The Art of Living: A Guide to Contentment, Joy and Fulfillment

The Dalai Lama is one of the world's most loved and respected religious leaders. Exiled from his native Tibet since the 1950s, he has probably done more to introduce the West to Buddhism than any other figure, not just through his teachings but through the example of his life, his quiet dignity, humility, calmness, and obvious love for mankind. These are the qualities that shine through in The Art of Living. Subtitled "A Guide to Contentment, Joy and Fulfillment", this book is the text of a series of lectures the Dalai Lama gave at Wembley, London, in 1993. The talks deal with the problems of suffering, living, and dying with straightforward language, common sense, and compassion. You don't have to be a Buddhist to find the teachings valuable. For example, the Dalai Lama quotes the Indian scholar Shantideva: "If there is a way to overcome the suffering, then there is no need to worry; if there is no way to overcome the suffering, then there is no use in worrying." The talks in this book cover such areas as "Dealing with Anger and Emotion", and "Giving and Receiving: A Practical Way of Directing Love and Compassion." In the final short chapter, "The Challenge for Humanity: An Interfaith Address", the wisdom of the Dalai Lama is clear in his plea for mutual understanding between the plurality of the world's religions. The text of this book has been published before, both in The Power of Compassion and in The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching. What makes this edition different, as with the Dalai Lama's A Simple Path, is Ian Cumming's breathtakingly beautiful color photographs of mountains, monasteries, and monks in Tibet and India. --David V. Barrett, Amazon.co.uk