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The Spirit of Peace: Teachings on Love, Compassion and Everyday Life
The Dalai Lama discusses his thoughts on topics including wisdom, peace, happiness, faith, science, religion, and death, and describes his life from his youth through the invasion of Tibet and his meeting with Mao.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published October 25, 2002
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About the author
Dalai Lama XIV
1,553 books6,193 followersJetsun 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 1, 2017
After watching "7 Years in Tibet," I wanted to read a book by Dalai Lama and found this one in our local library. I really like the pictures! Colorful, vivid and bright, they give insight into his life, Tibetian culture and monks. I also liked the summary of his childhood and experiences as Dalai Lama.
The majority of the book shared his insights into life and how to live. While I don't agree with all the tenets of Buddhism, I did enjoy reading Dalai Lama's summary of the teachings he believes. One quote that stands out: "Practice the religion of kindness." I agree 100% with that!
Overall, this book is engaging, entertaining and insightful. I read it in under an hour and recommend it to readers who wish to learn more about Dalai Lama or Buddhism.
The majority of the book shared his insights into life and how to live. While I don't agree with all the tenets of Buddhism, I did enjoy reading Dalai Lama's summary of the teachings he believes. One quote that stands out: "Practice the religion of kindness." I agree 100% with that!
Overall, this book is engaging, entertaining and insightful. I read it in under an hour and recommend it to readers who wish to learn more about Dalai Lama or Buddhism.
June 1, 2023
So good, so glad I read it for purposeful learning and awareness.
July 19, 2012
This book of photos and teachings is an enjoyable read as a coffee table book, digestible in small doses. I read it straight through and learned about Buddhism and the Dalai Lama's history. I especially enjoyed his thoughts on how death progresses, the benefits of meditation, and the impacts of negative thinking. Photos of Ladakh, Tibet, Dharmasala Himalaya are great too.
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January 15, 2008A basic overview of Buddha's teachings and can be summarized in two sentences...
"Benefit others" and
"If you cannot benefit others, at least don't harm them"
"Benefit others" and
"If you cannot benefit others, at least don't harm them"
February 24, 2009
I liked this book because it had a lot of Great pictures. LOL so I really liked it! But great simple fast read to the understanding of who the Dalai LAma is
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews