Rating: 
Summary: A brilliant book
Review: After reading this book I came to the conclusion that the Dalai Lama is the most inspirational person I have ever come across. I rate Sir Donald Bradman as the ultimate in sporting perfection, and the Dalai Lama similarly perfect, but in the fields of intelligence, compassion and love. A brilliant book.
Rating: 
Summary: Being Happy using protective techniques of love & compassion
Review: This book was useful for me. I was happy to read that I already practice a lot of the advice in the book. The last thing I want to do is get angry and harm my inner self (and/or my internal organs). The book reminded me of the importance of spirtuality. It is a great handbook for living. I strongly recommend this book for anyone trying to move on from any sort of suffering (death, divorce, argument, career blues, etc.) which means we would ALL find this book useful. It's true that we all have one unique goal as human beings: happiness. This book is a great starting point for MORE happiness in our lives. I highlighted so many significant lines in the book. As an example: As products of an imperfect world, all of us are imperfect. Every one of us has done something wrong. OR It would not be helpful...if I let that feeling of regret weigh me down, be simply a source of discouragement and depression with no purpose, or interfere with going on with my life to the best of my ability. OR The first step in seeking happiness is learning. I urge everyone to LEARN from this informative book.
Rating:
Summary: A good laugh indeed
Review: In terms of its effect (that is, the evocation of happiness), I'd have to give this book five stars plus. The reading of it, however, was a bit of a chore until I found the adventure humorous. Howard Cutler is obsessed with scientifically validating the Dalai Lama's very simple (but not simplistic), practical, common-sensible observations of human nature and potential. That happy people tend to be healthier, for example, seems self-evident, an assertion not begging for research and statistical justification. Cutler is reminiscent in moments of the young Carlos Casteneda, whose occasional obtuseness served to make Don Juan's teachings all the more clear and luminous. I often have the feeling that the Dalai Lama is patiently instructing a small child, simplifying and simplifying again till the tike finally gains purchase. Yes, relationships based solely on sexual satisfaction, for example, are less likely to endure than those which combine physical attraction with genuine affection and respect. Imagine that. Actually, in his dialogs with the Dalai Lama, psychiatrist Cutler is a worthy representative of science-worshipping westerners. One gets the feeling that he'd sooner trust the results of a remote clinical study than believe what's before his own eyes and defer his own immediate, real, personal experience to the results of research. I reckoned years ago that science is the REAL religion of our culture, what we truly believe and live by on Friday night and Monday morning. Now I begin to see that our dependence on objective, detached, remote validation of reality is not merely our religion; it's also in substantial measure superstition. And the Dalai Lama, bless him, is as patient and compassionate with his American friend as a kind-hearted anthropologist might be in explaining the workings of a technological gadget to an isolated "primitive" tribesperson. I'm not accustomed to seeing technically proficient, well-educated Americans, particularly doctors (who are surely our high priests with the perceived power to induce or alleviate pain, to kill or cure, even perhaps one day to achieve something like immortality for the species), as primitive, and this was the amusement. To Cutler's immense credit, he routinely "busts" himself. And to my own credit, just after I stifle a smirk at his dunderheadedness, I frequently find myself busted as well, as some long-held perceptual bias breaks down and the light shines through. All in all, the journey of this read has so far been immensely worthwhile though often tedious and plodding in the going. Perhaps this is altogether fitting. The pursuit of happiness is indeed arduous, like walking 359 degrees round a circle towards an illusory end point. Surrendering to it is deceptively simple; could be as simple as stepping backward one little click.
Rating:
Summary: a remarkable resource
Review: This is a book written by the Dalai Lama, but it is not about Buddhism; it is about happiness. Whether you are a Buddhist, a Christian, an atheist, or of any other persuasion, an honest reading of this book can be of great value in finding happiness. The Dalai Lama doesn't ask that you accept his religion, but instead offers the wisdom of an incredible lifetime of learning in a way that can be applied in any life, in any faith. I can say, without hesitation, that this book changed my life. I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: Outline of the relationship between buddhism and Psychology
Review: This book was one of the first I have read to do with Buddhism and working towards contentment, and i was very impressed. I can honestly say that it changed my views about myself and the way i thought about others and the environment to a more positive and constructive vision. I came away from it feeling more enlightened about how one should live their life and also explains away problems which one may encounter and reasons why people act in certain ways. What sets it apart from other buddhist books is the addition of a psychologists perspective who is comparing Buddhist beliefs to modern day psychology and outlines interesting examples and theories from the western perspective which run alongside Buddhism.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for non-Buddhists...
Review: I think this is a good "self-help" book for learning how to deal with simple depression, loneliness, or jealousy, but I would not recommend it if you are trying to gain insight into the Buddhist religion or teachings. The book would have also been better if there were more exerpts from the Dalai Lama's specches and less psychological babble from the author.
Rating:
Summary: Truly Inspirational
Review: This was my first Dalai Lama book. Everytime I would pick it up to read, within 5 minutes, I would be overwhelmed with a sense of peace, compassion and humbleness. It's truly wonderful how the Dalai Lama is able to invoke such strong feelings within a person who knew very little about him and his teachings. His quiet wisdom, manifested to me only through the written word fills me with a newly discovered respect for his teachings and Buddhism in general, something which I will be exploring more in depth now.
Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars for HH, but did we really need the other guy...?
Review: At first I really enjoyed this book, but after a few chapters I found myself yearning for more words from the Dalai Lama than reading about the psychology of the buddhist path. What I ended up doing was abandoning this book in the middle, reading more books by His Holiness, then going back to this book when I felt I wanted the psychological insight (not very often). I did manage to finish reading cover to cover, but I guess once you read HH's actual words, others' never quite measure up! If this had been a first read for me, I probably would have enjoyed it more. I recommend it to anyone who is just getting started in the idea of the buddhist path, or anyone at all who is looking to lead a happier life. I can't really recommend it to those who are already on the path and are looking to gain more philosophical insight because, like me, you may find the psychological parts (and there are a LOT) a bit boring. In that case, stick with the books actually written by the Dalai Lama.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: This book is very important. It presents the fundamentals of Tibetan beliefs in a way accessible to the Western mind, and it carries as much relevance in this day and age as ever before. The importance and day to day relevance of compassion is conveyed in a powerful and clear manner by the co-author. In addition, I am thoroughly impressed by the brilliance of H.H. the Dalai Lama. It is a must read for absolutely everybody.
Rating:
Summary: Sources of Wisdom and Happiness
Review: I came to this book not expecting much. I knew the book was the product of an American psychiatrist, Dr. Cutler, rather than an actual text writtin by the Dali Lama. In fact, the book is based upon a series of interviews between Dr. Cutler and the Dali Lama over several years in the United States and In Dharmsala, India, the home of the Tibetan Govenment in exile. In addition to my doubts about the authenticity of the book, I also feared the book would be a self-help book, sometimes referred to under the rubric a "feel good" book. I was pleasantly surprised. The book speaks in simple terms but it is far from superficial. The character and the teaching of the Dali Lama, I think, come through its pages even though it is the author who is recounting the Dali Lama's teachings from his notes and even though the Dali Lama's interpreter, not the Dali Lama himself reviewed the final product. The Dali Lama comes through as a wise, thoughtful but simple monk with a sense of humor, modesty, and self-effacement. His simplicity, and his ability to relate to people of different backgrounds and religious traditions, are the mark of wisdom, coming from a spiritual leader who is all to often in the glare of the public limelight and who of necessity functions as a political leader as well. The Dali Lama presents teachings on the nature of the human heart -- it is essentially pure and good -- the desires and angers and ignorance which present us from realizing goodness and happiness- and teachings and methods to ease the path to happiness. Although the teachings are presented simply, no claim is made that the realization is simple. There are teachings on romantic love which may not appeal to Westerners (the Dali Lama finds it essentially selfish), but much good material on the psychology of the mind and emotions, controlling negative tendencies, the universal nature of the human heart, and most importantly, trying to conduct oneself to DO NO HARM to anyone else. The tone of the book is mostly psychological with very little of the specific teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. I thought the final chapter on spritual development was the most valuable and eloquent portion of the book. The Dali Lama talks about the different creeds, Eastern and Western, that he had come to know with his exile from Tibet. He finds that believers in these religions, regardless of how different they may appear on the surface, can find peace and happiness by following their teachings. For those unable to believe, a secular philosophy can likewise lead to peace and happiness through learning to control the mind. Very simple and profound teachings from a person who is indeed a wise teacher for our times.
|
