The Meaning of Life: Buddhist Perspectives on Cause and Effect

by Dalai Lama, Jeffrey Hopkins (Translator), Richard Gere (Foreword by)

Overview

Using the traditional Buddhist allegorical image of the Wheel of Life and the teaching of the twelve links of dependent origination, the Dalai Lama deftly illustrates how our existence, though fleeting and often full of woes, brims with the potential for peace and happiness. We can realize that potential by cultivating a wise appreciation of the interdependency of actions and experience, and by living a kind and compassionate life. A life thus lived, the Dalai Lama teaches, becomes thoroughly meaningful for both oneself and for others.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780861719518
Publisher:	Wisdom Publications MA
Publication date:	06/10/2005
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	680 KB

About the Author

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and a beacon of inspiration for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. He has persistently reached out across religious and political lines and has engaged in dialogue with scientists in his mission to advance peace and understanding in the world. In doing so, he embodies his motto, “My religion is kindness.”

Jeffrey Hopkins was Professor Emeritus of Tibetan Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia, where he taught Tibetan studies and Tibetan language for more than thirty years. He received a BA magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1963, trained for five years at the Lamaist Buddhist Monastery of America (now the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center) in New Jersey, and received a PhD in Buddhist Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1973. From 1979 to 1989 he served as His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s chief interpreter into English on lecture tours in the U.S., Canada, Southeast Asia, Great Britain, and Switzerland. He published more than fifty books, including Meditation on Emptiness, a seminal work of English language scholarship on Tibetan Madhyamaka thought, as well as translations of works by Tsongkhapa, Dolpopa, and His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. At the University of Virginia he founded programs in Buddhist Studies and Tibetan Studies and served as Director of the Center for South Asian Studies for twelve years. Jeffrey passed away on July 3, 2024.

Editorial Reviews

"Conveys his personal warmth and compassion."

CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries

Ably translated into English by Jeffrey Hopkins, The Meaning Of Life: Buddhist Perspectives On Cause And Effect was written by His Holiness, The Dali Lama for people seeking to develop a deeper understanding of Buddhist perspectives on existential questions of meaning, purpose, and responsibility. Basing his commentary on the Buddha's teachings of dependent arising, The Dali Lama reveals how every aspect of our suffering (unhappiness, pain, old age, death) is ultimately rooted in our misunderstanding of our own true nature. The Dali Lama infuses his text with the intelligence, wit, kindness and compassion he is so well known for within the Buddhist community world wide.

"Here, the Dalai Lama has very skillfully examined the existential questions of meaning, purpose, and responsibility, showing how every aspect of our suffering can be ultimately uprooted through a profound understanding of our true nature."

Jeffrey Hopkins in Eastern Horizon

"Studded with jewels...The Meaning of Life brings together the theory of Buddhist teachings and the practice of ordinary life. The Dalai Lama's exposition-thorough, gentle and precise-reflects the depth and breadth of his training, communicating the living quality of the tradition."

Shambhala Sun

“Studded with jewels...The Meaning of Life brings together the theory of Buddhist teachings and the practice of ordinary life. The Dalai Lama's exposition-thorough, gentle and precise-reflects the depth and breadth of his training, communicating the living quality of the tradition.”—Shambhala Sun

“Conveys his personal warmth and compassion.”—CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries

“Here, the Dalai Lama has very skillfully examined the existential questions of meaning, purpose, and responsibility, showing how every aspect of our suffering can be ultimately uprooted through a profound understanding of our true nature.”— Jeffrey Hopkins in Eastern Horizon

From the Publisher

This captivating but often confusing program features the philosophical thinking of one of our greatest spiritual leaders. More esoteric than THE ART OF HAPPINESS, this title delves into aspects of metaphysical causation that will be hard to follow if you are not familiar with the Buddhist concept of determination. Buddhists reject the Western notion of dependence on physical resources, a rejection that will be a challenge for traditionally educated Americans. While the program’s language can be comprehended by people of all philosophical persuasions, the abridgment is confusing. But by the end of the program most people will feel they’ve been listening to something powerful and will want to hear it again anyway. T.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

DEC/JAN 02 - AudioFile