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The Heart of Meditation: Discovering Innermost Awareness
by
Dalai Lama XIV,
Jeffrey Hopkins
3.84 · Rating details · 233 ratings · 25 reviews
His Holiness the Dalai Lama provides intimate details on an advanced meditation practice called Dzogchen using a visionary poem by the 19th-century saint Patrul Rinpoche, author of the Buddhist classic Words of My Perfect Teacher.
The Dalai Lama deftly connects how training the mind in compassion for other beings is directly related to—and in fact a prerequisite for—the very pinnacle of Buddhist meditation. He presents his understanding, confirmed again and again over millennia, that the cultivation of both compassion and wisdom is absolutely critical to progress in meditation and goes into great depth on how this can be accomplished.
While accessible to a beginner, he leads the reader in very fine detail on how to identify innermost awareness—who we really are—how to maintain contact with this awareness, and how to release oneself from the endless stream of our thoughts to let this awareness, always present, become consistently apparent. (less)
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Oct 05, 2016José Joaquín Fernández rated it it was ok
I have other books from the Dalai Lama XIV and enjoyed them but I did not get much out of this one. "To achieve a friendly attitude, a warm heart, respect for the rights of others, and concern for their welfare, we must train the mind. ... To develop spiritual qualities such as love, compassion, and altruism to the fullest, meditation is needed", says the Dalai Lama. But that can be assumed before reading the book.
Since the subtitle of the book is "Discovering Innermost Awareness", I thought the Dalai Lama would give a guide over how to meditate, how to shout the outer noise to be able to listen and be in touch with our innermost awareness. But that is not the case. The books deals more with how different Buddhist schools approaches meditation from a descriptive point of view but not in how to meditate, in how to silence outer noise. (less)
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May 10, 2016Larry Branch rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I have the audio version. I have listen to this twice already. Not being a Buddhist this is a good technical overview on meditation from the Buddhist perspective. I will probably casually listen to this book another 4 times. I now see where mindfulness gets it roots. This is a great book for an outsider to get a peak at the goal for meditating in the Buddhist culture.
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Jan 30, 2018Cian Kenshin rated it it was amazing
What a deep book. The insights here are probably hard to understand if you're not already far along the path. If you've come to know if a huge commonality between all the practices, shamata, vipassana, zen, prayer, etc, then this may be the book you're looking for. He talks about the substratum of conciousness, clear light awareness. And a mediation called Dzogchen which discards the various mediation objects in favor of pure awareness. No more pushing thoughts away, just let them be and see them as all other manifestations, waves on the surface of awareness. (less)
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Feb 04, 2016Linden rated it liked it
The Dalai Lama shares thoughts on meditation. We know that “as long as hatred dwells in the human mind, real peace is impossible” but there is not much we can do. Or is there? He reminds us that “the only way to achieve lasting peace is through mutual trust, respect, love, and kindness….external peace is impossible without inner peace.”
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Mar 30, 2020Katie rated it it was ok · review of another edition
1 note & 12 highlights
Oof, not my favorite book from His Holiness. I’m not sure what happened here, if it’s the translation that makes it so hard to read, or that I just haven’t developed my “diamond mind” far enough. I tried to make some highlights on the parts I could actually understand, especially around limiting distractions, but ultimately I had very few takeaways from these teachings.
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Aug 12, 2016JDK1962 rated it it was ok
I picked this up because, after 18 months, I'd like to deepen my meditation practice, and I remember very much liking the Dalai Lama's book The Art of Happiness.
I'm unclear why I got nothing out of this. It could be because its level is well beyond me, and was intended for actual Tibetan Buddhists at a much higher level and with a much different vocabulary. It might be the translation. It might have been my mood, which never reacts well to what it perceives as "New Age" theology. It might have been the almost total lack of clarity around how one might proceed along the path of developing a meditative practice. Regardless...this just felt like an impenetrable thicket of Buddhist-flavored word salad. (less)
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Feb 14, 2021Missy rated it did not like it · review of another edition
Shelves: 1-star-ughhh, non-fiction, spirituality, ebooks-read
236 pages. If you were looking for a book on "how" to meditate, then this isn't the book. I'm bummed. It was a Goodreads recommendation on sale for $2.99.
I was drawn to it because for a while now I have felt my compassion for people and my joy for life waning. I'm pretty sure this is a direct consequence of my addiction to Facebook, which encourages "self-cherish", the main subject of this book. People are posting every single aspect of their lives online to show everyone how wonderful they are..."self-cherishing"! I'm definitely caught up in it too. I have been praying for God to restore this compassion and joy that I used to feel for all the little things in life, without the "Like" button. I thought, why not, let's see what the ol' Lama has to say.
Well, good luck reading this. It's full of riddles, made up words...and full of "word salad" as one reviewer put it, and he was right! It gets just 1 star for such a hard and horrible read. I only understood a tiny fraction of this book.
But, here's a few interesting things I did learn about Buddhism:
The Buddhist spiritual path is, at first glance, similar to the path that God would want all His children to follow, focusing on empathy, meditation and knowledge. But, according to the Bible, LOVE actually trumps empathy, or compassion, because without love in your heart, there can be no compassion. And, according to the Bible, FAITH and BELIEF in Christ trumps ALL things. There is no mention of a higher "self" or God, or any kind of entity, at all in this book. But, because I have seen a spiritual angel at work with my own eyes, I know for a fact they exist. But, I don't go around seeing angels everyday to go around and brag about it. That was a one time show years ago, and I will never forget it!
After reading this book, I get the feeling that Buddhists, although good at heart and they tell you to love one another and have compassion for others, and want world peace, really seem to be self-absorbed, even if they did give up all the material things in life for a life of meditation. It seems their goal in life is to learn to get to the "clear light", or Great Completeness, which is the phase they say you get to at death. It is the act of learning to stay in the mindset of innerpeace through all situations in life and to have complete spiritual development so they can be kind and be a help to others. To get to this phase requires daily meditations and working your way through the 8 phases with the practice and teachings of a qualified Old Translation schoolmaster, and his blessings, and it would take years to learn to remain in that state. They say that while in that state of mind, "clear light", they can recount events that occurred over hundreds and thousands of years ago in their "previous lives", which I cannot say is true or false. I don't believe the Bible speaks of rebirths at all, but it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Also, according to Lama, the benefit of knowing the 8 phases and achieving getting to this "clear light" state of mind in death is that they are able to slow down decomposition of the body after death. He claims to have seen a Tibetan Buddhists body last up to 20 days before it started to decompose. Dalai Lama said he practices this meditation daily through the phases so that when death is at his door he may recognize those phases and then enter into "clear light", and hopefully slow down his own decomposition. Hmm...that sounds kind of self-cherishing. But, if one does not reach Buddhahood in his present lifetime, not to worry, he will have many other lifetimes to complete the process.
With that being said, the Buddhist and I are still brother and sister. We each have a SOUL and we are both God's children. The Buddhist believes what he believes to be the right path, and I believe what I believe to be the right path. I do have great respect towards the Buddhists, who have such devotion to their beliefs that you hardly see in Christians today. I believe God is bigger than either one of us, and that we don't know what all there is to know about life after death. Maybe we each interpret the same God in different ways. (less)
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Jan 30, 2019Dan Patel rated it really liked it
For a short book, it’s pretty dense. It’s probably best to have experience reading books on Tibetan Buddhism before going into this one. It really doesn’t work as a “first book” on meditation. I found it to be hard to get through at times, but I don’t think it’s something to fault the book for—it’s just a fairly arcane topic. I don’t know anyone who I would personally recommend this to, but I think there are people out there for whom this book would be a very helpful addition to their practice.
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Aug 20, 2017Tristan rated it it was ok
Slightly less obscure than The Flight of the Garuda, but not a book that is going to give the reader much practical insight into Dzogchen. The clearest instruction (which is not all that clear) could be delivered in a few sentences, and The Dalai Lama spends much of the book on other topics (like the OCD-style breakdown of the 8 stages of death).
There is one interesting technique in the book: focus awareness on your eyeballs while focusing your vision on empty space.
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May 18, 2018Karma Pema Tsering rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
An absolutely outstanding book for everyone who practices Buddhism and Meditation for quite a while already. I guess it can´t get much better then the Dalai Lama commenting on a text from Patrul Rinpoche :)
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Sep 20, 2017Adi rated it it was amazing
Great audiobook with gems that are hidden behind the obvious. I think this is a book for beginners as well as experienced meditators as it provides clarity and directions for right Buddhist practice of meditation on different levels of awareness.
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Apr 21, 2019Rachel Van Sickle rated it liked it
I had a tough time wrapping my mind around this. I may not be far enough along on my spiritual development... or it’s just not a great translation. There’s wisdom to be had, but I feel as if I missed 90% of it.
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Jul 14, 2018Billie Cotterman rated it really liked it
Shelves: buddhism
It’s less of a beginner’s guide and more of a commentary on a Buddhist poem about meditation from the 1800’s. I got a lot out of the first part of the book, but got confused afterward. I think with further study I can go back and get more out of it.
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Jul 08, 2017Selma Lee rated it it was amazing
Short book but a great one for you if you just starting to meditation.
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Jan 03, 2018Frobeg Ochaeta rated it it was ok
It's sad that the translation wasn't that good. I hope a new edition with a better translation will be done in the future. (less)
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Jun 17, 2020Jason Ellis rated it liked it
This was good but most of it went about a mile above my head.
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Jan 15, 2018Lania Rubio rated it really liked it
This a very interesting book. One needs to read it slowly and with a lot of thoughts.
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May 08, 2016Leila Pitchford rated it really liked it · review of another edition
This is a good starter for meditation. My husband is excited to have a chance to read it.
Here is my review from The Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge, La.
my link text
Books offer inspiration for rebounds, meditation
Recent books that have crossed my desk include two eye-catching covers: one an orange book screaming Comeback, and the other a photo of the Dalai Lama.
Both books are short but offer a lot to think about.
The Comeback
“The Comeback” by Louie Giglio is subtitled “It’s Not Too Late and You’re Never Too Far.”
Giglio is a busy man. He founded a student ministry at Baylor University. After that, he founded the Passion movement, an annual seminar series that has met around the world encouraging college students to follow Christ. It became the basis of a new church in Atlanta sharing the name.
He also helped found six steps record label, home to Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman and David Crowder.
Despite these successes, Giglio had setbacks. This book briefly shares his setbacks as well as stories of others and Bible passages. He then shares the successes, the comebacks, that came later.
He points out that many comebacks don’t come with the healing we want. They don’t come according to human plans.
Giglio says the comebacks come from trust in God, and commitment to act through him.
This book is not an in-depth look at the subject. Rather it is an inspirational piece. It would be good for someone needing a push in the right direction or a reminder that God cares.
‘The Heart of Meditation’
“The Heart of Meditation” is a translation of live talks given by the Dalai Lama.
The leader of Tibetan Buddhism is known for peace and happiness despite the troubles of his homeland from where he is exiled.
The point of the book is that there is no way to achieve peace in the world without individuals achieving peace in themselves.
“The only way to achieve lasting peace is through mutual trust, respect, love and kindness,” the Dalai Lama says.
He offers meditation as a path to that ideal.
Drawing on his personal practice, the Dalai Lama guides the reader through developing a life of meditation. Lists are common in the accessible text. The book is task oriented with techniques as well as advice and encouragement on how to approach meditation.
The leader gives three keys to meditation and compares two basic structures of meditation.
He also recommends books for deeper study. (less)
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Feb 28, 2017Pancho Diaz rated it it was amazing
Shelves: non-fiction, to-re-read
This is a book to read over and over. And is also a book to be read slowly, one or two pages a day. One year and a half after my first read, this second read of HH Dalai Lama's meditation instructions resonate much deeply and feel much truer. I found the book on an airport in my way back home after many years abroad, and his teachings on the clear, intimate consciousness have been really helpful in the process of finding home again.
I do recommend this book for meditation newbies. I was in a sense very much in that place when I first read it, having no background on the mental patterns involved in meditation and ignorant of the ancient religious traditions that cultivate this practise. So I would just sit and try to think of nothing, as if I was the first person trying to do it. Dalai Lama's book allowed me to start appreciating these traditions and the centuries dedicated to the study of consciousness in Tibet. And now, after my second read, I begin to understand some of its most esoteric aspects and how many of the things described are not metaphorical at all, but very much true.
HH the Dalai Lama is a key figure in the process of integrating Eastern and Western modes of thought. It is essential for us Westeners to empathize with what these Eastern cultures are all about if we are really serious in the task of uniting humankind under a common banner, freeing our lives from violence and pointless conflicts. What the Dalai Lama is trying to teach us (and we could all use his advise), is that we must learn to be compassionate within ourselves, so that we can get rid of vicious and toxic thinking patterns that are deeply embedded in Western culture, science, and institutions, before trying to control other people's behaviour. (less)
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Feb 22, 2022Cecina Babich Morrow rated it it was ok
I thought this book would be an impactful introduction to the foundations of meditation in Buddhism. It is in fact a very dense, theoretical read that was definitely meant for someone a little closer to "the diamond mind". (less)
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Jan 30, 2017Shanda G. rated it really liked it
This was an interesting interpretation of meditation. At times it was very clear and others I had to go over to understand what was meant. Over all I enjoyed it. I think it is a great way to learn more about the practice of meditation.
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Oct 02, 2017Edward Fenner rated it liked it · review of another edition
Recommends it for: people interested in meditation - serious meditation
Shelves: meditation, tibetan-philosophy, health
Short and to-the-point. I've done a fair bit of meditating but this was a bit over my head. I'm not sure if it was the translation or what. I've read many of the Dalai Lama's books and they are much easier reads than this one. Good luck. (less)
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Dec 03, 2016Courtney Hoskins rated it really liked it
I really liked this, but I think it requires more readings or a deeper understanding of Buddhism. Still found it to be full of useful tips.
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Mar 02, 2018Tony rated it it was ok · review of another edition
This book was way over my head. I wasn't ready for it. I think I'll try Buddhism for Dummies. ...more
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Jun 28, 2020Yc Liao rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: 03-sociology-religion-history, 09-yoga-spiritual-ayurveda
互信、尊重、愛、慈悲是現在世界最需要的，沒有内在的平靜就沒有外在的和平。不斷的練習，找到自己最澄澈的細微之心，最後發現，外在的環境，心理產生的想法，像是一面心裏的鏡子所顯現出來的樣子。
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