How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life by Dalai Lama XIV

How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life Reviews

• 
  Sean Barrs

  “I accept everyone as a friend. In truth, we already know one another, profoundly, as human beings who share the same basic goals: We all seek happiness and do not want suffering.”
  
  The Dalai Lama is incredibly quotable and there are so many fantastic examples of his simple wisdom in here. Well, I say simple but it can’t be that simple if people still fail to follow it after all these years. Despite living in an age of globalisation, we are still tragically divided. Senseless wars plague our history books and they continue to dog our steps. When will the world learn that we are all the same despite nationality, religion or skin colour?
  
  The Dalai Lama preaches that all men are equal. Despite having his own philosophical beliefs, he respects all other belief systems and encourages members of other faiths to pursue their path and attain their ultimate goals of peace and happiness. Such things should never divide us nor should politics. It all sounds extremely idealistic, but if everybody adopted a similar approach then the world would be a more peaceful place. If we all called our neighbours our friends, and ignored the minor differences and strove towards human equality and peace, rather than goals such as wealth and power, then hatred would start to die.
  
  “More dangerous than guns or bombs are hatred, lack of compassion, and lack of respect for the rights of others. As long as hatred dwells in the human mind, real peace is impossible.”
  
  
  
  History, unfortunately, shows us the truth of these words. In this helpful guide, The Dalai Lama offers advice on how to cope with life and deal with such frustrating situations. Hating the hater achieves little. What is needed in such a situation is compassion, the first step on the road to inner-peace.
• 
  Calista

  I really needed this read right now. School has been very stressful this trimester and I feel constantly behind. Still, I did pass my comprehensive exam to graduate from the program once Clinic and classes are done. I still have the herbal program and doctoral work left to do. Then, all the hate pouring out of DC right now and just how ugly politics has become has taken a spiritual toll on me. It has really worn me down and I have had to disengage from news and stop watching and reading.
  
  This book was a balm to me. I love to hear the wisdom from the Dalai Lama. He is such an amazing heart centered person. I have heard him speak and it was amazing. I did listen to this in my car on the way to school and back. I don't remember much from it, but I do remember how it lifted my soul up and calmed my aching spirit. His discussions on suffering were amazing and it did help me put my suffering in somewhat of a new perspective.
  
  He had a great meditation in there and some good tips to raise my vibration spiritually - which I can use right now. I kept my eyes open, obviously, and I did do the meditation with the reader and the visualization. It's interesting, the traffic becomes part of the meditation. You observe the traffic and left go of the emotions of being in it. I feel like I need to line up books like this and read more healing stuff for my soul. I am stretched thin. This was a big help to me. I probably enjoy storytelling to much to give it up though. I need a balance.
  
  If I can reach half the level of wisdom the Lama has, I will have done some amazing work in this life. I have much more to do. His holiness also speaks so openly about the pain and suffering caused him by losing his people and his city and country. It was a terrible pain he lives with. He has suffered plenty in this life. I suppose if he can survive that, then I can make it through my coarse work and stress.
  
  Listening to master of this philosophy make everything sound so easy and simple. It is very simple until you try and live it and your emotions surge and take you along for the ride and then it feels like the most impossible thing in the world. I have so much to learn and so much to grow. It's simply one day at a time.
• 
  Froztwolf

  This is an odd book that seems to span the entirety of Buddhist practice from beginning to end.
  
  The first third of the book was easy to connect with. It talks about things in our daily lives, what the tenets or Buddhist practice are, how these two relate, and basically what Buddhism encourages people to do and why. Having studied Buddhism a little before, there were few surprises there for me but it was yet a welcome reminder and well structured.
  
  The middle part of the book tackles subjects that are somewhat familiar and desirable to me but out of my reach as of yet, like deep meditative states, practicing extreme generosity and benevolence, complete non-harm and such.
  
  The last third of the book flew right over my head. Among the subject were the luminous nature of the mind, the inherent emptiness of all things, concepts of (non-sexual) Tantra and other concepts I seem ill-equipped to fully grasp.
  
  The feeling I get from this book is that the reader's experience is going to be extremely personal. It is suitable for newcomers to Buddhism, as all the basics are described in full detail in the first sections, but they might find themselves frustrated by the last few chapters.
  
  Likewise, those that have practiced Buddhism for a long time might be bored with the level of details in the first basic chapters, but more interested by the last sections.
  
  Worth reading, but don't expect the whole book to be useful and relevant to you at any one time.
• 
  Rustam

  I find this man really fascinating, but this book didn't quite get there for me. I wonder if what he preaches is too simple to be interesting in a literary format. I would be interested in reading his auto-biography. His English isn't all that hot, but his occasional anecdotal digressions are very interesting.
  
  I can't believe I'm giving the Dalai Lama TWO stars!? The good news is, I'm not going to Hell, but rather, I may be reborn as a desert rodent.
• 
  Tess

  I still read this book. Recently, I needed something to bring me peace during a small conflict. I opened the book arbitrarily and found just what I needed. I love this little book. It can be a wonderful guide to living peacefully and spreading peace among others.
• 
  Z

  Although I have immense respect for the Dalai Lama's teachings and for traditional Buddhist doctrine, I would not recommend this book as a primer for someone who wants to learn more about Buddhism and/or meditation. The first half of the book is very general, very lightly describing basic Buddhist tenets and advising on concentrated meditation. The second half focuses on the concepts of 'emptiness,' 'inherent existence' and 'dependent-arisings' - and I came away feeling like none of these were really adequately explained. I would imagine that they do not lend themselves to easy explanation. The fallout is that the reader could lose his/her way through this maze of abstractions and wind up at the end of the book blinking in confusion.
  
  What this book did bring home to me was how little time we have in our lives to improve ourselves and be more compassionate, intelligent beings, and what a long, long road lies ahead of us. Perhaps the latter half of this book could make sense to someone who has achieved enough success with concentrated meditation to have somewhat more of a grip on the notion of emptiness. For a more detailed, less abstruse exposition of Buddhist doctrine, I would recommend Sogyal Rinpoche's
  The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.
• 
  Rimantė :)

  "Na jei pasirodys, kad mano samprotavimai jums praversti negali, tiesiog numokite į šią knygelę ranka" - paskutinis šios knygos sakinys.
  
  Visiškai nenumosiu ir parašysiu 2,5* ,nes didžioji dalis knygos turinio liko nesuprasta arba suprasta dalinai. Nepraktikuoju ir neplanuoju praktikuoti budizmo artimiausiu metu, tad aiškinimai apie dvasines praktikas, jų aprašymai kelyje nušvitimo link man buvo visiškai neaktualios ir dažnai nesuvokiamos.
  
  Kas buvo pasakyta apie gerumą, atjautą, dvasinį tobulėjimą buvo geras priminimas daryti gerus darbus, rūpintis artimu, lavinti kantrybę, išmokti nuraminti sąmonę. Šitai man jau buvo aktualiau, tad iš tų nedideliu suprantamų man ištraukų pasiėmiau, kiek galėjau.
  
  Į visą kitą kaip patarė pati jo šventenybė Dalai Lama - numosiu ranka :)
• 
  robin friedman

  To Practice Peace And Kindness
  
  This book by H.H. the Dalai Lama may be read by those wishing an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism and by those wishing to begin or develop their practice.
  
  The Dalai Lama attempts to answer the basic question: "How can people be happy?" His answer outlines a path of spiritual growth and practice. Although based upon Tibetan Buddhism, there is wisdom in the book for anybody seeking spiritual growth, within or without any specific religious practice.
  
  The book consists of six short sections. It begins with a brief discussion of the life of the Buddha which, as the Dalai Lama points out, encompasses the basic teachings of the Buddhist path: morality, concentrated meditation and wisdom. The Dalai Lama then explains the basis of each teaching in short chapters. It is good that the book gives its focus to moral practice -- curing anger, lust, hatred, and aggression and wishing well to oneself and others.
  
  Chapter III of the book discusses meditation practices and will introduce the beginner to the value of meditation and to several meditation techniques. The Dalai Lama stresses the need for consistent practice and for patience and for the need of controlling one's expectations.
  
  There are several chapters which discuss the difficult but key Buddhist teaching of dependent origination. Much of this material the Dalai Lama also covers in an earlier book called "The Meaning of Life."
  
  There is a concluding section on Tantra, a uniquely Tibetan practice. I think it is better for the average person to remain with the practices of morality and concentration described earlier in the book.
  
  Some of the unique features of this book are the Dalai Lama's anecdotes of his life in Tibet before the Chinese Invasion of 1950 and of his teachers. There is a substantial discussion of sexuality in the book and of how it may be used (and abused) in the search for peace and kindness. (pages 192-196) There is a translation of the Heart Sutra, a key Buddhist text with a commentary by the Dalai Lama. (159-163)
  
  I found the Dalai Lama's concluding paragraph captures much of the tenor and the value of this book (page 223):
  
  "Though my own knowledge is limited and my experience is also very poor, I have tried my best to help you understand the full breadth of the Buddha's teaching. Please implement whatever in these pages appears to be helpful. If you follow another religion, please adopt whatever might assist you. If you do not think it would be helpful, just leave it alone."
  
  Robin Friedman
• 
  Callie

  A bunch of quotes from this book I need to get down, because they are valuable.
  
  "By greeting trouble with optimism and hope , you are undermining worse troubles down the line."
  
  CONTENTMENT REGARDING FOOD< CLOTHES< SHELTER:
  
  SHELTER "Lay people can reduce the neverending quest for a better home and for the funiture and decorations in it." Imagine! This is an outright unequivocal, unapologetic suggestion that we just stop acquiring things and be happy with what we have.
  
  "Examine your attitudes toward food, clothes, and shelter. By reducing expectations you will promote contentment. The extra energy which is released should be devoted to meditation and to achieve cessation of problems."
  
  "We should be contented in material areas, for those are bound by limitation, but not with regard to the spiritual which can be extended limitlessly."
  
  "In a sense, all human beings belong to a single family. We need to embrace the oneness of humanity and show concern for everyone--not just my family or my country or my continenet. We must show concern for every being, not just the few who resemble us. Differences of religion, ideology, race, economic system, social system, and government are all secondary"
  
  
  "When you are concerned about others your own welfare is fulfilled automatically."
  
  Another one about SHELTER! "If you practice more kindness and tolerance, you will find more peace. There is no need to change the furniture in your house or move to a new home. Your neighbor may be very noisy or very difficult, but so long as your own mind is calm and peaceful, neighbors will not bother you much. However, if you are generally irritable, even when your best friend visits, you cannot become really happy. If you are calm, even your enemy cannot disturb you."
  
  "Generating concern for others has vast power to transform your mind. If you practice compassion for the sake of all living beings--including animals--then that same limitless merit will accrue to you."
• 
  Abe

  A book replete with wisdom. Finding contentment in material things is undoubtedly the practice that has brought me the most happiness in this life.
  
  I must agree with a lot of reviewers here: the last third of the book is far more advanced than the first two thirds. He provides no definitions, he just jumps right in, so if the reader isn't aware of topics such as dependency, emptiness, etc., it would prove to be a difficult read.
• 
  Angie

  I Love this book from H.H. The Dalai Lama and use it as a reference guide. If you're ever feeling "out of sorts," then this is a great book to help you find your center/balance. :-)
• 
  Alissa

  This book is a good introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. It is generally set up to provide specific daily practices (visualizations, thoughts and meditations). I enjoyed the chapters on the basics and practicing morality, but after that, I found that the descriptions became less coherent. That could either be a translation issue or perhaps I'm not at the understanding level yet. Either way, the most meaningful parts of the book were nearer the beginning. Portions of the book are redundant in that a practice is explained to you and then is summarized in the exact same words at the end of the chapter. I must admit that that feels a little like watching a Teletubbies show. I would have liked a slight difference in text between the two.
  
  No matter your current place on your spiritual journey, or the religion that you associate with, there are bits in this book that can lead to a more compassionate world. Advice such as helping to relieve suffering even for ants in puddles.
  
  Additionally, it is fun to occasionally see snipets into the Dalai Lama's daily life as well as information on the Tibetan understanding of the process of death. Though, I personally feel that the reason we should be kind and compassionate in this life is because it is the right thing to do, not for karma for the next life.
• 
  Pete

  It expanded my view of nothingness; I can now understand emptiness as inherent without indulging in nihilism. I've also come to believe that the Dalai Lama has infinitely pinchable cheeks.
• 
  Joanna

  Ginge es nach meiner ganz persönlichen Wertung, wäre es wohl ein 2-Sterne-Rating geworden. Da ich aber weiss, dass dieses Buch für die Zielgruppe bestimmt wegweisend sein kann, und es in der Bibliothek ausserdem wahrscheinlich am falschen Ort gelandet ist, gebe ich dennoch drei Sterne.
  
  Ich fand das Buch bei den Biographien und nahm es deshalb mit. Wie dieser Titel in der genannten Kategorie gelandet ist, ist mir ein Rätsel. Auf jeden Fall ist es keine Biographie, sondern eine spirituelle und meditative Unterweisung. Wer sich also auf einem tieferen Niveau mit dem Buddhismus befasst, für den ist dieses Buch perfekt.
  
  Für mich jedoch war es absolut nichts. Es gab mir ein paar Inputs (Jeder möchte geliebt werden. Auch der nervige Kunde an der Kasse.), aber da ich mit dieser Art von Spiritualität und Meditation nichts am Hut habe, war die Lektüre mich eher zäh und langweilig.
  
  Der Dalai Lama ist noch immer eine faszinierende Persönlichkeit für mich, und an ein paar Stellen gibt er auch hier Persönliches von sich. Somit war das Lesen nicht ganz umsonst, aber 90% davon war einfach nicht meins.
  
  Auch für Einsteiger in die Meditation ist dieser Titel wohl eher schon etwas zu hoch. Ich lokalisiere die Zielgruppe bei jenen, die bereits Erfahrung mit Buddhismus, Meditation etc. haben. Man muss dafür nicht unbedingt den genannten Glauben annahmen und/oder Mönch/Nonne werden - der Dalai Lama richtet sich auch explizit an Laien im Alltag, aber weitergehendes Interesse sollte vorhanden sein.
  
  Für jene Leute ist dieses Werk ein hilfreicher Begleiter im Alltag, der ihnen viele Tipps und Hilfestellungen zur Hand gibt.
• 
  Odgerel

  It is the second book that i am reading from Dalai Lama on Buddhist practice. The first book was too advanced level that i had to give up. But this book is written with such simple words and is suitable for someone who does not have much prior knowledge about buddhism.
  
  My purpose of reading the book was just to get better understanding of buddhism. I mean i come from Mongolia, where lots of people claim to Buddhist. But the more i read about buddhism and its practices, the more i realise our conception of buddhism is very incomplete and sometimes even false.
  
  I also admired the open mindedness and the compassion of Dalai lama. I throughly enjoyed the book, even though i must confess for a book with only 226 pages, it look much longer for me to finish. I still cant say that i grasped everything that i was written.
• 
  Tazman

  A VERY technical guide to enlightenment...
• 
  Jackie

  This was my first real introduction to Buddhism.
  
  Since the purpose of this book is teaching how to achieve enlightenment, it doesn't cover things like Buddhist history or explanations of the basic concepts and so I realize I have a lot to learn to understand this religion.
  
  There are essentially 3 steps to enlightenment: Practicing Morality, Concentrated Meditation and Practicing Wisdom. These are the steps to totally enlightenment and becoming a Buddha, as such they go beyond the layperson. My goal is not to become a Buddha (I'm not even a Buddhist!) but to find peace of mind and be a more compassionate person. So, I found much of this to be beyond my willingness to practice.
  
  The Practicing Morality section interested me the most and there are things here that I really took away. While I can respect and strive for nearly every aspect of the Dalai Lama's teaching here, some parts have me thinking more than others. The meditation section of the book was a bit over my head. I'm going to go back to it, or find another resource. The wisdom chapters were where things got totally out of my grasp. He says that it takes lifetimes to fully master morality and meditation enough to fully start to understand wisdom, so I don't feel too bad about not getting it.
  
• 
  Clark Hallman

  How To Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life by His Holiness the Dalai Lama - His Holiness gives advice and explanations about how to develop a more meaningful life and move toward enlightenment in this informative but complex book. Of course he covers compassion and holding the happiness and welfare others before oneself. He also presents some meditation advice and complicated explanations of emptiness. It’s a worthwhile read that provides some useful information about Buddhism to any interested reader. However, it may be frustrating for readers without at least a baseline knowledge of Buddhism.
• 
  Vishwanath

  This book emphasizes the value of meditation and also addresses techniques to help the beginner progress in the art of meditation. The fundamental tenet
  is the need to constantly practice and lower expectations of immediate rewards.
  
  "To develop the practice of compassion to its fullest extent, one must practice patience."
  
  The book is an interesting read to reemphasize simple and common aspects of life we seek to inculcate yet are so hard to practice everyday.
  
  Towards the end, the book does have some complex sections that address tibetan practice of tantra which would probably interest only well experienced practitioners.
• 
  John Stepper

  Less of a handbook than I imagined from the title, and yet I was inspired by the breadth and depth of his own practice. The commentary on wisdom and reality are the clearest I’ve ever come across, making impenetrable paradoxes - “form is emptiness; emptiness is form” - understandable to me for the first time in any meaningful way.
• 
  Lisa LaMendola

  For anyone looking to find a simple book on the "how to's" of every day life as a Buddhist this is the book! I wish I had found this long before I read all the other books I've been through in my search for enlightenment....
• 
  Sara

  I really enjoyed the first part of it, which focused on benevolent intent. The later part with "inherent nothings", "spontaneous arisings", etc - I just did't get.
  
• 
  Marija

  Some very solid ideas on how to put things in perspective. Loved the part about the role of enemies in your life.
• 
  Iona Stewart

  I couldn’t really get through this book though I deeply appreciate the Dalai Lama and his beliefs.
  
  He states that both material advancement and a good mental attitude can help us be happy.
  
  We all need kindness and love; in order to achieve peace, tranquillity and real friendship we must “minimize anger and cultivate kindness and a warm heart”.
  
  Without healthy feelings of kindness and compassion we will have no peace within ourselves. “Kindness is essential to mental
  peace.” We need to train our mind in a daily practice that weakens negative attitudes and strengthens positive ones.
  
  “More dangerous than guns or bombs are hatred, lack of compassion and lack of respect for the rights of others. As long as hatred dwells in the human mind real peace is impossible.”
  
  By helping one another with concern and respect, we can solve many problems easily.
  
  The Dalai Lama travels from country to country with a sense of oneness. He has trained his mind for decades. He believes that the practice of compassion and love is the universal religion.
  
  In this book the author describes specific Buddhist techniques for gaining mental peace and a greater capacity for compassion.
  
  In The Basics, he introduces the three aspects of spiritual practice – morality, concentrated meditation, and wisdom.
  
  In Practicing Morality he describes two types of morality, understanding the importance of causing no harm to others and cultivating deeper concern for others. In Practicing Concentrated Meditation he describes how to achieve mental focus and how to restore calm in stressful situations, In Practicing Wisdom he “considers the difference between the mind and its ultimate nature”. (I didn’t understand this.)
  
  There is also a section on Tantra and a concluding “overview of the path of practice from the beginning right through to enlightenment, a state wherein mind and body are fully developed in order to be of service to others”.
  
  The focus is in developing a good heart and mind “through a moral attitude and an understanding of reality, empowered by concentration”.
  
  “Think of morality, concentrated meditation, and wisdom as a blueprint for enlightenment.”
  
  We are informed about the Four Noble Truths – 1) true suffering 2) true sources of suffering 3) true cessations and its sources 4) true paths for actualizing true cessations.
  
  I can’t say that I understand much of this.
  
  As stated, I couldn’t get through the book and thus I can’t recommend it, though I’m sure there is much wisdom in it which the true seeker will be able to find.
  
• 
  Gunnar

  This wasn't quite what I thought it would be, but that's my fault for just blindly picking a book just because it was by the Dalai Lama. The content is still excellent, it just got way more into specific types of practices that I don't have much interest in outside of an educational purpose. I am glad to own a book that has these types of meditative exercises detailed by the Dalai Lama, however, should I ever want to learn more.
  
  I liked how each chapter had a summary with suggestions for implementation in daily meditative practice. A lot of these could be helpful things to focus on that help to train the mind to be more at peace and loving. One of my favorite quotes comes from the very end:
  
  "Though my own knowledge is very limited and my experience is also very poor, I have tried my best to help you understand the full breadth of the Buddha's teaching. Please implement whatever in these pages appears to be helpful. If you follow another religion, please adopt whatever might assist you. If you do not think it would be helpful, just leave it alone."
• 
  Wendy Othello

  So easy to read and basic, it’s perfect for the beginner. My spirit was lifted and now I have passed it to my husband. Our home is filled with spirituality and peace. We will move on to the next book about Buddhism spirituality by him. I recommend this book to anyone who will not read self help books like me. This book jells with my own beliefs and concepts about spirituality. I have waited my whole life to open this book and find that others sense what I do about the world and this life. One has to let go of ego sometimes to allow someone else to speak to your heart and mind.
• 
  Doctor Action

  There's something for everyone here, but I don't there's anyone that will dig all of it. Certainly not on first reading anyway.
  
  This is the fourth book on Buddhism I've tackled in the last six months, but my least favourite, tbh.
  
  The Big DL started off great for me, all about how to see others, etc. By the end everything had dissolved into very specific practices and instructions that sounded very abstract/religiony, and I'm not into that one bit.
  
  There are several main branches of Buddhism but his isn't one that I'll be actively seeking more from. And that's fine. He's absolutely not expecting that from everyone as the last paragraph of the book states. There's a lot of good stuff in here some other stuff too.