The Dalai Lama’s Book of Awakening

by Dalai Lama XIV

A little book for those in search of words to calm and inspire. In this mini ebook His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches us how to deal with suffering.

The Dalai Lama's Book of Awakening contains His Holiness thoughts on The Four Noble Truths – the very foundation of Buddhist teaching.

The Four Noble Truths – the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, the truth of the path leading to this cessation – was the first sermon the Buddha gave after he was enlightened. In this little book, His Holiness presents a comprehensive explanation of the subject, helping us to gain a better understanding of the Four Noble Truths.

'Whenever I have been given the opportunity to introduce Buddhism I always make it a point to explain Buddhism in terms of two principles. One is the development of a philosophical viewpoint based on the understanding of the interdependent nature of reality. And the second principle is that of non-violence which is the actual action of a Buddhist practitioner and which derives from that view of the interdependent nature of reality.'
His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Genres: Buddhism, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Religion

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 21, 2003

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

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fast read, although you do need to read over some parts a bit slower than others. What the Dalai Lama is trying to pass on toyou is htat in order for you to be happy and find a sort of self awakening is to first get a shold of what is troubling you. Work thru these things and move on fromthem. Learn from them and learn to really love yourself and the world around you. It creates a good cirlce of Karma. I guess,the next thing, if you don't beleive in karma, then try to beleive that happiness will generate happiness. Try not to wallow in what gets you down. Believe in a higher power.. it doesn't have to be Buddhism, it can be Christianity or Muslim or whatever is out there that gives you a sense of strength and empowerment.

[Anantha Krishna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book has a lot of theories and jargons which might be an overkill for a quick read. Especially without examples/relatable explanations to common people.

And if all the points are important to go into the content demands Larger volume.

Finally a revelation for me was to know how Buddhism too is so complex with multiple schools and theories contrary to what I had heard about Buddha having simplified a lot of things during his time.

[Madalina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is significantly more difficult going through than I expected. The Buddhist philosophy around the 4 Truths is a bit difficult to understand as a westerner, but His Holiness does a good job in clearing things up.

[Sunil Goel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the four noble truth of buddhism describes and about what a person requires to start his/her practice.

[Mrs. J.P. Cantle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear as always

The Four Noble Truths are the essence of Buddhism.
The Dalai Lana expounds on them in this book. He also gives you a lot to think about!

[Dubzor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Granted this is an abridged version of a much longer book. Still, it's a great in depth breakdown of the four noble truths and the three jewels.

[Lourdes Cambridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE TIBETAN MONKS VISITED MY HOME AREA IN 2001...RIGHT BEFORE 911...AND THEY VISITED A LITTLE SOUTH OF HERE, IN BIRMINGHAM...RIGHT AFTER NASA/COLUMBIA. THEN THE DALAI LAMA VISITED IN 2015...FOR A SYMPOSIUM ON THE PLASTICITY OF THE BRAIN. NOW THE DALAI LAMA IS IN HOSPITAL...UNDERGOING PROSTATE TREATMENTS...ACCORDING TO HIS OWN ACCOUNTS. THE ESSENCE OF THE VISIT HERE WAS LONGEVITY. THE ESSENCE OF THE VISIT TO BIRMINGHAM FOCUSSED ON THAT WHICH LASTS FOREVER. THE PLASTICITY OF THE BRAIN EVENT CONCENTRATED ON EXORCISING AND ENLIGHTENING AWARENESS AND ON DEVELOPING NEW PATHS THAT LEAD TO THE SAME GOAL...ALBEIT PERHAPS, ROADS LESS TRAVELLED BY SOME. THIS CONFERENCE WAS COMBINED WITH NEURO SCIENCE STRIVING TO REGENERATE FROM DEVASTATING NEURO TRAUMA. AND THE CAPACITY TO RAISE AWARENESS IS INTIMATELY LINKED WITH SPONTANEOUS HEALING AND HAPPINESS.

[Janet Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly EnJoY & appreciate this book ! This is my 3rd time reading it ! One who wishes to gain knowledge of & undestand how the Mind, Body & Feelings can work together in Harmony MUST read this ! Namaste.

[Naushadali Rangoonwala · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review might be biased since I'm not a fan of any books propagating religion/spirituality. I read this on my trip to Ladakh. While the book does have some interesting lessons, there are too many teachings filled without satisfactory examples.