Eight Steps to Happiness: The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness by Kelsang Gyatso

Eight Steps to Happiness: The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness Reviews

• 
  Desiree

  I don't travel too far from home without this book. The man who wrote this was teacher to the woman to ran the meditation classes I attended. I think he must be a really cool guy 'cause this book is clear enough help me to get it together when I'm having a hard time w/o requiring much general effort on my part (which is good 'cause I'm usually confused enough by the time I decide I need to book).
  
  With the intention to attain
  The ultimate, supreme goal
  That surpasses even the wish-granting jewel,
  May I constantly cherish all living beings.
  
  Whenever I associate myself with others,
  May I view myself as the lowest of all;
  And with a perfect intention,
  May I cherish others as supreme.
  
  Examining my mental continuum throughout all my actions,
  As soon as a delusion develops
  Whereby I or others would act inappropriately,
  May I firmly face it and avert it.
  
  Whenever I see unfortunate beings
  Oppressed by evil and violent suffering,
  May I cherish them as if I had found
  A rare and precious treasure.
  
  Even if someone I have helped
  And of whom I had great hopes
  Nevertheless harms me without any reason,
  May I see him as my holy Spiritual Guide.
  
  When others out of jealously
  Harm me or insult me,
  May I take defeat upon myself
  And offer them the victory.
  
  In short, may I directly and indirectly
  Offer help and happiness to all my mothers,
  And secretly take upon myself
  All their harm and suffering.
  
  Furthermore, through all these methods practices,
  Together with a mind undefiled by stains on conceptions of the either extremes
  And that sees all phenomena as illusory,
  May I be released from the bondage of mistaken appearance and conception.
  
• 
  Dean

  This book is jam packed with concise information related to Mahayana Buddhism (with a focus on Tibetan Buddhist practices). It's great for both beginners and experienced, and presents topics ranging from ideas on the need for compassion and its generation, to tips on meditation, and some moving prayers and ritual type texts. There's also a decent discussion on emptiness and 'ultimate boddhicitta'. It really covers the entire spectrum on Mahayana/Tibetan Buddhist philosophy from a Mahayana/devotional perspective, and is a great little summary. Although published by a lesser known (and mainstream accepted "sect"), there's no agenda, and it's well written. Will appeal more to devotional-minded practitioners who are into the Mahayana view.
• 
  Alejandra Garcia

  Sobre el libro: Esta inspiradora obra nos muestra cómo meditar en ocho preciosas estrofas que constituyen una de las escrituras budistas más apreciadas, Adiestramiento de la mente en ocho estrofas.
  Compuesto por el gran Bodhisatva tibetano Gushe Langri Tangpa, este pequeño poema nos enseña a transformar todas las dificultades de la vida en experiencias espirituales de gran valor.
  En Ocho pasos hacia la felicidad, Gueshe Kelsang Gyatso ofrece esta sabiduría de antaño a aquellos que buscan felicidad duradera en el mundo moderno y desean llenar sus vidas de significado.
  **************************
  Es un libro que puede cambiar completamente nuestra vida y manera de ver las cosas, y es capaz, casi con cada palabra, de atraer hacia el camino que propone. La perspectiva del amor que me brindó, es totalmente una inspiración, y encontré una manera de hacer que mis meditaciones sean más productivas y me hagan conectar más conmigo misma. Definitivamente me siento más cerca de encontrarme, porque he logrado entender y despertar más cosas a través de las palabras de este texto, y si hay alguien en el mismo proceso, el de encontrarse y que quiera hacerlo de una manera casi espiritual, debo decir que tiene el primer libro.
  Por otra parte, quiero destacar que la visión que da del budismo es un buen abre bocas, y ha logrado, definitivamente que me sienta más atraída al mismo.
  Maneja un lenguaje de fácil comprensión y engancha con pequeñas historias.
  El libro acerca a un crecimiento espiritual verdadero.
• 
  Kristenne

  I finally finished the book after days of trying to understand everything, and while it's not easy to grasp, I liked the first 50% to 70% parts. It helped me deepen my understanding on the underlying principles and teachings of Buddhism, as well as helping me transform my views on happiness and worldly wants.
  
  A few things, though: This is not a light read. It took me quite a while to read the first few parts, as it has a textbook-feel. I did have a problem, though, on how the author takes mental illness; he dismisses it as an effect of our self-cherishing (selfish desires) and totally invalidates it as an actual illness.
  
  The last few parts focused on the practices of a achieving enlightenment, the path to Buddhahood. As this is my second introduction to Buddhism, I felt I was still not ready to read that part, and when I did try, I just couldn't grasp it.
  
  In some ways, the book helped me to realize that Christianity and Buddhism do have some parallels. While I do like some of the Buddhist teachings on equanimity and loving kindness, I feel that Christianity is still more "accepting" in terms of achieving happiness -- in Buddhism, the "only" way to achieve true happiness is to become a Buddha yourself, which makes me question why the author even titled the book that way in the first place.
• 
  Taylor Cotten

  I found this book to be very, very interesting and a great overall introduction to the Buddhist religion. Although I am a Catholic, I have always been interested in the Buddhist way… The eight steps this book goes over is very well written and thoroughly explained! It gets very confusing towards the end in the chapter titled “Ultimate Bodhichitta” - partially because it takes YEARS for those who actually practice this to understand the concept and partially because my belief lies with Catholicism.
  There are some great takeaways that can apply to anyone who follows a religion or who does not - the kindness of others should be cherished and we should never put ourselves above others!
• 
  Patrick Butler

  Great general Mahayana basic teachings. Turned off by the wrathful diety worship. Schism in tibetan buddhism is real aparent in these teachings.
• 
  Ana Reyes

  El Verdadero camino a la Felicidad practicando el no apego a los objetos mundanos, su carácter no-dual es decir, que no existen como algo separado y el Lamrin, el camino a la Iluminación.
• 
  Leticia Supple

  It is so long since I began this book that I can't with clarity recall when I started it. The reason why it's taken so long is that I have read it in snippets, at the end of meditation. Even when one does this daily, five minutes of reading - especially of a book like this - takes time to digest.
  
  The book is really about the Eight Verses. The eight steps to happiness are contained in the eight verses. Simplified, they are:
  * cherish all other beings
  * hold other beings as supreme to yourself (so you surmount your ego)
  * face your own delusions to avert them
  * cherish suffering beings and learn from their suffering
  * learn from the poor treatment you get from others
  * when people harm you, let them take the victory
  * directly and indirectly help all other beings.
  
  This book, the Eight Steps to Happiness, takes the eight verses and breaks them down. It explains and commentates the eight verses, so that in your studies you can reach a deeper understanding of what they are and how to apply them.
  
  While I'd known about Lam rim practice prior to reading this work, now I understand it and can apply it - and gain the benefits of its joy. It's taught me how juvenile and ignorant my meditative practice truly is, despite having been meditating since I was a kid. And it's taught me that there's SO MUCH more I can read and study and learn form myself in meditation.
  
  While I am not a Buddhist, I do Buddhist things, and much of my philosophy about life is Buddhist in shape and nature.
  
  I recommend that unless you already have a deep interest in Buddhist things that you read Eight Steps To Happiness with someone else so you can discuss it. But if you are already some way down that path yourself, this is a fantastic introduction to many core concepts, which are not explained in this level of detail anywhere else.
  
  One other thing I ought to point out is that this book is one of six works in the Kadampa Tradition's foundation study program; the remaining volumes are listed at the end of the work. Having now completed this one, I intend to go through the remaining five; many are referenced in Eight Steps To Happiness, so reading them can only enrich a second or third reading of this one.
  
  However, even without the remaining studies, the meditations alone in this volume would be beneficial even to the most casual of meditators: They will give you focus, variation and growth in your practice.
• 
  Tim

  I was interested in the "right speech" aspect of whichever bit of Buddhist lore that belongs in, I forget offhand....
  
  Incidentally, what is it with Buddhism and numbered lists? Seems to be a defining tic of the religion (or whatever it is). Here for instance we have, inter alia: the two parts of learning to cherish others; the four parts of enhancing cherishing love; the five parts of exchanging self with others; the three parts of great compassion; and many many more.
  
  Anyway, I feel that this lot have some wisdom, but it's mixed up with a lot of (can I say this?) nonsense, like rebirth, and on a hierarchical basis yet. In fact that's a good one to raise: on the one hand the self is a delusion (agreed); on the other hand the individual is reincarnated (not agreed) - so how does that contradiction get explained away?
  
  Also there is an utter lack of psychological understanding herein: nothing but counsels of perfection. All very fine as far as they go but little use to anyone living in the regular world rather than a monastery in the mountains of Tibet.
  
  There is (in this book at least, and I fear it's not untypical) some completely fallacious reasoning. Example: the author "argues" that because we say "my mind" and "my body", there is an "I" which is distinct from these things. Well, in a trivial sense yes, since we can take "I" to be the assembly of these items, but that too can have a "My": "my self". It's as if someone were to say "the car exists separately from its gears, engine, fuel system etc. because we say 'its engine' and so on". Well, in a way yes, but that way is a linguistic/functional convention: we can say it's the same car even if we have to change the brake pads and then the windscreen and so on. But that's because it is a functional concept which we can refer to pragmatically, not because it has some essence of that-car-ness.
  
  And after a while one tires of looking for pearls amid this mess of sloppy thinking. So: I'm not expecting to be reborn, and consequently I'm not going to use up any more of my limited illusory lifetime on this.
• 
  Andrew Marshall

  I dipped into this book over fifteen years ago when it was recommended by a teacher at the Buddhist centre in Brighton who taught a course around it. However, this was the first time that I read the book from cover to cover. It is based on an 11th century eight types four lines text and although the early ideas like cherishing all living beings was easy enough (if not quite so easy to achieve) I have to admit to having trouble understanding the last verse (which covered nothingness and emptiness). But I suppose that I shouldn't worry because I'm in the foothills of enlightenment and I'm learning that it's the journey that counts. So why only 3 stars? Everything you need to know but I suspect there are better starter books.
• 
  Gianmichael Salvato

  This lucid, easy-to-follow and accurate instructional text, explains the classical Tibetan approach to spiritual practice and the realisation of happiness in one's life in a way that makes the instruction more accessible to the Western mind. By sharing simple and effective ways to transform every day experiences into spiritual practice, and by teaching the reader how to root themselves in the fundamental practices of meditation and mindfulness, Geshe-la brings a great deal of value to the table.
  
  I've personally decided to re-read this wonderful book as part of my preparation for a lecture I am giving on The Eight Steps of Mind Training, this coming week.
  
  I can think of no better text for the spiritual seeker wishing to engage in a meditative practice.
• 
  Jamie George-holland

  This was one of the first Buddhist books that I read that really had an important impact on my capacity to grow my mind and overcome my anxieties. To be sure, it wasn't the first Buddhist book I read, but it was such a practical and clear book that from the first chapter I was able to take the information and use it in my day to day life right away. The bulk of this book is on the Buddhist way of loving others and is a commentary to a famous Buddhist text called "Eight Verses of Training the Mind". I used to think that the 8 Steps to Happiness title sounded a lot like a 12 step program, but the 8 steps presented are much deeper and allude to the entire Buddhist path.
• 
  Melissa

  I have to admit, I've never really sat down to read it through. I just open to a page and read a little.
  Despite this, every time I open the book, the passage I just happen upon helps me understand whatever situation I am in - my true motives (or if my motives are true), if I am truly being kind to other people, if I am masking some truth from myself or about someone else, etc.
  I doubt I'll ever read two pages in a row, yet, this is a very important book to me.
  
  UPDATE. Been convinced that book should be read in page order.
  
• 
  Susan de la Vergne

  I read this book as I've read no other. As part of a Buddhist study program, we read in depth, about 3-5 pages a week. Then we meditate on the practices and perspectives offered so as to become deeply familiar with them. It took us two years to read this 250-page book. When I first heard we'd spend two years reading it, I was baffled. "Why? It's not that long." But that's not it. Wow, what an experience. I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Soon, we'll start another book and we'll spend a couple of years on that one. It's a perspective shift like nothing else.
• 
  Lino Matteo

  There is much wisdom in this book
  Looking inside for what we seek and avoiding the bright lights and shiny objects that surround and overwhelm us as they circle all around us.
  Try it you might like it.
  Read during a difficult time in my life and it confirmed the inner peace that we all seek.
• 
  Tedi Mason

  We'll see how my Karma is doing in a few months.
• 
  Elaine

  As with all Geshe-la's books - a wonderful explanation and provider of wisdom.
• 
  Kate

  Studied this at a Buddhist Meditation Center for two years in depth and it really changed my life and how I view the world. My go-to for whenever I need to re-calibrate.
• 
  Emma

  Too repetitive for me unfortunately.
• 
  Justin

  Hard to read. Not too dense