A Profound Mind - Dalai Lama, Nicholas Vreeland & Richard Gere

A Profound Mind

By Dalai Lama, Nicholas Vreeland & Richard Gere

  • Release Date: 2011-09-27
  • Genre: Buddhism
Score: 4
4
From 27 Ratings

Description

For the first time for general readers, the Dalai Lama presents a comprehensive overview of the most important teaching of Buddhism.
 
Perhaps the main difference between Buddhism and other religions is its understanding of our core identity.  The existence of the soul or self, which is central in different ways to Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is actually denied in Buddhism.  Even further, belief in a “self” is seen as the main source of our difficulties in life.  Yet a true understanding of this teaching does not lead one to a despairing, cynical worldview with a sense that life has no meaning—Far from it, a genuine understanding leads to authentic happiness for an individual and the greatest source of compassion for others.
 
In 2003 and in 2007, the Dalai Lama was invited to New York to give a series of talks on the essential Buddhist view of selflessness. This new book, the result of those talks, is now offered to help broaden awareness of this essential doctrine and its usefulness in living a more meaningful and happy life.
 
While the Dalai Lama offers a full presentation of his teachings on these key philosophical points for contemplation, he also shows readers how to bring these teachings actively into their own lives with recommendations for a personal practice.  It is only by actually living these teachings that we allow them to bring about a genuine transformation in our perception of ourselves and our lives
 
A Profound Mind offers important wisdom for those committed to bringing about change in the world through developing their own spiritual capabilities, whether they are Buddhists or not.

Reviews

  • Great book on Buddhist principles

    5
    By Manni hanni
    I check this book out from the library and it's fantastic, beautiful and puzzling. Puzzling because the concepts are new and sagacious. I'm going to buy the book on iBooks so I can re read it and makes highlights and notes
  • Humble Thoughts

    5
    By The Lexi-con
    I lack the ability as well as the right to endeavor to do anything except try to understand and put into practice the ideas and teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I am a student of philosophy, a spiritual nomad, a misfit toy, and nowhere near capable of such thought as to offer insight. However, I shall give it my best shot. There is a question posed quite early: What is the Meaning of Life? This is a question many struggle with, looking for purpose and meaning. There are those that would be excited to see the question and disappointed to see the answer His Holiness gives, but I for one have found it to be the best answer I have heard in my few years on the earth. The answer: to be compassionate towards others. Taking that idea a step further, it is based on our ability to be compassionate and to show that compassion towards others that we are able to have an impact on our future lives. We are the captains of our own fate. The idea of impermanence, depending on the context in which one is trying to understand/accept it, ca be difficult to internalize. However, the visual concept of the apple transitioning from the form that we see as delicious to a form we do not recognize, and the scientific concept of the erosion of the mountains over millions of years, allows for a much easier internalization process. A question I have asked myself on several occasions has been “What makes me me?” Another is “Who am I?” In regard to Christian and Judaic thought, my soul makes me me, and my soul is here on the planet once, and is then either sent to paradise or eternal suffering. However, in Buddhist theory and belief, there is no soul. The idea of “I” is a major problem. The idea of “I”, an idea essential to the dogmas of other spiritual creeds, is expressly denied within Buddhism. There is no inherent self. Rather, there is a consciousness that exists moment to moment, each preceding moment causing the proceeding moment. Tricky at first. Why is consciousness different from the soul? A question that took me some time to wrestle with. However, a soul is stagnate, much like a pond, while consciousness is fluid, like a river. A wise man said to me as I was trying to wrap my mind around this “Go slow. One step at a time.” In my rather simple understanding, this idea of inherent existence causes various things that lead us to suffer. For example, if I desire a brand new car, I will be drawn to what I deem as “the best”. It is not necessarily because it is the best, but rather because I have perceived it to be so. This longing for an object that truly is only parts constructed in a way that cause it to be perceived as a car, causes suffering. The same can be said of people. If I use the idea of self to distinguish myself from others, avoidance and dislike will then stem from my attempts to further distinguish myself from others by perceiving or attributing inherently negative qualities about them. Then of course, there is emptiness. I must confess, I am still wrestling with this one. The Buddha stated, “Form is empty, emptiness is form”. What I’ve gotten from this is that although material things exist, such as a bed or a guitar, there is no inherent existence to either of these things, or anything else. It is in trying to apply inherent existence that we again find ourselves within the jaws of misery. So, just as the belief that there is no inherent existence settles, we can come back to the question of “Who am I?” It’s been established that there is no inherent self, but there can be a use for the terms “I” or “me” solely as labels for the physical and mental parts that make up a person. The name Alexandra Gioiella serves merely as a label for the mental and physical parts that exist in the present moment. Nothing more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, much as I enjoyed An Open Heart. Although sometimes raising a few more questions for myself than I’d like, I found that my view changed as I continued to read. I started out looking for answers, which was the wrong approach to take. As I continued through the book, my desire for answers gave way to a desire for understanding, which I believe I found in some small way. From a philosophic point of view, I thought it was great. It was laid out in a manner that was conducive to dedicated practitioners as well as those just discovering Buddhism. As opposed to other books on religion/spirituality, Buddhist theories were not held to be fact. Instead, they were posited as beliefs held by those who practice Buddhism. I find that for the general public, regardless of creed, it’s much easier to stomach, accept, and potentially embrace. Most philosophies, when put forth by those who believe in them most fervently, are hard to take, as believers and practitioners can come on a little strong. However, His Holiness does not say that any other belief system is inherently wrong (as is sometimes the case when dealing with other spiritual beliefs), he accepts that other belief systems exist and that others find peace through them. It is easy to tell that he believes strongly in Buddhism, but not with the sort of abrasive close-minded ignorance that can pervade the minds of the followers within other faiths. We should all be so lucky to be capable of having such strong belief and yet be so capable of not only tolerance, which should be basic, but also of acceptance which can be so much harder. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is an inspiration, and a beacon of light for those who struggle in the darkness. Now, a short note on the foreword of this book. Although my understanding and knowledge in respect to Buddhism is limited at best, I found no fault within the book. So, although I appreciate the caveat put forth by the editor, and although this may be incredibly presumptuous on my part, I don’t think he has much to worry about.

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