our natural affinity for goodness, compassion and caring for others' In this urgent 'appeal to the world', His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses our time of division, calling on us to draw upon the innate goodness of our shared humanity to overcome the rancour, mistrust, and divisiveness that threaten world peace and sustainability. Working with trusted collaborator Franz Alt, the Dalai Lama calls on the better angels of our nature to tackle a wide range of contemporary issues, from war, violence and intolerance to climate change, global hunger and materialism. Applying...

Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature takes up centrally important premises of Buddhism: the unsatisfactoriness (duhkha) of cyclic existence (samsara), the determination to be free of cyclic existence, and the mind as the basis for both the extreme duhkha of samsara and the bliss of nirvana. This volume shows us how to purify our minds and cultivate awakened qualities. Knowledge of buddha nature reveals and reconciles the paradox of how the mind can be the basis for both the extreme duhkha of samsara (the unpurified mind) and the bliss and fulfillment of nirvana (the purified mind). To illustrate this, Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature first takes readers through Buddhist thought on the self, the Four Noble Truths, and their sixteen attributes. Then, the Dalai Lama explains afflictions, their arising and antidotes, followed by an examination of karma and cyclic existence and, finally, a deep and thorough elucidation of buddha nature. ...

The first volume in an eight-volume collection of the Dalai Lama's definitive teachings on the Buddhist path.His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been publicly teaching Buddhism for decades. This series collects his presentations of every step of the path to enlightenment, compiled and coauthored by one of his chief Western disciples, the American nun Thubten Chodron. Traditional presentations of the path in Tibetan Buddhism assume the audience already has faith in the Buddha and believes in rebirth and karma, but the Dalai Lama realized early that a different approach was needed for his Western students. Starting from the universal human wish for happiness and the dynamic nature of the mind, His Holiness here provides a framework for the modern reader to make sense of this rich tradition. Subsequent volumes will delve more deeply into particular Buddhist subjects, but this first volume provides a wealth of reflections on Buddhist history and fundamentals,...

The newest volume in the bestselling series from the Dalai Lama.Delve into the substance of spiritual practice in this fourth volume of the Dalai Lama's definitive series on the path to awakening, Following in the Buddha's Footsteps. You'll first hear His Holiness's explanation of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, why they are reliable guides on the path, and how to relate to them. His Holiness then describes the three essential trainings common to all Buddhist traditions: the higher trainings in ethical conduct, concentration, and wisdom. These chapters show us how to live a life free of harm to self or others and give us detailed instructions on how to develop single-pointed concentration as well as the higher states of concentration available to an earnest practitioner. In addition, the chapters on wisdom contain in-depth teachings on the noble eightfold path and the four establishments of mindfulness for developing greater awareness and understanding of our...