The Path to Enlightenment

Great book for those interested in Buddhism. I have just started getting involved in Buddhism and this book is a great asset. Do not think you will read or listen to it just once. You will continue to pour over this book and each time get more knowledge out if.

This book is derived from talks given by the Dalai Lama at the Tibetan Buddhist temple in Dharamsala, India in 1998. The focal point is on the Lamrim (or meditative stages of the path to enlightenment) started in the 11th century by Atisha. His Holiness clarifies the introductory practices, like creating a favorable environment and training the mind, and then gives the primary meditations of the Lamrim on confidence in a spiritual trainer and appreciating human aptitude. He unravels the many layered practices for beginners of all sorts of capacity.As stated by the Dalai Lama here, a gentle heart and compassion for all beings are the genuine foundations for peace and bliss. Working for all beings brings internal riches that are incalculable. In one of the more concise portions, he elucidates the Six Perfections and the Four Ripening Factors. What's communicated here are the psychological insights of Tibetan Buddhism's appreciation of morality and right action. These teachings on training the mind and the path of selflessness are delicate and appealing. Many of the views expressed in this text are very esoteric and may take some preliminary understanding of Tibetan Buddhism in order to truly grasp. With that said, The Dalai Lama did a wonderful job of trying to explain these rough concepts to precisely that crowd of people (those unfamiliar with it all). So it's a good book for beginners and adepts alike. Enjoy!

For the last forty years, the Tibetan government has been exiled in India. In 1959 the new Communist Chinese government forced the non-violent Tibetan Buddhist government, lead by the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, to flee the land in preparation to overtake the Tibetan people. In his years in exile the Dalai Lama has written literature on the Tibetan Buddhist way of life, not only to attract the Buddhist population but the world's religions. This life is one of clarity, love, and good deeds. Path to Enlightenment, which is a commentary on the third Dalai Lama's Essence of Refined Gold, gives spiritual advice through the eyes of Buddhist over a span of many years, defining the life of a Tibetan Buddhist. The writing of Tenzin Gyatso and Sonam Gyatso together is showing us Buddha's principal on the path to enlightenment. ALong with defining the Lam Rim, which are the stages on the spiritual path. His holiness described the difficulty of attaining Nirvana(full Buddhahood), but urges determination. Path to Enlightenment makes one aware of the steps that must be taken in advance for the true inner peace., while giving up the expectation of a quick fix to a problem. The Dalai Lama explains how to cultivate a person's own meditative concentration, to give the mind a clear state. A person has to train their mind to discipline themselves, but enlightenment is feasible by any human being.

I've read many, many books about meditation, and specifically above the integration of meditation into a Buddhist practice. Most books are either wholely theoretical or entirely practical in a way that fails to convey the depth of meditation in Buddhist tradition.This books walks a fine line, and successfully I think, in dispensing both practical and theoretical knowledge to the reader in a way that enlivens and energizes the practices outlined inside. Well worth a couple of nights worth of study.

His Holiness is truly amazing, and his thoughts truly profound. Within the pages of this text you can explore the depths of your consciousness, and end up seeing the world and oneself in a totally new light. Truly amazing