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THE POWER
OF COMPASSION
A Collection of Lectures byHis Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama
Translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Contentment, Joy and Living Well
Chapter Two: Facing Death and Dying Well
Chapter Three: Dealing with Anger and Emotion
Chapter Four: Giving and Receiving: A Practical Way of Directing Love and Compassion
Chapter Five: Interdependence, Inter-connectedness and the Nature of Reality
Chapter Six: The Challenge for Humanity: An Interfaith Address
Chapter Seven: Questions and Answers
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He is also regarded as the world’s foremost Buddhist leader and the manifestation of Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
A scholar and a man of peace, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has travelled the world, not only to raise international awareness of the enormous suffering of the Tibetan people, but also to talk about Buddhism and the power of compassion.
Since 1959 His Holiness has been living in exile in Dharamsala, India, after China’s troops crushed a Tibetan National Uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet. China invaded Tibet in 1949/50.
In 1989 His Holiness was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. Since coming into exile he has met many of the world’s political and spiritual leaders, including President Clinton, Prime Minister John Major, President Vaclav Havel, His Holiness Pope John Paul, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He has shared with these leaders his views on human interdependence and his concerns about the arms trade, threats to the environment and intolerance.
His Holiness describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk. In lectures and tours, he disarms audiences with his simplicity, humour and great warmth. Everywhere his message is the same – the importance of love, compassion and forgiveness.
The text for this book is taken from a series of public lectures given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Wembley Auditorium in London, England, in May 1993. Although hundreds of people were able to hear these lectures, many people have since asked the Office of Tibet, the official agency of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in London, for transcripts. The Office of Tibet is therefore delighted to be able to offer these words of His Holiness to a worldwide audience.
In the original lectures, His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke mainly in English, but also to his official translator in Tibetan. The May 1993 visit was sponsored by The Tibet Foundation, London.
The Office of Tibet would like to thank Jane Rasch and Cait Collins for their many hours spent on transcribing the tapes. We would also like to thank His Holiness’s translator, Geshe Thupten Jinpa, and Heather Wardle for their work in editing the text into book form.
Kesang Y Takla (Mrs)
Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama London
ONE CONTENTMENT, JOY AND LIVING WELL
Concerned people have asked me to talk about certain subjects and about the best way to deal with the different situations of life. I will try to explain these things in such a way that ordinary people can see how to utilize their own potential in order to face unpleasant situations, such as death, and also mental frustrations, such as anger and hatred.
I am a Buddhist and my whole way of training is according to the Buddhist teaching or Buddha Dharma. Although I speak from my own experience, I feel that no one has the right to impose his or her beliefs on another person. I will not propose to you that my way is best. The decision is up to you. If you find some point which may be suitable for you, then you can carry out experiments for yourself. If you find that it is of no use, then you can discard it.
The basic fact is that all sentient beings, particularly human beings, want happiness and do not want pain and suffering. On those grounds, we have every right to be happy and to use different methods or means to overcome suffering and to achieve happier lives. These methods, however, should not infringe on the rights of others, nor should they create more suffering for others. It is worthwhile to think seriously about the positive and negative consequences of these methods. You should be aware that there are differences between short-term and long-term interests and consequences. If there is a conflict between the short-term interest and the long-term interest, the long-term interest is more important. Buddhists usually say that there is no absolute and that everything is relative. So we must judge according to the circumstances.
Our experiences and feelings are mainly related to our bodies and our minds. We know from our daily experience that mental happiness is beneficial. For instance, though two people may face the same kind of tragedy, one person may face it more easily than the other due to his or her mental attitude.
I believe that the idea that all human problems can be solved by machines or by matter is wrong. Of course, material facilities are extremely useful. At the same time, it is quite natural that all our problems cannot be solved by material facilities alone. In a material society there is just as much mental unrest and frustration, if not more. This shows us that we are human beings after all. We are not the product of machines and our bodies are different from purely mechanical things. Therefore, we must think seriously about our own inner abilities and deeper values.
I believe that if someone really wants a happy life then it is very important to pursue both internal and external means; in other words, material development and mental development. One could also say ‘spiritual development’, but when I say ‘spiritual’ I do not necessarily mean