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Transformando A Mente

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As 'Oito estrofes sobre a transformação da mente' são talvez o texto mais importante de um gênero de escritos espirituais tibetanos conhecidos como lojong, em sentido literal 'transformação da mente'. Escrita por Langri Thangpa, um praticante de meditação do século XI, essa pequena obra é considerada por sua Santidade o Dalai-Lama, uma das suas principais fontes de inspiração. Em seu comentário lúcido e direto sobre esses ensinamentos, Dalai-Lama nos ensina a cultivar a sabedoria e a compaixão na nossa vida diária. Especificamente ele trata dos seguintes tópicos: o estímulo à compaixão; o cultivo de atitudes equilibras para consigo mesmo e com os outros; o desenvolvimento de modos de pensar positivos; a transformação de situações adversas em condições propiciadoras do desenvolvimento espiritual. Sua Santidade, o Dalai-Lama, é o líder espiritual do povo tibetano, no exílio. É autor de numerosos livros sobre o budismo.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

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About the author

Dalai Lama XIV

1,554 books6,200 followers
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.

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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for TAP.
535 reviews379 followers
November 18, 2020
We should deliberately try to implement the things that cause happiness, and whatever causes suffering we should deliberately try to overcome.
Profile Image for robin friedman.
1,949 reviews418 followers
June 16, 2025
A Wise Teacher For Our Times

This book is based upon a series of lectures given by H.H. the Dalai Lama in London in 1999. The theme of the book is the attainment of human happiness through self-understanding, introspection and, as the title states, "Transforming the Mind."

The theme of this book is similar to a book called "The Art of Happiness" that recounts an American psychiatrist's conversations with the Dalai Lama. The analysis in "Transforming the Mind", however, is deeper and more difficult. The Dalai Lama discusses Buddhist beliefs and doctrines as well as Tibetan texts. He presents a considerable treatment of a difficult, and fundamental Buddhist principle called "Dependent Origination." He discusses the nature of human selfhood and compares differences in various schools on this difficult topic.

The purpose of the book is humanistic and pragmatic at its core: it is to encourage the reader on a path to overcome suffering through self-understanding and reflection. He offers two broad, interlocked paths towards inner transformation: altruism, or the attempt to bring benefits and good to other people rather than thinking solely of oneself and insight into the nature of reality, to be gained by introspection.

The means by which the Dalai Lama presents his teaching are at least as significant as the substance of his message. Difficult teachings are presented with the simplicity that comes only from knowledge. The Dalai Lama is candid and self-effacing: he reiterates many times that he has himself no personal experience of the state of emptiness that that constitutes full realization of insight meditation. Again and again he points out that religious people of whatever denomination can find their way to peace through following their own traditions. Further, those individuals with a secular outlook can also find peace by understanding themselves. One of the most interesting parts of the book is the question and answer sessions where the Dalai Lama offers succinct and insightful answers to good questions.

I enjoyed learning about the different schools of thought within Mahayana Buddhism. The Dalai Lama discusses early Buddhist thinkers of the Mahayana school, particularly Nagarjuna and Shantideva and I was pleased to learn something of what he had to say about specifically Buddhist thinkers. Also, the book includes a short Tibetan text called "Eight Verses on Transforming the Mind" and a commentary by the Dalai Lama.

Some of this book is presented in a deceptively simple manner. The Dalai Lama observes that "personal experience" (p.24) rather than mere book reading is required to understand the nature of consciousness and of awareness. He also encourages the reader to press on, not to become discouraged and to realize that the growth of wisdom takes lifetimes to develop, not minutes, hours, or months.

I found this book valuable both for its teachings on Buddhism and for its more general advice on attaining peace and happiness in one's life. There is much in the book of healing and hope, for secular people, for followers of non-Buddhist religions, and for people who are students of the Buddha.

Robin Friedman
Profile Image for Alison.
215 reviews
July 14, 2015
Wow, this is a fantastic read. I usually find the Dalai Lama hard to read; however, this book seemed clear to me. The Dalai Lama discusses the basic Buddhist principles and compares different Buddhist teachings. He explains the eight verses on transforming the mind in a reasonable and succinct fashion. While, I stated this seemed clear to me, I must also state there were sections over my head and that I will need to reread, but overall it is great. I would recommend this book for anyone who is either studying Buddhism or just wants some general knowledge on how to live peaceful in this world.

Also, at the end of each chapter are questions and answers which are very enlightening.
Profile Image for Holly Harrison .
15 reviews18 followers
March 8, 2013
Inspiring, life changing, wisdom-packed!
I have definitely gained a more refined understanding of nirvana, as arising from a sound understanding of emptiness.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama says "Liberation, or true cessation, is the ultimate truth. True cessation can only come about on the basis of understanding the ultimate nature of reality, that is, emptiness. ...in this view, it is insight into the ultimate nature of reality that enables us to eliminate the pollutants of the mind."

Read this book and you will feel much closer to reaching nirvana.
It's almost amazing how simple wisdom can completely transform your life.
Profile Image for A.J. Aaron.
Author 14 books10 followers
October 14, 2011
Written by one of the great spiritual leaders of all time, the Dalai Lama himself about how to generate compassion. Written by one with a great respect of diversity and a belief in the need for a questioning mindset
Profile Image for Snickerdoodle.
1,090 reviews10 followers
September 26, 2020
Pretty sure I read this in September 2000... I wrote down these quotes and the title but no author.

"The degree to which we are able to discipline our mind is what determines whether we are happy or whether we suffer." pg 24

"There is a fundamental disparity between our perception of the world and ourselves, and the way things actually are." pg 26

"Love and hatred cannot coexist in a single instant in the same person." pg27

Profile Image for A.B. McFarland.
Author 1 book11 followers
August 18, 2024
One thing I really appreciated about this book that it talked about the views of the “mind only” school in one section, and actually said that it is absolutely OK to believe in the “mind only” views, which was sort of a relief because I tend to lean in that direction anyway. But everything else I’ve read always gives me the impression that somehow mind only is inferior to the middle way school. Anyway, there was a lot of good stuff here and it’s worth reading again.
Profile Image for Amy Comeau.
6 reviews
August 1, 2025
I’m a big fan of the Dalai Lama. His wisdom, kindness and humor come through in this book. Loved learning more about Buddhistic philosophies and approaches.

Although his address is in 1999 the applications to today ring loud and clear, with much resonance.

We need more kindness in this world. As much as we need seeking to understand and appreciate our differences.
4 reviews
October 10, 2021
Como seria de esperar, aborda os temas sob uma prespetiva budista, mas de uma forma leve e acessível a qualquer pessoal, independetemente da crença ou religião.
Profile Image for Brian Collins.
5 reviews
June 2, 2016
" No matter how important an individual is, the interest of that individual is the interest of only one being, whereas the interest of others is the interest of an infinite number of beings"
"your life and the life of others are so interconnected that the idea of a self that is totally distinct and independent of others does not make any sense"
"The source of all misery in the world lies in thinking of oneself; the source of all happiness lies in thinking of others"
"if you examine the nature of pleasurable sensations you will see that there is often an extremely relative dimension to them; we usually define an experience as pleasurable by comparison to a more intense form of suffering that has just come to an end. what we call "pleasure" or "happiness" is more like the temporary absence of intense suffering and pain"
"The perceiver and the perceived are simultaneous; they share the same reality, both arise from the same source"
Profile Image for Paul.
63 reviews6 followers
July 17, 2008
My first introduction to Buddhism. The author goes through a series of Buddhist teachings and conveys perspectives on them from three different Buddhist schools. Seeing ourselves as separate from others and how this can lead to strife is a basic theme of the book. Deals with many philosophical issues: the nature of existence, perfection, life/death, compassion, empathy, altruism, ...
Profile Image for Michael.
658 reviews1 follower
April 16, 2010
An inspiring book, somewhat difficult to read. The Dalia Lama is a very good thinker and a wonderfully compassionate man; I consider his views rich and fruitful. Check out his book with Paul Ekman before this one.
Profile Image for Cara.
33 reviews2 followers
June 22, 2011
These are books to read and keep. I think with anything from the dalai lama you need to buy and read numerous times to get the meditation to stick. There's a great deal to learn if you want to so take it slow, re-reading what you don't quite grasp. It's one in a collection of many:)
Profile Image for Lukas Cypra.
17 reviews2 followers
February 9, 2016
Možná se dá pročíst na jeden zátah, mne se to ale nepovedlo.
Rozhodně stojí za to číst pomalu a o napsaném přemýšlet.
Jedna z knih, ke kterým se budu 100% vracet, protože po každém přečtení si umím představit, že mi dá něco nového.
5 reviews
Read
June 12, 2009
Always stimulating reading, the Dalai Lama has a simplistic approach to transformation...it begins within.
Profile Image for Amy.
39 reviews
Want to read
April 2, 2010
eight verses on transforming the mind (lojong)
Profile Image for Erika Krasinskė.
156 reviews25 followers
May 11, 2019
Visos Dalai Lamos mintys, surašytos į knygas, vertos mūsų brangaus laiko.
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