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In Praise of Great Compassion
Book #5 of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion
By Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron
Published by Wisdom Publications
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Discover the Dalai Lama’s definitive teaching on compassion in this fifth volume of the Dalai Lama’s definitive Library of Wisdom and Compassion series.
In Praise of Great Compassion, the fifth volume of the Library of Wisdom and Compassion, continues the Dalai Lama’s teachings on the path to awakening. While previous volumes focused on our present situation and taking responsibility for creating the causes of happiness, this volume concerns opening our hearts and generating the intention to make our lives meaningful by benefiting others.
We are embedded in a universe with other living beings, all of whom have been kind to us in one way or another. More than any other time in human history, we depend on one another to stay alive and flourish. When we look closely, it becomes apparent that we have been the recipient of great kindness. Wanting to repay others’ kindness, we cultivate a positive attitude by contemplating the four immeasurables of love, compassion, empathic joy, and equanimity, and the altruistic intention of bodhicitta. We learn to challenge the self-centered attitude that leads to misery and replace it with a more realistic perspective enabling us to remain emotionally balanced in good and bad times. In this way, all circumstances become favorable to the path to awakening.
In Praise of Great Compassion, the fifth volume of the Library of Wisdom and Compassion, continues the Dalai Lama’s teachings on the path to awakening. While previous volumes focused on our present situation and taking responsibility for creating the causes of happiness, this volume concerns opening our hearts and generating the intention to make our lives meaningful by benefiting others.
We are embedded in a universe with other living beings, all of whom have been kind to us in one way or another. More than any other time in human history, we depend on one another to stay alive and flourish. When we look closely, it becomes apparent that we have been the recipient of great kindness. Wanting to repay others’ kindness, we cultivate a positive attitude by contemplating the four immeasurables of love, compassion, empathic joy, and equanimity, and the altruistic intention of bodhicitta. We learn to challenge the self-centered attitude that leads to misery and replace it with a more realistic perspective enabling us to remain emotionally balanced in good and bad times. In this way, all circumstances become favorable to the path to awakening.
About The Authors
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.”
Thubten Chodron has been a Buddhist nun since 1977. A graduate of UCLA, she is the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey in Washington State. She is a popular speaker and author of numerous books, including Buddhism for Beginners.
Product Details
- Publisher: Wisdom Publications (August 11, 2020)
- Length: 420 pages
- ISBN13: 9781614296836
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Raves and Reviews
“The Buddha’s journey to full awakening could have ended with liberation, but his infinite compassion in the face of the suffering of all beings led him to continue his journey by sharing what he had learned with others. In this fifth volume of the Library of Wisdom and Compassion, the Dalai Lama explores in depth just how central compassion and empathy are to the path to awakening. It’s a comprehensive look at the teachings on compassion in every Buddhist tradition and is wonderfully complemented by the reflections and meditation suggestions of his co-author, Thubten Chodron.”
– Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Change
“Another insightful volume in an important series, In Praise of Great Compassion is a deep and wonderful book that offers crucial lessons for our time—and for all time.”
– Daniel Gilbert, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University
“In Praise of Great Compassion is a welcome arrival that illuminates the interface between two Buddhist traditions, Mahayana and Theravada, through the common ground of compassion. These valuable teachings are a gift and a powerful message to the world.”
– Ajahn Sundara, Amaravati Monastery
“His Holiness the Dalai Lama, together with Bhik?u?i Thubten Chodron, lucidly present the Buddha’s teachings to a wider readership. The inclusion of different Buddhist traditions’ practices on the important topic of great compassion is especially welcome, and I am delighted to see a chapter on Chinese Buddhism and its introduction to the Seven Round Compassion Contemplation, as well as the Four Great Vows. These are powerful practices not only to develop compassion but also to eliminate one’s own karmic obstacles. May all beings benefit from this latest volume of the valuable Dharma series, the Library of Wisdom and Compassion.”
– Bhik?u Jian Hu, Abbot of Sunnyvale Zen Center
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