Ancient Wisdom, Modern World: Ethics for a New Millennium

by Dalai Lama XIV

This work presents the Dalai Lama's prescription for the spiritual expansion of humankind. Addressing what he sees as the spiritual void in modern society, the Dalai Lama calls for the necessity of virtue and greater compassion. Besides discussing ways in which we may care for the environment, he gives guidance in the techniques of contemplation. Written as a form of spiritual handbook, this work is also a complement to Freedom in Exile, the Dalai Lama's autobiography.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Spirituality, Buddhism, Religion, Self Help, Psychology

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (born Lhamo Döndrub), the 14th Dalai Lama, is a practicing member of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism and is influential as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the world's most famous Buddhist monk, and the leader of the exiled Tibetan government in India.

Tenzin Gyatso was the fifth of sixteen children born to a farming family. He was proclaimed the tulku (an Enlightened lama who has consciously decided to take rebirth) of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two.

On 17 November 1950, at the age of 15, he was enthroned as Tibet's ruler. Thus he became Tibet's most important political ruler just one month after the People's Republic of China's invasion of Tibet on 7 October 1950. In 1954, he went to Beijing to attempt peace talks with Mao Zedong and other leaders of the PRC. These talks ultimately failed.

After a failed uprising and the collapse of the Tibetan resistance movement in 1959, the Dalai Lama left for India, where he was active in establishing the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan Government in Exile) and in seeking to preserve Tibetan culture and education among the thousands of refugees who accompanied him.

Tenzin Gyatso is a charismatic figure and noted public speaker. This Dalai Lama is the first to travel to the West. There, he has helped to spread Buddhism and to promote the concepts of universal responsibility, secular ethics, and religious harmony.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, honorary Canadian citizenship in 2006, and the United States Congressional Gold Medal on 17 October 2007.

Reviews

[Livia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for Pub Pol 302

Was really good. Unfortunately I was in a bad mood about having to read hundreds of pages for Pub Pol 302 so that kinda marred the vibe

The Dalai Lama would LOVE Shake it Off by Taylor Swift. Have you guys heard it? It's kind of underground ≧◡≦

[Kimberley Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The teachings in this book make sense to me in a way nothing else had before, and nothing else has since. The quintessential, life changing book.

[Finola Wennekes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was life changing in that it reconnected me with some understanding of spirituality and humanism, focusing on a universal responsibility and spirituality that goes beyond any structured religious doctrines. At the time of reading, I remember being so impressed by this text that I bought copies for friends and family and believed that if everyone had a read of its contents, the world would start to be a better place... Now, nearly ten years later, I think maybe I should read it again and make an updated judgement.

[Dr. House · Rating 3 out of 5]

أظنه كتابا جيدا لمبتدئ في الروحانيات
رغم أنه يتحدث عن مبادئ عظيمة إلا أن الدلاي لاما أبقى مستوى الحديث سطحيا
ففي خضم حديثه عن الغضب مثلا ، عالج النتيجة "على الفرد و الآخر " و قال بوجوب كبت الغضب شعوريا انطلاقا من معرفة تبعاته حيث جعل الرحمة هي الشعور الأسمى روحانية
و لم يتحدث عن كيفية العمل على نفسياتنا لجعلها غير متقبلة للغضب أصلا ، على افتراض أن لا أحد لديه السلطة لإغضابنا إلا إذا سمحتا له .
الكتاب بشكل عام مفيد و أظن أن الدلاي لاما ربما راعى المتلقين - البشرية - حين جعل كتابه في متناول الجميع

[Thao Phuong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bible for atheist. The book discusses the moral values and ethical principles that have echoed across age, cultures and religions. The timeless wisdom of Dalai Lama is condensed in one striking line "Every sentient being has equal right to happiness"

[Gearóid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting.
Just seems like good common sense to me.

[Carol Hislop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book you can go back to several times and re-read sections again. It is just full of common sense. Just after I read it, the Dalai Lama came to Glasgow and my friend and I went to see him-with thousands of other people at the SEC. Having read the book added to the SEC experience.

[جاسم كلمد · Rating 4 out of 5]

ــ "أيمكنني أن أصبح في كل زمان
الآن وإلى الأبد
راعيًا لمن هم بغير حماية
دليلاً للذين أضاعوا طريقهم
قاربًا لمن يريدون عبور المحيطات
جسرًا لمن يريدون اجتياز الأنهار
ملاذًا لمن هم بدون ضوء
ملجأً لمن هم بدون مأوى
وخادمًا لكل الذين هم بحاجة." ــ

[Majeda · Rating 3 out of 5]

أن يكون لدينا مسبحة لا يكفي أن يصنع من أحدنا مؤمناً

[Anish Jadoenathmisier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Op zich een leuk boek en een goede introductie over ethiek in het algemeen. Ik had zelf gehoopt dat het boek iets meer de diepte in zou gaan over wat het betekent om een goed mens te zijn.

Ik vond dat er mooie stukken in zaten waar ik mezelf in kon erkennen, soms te bot reageren of overgehaast reageren en dat het dus goed is om soms gewoon even weg te lopen van een probleem en het allemaal te laten bezinken.

[Rana · Rating 5 out of 5]

أنّ الأطفال يشكلون المورد الأكثر قيمة للإنسانية ، وبما أن سلوكهم الأخلاقي يتعلق إلى حد كبير بالطريقة التي ينشؤون عليها ، فمن المهم أن نربيهم بطريقة مسؤولة .
_____
العقل البشري هو المصدر ، وإن وُجه بشكل جيّد يصبح الحل لجميع مشاكلنا .
• أولئك الذين يتلقون معرفة كبيرة لكنهم يفتقدون القلب ، يكونون معرضين للوقوع فريسة القلق والانفعالات التي تولد رغبات من المستحيب إشباعها . بالمقابل ، الفهم الحقيقي للقيم الروحية له تأثير معاكس . إن كانت التربية التي نقدمها لأطفالنا لا تشتمل على الرحمة قد يكون موقفهم الحسد تجاه الأعلى منهم ، والعداء والمنافسة فيما يتعلق بأقرانهم ، والاحتقار أمام من هم أقل منهم ثروة ، ينتج عن ذلك ميل إلى الطمع ، للغرور ، للزهو ، وسريعاً فقدان السعادة .
_________المعرفة مهمة جداً لكن معرفة طريقة إستخدامها هي أكثر أهمية .

• يقع على عاتقنا مسؤولية حملهم على الفهم أن للأفعال أبعاداً عالمية ، ويجب علينا أن نجد وسيلة لتطوير تعاطفهم الفطري بطريقة يمكن الحصول من ورائها على شعور بالمسؤولية نحو أقربائهم . ألا أنّه لا تعلّم أهمية رعاية الآخرين من خلال الخطب، إنما من خلال الأعمال . لذا فالبيئة العائلية هي عنصر حيوي للتربية . عندما تغيب المحبة والرحمة من البيت ، ويتعرض الأطفال للإهمال من قبل والديهما ، لا يمكن أن ننتظر إلا نتائج سلبية . يشعر الأطفال عندها أنهم دون سند ، ويجعلهم القلق بسهولة مضطربين . بالمقابل ، عندما يتلقون العاطفة والحماية اللتان هم بحاجة إليها يميلون أن يكونوا أكثر سعادة وأكثر ثقة بقدراتهم . وبالتالي ستكون صحتهم البدنية هي أفضل بشكل طبيعي .______ ونلاحظ أنهم لا يهتمون إلا بأنفسهم ولكن أيضاً بالآخرين .
• من المهم أن نلغي من مناهجنا المدرسية أي نزعة لعرض الآخر بصورة سلبية . من المهم أن نظهر للأطفال بأنّ التمييز بين بلدي وبلدك وبين ديني ودينك هي اعتبارات ثانوية . يجب بالأحرى أن نؤكد على حقيقة أنّ حقي في السعادة لا يختلف عن حقك في شيئ .


* اليقين الوحيد الذي نملكه
هوأنّه في المكان الذي يتواجد فيه العنف
يتواجد دائماً أيضاً معاناة لا مفر منها

[Tay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compassion, compassion, compassion! Apparently this is the key to happiness. He begins describing out modern world as one where those in the richer countries are less happy than in poorer counties and cites this as proof that as our lives become more materialistic, our souls suffer. Religion is not necessary today but spirituality, and its corresponding values of love, compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, responsibility, and harmony, will always be essential. The root of our unhappiness is afflictive emotion, anger, hate, greed, lust, envy, etc. Which when we act upon it only causes more unnecessary suffering to ourselves and others. We must control its control on us and while living virtuously by helping others we can curb and lessen our afflictive emotions. Religion can be a means to help us do that, as all religions emphasize the spiritual necessities of life. For each person a different religion may be the best way/means for them to attain and better their spiritual qualities, so all religions should be respected. For some it may not even be necessary and thats okay. If the entire planet was conducting their lives around promoting the well being of others, WORLD PEACE would be a reality, and so would world happiness. We must all dal with unavoidable suffering like illness, disaster, and death which are so hard already, why create more? Since the world has become so interdependent it is more necessary now to have compassion for others for all to have happy, meaningful lives.

[Rubina · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eloquent and life enriching book. While the book was written by the Dalai Lama, it's emphasis is on the spiritual rather than religious aspects of life.."whether a person practises religion or not, the spiritual qualities of love, compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, humility and so on are indispensable". The most common and important aim of all human beings is the pursuit of happiness. According to the Dalai Lama, the principal characteristic of genuine happiness is : Inner peace. To develop inner peace we must guard against factors that obstruct it, and cultivate those that are conducive to it. Our basic attitude and actions we take are major source and conditions for inner peace.

[Silje · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the list of books that everyone in the world should read to create peace and become better people. The book is very light, not going into Buddhist philosophy on any deeper level, but just returning again and again to the humanity which must be the focus of all our efforts. Care for your fellow human beings, because you are all part of the same soul. It is not rocket science. Radical compassion in all situations should be the most rationally founded and fundamental attitude to live by. Always. Whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Christian or a shaman from Peru.

[Tsering Dhundup · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the best in educating and training one's mind in developing ethical and wholesome actions and behaviour. One of the most important training is generating compassion and loving kindness for others. Tha Dalai Lama reiterates that "the more we tuly desire to benefit others, the greater the strength and confidence we develop and the greater the peace and happiness we experience".

[Mark Woollacott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable and inspiring read. Full of incredible insights about human behavior, the mind and soul. The subjects of ethics is dealt with in this book, highlighting how compassion, love, tolerance, fairness, honesty and equality are needed in order to find inner peace and harmony in society. Full of wise words.

[Jane Marga · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes the Buddhist philosophy amazing and beautiful to me is on how it can explain concepts that appear as unrelated and irrelevant into something interrelatedly profound.

The Dalai Lama's usage of words, which hooked me, was flowing in a state of peaceful flux.

It's light and easy to take even though the topic he's covering is quite disagreeable.

[Gordon Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I found it a little hard reading at the start and a little repetitive that just sets the foundations for when you progress for me the most interesting 3rd part. Very highly recommend and now looking forward to my second reading.

[Anwen Garston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would highly recommend this book. It's kind of like the Dalai Lama's manifesto as to how he thinks the modern world could implement certain principles when it comes to politics, the environment and treating each other. I found it very interesting.

[David Del Col · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-Reading this work of the Dalai Lama XIV Dalai Lama XIV

Adding this to my research reference for Tarra - The Changeling Chronicles

[Nikki Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing read. I have to admit, some sections I had to re-read and re-read to fully get an understanding and let the words sink in. A book to pick up from time to time whenever you need reassurance, guidance and a reality check.

Simply be here. Be now. Be kind

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A guide for practicing goodness. Great advice for avoiding negativity and remembering what really matters.

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite a difficult book to crack. I attempted a few times. not a toilet read, neither a bed time read. Nevertheless, the message is clear.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of this book is common sense, however it's nice to have the reminder in written form.

[Charlie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is impossible to take advice on how to live your life from a self proclaimed hypocrite who has a winter and summer palace. The book is also boring.

[Kalsang Dickyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

learn how to be patience

[Mark Gibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me this was a life changing book: it changed my view on life and started my interest in Buddhism.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for everyone

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reiterating the importance of love & compassion for all mankind, we are all one & will leave with nothing. Respect and help others.

[Catherine]

Se désarmer à l'intérieur ; le sankalpa de l'heure.