Want to Read
Rate this book
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Preview
How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life
by
Dalai Lama XIV
4.09 · Rating details · 8,332 ratings · 330 reviews
As human beings, we all share the desire for happiness and meaning in our lives. According to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the ability to find true fulfillment lies within each of us. In this very special book, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, Nobel Prize winner, and bestselling author helps readers embark upon the path to enlightenment with a stunning illuminat ...more
1,203 books — 1,184 voters
More lists with this book...
COMMUNITY REVIEWS
Showing 1-30
Average rating4.09 ·
Rating details
· 8,332 ratings · 330 reviews
Oct 05, 2017Sean Barrs rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: buddhism, 4-star-reads
“I accept everyone as a friend. In truth, we already know one another, profoundly, as human beings who share the same basic goals: We all seek happiness and do not want suffering.”
The Dalai Lama is incredibly quotable and there are so many fantastic examples of his simple wisdom in here. Well, I say simple but it can’t be that simple if people still fail to follow it after all these years. Despite living in an age of globalisation, we are still tragically divided. Senseless wars plague our h ...more
flag62 likes · Like · 2 comments · see review
Oct 27, 2018Calista rated it really liked it
Shelves: bage-mature, genre-nonfiction, genre-spiritual, want-to-own, famous, wordsmith, 2002, classic, diversity, genre-how-to-self-help
I really needed this read right now. School has been very stressful this trimester and I feel constantly behind. Still, I did pass my comprehensive exam to graduate from the program once Clinic and classes are done. I still have the herbal program and doctoral work left to do. Then, all the hate pouring out of DC right now and just how ugly politics has become has taken a spiritual toll on me. It has really worn me down and I have had to disengage from news and stop watching and reading.
This bo ...more
flag35 likes · Like · 4 comments · see review
Jan 01, 2011Froztwolf rated it liked it
This is an odd book that seems to span the entirety of Buddhist practice from beginning to end.
The first third of the book was easy to connect with. It talks about things in our daily lives, what the tenets or Buddhist practice are, how these two relate, and basically what Buddhism encourages people to do and why. Having studied Buddhism a little before, there were few surprises there for me but it was yet a welcome reminder and well structured.
The middle part of the book tackles subjects that ...more
flag23 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review
Mar 19, 2008Rustam rated it it was ok · review of another edition
I find this man really fascinating, but this book didn't quite get there for me. I wonder if what he preaches is too simple to be interesting in a literary format. I would be interested in reading his auto-biography. His English isn't all that hot, but his occasional anecdotal digressions are very interesting.
I can't believe I'm giving the Dalai Lama TWO stars!? The good news is, I'm not going to Hell, but rather, I may be reborn as a desert rodent.
flag15 likes · Like · 3 comments · see review
Dec 19, 2008Tess rated it it was amazing
I still read this book. Recently, I needed something to bring me peace during a small conflict. I opened the book arbitrarily and found just what I needed. I love this little book. It can be a wonderful guide to living peacefully and spreading peace among others.
flag9 likes · Like · comment · see review
Jun 03, 2012Z rated it it was ok
Shelves: 2012
Although I have immense respect for the Dalai Lama's teachings and for traditional Buddhist doctrine, I would not recommend this book as a primer for someone who wants to learn more about Buddhism and/or meditation. The first half of the book is very general, very lightly describing basic Buddhist tenets and advising on concentrated meditation. The second half focuses on the concepts of 'emptiness,' 'inherent existence' and 'dependent-arisings' - and I came away feeling like none of these were really adequately explained. I would imagine that they do not lend themselves to easy explanation. The fallout is that the reader could lose his/her way through this maze of abstractions and wind up at the end of the book blinking in confusion.
What this book did bring home to me was how little time we have in our lives to improve ourselves and be more compassionate, intelligent beings, and what a long, long road lies ahead of us. Perhaps the latter half of this book could make sense to someone who has achieved enough success with concentrated meditation to have somewhat more of a grip on the notion of emptiness. For a more detailed, less abstruse exposition of Buddhist doctrine, I would recommend Sogyal Rinpoche's The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. (less)
flag8 likes · Like · comment · see review
May 05, 2010Callie rated it liked it
A bunch of quotes from this book I need to get down, because they are valuable.
"By greeting trouble with optimism and hope , you are undermining worse troubles down the line."
CONTENTMENT REGARDING FOOD< CLOTHES< SHELTER:
SHELTER "Lay people can reduce the neverending quest for a better home and for the funiture and decorations in it." Imagine! This is an outright unequivocal, unapologetic suggestion that we just stop acquiring things and be happy with what we have.
"Examine your attitudes toward ...more
flag5 likes · Like · comment · see review
Oct 24, 2019Breinholt Dorrough rated it really liked it
A book replete with wisdom. Finding contentment in material things is undoubtedly the practice that has brought me the most happiness in this life.
I must agree with a lot of reviewers here: the last third of the book is far more advanced than the first two thirds. He provides no definitions, he just jumps right in, so if the reader isn't aware of topics such as dependency, emptiness, etc., it would prove to be a difficult read.
flag5 likes · Like · comment · see review
Dec 01, 2009Angie rated it it was amazing
Shelves: spiritual-self
I Love this book from H.H. The Dalai Lama and use it as a reference guide. If you're ever feeling "out of sorts," then this is a great book to help you find your center/balance. :-)
flag4 likes · Like · comment · see review
Aug 20, 2011Alissa rated it liked it
This book is a good introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. It is generally set up to provide specific daily practices (visualizations, thoughts and meditations). I enjoyed the chapters on the basics and practicing morality, but after that, I found that the descriptions became less coherent. That could either be a translation issue or perhaps I'm not at the understanding level yet. Either way, the most meaningful parts of the book were nearer the beginning. Portions of the book are redundant in that a ...more
flag3 likes · Like · comment · see review
Apr 25, 2020Odgerel Boldbaatar rated it really liked it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Mar 13, 2009Jackie rated it liked it
Shelves: religion, buddhism, self-improvement, happy
This was my first real introduction to Buddhism.
Since the purpose of this book is teaching how to achieve enlightenment, it doesn't cover things like Buddhist history or explanations of the basic concepts and so I realize I have a lot to learn to understand this religion.
There are essentially 3 steps to enlightenment: Practicing Morality, Concentrated Meditation and Practicing Wisdom. These are the steps to totally enlightenment and becoming a Buddha, as such they go beyond the layperson. My goal is not to become a Buddha (I'm not even a Buddhist!) but to find peace of mind and be a more compassionate person. So, I found much of this to be beyond my willingness to practice.
The Practicing Morality section interested me the most and there are things here that I really took away. While I can respect and strive for nearly every aspect of the Dalai Lama's teaching here, some parts have me thinking more than others. The meditation section of the book was a bit over my head. I'm going to go back to it, or find another resource. The wisdom chapters were where things got totally out of my grasp. He says that it takes lifetimes to fully master morality and meditation enough to fully start to understand wisdom, so I don't feel too bad about not getting it.
(less)
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Oct 15, 2014Clark Hallman rated it liked it
How To Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life by His Holiness the Dalai Lama - His Holiness gives advice and explanations about how to develop a more meaningful life and move toward enlightenment in this informative but complex book. Of course he covers compassion and holding the happiness and welfare others before oneself. He also presents some meditation advice and complicated explanations of emptiness. It’s a worthwhile read that provides some useful information about Buddhism to any interested reader. However, it may be frustrating for readers without at least a baseline knowledge of Buddhism. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Oct 14, 2016Vishwanath rated it liked it
This book emphasizes the value of meditation and also addresses techniques to help the beginner progress in the art of meditation. The fundamental tenet
is the need to constantly practice and lower expectations of immediate rewards.
"To develop the practice of compassion to its fullest extent, one must practice patience."
The book is an interesting read to reemphasize simple and common aspects of life we seek to inculcate yet are so hard to practice everyday.
Towards the end, the book does have some complex sections that address tibetan practice of tantra which would probably interest only well experienced practitioners. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · see review
May 26, 2014Dan Bartholomew rated it liked it
The first half of the book was illuminating and offered some practical application that Is valuable regardless of religious background. The second half was a tougher read, and honestly lost me at certain points. Some of the deeper theory of the practice uses language in ways that is not always consistent with definitions I am used to (such as "emptiness"), and also digs into deeper Buddhist theory about the nature of existence...ideas that aren't consistent with my beliefs. All in all, a helpful read with a meaningful and compelling focus on peace and compassion. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Aug 31, 2018John Stepper rated it really liked it
Less of a handbook than I imagined from the title, and yet I was inspired by the breadth and depth of his own practice. The commentary on wisdom and reality are the clearest I’ve ever come across, making impenetrable paradoxes - “form is emptiness; emptiness is form” - understandable to me for the first time in any meaningful way.
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Feb 26, 2010Lisa LaMendola rated it it was amazing
For anyone looking to find a simple book on the "how to's" of every day life as a Buddhist this is the book! I wish I had found this long before I read all the other books I've been through in my search for enlightenment....
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Sep 02, 2007Pete rated it really liked it
It expanded my view of nothingness; I can now understand emptiness as inherent without indulging in nihilism. I've also come to believe that the Dalai Lama has infinitely pinchable cheeks.
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Jul 01, 2008Monjamckay rated it really liked it
This book is only for people who are interested in learning actual practices for meditation
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Sep 28, 2010Alicia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: inspirational
One of my favorite books, very inspiring and makes me strive to live a more compassionate life. I have read many books by His Holiness The Dalai Lama and I love them all.
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
