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Interconnected: Embracing Life in Our Global Society
Plucked from a humble nomad family to become the leader of one of Tibet’s oldest Buddhist lineages, the young Seventeenth Karmapa draws on timeless values to create an urgent ethic for today’s global community.
We have always been, and will always be, interconnected—through family, community, and shared humanity. As our planet changes and our world grows smaller, it is vital we not only recognize our connections to one another and to the earth but also begin actively working together as interdependent individuals to create a truly global society.
The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is uniquely positioned to guide us in this process. Drawing on years of intensive Buddhist training and a passionate commitment to social issues, he teaches how we can move from a merely intellectual understanding to a fully lived experience of connection. By first seeing, then feeling, and finally living these connections, we can become more effective agents of social and ethical change.
The Karmapa shows us how gaining emotional awareness of our connectedness can fundamentally reshape the human race. He then guides us to action, showing step by step how we can change the way we use the earth’s resources and can continue to better our society. In clear language, the Karmapa draws connections between such seemingly far-flung issues as consumer culture, loneliness, animal protection, and self-reliance. In the process, he helps us move beyond theory to practical and positive social and ethical change.
We have always been, and will always be, interconnected—through family, community, and shared humanity. As our planet changes and our world grows smaller, it is vital we not only recognize our connections to one another and to the earth but also begin actively working together as interdependent individuals to create a truly global society.
The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is uniquely positioned to guide us in this process. Drawing on years of intensive Buddhist training and a passionate commitment to social issues, he teaches how we can move from a merely intellectual understanding to a fully lived experience of connection. By first seeing, then feeling, and finally living these connections, we can become more effective agents of social and ethical change.
The Karmapa shows us how gaining emotional awareness of our connectedness can fundamentally reshape the human race. He then guides us to action, showing step by step how we can change the way we use the earth’s resources and can continue to better our society. In clear language, the Karmapa draws connections between such seemingly far-flung issues as consumer culture, loneliness, animal protection, and self-reliance. In the process, he helps us move beyond theory to practical and positive social and ethical change.
264 pages, Hardcover
Published February 28, 2017
47 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Ogyen Trinley Dorje
21 books29 followersBorn Apo Gaga in the Lhatok region of Eastern Tibet, His Holiness Ogyen Drodul Trinley Dorje Rinpoche (ཨོ་རྒྱན་འཕྲིན་ལས་རྡོ་རྗེ། or O-rgyan 'Phrin-las Rdo-rje) is the more widely recognized of two claimants to the title of the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, the spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
尊貴的第十七世大寶法王－－鄔金欽列多傑，1985年誕生於西藏東部拉埵區、一個名為巴果的牧民區內。1992年 6 月，法王八歲時，被認證為藏傳佛教噶瑪噶舉傳承的最高法王、第十六世噶瑪巴讓炯立佩多傑的轉世，並於同年 9月27 日楚布寺坐床，正式成為第十七世大寶法王。
尊貴的第十七世大寶法王－－鄔金欽列多傑，1985年誕生於西藏東部拉埵區、一個名為巴果的牧民區內。1992年 6 月，法王八歲時，被認證為藏傳佛教噶瑪噶舉傳承的最高法王、第十六世噶瑪巴讓炯立佩多傑的轉世，並於同年 9月27 日楚布寺坐床，正式成為第十七世大寶法王。
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 7, 2020
His Holiness Karmapa has written a very wise and accessible introduction to the Buddhist concept of interdependence and karma.
Drawing on his own life experience, Karmapa urges us not to judge others as we can never know their true motivations and past history. It is as if we have watched the final scene of a movie without watching the rest of the film.
Filled with wisdom this book reaches beyond Buddhism to inform us all how to best interact with others and the world around us for the benefit of all.
Drawing on his own life experience, Karmapa urges us not to judge others as we can never know their true motivations and past history. It is as if we have watched the final scene of a movie without watching the rest of the film.
Filled with wisdom this book reaches beyond Buddhism to inform us all how to best interact with others and the world around us for the benefit of all.
June 13, 2017
Very good resource on how to transform good intentions into meaningful experience and action in our profoundly interconnected world.
October 22, 2021
Es una lectura amena y fluida que en sí no relata nada nuevo o que no sepamos, pero preferimos voltear hacía otro lado. Entonces se constituye un amable recordatorio sobre la importancia de crear comunidad, sobre la responsabilidad que implica estar vivo, sobre crecer con consciencia de tu entorno, sobre buscar el común denominador cuando te relacionas con tu semejantes, sobre ser compasivo y empático. Nos advierte sobre los peligros del consumismo, sobre el abuso de la naturaleza, sobre no caer en la vida fantasiosa de nuestro Yo virtual, sobre el odio y la xenofobia. El cambio de paradigma que plantea es no buscar aislarte, sino desde tu individualidad conectar con tu comunidad y aportarle tus talentos.
It is a pleasant and fluid reading that in itself does not relate anything new or that we do not know, but we prefer to turn the other way. Then it constitutes a kind reminder about the importance of creating community, about the responsibility that being alive implies, about growing with awareness of your environment, about looking for the common denominator when you interact with your peers, about being compassionate and empathetic. It warns us about the dangers of consumerism, about the abuse of nature, about not falling into the fantasy life of our virtual Self, about hatred and xenophobia. The paradigm shift that it raises is not to seek to isolate yourself, but from your individuality to connect with your community and contribute your talents.
It is a pleasant and fluid reading that in itself does not relate anything new or that we do not know, but we prefer to turn the other way. Then it constitutes a kind reminder about the importance of creating community, about the responsibility that being alive implies, about growing with awareness of your environment, about looking for the common denominator when you interact with your peers, about being compassionate and empathetic. It warns us about the dangers of consumerism, about the abuse of nature, about not falling into the fantasy life of our virtual Self, about hatred and xenophobia. The paradigm shift that it raises is not to seek to isolate yourself, but from your individuality to connect with your community and contribute your talents.
April 21, 2019
INTERCONNECTED
Highly recommended!
The foundation and message, behind all significant religious, spiritual, psychological and even quantum physics states or principles, is UNITY. Everything is interconnected, the separation we see and experience in the world is a byproduct of our visual, cognitive and other sensory systems. It’s an illusion. The realization of this fundamental interconnectedness, knowing your inseparability from all beings, all life, radically changes the way you view the world and your place in it. In a way, it is the psychological and metaphysical pinnacle of the human experience of consciousness. This book is a comprehensive look at how acknowledging, experiencing, even living through the principle of interconnectedness, can not only improve our individual lives, but the health of our civilizations as well. A principle I can stand behind unconditionally. The Karmapa does tend to droll on at times, and I lost my attention more than once, but still an exceptional read that I am sure I will tackle again one day.
“From a world of siloed societies and independent individuals, many people have begun to recognize that we are interconnected communities and interdependent individuals. Thinkers and activists in fields as far flung as economics, earth sciences, and social justice are collectively creating a multidisciplinary account of the diverse ways that our world functions interdependently. Empirical research provides ample evidence indicating that interconnections operate in every social and natural arena. While the use of the paradigm of interdependence is still relatively new in scientific, academic, activist, and other discussions, the idea that all phenomena are interconnected has formed the basis of Buddhist thought and ethics since its outset.” (Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Interconnected: Embracing Life in Our Global Society . Wisdom Publications. Kindle Edition.)
It is this single and very important concept and experience of the Ultimate Reality, the Unity, the Interconnectedness behind all existence, which the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinely Dorje exhaustively explores in his book “Interconnected”. It would take me weeks to attempt a detailed review, and it’s late, I’m tired. Going well-beyond a Buddhist philosophy, the Karmapa pragmatically and logically argues for “the possibilities for social and ethical transformation that interdependence opens up”. In other words, through experiencing or accepting the principle of interdependence, we can effect a positive change in our moral considerations and behaviors towards others, which can lead to a more harmonious and sustainable civilization.
And going beyond just experiencing or accepting the principle of interdependence, we can apply it, enact it, directly in our lives. The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, puts it this way…
“Go beyond watching interdependence at work around you. Live it yourself — not as a theory but as what gives value to your life. Feel it in your every breath. Enact it in your every step. Bring your most noble aspirations out into the world, share them with others, and take action. I too join my aspirations with yours, so that together we can serve as conditions for all beings on this planet to flourish.” (Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Interconnected: Embracing Life in Our Global Society . Wisdom Publications. Kindle Edition.)
Highly recommended!
The foundation and message, behind all significant religious, spiritual, psychological and even quantum physics states or principles, is UNITY. Everything is interconnected, the separation we see and experience in the world is a byproduct of our visual, cognitive and other sensory systems. It’s an illusion. The realization of this fundamental interconnectedness, knowing your inseparability from all beings, all life, radically changes the way you view the world and your place in it. In a way, it is the psychological and metaphysical pinnacle of the human experience of consciousness. This book is a comprehensive look at how acknowledging, experiencing, even living through the principle of interconnectedness, can not only improve our individual lives, but the health of our civilizations as well. A principle I can stand behind unconditionally. The Karmapa does tend to droll on at times, and I lost my attention more than once, but still an exceptional read that I am sure I will tackle again one day.
“From a world of siloed societies and independent individuals, many people have begun to recognize that we are interconnected communities and interdependent individuals. Thinkers and activists in fields as far flung as economics, earth sciences, and social justice are collectively creating a multidisciplinary account of the diverse ways that our world functions interdependently. Empirical research provides ample evidence indicating that interconnections operate in every social and natural arena. While the use of the paradigm of interdependence is still relatively new in scientific, academic, activist, and other discussions, the idea that all phenomena are interconnected has formed the basis of Buddhist thought and ethics since its outset.” (Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Interconnected: Embracing Life in Our Global Society . Wisdom Publications. Kindle Edition.)
It is this single and very important concept and experience of the Ultimate Reality, the Unity, the Interconnectedness behind all existence, which the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinely Dorje exhaustively explores in his book “Interconnected”. It would take me weeks to attempt a detailed review, and it’s late, I’m tired. Going well-beyond a Buddhist philosophy, the Karmapa pragmatically and logically argues for “the possibilities for social and ethical transformation that interdependence opens up”. In other words, through experiencing or accepting the principle of interdependence, we can effect a positive change in our moral considerations and behaviors towards others, which can lead to a more harmonious and sustainable civilization.
And going beyond just experiencing or accepting the principle of interdependence, we can apply it, enact it, directly in our lives. The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, puts it this way…
“Go beyond watching interdependence at work around you. Live it yourself — not as a theory but as what gives value to your life. Feel it in your every breath. Enact it in your every step. Bring your most noble aspirations out into the world, share them with others, and take action. I too join my aspirations with yours, so that together we can serve as conditions for all beings on this planet to flourish.” (Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Interconnected: Embracing Life in Our Global Society . Wisdom Publications. Kindle Edition.)
October 20, 2018
Originally posted at ragdollreads.co.uk
Ragdoll Rating: 5/5 Buttons
Recommended For: Anybody with an interest in Buddhism, self improvement and global fellowship.
About the Book...
In Interconnected, His Holiness invites us to explore the fundamental connections that bind us to everything else. The book explores all manner of themes, from our environmental impact to our interpersonal relationships. Through a mixture of personal anecdotes, musings and philosophy, His Holiness paints an insightful picture of our place in the world, and how we can improve it by switching our focus to the things that connect us, rather than those that divide us.
This book continues on many of the themes raised in The Heart is Noble. (Book Review: The Heart Is Noble (HH. The 17th Karmapa))
What I thought...
Interconnected is clearly a labour of love. These are the words of a man who truly believes the advice he gives, and follows that advice to the letter. As I have come to expect from His Holiness, this book is wonderfully written, in an insightful, wise and friendly manner.
Probably my favourite element of this book, among it's many admirable qualities, is the way His Holiness speaks quite candidly about his own life experiences. We are treated, not just to tales from his childhood, but also to difficulties that arise from his position as a spiritual leader. Personal anecdotes are provided often as a demonstration of some of the more difficult elements contained within the book. For example, there is a wonderful passage about how freedom and responsibility are linked, which on the surface could be a difficult concept to grasp, as it appears to be quite a contrast to the common western notion of freedom. His Holiness illustrates this point by imagining he wished to exercise personal freedom, and start a game of basketball in the monastery - an act which would cause many others a great deal of problems, and not just those in the immediate vicinity.
Final Thoughts...
Some elements of this book will be easier to digest if you are a practicing Buddhist, since His Holiness is obviously heavily influenced by Buddhist thinking and refers to it frequently. Having said that, everything in this book could easily be understood and acted upon by anybody, and you certainly would not need to be a Buddhist to take a great deal of positive ideas from this book.
Ragdoll Rating: 5/5 Buttons
Recommended For: Anybody with an interest in Buddhism, self improvement and global fellowship.
About the Book...
In Interconnected, His Holiness invites us to explore the fundamental connections that bind us to everything else. The book explores all manner of themes, from our environmental impact to our interpersonal relationships. Through a mixture of personal anecdotes, musings and philosophy, His Holiness paints an insightful picture of our place in the world, and how we can improve it by switching our focus to the things that connect us, rather than those that divide us.
This book continues on many of the themes raised in The Heart is Noble. (Book Review: The Heart Is Noble (HH. The 17th Karmapa))
What I thought...
Interconnected is clearly a labour of love. These are the words of a man who truly believes the advice he gives, and follows that advice to the letter. As I have come to expect from His Holiness, this book is wonderfully written, in an insightful, wise and friendly manner.
Probably my favourite element of this book, among it's many admirable qualities, is the way His Holiness speaks quite candidly about his own life experiences. We are treated, not just to tales from his childhood, but also to difficulties that arise from his position as a spiritual leader. Personal anecdotes are provided often as a demonstration of some of the more difficult elements contained within the book. For example, there is a wonderful passage about how freedom and responsibility are linked, which on the surface could be a difficult concept to grasp, as it appears to be quite a contrast to the common western notion of freedom. His Holiness illustrates this point by imagining he wished to exercise personal freedom, and start a game of basketball in the monastery - an act which would cause many others a great deal of problems, and not just those in the immediate vicinity.
Final Thoughts...
Some elements of this book will be easier to digest if you are a practicing Buddhist, since His Holiness is obviously heavily influenced by Buddhist thinking and refers to it frequently. Having said that, everything in this book could easily be understood and acted upon by anybody, and you certainly would not need to be a Buddhist to take a great deal of positive ideas from this book.
August 12, 2018
This book is a rare one to focus on teachings on interconnectedness, or interdependency. For me, the book tried too hard to be secular, downplaying and even at times seeming to distance itself from the teachings that I only imagine are the foundation of the author's views. I understand the book was meant to convey a universal message, and it was pretty successful at that. Still, in my mind, the secular case for being interconnected beings is pretty different from the spiritual case for interdependency, and I think the practical import of the first argument may have little to do with the spiritual import of latter.
August 18, 2017
This is one of those books that anyone could read and benefit from. It's not about being a Buddhist but about being a human being, seeing the reality of our interconnectedness, and cultivating our inner qualities so we can turn aspirations into actions and be of benefit.
September 16, 2020
At some points it was a drag... The ideologies and message buried in here is amazing and life inspiring.
July 11, 2023
Habla de ideas ya establecidas que, creo, muchos nos hemos cuestionado y analizado pero lo nutritivo es que les brinda una profundidad y una crítica sumamente necesaria. El libro te incomoda en algunas partes, sobre todo cuando cuestiona los actos de nosotros como miembros de la comunidad (y de la interconexión), pero es una incomodidad totalmente imprescindible.
October 20, 2018
Originally posted at ragdollreads.co.uk
Ragdoll Rating: 5/5 Buttons
Recommended For: Anybody with an interest in Buddhism, self improvement and global fellowship.
About the Book…
In Interconnected, His Holiness invites us to explore the fundamental connections that bind us to everything else. The book explores all manner of themes, from our environmental impact to our interpersonal relationships. Through a mixture of personal anecdotes, musings and philosophy, His Holiness paints an insightful picture of our place in the world, and how we can improve it by switching our focus to the things that connect us, rather than those that divide us.
This book continues on many of the themes raised in The Heart is Noble. (Book Review: The Heart Is Noble (HH. The 17th Karmapa))
What I thought…
Interconnected is clearly a labour of love. These are the words of a man who truly believes the advice he gives, and follows that advice to the letter. As I have come to expect from His Holiness, this book is wonderfully written, in an insightful, wise and friendly manner.
Probably my favourite element of this book, among it’s many admirable qualities, is the way His Holiness speaks quite candidly about his own life experiences. We are treated, not just to tales from his childhood, but also to difficulties that arise from his position as a spiritual leader. Personal anecdotes are provided often as a demonstration of some of the more difficult elements contained within the book. For example, there is a wonderful passage about how freedom and responsibility are linked, which on the surface could be a difficult concept to grasp, as it appears to be quite a contrast to the common western notion of freedom. His Holiness illustrates this point by imagining he wished to exercise personal freedom, and start a game of basketball in the monastery – an act which would cause many others a great deal of problems, and not just those in the immediate vicinity.
Final Thoughts…
Some elements of this book will be easier to digest if you are a practicing Buddhist, since His Holiness is obviously heavily influenced by Buddhist thinking and refers to it frequently. Having said that, everything in this book could easily be understood and acted upon by anybody, and you certainly would not need to be a Buddhist to take a great deal of positive ideas from this book.
___________________________________________
Please Note: I received a copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions contained within are my own and have not been influenced by any external entity!
Ragdoll Rating: 5/5 Buttons
Recommended For: Anybody with an interest in Buddhism, self improvement and global fellowship.
About the Book…
In Interconnected, His Holiness invites us to explore the fundamental connections that bind us to everything else. The book explores all manner of themes, from our environmental impact to our interpersonal relationships. Through a mixture of personal anecdotes, musings and philosophy, His Holiness paints an insightful picture of our place in the world, and how we can improve it by switching our focus to the things that connect us, rather than those that divide us.
This book continues on many of the themes raised in The Heart is Noble. (Book Review: The Heart Is Noble (HH. The 17th Karmapa))
What I thought…
Interconnected is clearly a labour of love. These are the words of a man who truly believes the advice he gives, and follows that advice to the letter. As I have come to expect from His Holiness, this book is wonderfully written, in an insightful, wise and friendly manner.
Probably my favourite element of this book, among it’s many admirable qualities, is the way His Holiness speaks quite candidly about his own life experiences. We are treated, not just to tales from his childhood, but also to difficulties that arise from his position as a spiritual leader. Personal anecdotes are provided often as a demonstration of some of the more difficult elements contained within the book. For example, there is a wonderful passage about how freedom and responsibility are linked, which on the surface could be a difficult concept to grasp, as it appears to be quite a contrast to the common western notion of freedom. His Holiness illustrates this point by imagining he wished to exercise personal freedom, and start a game of basketball in the monastery – an act which would cause many others a great deal of problems, and not just those in the immediate vicinity.
Final Thoughts…
Some elements of this book will be easier to digest if you are a practicing Buddhist, since His Holiness is obviously heavily influenced by Buddhist thinking and refers to it frequently. Having said that, everything in this book could easily be understood and acted upon by anybody, and you certainly would not need to be a Buddhist to take a great deal of positive ideas from this book.
___________________________________________
Please Note: I received a copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions contained within are my own and have not been influenced by any external entity!
December 18, 2016
Raise a lot of good questions!
I have spend a wonderful moment with this read. When I was commuting, I was smilling at what it means to be interdependent, unique, autonomous. I was agreeing on the feeling of distance and loneliness coming from the social media.
We are unable to talk to each other in the real world but we spill our personal beans into the virtual one.
Some food for your thoughts about how we are changing and how we should be cautious and seeking balance in our life.
Life is amazing if we are taking care of what really matters and not always chasing illusions.
Great book to savour slowly.
Lucie
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr...
I have spend a wonderful moment with this read. When I was commuting, I was smilling at what it means to be interdependent, unique, autonomous. I was agreeing on the feeling of distance and loneliness coming from the social media.
We are unable to talk to each other in the real world but we spill our personal beans into the virtual one.
Some food for your thoughts about how we are changing and how we should be cautious and seeking balance in our life.
Life is amazing if we are taking care of what really matters and not always chasing illusions.
Great book to savour slowly.
Lucie
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr...
January 30, 2021
Recoge las charlas de un gran representante budista. Auténtico, y con gran naturalidad.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews