What do you think?
Rate this book
Dalai Lama on What Matters Most: Conversations on Anger, Compassion, and Action
The Dalai Lama as You've Never Heard Him Before A few years ago, prominent cultural anthropologist Noriyuki Ueda sat down with the Dalai Lama for a lively two-day conversation. This little book is the result. In it are some surprising truths and commonsense wisdom. "The attachment that seeks what is good is worthwhile. Seeking enlightenment is a kind of attachment that we should keep, as is the desire for an unbiased heart." "Anger that is motivated by compassion or a desire to correct social injustice, and does not seek to harm anyone, is a good anger worth having." "I'm not only a socialist, but also a bit of a leftist, a Communist." "The type of competition that says, 'I am the winner, and you are the loser' must be overcome. But a positive competition allows us to lift each other up so that everybody ends up on top." Open the book to any page and find great wisdom on what matters most. And what matters most is not adherence to any one doctrine or political system but living with an open mind and heart.
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2013
12 people are currently reading
397 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 25, 2016
Oproti jiným knížkám s Dalajlámou zmatené, neucelené, některé věci se opakují, dělení kapitol je občas zvláštní a autor knihy má skoro více prostoru, než samotný Dalajláma. Kdybych tuto knížku četla jako první s buddhistickou tematikou, tak už si asi žádnou jinou nepřečtu.
August 19, 2020
The Dalai Lama has a sitdown with his mate and shares a few anicdotes about what‘s wrong with how buddhists practice today. Oh and anger is good if it helps you help people and isn‘t directed at anyone.
June 13, 2014
This book was rather short, but I certainly appreciated the fact that I was able to partake in a deep and passionate conversation between two extraordinarily mindful people. Prior to reading this, I didn't think much about religious institutions in other countries, and what their purpose was. This is a conversation worth looking into, as it informed me on so many levels about Buddhism, and not only spoke to my heart, but also allowed me to take some of the principles talked about and apply them to my life.
I see many similarities between Christian ministries in the United States and the Buddhist monks in Japan. Especially in my experience and knowledge with Catholic churches, many of them appear to be there simply for putting on a show. They are there to share spiritual information to people, but don't actually get involved with helping the communities. Perhaps that is harsh, because I know of many churches from just as many denominations that are out there doing amazing work to help develop other countries. But the questions that Mr. Ueda brought up made me think a lot about power, religion, and money. Reading and studying is necessary, but putting the studied principles into practice is what makes an effect on the world. Every minute spent reading this was worth my time.
I see many similarities between Christian ministries in the United States and the Buddhist monks in Japan. Especially in my experience and knowledge with Catholic churches, many of them appear to be there simply for putting on a show. They are there to share spiritual information to people, but don't actually get involved with helping the communities. Perhaps that is harsh, because I know of many churches from just as many denominations that are out there doing amazing work to help develop other countries. But the questions that Mr. Ueda brought up made me think a lot about power, religion, and money. Reading and studying is necessary, but putting the studied principles into practice is what makes an effect on the world. Every minute spent reading this was worth my time.
November 17, 2019
When I was in college I studied under a professor who was good friends with His Holiness, so when he came to the US, he spoke to our class. Our class was a senior class so it was tiny, "The Peoples Of India," and our professor got some amazing speakers. So we were all excited to meet the Dalai Lama, but we thought of it as part of our class and no one was awe struck, as I heard from people who saw him at UCLA later during that same trip.
The man was a kind, with a beautiful smile, a great sense of humor and who explained his religion and the difficulties his people were having with China. He was real, down to earth, extremely knowledgeable and a delight. I really liked him and his brother who was his translator (though His Holiness spoke English very well.) They were both lovely and I have held that meeting as dear all these years later.
This book is a series of questions and answers, it is very interesting and gives a thorough understanding of Buddhism Beliefs for the layman such as myself. I really found it very thorough and interesting. But what I was missing in it was a sense of the person being interviewed. It was not all the dimensions of a brilliant man, and that did disturb me. But I learned a lot and found the little book most enlightening.
The man was a kind, with a beautiful smile, a great sense of humor and who explained his religion and the difficulties his people were having with China. He was real, down to earth, extremely knowledgeable and a delight. I really liked him and his brother who was his translator (though His Holiness spoke English very well.) They were both lovely and I have held that meeting as dear all these years later.
This book is a series of questions and answers, it is very interesting and gives a thorough understanding of Buddhism Beliefs for the layman such as myself. I really found it very thorough and interesting. But what I was missing in it was a sense of the person being interviewed. It was not all the dimensions of a brilliant man, and that did disturb me. But I learned a lot and found the little book most enlightening.
July 13, 2021
I wish Goodreads allowed emojis to help us express better.
So glad this was a small book else I would've given up half way through.
The Dalai Lama says it's ok for parents to strike their children because they only intend good things for them.
In the same book he says parents who treat their children like properties are not good or something on those lines.
And elsewhere he says perhaps parents treating one child better than the other could stem from animal behaviour where a dog.. omg, Ok, I can't event type this! Lol.
Very stereotyped, ignorant rambling on many things including ignorance. The irony!
This is the first thing I am reading on Dalai Lama and I am very disappointed.
So glad this was a small book else I would've given up half way through.
The Dalai Lama says it's ok for parents to strike their children because they only intend good things for them.
In the same book he says parents who treat their children like properties are not good or something on those lines.
And elsewhere he says perhaps parents treating one child better than the other could stem from animal behaviour where a dog.. omg, Ok, I can't event type this! Lol.
Very stereotyped, ignorant rambling on many things including ignorance. The irony!
This is the first thing I am reading on Dalai Lama and I am very disappointed.
January 18, 2023
An interview with the Dalai Lama in tiny, coaster-sized book form. I learned new things, found clarification on the meanings of concepts, and discovered to my great interest, that there are things with which the Dalai Lama and I disagree. I recommend it because it introduces new ideas to explore, and you will increase you knowledge if you approach it with an open mind, regardless whether or not you agree with everything 100%. With the exception of Dr. Evil, most can agree with the book's intent to make the world a better place by teaching compassion.
February 16, 2021
I think this book wasn't quite what I expected. I would have liked to hear more words of wisdom from the Dalai Lama himself, but a lot of the context was from the perspective of Udea, who did the interviewing. I wouldn't say I learned anything new from this book as someone who has read other books by the Dalai Lama.
January 31, 2019
I expected more words of wisdom. It was more a philosophical discussion about Buddhism dwindling down and it's comparison with other religions such as Christianity. They lost me when they said they didn't believe in God and that Buddhism was about being self reliant like Buddha....
September 4, 2022
i like to look at books as companions especially because I usually read the same few books over a period of months. this one was a nice companion, kept me grounded, and helped me learn a few new things.
November 16, 2013
Goodreads First Reads Giveaway Book.
------------------------------------
Another book on Buddhism and its meanings about life. Dalai Lama on What Matters Most: Conversations on Anger, Compassion, and Action is a two-day interview with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in December 2006 by Dr. Noriyuki Ueda. The author is currently a Professor at the Centre for Liberal Arts and the Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan.
The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the 14th in the line of Dalai Lamas. The first was born in 1391. Each is believed to be the reincarnation of his predecessors. Born in 1935 and installed as the Dalai Lama in 1940, he ruled Tibet until the Chinese invasion in 1950. He fled to India in 1959. However, he’s the leader of the Tibetan government in exile centered in Dharmsala, India. And in 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent efforts to liberate his homeland.
With well over 100 books, much has been written about his life and his teachings. So, what’s different about this book? I couldn’t find anything different, even though it’s a transcription of an interview and could serve as historical document for future research.
Still, throughout this book, one can find useful teachings that could help explain the meanings in life. The first set of messages involve what Buddhism can offer. We read about a conversation stating that we need a compassionate society because we are social animals. Further, many in society today believe that money is the most fundamental thing in our life. For them, though, money can’t console them when they’re in a desperate situation. This leads to a society becoming aggressive. Unrecognized by them is that “human affection is much stronger and more useful than money.”
Second set of messages in this book involve compassionate anger. We should understand that “religion based on faith alone can end up as mysticism.” To move beyond faith, we should become skeptical about its teachings since this produces questions, which lead to answers through investigations. Only after we know something, we can truly accept and believe in it. Anger is not always a bad thing. If it’s based or motivated by compassion with the desire to correct a social injustice and doesn’t seek to harm anyone, it’s a productive thing.
Third set of messages involve love. If we judge everything on a material level, we won’t be able to recognize any other values. The most important things in life include these human values, along with having (and being) compassionate friends. When people treat others like property, that’s attachment and not love.
Although this book didn’t contain anything new, it still contains useful information. Yet, if you want to know more about the Dalai Lama and his teachings, I recommend you read the following books instead: 1) the 1998 interview with Dr. Howard C. Cutler in the book The Art of Happiness; 2) its updated book in 2009 The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World; or 3) the 2003 book containing his talks in London as edited by Dominique Side A Simple Path: Basic Buddhist Teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Dalai Lama on What Matters Most contains valuable information about life and what we should do to realize meaning. A good short read for anyone seeking answers in a troubling world.
------------------------------------
Another book on Buddhism and its meanings about life. Dalai Lama on What Matters Most: Conversations on Anger, Compassion, and Action is a two-day interview with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in December 2006 by Dr. Noriyuki Ueda. The author is currently a Professor at the Centre for Liberal Arts and the Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan.
The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the 14th in the line of Dalai Lamas. The first was born in 1391. Each is believed to be the reincarnation of his predecessors. Born in 1935 and installed as the Dalai Lama in 1940, he ruled Tibet until the Chinese invasion in 1950. He fled to India in 1959. However, he’s the leader of the Tibetan government in exile centered in Dharmsala, India. And in 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent efforts to liberate his homeland.
With well over 100 books, much has been written about his life and his teachings. So, what’s different about this book? I couldn’t find anything different, even though it’s a transcription of an interview and could serve as historical document for future research.
Still, throughout this book, one can find useful teachings that could help explain the meanings in life. The first set of messages involve what Buddhism can offer. We read about a conversation stating that we need a compassionate society because we are social animals. Further, many in society today believe that money is the most fundamental thing in our life. For them, though, money can’t console them when they’re in a desperate situation. This leads to a society becoming aggressive. Unrecognized by them is that “human affection is much stronger and more useful than money.”
Second set of messages in this book involve compassionate anger. We should understand that “religion based on faith alone can end up as mysticism.” To move beyond faith, we should become skeptical about its teachings since this produces questions, which lead to answers through investigations. Only after we know something, we can truly accept and believe in it. Anger is not always a bad thing. If it’s based or motivated by compassion with the desire to correct a social injustice and doesn’t seek to harm anyone, it’s a productive thing.
Third set of messages involve love. If we judge everything on a material level, we won’t be able to recognize any other values. The most important things in life include these human values, along with having (and being) compassionate friends. When people treat others like property, that’s attachment and not love.
Although this book didn’t contain anything new, it still contains useful information. Yet, if you want to know more about the Dalai Lama and his teachings, I recommend you read the following books instead: 1) the 1998 interview with Dr. Howard C. Cutler in the book The Art of Happiness; 2) its updated book in 2009 The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World; or 3) the 2003 book containing his talks in London as edited by Dominique Side A Simple Path: Basic Buddhist Teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Dalai Lama on What Matters Most contains valuable information about life and what we should do to realize meaning. A good short read for anyone seeking answers in a troubling world.
November 21, 2013
The conversation between The Dalai Lama and Ueda took place over two days in India. Though the focus was on the Buddhists of Japan there is lots to glean from the conversation on compassion and humanity.
I received this book as a giveaway
I received this book as a giveaway
April 17, 2021
Přepis velmi zajímavého rozhovoru Noriyukiho Uedy s dalajlamou. Bohužel jsem měla občas trochu pocit, že se Noriyuki Ueda rád poslouchá, a spíše než o vyslechnutí dalajlamových názorů mu jde o potvrzení vlastních úvah a stanovisek.
August 12, 2016
I enjoyed the parts where he laughs whenever talking about China or North Korea.
February 22, 2017
příjemné počteníčko. Hodně lidí si to přečte ale ne všichni se nad tím zamyslí. bohužel
March 4, 2023
3,75*.
December 7, 2023
If you read this book, you understand how is the enlightenment and the compassion.
October 14, 2018
A short but good read on some of Dalai Lama's thoughts on questions that haunt us all.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews